tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143050852009-10-13T21:07:00.669-04:00Musings of a 19th century liberal.Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-84866769555672501072009-05-12T23:37:00.002-04:002009-05-12T23:46:54.344-04:00

Picked this up from Rational Capitalist.It is incredibly shocking that the agency charged with oversight of the Federal Reserve has no clue how it's spending the one trillion dollars it just added to its balance sheet. On the other hand, there's a bit of Pot v. Kettle about Congress chiding the Fed for spending money with reckless abandon. They wrote the president a blank check with the TARP

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-28939527008086976252009-05-12T10:41:00.003-04:002009-05-12T11:36:28.178-04:00

The Wall Street Journal reports that, in an interview with Charlie Rose, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has acknowledged the responsibility of the Federal Reserve for the economic crisis.Mr. Geithner: "But I would say there were three types of broad errors of policyand policy both here and around the world. One was that monetary policy aroundthe world was too loose too long. And that created

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-21226151804844338072009-05-11T23:11:00.002-04:002009-05-11T23:49:25.349-04:00

Diane Hsieh at Noodle Food links to this news report regarding a woman who called 911 when her father began having a seizure and ended up in a pissing contest with the policeman handling the call over her use of the 'f' word.The policeman is obviously a jerk. He priggishly scolded the woman for her initial expletive, even though it was not addressed to him and she had no way of knowing that he

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-59805202581945577832009-04-25T02:21:00.002-04:002009-04-25T02:40:22.813-04:00

Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute is now a regular on PJTV, and will be appearing on Fridays. The show is hosted by Allen Barton, and he is joined by Terry Jones of Investors Business Daily. Yesterday's show concerned Obama's first 100 days in office, the new credit card regulations, and a proposed federalism amendment. Watching these three men intelligently discuss the issues of the day is a

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-71237296133395396612009-04-23T23:18:00.003-04:002009-04-24T00:54:51.672-04:00

This week's edition of the Objectivist Round Up is being hosted by Rational Jenn. Lots of good posts listed. Be sure to check it out.A special nod to Paul McKeever who nicely refutes a rather bone-headed comparison of Ayn Rand and Thrasymachus.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-57649369653630320792009-04-22T10:34:00.002-04:002009-04-22T11:46:28.128-04:00

Last year on my blog I promoted a new celebration called Exploit the Earth Day. It is a day set aside to celebrate all the myriad ways in which man exploits the Earth in order to live. I was looking for ways to mark the occasion, special things one might do to show one's joy in the exploitation of the Earth. Since then, I've realized that Exploit the Earth Day shouldn't be about a once-a-year

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-84398822305808808512009-04-17T13:59:00.003-04:002009-04-17T16:39:28.881-04:00

Here are some good links for more info on the protests.My nomination for best speech of the day is this one by Dr. John Lewis:There's a round-up at Titanic Deck Chairs of Objectivist bloggers writing about their experiences at the Tea Parties. Of special note are the speeches given by Greg Perkins and Rational Jenn.Update: Forgot to include this after speech interview with Dr. Lewis.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1757718474101686212009-04-15T22:55:00.008-04:002009-04-16T14:26:55.106-04:00

Tallahassee's Tax Day Tea Party took place today at 5pm in front of the old capitol. I spent the early part of the day getting my sign ready. Not particularly clever or artistic, but it said what I wanted to say. (Clicking on the pictures will take you to my Webshots album where there are more pics.)I got there about 4:30pm, and had some trouble finding a parking spot in Klemen Plaza. Most of

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-79082745033667281522009-04-06T23:08:00.002-04:002009-04-07T00:07:46.608-04:00

A short video put out by the Ayn Rand Institute explaining the link between Atlas Shrugged and the Tea Party protests.Craig Biddle has a three part series of articles at Capitalism Magazine in which he discusses Atlas Shrugged and its relation to current events in greater detail. He gives an excellent explanation of the morality at the heart of Rand's philosophy, and explains why it is vital to

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-9762690185320358832009-04-06T22:30:00.002-04:002009-04-06T22:52:22.689-04:00

They kinda lost me at the end with the bit about Reagan, but I agree with the general sentiment. Reagan's reputation as a defender of capitalism is based on image rather than substance, but in the past 80 yrs he's the only president who even bothered to cultivate the image, making him an icon to some. I don't think he's much of an exception to the trend of the past 100 years, though, in which

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-78345886702183806342009-04-01T10:33:00.002-04:002009-04-01T10:48:09.494-04:00

There's a group planning to stage a Tea Party protest on April 15 on the steps of the old capitol in downtown Tallahassee. I'm planning to attend. This will be my first protest. I'm going to take the kids if I can find gas masks small enough for them. I just have to figure out what to write on my protest sign. I'm having a hard time with it, because there's too much I want to say and no one-liner

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-54609963613254509762009-03-31T00:03:00.003-04:002009-03-31T00:16:01.921-04:00

The buzz about Atlas Shrugged is attracting attention on the left as well. Below is a response I typed to one of Ayn Rand's many new critics out there in the blogosphere.We have a very different perspective on Rand's philosophy. What I see at it's core is a passionate love of man at his best. Far from being soulless, it reunifies man's body and soul and delivers them from the mind/body dichotomy

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-52136410336267938232009-03-26T17:59:00.003-04:002009-03-26T18:37:31.723-04:00

