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April 28, 2006

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt to do Ayn Rand

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in Atlas Shrugged? That's what the Hollywood insiders are saying. I guess anything with Angelina Jolie is bound to attract some attention from me--on top of the fact that she is going to star in the screen adaptation of one of the Right's most beloved works of fiction.

Personally, I'm not a big fan. Hang around with enough libertarians (like I do) and you realize that there is a kind of cult of Ayn Rand among certain circles. So what I'm about to say is bound to offend.

In addition to being bad gay, I don't think Ayn Rand was that great of a theorist. I don't really get Objectivism--Ayn Rand's philosophy. I find it tired and boring in the same way that I do Marxism. I just don't have a lot of patience for any theory of absolutes--which is why I describe myself as a 'Burkean libertarian' when asked.

In my dealings with Obectivists, I always got the feeling that they were the Right's version of Scientologists. You know, like they couldn't let an hour go by without dropping Ayn Rand's name into a conversation, and that every time they walked into a book store they had to buy a copy of Atlas Shrugged. No wonder Allen Greenspan dropped out of their ranks years ago!

And it's not like I hated the books, I just didn't love them either. No epiphemy for me--but maybe that's because I've always had libertarian leanings? Just a good read. No big deal.

So, will I go see Atlas Shrugged? Sure will. The last time an Ayn Rand novel was put on to the silver screen it turned into an instant classic. But then again, we had Gary Cooper to convince us that one man could stand alone against the world. I just don't see Brad Pitt pulling the same thing off as tycoon John Galt.

But Angelina Jolie as Dagny Taggart? I'm so there.

And for my Objectivist friends, on a note of redemption, they will be glad that I passed on this news: Angelina Jolie is said to be a big Ayn Rand fan---and anything Angelina is into can't be all that bad, can it?.

Except Brad Pitt. And it turns out, Brad Pitt is into Ayn Rand, too. Go figure.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:48 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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1 Brad Pitt as a philosophically influenced physicist... sorry don't see it. He should stick to sitting on a couch smoking pot out of an empty honey container or simply not bathing.

Posted by: PMain at April 28, 2006 04:12 PM (Wi32/)

2 Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt to do Ayn Rand You said "do Ayn Rand." Your readers aren't the same as they used to be. They're like all serious and stuff.

Posted by: Leopold Stotch at April 28, 2006 07:25 PM (uvZMh)

3 Who wants to bet they spin this story into "Socialism is the solution" instead of "Socialism is the problem", or otherwise get the message completely spun into something the book did not intend? This was one of my favourite books, unfortunately I do not think this movie will do it justice. Not just because books that are turned into movies tend to lose things in translation but because the message the book was trying to convey seems to be the antithesis to the ideology that is dominant in Hollywood these days.

Posted by: LC CanForce 101 at April 28, 2006 08:24 PM (3smJS)

4 You are clearly an idiot, but maybe you'll have an EPIPHANY and figure that out.

Posted by: RR at April 28, 2006 08:29 PM (vxjLo)

5 Whateveeeerrrrrr!!!!!

Posted by: Brad at April 28, 2006 10:08 PM (BJYNn)

6 I'd bet a thousand on this: they're going to make a pass at keeping the plot intact, and they're going to rip the guts out of the philosophy. This movie will have as much of Rand's thought in it as the Starship Troopers movie kept of Heinlein's ideas (which I like better than Rand's.)

Posted by: ShannonKW at April 29, 2006 02:14 AM (dT1MB)

7 seni seviyorum abgelina jolie

Posted by: kadir at April 29, 2006 04:59 AM (9xsGY)

8 I really dread the thought of having the biggest leftist in Hollywood produce a remake of the antithesis of leftism. I mean really, after Munich what can we possibly expect? As I've said elsewhere, it's absolutely sacreligious (not to mention the hypocrisy) that someone like Pitt and Jolie would rail against "corporate greed" yet, find comfort in Rand's philosophy to justify their own greed and sense of entitlement. This is just a Hollywood fad. Most people who follow Rand believe that capitalism is good for everyone, not just themselves.

