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  • #61
    Re: Who is John Galt?

    Originally posted by XYZ View Post
    Possibly, but an on the other hand example: If I judged USCHO posters solely based on what other posters say about them...I'd be walking in a wilderness of mirrors
    Eh... true... but if I had to read a stack of books I'd be rather bored with life. For all my interest in politics I've taken little interest in political and/or historical tomes... to me I'd rather go at the ideas. This doesn't mean I don't read things on occasion, but they really have to strike me or that there's something in them that I'm trying to grasp... for instance, I bought a couple of non-fiction books related to the markets during the collapse... not specifically the one we've had though I did buy "The Big Short"... with that I was trying to get an understanding of what goes on up there.

    In the end, while I live a fairly socially boring nerd's life (I'm working on that ) to me I'd rather be doing stuff... which is why I read several websites with my fly-like attention span... and why I don't set myself down to read books... I figure something interesting will happen and I sorta wait for that. Is it true that maybe i miss out on the general lessons of history? Maybe.... but to me, ideas can be lined out quickly... but I suppose that's the mathematician in me. I'd rather get to the point than sit through the tome.
    BS UML '04, PhD UConn '09

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    NCAA Men's Division 1 Simulation Primer

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    • #62
      Re: Who is John Galt?

      Well, by the only Randian standard of value, it flubbed.
      Cornell University
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      • #63
        Re: Who is John Galt?

        It only cost $10 million to make - so when it's all said and done, it will probably break even. Given how bad the reviews have been, that's something of an accomplishment.

        Also note: it did $1458 per theater - which is good for 2nd place. http://www.the-numbers.com/charts/today.php
        Last edited by Bakunin; 04-19-2011, 11:12 AM.

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        • #64
          Re: Who is John Galt?

          I dont have time to read this, but have been rocking the ebook version so far. its good. Makes the commute tolerable. having just gotten started, I am still asking myself...who IS john galt?
          "Look to the end, no matter what it is you are considering. Often enough, God gives man a glimpse of happiness, and then utterly ruins him"

          -Herodotus

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          • #65
            Re: Who is John Galt?

            If you guessed "porn star who is now dead of AIDS", you'd only be half-right.

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            • #66
              Re: Who is John Galt?

              Review of the movie as a movie rather than... well, you know.

              I must address one common yet undeserved reviewer criticism: poor acting. I contend that these actors did as well as anyone could expect given the limitations of the source material; large portions of dialogue are lifted verbatim from the novel. Rand is to realistic dialogue between compelling characters what the Battle of the Somme was to military strategy. I'd like to see an actor who can perform well while delivering lines like "I know the metal will work; I studied engineering in college." Honestly, a few of the actors – Graham Beckel (Ellis Wyatt) and Edi Gathegi (the guy who was "Big Love" on House, here playing Eddie Willers) – were quite good. Meryl Streep and Anthony Hopkins couldn't have made this work. Acting was not the problem.
              Cornell University
              National Champion 1967, 1970
              ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
              Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

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              • #67
                Re: Who is John Galt?

                I am in the process of listening to the ebook ( all 2 gigabytes worth), and can’t help but to cringe at some of the dialogue. If they are pulling strait from the book as you suggest - Marlon Brando couldn’t make a difference. Its funny the reviews mention dialogue when today I was just pondering how I would change the dialogue around bigtime if I wrote those. What’s irritating is that the antagonists to rynd’s central idea come off as blithering idiots, while the supporters of her thesis are always calm , cool and collected. In the real world, nothing would be that black and white.

                However, my critique for the book and movie are beyond the scope of this thread. We’ll just stick to Dialogue that makes star wars, episode 3 look good =)
                "Look to the end, no matter what it is you are considering. Often enough, God gives man a glimpse of happiness, and then utterly ruins him"

                -Herodotus

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                • #68
                  Re: Who is John Galt?

