JMartins
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Posts posted by JMartins
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That's a fantastic picture, Dr. Radiaki. A great find. I've always been partial to this picture of Hong Kong, but the one you posted is my new favourite.
If only to put things in contrast, I present to you Oslo, the capital of the "People's State of Norway". This is in fact the center of downtown Oslo -- the very best that Norway has to offer.
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I can't register there as I'm Norwegian. Perhaps one of you should submit the following as a video entry?
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Those of you who live in the United States should consider paying the Republican Platform Comittee a visit. There, you may be able to influence the Republican platform for 2009-2013 with Objectivist ideas.
Welcome to the most grassroots-driven platform development effort in the history of American politics!The Republican Party is seeking your input as we develop the policies and principles upon which we should stand for the next four years. On this website, you can share your thoughts, participate in polls, and communicate directly with the policymakers who will be shaping the party's agenda. All comments and feedback will be reviewed and taken into full consideration as we prepare for our convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
We hope that this process will guarantee the greatest amount of public input into any platform in American history!
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The director Vadim Perelman quits Atlas Shrugged. On hold again, it appears.
http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/19/brea...ugs-off-atlas-/
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I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what the most inspirational online introductions to Objectivism are. Assuming you have a friend that you wish to introduce to Objectivism, and are only able to do so online by showing him a video, which one would you direct him to?
This is the most obvious one as far as I know. Its highly informative, though there may be something more inspirational out there that I'm not aware of.
Do you have any other preferences?
Thank you.
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I'm involved in a debate about atheism on one of the large conservative websites now. As I'm not familiar with the Bible, would any of you be able to provide me with some arguments against the following claims? They allegedly prove that the Bible includes predictions that have been proved historically accurate.
The Bible speaks of a census, one was conducted by Augustus. Mentioned in the Res Gestae Divi Augusti.PROVED
The Bible speaks of Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea. He was a real man, lived and died (killed by Tiberius in retaliation for his negilgence in allowing Judea to become unstable)
PROVED
The Bible mentions Herod, he lived, known as Herod Antipas.He was one of many such rulers placed in Judea to govern the Roman protectorate
PROVED
The Bible mentions Rome in detail, well the letters of Pliny the Elder, governor of Bithynia and Pontus, specifically refers to Christianity as distinct and separate from Judaism. Suetonius does as well. As does Claudius in his role as Pontiff...he and Herod were friends.
PROVED
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While looking for inspiring objectivist-related material to put on on the wall at home or at work, I instead decided to make something myself. I decided to go with an overview of the objectivist virtues.
The text is from both Galt's speech and the Ayn Rand lexicon. I also chose to include an inspiring picture of Howard Roark from the Fountainhead motion picture.
If you have any suggestions as to how it might be improved, let me know. I believe the order of the virtues is appropriate, though perhaps "Objectivist Ethics" might be a more suitable title.
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I am looking for books and or dvds on Thomas Jefferson. Any recommendations?
Also I noticed there is a HBO documentary on John Adams. Is anybody watching this, and what do they think?
I've been watching John Adams. While he himself comes across as an occasionally brilliant man, he's mostly portrayed as being petty and envious. I liked the portrayal of George Washington though, and Thomas Jefferson comes across as the most respectable and intelligent of the founding fathers. He doesn't play a very large part, though he does show up in 5 of 7 episodes.
While the series doesn't romanticize the Founding Fathers, making them larger than life, it rather shows that they are "only human". That's the impression I've gotten, at least. Still though -- its very historically correct and a compelling drama, and I do recommend it.
I also recommend the Thomas Jefferson Wiki, which is maintained by his foundation at Monticello.
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Superman is the embodiment of altruism. Case closed. :-)
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While reading Atlas Shrugged, I always picture Hank Rearden as a young Charlton Heston. Such a great American -- it's a terrible loss.
Rest in peace, Omega Man.
