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Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning

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Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning

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Home Page > Education > K-12 Education > Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning

Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning

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Posted: Jul 15, 2008 | Views: 192 |

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Applied Educational Research Journal (AERJ)

22 (3) 2009

Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged: An Epistemological, Philosophical and Comparative Treatment Based on the Theoretical Framework of the book Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning by William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to show how the writings of Ayn Rand can be understood and developed through the work of Dr. William A. Kritsonis utilizing the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning. In the literary masterpiece of Atlas Shrugged, Ms. Rand brings her philosophical views alive through the narrative of her story and the lives and dramatic events faced by each of her fictional characters. Her views on objectivism, capitalism, and man’s inherent sexuality are only a few of the controversial topics discussed in her book and revealed poignantly through the themes and motifs of her stimulating and challenging novel, Atlas Shrugged.

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The First Realm: Symbolics

The first realm of meaning is symbolics. “These meanings are contained in arbitrary symbolic structures, with socially accepted rules of formation and transformation, created as instruments for the expression and communication of any meaning whatsoever. These symbolic systems in one respect constitute the most fundamental of all the realms of meaning in that they must be employed to express the meanings in each of the other realms” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 11).

Atlas Shrugged is rife with symbolic communication. Themes, symbols, and motifs add intrigue, interest and mystery to the writing style of Ayn Rand and lend credence to her literary expertise and philosophical ideas and beliefs. The symbolism in Atlas Shrugged adds depth and complexity to her overall meaning constructs and analytical observations.

One of the first and most obvious symbols of her novel is found in the title, Atlas Shrugged. Atlas, in Greek mythology, held the burden of the heavens on his shoulder. To John Galt, and the other societal producers, the weight of the world was placed on their shoulders as they bore the responsibilities of producing for a world deplete of reason, strength, and appreciation.

The dollar sign becomes the symbol of a strike of the mind led by John Galt. By each striker symbolically associating himself with the sign of the dollar, the strikers intuitively illustrate their belief in capitalism and the reward of the capitalists. In Atlas Shrugged, there is no shame weighted with the possession of money. Instead, it is seen as just compensation for productivity and creativity.

Another symbol inherent to the understanding of Atlas Shrugged is the bracelet Rearden created using his new metallurgical discovery. The bracelet is symbolic of Rearden’s entire life work and accomplishments. The bracelet is beautiful, but unappreciated by his wife, just as the development of the new metal Rearden has created is seen as a threat to those who do not care for or appreciate ingenuity, creativity, and invention. Despite the resistance that Rearden faced with his new discovery, the metal he conceived and developed is a beautiful representation of the practical beauty that can be found from one’s individual life work and commitment.

Motors were also symbolic throughout the novel Atlas Shrugged. The motor designed by John Galt had the power to harness energy and provide power to the world. Without the motor, the world’s production would come to a halt. It is symbolic of the power of the mind and how producers are needed in the world to power the creative thoughts and abilities of the true thinkers in order for the world to survive and become productively active and successful.

The Second Realm: Empirics

“The second realm empirics, includes the sciences of the physical world, of living things, and of man. These sciences provide factual descriptions, generalizations, and theoretical formulations and explanations that are based upon observation and experimentation in the world of matter, life, mind, and society” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 12).

John Galt: The Physicist

In Atlas Shrugged, “one of the producers, John Galt, a titan among physicists, decides it is time for ‘the Atlases,’ the men who have carried the world on their shoulders to stop supporting [their] destroyers – to shrug” ( Moritz, 1982, p. 234). His science has benefited the looters, those who live off of his own creativity and expertise. In a decision to proliferate a strike of the mind, “he retreats with other ‘producers’ to a secret mountain citadel in Colorado. There they remain until, in their absence, industry and trade grind to a halt and the collectivist social system collapses” (Moritz, 1982, p. 234). With the collapse of the society that once was known, Galt gives a lengthy speech to tell the word that the fight is over. “The road is cleared. We are going back to the world,” says Galt, as the elite band re-emerges and he, raising “his hand over the desolate earth….trace[s] in space the sign of the dollar” (Moritz, 1982, p. 234).

