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Nate_S

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Posts posted by Nate_S

  1. Great art is like respiration for the spirit of the individual man. It is a time for him to stop and reflect upon his being and, perhaps, in an instance experience a sumination of his metaphysical value judgements or sense of life personified in his medium of choice. 

    I should of cited this, its paraphrased off the top of my head from the Romantic Manifesto and is based on Ayn Rand's quotation.

  2. I am not a music expert but that greatly appealed to me. And because I'm not a musical expert, in a technical sense, things that appeal to me thave to touch on something far more then my understanding of the mechanics of music. It has to relate to how I see the world and what I find profoundly beautiful within it, and I think for me that speaks volumes for this piece.

  3. I believe alot of people seriously underestimate the ramifications of marijuana use. Someone close to me has been an advid user of it for some time now and I have first handedly witnessed a gradual yet insistent emotional separation from the reality of his situation caused by the usage. It is an escape of sorts that has allowed him to suppress his emotions and consequently numb his faculty when making crucial life decisions. I've witnessed him go for days continually smoking in order to maintain his high when things get increasingly rough. It has become so bad that he has even developed a certain quasi-philosophical substantion of his behavior which seems to stop all logic and reason in its tracks with this wishy-washy emotional creed. It might not be physically addictive but it certainly has become a pyschological crutch for this person.

    You shouldn't need Marijuana to aid in your creative process. If music is something you truly love to create it should coincide with your being rather then conflict with it. Great art is like respiration for the spirit of the individual man. It is a time for him to stop and reflect upon his being and, perhaps, in an instance experience a sumination of his metaphysical value judgements or sense of life personified in his medium of choice. The fact that the marijuana does aid you seems to allude to a deeper pyschological problem, as Mr Speicher pointed out. Perhaps its your crutch or means of bypassing or suppresing the real issue at hand.

    [note] please escuse the spelling errors in this post. I am without Word at the moment.

  4. I think he has gotten his passion for Objectivism mixed up with his passion for Star Trek. Perhaps he sees Objectivism as a means to some sort of star trek fantasy, which in its essence isn’t an entirely idiotic notion. Surely if the United States space program was completely privatized and cultured under an ideal capitalistic society it would be much further along and perhaps he sees himself at the helm of one of its hypothetical vessels (maybe with seven of nine giving him a back massage :dough: ).

  5. I've always felt the educational system would be the best place to start down-sizing the government. The government could sponsor a sort of transitional period in which public schools are bided on and sold to private corporations and then backed by limited government funding until the market stabilizes. Eventually, like any other free enterprise with considerable competition, schools would be fighting to give its customers/clients the best education possible for the most appealing price point. The progression of our educational standards would as in any free market accelerate exponentially. However, given the current political climate its only wishful thinking.

    Honestly, having attended high school not to long ago you get what you pay for with public education. Its nothing short of crap. Its simply an insanely bloated government day care center.

  6. In no way am I equating this friend of mine with you, because I don't have enough information about your specific problem to justify that. However, my friend (he is not an objectivist) claimed to have a similar problem which was in his opinion affecting the quality of his Illustrative work. As the year progressed I began to notice he was particularly adamant about wearing his emotions on his sleeves to the delight of his small circle of social parasites that he hung out with. Worse, was that he moaned so insistently to the faculty that he found a special place in their sympathizing hearts. He was as such garnering favors from the faculty and the solemn comradery from his group of peers all from this so called 'problem'. At this point the problem had obtained a certain degree of value to him; one that he now held in higher regard then the quality of his work. So ultimately his problem wasn’t really about an overwhelming and relentless emotional suffrage it was merely a simple issue of value-judgment. So maybe your father’s advice isn’t so far-fetched.

    And no, I am not simply rationalizing the issue. There is alot more to this story that supports my assesment which I have given cosiderable thought.

    P.S.- His prescience eventually became so unbearable that we stopped being friends all together.

  7. Bush’s shameful ‘faith-based’ initiatives and subtle yet insistent coercion between the church and state have marred the philosophical connotations of this war and consequently the resolve of our international policy allowing Moores special breed of quasi-intellectual liberalism to surge through the populous like a spiritually numbing cancer. However one such Moore-ism is particularly frightening to me:

    "The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win."

    Is it just me or did he just draw a parallel between those who fought under the noble and intellectually cultured pretences of individual freedom with the brutally barbaric mysticism of Iraqi terrorists? Is this truly the character and mechanics of his political resolve? Its as if Moore has successfully skewed the perspectives of hundreds of thousands if not millions (I hope for the latter) of people in such a manner that they have acquired a total disregard for the character and intellect of our nations founding fathers and the philosophical pretences of the freedoms they take for granted every second of every day of their lives.

