Blogroll Additions

Hong Kong Capitalist [Simon Patkin] and his Hong Kong think tank Capitalist Solutions, both added to blogroll today. Go check 'em out ;-)

Gus's Birthday!

Gus van Horn's blog turned one year old recently!!! Hooray!

Congrats

Biopolis

Singapore has established a hub for biomedical reasearch, that may be the envy of the world. [With the usual flaw of government-private "partnership"]. Johns Hopkins is there, among others.

http://www.one-north.com/pages/lifeXchange/bio_intro.asp

Related links:

The Singapore Model and Latin America
http://www.techcentralstation.com/102405A.html

The Seoul of Clones
http://slate.msn.com/id/2128361/

Immoral to Ban Human Cloning
http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=5164

The Anti-Life Opposition to Embryonic Stem Cell Research
http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=11113

Bush's Biotechnology Blinders
http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=7376

'The Fountainhead' in Chinese!

Diana [from Noodle Food] reports on Ian Hamet's blog Bananna Oil that 'The Fountainhead' has been published and released in the Chinese language! Excellent news.
Echoing Diana's thoughts, let's hope it sells well among the young and they solve the conflict between individualism vs. collectivism both in their own souls and in politics.

http://blog.ianhamet.com/index.php/archive/2005/10/19/1426/

Is Ayn Rand Optional?

Guest blogger Don Watkins III, over at Noodle Food writes an excellent, incisive article concerning Miss Rand's own character and the importance of each of us integrating the concern for character into our own lives.

Go. Read. You'll enjoy it.

http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog/2005/10/is-ayn-rand-optional.html

The Capitalist Manifesto

Received the book yesterday. Have finished, and savored the Introduction. Soon to feast on the main content.
It's thrilling to see this, and other books making their way into the mainstream. Let's hope it becomes a torrent.

[Major Hat Tip to Andy Bernstein]

Chávez Moves Reserves Out of US Treasuries

From The Financial Times
October 7,2005


http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=6349

Societies decline when "God is on their side"

DUH! I thought this was obvious to any thinking person. Thanks to Paul @ Noodle Food for the story and link.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1798944,00.html

As an aside, I hardly think comparing the US to Britain, and the rest of Europe, who are bathed in a secularized form of altruism is a valid indication of America's ills. Altruism kills everywhere it is tried and practiced. Whether it takes an hour or a hundred years, altruism, religion, any form of mysticism is in its essence: death worship.
I've never heard of the journal this report is published in, and I can guess, with high certainty, that the professors undertaking this study were "liberal/socialist" in nature.
Neither European's nor American's understand that in America, people are free to believe whatever they wish--in private--that is what the principle of Individual Rights stands for, as an philosophical absolute. Since we no longer govern by, nor understand, that founding principle, in the 'majority-rule democracy' that we have lowered ourselves too, it's gang rule baby! Whoever has the biggest gang of the moment, rules to pander to their own kind.
America is a secular Republic, not a democracy. Founded as a tribute to the Enlightenment, American government must remain secular, or impartial, only taking action to protect the Individual Rights of its citizens.
If Christianity, or any religion for that matter, were the actual foundation of human freedom, as nearly every conservative claims, then why, when religion held sway over the entire earth, is that period known as the Dark Ages?

Serenity

I went to see Serenity yesterday afternoon and was not too disappointed. The movie version/extension of the TV series Firefly was visually appealing and Joss Whedon (sp?) writes a good script in a "Man vs. State" old-west/futuristic themed motion picture.
Rumor has it the crew of Serenity has signed a three picture deal, with yesterday's release being their first.
It's always intriguing to see someone who grasps, if only rudimentarily, that necessary theme of the individual against the massive mindless bureaucracy [The Alliance, in this case.]
The only gripes I have are one minor and one major. They [the gripes] have to deal with what happens to Wash [Alan Tudyk, the pilot] and to Book. We are left hanging with Book, [Ron Glass] as it is never explained what his purpose is/was either in the series or this movie, other than he was some sort of 'freelance' preacher, walking a thin line between The Alliance and The Independents. Speaking for myself, this is a glaring omission, but it doesn't detract from the film.
Nathan Fillion [Mal Reynolds] looks to be a superb actor and I hope he has a bright future

Overall, if you like good acting and smart dialogue, check out Serenity. It helps if you know the tv series, but it's not vital.

4 out of 5 stars