Biology

Biology is the science of life. For those who believe that man is nothing more than just a physical being without a soul or spirit, their conclusions are in-line with Dr. Pritchett, one of the characters in Atlas Shrugged. “Man? What is man? He’s just a collection of chemicals with delusions of grandeur” (Rand, 1999, p. 131). Those who espouse that man is nothing more than a metaphysical creation are less likely to believe in the supremacy of the soul and the virtue of spirituality that requires accountability and surrender to a life goal and pattern higher than one’s own self and being. Dr. Pritchett’s comments continue, “once he [man] realizes that he is of no importance whatever in the vast scheme of the universe, he will realize that no possible significance can be attached to his activities” (Rand, 1999, p. 132).

In Atlas Shrugged, abortion is mentioned as a right of the state. The People’s State of Mexico wants to “raise everybody’s standard of living and provide a roast of pork every Sunday for every man, woman, child and abortion in the People’s State of Mexico” (Rand, 1999, p. 123). At the first publication of Atlas Shrugged, abortion was illegal in the United States. The debate for a “woman’s right” did not fully ensue in this country until the ruling of Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This is another example of how controversial social issues were ingrained in the writings of Ayn Rand even before the issues reached a national level forum of discussion and debate.

Socialism

Socialism is an “economic system in which government owns some factors of production and has a role in determining what and how goods are produced” (Clayton, 1995, p. 567). In Atlas Shrugged, socialistic ideas began to emerge that threatened the capitalistic way of life. Those who bought into the socialist way of life included those who supported a new government initiative entitled the “Equalization of Opportunity Bill.” This bill’s purpose was to put limits on capitalistic production, therefore limiting creative capitalists and entrepreneurs from becoming too powerful or wealthy.

The “Equalization of Opportunity Bill” also sought to put limits on the output of the creative, literary mind. Balph Eubank, a literary leader of his time, was in favor of the “Equalization of Opportunity Bill”. “Certainly, I approve of it. Our culture has sunk into a bog of materialism. Men have lost all spiritual values in their pursuit of material production and technological trickery…so we ought to place a limit on their material greed” (Rand, 1999, p. 133). Eubank was willing to surrender his creative mind to the state. “It would work very simply,” said Eubank. “There should be a law limiting the sale of any book to ten thousand copies…If people were forbidden to buy a million copies of the same piece of trash, they would be forced to buy better books” (Rand, 1999, p. 134).

In the United States, citizens are encouraged to improve upon inventions, create new horizons, and develop new services and products that will benefit mankind. Without the motive of profit, many of our greatest inventions and accomplishments would likely not have been achieved. Rand is against socialistic societies that take away the rights of the individual for the watered down benefit of the masses who choose not to produce or create to their highest and fullest potential.

Communism

Karl Marx authored The Communist Manifesto in 1848. He divided society into two groups. The first group was the proletariat. These were the people with no means of production who owed their livelihood to the second group in society, the bourgeoisie, better known as the capitalists. His division of society is analogous to the two major groups “at war” in Atlas Shrugged, the looters and the strikers.

The looters were people who did not use their own creativity or power to create wealth. They were totally dependent upon the creative thinkers in the world, which later became known as the “strikers of the mind.” The strikers were those who created, built, and engineered the framework for modern society. In Atlas Shrugged when the “strikers of the mind” left society, society as it was known previously collapsed.

Theoretical communism states that if everyone were equal, “everyone would produce to the best of their abilities, and everyone would consume to the extent of their needs” (Clayton, 1995, p. 476). However, in today’s society, communism has proven itself to be a dismal failure. In a pure Communist state, a man or woman’s career is chosen for that particular individual at a young age. Regardless of their ability or ambition, there is “equality” in pay for all. Educators, doctors, lawyers, garbage men, and street sweepers are all equal. When a person is not challenged according to their own individual talents and creative potential, production will decrease. Without hope of achieving any significance in one’s life work, society itself would be reduced to a mindless, wondering proletariat under a repressive and dictatorial form of government.

When the government owns the means of production, there is no incentive for creativity. Everything is done in the name of progress. The government leadership, which holds power with an iron hand, prohibits success to anyone who wants to succeed or profit outside of the veil of government interventions and legalities.

Capitalism

Capitalism could be considered one of the most fundamental disciplines in the realm of the social sciences. Capitalism is considered a virtuous pursuit by Rand and many of her primary characters in the novel. Atlas Shrugged espouses the virtues and benefits of a pure capitalistic society and seeks to enunciate and pronounce these values succinctly throughout the novel, espousing the virtues of capitalism and the power of the mind.

