Friday, April 10, 2009
Adventures in Existence Comics
A comic that pokes fun at mysticism. I like it. Adventures in Existence, which has for all intents and purposes stopped, blogged about gaps in logic, usually creating a comic to jump start a blog post. I love this kind of critical creativity. Op-Eds are great and hold a lot of sway, but it's these types of short punches that stick with people, and eventually lead them to those articles.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Photo Blog Update: Deaf Day
Go check out my photo blog with updates from Deaf Day at the Nashville Zoo. It was soooo much fun. I met tons of people. They were all so friendly, and I found I'm pretty conversational with my ASL. I hope to go to more of these types events, especially since WKU only offers up to ASL 2, which I'm in right now. Talking with another student after it all, we've decided to try to get the ASL minor back. It should be fun!
Nanny Government, Leave me Alone!
Excuse me, but when did the government become my mother? No, that's not the right word, because my mother doesn't constantly look over my shoulder, because I'm an adult. The proper question is, when did the government become my babysitter, and when did I go back to being a child, needing to be told what to do?
The Kentucky state cigarette tax went through last week, upping the tax on cigarettes to 60 cents a pack, as compared to 30 cents before. A carton of cigarettes now costs about $40 when a few days ago it was $28. Not to mention the 6% tax on liquor.
Then I read about the House passing a bill to give to give the FDA control over tobacco ads and sales. It's called "The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act", which screams government propaganda. The bill would allow the FDA to ban candy flavored cigarettes, require larger warning labels, and ban phrases like "mild" or "low tar". There's similar legislation in the Senate that would create a new fricking agency to oversee the tobacco industry. A whole agency!
And if that wasn't enough, Obama signed his first tax increase into law: a 62 cent tax hike on cigarettes. The proceeds are supposed to go to fund children's health care.
What's the deal?! The government has absolutely no business doing any of these things. The government has no right to tell citizens how to live their lives, whether it be through an agency, a tax, or any other deterrent. The role of government is to protect it's citizens' rights. That includes the right to life, which includes acting against one's life. As long as I'm not hurting anyone else, the government has no say in what I smoke, eat, wear, etc.
What's truly frightening is that I hear no opposition to any of this, only that it's expensive and inconvenient. Did people forget this was supposed to be land of the free? Scary.
The Kentucky state cigarette tax went through last week, upping the tax on cigarettes to 60 cents a pack, as compared to 30 cents before. A carton of cigarettes now costs about $40 when a few days ago it was $28. Not to mention the 6% tax on liquor.
Then I read about the House passing a bill to give to give the FDA control over tobacco ads and sales. It's called "The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act", which screams government propaganda. The bill would allow the FDA to ban candy flavored cigarettes, require larger warning labels, and ban phrases like "mild" or "low tar". There's similar legislation in the Senate that would create a new fricking agency to oversee the tobacco industry. A whole agency!
And if that wasn't enough, Obama signed his first tax increase into law: a 62 cent tax hike on cigarettes. The proceeds are supposed to go to fund children's health care.
What's the deal?! The government has absolutely no business doing any of these things. The government has no right to tell citizens how to live their lives, whether it be through an agency, a tax, or any other deterrent. The role of government is to protect it's citizens' rights. That includes the right to life, which includes acting against one's life. As long as I'm not hurting anyone else, the government has no say in what I smoke, eat, wear, etc.
What's truly frightening is that I hear no opposition to any of this, only that it's expensive and inconvenient. Did people forget this was supposed to be land of the free? Scary.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tax Day Tea Party Tool Kit
As April 15 draws closer, there's increased buzz in the over estimated 170+ Tax Day Tea Parties planned to protest government spending and intervention in the economy. It's sure to grab national attention and hopefully bring about change. While many Tea Party protesters are Republicans, many Objectivists are supporting and attending the protests. Mentions of Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, and John Galt have been seen at nearly every Tea Party. Atlas Shrugged sales are up, and the ARI is getting lots of publicity.
However, the ideas behind the protests are mixed. It's uncertain whether the revolt is based on the ideas of individual rights, or merely a reaction to tax increases. For true change to come about, a sound philosophy must be understood and advocated. The Tax Day Tea Parties are a great way for Objectivists to spearhead discussion about Ayn Rand's ideas to those who might be receptive to her ideas. So here's a one-stop shop of goodies for any Objectivist heading out to a Tea Party.
Where to Go:
There's a Google Map for the Tea Parties, and wow, is it packed. Check it out to find a Tea Party near you.
View Larger Map
I suspect though that the map may not be complete. For instance, the Bowling Green, KY Tea Party doesn't show up. I suggest going to the official Tax Day Tea Party site to get a list of parties in each state. The state links are on the right-hand side.
Spreading the Word:
The Objective Standard has created this flyer to be printed off and passed out at Tea Parties. I like it because it associates egoism with the tea parties. Fighting for one's rights is essentially a egoistic act. It turns people onto the idea of self-interest as a good thing, something people need to understand in order to flip the current social beliefs.
Ayn Rand and the Tea Parties:
The Ayn Rand Center has published this video discussing the Tea Parties and their link to Ayn Rand and Objectivism. It encourages people to read Atlas Shrugged and look at it's parallels today. Pass on the video to any Tea Partiers you may know.
It might also be helpful to read up on the ARI's response to the financial crisis. You can reference some good op-eds or lectures to fellow Tea Partiers, or even to opposers.