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I'll be leaving for New York in a few days now, and this is the list of things to see that I've compiled so far:
General locations:Times Square (at evening, +the Hilton)
Union Square
Central Park
Wall Street
The Empire State Building (on top, at night)
Brooklyn Bridge
Historical landmarks:
The Statue of Liberty
Ground Zero (former Twin Towers)
The Federal Hall
Stores:
The Rockefeller Center (Atlas statue)
Barnes and Nobles (new books)
Strand Bookstore (used books)
Museums:
The Guggenheim
The Museum of Natural History
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Do you have any advice as to where I can purchase old movies, such as the Fountainhead or Boom Town? Is EBay the only option available, or are there any large stores in New York that might actually have them?
Also, I'd be interested in purchasing a small bust of Aristotle for my apartment. Can you recommend a place where I might find one?
If anything vital is missing from my list, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know. Thanks.
P.S. I don't care about restaurants and nightclubs.
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Likewise -- I've always pictured Dagny Taggart as the young Ayn Rand, that is to say with relatively short hair. I'm very partial to short hair myself as well, though I can't explain why exactly. My fascination with Natalie Portman went up a few notches after seeing her in "V for Vendetta". I get this irrational urge to rub her head when I look at her though. Few women suit wearing their hair as short as hers, unfortunately. I agree that short hair (though perhaps not as short as this) gives women a more professional and business-like look.
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Ciarán Hinds, the actor most commonly known for his role as Gaius Julius Caesar in the TV-series Rome, who more recently appeared in There Will Be Blood, would be my first pick for an objectivist character such as John Galt or Hank Rearden. Everything about this man's appearance screams objectivism, to me.
He's also appeared together with Angelina Jolie, in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.
Watching him act is a true delight -- he's a master of his art.
Here, you can see him as Caesar, delivering a speech to one of his legions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PeN1k9AAMg...feature=related
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While reading Ayn Rand's novels (the Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, so far), I've noticed that all firsthander characters are described in a certain kind of way. They're all slender, with tight skin and very angular features, while many of the collectivists are described as plump, with loose skin and such. As I've seen a fair share of overweight Objectivists, I am curious whether the philosophy ever refers to a persons diet. I would assume not, but in that case, how do you believe that the Objectivist principles are applied to it? Surely Rand had a reason for describing all her characters in such a particular manner.
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This is a site dedicated to discrediting Objectivism. I haven't read through it all myself, so if anyone decides to do so and finds any interesting criticism, please post it here. They make some interesting points against Leonard Peikoff, though I can be certain that they're based on truth. http://www.jeffcomp.com/faq/index.html
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Is there a way to view a full list of the quotes that appear at the top of the forum?
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Hello everyone,
I'm a Norwegian with a strong interest in Objectivism, and will be going to the USA for the first time in my life next month. I'll be staying there over the weekend, from Thursday-Sunday, in New York. As the Norwegian capital of Oslo is but a small village compared to New York, I could use some advice on where to go and what to see while there. It'd be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Jan Erik L. Martinsen
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This is Kent Lansing speaking to Roark, around pg. 313 in the paperback:
"Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea. That presupposes the ability to think. Thinking is something one doesn't borrow or pawn. And yet, if I were asked to choose a symbol for humanity as we know it, I wouldn't choose a cross nor an eagle nor a lion and unicorn. I'd choose three gilded balls."
Three gilded balls is a traditional symbol for a pawn shop. See a previous discussion thread, here:
http://forum.ObjectivismOnline.com/index.php?showtopic=1312
See here for the history of the symbol:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_shop#Symbol
It traces back to the Medicis.
Thanks for such a thorough reply, I appreciate it.
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In the Fountainhead, there's a named councilmember that speaks strongly in favor of Howard Roark and manages to sell his ideas to the rest of the council, thus giving Roak one of his largest projects so far. I don't recall what this councilmember's name was, but recall that in one of his discussions with Roark, they speak about what the best symbol for humanity would be. If I remember correctly it would be "three globes", but it's described in more detail than that. Do any of you remember what I'm referring to, and are you able to fill me in on it or give me the page number?
It'd be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Evil blast from my past
in Miscellaneous Topics
Posted
I was quite taken with Stoicism, the philosophy most commonly associated with Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Cato the Younger. While it certainly is a flawed philosophy, I recognize some aspects of it in Objectivism, which explains what I found so fascinating about it in the first place. I'd still call myself a stoic, but rather in the modern sense of the word. Barry Goldwater's "the Conscience of a Conservative" is what led me on the path towards Objectivism.