Posted by: Oyster at April 29, 2006 05:34 AM (YudAC)

9 Only time will reveal these two's real "motive". They are so self-involved it's sickening. To take advice and follow the lead of two such insensitive people would be the equivalent of listening to moral advice from Madonna. To viciously break up relationships and then justify it as it was already in trouble just fits right into their huge sense of entitlement, doesn't it? Anything with these two in it will end up in my rubbish bin where it belongs. I wouldn't let that woman anywhere near my kids.

Posted by: Diane Gillan at April 29, 2006 07:17 AM (/yM4k)

10 I predict Hollywood will massacre this book, not from any particular ideological reason but simply because thatÃ‚Â´s what they do to books of great length about ideas. There isnÃ‚Â´t all that much action in it, and thereÃ‚Â´s a speech that lasts almost 100 pages out of about 1000. Also, the narcissism of the author is extraordinary: all men desire the lead female, and are willing to sacrifice anything (except capitalism) to have her. She goes from Cisco to Hank to Galt as each proves himself to be a better thinker. Everyone good is smart and beautiful. Everyone bad is dumber and ugly (except Robert Stadler). Hollywood will be able to handle the narcissism, methinks, but have real trouble with the ideas. Any guesses to how long this movie will be? Rusty--Are you sure Ayn Rand was bad gay? Nothing about it in the biography of hers I read, which was very critical (written by a former follower, who was married to RandÃ‚Â´s adulterous lover, Nathaniel Branden--great read, incidentally, The Passion of Ayn Rand).

Posted by: jd at April 29, 2006 08:57 AM (e2/tI)

11 No idea what they'll do with the philosophy of the book, but Brad Pitt is more than capable of pulling off a brilliant John Galt. If I had the choice, I'd almost rather see him as Howard Roark in a remake of The Fountainhead. He's already pulled off the "genius vandal" role in 12 Monkeys and Fight Club, and done an exceptional job in both. (Christian Bale is another actor I could definitely see knocking that role out of the park.) If the standard for Brad Pitt to beat is Gary Cooper's role as Howard Roark, that's pretty much a walk. Cooper put in some great performances in his day, but his role as Howard Roark definitely wasn't one of them. Cooper's passionless closing argument at Roark's trial was nothing short of painful to watch. I'm not the biggest fan of Angelina Jolie, but she could do a good job as Dagny. I'm much more concerned with the storyline & philosophy than the actors, but the fact that there is a push to do this story tells me someone who understands the philosophy wants this movie to be made. There's definitely room for playing up an anti-corporate angle to the story, but I'm not sure that would necessarily be objectionable. The story of one group of industrialists teaming up with the government to squeeze out their competitors would play well across the political spectrum. Whatever the particular angle, it would seem to be impossible to tell anything even remotely resembling the story without including the message that the people should be very wary of government power in all its forms. If that message makes it through, I'll probably be pretty happy with the movie.

Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold at April 29, 2006 02:37 PM (Gj4c3)

12 I'd much rather see the Fountainhead made, although didn't the Italian fascists do that one during the war? In any case, Fountainhead would be a much more compelling story, because it has the Nietzschean newspaper publisher, who is that rare thing in Randian fiction--a mixed type. Usually, people are either all good, or all bad, and the only time a good person is bad is when they are confused or misled. (Dagny when she struggles against Galt's plan until she sees the light, or Dagny's sister in law). I wonder how they'll handle her strange attitude towards violence and sex? Should hit Hollywood's sweet spot.

Posted by: jd at April 30, 2006 03:31 PM (uT71O)

13 JD, I always thought she was bad gay, but maybe I've just seen too many pics of her (shudder).

Posted by: Rusty at April 30, 2006 05:30 PM (JQjhA)

14 Your Comments Here Big Secret yes i know she be pregnancy in the married and living in San Francisco Fell/clay she tell after three month is dont be option for abortion good friend

Posted by: s at May 10, 2006 01:46 AM (XPFxU)

15 Brad Pitt could do a good Ragnar DanneskjÃƒÂ¶ld, but Galt needs to be a no name actor as not to destroy the mystery of the book.

