While the previous chapter focused on Dagny, this one focuses on Hank, tying up the final loose end that needs to be tied up before Galt can give his soliloquy. Chapter summary: Hank faces a strike from the steelworkers’ union, led by agents planted by the government to cause trouble. He’s called to a meeting…
Author: Clio
Atlas Shrugged Chapter 25: Their Brothers’ Keepers
Being sick much of last week, I muddled slowly through the first part of this chapter, and then in a sudden urge to finish this by the end of the month, I surged forward. As a result, I’m currently halfway through the behemoth 27th chapter. As such, many of my impressions of chapters 25 and…
Website for toddlers: KneeBouncers
The KneeBouncers store sells a tshirt that says, “My computer has been taken over by KneeBouncers.” It speaks the truth. There are many educational websites out there, as well as commercial sites tied to items of interest to older children. But toddlers are a bit of a special market, with very simple interests: Bright colors,…
Xenorepulsive
In my continuing quest to muddy the evolutionary waters of English, I offer the word “xenorepulsive.” I was discussing with my wife today the issue that “racist” has become an increasingly broad, and hence useless, word. Liberals tend to use it to mean any sort of hostility or negativity based on people of a different…
Atlas Shrugged Chapter 24: Anti-Life
In this chapter, Rand experiments with Shakespearean-style drama. It is engaging until it goes overboard. This is what editors are supposed to be for, but I’m usually skeptical that 1100 page books see much editing. Chapter summary: Jim ditches a party and goes home, where he and Cherryl (his wife) have a fight. There’s a…
Atlas Shrugged Chapter 23: Anti-Greed
Quick question: What was Mr. Hyde’s great crime in Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, the act that RL Stevenson thought would make his readers recoil in horror and fear at his barbarism? He pushes someone down roughly. Sure, eventually he murders someone, but by then his reputation as a scalliwag has already been set. I…
Atlas Shrugged Chapter 22: The Utopia of Greed
My current bookmark for Atlas Shrugged is the Temperance card from a miniature copy of the Rider Waite tarot. The deck itself is strewn across the basement floor, having been found and claimed by kidlet as a toy. I chose this card as a reminder not to fall into the trap of absolutist thought that…
Refudiate
Sarah Palin has brought herself attention recently by following in the footsteps of George Bush: By mashing two words together. Specifically, she tweeted that peaceful Muslims ought to refudiate something or other with regards to the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York. This got me wondering about the two words that she’d apparently…
Atlas Shrugged Chapter 21: Atlantis
Well, it was a long slog to get here through some dark and repetitive prose, but: John Galt at last! I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live my life for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. Chapter summary: Dagny wakes…
Atlas Shrugged: Intrinsic v extrinsic
I am not convinced of the absolutism of Rand, but there’s one element of critiques of her that I think is missing the point. Here’s a typical summation of Objectivism: It’s an extremely alluring premise- live up to your full potential, care only about yourself, succeed, work hard, don’t let anyone take what’s rightfully yours…