dad was a character. . grew up in the depression (he was 13
when the stock market crashed) and could squeeze a nickel
to yield at least eight pennies. . carried papers in a model T
which cost him seven and a half dollars, to help to keep
bread on the table at home. . got a field promotion to
LtCol in the Phillippines in ww2 at about age 26 .......
made me appreciate life in a way which endures to this day,
the no-BS view which Rand finished teaching me.
and when I screwed up, I caught hell. -- j
.

Boy I hope not. I have learned gobs here.

She does have that effect on us, doesn't she?

I love that part, too. A couple of times when someone has said to me that "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" would work if only people were better, I have said will you just read these few pages? It will explain it so much better than I can. And they actually got it! Only a couple of times, though.

My first exposure to Rand was watching the movie, "The Fountainhead," at around 10 years of age. I LOVED the movie, and never forgot it, even though at the time I didn't know a thing about AR or O. Years later, after the Army, I sat down and read "The Fountainhead," and was hooked. I've read everything AR put to paper, and I'll love her for as long as I'm alive.

If you guys keep this up, I'll start a re-read of AS myself. It's been a while.

Yes. People who are told they "don't belong here" are those perceived to be not genuinely curious but pushing their own anti-Objectivist barrow. Or that's how it should be.

Damn!
I must admit I'm a bit envious. The only time my father was aware of me was when I screwed up in his eyes. However, that turned out to be just one more mountain to conquer going along the trip that's life. It did teach me how to treat my boys by doing the opposite of what my dad did.

I was friends with Lee Shulman who was a psychologist who was a buddy of Nathaniel Branden's. I met her at a NBI Institute lecture at which she was the guest speaker. It was a thrill to see and hear that mind work during the Q and A.

Jbrenner, is your father still alive? --
This morning I called a Richmond Saturday radio
talk show, because there was something on it a-
bout Trump and Oreos. And I said that I thought
the Oreo company and other such companies were doing what the businessmen did in "At-
las Shrugged". It was a short comment, and so
I got on. (I think that that screener doesn't usu-
ally put me on because he's afraid I'm going to
promote Ayn Rand, but this comment got on be-
cause it was relatively short).

Indeed I am grateful for having two wonderful parents.

I just wish that they could hear the intro which Scott had someone
record for this post, as they enter the site:::

http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...

if this were the intro, we would have more eager participants,
I betcha!!! -- j
.

I was lucky, also, as my dad taught me the principles of life
which closely paralleled Rand. . he was a tough one. -- j
.

Curiosity is the emotional part of wanting to know. It is a fuel that when found ignites the effort to learn and understand and that is possible only through reason. You cant understand contradictions. Ayn Rand loved genuine curiosity and a desire to learn. She and every Objectivist, except a few, love to be asked questions with two caveats. One that you genuinely want to see how things fit together and second that when you do see, and that can take some time, you are loyal to what you learn. So it you have these two traits ask us O's anything but be prepared to be judged if you are faking genuine curiosity trying to be destructive of reason. I enjoy debating with people who value debating, its a skill. I don't bother with people who just slam their opinions around as if they were knowledge. Welcome the curious reject the spurious.

You actually MET her? Wow!

I agree there should be room for the First Amendment.
There is certainly a lot of room in the Gulch pertaining to the Second.
If there was one thing Ayn Rand loved, it was freedom.

You are one fortunate guy to have had such a father. I'd be willing to bet there are many in the Gulch who had the opposite reaction.

When I met Ayn Rand, I really didn't like her. But when she started to lecture, I found myself saying yes, yes, yes. I am not a worshiper, but there are things in the philosophy I do not agree with. Much of it relates to science and quantum physics, and to be fair, much of that has come to being explained in a popular manner after her death. Nevertheless, I call myself an Objectivist, and would challenge anyone who would tell me otherwise.

Oh, gosh! I hope that no one in the Gulch would think that you don't belong here because of your views on religion or abortion. I am a devout Christian and a devout Conservative. I love being in the Gulch. Hope that there is room for all of us Conservatives.

When I was a teen I read the Fountainhead. I read it for two reasons; I liked the title, and an adult told me I wouldn't understand it. I had no idea at all of what it was about. I read it and fell in love. Did I need to be versed in the background of Ayn Rand? Did I need to read a revue of the book? NO. The work itself told me everything I needed to know in order to start my romance with Objectivism. Everyone who can read should be welcome. They'll quickly know whether they belong or not. Also, if they are strongly anti-us it will be a great opportunity to sharpen our skills at expressing our knowledge.

Spot on! I've read AS twice and listened to the audio set once. I plan on reading it again in the next couple of years. My favorite part of AS is the chapter where Dagny invites the tramp on the train to have dinner with her. He explains what happened to the Twentieth Century Motor Company. If people can still be Communists or Liberals after reading that chapter, they have no brains. But then what Liberal would read AS. That's the trouble.

I hardly knew anything about objectivism and my understanding has been cultivated tremendously by being here. It's sort of like the dilemma, "you can't get a good job without experience, you can get experience without a good job"... I bought two copies of the trilogy (one DVD, one Blu-Ray) and I loan them out.. Most of the times, it inspires people to investigate further themselves, they end up purchasing their own copies, and the word slowly gets spread.

I recall receiving at least a couple of inferences that old dino does not belong here because I do not agree with Ayn Rand on abortion or there being a deity.
In response, I've pointed out my belief that there is not anyone on this planet that I would 100% agree with about all things.
I'd also like to point out my doubt that Ms. Rand would want anyone marching lock step behind her or anyone else.
Up until four years ago I never of Ayn Rand. I love how she thinks, despite not 100% agreeing with her.
I also learn all kinds of stuff here and have a lot of kindred spirits politically.
And I do love to express myself when moved to do so. No one has to agree with me either.
I am dino--
Hear me roar!
Or just don't read the allosaur.
Nyah! Nyah! Nayh!

Phew! Glad to know there is no purity test. I would be an epic fail. ;-)

Ben, I think you will only see such comments from a very limited number of members to a limited number of anti-Objectivists. You'll note that I didn't say non-Objectivists and again I emphasize anti. I don't think anyone on here expects a purity test and I doubt that any could pass such a test if they did (though there's a couple that probably imagine they could).

But having said that, it is a site for reasoned and rational discussion, and even argument. At the same time, it is not a site of members that appreciate unreasoned or irrational attacks and responses, and such will be pointed out.