aristotlejones
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Posts posted by aristotlejones
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...I am personally not defending current US health care system.
I am disagreeing with your solution to the problem.
Here, here! I'm also a Canadian, and I work in innovation, and don't even get me started on the deadly consquences of a collectivised, unaccountable, retrograde medical system. But I dropped in to suggest that Ely read Peikoff's side to this issue. Peikoff is especially good at communicating issues that he cares deeply about such as epistemology and healthcare. The latter comes from Peikoff being raised in Canada, and having a father who was a doctor.
Please read Health Care Is Not A Right.
stay focused,
<Φ>aj
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So my question is, how do you go about fixing your own subconscious?
Just a thought...You might want to consider working through some of the extensive material on repairing and nurturing objective self esteem by Nathaniel Branden. [Gasp!] (Honoring the Self, Taking Responsibility, The Six Pillars of Self Esteem, etc.) Don't take my word for it, just go to his site and read some of the essays & articles to see if he works for you.
http://www.nathanielbranden.com/catalog/about.php
I can say that if it weren't for NB's sentence stem techniques and workshops, I might not have integrated objectivism into my life as much as I have, and would probably not have the business I do, and might not even be alive.
On an even deeper level, you might want to investigate the works of Alice Miller, psychologist, philosopher, sociologist, & researcher in childhood mistreatment. Thou Shalt Not Be Aware, Banished Knowledge, For Your Own Good, The Truth Shall Set You Free, etc. http://www.alice-miller.com/index_en.php
On a side note, in one of her books Alice Miller pointed to a study done about the backgrounds of Euroterrorists (circa 70s/80s) which found that the most hard core of the bunch came from "families" with parents who were religious leaders, practicing psychologists or psychiatrists or practicing intellectuals. When both parents had these characterists, and where physically abusive, the result was almost certainly a terrorist who were incapable of seeing people with whom they disagreed with as human anymore.
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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Not sure if any of you follow Dinosaur Comics, but today's comic touches on rational self-interest briefly, though doesn't come to the right assessment.
So close, yet so far.
I went to the site and started clicking on the random strips, and got hooked. The artist obviously understands philosophy, and has an eye for hypocrisy, and the dialogs are Socratic in form. I finally went to the archives and am working my way to the present.
Thanx Jesse,
<Φ>aj
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Normally, tissue-specific genes evolve faster than others because they have more limited effects (genes expressed only in male reproductive organs evolve very quickly, for example).
Maybe this is why the prostate accounts for over 20% of male cancers. Too much bit crap.
<Φ>aj
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This is all I can do for tonight:
http://www.alfvenlab.kth.se/edu/courses/EF2240/
http://www.kth.se/ees/omskolan/organisatio...peopleid%3D452/
Totally cool Plasmatic. Thanx!
Once my life shuts up and sits down, I'm going to audit this course.
And the local detractors say there's no math to back up the the theory.
Actually, there are ample observations to back up the theory as well, but nobody is willing to open their eyes...
And me thinking I was in a forum of objective epistemologists...
When a man plugs his ears, what is the sound of a straw man falling?
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
This topic got me thinking about logical fallacies.
Thanks to Tina from the Thunderbolts group for these:
Argumentum ad Stupido
(You're Stupid
) If you're not an expert in this field you don't know anything.Argumentum ad Arroganto
(I'm Superior
) I'm an expert so I'm right.Argumentum ad Incredulo
(Unbelievable
) I can't believe this so it must be false. -
The university were Alfven was is offering a class on astrophysical plasmas and are considering offering a online course of somekind...I can find out more for anyone interested.
Plasmatic, I'm still trying to grok the various aspects and implications of EU theory, and would certainly appreciate finding out more about this course. How much math does one need and is the course in English?
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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Does anyone have any dystopian recomendations?
V for Vendetta?
If This Goes On... (from Heinlein's Future History Series) about living under a religious dictatorship
Faith of the Fallen - Terry Goodkind (best of the series so far...I'm halfway through Naked Empire)
Twelve Monkeys?
A Boy and his Dog - Harlan Ellison
Johnny Mnemonic - William Gibson
[sorry I'm not coming up with more but my books have been in storage for almost five months]
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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I remember thinking, "How long have cars been around? 100+ years? That's not just absurd, it's totally unacceptable."
