I accidentally came across a strange, fascinating, and enlightening movie simply called PK. It’san Indian Hindi language science fiction satirical drama. I won’t attempt a review, which isadequately provided by Wikipedia. I will say that when it was released, it became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time, and worldwide it’s had a huge impact….
Author: Carl Barney
Mayhem, Murderers, and Martyrs
Ideas have consequences. The idea that motivates Hamas and other terrorists is: achieving “divine” justice—other-worldly justice—via earthly retribution, using any means necessary. Their strategy: dehumanize, destroy, and dominate. Their means of implementation: Jihad, murder, mayhem, and martyrdom. From the horse’s mouth: “The day of judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews (killing them…
Who Represents Objectivism?
There have been many alleged spokespersons for Objectivism—Mike Berliner, Harry Binswanger, John Ridpath, Peter Schwartz, Yaron Brook—and we’re now told of a “Chief Philosophy Officer,” Onkar Ghate. There’s something we should not forget. The philosopher of Objectivism, the Chief Philosophy Officer of her philosophy, is Ayn Rand (although Ms. Rand would never accept such a…
HealthSpan XPrize
To follow up on my support of HealthSpan XPrize, here is a delightful interview with Peter Diamandis (Executive Chairman of XPrize) and Marie Forleo. I recommend watching the first few minutes of it and, if you find it as entrancing as I did, by all means watch the rest. It’s well worth it. Carl B….
Gratitude
I’ve learned some lessons about generosity and its emotional relative, gratitude. Generosity Magnanimous, “great-souled men,” as Aristotle called them, are generous. Generosity is about more than money and material gifts. It’s also expressing admiration, gratitude, love, and sharing knowledge, wisdom, and—if we have some to spare—money and possessions, too. My friends’ generosity toward me has…
I Personally Know About Climate Change
Don’t try to tell me about climate change! I’ve experienced it, up close and personal. One year I was working in Boston, where the temperature was 18 degrees below freezing—frigid. I got on a plane to leave and, several hours later, got off in Los Angeles, where the temperature was 72 degrees. Now, that’s climate…
Live Long and Prosper
Peter Attia, MD, is an extreme athlete, mathematician, and engineer, as well as a surgeon trained through Harvard, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins. He specialized in oncology and—oh yes—has also studied management. He is a capable logician who functionally understands induction (his discussions on the topic are brilliant!) and other aspects of logic and epistemology. I…
Remarkable Medical Treatments
This is a follow-up to my Remarkable Medical Statistic post of February 13, which referenced a study that found that 88% of those who sought a second medical opinion received a refined or new diagnosis. (Tony White commented on that post and identified a flaw: Because the study consisted of people seeking a second opinion…
Reality
(This post is for Objectivists only.) I had partied too much the night before, and I woke up feeling sluggish and a little hungover. As I opened my eyes, I said “Ugh! Reality… where the hell did that come from?” My romantic partner looked at me and said, “Ayn Rand invented it!” I laughed out…
Movie: We the Living
(This post is only for Objectivists.) I received an email from the producer of We the Living, Duncan Scott. He is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who, along with associate producer, Barbara Scott, spent two years meticulously restoring and rejuvenating the 80-year-old movie, frame-by-frame. The result, We the Living: The 80th Anniversary Restoration, was premiered at…