Bidinotto

Robert, congratulations. How does it feel to be rapidly approaching middle age, like me?

Dear Barbara, Just saw your kind words here. Thank you so very much. I'm glad you enjoy the magazine. Upcoming in the September issue: Heroes: who they are; why we need them; who hates them. Upcoming in October: special 50th anniversary tributes to Atlas Shrugged.

I am devastated. In any choice between the "news" provided by the mainstream media and that delivered by the Weekly World News, it's clear to any objective observer that WWN was far more credible.

Thanks for the kind words, Robert C. Google tells me that "Killing Floor" has been covered by a host of performers after Howlin' Wolf, including Hendrix. Child alluded to Jimi's version in an interview somewhere. I'm waiting for ZZ Top to make an appearance in a Child novel. But as for titles for a thriller, I don't think "Legs" or "Sharp-Dressed Man" will cut it. Of course, "Eliminator" would be perfect....

Michael, thanks. Glad you're still enjoying TNI; I'd wondered for a few months if we'd lost you! As you can see, I've definitely been trying to produce a magazine unlike any other out there -- certainly unlike any conservative, libertarian, or Objectivist journal out there. The Lee Child interview is an example of that difference: Name me one other conservative, libertarian, or Objectivist journal that would have even thought to recommend Child's novels, let alone publish a long feature interview with him. Anyone interested in exploring the full range of content in our pages is invited to take a look here. (Be patient; it takes a bit of time for the big, fat index page to load up...something we're fixing with the launch of a super new TNI website in September.) Chris, glad you're enjoying Bad Luck and Trouble. Once you've read it, I suggest you (and others who want to sample Lee Child) start back at the beginning of the Jack Reacher stories with Killing Floor. It's not mandatory that you do; his books can be read in any order. But written in first person, that novel is a great introduction to the character. Every writer has his great books and his not-so-great ones. Frankly, I didn't think two relatively recent Reacher tales -- One Shot and The Hard Way -- were quite up to the others. That's not to say they were bad; it's just that they just weren't quite as compelling to me as thrillers. But Bad Luck and Trouble, his latest, is a fine return to form. My favorite Jack Reacher novel so far (and Child's, as I learned during the interview) is Persuader: If that one doesn't get your pulse pounding, then you simply don't have a functioning heart.

Robert C, Just a point of clarification. The New Individualist is not being written for Objectivists. It is an outreach publication, written and published for a much wider readership of what I refer to as "sense-of-life individualists." Put another way: TNI is not "about Objectivism"; it's about the world -- as seen through Objectivist eyes. For that reason, I avoid running articles and reviews about the fine points of Objectivist philosophy -- or that focus on arcane matters that could only be understood by, or of interest to, people within the Objectivist movement. This means I exclude arguments over internal movement controversies -- such as the relative accuracy of various biographical accounts of Rand's life, or the subtleties of Objectivism as either an "open" or "closed" system. There are plenty of other forums that deal with such topics -- ad nauseum, in my view. Instead, my aim is to produce an Objectivist-based publication that (for once) can and will be read and understood by people who have never heard of Objectivism let alone the even more obscure schisms and personalities that pockmark the history of the movement. For it's only by reaching non-Objectivists that our influence on the culture can grow. Therefore, the exclusion of such discussions from the pages of TNI does not constitute evasion and should not be "controversial." I've been quite outspoken in my own views of "movement" issues, but in more appropriate forums.

Robert, Sharp observation. Child absolutely borrows blues titles for his book titles. "Killing Floor" was Jimi Hendrix, I believe; and "Bad Luck and Trouble" was Johnny Winter. He's said as much in other interviews. I would've gone into this and a lot more with him, but the poor man was on deadline for next year's book and as it was, he gave me four hours! I didn't dare push it any farther. (For one thing, he's bigger than me and has a history of breaking bones...as the interview makes clear.) If my interview can bring him more of his kind of readers -- meaning, the kind of readers who tend to hang out here -- I'll be very, very happy. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it -- and the glorious photos of the interview by Brian Killigrew that come with the print version of the magazine. I keep telling non-subscribers: If you think The New Individualist is just another Objectivist publication, like those you've seen before, you truly don't know what you're missing.

I don't often come here to tout the content of The New Individualist, but I simply must call your attention to the long interview I conducted for the July-August issue with the bestselling thriller writer Lee Child. Child has a simply extraordinary sense of life; and his views about fiction writing, psychological independence, heroes, and much else dovetail very neatly with those of a certain other novelist very dear to those on this site. I'm extremely proud of the interview. And those of you who don't yet subscribe to the magazine might get from this long piece just a wee hint about what you've been missing. Enjoy!

Amen, James. You've nailed it.

My goodness, I just saw this. Belatedly, happy birthday, Barbara! So, now that you've reached middle age, what are your plans for the next several decades?

My "Atlas" cast -- with links to photos. Enjoy.

The chronology of the events in Atlas Shrugged that Chris referred to earlier can be found here: Timeline of Events in Atlas Shrugged I also prepared an extensive Plot Synopsis, plus a Cast of Characters.

