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Elle

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Posts posted by Elle

  1. Well, I think that making sure no enemies enter the country is a legitimate function of the government. However, they would have to prove that their method of doing this is actually the best one for the situation. If it is necessary for national security purposes to do something, then they government should do it. But they have to demonstrate that it actually is the best option. Right now their reaction seems to be very concrete-bound, while they are ignoring the real solution (getting rid of the states and cultures that sponsor the terrorists).

    So if, like what is happening now, the government takes measures that are actually not helping, then no, they do not have the right to do so. Come to think of it, I can't think of any situations where it would do any good to violate someone's rights in order to protect them. That seems rather self-contradictory.

    I think at the very least the government should be condemned for going after the wrong things here.

    The airlines may be private (insofar as they can be, propper up by the government as many of them are), but they operate on public airports and therefore security screening is done on behalf of public safety to protect the airport - not the particular airlines. If you decided to charter a private plane from a private field you would not be subject to these regulations. This is pain, but organization like TSA believe they are an extension of law enforcement - what do you think, are they?

    When discussing emergency measures - such as banning liquids on airplanes - the government does NOT have to demonstrate, let alone prove, that they are choosing the best option. Often they don't have time to come up with the best thing, they just need to implement something based on a trade off between effectiveness and cost (to implement, in both time and resources). Considering the amount of beauraucracy in our government we would never make decisions in time if they did. While railing against the government I think it is important to remember that one of government's legitimate functions is to protect the people and the borders. While I am not pleased with the majority of things our government is doing, these most recent regulations are FAR from the first thing I would attack.

    I think it a bit premature to say that the government actions (such as banning liquids) is not helping at all - as you suggest. Can you substantiate that claim? Would you rather take the risk that the threat/plot was legitimately designed to use liquids to detonate an explosive device aboard an airplane on such an unsubstantiated claim? I agree that the government is not attacking the root of the problem - but that doesn't change the real and immediate need for a strategy for defense against the immediate threat of attacks on aircraft - and if that means no liquids then travellers will learn to deal with it. The greater frustration being that there is no end in sight for these restrictions, since the government doesn't seem prepared to attack the heart of the matter.

    The airlines are bankrupt, hobbled by regulation, and it SUCKS! I'm not rooting for our government here, but given the current constraints (including the fact that the airlines don't fundamental seem to understand that they need to defend their right to 'make a profit' - if they still know what that means) I don't think things could come to pass in any other way. Individual airlines have the ability to enforce regulations in addition to those set down by various government organizations - limiting carry ons, carrying out their own searches, etc. "But why should they, when they know the goverment will foot the bill?" Sadly, I think this is how they think.

  2. Are you speaking of a situation where you are extremely attracted to a woman and then, after finding out her character is morally reprehensible, find that you are still attracted?

    It seems like this might be what you are referring to - and I think this is a pretty common experience. I've certainly been in this situation, and it can be very frustrating.

    Keep in mind that your mind has to lead the way; sometimes your emotions can be a bit slow to catch up if you are holding out for the ideal you may have projected on this person. I'm not saying that by projecting an ideal you expected the person to be perfect, simply that you were making a comparison... looking for a good fit... and on a first cursory inspection perhaps the odds looked good.

    So then you make the next move, begin to knnow this person and come to learn that while she may be physically attractive, sensual, etc. she holds beliefs or makes choices that you can not live with. It's still hard to let go of the hope that the initial image of the woman you wanted exists and might still be found (although this is not actually likely to happen).

    My advice to you would be to remove yourself from the situation and from the person, distance yourself enough to calm down (and this could take a few weeks depending on how intensely attracted you are/were, or how high your hopes for this person were).

    If this isn't hitting what you are getting at let me know.

  3. You might want to point out to them that you think being on time is important to creating an image of professionalism, and that you are hoping that the class you are attending might yield some new business relationships. If you can show people how it is in their interest to alter their behavoir, they might reconsider calling you a "dick" and follow your example.

