J Lau sent me this link to a Philisophy Encyclopdia.

Here is a link the segment on Ayn Rand, who I was recommending to a friend recently (No, not Rich, though his stance against Drug Legalization always brings out the fierce Objectivist in me.)

Some Excerpts:

The provocative title of Ayn Rand's The Virtue of Selfishness matches an equally provocative thesis about ethics. Traditional ethics has always been suspicious of self interest, praising acts that are selfless in intent and calling amoral or immoral acts that are motivated by self interest. A self-interested person, on the traditional view, will not consider the interests of others and so will slight or harm those interests in the pursuit of his own.

Rand's view is that the exact opposite is true: self-interest, properly understood, is the standard of morality and selflessness is the deepest immorality.

Self interest rightly understood, according to Rand, is to see oneself as an end in oneself. That is to say that one's own life and happiness are one's highest values, and that one does not exist as a servant or slave to the interests of others. Nor do others exist as servants or slaves to one's own interests. Each person's own life and happiness is his ultimate end. Self interest rightly understood also entails self-responsibility: one's life is one's own, and so is the responsibility for sustaining and enhancing it. It is up to each of us to determine what values our lives require, how best to achieve those values, and to act to achieve those values.

Rand's ethic of self interest is integral to her advocacy of classical liberalism. Classical liberalism, more often called "libertarianism" in the 20^th century, is the view that individuals should be free to pursue their own interests. This implies, politically, that governments should be limited to protecting each individual's freedom to do so. In other words, the moral legitimacy of self interest implies that individuals have rights to their lives, their liberties, their property, and the pursuit of their own happiness, and that the purpose of government is to protect those rights. Economically, leaving individuals free to pursue their own interests implies in turn that only a capitalist or free market economic system is moral: free individuals will use their time, money, and other property as they see fit, and will interact and trade voluntarily with others to mutual advantage.

Yeah, I know what you are thinking, but:

.....Rand rejects both the scarce resources and destructive human nature premises.

Oh heck, none of this going where I wanted it to go. The initial conversation was about how people with uncompromising integrity often piss the rest of us off. Here is wikipedia on Rand's Howad Roark:

Howard Roark is the hero of the novel, whom Rand portrays as a paragon of Objectivist ideals (though, when the novel was published the term Objectivism had not yet been coined). He is an aspiring architect with a unique, uncompromising creative vision, which contrasts sharply with the staid and uninspired conventions of the architectural establishment. Roark takes pleasure in the act of creation, but is constantly opposed by "the hostility of second-hand souls" and those unwilling or afraid to recognize his creative ability. Roark serves as the basic mold from which the protagonists of Rand's other great novel, Atlas Shrugged, are cast. Roark is the paragon of a successful man as visualized by Rand.

I joined an Ice Hockey League.  I still have all my teeth.   I haven’t played yet, but I still have ‘em.  Expect Updates.

I nearly played Rugby last Saturday. Maybe I will this Saturday instead.  I didn’t because I was scared of getting hurt.  How much does  that suck?    But it was a Real Game between UGA and Tech-- I can’t go jumping into that without some practice time!

I finished “The Alienist”, which was quite a book.  As good a thriller as I have ever read, or seen, for that matter.    The best part of the book were the food scenes at Delmonicos in turn of the century New York.   I want to eat Squab for Breakfast! Squab Squab Squab. For now I'll survive on just saying it alot.

Hey, its 65 and Sunny out here in Pennsylvania, with a nice easterly breeze.   I am headed to Play it Again sports tonight to buy some gear.   

I hear Omar returns in this week's Wire.   Sweet.

Found a good Bar in Coopersburg.  Bar and Restaurant, called Mc Cooles I think it’s called.    I have been there twice, and six out of ten people there were there both nights. It Reminds me of a Richard Russo novel.   The food is great too.  

