rickthepick

Ravels G Major Piano Concerto is among my favorite pieces of music. The second movement in particular is the most delicate and emotionally expressive music that I've heard.

That isn't fine with me. Denying the true nature of Americas founding principles is equally destructive (if not more) as spouting vague generalities about hope or change. How can a republican expect to reasonably defend individual rights if he accepts it as a faith based principle? Constitutional barriers mean nothing when the principles that support them are turned into a super natural ghost. I disagree with fletch that religion is less of a threat than socialism. Sure a socialist doesn't have the epistemology to admit their wrong, but a voter with common sense may at least see its historical failure. Can the voter even judge a politicians historical adherence to principles that derive from outside this reality? Most republican voters just have faith that federal spending will decrease, inflation will subside, and our rights will be protected under republican leadership. Although, historically that hasn't been the case ,no one can argue with god(he's been rather despondent lately). I have voted republican many times, but I currently don't plan to vote this election. I can't waste my time trying to figure out who will take less money out of my paychecks, destroy the dollar the slowest, or amass the least federal debt. The voting booth has become more like a gambling machine to me now-a blind game of chance to see who will do the least damage. I have and never will gamble.

His symphonic album 'The Yellow Shark' is one of my all time favorites . He may be one of (if not the) most technically proficient and prolific composers in the past 50 years. He worked tirelessly at his craft-composing in many genres. He was very satirical in most of his rock and jazz compositions. The symphonic work he did was world class-using the best musicians and unparalleled sonic engineering. I particularly like how unique and complex his melodies could be while remaining catchy and playful. His use of dissonance as a slight coloring or contrasting effect is a much better approach than the minimalist or serial style. Zappas music really doesn't fit into any particular genre or technical category, because he was so able to blend compositional tools at will. He wasn't like Richard Halley in that he had a completely rational or even a well defined philosophy. Perhaps more like Frank Loyd Wright in that he thought everything outside his specific craft non-essential unless it was something interfering or threatening an artistic goal. Still the guy is easily the smartest rock guitar player ever, an innovator in computer aided music composition, and an independent artist with his own label and distribution (when no one else did). He might have been a libertarian politically, but I still give him a thumbs up morally due to his great achievements in music that he worked hard for.

Is your negative assessment of the stadium based on a dislike of football, or that you don't find it aestheticly pleaseing? I'm curious as I do like football, but I love the architecture(massive glass doors and mile long arches). The market will tell if it truly was a bad investment for Jerry Jones, although the guy seems to have a nack for makeing money. I admire the building itself, and the fact that the guy is able to build something uniquely ambitious. Another point that I really didn't express fully in my original post is the aesthetic contrast between the Cowboys stadium and the Olympic stadium. One stadium (cowboys) is big,sleek in design, and yet still inviteing in the sense that you can tell it was built by man for man. The other stadium (in china) a mess of chaotic steel beams trying to pretend to be woven twigs , and not quite as inviteing unless one is a gigantic bird. No way is the new cowboys stadium a waste of money,IMO. I know it's not the greatest work of achitecture out there, but it most certianly is true to it's form, and is being built in America (not Dubai).

I made a mistake I think it will be the biggest indoor stadium, and it is being paid for by Jerry Jones (no taxpayer money). I didn't think there would be so many haters of Americas team on an Objectivist site. I'm a Cowboys fan, but even if they lose when I attend the game it will be a religious experience for me.

Has anyone seen the new Cowboys stadium? You can virtual tour it at dallascowboys.com. It will be the biggest in the world and is being built with private money. Compare it to the rats nest Olympic stadium in china. I think it really says alot about the aesthetic difference between architecture by committee and individual vision. It's just great to see a grand architectural endeavor occur in America again!

Ravels piano concerto in G major is among my favorites. The 2nd movement may be the most emotionally reflective(without cheap sentimentality) music ever written. The first and third movements are built around a very playful theme that reminds me of Gershwin. Paul Hindemiths violin concertos contain some of the most heroic themes. The counterpoint he employs is very Bach like in that it has a logical feel to it, but he dispenses with the "classical" harmonic progressions that so many post Bach composers copied. He actually developed a new harmonic approach (quartal harmony) which is based more on the greek modes, and the physiological consonance of tonal relationships than the traditional school. He was also a violin virtuoso and is among the most underrated composers. He was the Rachmaninoff of violin. I teach guitar as a second job, and I teach my children music on the piano. I realize the subjective nature of music, but I've noticed that the more a student learns about music the more refined their taste in listening becomes. The student becomes less impressed by worn out musical cliches or music that is devoid of harmonic depth and repetitive. I'm not here to ridicule any ones taste in music, but I agree with Yo Yo Ma "modern popular music is in a vegetative state".

I do not want to silence so called conservative talk radio via government control. It was wrong of me to say that they would deserve to lose their jobs in such a way(as craig24 stated). My statement was clouded by my emotions, and I do not want a chance to hear Dr. Peikoff to be ripped away from me by government force. I want to be clear that it is not some petty envy at the source my remark, but anger at modern conservatisms attempt to promote freedom while denying or evading its source. It is an insult for Rush to read portions of Atlas Shrugged one day, and quote the bible the next.

A minimum wage hike seems to be a lesser threat than funding an unconstitutional and unprovoked(Iraq) war. Minimum wage is not good for the economy, but spending $3 trillion on trying to build a democracy in a tribal minded culture is economic suicide. A minimum wage hike will not increase the earning power of the most Americans. It is definitely a form of theft from employers and will increase inflation. The sacrifice of American military lives in a futile attempt to build a government in a savage foreign country is negligent manslaughter at the least. I would also like to point out that we may have to borrow more funds from the Chinese, or print more money in order to actually pay for the war-which will also increase inflation at a much faster rate than stealing from employers and giving it out to the few who actually earn minimum wage. On the surface Iraq war funding and a minimum wage hike don't seem to belong on the same bill, but I argue that a line item veto is not necessary(haven't executive powers been expanded past the constitution enough-I'm sure the next socialist-dem. president will appreciate that), because theft and murder are very similar. Perhaps the bill should only be renamed to "The Manslaughter Funding for Robin Hood Bill".

I oppose censorship, but I will find it some what ironic if the pseudo-con talk show host lose their jobs. Rush,Beck, and all the self proclaimed conservative radio host deserve to loose their jobs. They have cherry picked certain rights to advocate (arms, religion), and promoted the destruction of others(privacy). Personally I have more respect for a Donahue type host- although he is philisophically my polar opposite. He is at least more honest in his approach to his job, and doesn't pretend to be something he is not. Modern conservatives think that if they believe in god-and the founding fathers mentioned god-that this somehow aligns their political views with the founders. I can't say I will be happy when the fairness act is enacted. I won't celebrate it as they did the protect America act, but it will be a fitting demise for those who have rationalized the need to ignore the Constitution.