Monday, May 7, 2012

Richard M. Nixon, Thespian Interpreter Of Ayn Rand By Stephen J. Gertz

Did you know that Richard Nixon acted in one of Ayn Rand's plays back in the 1930's. Terrific story from Booktryst:


"On the evening of October 20, 1938, Richard M. Nixon, a year after being admitted to the  bar  and thirty years prior to his election as POTUS, trod the boards as District Attorney Flint for the first of a two night run of the Whittier Community Players' production, staged at the Whittier Woman's Club House, of Night of January 16thAyn Rand'scourtroom drama,  her first play and a hit on Broadway during the 1935-36 season."

Read more here:
BOOKTRYST: Richard M. Nixon, Thespian Interpreter Of Ayn Rand

For me, one of the most fascinating parts of this story was to learn that Ayn Rand experimented with audience participation back then.

"Rand's contrivance inNight of January 16th was to have the play's jury chosen from each performance's audience and let them decide the play's ending, "guilty" or "not guilty." Further, Rand left the ultimate truths ambiguous, leaving it up to the actors to decide whether their characters were lying or being honest. - another nod to politicians who often don't know whether they're  honestly lying, lying about being honest, are actually honest, or honestly don't know the difference."

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Hot New Book - I am John Galt

Hi Ayn Rand Fan
 
I'm doing some marketing for a book that I know that you are going to love - I am John Galt - Today's Heroic Innovators Building the World and the Villainous Parasites Destroying It by Don Luskin and Andrew Greta.  www.bit.ly/galtbook
 
Take a look at this quick video and you will find out more.  
 
 
It would mean a lot to me if you would help in any of the following ways:
 
 
  1. Share this message - forward it on to your own network or others who you think might like the book.
  2. Buy the book! Available on AmazonBarnes & Noble andBorders. As an added sweetener, I'll personally sign your copy the next time we see each other.
  3. Rate or review the book on Amazon, Borders, and BN.com - (five out of five stars please;)
  4. Tag other 5-star ratings as "helpful" - this will help ensure the most positive ratings appear at the top of the list for other viewers.
  5. Follow us on Twitter and tweet the book to your followers.
  6. Friend us on Facebook and post the link for your friends.
  7. Recommend us on LinkedIn or your own home page / blog.
  8. Spread the word through your circle of friends and business associates
  9. View this introductory video at Youtube.  Share it with your friends.  "Like" it. 

Give me a shout if you have any ideas, thoughts, criticisms, or accolades - some of the chapters are sure to be controversial. I'd love to hear what you think.

Tell me privately or write on my fb wall at www.fb.com/aynrandrocks.

Thanks for your help and your support of Objectivism,

Gina

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Ayn Rand would be Proud! Powerful, Clever and Thought-Provoking - a MUST READ!


I am a big Ayn Rand fan and I LOVE this book. It is simply brilliant how Luskin and Greta take modern-day movers and shakers and compare them to Ayn's most famous characters. I think they really nail the Heroes and the Villains. My favorite is Steve Jobs as Howard Roark and Alan Greenspan as Robert Stadler. However, a close second was Bill Gates as Henry Rearden and Barney Frank as Wesley Mouch. 

Luskin and Greta's understanding of today's business, economic and political climate combined with their understanding of Rand's Objectivist philosophy make this a MUST READ for all lovers of liberty and freedom.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Government Attempt to Oust Drug Company CEO - Ayn Rand was Right

The fact that a few individuals in Mr. Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services and Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) are attempting to oust a major corporate CEO – again - should send shivers down every American spine. This is exactly the scenario Ayn Rand depicted in her novel Atlas Shrugged. It is a very dangerous step for all businesses in America.

The HHS strong-arm tactic of employing an obscure policy to force Forest Laboratories’ CEO Howard Solomon out of his job is the latest in the Obama administration’s attempts to control all aspects of American business. As Ayn Rand shows in Atlas Shrugged, this will lead to economic disaster.

We should have been outraged and horrified when the Obama administration fired the CEO of General Motors and converted the American industrial icon of GM to its new meaning - Government Motors. This type of government takeover of a US company was unprecedented and should have signaled great alarm.

But it didn’t. Instead, most people took the popular position that CEO’s make too much money. If they make a lot of money, they must be doing something bad. If they are doing something bad, they are bad people and should be punished.

This type of logic will kill American innovation and in turn, will kill this country.
Just yesterday, the IMF predicted that the US economy will lose its long-held position as the world’s strongest economy by 2016 – just five years from now. Innovation is the last hope that America has of holding onto any semblance of economic strength and power.

How did we get ourselves into this position? By letting government henchmen dictate what privately held businesses do and how they do it.

In this case, HHS is using a policy that says that it can bar corporate leaders from health-industry companies doing business with the government if the company is found guilty of criminal misconduct.

In this particular case, Forest Laboratories was not found guilty of any crime. In 2010, as part of a global settlement, they made a deal in a federal court and plead guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with the marketing of anti-depressants.

Isn’t a misdemeanor by definition a minor crime? In the case of this “misdemeanor,” Forest is paying $313 million in criminal and civil penalties.

In the past, the federal court’s decision would have been the end of the matter.

But the cronies at HHS-OIG think that is not enough. They want more. They want to take justice into their own hands and extract the blood of Mr. Solomon. They want the debarment of Mr. Solomon who has not once been accused of doing anything wrong.