                  Executives of The Boeing Co. vowed to fight the NLRB bid to compel the aeronautics giant to make the next-generation aircraft, which has been dogged by delays, cost overruns and testing mishaps, at its plant in Everett, Wash., instead of at a 584,000-square-foot factory under construction next to Charleston International Airport.
                  From Atlas Shrugged;
                  A group headed by Bertram Scudder was demanding the passage of a Public Stability Law, forbidding Eastern business firms to move out of their states.
                  In the book, the national economy is going down the crapper fast, with the exception of Colorado. Companies on the east coast are moving to take advantage of the good business climate in Colo. So fast forward to today, Boeing wants to move their 787 manufacturing plant to S.C. from Seattle to take advantage of S.C. good business climate. Thus, the unions, NLRB, and Dem's don't want them to move.

                  Just one example of many, of why the book and the movie resonate with conservatives and those who are anti-big government.
                  No man is entitled to the benefits of freedom if he is not vigilant in its preservation. - Douglas MacArthur

                  The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein

                  I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.- Thomas Jefferson

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                  • #69
                    Re: Who is John Galt?

                    A Renewed Crackdown on Redlining
                    Business Week ^ | May 5, 2011, 5:00PM EST | Clea Benson

                    Community activists in St. Louis became concerned a couple of years ago that local banks weren't offering credit to the city's poor and African American residents. So they formed a group called the St. Louis Equal Housing and Community Reinvestment Alliance and began writing complaint letters to federal regulators.

                    Apparently, someone in Washington took notice. The Federal Reserve has cited one of the group's targets, Midwest BankCentre, a small bank that has been operating in St. Louis's predominantly white, middle-class suburbs for over a century, for failing to issue home mortgages or open branches in disadvantaged areas. Although executives at the bank say they don't discriminate, Midwest BankCentre's latest annual report says it is in the process of negotiating a settlement with the U.S. Justice Dept. over its lending practices.
                    Can anyone say 'sub prime' lending? This isn't a story about something that took place prior to the meltdown, this is a current story.
                    as is this,
                    FLINT, Michigan — Citizens Bank will open a loan office in a black neighborhood in Detroit and offer $3.6 million in loans and grants throughout Wayne County as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice amid allegations of redlining.

                    “Discrimination in the provision of lending services based on race deprives communities of access to credit and leaves the residents of minority neighborhoods vulnerable to predatory lenders,” Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.

                    “This type of discrimination is part of the web of intolerable practices that stripped vast amounts of wealth from communities of color in the last decade.”

                    Kristine Brenner, director of investor relations for Citizens Bank, said the lawsuit has no merit and the bank reached a settlement with the Justice Department to avoid accruing costly legal fees. Brenner said the claim isn’t based on factual information.
                    Redlining is what stripped wealth from the communities of color the past decade?!?! Yeah, that's what did it.

                    Once again this is right out of Atlas Shrugged. According to Ayn Rands book, Midas Mulligan was forced by the gov't to give loans to people he didn't think could pay the bank back.
                    No man is entitled to the benefits of freedom if he is not vigilant in its preservation. - Douglas MacArthur

                    The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein

                    I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.- Thomas Jefferson

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                    • #70
                      Re: Who is John Galt?

                      Originally posted by Wol4ine View Post
                      From Atlas Shrugged;


                      In the book, the national economy is going down the crapper fast, with the exception of Colorado. Companies on the east coast are moving to take advantage of the good business climate in Colo. So fast forward to today, Boeing wants to move their 787 manufacturing plant to S.C. from Seattle to take advantage of S.C. good business climate. Thus, the unions, NLRB, and Dem's don't want them to move.

                      Just one example of many, of why the book and the movie resonate with conservatives and those who are anti-big government.
                      Heck, Boeing didn't even move the plant from WA, they opened a new one in SC to cover the backlog of orders they had. And at half the capacity of the WA one, it's not like there's a risk of closing the WA one given the number of 787 orders they have.

                      Cornell '04, Stanford '06


                      KDR

                      Rover Frenchy, Classic! Great post.
                      iwh30 I wish I could be as smart as you. I really do you are the man
                      gregg729 I just saw your sig, you do love having people revel in your "intelligence."
                      Ritt18 you are the perfect representation of your alma mater.
                      Miss Thundercat That's it, you win.
                      TBA#2 I want to kill you and dance in your blood.
                      DisplacedCornellian Hahaha. Thread over. Frenchy wins.

                      Test to see if I can add this.

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                      • #71
                        Re: Who is John Galt?