Posted by: Me at May 22, 2006 12:18 AM (lNikn)

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April 21, 2006

Cologne Killing Young Saudi Men

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) Social science experts are calling for a national awareness campaign after a rash of deaths of young Saudi men who drank cologne containing methyl alcohol. Although alcohol is prohibited in the Kingdom, 17 young Saudis have died in the recent past believing anything that lists alcohol as an ingredient is safe to drink.

From ArabNews.com:

Al-Nadwa daily recently launched an investigation into the practice in an effort to warn young people and hopefully save lives.
"This problem started four years ago when a number of university and high school students fell victim to it," said Dr. Saleh Awad Al-Garni, an expert in Islamic studies. "At that time, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry withdrew all the cologne from the market where ethyl alcohol exceeded 90 percent and methyl alcohol exceeded 50 percent."

Unfortunately, a typical result of banning a product is the creation of a black market.

"It's very sad that these people are buying the cologne to drink it," said Dr. Muayad Al-Hashmi, a general practitioner. "The Ministry of Commerce warned us about these colognes and limited sales to spray bottles. Smugglers, on the other hand, import the dangerous colognes into the Kingdom caring only about making fast money -- not about people's health.

Experts blame a variety of causes for the behavior of the young men. These include personality disorders, social and family troubles, and satellite television. I don't know, but if I lived in a hot, desert environment, I'd want a cold beer. You could blame it on my . . . uh . . . personality disorder . . . or anything you'd like. And despite flowery-pleasant breath, I'll pass on the foo-foo.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 11:00 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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April 20, 2006

Free Breast Exams

(Lauderdale Lakes, Florida) A 76-year-old door-to-door illegal breast examiner, Philip Winikoff, was arrested for playing doctor and sexually assaulting women.

From Local10.com:

The man found at least two Lauderdale Lakes women who took him up on his offer.
One 36-year-old woman said she let Winikoff into her apartment. She (sic) after he touched her breasts, he moved his hand to her genitals. She said one (sic) she realized that Winikoff was not a real doctor and she called the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said by that time, Winikoff had already found another victim; a 33-year-old woman who lives in the same complex. That woman told deputies that Winikoff also sexually assaulted her.

Obviously, Winikoff didn't read the rule book which specifies that a person must quit playing doctor after promotion from grade school. Winikoff instead might want to consider playing a congressman. By his picture, there's a remarkable resemblance to Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania who has recently shown that he would help the country more by being a breast examiner. Okay, that was a cheap shot. I apologize.

Winikoff has been booked into the Broward County Jail on sexual assault charges.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 08:15 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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April 12, 2006

Scientists Smell Cow Manure

(Hays, Kansas) Researchers at Fort Hays State University are studying cow manure to determine what makes it stink. To determine the cause of the odor, Professor Ed Olmstead, cattle scientist John Jaeger and two students plan to sample manure deposits at a variety of feedlots and analyze the constituents.

It's believed that specific unpleasant elements can be identified and possibly eliminated to make cow flop smell as enjoyable as Irish Spring. Notably, Jaeger said it might be something in what the cows eat. I'm not a scientist, but I think Jaeger may be on to something.

Presumably, the researchers will incorporate results from studies of animals known not to produce foul smells. For example, the in-depth statistical data derived by mainstream media analyses of people who produce no foul-smelling effluent could be most beneficial. Consequently, a close examination of the manure from Cindy Sheehan and Hillary Clinton could likely yield important results. The consensus of the media is that their stuff doesn't stink.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 06:48 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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April 08, 2006

"Divorce Court" Judge Plays Race Card

It seems that playing the race card is just as popular as always. This week we had Cynthia McKinney and now Mablean.

Mablean Ephriam, television's "Divorce Court" judge, claims her firing by FOX was because of racial and ethnic issues. FOX stated that Ephriam wanted too much money and reportedly turned down a contract for $2 million a year.

