My First Post Ever

[DamnGirl]

Hi, everyone.

My name is Erica, I'm originally from a Chicago suburb but currently live in Vermont. I am in medicine, married, and tired of eight straight days of rain. I grew up a casual Cubs fan, but my husband turned me into a huge Red Sox fan (I realize that I may be setting myself up with that tidbit).

I was introduced to Ayn Rand in college by an ex-boyfriend who bought me a copy of The Fountainhead. Prior to that, I admit that I knew little about Ayn Rand and was skeptical that I would enjoy the book. Let's just say that a whole new world was opened up to me. The best part about reading it was my enjoyment in coming to the realization that someone had once existed who was capable of seeing so clearly the idiocy rampant in society and who believed in reason and logic above feelings and faith.

Having said that, my favorite among her books has to be Atlas Shrugged. So often, I fantasize that the few intelligent, honorable, and productive people left out there would go on strike...even if I were not considered to be among them. It's high time for the rabid consumers to realize where they would be without the producers. To those who think that healthcare is a right...all of the screaming in the world to that effect won't help you if all of the doctors in this country stop working or disappear. Oh, boy. Didn't mean to go there. I was going to keep this short.

Anyway, that's a little bit about who I am-for better or for worse.

E

[tommyedison]

Welcome. Have you read Ayn Rand's non fiction as well?

[DamnGirl]

Welcome. Have you read Ayn Rand's non fiction as well?

I confess that I have not read her non-fiction. Is there anything in particular that you would recommend?

[Groovenstein]

but my husband turned me into a huge Red Sox fan (I realize that I may be setting myself up with that tidbit)

Setting yourself up for a virtual high-five from me.

[DamnGirl]

Setting yourself up for a virtual high-five from me.

Right back at ya!

Red Sox fan all the way from Nebraska? The Nation is big, isn't it?

[Maarten]

Hi there! Welcome to the forum

And I would recommend all of them, her non-fiction books are very interesting, to say the least.

I started with the Virtue of Selfishness at the time, after I had read AS a few times. After that I read Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal, and then at some point I got Objectivism: the philosophy of Ayn Rand. This is a very good book in my opinion, but I preferred to first read some of her non-fiction first-hand, rather than read a book where someone else explains her views.

It's a very comprehensive overview of Objectivism, though

Edited May 19, 2006 by Maarten

[DamnGirl]

I have wanted to check out The Virtue of Selfishness for a while. I love the title.

Thanks for the advice.

[Bold Standard]

I confess that I have not read her non-fiction. Is there anything in particular that you would recommend?

Hello Erica,

My favorite is Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, because it sets a strong foundation by which to validate the rest of her philosophy. From where you're coming from, I think you'd enjoy The Virtue of Selfishness, as it is an impassioned and illuminating presentation of her ethics, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, in which she fleshes out the details of her vision of a free society.

I'll try and stop myself before this becomes a comprehensive catalogue of her non-fiction.. But one more fascinating and sometimes overlooked work of hers is The Art of Fiction, which is based on a series of workshops she gave to her friends, and gives a great analysis of her approach to writing fiction, and is helpful both to the aspiring writer and to the reader of fiction-- as well as including a provocative account of the relationship between volition and the subconscious mind. (The Romantic Manifesto is along a similar topic, as her philosophy applies to art as a whole-- and to romantic art in particular, as opposed to naturalistic.)

But there's nothing I've read by her so far that I haven't liked. Her fiction stories We the Living and Anthem are lovely too-- and shouldn't disappoint the fan of AS or Fountainhead, although I agree Atlas is her best work.

[softwareNerd]

Welcome to the forum.

I have wanted to check out The Virtue of Selfishness for a while. I love the title.

What book you start with depends on your interests. Ethics is at the cross-roads of the philosophy, so to speak. So, "VoS" is a good starting point. It was my first book -- even before the fiction -- so, perhaps I'm biased.

Why "DamnGirl"? Is there an interesting story there?

[DamnGirl]

Why "DamnGirl"? Is there an interesting story there?

Not sure what picture I'm creating of myself, but here goes...

I'm a big fan of Halo, an X-Box game if you're not familiar (I'm not one to assume). I am part of a large group who gets together periodically and plays the game in multiplayer mode. Basically, picture 16-18 fools running around in different worlds shooting each other with a variety of weapons (rocket launchers are particularly amusing). When I kill someone, the screen that he is looking at displays "You were killed by DamnGirl." As the only female of the group, I find it amusing to hear "Damn girl!" yelled out frequently as I unleash my fury upon everyone.

Oh, my. What would Ayn Rand think? Here I am, on my first day, talking about the X-Box.

I think that I'm going to have to check out The Virtue of Selfishness sooner than I thought. You all have raised my interest in it considerably. Thank you again for all of the advice!

Edited May 19, 2006 by DamnGirl

[Groovenstein]

Red Sox fan all the way from Nebraska? The Nation is big, isn't it?

Especially when one has spent most of one's life at the intersection of 495 and route 20, about 30 miles west of Boston.

[Maarten]

Heretic!

*runs off to grab some tar and feathers*

[softwareNerd]

That's a funny story. Thanks.

I know there are other forum members who play similar games. I've never played one... perhaps one day, just to know what they're about. (We even have a small sub-forum on games; check it out.)

As for what Ayn Rand would think about the X-Box, I'd say: check your premises . Not to veer this thread too far away from an introduction, but consider this: what's the point producing except for consumption?

[DamnGirl]

Especially when one has spent most of one's life at the intersection of 495 and route 20, about 30 miles west of Boston.

Sorry. Saw the Lincoln, Nebraska and I just assumed...

