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I ask this because since I saw the documentary Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged I can't stop envisioning John Galt whistle Maggie's Farm as he leaves the Twentieth Century Motor Company. In the documentary the following passage is read aloud: Dr Ferris to Hank Rearden in Atlas Shrugged Chapter III White Blackmail "The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants...

What if Obama is re-elected, the nightmare scenario. This is not an idle question. Because we must wake up the disinterested, timid and non-ideological voters and demonstrate to them that there will be dangerous consequences to a second Obama term. For me, as an act of self-preservation, I would clean out my bank and stock accounts. Many others would join me. A united statement by the savers, investors, and producers of the country would show the country that we are going to stand up to tyranny. Sure, we will be demonized, but the truth is that Obama is already demonizing...

If you’ve ever wandered into a Lululemon store or perused the website of this purveyor of ultra-hip “yoga-inspired” athletic apparel, you may have noticed that the company is not trying to sell merely a pair of buttocks-compressing pants but a worldview. Even in this age of lifestyle peddlers, when Abercrombie & Fitch lures mall rats with visions of Ivy League insouciance and Apple promises to turn even your clueless dad into a tech-savvy aesthete, Lululemon stands out. Why buy a plain old gym bag when for $128 you can have a Destined for Greatness Duffel? If you’re shopping online, the...

Are you? DVD: http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/merchandise

“Get out of the way.” With this statement, John Galt articulated the simple and necessary policy solution to the disastrous centrally-planned economy in Atlas Shrugged. It’s also sage advice that President Obama should consider before he unveils his latest jobs plan before the Joint Session of Congress tonight. This advice is strikingly prescient as our nation’s economy moves ever-closer to mirroring the calamitous state of affairs that befell society in Rand’s novel. During his two and half years in office, Obama has crushed the labor market with a pro-statist agenda, which includes ObamaCare, the stimulus package, coziness to Big Labor,...

While riding my motorcycle near Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith, New Hampshire the other day, I passed an arcade center named Funspot. It is a very large enclosed building with arcade games, bowling, mini-golf and other games. The electronic sign out front advertised the games, upcoming events, etc. The following message flashed for a brief time: ATLAS HAS SHRUGGED immediately followed by: WHO IS JOHN GALT?? A web search indicated it has been doing that occasionally for quite some time, but it's the first time I've seen it. Note: The link is for the Funspot web page only.

If it had been a scene in “Atlas Shrugged,” the guy would have disappeared into the secrecy of Colorado with a shadowy figure who we would later learn to be John Galt. In real life, the story will probably be more complex. But I wonder how long it’s going to be before businesspeople really do start walking away and deciding it’s not worth doing business in America today. Or it it already happening and we just don’t know it? The man you see in the picture at the right is named Ronnie Bryant. He operates coal mines in Alabama. I’d...

Who is Jane Galt? | Tea Party Tribune In Ayn Rand’s famous novel, Atlas Shrugged, the main character, John Galt, faces a fundamentally transformed America. An America that has surrendered to the false promises of Marxism. He decides he will neither be slave nor slave master, and quits his job, disappears, and unplugs himself from the system. He does not end there; he decides to collapse the collectivist system that is dominating America and goes across the country convincing “the men of the mind,” the men that make the world go around, to go on a strike that brings about...

"I Have Enough Money" In David Mamet’s recent book, “The Secret Knowledge”, he quotes President Obama as saying, “The individual at some point must be able to say: ‘I have enough money. [Therefore, I no longer need to work, toil, or sweat; after all, I have enough money. I no longer need to earn and pay taxes; after all, I have enough money. I no longer need to plant or harvest; after all, I have enough money. I no longer need to build or produce; after all, I have enough money. I no longer need to use my skills, my...