What's unacceptable is the fact that a working series hybrid electric vehicle was shown at the Worlds Fair in 1903[?] and only now are we starting to implement that design. See the E-Varo, an automotive X-prize contestant. http://www.futurevehicletechnologies.com/index.html
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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I concede the paradoxes. They're inevitable when doing time travel, unless you want to have pre-determination (sometimes not even then). So for a high-impact ep like War Without End, I'm willing to overlook them.
As to the items in question, JMS said something about it in his usenet group. Much of it's collected at the Lurker's Guide to B5. try this link: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/060.html
JMS has a holographic mind. Well, we all do actually, but few of us operate on that level.
If there are paradoxes in his time travel threads, you might want to dig more deeply into his replies to answers on this topic before writing him off. There are better resources than the Lurkers Guide out now.
One is the Babylon podcast: which is into its 175th episode, and which has interviews of most of the cast members by now, and a two parter with JMS. http://www.babylonpodcast.com/
Also, there are a series of annotated script books published by Cafe Press, and recently a set of five books called Asked and Answered, the ultimate FAQ by JMS. http://www.cafepress.ca/B5books
Regards,
<*>aj
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The good:
1) It's an arc show, telling a story of a certain time period over five sesons of shows. This sets it apart from all otehr TV shows I can think of.
Excluding most scifi shows produced outside of America, such as the UK, Australia, Japan, etc.
2) The main event of the show's plot is a massive war. This is preceeded by signs of the building war, then we see the war itself, then the messy aftermath. The last is a nice addition, as the story doesn't end in the climax.There are wars going on throughout the series.
Earth/Dilgar, Earth/Minbari, Centauri/Narn, Mars/Earth, EA/B5 Rebels, Army of Light/Shadows n Vorlons, B5/Raiders, PsiCorps/Rogue Telepaths, Earth/Drakh...
I think the main event of the series was the fact that one must fight for one's values, and that the primary values are life and freedom.
3) The characters are interesting, they change through time and some main characters even die or leave the story in other ways. Again this is unusual for TV.And again, not unusual for TV or other media made in the rest of the world. However, plot driven series are becoming the norm in the US thanks to the ground rebroken by JMS.
4) The story is interesting, well-crafted and follows its internal logic consistently. It provides drama, conflict between the main characters, heroes and villains.And the stories/series portray a universe where actions have consequences, where courage and independent thought are rewarded, and where characters are three dimensional in that most of them do the right thing in spite of their past.
5) SF specific, there are non-humanoid aliens. not many, but a few. This sets it apart from actors in costume as found in other SF series. The show also made use of extensive CGI effects. It also provided the most realistic space battles I can recall(not entirely realistic, but closer than anything else).Farscape matches B5's level of characterization and authentic portrayal of aliens, but I think this quibble should only apply to ST's use of interchangeable forehead appliances. B5 had many believable humanoid aliens of whom one could appreciate their alienness, but not be distracted by their costuming & makeup. In other words, they were believable as characters, not just because they had five or more appendages...
The bad:1) The morality of the heroes is altruistic, both implicitly and explicitly.
2) There's a hell of a LOT of mysticism at every turn, religious and otherwise.
There is a surfeit of altruistic and mystical/religious people in American at the present time. Does that mean you recommend painting everyone who happens to inhabit a particular orbiting location in space with the same broad brush? JMS has stated that he includes mystical/religious people in his fiction because not to do so >would< be unrealistic.
As to your claim that the morality of the heroes is altruistic: are you saying that those who chose to serve their country/race as their protectors are altruistic? There are many times where the heroes question whether their roles are just, but no where does JMS imply that anyone is without a moral choice, or that they have a duty to others to sacrifice their lives or freedom.
The semi-reediming quality:When confronted to make a choice between the Shadows and the Vorlons, the Alliance chooses neither and instead opts for freedom from both. Since this means intellectual domination by the Minbari, it also means altruism. But it's something.
Until the relationship between the Earthers and the Minbari was revealed, the Minbari did manipulate the Earthers, or neglected to tell them the full truth until they were ready to handle it, or needed to know. As a race far in advance of Earth, on a moral level, they had the obligation to their own race to not let baby play with the nukes until they could show they were responsible.