    This is something I deal with sometimes too. Working in a borderline blue-collar industry and being a woman is an interesting thing because a lot of men expect me to laugh at the crass jokes and drink like the best of them. Unfortunately, I do want to be considered a professional and from time to time my formality can get me labelled as "arrogant" or "bitchy". What I've realized is that it's the customers who will speak loudest of my capability (and they do) so I have decided to continue to impress them and not worry about what my co-workers, colleagues, carriers and vendors think.

  4. I don't really do anything special, I would say I fall asleep pretty naturally even with the sirens, horns, lights, etc. I have to get up at 6:30am to prepare for work in the morning, so usually I try to go to bed at 11pm-ish. I think the key is to completely use you energy for the day and I try to push myself to squeeze as much value as I can out of the time I am awake. Another thing I have learned is that if don't procrastinate, and action or close every issue I can every day, then I can fall asleep very peacefully without anything to worry about.

  5. Moose,

    That's something different. That .999... = 1 isn't a fallacy, it's just counterintuitive, kind of like some of Xeno's paradoxes.

    Pat Corvini gave a fascinating lecture regarding Xeno's paradox and the concept of infinity at last summer's conference in San Diego - I imagine it can be found in the Ayn Rand Bookstore on ARI's website. I highly reccomend it.

  6. This is a question I have wondered about - especially considering the industry I work in and some of the work I would like to do in the future may require me to join a union (such as air traffic control, airline pilot, etc.) in order to procure employment, no matter what company I work for because of the FAA regulations enforced by US law and other state and federal laws.

    In the case of unskilled labor, where you are free to go elsewhere and do the same kind of work, I think it is interesting to note that you have other options besides Stop and Shop (like Wal Mart for one) that are non-union. Of course, I don't know what the employment situation is where you are located, but if it is actually a severe problem then you could potentially move. When other options are available that will achieve the same goal I guess it's not really an issue of morality as much as it is of taking the whole context of the job and whether or not your morals are being compromised into consideration. If the union job pays you 3 times as much as the non-union job, your employer gets along well with the union, and the union uses non-coercive methods of negotiation then I don't see anything wrong with it.

    Unions, in and of themselves, are not what it evil -- it's when they initiate force to get what they want that they become immoral. Without that elements they are a group of individuals organizing in order to negotiate with an employer. My family business deals with unions often in developing their pension plans and I have seen many instances of extremely amicable relationships between managers and union leaders (usually in skilled manufacturing as I have seen) where the managers view the union leaders as a useful tool for keeping tabs of the pulse of the employee culture and understanding how to motivate their workers. Often the committees for 401(k) and other benefit plans at major companies will have representative split between union and non-union workers... and they don't have much difficulty agreeing. This is the exception though... we don't do work with coercive unions.

  7. Another thing to consider is that self-help is a crowded market in the book industry, so it might be questionable whether it would actually be profitable for you (considering how much you would have to invest initially to create it). Also, I am curious how you would differentiate this book from others out there... your market will have to be more broad than just Objectivists in order to make much money, and self-help books are a dime a dozen precisely because of how our culture has turned toward apathetically seeking answers handed down from on high. If you speak to Craig Biddle I would be curious to find out what markets his book is making it into (since it is written for the laymen) and whether or not that has been profitable for him. I sincerely doubt it.

    Another thing I wonder is whether self-help books are indeed ineffective and if the market is ripe for the arrival of some major breakthrough, or if the individuals buying them (the majority anyhow) simply don't act on what they have read. I would argue the latter.