Since FOX replaced Ephriam with ex-Ohio Judge Lynn Toler, also an African-American, her racism charge seems baseless. I suggest that she try claiming FOX is sexist.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 06:46 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 Nobody believes these bogus racism charges anymore. Ignore the stupid biatches. People like them is why I'm not a Liberal anymore.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at April 09, 2006 12:17 AM (8e/V4)

2 A**holes, idiots and fools come in all colors, but you sure can't convince some people of that. Makes you wonder if it's self-loathing or an unusually high regard for themselves that makes them think others can't see past their skin color. She'll find a lawyer who'll gleefully use it to sue on her behalf. Anything for a buck.

Posted by: Oyster at April 09, 2006 04:07 AM (YudAC)

3 I think they've played this hand plumb out. It's time for a new deal.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 09, 2006 06:55 AM (0yYS2)

4 Once again, the free market systen has spoken. Ephraim thought her services to Fox were worth more than 2 million a year. She was mistaken.

Posted by: Nightfighter at April 09, 2006 11:28 AM (k/2Hv)

5 More of the usial lies by the liberal minority fools i guess their loking for JESSIE JACKASSON to get involved

Posted by: sandpiper at April 09, 2006 12:44 PM (XGDTE)

6 As a presumed impartial, objective judge in the legal system, Mablean sure whipped out the race card with lightning speed. As such, one might believe that some of her judicial opinions were biased.

Posted by: Mike at April 09, 2006 05:17 PM (Kjxf6)

7 Mike, that's probably why she's just a TV judge.

Posted by: Oyster at April 10, 2006 05:40 AM (YudAC)

8 While I agree that the race card is used as the trump far too often, in this case I have to agree. Check out this article< http://eurweb.com/story/eur25782.cfm, for the complete story of what she said at the press conference. Often times, editorial "decisionsÂ” donÂ’t allow for the full story to be told. I have searched the net and seen way to many versions of the same story where only one part of what the judge said during her conference was quoted. Her complete explanation, which breaks down her reasoning behind the accusation, was left out in almost every article I found. In regard to Judge Toler being black, I wonder if she is fair skinned with good hair. Like it or not racism and intra-racism in the black community still exists. In our history, you once had the brown paper bag test. If you were darker that the paper bag and had curly - "nappy"- hair, you were considered less than other members of your race. And, although Jim Crow law refered to everyone with a drop of black blood as a n***a, if a choice was to be made of selecting one black over the other, the one with the fairer skin would be selected, unless of course it was field work. I wrote all this to point out that the racism Judge Ephram described is still alive today and it is reflected in the unequal pay and ridiculous requests made by Fox as described by the judge in an article reporting the full story. Ayana

Posted by: Ayana at April 10, 2006 06:33 AM (p2vSu)

9 If you've never been discriminated against you certainly would feel that the race card no longer has basis. Although some may abuse it please know that racism in America is still alive.

Posted by: Jay at May 03, 2006 10:09 AM (Qa0Pn)

10 If you have never been a victim of racism, if you you are not a "person of color," certainly you find it difficult to believe in the existence or reality of racism. If you could only walk in "our" shoes, you WOULD understand.

Posted by: ME at May 10, 2006 03:05 PM (b7xxK)

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April 06, 2006

Italian Elections

Silvio_Berlusconi (Rome) This weekend, the Italians will be voting on a new Prime Minister. Consequently, the current officeholder, Silvio Berlusconi, has been colorfully campaigning for re-election.

From TimesOnline.co.uk:

[Berlusconi] has vowed to give up sex for the election, compared himself to Jesus and Napoleon, and admitted phoning late-night erotic chat lines. Nothing, it seems, is out of bounds for Silvio Berlusconi.
But yesterday the Italian Prime Minister, trailing in opinion polls before Sunday's vote, perhaps went a step too far when he suggested that left-wing voters were "dickheads."

Note that left-wing dickheads are not unique to Italian politics. They are known to reside throughout Europe and all other continents with a particularly prominent distribution on the seaboards of the Americas.

From Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 10:01 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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April 01, 2006

She Never Was All That Hot Anyway

I just don't admire Angelina Jolie anymore. Really, she's just doesn't do it for me any longer.

Besides, she's not really good gay, she's only part-time good gay.

It's time to get past superficial things and admire the true champions of good gay.

Mmm....Rosie O'Donnell....

Posted by: Vinnie at 06:00 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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