However, your accusing the Minbari of "intellectual domination" is nonsensical because the term is actually an oxymoron, or to use Rand's terminology, an anti-concept. This is the core of her epistemology as applied to social interactions, that the virtue of independence is the unwillingness to accept a statement of another as true or necessary unless you yourself have done the math. A mind cannot be dominated, only threatened with death. We always have a choice to think, to grasp all that is before us, or to evade or go along with others, however intimidating they may be. But that choice remains, and it is the only choice that matters to rational heroes. How you render this equivalent with altruism, I cannot say, as I cannot understand it.
Stay Focused,
<*> aj
The universe runs on the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest. G'Kar
Never apply a Star Trek solution to a Babylon 5 scale problem. Seen at Fermilab & NASA
[J. Michael Straczynski, the producer of Babylon 5, when a fan told him that he was God]: "Thank you, but I'm afraid I can't accept your compliment. You see, I'm an atheist, so if I'm also God, that would mean that I don't believe in myself, and at this point in my life, I don't need the added insecurity."
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I invite you to continue to watch us as we grow the AOBP.
As for me, I am Eriks Goodwin-Pfister, and as of very recently, I am the Executive Director of the Association of Objectivist Business Professionals. I may be reached at (202) 380-3190, ext. 444.
Thank you for your reply Eriks. This is the level of transparency that I and other business owners have come to expect when considering joining any proposed venture. I really do hope your service works out as planned, as it is sorely needed. However, as your tagline implies, trust is everything.
Regards,
Brian Dubberley
Inventive Solutions
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I am most pleased to report that the Association of Objectivist Business Professionals (AOBP) site is fully functional again and adding new features. The broken contact page has been repaired and the software has been upgraded.
For a more complete discussion of the issues pertaining to this site, go to:
http://forum.ObjectivismOnline.com/index.php?showtopic=3937
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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While I can understand complaining about a broken link on a site (which appears to have been fixed), I am curious why it matters who the "key members" of an organization are when the organization's primary function is to be connecting people for the purpose of doing business? Shouldn't folks be more concerned with judging the individuals with whom they are considering doing business instead of worrying about who happens to have forked over a membership fee to the organization?
Domain Name: AOB.BIZ
Domain ID: D3758687-BIZ
Sponsoring Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS INC.
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 2
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registrant ID: 33946952
Registrant Name: R. Eriks Goodwin
Registrant Organization: R. Eriks Goodwin
Registrant Address1: 400 Southlake Blvd, Bldg D
Registrant City: Richmond
Registrant State/Province: VA
Registrant Postal Code: 23236
Registrant Country: United States
1. It is disingenuous of 'Izrunas' to claim to not know if the email link has been fixed since aob.biz is his domain. (Izrunas' Real Name = R. Eriks Goodwin)
2. If I were to "fork over" confidential information about my business to any organization, for a fee or not, I would be legitimately concerned about how that information was protected, and how legally accountable that organization was for any breaches of confidentiality, misuses of disclosures or other improprieties.
3. Since I have had to whois the site owner's information twice already, just to find out who he is, and he is still playing coy about posting his identity on his site, I personally would not trust him with my or my client's data.
4. Since it took a good portion of a year to fix a simple contact issue with his site, after ample notification, I cannot help but wonder how much actual effort and focus the site's owner will dedicate to the currency, accuracy and improvement of this database.
5. I just spent about a month rewriting my own site on intellectual property issues, and I take responsibility for the claims and information and mistakes therein. I identify myself to the world, and welcome and encourage and respond promptly to any criticism or confusion on my site, and I expect others to do the same.
6. I really want to trust aob.biz, but given the owner's behaviour over the past year, and in spite of my encouragement of his database's resurrection, I won't be joining it until I can see that it is actually what it is claimed to be, and not just what the owner claims it to be.
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
A generation that ignores history has no past and no future.
Robert Anson Heinlein
I don't trust a man who talks about ethics when he is picking my pocket. But if he is acting in his own self-interest and says so, I have usually been able to work out some way to do business with him.
