On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:41:23 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:10:44 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:55:47 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

Vic Smith wrote:


I knew a Branden in boot camp, but maybe it was Brandon.
We never used first names, so I have no idea on that.
Too busy boating right now to look in the boot camp book.

--Vic


I believe the Branden referred to here was a follower of Ayn Rand,
originator of the most turgid bits of pseudo-philosophy and prose ever
perpetrated on mankind. Or close to it.

I started reading Atlas Shrugged once. Started. Quite a contrast in
the work of a Dostoevsky writing Crime and Punishment, and a Rand
writing her crap, though both were essentially writing about nihilism.

Um..not really.

Nihilism isn't a central feature of either novel.

Depends on your viewpoint/philosophy.
I studied Dostoevsky as a lit student and nihilism *was* a central
feature of C and P. Much analysis of the novel was devoted to
nihilism, its manifestations and its cures.
Maybe the philosophy department thought otherwise.
Another thing taught by the lit department was practical analysis.
There we learned to never say "Um, not really" in matters of
literature and philosophy.
As for Rand, my mention of nihilism is drawn from my own imputations
on reading criticism, not text. As Harry said, some find her
unreadable. That includes me.
I'll brook no further quarrel on this subject, as it has now passed my
weekly allotment of non-boating related subject matter.
Besides, I ain't in school no mo'

--Vic