I was honored to host at my home a celebration for my dear friend and mentor, Leonard Peikoff, on the occasion of his 86th birthday. It was a delightful evening. Leonard’s close friends engaged warmly, and a dinner was served in an elegant surrounding. Several guests, including Lisa VanDamme, Andrew Lewis, and myself, expressed our…
Blog
Richard Salsman’s (Ayn) Rand Camp
I was delighted to host Richard Salsman and his wife, Lisa, at my home last weekend. Richard is a professor of the Politics, Philosophy, and Economics Department at Duke University. We had lovely meals together, and one evening we were joined by Alex Epstein. I’m happy to announce that Prometheus Foundation will be sponsoring an…
COVID-19 Symptoms
The attached table (from the Australian Government Department of Health) compares the symptoms of COVID-19 against those of the cold and the flu; it may be helpful to you. There are more differences between a cold and COVID-19 than there are between COVID-19 and the flu. The flu and COVID-19 share very similar symptoms and…
COVID-19: Damage, Destruction, Depression, and Disaster
No, I have not joined the mad media mob that is prophesying the end of the world. I am only evaluating the grossly irresponsible and irrational edicts of politicians such as Governor Newsom in California, President Trump, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer.. They are shutting down the motor of the world. Governments are causing untold…
COVID-19 Update: Keep Calm and Carry On
This message brought some comfort to the English during the height of World War II as England was being bombed by the Nazis every day and night. The Queen, hereby, is granting America the rights to use this message to help Americans deal with the virus. May it bring us, too, some small measure of comfort…
COVID-19 and Other Viruses
Information viruses—i.e., misinformation, false information, and incomplete information—are being spread far and wide. See, for instance, the Wall Street Journal article, Infodemic: When Unreliable Information Spreads Far and Wide by Ben Zimmer. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of: “A massive ‘infodemic’, an overabundance of information—some accurate and some not—that makes it hard for people…
Coronavirus: Mad Media, Medical Misinformation, Posturing Politicians, and a Panicking Public
Run for your life! The virus is coming! The end is nigh! Religious nuts carrying placards proclaiming that the world is going to end were, until recently, laughed at. Now, medical “experts,” politicians, and the media are making such claims. The mad media with their exaggerations and fear-mongering are to be expected. But mad medical…
Coronavirus
Has the world gone mad? I think so, and I believe it’s going to get worse. Our health system is now actively looking for the Coronavirus in America. I think they will find it, and they could find lots of it. It’s reported that about 80% do not even know they have the virus; they…
Book Recommendation: Eamonn Butler’s An Introduction to Capitalism
If you would like a clear, coherent, and concise primer on capitalism, read An Introduction to Capitalism. Its author, Dr. Eamonn Butler, is a co-founder of the Adam Smith Institute in London, and the book is a great introduction. It’s written in plain English, assumes no prior knowledge of economics, and contains no academic or…
An Evening with James Valliant and Friends
James Valliant and a few close friends joined me for dinner last Wednesday, and we discussed James’s latest book, Creating Christ: How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity, as well as his earlier book, The Passion of Ayn Rand’s Critics. I recently read Creating Christ and found it fascinating. The book’s basic thesis is that Christianity was…
A Visit with Eamonn Butler
Eamonn Butler recently visited my home, and we had a wonderful time discussing ideas. Eamonn is cofounder and director of the Adam Smith Institute (ASI), secretary of the Mont Pelerin Society, and author of many books, including works on the ideas of Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Ayn Rand (his book on…