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Amazon.com may pull the plug on coming to Tennessee, which could cost the state 1,400 jobs. The company is considering dropping its plans to build two distribution centers near Chattanooga. It hinges on whether state lawmakers pass a bill that would require Amazon.com to collect sales tax in the state. Amazon.com and former Gov. Phil Bredesen had agreed on a deal where taxes wouldn't be required, but now that could change.

Lately, there have been duelling stories in the entertainment press about the future of ”Atlas Shrugged.” With disappointing box office returns, the producers have been asked if they will go ahead and complete the franchise and in one interview we’re being told there will be no trilogy and in another we’re being told that there will. To clear the air, I reached out via email and “Atlas” producers John Aglialoro and Harmon Kaslow were both good enough to respond with exclusive quotes that should help to calm fears of “Atlas” fans everywhere. Most surprising, though, was the revelation CNN, CNBC,...

It may be hard getting a job in today's labor market, but Workforce Central Florida is prepared to give you a cape — a shiny, red cape. At least while supplies last. The region's federally funded jobs agency is spending more than $73,000 on a media campaign to raise awareness of its services.

Ayn Rand died 29 years ago, yet her legacy thrives. A film based on her most well-known novel ‘Atlas Shrugged’ premieres on April 15, traditionally known as Tax Day in the U.S. Perhaps because of the film premiere or perhaps because of the current political climate, Rand is being discussed, debated and in some instances, despised all over again. Gone missing from commentary on RandI noted comments on a left-leaning message board where someone had posted a link to an article at The US Report about a billboard many people see on I-95 as they drive south. The billboard asks...

PORTLAND, Maine - Feds Tuesday granted Maine a waiver of a key provision in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, citing the likelihood that enforcement could destabilize the state's market for insurance.

"U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Friday that $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funding intended for Florida will be sent to other states after the state Supreme Court upheld Gov. Rick Scott's decision to reject the money..." Why was the federal government trying to force this boondoggle on the Sunshine State? ... Who is John Galt? ... "Atlas Shrugged" is a lengthy parable about individualism and freedom. Set in the not-too-distant future, it depicts an America whose economy is falling apart under the weight of an overweening government run entirely by people with approximately the integrity, cognitive ability and humility...

“Midas Mulligan,” says the shadowy figure who accosts the prominent banker in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. “Who’s asking?” “Someone who knows what it’s like to work for himself and not let others feed off the profits of his energy.” So begins Atlas Shrugged Part I, the independent adaptation by “The Strike” Productions, scheduled for theatrical release April 15, 2011. The skeptics are wrong. Ever since the project launched last April, skeptics have wondered how a film with a limited budget of $10 million, rushed production schedule, and lack of big-name talent could possibly do justice to the novel. Over a...

February 11, 2011 - The long awaited and oft delayed film version of Ayn Rand’s epic novel Atlas Shrugged may soon become a reality. A trailer for the film Atlas Shrugged (Part One), was scheduled to be shown at the CPAC conference, has just been released and can be seen at left.

I spoke with Dagny Taggart the other night. “It’s a huge honor to be part of this film,” said Taylor Schilling, who plays the heroine in John Aglialoro’s independent production of Atlas Shrugged. Tuesday evening, July 20, marked the completion of filming. We caught up with Aglialoro and his team in a weary but ebullient mood as shooting wrapped after an intense five-week schedule. The movie covers Part I of Ayn Rand’s novel, with two more films in the planning stage to tell the rest of the story. With six months of editing still to go on “Atlas Shrugged, Part...

John Galt is alive and well and living in Connecticut. And he will be voting for Republican Linda McMahon for the U.S. Senate, if her reception by beleaguered taxpayers during a recent round of campaign tours is an indication. Or he may very well be Linda McMahon, judging by those who oppose her. The government bureaucrats, the political, media and academic elites aligned against her, are one with those who fought the fictional hero who defied "a collectivist system" marked by the "utter incompetence" of those in "governmental power" in Ayn Rand's classic, Atlas Shrugged. Who is John Galt? That's...