Now, instead of focusing on ways to develop new drugs that can help people with depression, Alzheimer’s, infectious diseases and the like, the company must focus its efforts on ways to protect Mr. Solomon, its 83 year old CEO, President, and Chairman – the man who has developed Forest into a growing, thriving $9 billion dollar company.

While many American companies are having serious financial troubles, Forest is reporting record revenues of $4 billion dollars, increased earnings (up 53% over last 12 months) and positive job growth. Instead of figuring out how to add to its employment base of 5200 workers, the company must spend millions on attorneys to fight an unprecedented legal battle.

According to William J. Candee III, Board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee, speaking on behalf of Forest’s entire Board of Directors stated, “At no time during the government’s six year investigation of Forest was Mr. Solomon ever accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the matters settled in 2010.”

This is why many leaders of companies are choosing to move their businesses off-shore where regulations are not so intrusive. This is why American businesses will continue to be purchased by international companies that are not headquartered in the U.S. and subject to the whims of government bureaucrats.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “the new use of exclusion is meant to “alter the cost-benefit calculus of the corporate executives,” said Lew Morris, chief counsel for the Department of Health and human Service’s inspector general.”

What on earth is that supposed to mean? This government-speak is merely an attempt to confuse the masses and contribute to the class warfare that Obama’s administration is intent on perpetuating. Why? Because it gives them more power. That is what all of this – government takeovers of businesses, class warfare rhetoric, health care reform – is all about: power.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the HHS started using this policy last fall and has used it against two other executives in drug companies. The Defense Department and Environmental Protection Agency – and most other governmental agencies – have similar policies they can invoke if they chose to do so.

It is time for Americans to insist upon a separation of Business and State with the same level of vigilance that they support the separation of Church and State.

If not, then America will continue to lose its most powerful economic weapon – innovation.

As in Atlas Shrugged, the “men of the mind” will eventually go on strike – refusing to contribute their innovative minds to the Looters of the world – the people who take and condemn their innovations, punishing the Producers for producing.

Related Links:

U.S. Effort to Remove Drug CEO Jolts Firms

IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end




http://www.answers.com/topic/forest-laboratories-inc

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Atlas Shrugged Is Here! New Website Tab.

April 15, 2011 -- Atlas Shrugged Part 1 opened at some 300 theaters across the country today!

We congratulate John Aglialoro, an Atlas Society trustee, who worked for nearly two decades to bring Ayn Rand’s great novel to the screen. He and fellow producer Harmon Kaslow’s outstanding first installment of a film trilogy not only makes great viewing; it will also interest whole new audiences in Objectivism and help in the cultural battle for a morality of rational self-interest.

The Atlas Society has launched a new website tab with material about the film, the novel, its themes, its politics, and everything you want to know about Atlas. This is your cyber-stop if you want to improve your understanding of the Atlas philosophy, apply its principles to your own life, or advocate them in the wider culture.

We hope you’ll see the film soon in a theater near you.

And again, we congratulate all involved in bringing Atlas Shrugged to the screen!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

ATLAS SHRUGGED Fans Shock Theater Chains

Theater chains inundated with requests from fans. Producers look to expand to more than 80 Cities

/PRNewswire/ -- Based on the film's recent fan-based grassroots uprising, "The Strike" Productions today announced it will be expanding the initial release of the Atlas Shrugged movie from 11 markets to over 50.

"AMC called directly to report their online contact system was being hit too hard. They requested we direct traffic to a specific address just to handle the volume," said producer Harmon Kaslow.

"While it's unusual for showtimes to be listed this early, the doors of the exhibitors have been thoroughly beaten down by Ayn's fans. Many of the theaters are now posting showtimes so tickets can be pre-purchased," continued Kaslow. "And, theaters and showtimes are now being reported as sold-out."

Fandango.com lists the 7:00pm showing at Regal Cinema's Union Square Theater in New York City as "sold out."

"Our online 'Demand Atlas!' service has been receiving an incredible amount of traffic since launch," said Scott DeSapio, Online Marketing Director of the film. "After toping the charts at another web site as the 'Hottest Demand Worldwide' for more than a week, we decided to build our own in-house 'Demand Atlas!' feature to better service Ayn Rand fans. We're completely blown away by the response."

"Our fans have spoken, and we have directed our booking agents to expand the release of Atlas Shrugged into the major theaters located in more than 80 cities across America," announced Kaslow.  "Of course, until we're locked down, fans still need to let us know where the movie should play by coming to our website and demanding Atlas to their city."

"As a direct result of fans in Atlanta demanding Atlas, we immediately set about booking a theater.  The current report is that the theater is already sold out for a number of shows on Friday, April 15, 2011 - opening day. We couldn't be more excited." concluded Kaslow.

For up to date theater information, visit http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/theaters.

Fans can "Demand Atlas!" at http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/demand.

About "The Strike" Productions:

"The Strike" Productions, Inc. was established as a new production company for the sole purpose of producing a trilogy of films based on Ayn Rand's epic novel, "Atlas Shrugged."  For more information, visit http://www.AtlasShruggedPart1.com

Media Contact:David FouseThe Pinkston Group703-938-6430

SOURCE "The Strike" Productions

Principlex by Steve Butterbaugh

LewRockwell.com

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