K-Mac

My first thought is to seek professional help. That's the hard part...finding a professional that's worth anything, but it's key to getting over this. They know how to help you confront, deal with and get over the past, then move on. Dr. Hurd offers online and phone consultations if you're not in his area (he's O'ist friendly), or perhaps he can refer you to someone in your area? http://doctorhurd.com/index.php/component/...ge,shop.browse/ Second, there may be some lectures at the ARI Bookstore that would help you, but again, I would seek professional help as well. http://www.aynrandbookstore2.com/products.asp?dept=54

Axiomatic, I used plenty of different drugs in my younger days and while I can't say that X made me feel badly while I was high on it, I would not use the word "joy" to describe it. It was a euphoric and happy sensation, but it wasn't real joy and the crash was awful. (Particularly the more I used it.) I also think it's fair to say that the drug use, and the people I associated with as a result, brought far more despair and sorrow to my life than the temporary euphoria of the drugs ever did. (And I was quite the functioning addict, excelling at good jobs, being sober when necessary, maintaining good relationships with my family, etc.) Haz, now that I'm a bit older, have been learning more about Objectivism and am getting my life pretty much in order, I can tell you that realizing what your values are and achieving them is the real "high" or joy in life. No drug I ever took made me feel as good as I feel in the arms of my husband, for example. I'm very much looking forward to starting a family with him. I'd much rather have my joy triggered in this fashion than synthetically and falsely with drugs.

http://www.detlitcoal.org/faq.htm I guess you don't live in Detroit? Seriously though, you may have met someone who is illiterate and not even know it. They learn to get by pretty well much of the time. My uncle's wife used to work with illiterate people in Houston and I was amazed at the stories she would tell. That being said, I have no idea what the national literacy rate here is, less a google search which I'm sure you've already done. Interesting that Cuba is number one. I can't imagine they have too much to spend on education?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_count...y_literacy_rate

EDIT: double post

Not to mention private charities, which could be helping these people instead, are suffering right now also, due to the economy. Damn government.

I knew you'd have something good to say about it!

I sawwy

From this article: I can't say I wouldn't like to see this frog, but I have no plans to worship it.

This is a neat idea. I do this in the form of scrapbooking, which is way more time consuming and costly, but it's a fun hobby and I enjoy it. The scrapbook supplier that I use makes all sort of neat boxes and albums and stuff that are of archival quality, so your mementos and pictures don't deteriorate over time. That's actually the only drawback I could see in Amy's idea. Cardboards, papers, glues, inks and such usually ruin pictures and other items over time, so using archival stuff is best.

It's available on Rhapsody.

Santiago read me this one during our wedding ceremony and it was awesome! I thought he wrote it just for us at first! Negation Dear Lady, I don't mind admitting to you That my heart greatly trembled and shook at The first time you happened to come to my view, You were awfully hard not to look at! Your manner was modest, I know that it was, But your eyes were so brightly alert with Sheer fun, that I flirted a little because You truly were hard not to flirt with. Then later acquaintance proved this very plain Which all who have known you agree with, To get on without you was sorrow and pain; You were terribly hard not to be with. So though I have struggled to keep my heart whole It seems to be useless, and therefore, I've fallen in love with you, body and soul, You are frightfully hard not to care for. I'd resolved I'd remain in a bachelor's state, I thought I was cautious and wary, Yet I march to the altar with manner elate, You're impossibly hard not to marry!

Someone emailed this one to me yesterday and I think it's pretty good.

Bibendum isn't terrifying!

I heard a car dealership owner call into a talk radio show a few weeks back. He was saying that Asian automakers have been courting US car dealerships for years trying to get them to stock their full size pick-up trucks. Many refused because they were loyal to the US truck manufacturers; however, the caller suggested that these car dealerships are not just going to sit empty. He predicted they would soon be filled with Toyotas, Nissans, etc., particularly their full size trucks. That will only further hurt the US auto market (Ha ha! Chickens coming home to roost!) and push down their sales even further. It will be interesting to see if that prediction comes true.

Best to forget.

Well, if the philosophical course of this country isn't changed soon, how can anyone think that technology will continue moving forward as fast as it is today? (I already wonder how much faster it should be moving right now.) I did not watch the program, and I'm sure it was over the top, but I completely expect to see technological progress in this country slowed to a crawl as we speed towards a statist government/dictator. (Just like in AS, right?)

I know Ben through Front Range Objectivism (FRO). I have not read the paper you reference, but he's a valuable contributor to FRO and a fun guy to boot.

The fact that someone is male rather than female has no bearing on whether or not abortion is moral.

That'd be great. Thanks!

I think so. My husband and I just had our wills, medical directives, etc., drawn up. If euthanasia were legal, I certainly would've given him the right to order it in certain circumstances. (For example, living in constant, untreatable pain, certain chronic illnesses, etc.) And for whatever it's worth, it is legal to "pull the plug." It's not currently legal to give someone an overdose or poison them, etc., in order to put them out of their misery, which is what euthanasia is. I find both perfectly moral. I hope I get to go as peacefully as some of my pets have gone.

No, not all parents love their newborns. Unfortunately, there are plenty of stories in the news about children (of all ages, including newborns) being abused and killed by one or both of their parents. EDIT: Whoops! Busy at work and misread the last question. I think many, but not all, parents love their newborns because having a child is a value to them. They planned the pregnancy, took the necessary steps to have a healthy baby, etc, but automatically loving a newborn is something different. You can't just love something because it was born. And as I stated above, I think there are many situations where one parent or both feels very little towards a newborn.

I really don't want to get shot anywhere on my body for any reason, much less my profession.

I agree, Ryan. It's disgusting to have to live like that, but better than the alternative. I'm not sure if that would've done much good since last time he was shot in both arms, if I recall correctly. It seems like the "pro-lifers" were pretty determined to get him one way or the other.

It seems his security detail should've known better. Bad stuff always happens when you least expect it, ya know? Sad.

The hygienist at my new dentist's office saw me reading CTUI, asked if I'd ever read AS, then raved about it. She then recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I've never heard of it and just read a brief review on Amazon, but I'm wondering if any of you have an opinion about it.