Living "Atlas Shrugged"

stonebryson Train derailments, bridge collapses, govt directives. Anyone else feel like we're living "Atlas Shrugged?" #WhoIsJohnGaltMon, Jul 29 15:16:13 from web retweeted by AtlasShrugged

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Name: Stone Bryson

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Atlas Shrugged - The Movie Part II

So we are going to get Part II after all of Atlas Shrugged. Press release here.

Atlas Shrugged iPad App

In case you didn't get a sense of Ayn Rand's philosophy from the book itself, you can view supplement material as part of the iPad app:

Includes:
-Handwritten, original manuscript pages and notes from the author’s journals regarding key scenes 
-Video and audio excerpts from Rand’s talks on hot button topics from the book and her philosophy, courtesy of The Ayn Rand Archives 
-Full length audio lectures, including a Q&A on Objectivism, an outline of its basic principles, and commentary on the state of business and government (covered in the ever-timely lecture “Is Atlas Shrugging?”)

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Author’s Life and Groundbreaking Philosophy:
-Illustrated, revealing timeline of the author’s life and major works, including personal documents, letters, and correspondence 
-Photo gallery of images of the author at work
-Informative articles on the author’s life, influences, and her philosophy of Objectivism

Additional reader enrichment materials:
-Collection of sharable quotes and passages from the novel (via Facebook, Twitter, and email) embedded within the reading experience
-A fun “Who Said That?” quiz to challenge readers to recall some of the most memorable lines from the novel
-Endorsements and testimonials from celebrities and business leaders on the enduring power and influence of Atlas Shrugged
-A Discussion Guide to aid in book group or classroom conversations, and a catalog of the author’s available titles
-The trailer for the upcoming documentary Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged., from Mad Universe LLC

Additional Functionality 
-Easy in-book navigation features, including text search, bookmarks, custom reader settings, and the ability to flip pages with a tap or swipe
-Sidebar annotations alongside the novel hide away for an uninterrupted reading experience
-Complete app functionality in both portrait and landscape orientation
-Reproduced archival documents and images that can be enlarged to full screen with a double tap

. . . and much more!

The Democracy Will Cease to Exist

It may be new t-shirt time again. The http://www.brickolore.com/2011/04/t-shirts.html was for the Galt/Taggart 2012 and Taggart Transcontinental. I like wearing those shirts as it isn't too in your face, but if you are in the club, then my views can easily be guessed. This one is a wee bit more direct:

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

Ayn Rand for Geeks

Not exactly a strike, but the same net effect:

Via xkcd

Atlas Shrugged IRL

A modern day Ellis Wyatt?

An Alabama business man says he could add 125 jobs to the local economy, but that he's fed up with the anti-business groups and is calling it quits instead.

Via Slim.

Colbert on Atlas Shrugged Part 1

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

I had not seen the Rotten Tomatoes rating - currently at 13%. I will admit it was not the best film I had ever seen, but I think this rating represents more than people's views of the actual movie.

Ayn Rand - Separation of Economy and State

If you can't find the time to read the relatively short 1,000 page opus that is Atlas Shrugged (or even two hours for the movie), here is short video summary of her philosophy.



Thanks to TNJeff for pointing me to the video.

A Contrast

This was a big week-end for me. I got to go see Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 and I ordered HBO just so I could watch the new Game of Thrones series. You might have seen me post about these things once or twice before.

Stop reading now if you want to avoid any potential spoilers.

Below are my comments from each of the two shows.

Atlas Shrugged
I felt like they used the "Who is John Galt?" question as a catchphrase. Eat my shorts! To me it was as if the actors were looking at the audience and winking as they asked the question. My wife, who has not read the book, didn't feel that way. In the book, the question is an expression of hopelessness and frustration. As the world is crumbling, no one even thinks to find this John Galt person - if he even exists at all. It is just something everyone says.

Matthew Marsden plays James Taggart. I pictured Jim Taggart to be much older. I think we got a little too much "hollywood" in casting this character. However, the worse offense was making Jim too active in the political games. While he was a political creature in the book, you felt like he was being swept along with the other socialists. In the movie, he takes much more initiative and blurs the lines between producers and looters.

Hank Rearden is very socially awkward in the book. My wife described the movie version as smooth and suave. Fail.

People have criticized the physics of the train running on the new Rearden Metal track. That didn't bother me nearly as bad as the attempt to explain the magical motor.

I don't think the movie did a good job of showing the root cause of the problems. Maybe this is because Rand spent a bazillion pages pounding the message into my skull and the movie was trying to compress those philosophies. Likewise, Rands views on the role of sex and relationships between men and women are completely left out. There other plot points that are missing - like the relationship that was formed between Dagny and Francisco as children. The lack of detail on Francisco's background and prior achievements is a huge gap.

And is everyone sharing the same limo?