Lazarus Long in Time Enough For Love
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Here's the latest information I have:
Yes, they're getting ready to re-launch their online presence (on or before July 4th, 2009)...Interested parties are being asked to sign up on the mailing list form that is on the current front page.
I posted the following in the Productivity section, Aug 20 2009. I just checked again, and it is still not possible to send an email to the owner of this site, and I have been enrolled for email updates this entire year, but have received nothing. I for one will not send US$125 to someone who cannot be identified, contacted, or held responsible.
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Since my original contact (January 2009) with the owner of the AOBP site, asking him to restart the database, the site was "launched".
Unfortunately, I can no longer endorse joining a site which has no actual means to contact the owner of the database because the contact page only produces a 404 message. Believe me, I have tried at least a half dozen times. I've even done a whois and tracked down the owner, and sent him several emails informing him of this problem, and have yet to receive any reply. Apparently he's a website developer. Subscribing to the mailing list has also never produced any mail. Since the owner is asking for $125 to join his database for objectivist business owners, I think that transparency would be a minimum prerequisite.
This is a shame. I wish there was someone who could both consistently live up to the objectivist virtues and who could also organize a network of objectivist business owners.
I mean John Galt did it, in an era without computers.
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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Mmm, upon reflection, maybe this is JG's way to troll for suitable candidates for his valley? Don't call us, we'll abduct you...
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And, 'ya gotta love her F*** You attitude:
You want attitude?
<Φ>aj
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For example, when confronted with an issue that we have differing viewpoints on, I usually take it upon myself to advocate my position through a structured argument.
This attribute adds a sizable amount of stress in the area of life decisions I make.
When I try to justify my position to IP, however, I get a never-ending stream of frustration.
Why do you think that it is necessary to articulate or defend your position with this person? Are you obligated to press your point of view given the circumstances of your relationship? Unless you are a professional intellectual, I can't imagine such a situation. (but maybe I'm thick)
Of course there are IPs all over the place. Ever had to call for tech support or customer support? The only way to get satisfaction is to hang up and keep trying until you find someone who cares.
There's an old saying that I'm going to misquote: In a dispute, either you're right, or I am, but at least one of us will learn something.
Given the obvious irrationality of this person, why do you still think it is necessary or productive to point out their evasions or fallacies? Save yourself for those people who care...mmm?
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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So is your post an example of tergiversating or equivocating, or both?
Scholarly Analysis.
Thank You
<Φ>aj
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The Association of Objectivist Business Professionals is getting ready for a new online launch. If you
Since my original contact (January 2009) with the owner of the AOBP site, asking him to restart the database, the site was "launched".
Unfortunately, I can no longer endorse joining a site which has no actual means to contact the owner of the database because the contact page only produces a 404 message. Believe me, I have tried at least a half dozen times. I've even done a whois and tracked down the owner, and sent him several emails informing him of this problem, and have yet to receive any reply. Apparently he's a website developer. Subscribing to the mailing list has also never produced any mail. Since the owner is asking for $125 to join his database for objectivist business owners, I think that transparency would be a minimum prerequisite.
This is a shame. I wish there was someone who could both consistently live up to the objectivist virtues and who could also organize a network for objectivist business owners.
I mean John Galt did it, in an era without computers.
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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The Association of Objectivist Business Professionals is getting ready for a new online launch.
Since my original contact (January 2009) with the owner of the AOBP site, asking him to restart the database, the site was "launched".
Unfortunately, I can no longer endorse joining a site which has no actual means to contact the owner of the database because the contact page only produces a 404 message. Believe me, I have tried at least a half dozen times. I've even done a whois and tracked down the owner, and sent him several emails informing him of this problem, and have yet to receive any reply. Apparently he's a website developer. Subscribing to the mailing list has also never produced any mail. Since the owner is asking for $125 to join his database for objectivist business owners, I think that transparency would be a minimum prerequisite.
This is a shame. I wish there was someone who could both consistently live up to the objectivist virtues and who could also organize a network for objectivist business owners.
I mean John Galt did it, in an era without computers.
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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Watch Star Trek and the movies, period. There is no better sci-fi out there, in my mind.
There's a sign somewhere in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory complex that states:
Never apply a Trek solution to a Babylon Five scale problem.
