'Tis the season!
Any gift ideas for the Objectivist in your life who has everything?
I don’t know if it’s still available, but a few years back I saw something in a “Things You Never Knew Existed” magazine that was, indeed, a gift for the “person who was everything.”
For about $25 or so, you can purchase a piece of the ocean floor, about an acre. The total area of land for sale is about the size of California, I think, and is off the Pacific coast of the U.S. The amount available is restricted by the international law of the sea or something like that.
What a way to celebrate ownership of private property!
Art, of course! :lol:
For about $25 or so, you can purchase a piece of the ocean floor, about an acre. The total area of land for sale is about the size of California, I think, and is off the Pacific coast of the U.S.
Are you sure this is legit? It seems a little fishy (no pun intended!), like “buying” a star.
PS Why would Objectivists celebrate XMAS anyway?
PS Why would Objectivists celebrate XMAS anyway?
A celebration of prosperity and the values we gain from friends and family.
A celebration of prosperity and the values we gain from friends and family.
Then you could celebrate Saturnalia instead of a silly Christian holiday with the name of their god in it 
jfortun: Oh, OK, so you are trying to borrow and adapt the holiday the way the Christians originally did with the pagan winter holidays? Worth a try I guess; I prefer to just ignore it. Happy Winter Solstice!
edit: I think it might be better to make up a new holiday that doesn’t have religious connotations (however secular XMAS may be for many people).
Where I live, Christmas has nothing to do with religion.
edit: I think it might be better to make up a new holiday that doesn’t have religious connotations (however secular XMAS may be for many people).
I think you mean rather a new name? The foundations for a great holiday are already present. The Pagan/Roman Saturnalia actually was more than a week long celebration. December 25th was the Feast of Sol Invicta. This was a feast basically celebrating the fact that even in the darkest/coldest of times, the sun still existed and was on its way back to a stronger, healthier status. It was because of this that people feasted, danced, sang, gave gifts, etc. This is pretty much what we have today-albeit with Jesus added instead of Sol Invicta.
I don’t see the need for a new holiday-but rather a new name (if you so desire).
Where I live, Christmas has nothing to do with religion.
Thankfully to many Americans, this IS the case. My thing however with Christmas is the name (Christ), and the decorations (nativity scenes for Jesus, etc.). I still celebrate and have a great time without Christ.
In Hungary, Christmas was universally celebrated even during Communism.
Someone wrote – on an objectivist forum, although I don’t remember where, so props to whomever – that “I observe Christmas, even though I don’t believe in the Christ, in the same sense that I observe Thursday, even though I don’t believe in Thor.”
How about just calling it XMAS?
</Futurama reference>
(Shame with that is, the “X” is actually christian-related. Something to do with Greek-Orthodox, I think…)
“How about just calling it XMAS?”
Just get over it. The Christians named the american winter holiday. The objectivists didn’t. You could start a new holiday but who would want to? The spirit of Christmas is completely pagan. And it’s about a birth, not a death. The biggest figure in Christmas is Santa Clause anyway. Yes, he is an altruist but he can easily be made over into a capitalist (elves, workshop, happiness through productivity, trading gifts). We don’t live in a vaccum.
As for gifts, sorry if this is too obvious, but those Asian Pears are unbelievable. Smith and Hawkin, I think. People will thank you for months afterwards.
Art, of course!
If anyone wants to buy me a picture make it one of these two: (and make sure you get in touch with the other generous people because I don’t want the same one twice!)
http://www.cordair.com/bokor/tomorrowtoday.aspx
http://www.cordair.com/larsen/howfar.aspx
As for other cool gifts, how about really nice silk pajamas? I think Objectivists should look the part, so it’s either no clothes at all or really nice clothes! By ‘nice’ I don’t mean black tie all the time, just think of the way Dagny and Galt wore clothes.
As for Christmas, the joke is on the Christians because we can celebrate better than they can! 
Right guys? 
Are you sure this is legit? It seems a little fishy (no pun intended!), like “buying” a star.
Check it out, GC:
How about just calling it XMAS?
</Futurama reference>
(Shame with that is, the “X” is actually christian-related. Something to do with Greek-Orthodox, I think…)
The X in Xmas or Xtian actually comes from the Greek letter χ Chi, which is the first letter of χριστος Christ.
Someone wrote – on an objectivist forum, although I don’t remember where, so props to whomever – that “I observe Christmas, even though I don’t believe in the Christ, in the same sense that I observe Thursday, even though I don’t believe in Thor.”
That is a good one.
Check it out, GC:
“The buyer is being conveyed only such title as Bob Schott and ISLE are vested with and to date Bob Schott’s claim has never been contested. In other words, this is ‘Man’s chance to take a chance’.” (http://www.sealand.tv/faq.html)
I don’t see any proof that ownership has been actually established. In my opinion this is just a novelty and not of any real value. caveat emptor!
How about just calling it XMAS?
I usually tell people I’m celebrating the birth of Isaac Newton. (Ok, technically he was only born on Christmas Day if you’re using the Julian calendar, but I won’t tell if you don’t. It isn’t like Jesus was born on December 25th either.)
See, the tree represents the tree under which Newton was sitting when he had his insight about gravity. The lights represent the light of knowledge he brought into the world. The gifts are a celebration of the productivity and control over the world that we derived from the science he advanced so well…
Why would Objectivists celebrate XMAS anyway?
Why wouldn’t they? I love Christmas. I love giving gifts and getting them. I love exchanging Christmas cards. I love the holiday cheer, the Christmas songs, the lights, the decorations. The Speicher’s always have a lovely tree, brightly lit and glistening, adorned with our own hand-made ornaments and those we have received as gifts over the years. We used to have a large dollar sign topping the tree, but we traded it in for a golden California Sun. Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.