Paramount to the perfect society John Galt believed would exist when the producers were in charge is the concept of “free trade and free minds” (Rand, 1999, p. 1067). Rand defines capitalism as “a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned” (Uyl and Rasmussen, 1986, p. 173).

“One of the unique features of Rand’s defense of capitalism is that she neither considers capitalism a necessary evil (as do many conservatives) nor tries to defend it simply in terms of the benefits it produces, as do many economists” (Uyl and Rasmussen, 1986, p. 173). Rand sees capitalism from a moral perspective that supersedes capitalism for purely monetary reasons and then becomes a mantra for a philosophical way of life that focuses on intelligence, rationality, and reason.

“The moral justification of capitalism does not lie in the altruist claim that it represents the best way to achieve ‘the common good’…The moral justification of capitalism lies in the fact that it is the only system consonant with man’s rational nature, that it protects man’s survival qua man, and that its ruling principle is justice” (Uyl and Rasmussen, 1986, p. 173).

In Atlas Shrugged, John Galt believes that a collective society will include those who are willing to work and enjoy the fruits of their own labors. He predicts the demise of a system led by looters. In its place he sees a society that believes in the individual and the contributions that individuals can make to their world and society. Not willing to let looters into this new world who are not committed to his goals and philosophical bent, John Galt opens the door of invitation and hospitality only to those who would choose to espouse the virtues of an individualistic, capitalistic society.

To those who were willing to commit to a renouncement of their looting mentality, Galt states, “when the looters’ state collapses, deprived of the best of its slaves….We will open the gates of our city to those who deserve to enter, a city of smokestacks, pipe lines, orchards, markets and inviolate homes……With the sign of the dollar as our symbol – the sign of free trade and free minds – we will move to reclaim this country once more from the impotent savages who never discovered its nature, its meaning, its splendor. Those who choose to join us will join us; those who don’t will not have the power to stop us; hordes of savages have been an obstacle to men who carried the banner of the mind” (Rand, 1999, p. 1067).

“The conduct of the market may be greatly facilitated by the use of money, that provides a convenient medium of exchange…From the standpoint of understanding and control, the use of money is of far-reaching importance, for it permits economic activity to be measured mathematically. Because of the money system, qualitative preferences can be quantitatively assessed, and the powerful resources of mathematical computation can be brought to bear on the study and management of economic processes” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 266).

John Galt’s symbol of the dollar was a rallying cry for the producers to produce and to fall in line with the pseudo-religion of wealth and prosperity based on one’s individualistic ability to produce and his or her enjoyment of such activities. For Galt and his followers, this was success and the true essence of life.

To reiterate the value of a thinking society, John Galt speaks to the looters in regards to what the retreat of reason, thought, and creativity had brought to the world through the strikers of the mind. “If you want to know what you lost when I quit and when my strikers deserted your world—stand on any empty stretch of soil in a wilderness unexplored by men and ask yourself what manner of survival you would achieve and how long you would last if you refused to think, with no one around to teach you the motions, or, if you chose to think, how much your mind would be able to discover….ask yourself whether you would be able to discover how to till the soil and grow your food…then decide whether men of ability are exploiters” (Rand, 1999, pp. 1048-1049).

Feminism

To those who were led to believe that a capitalistic society was an evil commodity, Dagny Taggart was a symbol of everything that was wrong with a society based on capitalism and productivity. She was a woman, who for some, had overstepped the bounds of societal acceptability in the fact that she had not chosen to marry or to establish a traditional home, which was such a prevalent mainstay of most homes during the time of the initial writing of Atlas Shrugged. Balph Eubank looked upon Dagny as “a symptom of the illness of our century….Machines have destroyed man’s humanity…There’s an example of it—a woman who runs a railroad, instead of practicing the beautiful craft of the handloom and bearing children” (Rand, 1999, p. 138).

In Rand’s writing, marriage is not a value that is esteemed, as evidenced in the marriage of Hank and Lillian Rearden. Lillian despises her husband and his work. Hank merely tolerates his wife. It is not until he meets Dagny, that he finds someone who will share his love and appreciation for his work and life goals and accomplishments.

Affairs are not considered inappropriate in Rand’s writings. Fidelity is not considered a virtue. There is not a long term, committal approach to marriage and sexual activity. In addition, children were never mentioned in the text of Atlas Shrugged. In Rand’s world, if literature truly reflects life, children would have been a burden and therefore something that she would not have chosen to have or to commit to.