    Perhaps I am being a bit hasty to suggest this is all in all an unprofitable idea - but from the standpoint of a consumer I'd be curious to see how you would attempt to sell this book to me. I can tell you a few self-help books I have read and found helpful and a bit about their content and organization:

    The Goal - Goldratt (written as a fiction story with application of principles dealing with goals and focus for work and life)

    Flow - Mihaly C. (methodical, somewhat hierarchical in organization, discussion)

    7 Habits - Covey (methodical, organized linearly)

    -Danielle

    (p.s. I don't check this site often enough, if you want a direct response you might want to email me at [email protected])

  8. This is a good questionnaire to find out if youre a "workaholic" or not

    http://www.trans4mind.com/timemanagement.pdf

    Ideally all your answersd should be no.

    I challenge your statement that ideally all answers should be no. What is ideal about that, and isn't this questionairre dropping the context of the particular individuals goals? I answered yes to every single question, but I don't consider that any kind of red-flag because right now my work is my top value. In fact, I think I would be proud to be considered a workaholic if that is what my answers to this questionairre suggest.

    Additionally, "workaholic" has the same kind of connotation as "Alcoholic" which I would imagine suggests escaping reality through some detrimental and (maybe even) addictive behavoir. Should rational individuals who are dedicated to their work to the extreme, maybe even obsessed with it, be lumped in with those who actually work simply to escape the reality of having a purposeful life? According to who's standards is it bad to be "obsessed" or a "workaholic", I just don't get it.

  9. Cole,

    There is no X major = Y career formula. I used to think that was how it works, but Burgess is right (and I have learned from experience) that it a backwards approach. You should take the classes that will give you the most knowledge and skills to further your CPL. Although getting a degree might be a part of this, ultimately your ability and choices will have a much greater impact on your career than what you major in.

    In fact, I know very successful and purposeful people who have dropped out of college - as well as very unhappy and purposeless people who are extremely well educated. Education is not a guarantee of success or happiness, so make sure you don't try to substitute your major for you own path. No matter what major you choose you might have to take some crappy courses, and sometimes you can get around them if you work with your advisors and professors (by substituting other classes or make independent study arrangements). Even in the worst classes (like Human Resources, which isn't a favorite of mine either) there is something to be gained - even if it is only getting a deeper understanding of something that frustrates you (such as the mentality in business that it is human resources and the worker vs. the boss).

    Best!

  10. Is this a basically correct picture of the philosophy?

    No it is not correct. Objectivism does not advocate acting to survive, it advocates living. What I mean by this is that Objectivistm is a philosophy aimed as describing man's life as a sum of goal-oriented actions. For Man, Life has a purpose beyond survival and this purpose is based on volitional actions. Animals act to survive, not out of choice but by instinct. Man does not have instincts, he has free will, and therefore acts not just to survive but to live.

  11. I'm starting back to school for e-business in September, I actually have a specific goal now, but I always considered myself  "self-taught" What I pursue outside of my curriculum has always been the meat and potatoes-so to speak. It's funny, one major motivator for me going back to college is so that I can get into ARI *lol*. I'm also doing it for the discipline though. How I'll manage to pay for it is anyone's guess. I have held decent jobs and positions, and I seriously considered forgetting college all together because it's going to be such a huge drain financially. However, now I have a purpose, and so it's worth the time and money to accomplish that purpose.

    I'll guess I'll be joining Generation Debt here soon  :P

    If what you really need is some kind of degree as a type of "guarantee" and you don't have a lot to spend there are two ways to do it inexpensively 1) community college or junior college (what I have done the past two years) 2) online colleges (I am thinking this might be what you meant by e-business)

    Also, are you trying to get involved with ARI as a fellow there or in order to attend the OAC? As far as I know, it is recommended but not required that OAC students be studying in an undergraduate program in addition to studying at ARI. And the OAC is very inexpensive, especially compared to the value of learning how to think and write.

    I'm interested to hear more about what you are doing, if you'd rather PM me that would be great, I think we are in the same spot to some extent with education right now.