  8. As for the topic, Democrats has this black appeal thing going on. I honestly don't understand it.

    As for the mechanics of this fact, John McWhorter's losing the race gives you a very good insight into the ideological proponents of this. Its really a combination of Separatism, Self-Victimization, and the fact that many Democratic policies prey on these ultimately crippling ideas that are imposed upon blacks through a tribal manifesto of altruistically cultivated ideals.

    For even more information on the adverse effects of self-victimization Theodore Dalrymple's "Life at the Bottom" presents a real life account of its effects at their worst.

  9. I've never really vested much meaning in my name. My nick is simply Nate_S for Nate Struttmann. Im pretty sure when I market my Illustrative work once I graduate and get out in the field that Im going to drop my last name and simply be Nate James....my full name being Nate James Struttmann. Its just more marketable I feel.

  10. This is a paper I wrote on Norman Rockwell for a History of Illustration course, it pretty much sums up how I apply my objective reasoning to the nature of Illustration. I struggled with it at first, but the Romantic Manifesto helped me out alot, even if it was primary about the literary arts.

    When I envision the hands that built America, that represent the basic philosophical strife of this nation, they aren?t contrived of sexism, slavery, or any other lingering immoral treason on our inherent humanistic freedoms that seem to tarnish our Nations image. I think of these hands as indicative of that which have been given the will to gradually rise from the residual filth of long withstanding, internationally cultured and socially instituted assaults on the individual rights of man that existed long before America?s conception. As such these hands are both forged and fueled by possibilities. In Norman Rockwell's world the fruits of these possibilities have been realized, alluding to the not always apparent fundamental good that makes their reality that much more believable to the delight and satisfaction of all those that willfully partake in our nations freedoms. Rather then falsely contrived illusions I see them as more aptly very real possibilities stemming from our American heritage and the freedoms it embodies.

    Based upon the idiotic modern pretences of cultural pluralism there is no cultural right or wrong and we are often taught to deny logic and reason in order to avoid the offence of an International audience whose beliefs might subscribe to notions contradictory to our vision of human rights and freedoms. The mechanics of this intellectual fallacy has belittled the rational philosophical strife of our forefathers to a subjective relic of what 'may be' right rather then morally essential to living. However, as long as we are a capitalistic democracy we must adhere to the freedoms our nation?s founders prescribed in order to live by the standards they have raised. With this withstanding we will always be America and we will always embody the moral philosophical good that the mere practice of our political system entails even if we refuse to recognize it. However, notions such as cultural pluralism, which cripple our moral resolve, ripen our collective fears and insecurities for the malignant social parasites of this world to feed off of. Because of this more then ever we need reminders of what might be, or could have been, or was, in order to endure the price of our freedoms. Because of this Rockwell's work is more relevant then ever as an embodiment of these timeless reminders. When I opened up a Rockwell anthology and began to turn the pages my freedom was as it should be: warming. Not because I naively prescribed to the reality of his pictorials but because I believed in their possibility. I believed in the possibility of a world where children were allowed to be children, where freedoms were dear, where we celebrated the marvels of our material world as genuine human experiences. Honestly, I have yet to experience this world in its entirety first hand but because Norman Rockwell made me feel it in these instances, through his eyes, it has become that much more attainable, that much more a possibility.

    As such the context of our day to day reality might disprove the relevancy of his works as simple sentimental dribble. Yet, however ideological they might appear, they exude a certain emotional sincerity that is relative to anyone who wishes well his fellow man. As such Rockwell?s primary body of work still presents an immensely compelling view of American Life and the joys that economic fertility and social freedoms produce. His works are a time capsule full of the hopes, dreams, idolizations, and aspirations of an era whose heart and soul is forever relative to our American lives. Justly his impeccable technical resolve and narrative mastery has withstood the criticisms and cynical rhetoric of those who refuse to appreciate the beautiful for simply being beautiful. In doing so his works have given my generation and future generations an intoxicating glimpse of American spirit done right and the prestige of an American illustrative Legacy in which we might hope to aspire. More importantly he has put a face (or many faces) on the possible, reaffirming the virtues of the past in order to validate the noble sense of possibility that our nations present encompasses. My appreciation for Norman Rockwell is primarily a philosophical one, and because of this it might be skewed as an overtly American bias. However like Rockwell's work my philosophical outlook on this world embodies fundamental principles that transcend specific cultures and societies and appeal to anyone who is of an individual conscious and a noble mind.

