The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand: Book Review

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read The Fountainhead when I was in high school and remembered the main message of the book but not many of the details about it. It’s based on individualism vs. collectivism philosophies. I had a very limited knowledge of these principles of course when I was that old but now after just finishing the audiobook I have a deeper appreciation and a solid grasp of what they mean.

The Fountainhead was written before Atlas Shrugged but the story and plot have the same messages. Both are great books but Atlas Shrugged takes collectivism to the national extreme while the FH shows how one individual struggles against it. Atlas Shrugged is Rand’s masterpiece but The Fountainhead is a great primer to begin with before you tackle AG if you haven’t read either book.

Ayn Rand even though she defined herself as an atheist defines man’s spirit to work and achieve for his own selfish reasons as a spiritual experience in its self. She was a firm believer in American’s founding principles and in both books she demonstrates how the people who believe that self sacrifice and giving to others in many respects leads to the exact opposite result of what the meaning of charity really is.

Rand’s books we’re a prediction of what our country has now become but she said it wouldn’t be too late to change course if we only had the individual will to do so. You read the headlines everyday and watch as a big centralized federal government becomes more and more intrusive on our individual rights and freedoms and begin to wonder if we can return to a nation of individualism or not.

I wish that Atlas Shrugged was required reading for every high school senior in America so they understand that collectivism is not the answer. It’s a very intimating book to pick up and read, over a 1000 pages but it’s the best example ever written of what can and will happen if the government becomes the ultimate authority it our lives.

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The Law Of Karma turns on the Denver Broncos

Manning walks off the field a loser after throwing 3 INT's against the Ravens.

I’m still grinding, mourning and angry over the Broncos playoff loss today, it’s impossible not to. I know I shouldn’t but these opportunities just don’t come along every day. When making the comparisons about some of the worst losses the Broncos have ever had this one clearly is lower on the list but the pain is no less devastating.

It took the Broncos 38 years to win their first Super Bowl and it was on their 4th try. That’s why when you get into a rosy position and lose it completely knocks the wind out of you. This one hurt bad, but it doesn’t compare to 1996.

The Jacksonville loss in the 96 playoffs is the worst ever. 13-3, best AFC regular season record, home field advantage throughout and playing a team that was lucky to be there. After the loss there was talk that John Elway might retire and who would have blamed him. That season just like this one was set up for them to win a Super Bowl and again they were denied. As we learned later it would have given them 3 championships in a row had they advanced and won in 96.

The Redskins loss in the Super Bowl XXII in 1988 was the #1 most devastating until the Broncos lost to Jacksonville but now it’s #2 on my list. The Broncos had a better all around team than the Redskins that year. Not unlike the Ravens game the Corners and Safety’s helped give away that game too. Back then it was Tony Lilly instead of Champ Bailey and Rahim Moore who gave up big plays. Elway had a horrible day and the running game was a joke. The Defense let a scrub RB and a scrub QB torch them big time. Tim Smith and Doug Williams to that point in their careers had never put up that big of numbers and even following that game would never repeat the performances they had that day against the Broncos.

To be sure the losses to the Cowboys, Giants and 49ers hurt in the other SB’s but the sting wasn’t as bad because the Broncos didn’t match up well against any of those teams.

After a few days to digest this latest disaster I have to move what I consider the #3 worst loss to #4 and say that the loss Saturday surpasses it. The old #3 was the Jake the Fake meltdown in the 2006 AFC Championship Game against the Steelers. The Broncos had just come off a big win against the Brady lead Patriots (The best team in the playoffs that year) at home the week before in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. Beating the Steelers should have been an easier assignment if not for the poor play of the most important position player on the team, QB Jake Plummer.

So, today as I set here grinding I think to myself, this time we supposedly had the best QB in the game to make a Super Bowl run and we lost? Plummer’s bad game is way easier to forgive than Manning’s lousy performance because of his past resume. All be it a great regular season resume, his post season resume stinks.

I personally believe in a Higher Power greater than myself and I also believe in "The Law of Karma."

Short cuts, hired guns and throwing out a player that lead you to your second playoff win in 12 years like so much trash is definitely bad Karma. I’m not saying that Tebow could have taken this team to new heights this year with his skill set being far less than that of Manning’s, probably not. Still...Tebow deserved better, he's a winner and winners don’t always do it pretty. I’ll take winning ugly over losing pretty anytime. Check that, there is no such thing as losing pretty is there?

The other irony or should I say injustice about this epic loss Saturday is that last year when the Broncos got creamed by the Patriots nearly every media type and Broncos Fan out there blamed it on not having a good enough QB.

Today after this loss, it’s: Champ got beat twice for TD’s, Moore lost the game because he didn’t play deep enough on one play, the pass rush was non-existent, losing Moreno hurt, Kuper didn’t play well, Prater missed a kick he normally would have made, the refs made bad calls, the Broncos had 3 timeouts and 31 seconds on the clock in the 4th Q and didn’t try to score, Fox and McCoy called to conservative of a game etc.