Make Yourself Heard:
A good slogan gets the point across and sticks in peoples' heads. Referencing Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, or Objectivism on signs is a quick way to advocate the philosophy. I created my own list of Tea Party Protest slogans. Here's another list of 101 Tea Party slogans. The national site also provides printable signs. Some of my favorites include:
Props Anyone?:
Check your local Tea Party to see if there are any special activities happening at the party. I know the Nashville Tea Party is asking people to bring cans of Pork and Beans for a "Pork Barrel". Tea bags are given. I've also seen people show up in costumes as minute-men and Indian disguises (which is what the original Boston Tea Partiers wore).
What Am I Doing?:
I am personally getting involved in both the Nashville and Bowling Green Tea Parties. I'll be shooting and collecting audio in Nashville, hopefully to be created into a short multimedia piece that I'll post online ASAP. I'm also doing my final project in multimedia class on a Tea Party organizer right here in Bowling Green. That piece will be a bit longer and should be published around mid-May when it's due. I'll be sure to link to both pieces once they're up.
What Are You Doing?:
Are you going to a Tea Party? With a party organized in almost every major city in America, there's bound to be one close by. If you're interested in stopping government intrusion in economics, go to a protest, create a protest sign, an snap some pictures. A little action by a lot of people garners a lot of buzz for the movement.
However, the ideas behind the protests are mixed. It's uncertain whether the revolt is based on the ideas of individual rights, or merely a reaction to tax increases. For true change to come about, a sound philosophy must be understood and advocated. The Tax Day Tea Parties are a great way for Objectivists to spearhead discussion about Ayn Rand's ideas to those who might be receptive to her ideas. So here's a one-stop shop of goodies for any Objectivist heading out to a Tea Party.
Where to Go:
There's a Google Map for the Tea Parties, and wow, is it packed. Check it out to find a Tea Party near you.
View Larger Map
I suspect though that the map may not be complete. For instance, the Bowling Green, KY Tea Party doesn't show up. I suggest going to the official Tax Day Tea Party site to get a list of parties in each state. The state links are on the right-hand side.
Spreading the Word:
The Objective Standard has created this flyer to be printed off and passed out at Tea Parties. I like it because it associates egoism with the tea parties. Fighting for one's rights is essentially a egoistic act. It turns people onto the idea of self-interest as a good thing, something people need to understand in order to flip the current social beliefs.
Ayn Rand and the Tea Parties:
The Ayn Rand Center has published this video discussing the Tea Parties and their link to Ayn Rand and Objectivism. It encourages people to read Atlas Shrugged and look at it's parallels today. Pass on the video to any Tea Partiers you may know.
It might also be helpful to read up on the ARI's response to the financial crisis. You can reference some good op-eds or lectures to fellow Tea Partiers, or even to opposers.
Make Yourself Heard:
A good slogan gets the point across and sticks in peoples' heads. Referencing Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, or Objectivism on signs is a quick way to advocate the philosophy. I created my own list of Tea Party Protest slogans. Here's another list of 101 Tea Party slogans. The national site also provides printable signs. Some of my favorites include:
- Party like it's 1773
- Your Mortgage is Not My Problem
- Born Free Taxed to Death
- Don't Stimulate: Liberate!
- John Galt's Oath: I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for the sake of mine.
- John Galt Gifts- T-shirts, hoodies, key chains, license plate frames, mouse pads, stickers, and cups all with references to heroes in Atlas Shrugged
- Bolt of Reason- Shirts advocating reason and "a personal relationship with reality"
Props Anyone?:
Check your local Tea Party to see if there are any special activities happening at the party. I know the Nashville Tea Party is asking people to bring cans of Pork and Beans for a "Pork Barrel". Tea bags are given. I've also seen people show up in costumes as minute-men and Indian disguises (which is what the original Boston Tea Partiers wore).
What Am I Doing?:
I am personally getting involved in both the Nashville and Bowling Green Tea Parties. I'll be shooting and collecting audio in Nashville, hopefully to be created into a short multimedia piece that I'll post online ASAP. I'm also doing my final project in multimedia class on a Tea Party organizer right here in Bowling Green. That piece will be a bit longer and should be published around mid-May when it's due. I'll be sure to link to both pieces once they're up.
What Are You Doing?:
Are you going to a Tea Party? With a party organized in almost every major city in America, there's bound to be one close by. If you're interested in stopping government intrusion in economics, go to a protest, create a protest sign, an snap some pictures. A little action by a lot of people garners a lot of buzz for the movement.
Monday, April 6, 2009
For Anyone Wanting to "Go Galt"
An excerpt from the Playboy interview with Ayn Rand:
PLAYBOY: Throughout your work you argue that the way in which the contemporary world is organized, even in the capitalist countries, submerges the individual and stifles initiative. In Atlas Shrugged John Galt leads a strike of the men of the mind- which results in the collapse of the collectivist society around them. Do you think the time has come for the artists, intellectuals, and creative businessmen of today to withdraw their talents from society in this way?America is not a dictatorship. Citizens still retain many of their freedoms despite the slow chipping away. Now is not the time to pull back, but to fight. A cultural revolution is still possible. How? Well Ayn Rand answers that too:
RAND: No, not yet. But before I explain, I must correct one part of your question. What we have today is not a capitalist society, but a mixed economy- that is, a mixture of freedom and controls, which, by the presently dominant trend, is moving toward dictatorship. The action in Atlas Shrugged takes place at a time when society has reached a stage of dictatorship. When and if this happens, that will be the time to go on strike, but not until then.
PLAYBOY: Short of such a strike, what do you believe ought to be done to bring about the societal changes you deem desirable?So go! Fight! Win!
RAND: It is ideas that determine social trends, that create or destroy social systems. Therefore, the right ideas, the right philosophy, should be advocated and spread. The disasters of the modern world, including the destruction of capitalism were caused by the altruist-collectivist philosophy. It is altruism that men should reject.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
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