  11. Woops, I've already posted 10 times before I noticed this section of the forums. Anyways, my name is Nate Struttmann and I currently reside in Sarasota Florida where I am an Illustration major at the Ringling Academy of Art and Design.

    I view Illustration as realisms modern American lineage. When Pollock burst onto the scene the philosophically complacent bulk of the supposed artistic intellectuals of American Society proved to value an 'artist's' primal emotional code over a competent assertion of ones aesthetic and humanistic values. Meanwhile that which demonstrated and idolized the values America should hold dare was refined under the scrutiny of our commercial economy. Pin-Ups raised the morale of our troops, Rockwell celebrated the marvels of our material world as genuine human experiences, and Maxfield Parrish promoted the mainstream appeal of Romantic realism with mathematically comprised and visually stunning compositions. As such Illustrators have a noble heritage and are a vital part of our Nations morale and commercial vitality. I am really excited about getting out in the field once I graduate and honoring this noble heritage by campaigning objective aesthetics to our commercial economy.

  12. I'm pretty sure the balk of those who participate in these forums do not advocate Objective reasoning simply because it is what Ms. Rand said. Personally (of course I can't speak for everyone), I originally took Ms. Rand's writings simply as that until she subjugated her philosophy through rational abstractions and explicit constructs of logic and reasoning that competently defined a fundamental moral standard relevant to anyone who values a free mind.

    Everything else you said is just unsubstantiated slander.

  13. You've raised some relevant issues concerning my responce that I've overlooked. Ultimately the government should not demand anything of its people other then the abolishmnet of brute force. The behavior of its citizens should be governed by sound philosophical judgment and an economic system that rewards and honors it, rather then being mandated by the state. Having said that I would have to agree: No.

  14. Are these government employed caregivers? Ideally there would be no such thing. That void would have to be filled either by volunteering or a private industry that catered to these needs. The government is not a support mechanism for its citizens personal ailings. But I guess thats a bit off-topic and negates from the reality of the premise.

  15. The governments sole, singular purpose should ideally be to simply protect the interests of the individuals from those who would violate them by means of physical force. I'm pretty sure it is in the interests of these people to not be abused physically and this abuse would to some extent impede upon their abilty to live freely. So this law pretty much falls under that domain.

  16. Exactly. The course Syllabus told us to adapt a cultural pluralistic view in order to uncover our own American Bias. Under the inept philosophical construct of this reasoning there is no logic or reason and consequently there is no right or wrong. The students are then forced to contort their own logic in a manner that denies it simply for the sake of agitating our own irrational cultural insecurities in order to feed the liberals quest for a false pretense of moral absolution.

    Of course I was well equipped to realize this. Sadly I was the only one.

    But thats another topic all in itself.

  17. I'm an Illustration major at a private art institute. I've made my observations regarding the almost maniacally liberal climate within the student body, primarily the 'Fine Arts' majors and the large cult like association of the Fellowship of Christian Art Students which consists of a ridiculously large portion of the Student body. I usually don't concern myself with either.

    There was a single isolated instance with a faculty member where I had to consult a third higher party to review my written work. I feared, and was accurate, in detecting a strong bias against my Objectivist views which finally resulted in an outright refusal on my part to adopt a cultural pluralistic view (which the course required) in assessing the information I was given. What followed was a series of litigation that I eventually dropped because it was so obsessive it began to interfere with my Illustration work. To think cultural pluralism is taught and mandated institutionally...

    Aside from that I usually get along with my major specific professors. Until recently. During a lecture tonight a professor, who I had up till now strongly admired, expressed his desire for an Illustrators union that could in turn fix the rates demanded for Illustrative work. I've always felt that those who are incredibly successful in Illustration rightfully earn their dues through unique and innovative works that insist demand. Of course those who wish not to participate in the union and engage in their freedom to ask or receive what ever payment is issued to them would have to face the mob-like opposition and whatever tactics the mob would employ as necessary in preserving thier wager mandate.

    It was just a thought, but it struck me as terribly wrong. However, this possibiliy is discouraging and I was wondering what are the laws that protect my individual rights in opposing the authority of a Union?

    And I'm not sure exactly what category this topic belongs in sense it involves capitalistic concerns within an aesthetic context.

  18. No, it's the same species of Altruism, just a new perversion of it. I mean it stems from the same fundamental ideology of many altruistic belief systems. Yet in contrast to say Christianity, where our personal suffering and self-loathing is our obligations to others, our happiness is now our obligation to others. Either way its just as bad.

    Our happiness (happiness of the greatest philosophical sense) is not an obligation of any sorts, it is an imperative proponent of our existence and the measure of all that exists within it.

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