About wolf parade:   Them and Modest Mouse sound more alike than any two bands that I own.   That’s not the end of the world, by any means- Much of the Modest sound is obviously production values- but Wolf Parade also puts out  lyrics like this:

 Well I've got a hand
So I've got a fist
So I've got a plan
It's the best that I can do
Now we say using god's hands
But god doesn't always have the best god damn plans does he?

 

Which, aside from being pretty damn cool, could be a lost verse from from Mouse's Bukowski.

Well we sat on the edge of the river
The crowd screamed, "Sacrifice the liver!"
If God takes life, he's an Indian giver
So tell me now why, you'll tell me never
Who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?

I ought to check the writing credits on those songs.

In another song, ‘Hearts on fire”  they sound like their country-mates The Constantines.  You could say that rather than sounding like each other, they both sound like the Boss, but given that both bands wrote a song called “Shine a light”, and that hearts on fire is pretty much the theme of every Constantines Song, It’s a safe bet that these bands know each other.

The stand out wolf-song  is “I’ll believe in anything”, which breaks away from the Modest mold by combining the vocal delivery and jubilant energy of Clap your Hands’ “Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth”  with the uplifting message of the Cheers’ theme song.   

I said nobody knows you and
Nobody gives a damn
And I could take another hit for you
And I could take away the trips from you
And I could take away the salt from your eyes
Take away skin and salt in you
And I could give you my apologies
By handing over my neologies
And I could take away your shaky knees
And I could give you all the olive trees
And look at the trees and look at my face and look at a place far away from here

Ok, it’s the anti-cheers theme song. But it does have quite a bit in common with Skin of Your Yellow country Teeth. See:

Far - Far away from West Virginia
I - Will try on New York City
Explaining that the sky holds the
Wind the sun rushes in and a child
With a shotgun can shoot down
Honeybees that sting
BUT THIS BOY COULD USE A LITTLE STING!

Oh, btw,  I'm famous.  

Listening to Wolf Parade at the airport waiting. I wish I hadn't read that PitchFork review, on account of now I keep hearing Modest Mouse.  In retrospect, their stage presence was very Modest Mouse.  Not that this is a bad thing.  The CD sounds real good so far, I was just hoping it would be less familiar. 

I'm exciting to be working again. And to be on the road.   I hear QuakerTown sound's kind of small, but  I enjoyed San Francisco when I was staying in San Mateo, so I should be able to see some of Philly too.

Hey, BJ Penn fights Matt Hughes Saturday night. 

Austin City limits was grand.

Ted Leo set the festival off right, bashing his head into a bloody messs with the Microphone.   He’s  a Pop Hooligan. I put his CD, Tyranny of Distance, on today and it sounds thrice as good, having seem him live.

If the festival had a theme, is would have been “Blod and Guts and Sweat and Ass”.  Shortly after Ted, Ben Kweller was on stage bleeding like a pig through both nostrils.  Jammed a donated tampon up his nose, but ultimately couldn’t complete his set. “Alergies”, he blamed, sheepishly.

The Surprise Hit was probably the 20 minutes of Wolf Parade we caught on day one.   I sort of felt like Luke Perry in Tombstone, remarking, “I think they’re wonderful”. Or whatever he said. That will be the band I take away from the festival.

I probably most enjoyed the Tragically Hip, but I somewhat fanatical about those guys.  Alex didn’t hate them, which is quite an endorsement, considering the response they usually get from my friends. Alex said that Gordie is just like old Stipe.  I added, “without Aids, and the stick up his ass”, perhaps un-politically.

We all liked Gomez and I felt guilty for not distinguishing between them and Guster for the last 10 years.   I knew one of those two bands was basically Dueling John Mayers.  It was Guster, I learned, seeing them earlier in the day.

Gnarls Barkley stunk too.  Of course, I was watching from pretty far out, so by the time the music got to us, it was all ready old.  I’ll catch them again in a few years when they are on a reality show with Macy Grey.