Well, Seasons 4 and 5 were superb. And this season, which started to sound "P.C.," suddenly turned around TONIGHT. The 4/9/07 episode was gangbusters, one of the best ever: numerous twists and surprises, Jack acting as if he was channeling Indiana Jones on steroids, non-stop action, and a thorough repudiation of any liberal nonsense that the characters had previously mouthed. Wherever you thought Season 6 was headed, this one turned it all around. Jack is BACK.

Remember, folks, the ever-insightful and always-entertaining film reviews of Robert L. Jones can be found every month in the pages of The New Individualist. So, if you are STILL not a subscriber, inquiring minds want to know: WHY NOT???

I am greatly saddened to hear of Mr. Speicher's untimely death. My heart goes out to his wife, family, and many admirers. I have posted my own brief tribute here.

I have now posted VIDEO OF THE BEAR CUB. Diabetics, beware!

I've had sharp disagreements with Mr. Speicher, but I certainly wish him a full, speedy recovery. I posted about this some days ago on my blog.

I'm with you, Ross. I reviewed the film for The New Individualist; you can read the review here.

Yes, Chris. The CPAC straw poll is in PDF format. You can find it by going here: http://www.cpac.org/ ...then looking over in the left margin for the "straw poll results" link. Note especially the results for the various questions pertaining to issue priorities and to favorite candidates. For example, when first-and-second place preferences for candidates are combined, Giuliani -- reputedly the most "socially liberal" of the GOP contenders -- comes in first. That means a significant number of CPAC conservatives are willing to vote for him for President. Just as significant is the fact that the most socially conservative candidates are far behind in the poll.

Chris, As I indicated in the post on my blog, the fact that 50% at CPAC -- which consists of hardcore conservative leaders and activists -- ranked "government intrusion" as their first concern actually encourages me. The claim that the "religious right" dominates the GOP is just plain wrong: only 30% listed religious-right "values" issues (gay marriage, abortion, etc.) as their primary concerns. Whatever influence that the religious right has on the GOP has been waning, something that their own leaders are publicly lamenting these days. Many conservatives are disenchanted, even outraged by the Bush administration's spending spree and increases in government programs, and furious at the GOP Congress for becoming porkmeisters. While the trends among elected GOP officials have been toward unprincipled pragmatism, the rank-and-file are largely fed up and demanding a return to the party's limited-government roots and principles. There, the vector is definitely pointing in the right direction. Thus, it's the perfect time to make philosophical inroads among disenchanted conservatives...which is exactly what we at The Atlas Society have been aiming to do.

Thanks, Chris. Barry Goldwater has to be somersaulting in his grave over what has become of the "conservative" movement. His was a largely individualist-premised "conservatism," harkening back to the Enlightenment-era Founders. While not totally consistent to that principle, Goldwater nonetheless was light-years removed from the "conservatism" of today's tribalists, altruists, and traditionalists. As for finding allies among ex-leftists, I'm not optimistic. While 50% of those polled at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference listed "government intrusion" into our lives as their primary concern, I can't imagine even a fraction of this number responding that way at any similar gathering of liberals. I had much more to say about all this here.

I'm delighted to announce that a column based on my critical views of conservatism has just appeared in the March 16 issue of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Titled "Saving a Divided GOP Soul," the hard-hitting piece -- written by libertarian columnist Dimitri Vassilaros -- is one of the very, very few newspaper stories about me that accurately quotes and presents my views. It's based on an extensive interview that I did with Mr. Vassilaros last week. He had seen -- and obviously liked -- the literature that my colleagues at The Atlas Society sent to him and to 2,000 other media people recently, including the March issue of The New Individualist with my cover story, "Up from Conservatism," plus a new book to which my TAS colleagues and I contributed, Straight Talk About the Soul of the Republican Party. (For more information about that project, click here.) Those of you who would like a free sample copy of the March issue of The New Individualist containing "Up from Conservatism" should click here or phone The Atlas Society at 800-374-1776.

Success in life is never guaranteed, of course. However, a general attitude of positive expectancy -- the belief that good things are around the corner, that you are capable of achieving your dreams and worthy of the rewards -- tremendously augments the likelihood of success. It will allow you to be aware of opportunities all around you, and to transform life's challenges into opportunities. Pessimism and optimism tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies about the future. So keep that positive outlook!

Right below William Bennett, and completely obscured by the article title, is neocon guru Irving Kristol; he is followed on the list by his son, William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard.

Chris is talking about this, the cover of the March TNI, which we distributed to conference participants: I realize that the tombstone says, "Here lie the ideas of..." -- and, strictly speaking, she therefore shouldn't be included. But note that she was at the bottom of the tombstone; I added her as an afterthought. Why? Because she represents the culmination of the intellectual bankruptcy of modern conservatism. The movement has held together as a coalition only by lashing out against common enemies, while shedding all its remaining philosophical content. Ann Coulter is the result at the end of that process of subtraction.