The Third Realm: Esthetics

“The third realm, esthetics, contains the various arts, such as music, the visual arts, the arts of movement, and literature” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 12). By seeing the artistic qualities of a literary work, meaning and understanding can be enhanced and deepened for a more intuitive and firmer grasp of the specific meanings and nuances of a particular work of literary genius and artistic quality.

Art

“Ayn Rand held that art is a “re-creation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value judgments. By its nature, therefore, a novel (like a statue or a symphony) does not require or tolerate an explanatory preface; it is a self-contained universe, aloof from commentary, beckoning the reader to enter, perceive, [and] respond” (Rand, 1999, p. ix).

When Rand talks about a self-created universe, she is mirroring her philosophical view of writing. Rand was able to create a reality of her own choosing through her penned imaginations and her creative expressive abilities and expertise. She was able to create images through the written word and convey meanings and philosophical content through her own literary artistic talents and skills.

Music

Richard Halley is Dagny Taggart’s favorite composer. He is a masterful musician with a bent toward writing beautiful concertos and operas. At the age of 24, Halley’s first opera “Phaethon” was performed. He met with wide spread humiliation and professional disfranchisement by the critics when his opera was booed and heckled by patrons of his first musical debut.

On his second debut, years later, he met with the success he had longed for since his youth. However, shortly after receiving a rave review of his musical composition’s performance, Halley disappeared. It was another example of a producer leaving the “world” to go to the “perfect world” of the intellectual elitists who retreated to a distant place which came to be known as John Galt’s gulch, a place where men could be productive using their own talents and gifts, whatever they may be, for their own personal pleasure, development, and reward.

Literature

Atlas Shrugged is a mixture of genres and literary devices that combine a fluid story of romance and love based on Ayn Rand’s most basic philosophical beliefs. “Atlas Shrugged is more myth than novel. Miss Rand’s heroes and heroines are godlike creatures who, in their leviathan strength, resist the wickedness of the pernicious weaklings around them and achieve their ends at will” (Riley, 1975, p. 423).

Reason and rationality were together the basis for the novel Atlas Shrugged. Before ever starting a novel, “Ayn Rand wrote voluminously in her journals about its theme, plot, and characters” (Rand, 1999, ix). In her journal writing for Atlas Shrugged, Rand demonstrated “her mind in action, confident even when groping, purposeful even when stymied, luminously eloquent even though wholly unedited. These journals are also a fascinating record of the step-by-step birth of an immortal work of art” (Rand, 1999, p. ix).

“Ayn Rand’s basic purpose as a novelist was to present not villains or even heroes with errors, but the ideal man—the consistent, the fully integrated, the perfect” (Rand, 1999, p. xii). The perfect man in Atlas Shrugged is John Galt. He is heroic in nature and a “towering figure who moves the world and the novel” (Rand, 1999, p. xii). Galt is truly a man for all seasons and times and is pivotal to the story and philosophical views found in Atlas Shrugged.

Rand relates to each of the characters in the book in different and distinguishing ways and presupposes characteristics for each figure involved in the novel. Ideas personified are”for Dagny-the ideal; for Rearden-the friend, and for Francisco d’Anconia-the aristocrat; to James Taggart-the eternal threat; and to the Professor – his conscience” (Rand, 1999, p. xiii).

Rand’s writings have given impetus to philosophies and objectives that have inspired many to take a new look at different opportunities and options to personal fulfillment and success. Rand herself concedes that she seems “to be both a theoretical philosopher and a fiction writer” (Rand, 1999, xiv). Rand wrote for discovery. “For my purpose, the non-fiction form of abstract knowledge doesn’t interest me; the final, applied form of fiction does. I wonder to what extent I represent a peculiar phenomenon in this respect” (Rand, 1999, xiv). Rand also believed that she was much like her character, John Galt. “He is a combination of an abstract philosopher and a practical inventor; the thinker and the man of action together” (Rand, 1999, xiv).

For Rand, her writing was romantic. In writing, Rand chose to make characters either “black or white” from the context of their commitment to their own moray of values, ethics, and lifestyles. Therefore, characters became a mirrored version of her own reality and of society as she perceived it to be.