We also caught some Jimmy Dale Gilmore and the Real John Mayer on that first day.  (Jimmy Dale opened with Buckskin Stallion Blues, a Townes’ song).

The second day started with a few minutes of “I love you but have chosen darkness”. They snuck into the festival on the strength of their name.   Worst act of the festical.  So we skipped out and caught up with Ghost town Observatory.  The lead singer was dressed exactly how I like my dates to look:  Tight Jeans, tight sleeveless t-shirt, and pigtails. Unfortunately, this was a dude.   Before seeing that show, the word 'ugly', in the following sentence would have been redundant: “He looks like an ugly-Chris Johnson”.

Then we caught T.V. On the Radio, Calexico, What Made Milwaukee Famous and Iron and Wine. Iron and Wine was incredible. That guy can write a song.   T.V. on the radio Impressed. They are a band that should be seen in an underground club or a new york street corner, but they represented in the Hot Austin Afternoon.    Calexico sounded great, but I wasn’t feeling it. I give myself props for insisting they came from somewhere west of Texas.  I guessed New Mexico, but it turns out they are from Arizona.   WMMF was not noteworthy—at least, not the ten minutes I stayed for.

On Day Three we caught  Ween, Son Volt, and The Flaming Lips.   I wasn’t in the mood for Ween, after seeing Iron And Wine the night before. The contrast was perfect, and far too great.   Son volt played almost all new Stuff. My comment that they are a "guy's band" was met with confusion.  What do I know?  They  hit their stride in the 3^rd Quarter of their set, but we left during their war protest song, catching Drown while plowing into the Flaming Lips throung. I need to see Son Volt in a small venue, and get their latest CD, apparently. The Flaming Lips were sweet. I’m not even going to try to describe it this late in the post. 

 Alex has a lot to add….

I am going to Philly tomorrow. Apparantly.

Wow, have I been delinquent...

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Highlights of this festival will be Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and the  Tragically Hip. At least, that's who I am most looking forward to.  I haven't looked at the line-up in a while. Actually, I am most looking forward to hanging out with Andy and Heather. Actually. The other highlight is that it's not going to be 110 degrees all week.   

...It's not like I don't have anything to write about. I had a good time in San Francisco. Bungled it up a bit, but did my best.  Didn't get to see half of the people I wanted to see, but saw a lot of the other half.  But I didn't see either half any people I didn't want to see.  But I found myself in their woods twice.   Did you know that the deepest you can go into a forrest is half-way?

Had some killer Brisket at Memphis Minnies, but calling that place inconsistant is an understatement. Three of us ordered Brisket and no three plates were the same.  But Still.      Played some Ra while there. Worst Game Ever, and yet I crave a rematch.   

Puerto Rico may be the best ever.    

If you have no idea what I am talking about, game wise,  in this case it isn't because I am cooler that you. In this case.   

Hmmm. I am the lightest I have been in years. And I hate it.  I look big in that last photo but that's just because Adrian and Eva are short (No photoshoping was performed). And that car is small. In truth, I am as Adrian says, "A Pencil Neck".      Did they tell you I put the wet suit on backwards the first time?   I wish I could say I did it on purpose. I would have, had I thought of it.

 Fall is here, and I expect to eat Tubers galore. Did 30 muscleups in 10 minutes then immediately rowed 500 meters in  a 128.5.   Ok, it wasn't immediately afterwards, but it was close. The damn seat slipped out from under me again, else I might have  beat my previous time.

Hey, The Wire is back on HBO.  "Slow", is how Dave described it. Yep.   Slow and detailed. I love it.  The Wire  undercuts one of the biggest advantages Books have over film.   They will take time to really show you a character. But it makes for slow T.V., I'll give you that.

..Cause after you walk halfway into a forrest, you are really walking out of it.

I wish I hadn't vowed not to comment on this.

UPDATE:  Mr. Jones has changed the tone and content of his post.   All is well.