  12. Thank You for the Reprimend Felipe....  Wasn't trying to blatantly break any rules. Also i just found the sword of truth thread in the Aesthetics Section of the forum...Sorry didn't do a thorough search of all the forums  :dough:  i guess before posting the topic...I would delete it myself, but i don't have that option.  <_<

    Richard Roark

    I can delete this thread at your request (PM me with your reasons) but I think it is fine left here, as an introduction for yourself. Keep in mind that while Felipe was reminding you of the rules, with benevolence and tact, I am sure we are all happy to have you here and the rules are simply regarded as an important part of keeping the forum at a high level of quality.

    Posts made solely for advertising a website or anything else are not allowed because they become the equivalent of spam and can take over the forum and create a lot of work in deletion for the moderators. There is marketplace section of the forum for advertising and selling things.

    Once again, welcome, and I hope you are not put off by the gentle reminder to consult the rules. :D

  13. The heart of Gates' contention is that the economy has evolved to the point that it is impossible for anyone without a college education to earn what most of us would cosndier a decent living. This in spite of the fact that gates himself never did complete his bachelor's degree, and yet is the richest human being on the planet.
    Well it appears I disprove that "impossible" achievement. I think there are a great many people out there, including myself, making what could be considered at the very least a "decent" living without a college degree. Also, isn't there a statistic that says a very large number of those who get college degrees do not even pursue careers in the field they studied in high school?

    The thing is, there are numerous essential tasks in any technolgocial society for which colege is poor preparation. And many college programs are in fields that are utterly useless in the real world -- why are the liberal arts even taught anymore? If education is intended to be the engine of preparing the next generation of workers, then anything that does not lead towards that goal would be wasted effort.

    I don't know whether you are expressing your opinion here or Gates', but either way I vehemently disagree and suggest you think through what you are saying (if this is indeed your opinion and not Gates'). Philosophy is at the very heart of liberal arts education - tell me how it is that studying this is utterly useless in the "real world". Those who study philosophy and go on to earn PhDs become the intellectual spokesmen for the culture, and they represent great good and also great evil throughout history as philosophers.

    While liberal arts college may be poor preparation for technological tasks, is that the goal of attending college in a liberal arts major?

    perhaps it is college itself that is becoming obsolete....

    What do you mean by this?

  14. NO FOX News is by far the the most watched news network. And radio shows like Rush Limbaugh's that are pro-war are also at the top of the ratings. I don't know where you're getting your information from but it's wrong. Traditional media in this country is failing left and right because people here are extremely annoyed by the bias.

    I agree that Fox News is the most watched, and that Rush Limbaugh's radio show is also at the top of the ratings. I can see, however, how Hal has come to believe that the leftist media is dominant - especially if he is outside of the US. I can clearly see, following the re-election of George Bush, that the media is leaning towards the neo-conservative position in order to cater to a public who was polled and responded that they care about "values".

    However, the thing about the left is that the left is LOUD and concentrated mainly in major cities like Washington DC, Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle (where I am). Until I travelled in the United States extensively this past summer and fall I had no idea the true magnitude and popularity of conservativism, republicanism, and (most terrifying and shocking to me) Christianity. Now, this is naive I grant - but I have grown up in a secular liberal area. The right is spread throughout the heart-land of the country but it's not concentrated with the same collective voice that the left has worked to have.

    I admit I don't watch much TV news (I can't stomach it) - but I do listen to the radio and read the papers. What do you guys think, do you think the media is moving to the left or the right - or is it rejecting both sides?

  15. Maybe we should discuss putting together an entire program of study groups that will slowly crawl through all of Objectivism, from the ground up.  Going from book to book, we could flesh out all our thoughts on record and revisit them as needed in future study groups.  What do you think?

    What order would you put the books in? What about starting fiction reading groups?

  16. Would anyone be interested in participating in a study group for Dr. Binswanger's The Biological Basis of Teleological Concepts?  I'm reading it for the first time and I'd like to discuss some of the more challenging concepts in this incredibly dense piece.

    I would love to, and if we get a few more interested people I could set up a sub-forum in the same way I set up the ITOE forum for us to use. Maybe if three or four more people expressed interest? It could compliment the ITOE reading very well.

