hunterrose

I'm not sure what the "official" perspective is, but that's not effective IMO. It seems to be a case of appealing to others' sympathy. While it may have caused some people to change their minds, you certainly can't count on any success from such acts. On the other hand, it does take a lot of willpower. According to Wikipedia, he "never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound..."

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Some of the best dialogues/conversations I've ever read. Even though most critics prefer The Brothers Karamazov, The Brothers always came across to me as a watered down version of The Idiot.

Good points, JMeganSnow. The more I think about it, there are a lot of character comparisons to be had. Overall, I think the Fountainhead characters are more fleshed out that the ASers, but I indeed didn't consider Hank and Dagny when making my prior post. Dagny and Dominique? Hmm, I not sure how I feel about that. You've given me something to think about (though my gut feeling is toward Dominique.) Thanks for the food for thought!

I've never actually played a D&D-style RPG. Not from lack of desire, but from lack of people. I do like pen-and-paper systems (I have the D&D guides) especially in that they're very well balanced. Most computer RPGs struggle to have that balance; you end up with a character class or group of characters that beat out all others. Plus the freedom and creativity of old-school RPGs is unparalleled.

Fountainhead's my favorite of all the novels I've read. I didn't really feel the main character of Anthem. He wasn't a Roark or d'Anconia. It's not as epic, either. I'm going to have to reread We the Living soon. I don't remember a lot, but I do remember not liking how Kira wasted time with her man (name?) long after he was "worthless." AS is very good (my all-time #2.) It's even more epic than The Fountainhead, but AS doesn't have as good characters IMO. d'Anconia > than all by me, but I still prefer Roark to Galt, Wynand to Stadler, and Toohey to the baddies of AS. AS also loses to The Fountainhead in terms of trials of the hero. Galt's "trials" aren't nearly so inspiring as Roark's are, and d'Anconia's, while comparable to Roark's, aren't depicted with the same fervor and depth.

Now THIS is a topic! I'm a huge strategy RPGamer. Final Fantasy Tactics is probably my all-time favorite game, and Disgaea is one of the funniest. Other games I really love are Virtua Fighter 4, Vagrant Story, FF8, Goldeneye, Deus Ex, and San Andreas. Yuna's sacrificial intent turned me off from her. FFX is still good though IMO. While FF7 could be considered based on bad premises, I think you are indeed reading too much into it. Especially when it's so good!

That's a good quote, Prometheus. I'll have to write that one down. Well, I don't post for the sake of "newness," but I try not to repeat what's been said, and have no problem being unconventional, so long as it's defendable. thanks for the links, JMeganSnow!

Too bad you said historical, I was going to say Toohey should be Kefka. No one plots like Toohey I've always liked Tesla. He's was definitely a man of the mind, and the characters don't have to be perfect, right? You need a good, but manic, character.

Hey, Wes. You don't waste time, do you? Thanks for the Neo-Tech info *adds Neo-Tech to "The List"* I'm also new, so I'm not sure what the "official" response to Op: Iraqi Freedom is. I'm somewhat on the other side of the fence, so maybe we'll compare opinions on it some time.

Criticizing Galt and Co. is the quickest way to end up on the wrong side of the pitchfork around here. Don't let the "interrogators" scare you off, though. That's... pretty sharp. I'd agree that her novels aren't perfect from a literary technique POV, but I wouldn't go that far. But then again, her two main novels are my all-time favorites, so who am I to say? I can't speak for driver, but one thing I find unbelievable would be the odd lack of family in these novels (excluding WtL.) What was the best family relationship of the heroes? Dominique and Guy? That says a lot.

Salutations. It is hard to find people who share your beliefs! As far as the question, it takes a great amount of will to break from some things, much like Myself said. Don't be too hard on them though.

Welcome. There are several people here from outside of the US. Sweet. While I'm not saying you should try to please them per se, making some sort of peace with the fam couldn't hurt. I don't know the whole situation however, so take this with a grain of salt. What kind of books do you like?

Greetings. I'm another state-sider, sorry. But I don't personally know any Objectivists either, so you're not alone there. Ayn Rand may be unknown by a lot of people, but thankfully, her ideas haven't died.

Greetings. I'm new too, so I'm making my rounds. I know what you mean about breaking from the past. About the time I was first reading Rand, I saw that I had to make some decisions about my beliefs. It's hard, but knowing that you're doing what's right is priceless.

Hi. I discovered this forum yesterday, and had to get involved. I have had little contact with Objectivists. Going back and forth with religious friends just isn't the same, you know? I discovered Ayn Rand about 5 years ago, and I've been growing since. I love The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged (in that order,) like We the Living, and find Anthem so-so. My other favorite author'd be Dostoevsky (I read a lot.) I read as much philosophy as I can comprehend, Objectivist and non-Objectivist. I'm more Francisco than Galt, make of that what you will I don't usually post walls of texts, so that might be a relief to some. I do usually post in a free manner; I'll often post an opinion that might not be orthodox, so long as I believe I can defend it. Nothing blatantly contrary to Objectivism, but hopefully something that's not been heard. My only other significant hobby besides reading would be video games. All-time favorite quote: "An error made on your own is safer than ten truths made on faith." - John Galt

My top 10 The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevsky The Tale of Genji - Shikibu Murasaki The Possessed(I know..) - Fyodor Dostoevsky Toilers of the Sea - Victor Hugo Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry Catch-22 - Joseph Heller The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky The Chosen - Chaim Potok currently working on Red Badge of Courage and Dune

I am pro-choice, and I'll take your advice. spydawebz's argument against abortion not only is contrary to Objectivism ideas on abortion, it seems to lead to a lot of moral conclusions I'm not sure he'd agree with. The two cases I used weren't the most poignant examples. Suppose the (now born) child needs a blood transfusion, and the mother is the only available match. spydawebz's rationale, as I understood it, would lead to a postbirth moral imperative upon the mother, possibly for as long as the child lives? If such conclusions are necessarily derived from spydawebz's rationale, I would be interested in hearing why not.

Please forgive my mistakes; this is my first time posting here. I don't understand your statements totally. Suppose an unconscious woman is unknowingly impregnated by her boyfriend/husband. You would have no problem with an abortion in this case? And why grant an exception for (consensual) incest?