The Fourth Realm: Synnoetics

The fourth realm is synnoetics. “Meanings in the synnoetics realms are subjective (and inter-subjective), concrete and existential” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 430). Synnoetics is relational. There are two fundamental concepts within this realm that provide a deeper understanding of man and his interaction with his world and those individuals who become a relational part of that world. The “I-It” relationship is how we respond to inanimate and worldly manifestations and structures. The “I-Thou” relationship is how we interact and re-act to those around us. Sexuality can be classified as an “I-Thou” phenomenon in the form of proper relationships and attributes.

From a Freudian perspective, “the source of instinctual energy (particularly the sexual energy or libido) is the id. The id is regarded as part of the unconscious, an aspect of the personality below the level of the conscious mind” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 413). Relationships between Dagny and those she chose to commit herself to were below the level of the conscious mind. Where reason stopped, passionate relationships began.

In Atlas Shrugged, there are several love interests with the main female character of the novel, Dagny Taggart. These relationships are each viewed from a different perspective based on Dagny’s work and relationship to each man she committed herself to, even if only for a brief period of time.

Lifetime commitments were never a conditional part of Dagny’s intimate relationships. For the most part, her relationships were based first on common interests and goals, then on romantic passion and desire. Her love interests included Hank Rearden, John Galt, and Francisco d’Anconia.

The Fifth Realm: Ethics

Ethics, according to Dr. William A. Kritsonis, is that which “includes moral meanings that express obligation rather than fact, perceptual form, or awareness of relation” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13). Morality, according to Dr. Kritsonis, is simply that “which reflects inter-subjective understanding. Morality has to do with personal conduct that is based on free, responsible, deliberate decision” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13).

Rand’s view of morality is exonerated by her impressive portrayal of John Galt’s impassioned views about morality expressed during his long and elaborate discourse on morality and objectivism. “A rational process is a moral process. You may make an error at any step of it, with nothing to protect you but your own severity, or you may try to cheat, to fake the evidence and evade the effort of the quest—but if devotion to truth is the hallmark of morality, then there is no greater, nobler, more heroic form of devotion than the act of a man who assumes the responsibility of thinking” (Rand, 1999, p. 1017).

For John Galt, reason was the moral basis of all life. “My morality, the morality of reason, is contained in a single axiom: existence exists-and in a single choice: to live. To live, man must hold three things as the supreme and ruling value of his life: Reason-Purpose-Self-esteem. These three values imply and require all of man’s virtues, and all his virtues pertain to the relation of existence and consciousness: rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness, and pride” (Rand, 1999, p. 1018).

Rand does not believe man has a moral responsibility to his or her neighbor. This tenet of Rand’s ethical theory appears at first glance to be harsh and uncaring. John Galt restated Rand’s theory of isolation and moralism and held that such attributes were proper and appropriate in his own world view. “Do not say that my morality is too hard for you to practice and that you fear it as you fear the unknown. You kept sacrificing your virtues to your vices, and the best among men to the worst. This dismal wreckage, which is now your world, is the physical form of the treason you committed to your values, to your friends, to your defenders, to your future, to your country, to yourself” (Rand, 1999, p. 1060).

The question might be raised, “When do the needs of others supersede one’s own needs and desires?” According to Rand in her book, The Virtue of Selfishness, there are times when she believes that it is acceptable to help others. “Any action that a man undertakes for the benefit of those he loves is not a sacrifice if, in the hierarchy of his values, in the total context of the choices open to him, it achieves that which is of greatest personal (and rational) importance to him” (Rand, 1964, p. 51).

Ethical and moral decisions each have their own consequences. Rand also believes that in all ethical decisions, the ultimate choice of what is right or wrong lies with the individual. She believes that “the moral purpose of a man’s life is the achievement of his own happiness” (Rand, 1999, p. 55). Selfishness, therefore, remains a strong foundational principle of Rand’s ethical and moral philosophical basis for her idyllic view of society and life.

The Sixth Realm: Synoptics

Synoptics refers “to meanings that are comprehensively integrative” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13). Synoptics covers the realms of “history, philosophy, and religion” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13). Understanding the synoptic realm of meaning in these fields allows a continuity of understanding that helps to develop a deeper meaning and understanding of the specific work studied.

History

Historical parallelisms can be found in the story of Atlas Shrugged and important events in our own country’s history. In 1939, Albert Einstein informed President Franklin D. Roosevelt that the Germans had the makings of an atomic bomb. The first country to develop this method of mass destruction would be at a decisive advantage in the framework of global dominance and power.

