goldmonkee

My favorite movie by far. Just one minor correction: I'm pretty sure Lamar's son was engineered rather than an invalid. He says "[My son] isn't all that they promised - but then, who knows what he could do?" Leads me to believe there was a mistake or two and that's why he covered his tracks. Both he and the Janitor knew the whole time and helped him out; too bad they cut the janitor scene. I had a frame from that scene printed out on canvas to hang in my hallway. It really is beautiful!

I wanted to thank everyone for the replies, some good arguments put up. I find thinking about it from a "freedom" standpoint is easier for me than that of property. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - that kind of thing. I really liked this answer. Too bad more things aren't handled in such a way.

I probably will talk to my neighbor, just wanted to see what others had to say. I have a hard time convincing myself that animals have NO rights - that would seem to endorse a wide variety of things presently illegal (such as staging fights to the death). It just seems like there should be some line that exists, such as someone stringing an animal up and slowly blow torching them to death. Edit: Bear in mind this is pertaining to animals that are abused/killed for no particular reason (as opposed to food, clothing, etc). We're not putting an animal "ahead" of a man in any significant regard that I can think of.

Heard the other day that chimpanzees were reported as using a spear to get food, which I would consider "tool" usage. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7022201007.html Haven't looked into it much yet, although there's a video series (seen on PBS) that explores this very topic. I believe it was like a documentary, filming scientists performing the tests at various places. Probably been 10 years since I saw it, but I'll try and find it. One thing I remember was them putting a dot of paint onto a monkeys face, then later giving it a mirror and it trying to get the paint off himself. It's interesting

I'm currently conflicted over a situation involving my neighbor. He owns a dog, which I believe to be unduly kept. On one hand, I understand that his dog is considered to be property; on the other, I believe the dog is suffering greatly. It is kept in an extremely small cage and fed sporadically. I have witnessed him "beat" it many times (I understand the use of negative reinforcement in training, I use the term "beat" to mean repetitive kicking, etc). Am I justified in "stealing" my neighbors dog, or is it his right to decide how to treat it? If it's his right - is there a line, or is it unconditional?

"Winter Evening", by Bryan Larsen I imagine many people here are familiar with him, or at the least his painting "Self Absolution Of the Titan". I really love his work - it's one of my dreams to own the original "Winter Evening" painting. Edit: Might as well add a couple more I'm not sure who created these, so I can't give credit where it's due.

Agreed. I'm getting "The Punisher" skull on my back, similiar to this: I've been a life-long Punisher fan, but it's mostly for symbolic/personal reasons. The skull represents great pain/struggle, and the placement on my back is (obviously) me overcoming it )

Yes, I should have made it clear that the movies I listed weren't held up to rigid standards; they didn't have the entire range of objectivist values...only some. I don't consider myself an objectivist (although I have many of the same attributes). My old english teacher, who recommended The Fountainhead to me, said that it contained the answer to all of lifes questions. While that's more or less true, what fascinated me about it was the simplicity of the core values...reason, integrity, pursuit of personal happiness, etc. Many of which I had felt and exhibited, but never before seen put into words. Those same things are what make me enjoy these movies so much. I'm not as intelligent as many of the posters here, so my views may seem shallow, but I don't think they're incorrect. I understand where you're coming from, but I'll have to stick to my guns on this one To quote from http://www.objectivistcenter.org/center/ne...dividualism.asp Obviously Lester (and Ricky Fitts) aren't of the same caliber as Charles or Howard, yet they still have admirable qualities. But again, I would only post this as an "objectivist-friendly" movie, not a thorough presentation of the philosophy. My favorite quote from the movie: Catering Boss: I'm not paying you to do... whatever it is you're doing out here. Ricky Fitts: Fine. So don't pay me. Catering Boss: Excuse me? Ricky Fitts: I quit. So you don't have to pay me. Now leave me alone. But I'm starting to ramble...I'm interested in your responses

NM

None of my friends know anything about objectivism, but they all have some of it's qualities. So long as someone is true to himself, I can look past the other things, such as some religious belief. It's the people who act like a different person depending on who they're around, because they care so much about what they think about them, that piss me off. And people who are afraid to follow their passions...I'm sure the world has lost many great male dancers and the like because of that fear

American Beauty Gattaca Rounders Rudy Spiderman 2 All about doing what makes you happy and/or overcoming adversity. I've read some reviews that said Spidey 2 was a tribute to self-sacrifice, but I saw it as a young man's conflicts when deciding what he values most. The superpowers are a nice bonus to a great story

I haven't read _The Fountainhead_ in a long time, but this quote's been bugging me for days. I don't have the book by me to reference, but it's toward the end when Howard looks at the paintings by Peter. After, he tells him that "It's too late." For what? To change his life, his career, both, or something else entirely? I don't think it's ever too late. Probably bugging me more than it should, since I look up to Howard even though he's fictional

Or it could have just been an accident by an unskillful driver I've been in a few, not because I was driving recklessly, not caring about the values of others, but just making a bad decision. If you drive off after hitting someone's car...

Thanks for the links; I like the oldies as well as new releases. David's site is just a little bright

Or at least someone who doesn't say crap like "At its best, Cast Away, like Titanic, awes us with its sheer oceanic sweep and its cosmic apprehension of human insignificance." (Stephen Holden, NY Times), etc. I know there's some movie reviews on this forum, but looking for a lot of em Thanks.

That's exactly what I came away with. Kind of depressed me, as I'm an Eddie, though I aspire to be a Rearden or Galt

Sorry to go off topic/bring up old thread, but where is that statue in your avatar (on that forum) located?

I'm glad I found this site as well. Been spending a lot of time reading old threads to catch up

I buy it directly from the grower; he delivers it to my house, and I never leave my property with it on me. I have noticed myself saying "f*** it" about things that bother me more often, instead of doing something about it. You lost me here. What's wrong with rationalizing? I agree, but I found it ironic that John Galt (the heroic being or what have you) would do something destructive to his life. I'm probably making a bigger deal out of it than it is though Will do.

Overall I thought it was great. I would like to hear more.

I'm 21, currently working on my associates for Computer Networking Systems. Been pretty disappointed with college so far, of course. I don't classify myself as an objectivist, but most of my values agree with the philosophy. Below is my picture at age 20. I'm a nice guy

Nearly all of the objectivist characters in _The Fountainhead_ and _Atlas Shrugged_ smoke cigarettes. I assume that the health hazards they pose weren't known at the time they were written? Otherwise it seems to contradict a lot of 'their' statements about life. What do you guys think about using drugs to stimulate thought and action? I started smoking marijuana several months ago, but I've been beating myself up over it. On the one hand, it stimulates thought and action (increases my interest in things I normally don't enjoy, like doing the dishes and etc.), but it is an escape from reality. Quotes or articles from notable objectivists would be appreciated as well. I've rationalized it to myself by saying that drugs are inanimate objects, which aren't inherently 'good' or 'bad'; it's dependent upon how you use them. But maybe I'm using that as an excuse because I like the high