It's Master Chief to my friends...

Edited May 19, 2006 by DamnGirl

[Sherry]

Welcome!

I was born in NH (down in TX)...not a baseball fan but did root for the Red Sox as a kid. But I still love the Patriots! My family loves Halo! I never lived in VT, but did enjoy the short time I got to visit there. I lived on the other side of NH, near the ocean, so didn't make it over too much, but it is quite beautiful!

I have read all her novels, but have yet to read her plays. I really loved We the living, for those that haven't read it.

For her nonfiction, there are some great recommendations here. My husband and I wiped out our local Half Price books and Barnes&Nobles hahah buying a bunch of her books with essys. I hope to have them all read by the end of the year, but I know they are something I will keep coming back to time and again over and over.

The compilation Voice of Reason is put together extremely well, and is very easy to read. I currently try to read an essay a night. Thery are not all Rand, of course. I am also reading her other essays as well, and my husband and I are attending a local OPAR study group.

[JMeganSnow]

Hi there, DamnGirl. Nice to see you around.

I'm "in" medicine too, in a way, I'm a Tissue Processing Technician in a Tissue Bank here in Dayton. I don't have a degree or anything, but I can do some pretty cool stuff!

I'm also a big video game fan, although I tend to prefer single-player. The multiplayer stuff gets old for me, because I like a good plot and I'm not very patient with people who can't seem to figure out where the heck they are or what direction they're going. Or, worse, people who take forever arranging their inventories and deciding what to do next. Multiplayer games involving me tend to go something like this:

Me: "I'm going in!"

Co-Player: "Hang on, I'm not ready to tackle the next stage yet!"

Me: "Fine, fine, I'm waiting!" ~waits impatiently for maybe 3 seconds~ BLAM BLAM BLAM

CP: "DID YOU GO IN?!"

Me: "I got bored. Hurry your butt up already."

CP: "Fine, fine, I'm coming!"

Me: BLAM BLAM BLAM

CP: "ARRRGH!"

Me: "Oh, sorry, was that you? You came charging on my screen so fast that I thought you were a mob. Sorry."

CP: "YES, DAMMIT!"

Me: ~loots deceased comrade's corpse~

Sometime later . . .

Me: "I don't know why you're always complaining that you're out of ammo and health, I never have that problem."

CP: "Because you keep looting my corpse!"

Me: ~whistles~

My friends will not play games with me if they can't turn off friendly fire. I swear I don't do it on purpose, it's just that I don't play well with the slow/cautious crowd. I wanna see the end of the level. I have ammo. Solution: I hold down the fire button and run. There's bound to be more ammo around here somewhere.

And I figure seguing from being a Cubs fan to being a Red Sox fan makes perfect sense: they're both teams that only a nut would support.

[DamnGirl]

As for what Ayn Rand would think about the X-Box, I'd say: check your premises . Not to veer this thread too far away from an introduction, but consider this: what's the point producing except for consumption?

What bothers me the most is the seemingly growing population of people who only consume without producing. On top of that, they feel entitled to do so rather than what they are which is dependent. It is an unpleasant reality that too many in this American society choose not to face.

Having just read the Katrina threat, I suspect that I have a lot of views in common with Dismuke. I suppose time will tell.

[JMeganSnow]

What bothers me the most is the seemingly growing population of people who only consume without producing. On top of that, they feel entitled to do so rather than what they are which is dependent. It is an unpleasant reality that too many in this American society choose not to face.

People that do this don't matter: what matters is the government that promotes this kind of activity. Get rid of government support for parasitism and there's no option but to do SOMETHING to support yourself. Either that, or find a willing host, in which case the pair of them deserve each other.

[DamnGirl]

My friends will not play games with me if they can't turn off friendly fire. I swear I don't do it on purpose, it's just that I don't play well with the slow/cautious crowd. I wanna see the end of the level. I have ammo. Solution: I hold down the fire button and run. There's bound to be more ammo around here somewhere.

And I figure seguing from being a Cubs fan to being a Red Sox fan makes perfect sense: they're both teams that only a nut would support.

Ha, ha. Who won the 2004 World Series? Hmm? Hmm? You're not a Yankees fan, are you?

Before 2004, I would have agreed with you. I became a fan several years ago, and I never thought that a baseball team could drive me from joy to tears/anger in the matter of a few minutes. It was rather torturous.

Your gaming issues crack me up! My husband gets so mad at me because I'm always shooting him. I also try to explain that I'm not doing it on purpose. I just get excited when the Flood are approaching.

Is it possible that what you are talking about is cooperative play? Yes, it can be painful when slower folks are involved. In multiplayer mode, everyone is fighting everyone else unless you choose to have teams. What you lack in plot you get back in hilarity.

People that do this don't matter: what matters is the government that promotes this kind of activity. Get rid of government support for parasitism and there's no option but to do SOMETHING to support yourself. Either that, or find a willing host, in which case the pair of them deserve each other.

I just resent being made a host against my will.

[JMeganSnow]

Well, duh. If you didn't resent it, I'd suggest that you get your head examined. The idea is that you don't have to make that resentment the focal point of your life; it's not good for you.

(I don't like to play competitive video games because I really suck playing against other people . . . or at least I think I do. Either way.)

(I'm not really into baseball, except the Dayton Dragons of course, but I think that 2004 World Series thing was a fluke. Go Dragons!)

[hunterrose]

Red Sox fan and Halo player? Damn, girl! You have to be married, don't you

Welcome to the forum. I checked around a bit, but there actually seem to be more Sox people than damn Yankees around here... or maybe they're just in hiding for shame!

*hunterrose works on bringing Jenni into the Red Sox Nation*