As a counter to "Earth Hour," the University of Michigan Students of Objectivism are encouraging people to turn on their lights in a celebration of the man who brought us the electric light bulb, Thomas Alva Edison. From their Facebook page:In 2009, at 8.30pm on March 28, we are asking people across the world toturn ON their lights and join together in a celebration of technology

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-90819510073448442922009-03-26T10:40:00.003-04:002009-03-26T11:15:34.762-04:00

This short speech had me wanting to cheer. I would love to hear one of our Congressmen speak out like this.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-80515678680520750512009-03-25T13:06:00.003-04:002009-03-25T14:29:01.732-04:00

Jake DeSantis has resigned from AIG, publishing his resignation letter in the NYT. His statement is not as uncompromising as it might have been, but he does reject any notion that he should feel guilty for the money he earned at AIG. He is nonetheless donating all of the money he should have received under his contract to those who have been hurt by the economic downturn, and he is daring

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-28085646987583510662009-03-25T12:14:00.005-04:002009-03-25T12:57:26.590-04:00

Today's Non Sequitur, which is an apt title for this particular joke. Anger is being directed at the bankers on Wall Street, when it should be directed at Congress, the President, and the Federal Reserve. What I found amusing about the cartoon is how it sums up the attitude people have towards the rich and successful. Need a scapegoat? Does someone need to be thrown into the volcano? Look around

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-63190047851918241822009-03-25T01:30:00.003-04:002009-03-25T02:09:06.870-04:00

James Taranto suggests that some of our fading rock stars join together and hold a benefit concert for Wall Street. This is definitely one of his better ideas. He asks his readers for recommendations regarding what songs should be played, or other ideas about how to organize it. In spite of past disagreements, I thought I would pitch in and do my part. What I would like to see at a benefit

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-33646509477731213422009-03-20T15:44:00.003-04:002009-03-20T23:47:11.405-04:00

NR continues its crusade against Ayn Rand.I'm too angry to say anything else at the moment.Update: A little calmer now.I knew that NR would eventually respond to the Go Galt phenomenon by trying to smear Ayn Rand. In fact, I predicted it. On March 8, at this blog, I wrote:I’m expecting any day now for someone at NRO to remind their conservativebrethren that Ayn Rand was a heretic, and was

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-44270445290610705022009-03-19T21:15:00.003-04:002009-03-19T21:48:29.975-04:00

I've been browsing the current edition of the Objectivist Round Up hosted by Amy Mossoff at The Little Things. I particularly recommend Burgess Laughlin's review of The Independent Scholar's Handbook, Doug A.'s takedown of an assinine segment by Colbert, and Rational Jenn's explanation of how to get children to solve their own conflicts. Check out the whole thing.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-72199041857065401532009-03-19T00:37:00.003-04:002009-03-19T00:58:13.956-04:00

Another example of how clueless some on the right are with respect to Ayn Rand.Mark Thompson, 50, was arrested Thursday night by UI police for resistingarrest after he disrupted a speech by UI-Chicago professor Bill Ayers at AllenHall in Urbana.[...]UI spokeswoman Robin Kaler said Thursday evening that Thompson tried togive Ayers a Bible and a copy of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”It's almost funny

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-5782674577572646032009-03-16T23:52:00.002-04:002009-03-17T00:02:07.056-04:00

It's not time to "go Galt," he says, it's time to fight.He also explains that what we need isn't simply another tax revolt, but a moral revolution. This is a must-watch for people interested in the "tea party" protests and the current buzz about "going Galt."

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-79221249383558244582009-03-09T13:58:00.004-04:002009-03-09T15:05:57.171-04:00

I got this from Rational Jenn. It's an interview to do with your children. I asked my 7 yr-old for his answers first, and then went through them with my 12-yr old daughter. I had her look away from the computer screen so she wouldn't see his answers.What is something dad always says to you?Him: "Do your work"Her: Phrases in French.(Hey, I gotta use it or lose it.)What makes dad happy?Him: The

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-28208035693058091992009-03-07T11:29:00.003-05:002009-03-08T00:01:36.128-05:00

Stephen Green has a post up on Pajamas Media in which he advises Republicans to stop playing nice with Democrats. He points out that regardless of what Republicans do, the Democrats will paint them as bad guys, so they might as well embrace the role and enjoy it.Look. We cannot buy our way into friendship in Washington for the next fouryears. We aren’t going to become popular by playing along

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-88036316008639106432008-12-22T14:13:00.004-05:002008-12-22T15:39:08.480-05:00

Every year we hear the same thing. Christians lamenting the fact that Christ is being left out of Christmas, and even secular people complaining that Christmas has become too commercial. In thinking about this, I've concluded that the problem they are trying to solve is that Christmas is a celebration. It is no longer a holy day, it is a holiday.Think about it. Holy days should not be celebrated,

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-58151884635462271492008-04-30T21:08:00.002-04:002008-04-30T23:48:09.062-04:00

"Bueller.... Bueller..."That's my image of Ben Stein: slightly boring, self-deprecating, staid conservative. I don't know who this religious nut is. Science leads to killing people? And God leads to this very glorious place. Well.Stein has generated good responses here and here, and Derbyshire has a longer article here on Stein's promotion of ID in Expelled. I really don't have anything to add to

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0