                        A new documentary about Atlas Shrugged is out tomorrow. Very limited release. Only one showing in my area. I'll have to wait for it to show on the DOC channel.
                        No man is entitled to the benefits of freedom if he is not vigilant in its preservation. - Douglas MacArthur

                        The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein

                        I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.- Thomas Jefferson

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Who is John Galt?

                          Here's another example 'straight out of Atlas Shrugged".

                          H. R. 3784
                          To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a windfall profit
                          tax on oil and natural gas (and products thereof) and to allow an
                          income tax credit for purchases of fuel-efficient passenger vehicles, and
                          to allow grants for mass transit.

                          So, what do they (bill was sponsered by Mr. KUCINICH and co-sponsored by these 5 other Dems, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms.FUDGE, and Mr. FILNER) mean by a windfall profit?
                          WINDFALL PROFIT.—The term ‘windfall profit’ means, with respect to any sale, so much of the profit on such sale as exceeds a reasonable profit.
                          thus, we have this,
                          REASONABLE PROFIT.—The term ‘reasonable profit’ means the amount determined by the Reasonable Profits Board to be a reasonable profit on the sale.
                          No, it isn't a Death Panel. Just 3 appointed people that will determine how much profit an industry can make.

                          In Atlas Shrugged, legislators pass a 'Special Tax' on the State of Colorado. Forget how that could never happen (then again, Arkansas did get a special exemption,...hmmm). Anyway, Colorado is the only place producing oil in the book, and the Feds want the profit that Wyatt Oil is making to finance the rest of their ill-fated legislation.

                          As a side note. Didn't Carter try this which led to gas rationing?? I'm thinking he did!!!
                          No man is entitled to the benefits of freedom if he is not vigilant in its preservation. - Douglas MacArthur

                          The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. - Albert Einstein

                          I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.- Thomas Jefferson

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                          • #73
                            Re: Who is John Galt?

                            The fact that this legislation even exists is frightening.

                            This is the America we now live in.
                            Keep an open mind. Just don't be so open-minded that your brain falls out.

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                            • #74
                              Re: Who is John Galt?

                              Originally posted by XYZ View Post
                              From strictly a story standpoint, the latter is much better. Better characters, better story development and a plot that is much easier to relate to in terms of every day things we all know. Always thought The Fountainhead would make a much better movie than Atlas Shrugged, as not only is it better visually, but Atlas seems to be a watered-down disparate version of something I'm not sure needed to be refined.

                              Has anyone actually read Galt's full speech? Ever?
                              "They" made a movie of The Fountainhead many years ago (1949!), with Gary Cooper as Roark.
                              "Hope is a good thing; maybe the best of things."

                              "Beer is a sign that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -- Benjamin Franklin

                              "Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy." -- W. B. Yeats

                              "People generally are most impatient with those flaws in others about which they are most ashamed of in themselves." - folk wisdom

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                              • #75
                                Re: Who is John Galt?

                                Originally posted by Wol4ine View Post

                                thus, we have this,No, it isn't a Death Panel. Just 3 appointed people that will determine how much profit an industry can make.

                                In Atlas Shrugged, legislators pass a 'Special Tax' on the State of Colorado. Forget how that could never happen (then again, Arkansas did get a special exemption,...hmmm). Anyway, Colorado is the only place producing oil in the book, and the Feds want the profit that Wyatt Oil is making to finance the rest of their ill-fated legislation.

                                As a side note. Didn't Carter try this which led to gas rationing?? I'm thinking he did!!!
                                I read Atlas Shrugged (well mostly... had to skip all the repetition). I didn't understand how she could write that stuff if she grew up in the USA in the 40-60's. There is a short biography of her in the back of the book and it makes sense that she hated anything to do with socialism/communism.

                                Yeah I don't understand why democrats keep using "wind fall" or "claw backs" and such non-sense words to describe fair tax system. And it shouldn't be "one time" "wind fall" "claw back" but a change in the tax code where a company gets a progressive tax rate depending on oil prices (This is our oil being dug from the ground, not some innovation created by creative genius). And how company gets to write off executive compensation.

                                And we have panels setting prices in a non-competitive markets like utility (electric, water etc...).

                                I think we actually had oil/gasoline shortage in Carter years.

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