Hark, the Master Scowler!

[MasterScowler]

I am the Master Scowler, for even unbidden I scowl dismayingly -and indeed, when focused, with baneful disapprobation! I do not broadly advertise my real name over the internet, no offense. The nick originated with my wife, in a way. She was upset with me one day for being unfriendly at a family function, proclaiming, "You're always scowling at somebody." To which I replied: "I don't scowl all the time... I've been known to smirk on occasion." She was unamused, I find no end to it. Heh heh.

I am an aspiring writer, having completed the second draft of my first novel, and presently working on the final. I am quite passionate about many creative mediums, and consider myself a musician, artist, actor and writer of mediocre-to-mildly-impressive talent. I intend to hone my mildly impressive writing skill to masterful level, however. Potential exists exclusive of present status.

I began reading Rand only a year ago, having devoured The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, The Romantic Manifesto, and a number of her essays. I have also read a little on Dennett, Kant and Neitszche, and on myriad religious topics, including Mormonism, Islam and some little-known ideologies, such as Huna. While I do not consider myself a philosopher, a theologist, or a scholar of any sort, I am confident of my grasp on most of these topics. (After all, one need not know whether Aristotle put on his left or right sandal first to comprehend A = A, eh?)

Per Rand's own wishes, I do not call myself an Objectivist. There are some items which I have not yet resolved to fit comfortably within a true Objectivist idiom (and it will trouble me little if I never do). I don't think any one philosoper, Miss Rand included, has professed The Truth, or otherwise penned the Great Big Book of Everything That is True. Rand made mistakes in her life; no doubt she professed some of them at some point. That said, I do subscribe to Rand more so than to any other philosopher, but since I cannot be an Objectivist, I often refer to myself as a rational/ethical egoist, which is to say that rational self-interest is my prime mover, with the understanding that sometimes the "right" or "proper" course of action is not always the smartest.

I'm looking forward to teaching and learning here. I'd appreciate that nobody makes a fool me, and will endeavor not to make a fool of myself. (I suppose I should have introduced myself ere I butted heads with RadCap, but alas, it is my lot to make bad first impressions, as I have little interest in propriety, preferring in its stead the aforementioned ubiquitous, woeful scowl.)

[Invictus]

Err...Hi.

[MasterScowler]

Did I mention that I also have a dark, solipsistic, peculiar sense of humor? e.g. the monkey bones under my pillow, dontcha know...

(Ah.. the monkeys... sweet, sweet monkeys.)

[y_feldblum]

I hear Peikoff's working on The Really Quite Wonderful Book of Existential Everything (and Even some Things that Do Not Follow Causality) or something of that nature. I'm looking forward to it. According to the website he set up in an alternate reality where consciousness is primary, the book will be out three years ago.

[AshRyan]

Umm...feldblum...what are you talking about?

Apparently, you're trying to make a joke, but I don't get the point. What does that have to do with this thread?

[y_feldblum]

I don't think any one philosoper, Miss Rand included, has professed The Truth, or otherwise penned the Great Big Book of Everything That is True.

Perhaps I should have included that in my previous post.

[AshRyan]

Oh, okay...gotcha.

[MasterScowler]

The reviews on TRQWBoEE(aEsTtDNFC) should be outstanding, although I think there was some confusion amongst his readers about whether or not it was the prequel or sequel to An Examination of Painfully Obvious Tautological Fallacies Regarding Life Qua Life in a Sarcastic Society, which I didn't care for as much as I will TRQWBoEE(aEsTtDNFC). (Sheesh, whatever happened to simple book titles, like The Republic? As if a superfluously redundant verbose book title were directly proportional to the value of its content...)

I believe Sean Hannity uses similar writing methods; e.g. alternate reality...

[y_feldblum]

Apparently, all the simple book titles that aren't already titles of existent books have been copyrighted by a group known as the American Book Titles Illuminati Squatters Conspiracy, and they're demanding royalties for the titles.

No true Rugged Individualist would deal with them or with any part of society.

[MasterScowler]

I knew it! After the American Domain Name Reservation Society was disbanded, Harold C. Heralder, III (Esq.) veritably disappeared from reality. Some said he was holed up in the basement of a RT 66 Web Cafe somewhere in Utah, others said he returned to his native Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, to become a marine biologist focusing on the pseudo-sociological stigma of iconoclastic tuna, but I was not so easily fooled, no sir! Think about it: who, of any significance whatsoever, has heralded from Greenland since Leif Freekin' Erikson?

So I just checked, and lo! www.americanbooktitlesilluminatisuqattersconspiracy.com is alive and kicking... (so they are obviously a legitimate group) and is a vile threat to free speech/thought everywhere!

BTW, my own novel is called "Tramp". Is that too simplistic, d'ya think?