Then… As an afterthought: "Oh yeah, Peyton Manning didn’t play well either." Instead of being on the top of the list he’s on the bottom because after all this was a “Team Loss.” I don’t disagree with the “team loss” mantra but Manning should be shouldering way more blame than he has to this point. HE not Mike McCoy was calling the majority of the plays on the field. 3 INT’s, 2 resulting in scores and that God awful throw in over time. The stupid throw in OT made all the throws Tebow has made in his career look pretty damn good. Many didn’t really say it was a team loss after the Broncos got slaughtered by the Patriots last year did they? Oh no, it was that lousy Tim Tebow's fault, if we’d of had a QB like Manning or any other QB for that matter the outcome would have been different right?

The bottom line is Manning should have been the ONE person on the team that made the plays necessary for the Broncos to win a close game, period, end of story. I can’t see it any other way. The Law of Karma as it turns out works both ways, hopefully the Broncos can recover and get the good Karma back next season. It's going to be a very long off season but as always I'll be hopeful that the Broncos can climb the ladder and make a run to the big show. That is all.

The Demonization of Conservatives

I’m sick and tired of Conservatives being demonized in the media. I consider myself a compassionate "Fiscal Conservative" who believes in helping others. I spent 15 years in a community service organization raising money for all sorts of charities. In a 5 year period I chaired projects that help raise $23,000 for people afflicted with MS. In a 5 year period back in the 80's I chaired projects that raised close to $4,000 for MDA. I've assisted with other projects that raised money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House, and a specialized care facility that cares for children dying of aids. This doesn't include some of the local charities I've been involved with which is another long list, like Toys for Tots, Thanksgiving Food Baskets among many others.

I give you this abbreviated list not to toot my own horn but to prove that I've put my time and effort into helping others and been a person of action.

So please don't generalize and put me and others like me in some box where we don't belong, I'm not some heartless human being that doesn't care about others when there is a sincere and earnest need.

All that said I'm as hardcore a Fiscal Conservative as you can get. I can tell you what is not an "unreasonable" thing to expect of our citizens and our government, it’s a very simple concept.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 63 and are of sound mental and physical health you should be able to provide for yourself. As a taxpayer giving almost 50% of what I earn to the government I should have the right to question where and how that money is being spent.

Helping the truly needy, children and senior citizens is something we must do as a civilized society. Laying out a red carpet for people who could and should be doing it for themselves is a totally different matter. That's where things have become horribly unbalanced. We cannot and will not survive this kind of non-accountability. Everyone needs help now and then I understand that. People make mistakes and need assistance but we can't keep rewarding people who could be contributing something to their own welfare. Writing blank checks to this group can't go on.

This goes for corporate welfare and government subsidized business as well. It should not be the governments or the taxpayer’s job to subsidize any individual or business. Higher education is one of investments we should subsidize but only if the receiver of said money understands that it is a loan and that like all loans it comes with accountability and payback.

Long before the modern welfare system families had the individual responsibility to take care of their own children and their aged parents. If they needed help Churches, private and public civic organizations helped them as well. This is what we should return to. Not a giant bloated federal bureaucracy that is wasting billions taking it from the producers and giving to the takers who have no stake or consequences attached to it.

Yes, we should help children under 18 with health care if certain conditions are met. Yes, we most certainly must take care of the people who are seniors and need assistance. Yes, we need to help people who are physically and mentally handicapped. I can't believe any "reasonable" person no matter what their political views are would disagree with this kind of taxpayer assistance.

However, we're all fooling ourselves if we believe they are no more sacred cows and that we can keep borrowing and printing money forever. Every single federal agency is wasting billions. It’s beyond our small minds to comprehend the mammoth waste and they must start taking some personal and financial responsibility and accountability.

This includes welfare or entitlements whatever term you choose to us.

The longer we’re in denial about the spending and debt problem and the longer nothing is done to correct it the worst the consequences are going to be for everyone. We're pawning this off on our children and grandchildren and one day soon if nothing changes we're headed for a complete financial collapse and they'll be the ones trying to pick up the pieces.

What It is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes:Book Review

What It is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I highly recommend it to any reader. It's not just a book about a combat veteran telling his story, it's about how to overcome adversity and pain in your life and overcome it.

One of the best parts of the book was when he wrote about how he had a "Death Mass" in a church that help liberate him from his guilt and pain from the Vietnam War.

It should most certainly should be read by every combat veteran and every in coming serviceman and woman in the military. It'd be a good book for Police Officers, EMT's, Doctors, Shrinks, Pastors and family members who have family who served or that are currently in combat situations in the military.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a tale most will never know unless they read it and absorb its great meaning and message. By the way this guy was born in Astoria, OR and grew up in Seaside, OR.

Here's a review from one combat veteran:

“To say that this book is brilliant is an understatement—Marlantes is the absolute master of taking the psyche of the combat veteran and translating it into words that the civilian or non-veteran can understand. I have read many, many books on war and this is the first time that I've ever read exactly what the combat veteran thinks and feels—nothing I have ever read before has hit home in my heart like this book.”

Gunnery Sergeant Terence D’Alesandro, 3rd Batallion, 5th Marines, U.S. Marine Corps

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