Einstein in someway parallels the strikers of the mind when he decides to leave Germany and begin his new work in the United States. Just as John Galt did not want unthinking men to reap the benefits or responsibilities of his own creative genius, Einstein did not want the Germans, who he considered a danger and threat to the known world, to have the power of the atomic bomb.

Unthinking men with this unpredictable form of new power could cause grave destruction and chaos to the known world. Einstein knew this and made the decision to join forces with the United States in order to give his power and creative genius to a country that would be responsible and prudent in its dealing with this new form of power and technology.

Another historical parallel can be noted when the People’s State of Mexico promises a “roast of pork every Sunday” (Rand, 1999, p. 123). This is analogous to the campaign promises of Franklin D. Roosevelt when he advocated that lack and poverty would soon be a thing of the past. He promised a “chicken in every pot” to every American who would believe in and support his bid for the presidency of the United States of America.

Philosophy

“Philosophy provides analytic clarification, evaluation, and synthetic coordination of all the other realms through a reflective conceptual interpretation of all possible kinds of meaning in their distinctiveness and in their interrelationships” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 13). Ayn Rand believed that righteous self-interest superseded all morality and goodness. She “challenged the prevalent philosophies of our time with objectivism, a ‘morality of rational self-interest’ repudiating all forms of altruism, including religion, as ‘collectivist’ traps incompatible with a free society” (Moritz, 1982, p. 331).

When writing Atlas Shrugged, “Ayn Rand had to go beyond ethics: she had to originate a new system of philosophy, identifying the nature of man’s means of knowledge and of the universe he seeks to know” (Hull and Peikoff, 1999, p. 290). Ms. Rand’s philosophical bias lies with her theory of objectivism. Her philosophy of objectivism is mirrored in the pages of the novel Atlas Shrugged. Her philosophy is based essentially on the selfishness and individuality of the person who chooses to take responsibility for his or her actions and be responsible for their own view of personal happiness and success.

“My philosophy in essence,” Miss Rand has said, “is the concept of man as a heroic being with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only guide” (Moritz, 1999, p. 332). Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism states that “reality exists as an objective absolute, reason is man’s only means of perceiving reality, man is an end in himself, and the ideal political-economic system is a laissez-faire capitalism” (Ayn Rand Institute, 1996). John Galt’s speech in Atlas Shrugged reflects Rand’s philosophical bent toward her reasoned stance on objectivism and its value to a coherent and productive society.

Rand’s Objectivist Philosophies

In the novel, Atlas Shrugged, John Galt’s perception of the world around him conceptualizes Ayn Rand’s objectivist’s views and philosophies. Therefore, it is important to see how her actual stated philosophical views are reflected in the fictional writings of Atlas Shrugged. Each axiom can be seen through the eyes of her created, heroic character, John Galt.

Objectivist Axiom #1: “Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears” (Ayn Rand Institute, 1996). In Atlas Shrugged, John Galt states, “Reality is that which exists; the unreal does not exist; the unreal is merely that negation of existence which is the content of a human consciousness when it attempts to abandon reason. Truth is the recognition of reality; reason, man’s only means of knowledge, is his only standard of truth” (Rand, 1999, p. 1017).

Objectivist Axiom #2: “Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life” Ayn Rand Institute, 1996). Happiness, therefore, as explained through the words of John Galt “is the successful state of life. Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values” (Rand, 1999, p. 1014).

Objectivist Axiom #3: “The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church” (Ayn Rand Institute, 1996).

John Galt’s perception of the ideal political-economic system saw the ultimate view of man as one who was totally in control of his life and work. He believed that “every man is free to rise as far as he’s able or willing, but it’s only the degree to which he thinks that determines the degree to which he’ll rise” (Rand, 1999, p. 1064). However, Galt holds disdain for those who benefit from the contributions of those who have reached their potential and exist at the top of the intellectual and creative pyramid of intellect and creative knowledge and power, and yet do not produce themselves.

“In proportion to the mental energy he spent, the man who creates a new invention receives but a small percentage of his value in terms of material payment, no matter what fortune he makes, no matter what millions he earns” (Rand, 1999, p. 1066). Therefore, in Galt’s mind, as well as Rand’s, there is a disproportionate reward for those who create and for those who simply partake of the intellectual creativity of others.