Now that I'm done beating it up, I will say I am glad I went and I'm sure I will see Part 2. (Also, a mini-plug for Regal Cinemas. My wife and I dug out a hundred year old gift certificate that was for $5. They couldn't find it in the system, so they just gave us a free ticket. Customer service isn't dead!)

Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes
The View from North Central Idaho - Joe Huffman
ExurbanLeague - sounds like he had people clapping at the end of the movie, too.
Walls of the City

Game of Thrones
I've been more excited about this than Atlas Shrugged. As I mentioned, I even added HBO specifically for this show - that's almost $18 per month, so I better like it.

In short (and in contrast to ASP1 above), the first episode was exactly as I pictured it in the book. It was fantastic!

I was worried about some of the actors as I did not think they would fit their characters, but everyone was fantastic. I really liked Lena Headey (from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as Cersei Lannister. I did not see her as a good match, but she was great. I predicted I would like Peter Dinklage (from The Station Agent) as Tyrion and he lived up to the expectation.

The opening scene was very well done - from the CGI, to the pacing, and tension it created. The first few minutes would compare well to any classic horror movie.

I also thought the opening credits were very smart. You get a bird's eye view of Westeros, but you don't see each of the Seven Kingdoms. It only shows the ones that are currently relevant. My guess is that they will change the opening as the action moves between kingdoms.

Definitely, money well spent. It makes me even more excited that the next book is coming out. When A Feast of Crows came out, the bookstore provided everyone with a cheat sheet to remind us of what was happening with all the characters at the end of the book. The series will be a nice refresher without having to re-read some of the books.

I can't wait for next Sunday!

T-shirts

Wow - that was some quick shipping. Two shirts plus a bonus bookmark and sticker. The sizing guide was spot on. The quality of the shirts seems fine. We'll see how they hold up in the wash.

Thumbs up

Thumbs up for Tam on her thumbs down on Ebert's review of the Atlas Shrugged movie. As I posted in a comment at her blog, I'm going to see the movie tomorrow. I hope that it is good, but even if it isn't, I feel like I am voting for the ideals in the movie.

I believe in voting at the polls, but I also believe in voting with my dollars, time, etc. That's one of the reasons I got my carry permit. It is why I like the idea that April 15th is "buy a gun" day.

Who is John Galt?

Galt and Taggart in 2012

I may need to get a new t-shirt.

Glock Announces New Pistol

John G.* has forwarded an exciting announcement from GLOCK. Apparently, they've been working in secret on a new model in a facility in Colorado. You heard it here first!

15 April 2011, 11:00 CET

GLOCK Announces New RM Line of Pistols

****** DRAFT PRESS RELEASE ****
****** NOT FOR RELEASE *******
****** NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ***

GLOCK Ges.m.b.H.
P.O. Box 9
A-2232 Deutsch Wagram
AUSTRIA

Today, Glock announces the next pistol in the evolution of its GLOCK “Safe Action” Pistols – the GLOCK RM. The top product among the small arms of the world is without doubt the GLOCK "Safe Action" pistol. It employs innovative safety features which makes the pistol easy to operate. No other pistol offers a better price-performance ratio. Its minimum weight and legendary GLOCK reliability are unsurpassed. With the new GLOCK RM, the weight is significantly reduced as is recoil through the use of a revolutionary alloy – Rearden Metal. These pistols are specifically designed to defend against looters and Project X.

It is exactly these characteristics that make the Glock RM perfect for individuals to take responsibility for their own security. Extremely tough tests by the top scientific minds prove time and time again that GLOCK "Safe Action" pistols function without compromise, even under the most extreme conditions.

ACTION
Safe and ingeniously simple: Contrary to conventional, the trigger is the only operating element. All three pistol safeties are deactivated when the trigger is pulled -and automatically activated when it is released.

TENIFER
Unique GLOCK hi-tech surface refinement for barrel and slide. Apart from optimum corrosion protection and anti-reflective finish, a degree of hardness of 64 HRC - close to that of a diamond - is achieved.

REARDEN METAL
Corrosion resistant, tougher than polymer and still 53% lighter. GLOCK pistols were the first industrially manufactured handguns with high-tech polymer frames and now GLOCK makes the next leap forward with Rearden Metal. These pistols will be hand crafted in our new Colorado facility.

The first pistol released will be the GLOCK 19 (9x19mm) with model #: 10-289.

Your GLOCK Pistol Set will include:
1 x GLOCK "Safe Action" RM Pistol
1 x Speed loader
3 x Magazine
1 x Cleaning set
1 x Instruction's manual (1000+ Pages authored by A. Rand)
0 x Cable Lock (US only)

Pricing will be announced shortly, but please note that payment must be made in gold.

* Who is John G? I would tell you, but it would take 70 pages or a three hour speech.