In B5, there is no reset button at the end of each episode. Characters are forced to confront the consequences of their actions, and sometimes survive to learn moral lessons. Also each episode is just one facet of the entire holographic story that takes five years to reveal...that's called a plot...
And so it begins...
<Φ>aj
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I've been a fan of science fiction since I understood what it was. I enjoyed grand ideas, and reality-challenging premises. I liked heroes that won against unimaginable odds. I liked technology, and visions of a future liberated from many of the irrational ills that plague or culture. Even after I developed a value system, I was able to overlook a lot of what I disapproved of in science fiction because there was always something that could excite my imagination.
Three kinds of new media are available at most public libraries or online:
- Podcasts with new fiction, and fan discussion of heroic shows.
- Recorded books, including all the golden oldies such as Heinlein.
- PDF books, available online or through your local library.
Yes, most recent scifi is ersatz Frankenstein, and it shows they haven't even read that book. But there are better alternatives if you think outside the box. You might even attend a scifi convention to find better sources.
If I find a place where I can get more time and peace to write, I will be contributing to the heroic line of fiction as well. If you're so disappointed, why not try your hand at writing scifi yourself?
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
- Podcasts with new fiction, and fan discussion of heroic shows.
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I know we usually talk about how obnoxious and illogical liberals can be, but this time they're making me seriously angry because they are directly trying to destroy my livelihood.
Aww, who is John Galt?!
Wait a minute...You are!
Stay Focused,
<Φ>aj
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Shocking as it may seem, many Objectivists have affairs the difference is in that it's out.Too bad you can't travel back in time to ask Frank and Barbara.
The more you love, the more you can love — and the more intensely you love.
Nor is there any limit on how many you can love.
If a person had time enough, he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.
Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense.
Robert Anson Heinlein
<Φ>aj
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What do you do to keep your level of work ethic and motivation high?
Short answer: Follow your passion.
Long answer: If you don't know what your passion is, here's one way to find out.
What Color is your Parachute is a long running series of annual employment market/advice/jobhunt/career change books, that you can likely find at any library. Don't worry about the date of the book, just look for a section that has an exercise related to a flower. Basically you take seven blank sheets of paper, and title each with one thing/job/experience/hobby/encounter that rocked your boat, made you happy, gave you energy, made a difference, gave you life... Then you are instructed to flesh out each experience in as much detail as you can, by descriptions, thoughts, interactions, feelings, etc. Then, you compare each event with each other by finding the common threads (the section in the book helps you do that), and now you start filling in the flower where each petal has a relevant career element such as income, work environment, kind of work, amount of commitment, etc.
I tried this maybe 30 years ago and it told me that I should find something where I write about technology. At that time I didn't know enough about technology or writing and tried to fill in those gaps, mainly because I loved both areas. About 7 years ago I did the same exercise, and found it said the same thing, and this time I was ready. I currently operate a patent paralegal business where I write patents for inventors, lawyers and large companies. I truly love my work!
The exercise works for anyone who does it honestly because the results are determined by the experiences that you already know float your boat.
Cheers,
<Φ>aj
Oh dear. They may have murdered AGW
in Environmentalism
Posted · Edited by aristotlejones
Isn't the minimum qualification for legitimacy as a scientist a thorough understanding of the methods of inductive proof? Creating, ignoring, minimizing or suppressing data that "falsifies" a theory is not even acceptable practice in a boardroom, a courtroom, or a bedroom. Has the public understanding of common sense been so eroded that no one can call a spade an effin shovel anymore? In the 19th Century, for even the suggestion of this level of malfeasance, a man's character and reputation would be irreparably stained for life.
Already the BBC, who should know better, has posted an article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8370282.stm) commenting solely about the break in, under their Technology banner, just below their Science and the Environment banner, where it should be. They are reporting as if it's merely a technology crime instead of a far reaching moral crime. The truth is out there, but nobody is listening. Well, nobody who matters.
<Φ>aj
When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power. Alston Chase
"had to abolish knowledge in order to leave room for faith." Kant
What are the facts? Again and again and again - what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what "the stars fortell," avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict of history" - what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts! Robert Anson Heinlein