caroljane

Stephen, I do not have your deep knowledge of the philosophical-literary relationship of \Rand's ideas. I can react only on the literary level. I must agree with Ellen that there is a "relish" in the authorial handling of this scene, based on the literary markers with which I am familiar. I see this as purely a literary relish, the author tying her theme to plot satisfactorily.Moral corruption in the author as a person, is a separate issue to me. Based on her own educed principles, morally corrupt is something Rand simply could not be.

Side thought, if someone had stolen and sold Rand's private journals for publication, what would she have done?

My sympathies, my first boy was so averse that he consistently fainted at his kindergarten shots, and had to be accompanied by his dad at boosters.

Deanna, forgive the personal question but did you allow your son to be vaccinatedÉ

We also learn, or are highly influenced, by observing the actions of others and their results, especially upon the actor himself.

That is quite possible. Certainly my strongest impression amongst her caricatures of the soon-to-die looter and moocher passengers, was the woman who had just put her children to bed, and of those children, future moochers ruthlessly despatched along with the adults.

I think we are at impasse here. Reader reactions to novels are subjective. Stephen, obviously felt no pleasure, let alone glee, at the tunnel scene. Ayn Rand created the scene. Therefore Stephen feels strongly that she intended to convey no satisfaction in the deaths, since none was conveyed to him.

I took notes and never looked at them afterwards. Their only use was to lend them to somebody who had missed a class.

I have looked at the coverage and there is indeed a lot on the Net, .surprisingly little from the evil liberal MSM, except as commentary, not news. The National Enquirer, rightly miffed at being scooped, or more probably outbid, on the document, are nevertheless enjoying the windfall

Your articles usually are signed with your credentials, though, which .presupposes they are approved by TAS. Do you mean that you are an independent commentator, like a syndicated columnist?

Case two , despite making the" best and most informed decision"( informed by whom however, Jenny McCarthy or the Scientologists?), to avoid side effects for her own child from inoculations she unwittingly "initiates force" against other children her child, a possible sufferer or carrier of fatal diseases, may encounter. If my baby , too young for inoculation, died by contracting a disease from an uninoculated child, \I would certainly sue and expect to win.

Cripes, if MSK hears about this you'll never be allowed on this site agai..............oh, wait.

Titan, Schmitan! If Rand envisioned him as a god then he was a god!

Thanks for the Borge of whom there can never be too much! I currently do not own a copy of Csardas, I had a paperback which I read twice and I believe it is out of print. It has a pitiless reality, beauty and humanity which have stayed with me ever since those readings. Holland's earlier works are the best. I think her lastest one was about Joan of Arc. She did a couple on California history which I read and found very inferior to her earlier work, which to me, approached genius.

Ginny, so great to see you back girlfriend! Doug just came back to SLOP! Complete with fake name and photo!

So, Galt was indeed a god. I'll vote for the vultures. I know eagles, oi do I know them, and they would not cooperate and stick to a task like that.

know you like scifi and to me, historical fiction is an extension of it (look at GG Kay who just changes the names and lets his imagination roam). But when historically accurate they can be incredibly good. Let me recommend to you Csardas by Diane Pearson (20th century Hungary), the Death of Attila by Cecelia Holland. Brilliant, you-are-there stories. Also for any freedom lovers, also by Holland, The Sea Beggars, about the struggle of the Netherlands against their overlords the Spanish. When William of Orange says simply, "I am come to lay my bones among you", I cried. Also seem to recall there was interesting discussion of coinage!

All true, but nobody likes their "tribe" being homicidal. What is it with religion and pyromania anyway, l the books - burn the heretics, burn the books - Prometheus, look what they did with your god gift! Actually that first sentence is not historically accurate, the Huns rather approved of it, not that that has anything to do with MEM 1500 years later lol.

My father was also in Holland, with the 8th New Brunswick Hussars, after Italy and North Africa. I don't think "protect your troops" was much of an option for the Canadian commanders,I can't respect Patton because of his pro-Nazi policies during the Occupation, but I acknowledge his military genius and am also here because together we won the war. Dad died aged 60 in 1984. My mother always blamed it on the tank fumes he inhaled as a turret gunner from 1940-45. He disliked guns and never went hunting, even with his brothers and Legion buddies, in civilian life.

I am not exactly proud of James Stuart burning up all those innocent women and Bible thumpers either. Or not-Reverend Terry Jones burning up the Korans.

I agree that we're ribbing Ed with just a bit too much elbow. His article definitely has value. I think it's just an issue of timing. It should have been saved for a time when the race hustlers were in the act of hustling on the national stage again. Right now the focus should be Syria and other spotlight issues. Just have to apply a little, gentle more bit of elbow though. It still bothers me that Ed has suggested that by discussing his article based on the New York Post story, which he considers major, we are "endorsing" it. The Post, really? Can we infer then that by repeating its choice of story, TAS is endorsing Rupert Murdoch and his well-known editorial policies, such as "don't criticize China because most of my money is tied up there"?

Possibly because Rand herself, and the first-generation of Randists, perceived her fiction, philosophy and personal self as a seamless whole, and to criticize one part was to criticize the whole. "Am I not real?", etc.

lol,, the left of course. Leftism opens doors better and is known to be sexier.

Thought drift is not hijacking, it is creative conversation! Enjoy your tennis, ambidextry never helped me much as I was dismal with both hands, dislike having to move fast, and this was before I realized I needed glasses.

I can't resist adding further to #35, I wonder if Dr Mrs Dr D addresses "luck as a component in career" to any extent. Her own career choices, of course, have been based on strict ethical and moral choices, leading her to shun the traditional path of the philosopher which leads them to teach philosophy at university level, think and write about philosophy while also eating regularly. She has also resisted the temptation to join the think-tanks of her chosen philosophy and thus gain money or cred through association with them. Guessed wrong, twice, second-guessed self, wrong. Luck of the draw.