  17. Welcome Mehendra! I am happy you intend to say for awhile.

    Trick of the trade? Being a rational human being with a thirst for knowledge will get you most of the way. Knowing the forum rules can be useful. Feel free to PM me (or any of the moderators, they are extremely knowledgable and friendly) with any specific questions you may have.

    In addition, I encourage you to read through the Basic Questions section of the forum. It's a great place to start.

    Best!

  18. The only sororities at my college didn't have any "hazing" rituals, but then fraternity/sorority houses where all the members would live together were strictly prohibited, so they were more along the lines of clubs than anything else.

    The thing that amused me was that the sororities (and notably NOT the fraternities) engaged in some really egregious group brainwashing behavior, very similar to what goes on in a "progressive" preschool.  Women working in groups generally have a very different dynamic than men.  I don't know whether this is because women are actually different from men or what.

    I never had much use for it but I don't really get along well with other women any more.

    EDIT:  There's a difference between treating someone cruelly simply because they are new and agressively punishing infractions that may go unnoticed once the new person has acquired standing in the group.

    A girl I used to know joined a sorority her freshman year of college and told me that there were many hoops to jump through. The underclassmen slept on bunkbeds with six girls to a room, while the upperclassmen had their own rooms. The underclassmen were responsible for cleaning, grocery shopping, and whatever other errands the upperclassmen asked for whether they were ridiculous or necessary. Basically the upperclassmen had a monopoly on the underclassmen's time. This isn't hazing in the violent sense as was described above, but I think perhaps it is worse because it truly serves no purpose other than to make some slaves (by their own choice to be in the sorority) and other slave-masters. I think it is the basic principle underlying the initiation of these girls was that they were required to subordinate their wills, minds, time, etc to the upperclassmen to gain respect and earn the years they would spend with a room to themselves. What is this supposed to be preparing them for, the vision of beineg housewives (in the pejorative) someday?

    I never understood sororities and frats and my school doesn't have them. I understand that often these groups are helpful in placing their members in good jobs (Condoleeza Rice is a Kappa!) because their sorority or frat name is supposed to speak for their character. However, I would personally be adverse to hiring someone for any of the qualities learned in their house -- group think, brainwashing, menial task delegation, spending time for its own sake, etc... none of these are good traits for a potential employee.

    On the other hand, the military graduates - who experience initiation in way that is acceptable to what they are doing and entirely necessary to test their ability to be responsive and dedicated in difficult circumstances - would be the kinds of job candidates that would catch my attention.

    I never had much use for it but I don't really get along well with other women any more.

    Neither do I and I used to say that somewhat proudly, but now I am finding that I would really like to have some female friends - mainly because whenever I have a male friend it becomes romantic (although that is rarely recognized until the friendship has to end because of the torture it becomes for one or both of us). Now I am seeking out intelligent, fun, females and I've discovered that it is really really difficult to find them. The kind of women I would like as friends should be independently minded, life and career oriented, and have a fun and adventure loving sense of life. Unfortunately, most of these women (myself included) have very little time to cultivate friendships. Right now I have only a few friends who are female and who I would consider real friends -- and they are all 800 or more miles away from me (one is actually in the Israeli Army!).

    Why do you think it is that women like you and I (rational, intelligent, independent, goal oriented) find it so hard to befriend other women? One problem for me has been the lack of candidates for friendship because women become insecure in the face of my confidence and honesty. Another is that I think women, more so than men, allow themselves to get into group-think mode. I don't know if that is a truly valid statement, but that is what I have observed (especially in school). Yours thoughts on this JMeganSnow, and others?

  19. GC taught me how to create the sub-forums for our discussion this morning and so I have done that. If you want to create a new topic and there is not a sub-forum for the chapter then create it in the main ITOE forum and I will create the proper sub-forum and move the post there. Any questions or suggestions about the organizations can be sent to me directly by email to: [email protected].

    Best,

    Elle

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