brian0918

Also not mentioned - what benefit do immigrants give to the economy? Could these benefits help delay economic collapse? It seemed to be assumed that immigrants don't really benefit us, and we must only let them in with reluctance.

Why does LP think that it won't be politically palatable to allow immigrants to work without citizenship, but then his alternative suggestion is to ban all Hispanic immigrants, erect a wall, etc? Which one seems more likely to win bipartisan support? This was practically unlistenable, due to constant interruption and lack of structure. It was not a debate, but an argument, where the "moderator" occasionally got a word in, but by and large LP ran the discussion, asked the questions, etc. I also agree with CrowEpistemologist that this was not really about philosophical principles and their application, but about political tactics. Philosophical principles are barely mentioned.

More information on McCandless's death has been uncovered. The latest theory is that he died of a toxic amino acid that was not known to be present in wild potato seeds, and is particularly debilitating to people in his particular state of health (young man, highly active, low caloric intake, no other sources of food). McCandless himself believed that the wild potato seeds were to blame (probably due to a noticeable downturn in health after consumption). If that is the case, it would have made it difficult or impossible for him to walk. So even if there was a tram nearby, he might not have been able to reach it. And a map would not have done much good if he wasn't able to move around. Krakauer also acknowledges in the article that his prior false conclusions were rushed (i.e., that McCandless confused two different species, and then later that the wild potato seeds contained alkaloids). http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/09/how-chris-mccandless-died.html

Where are you getting all this from? Did you mean to quote me, because you seem to be responding to statements I didn't make.

I just tested mine and it still weighs the same. If you're using gold as an investment tool, or paying attention to its fluctuating price in dollars, then you see dollars as money, not gold. Plenty of goldbugs do that. They want a "return" on gold - in dollars. They want gold to go up in price, because they intend to convert that gold to dollars and spend the money. If you want a return to a free market in money, then you would not intend to part with any gold until such time as that free market returns. At that time, the "gold price" will make as much sense as the "dollar price" does now.

Now that the most important 1.6% of the Earth's surface has had its hottest year in the last century, it's incontrovertible that (anthropogenic) climate (global) change (warming) is upon us. And here's an obligatory cherry-picked emotional appeal: (Just disregard the factoid about 2012 being only the 15th driest on record.)

Romney's incompetence at promoting the free market is dwarfed by Obama's competence at eradicating it.

I saw this a couple months ago and agree, you definitely get the Roark vibe from this man's determination. His key idea is to always try to find room for improvement in every aspect of the business - make every day better than the last, even if only slightly. I would probably be terrified, though, to sit there eating sushi while he watches my every move.

What on Earth does the mind-body dichotomy have to do with any of this???

Like New condition The Ayn Rand Letter, Vols 1-4, hardcover, 1993

Below average height may also be an indication of malnourishment, so there could be an evolutionary component to this lack of attraction. That doesn't justify it, just explain it.

*bump* Auction ends tomorrow!

They are not conceptual beings. They do not have the physical capability to respect the rights of conceptual beings, and so do not themselves have rights.

Achilles, the Tortoise, and the Objectivity of Mathematics by Pat Corvini Audio CD set, no longer available from the Ayn Rand Book Store 6-CD set; 4 hours, 12 minutes, with Q&A

Actually, I believe this is a reference to a ski masked used in the Modern Warfare games. I'm not sure how I know that, since I haven't played any of them.