The motto for Galt’s objectivist theory is found at the end of his infamous and revealing speech which epitomized his views on society, life, objectivism, and the reasons for his departure from the world, even if only for a short time. “You will win when you are ready to pronounce the oath I have taken at the start of my battle—and for those who wish to know the day of my return, I shall now repeat it to the hearing of the world: “I swear by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine” (Rand, 1999, p. 1069).

Galt’s speech is totally aligned with Rand’s basic philosophy of the nature and purpose of selfishness in one’s personal, as well as corporate life. “Since selfishness is ‘concern with one’s own interests’, the objectivist ethics uses that concept in its exact and purest sense. It is not a concept that one can surrender to man’s enemies, nor to the unthinking misconceptions, distortions, prejudices and fears of the ignorant and the irrational. The attack on selfishness is an attack on man’s self-esteem” (Rand, 1964, p. xi). This attack on one’s self-esteem was not an attack that John Galt chose to let emerge in his own personal life. Therefore, he retreated in order to gain supremacy over his own life, creative thoughts and abilities.

Selfishness to Rand and to Galt was not something to be avoided. Selfishness was to be embraced and celebrated. Rand’s views were that the attack on selfishness was “an attack on man’s self-esteem; to surrender one, is to surrender the other” (Rand, 1964, p. xi). As Galt’s final self-interest led him to retreat from a society he believed was comprised of moochers and looters, he demonstrates fully his philosophical and moral agreement with Rand that the idea and practice of selfishness as a virtue should be lauded and held high in the realms of intellectual honor and esteem.

Galt, although not a philosopher by trade, influenced his generation through his own philosophic thought and commitment to his ideas. His contributions thereby exceeded those that only a scientist could bring forth. “Perhaps the greatest contribution of the analytic philosophers is their personal witness to the importance of meaning and their faith in the possibility of making meanings clear” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 73). Galt contributed, in essence, new meaning and life through his innovative leadership and objective philosophies and intellectual premises and pursuits.

Religion

Ayn Rand was a self-proclaimed atheist. Her “god” was the capitalistic society where each man produced from his own individualism and creativity. Worshiping a god, such as the Christian God, was to Miss Rand a representation of naïveté and a misunderstanding of the essential purpose of life.

In the Christian gospel, the value of the individual is paramount. Whether rich or poor, well-known or hidden from the vastness of society and its existence, Christianity presupposes the value of the individual. God, as Creator, values the individual and provides a way of redemption for his creation to ensure their eternal happiness, reward, and eternal longevity which are ensured to those who believe in Him and trust in His providence and guidance throughout life with the hope of securing a future and destiny in-line with God’s purposes and design.

For Rand, the individual who does not conform to her romantic idealized version of life is potentially unworthy of respect or consideration. This view could have influenced her view of abortion and the rights of the unborn, who at birth are truly “non-producers” and who are totally dependent on someone else’s care, generosity, and commitment To Rand, “an embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born” (Hull and Peikoff, 1999, p. 337). Rand’s view of abortion is that it is a “moral right which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved” (Hull and Peikoff, 1999, p. 337).

It is interesting to note, that in Atlas Shrugged, sexuality is not mentioned as a form of pro-creation, but simply as an act of encounter that does not require continual commitment or a dedication to a relationship that has the ability to transcend time and become an integral party of one’s entire being and ultimate life legacy.

Rand’s ideology is in many ways in direct contrast to Christian values and virtues. Christianity espouses the centrality of a triune God who is benevolent and caring to the population of mankind. In contrast, Rand’s god was materialistic. Rand’s heroic characters were those who lived for themselves. Dagny Taggart’s sexuality was in direct contrast to the Christian teachings of morality and purity. Where Christians are admonished to “die to one’s self”, Rand encourages the “self-life.” However, Rand’s writings do give the astute student of philosophy a chance to compare and contrast the values of the world and therefore choose for oneself their own vision of morality and justice.

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, Atlas Shrugged is a novel based on the importance of rationality and man’s own individuality and freedom of choice. There are ten major issues which are discussed in the novel and that lend credence to Rand’s philosophical views which include the purpose of life and man’s destiny and responsibilities for individualized happiness and success. Ten prominent themes outlined in Atlas Shrugged include, but are not exclusive of: (1) Rand’s theory of objectivism (2) capitalism (3) socialism (4) communism (as seen through the division of labor (i.e., the looters and the strikers of the mind) (5) feminism (6) a woman’s right to choose (7) man’s spirituality (8) man’s sexuality (9) art in literature and life and (10) the historical parallels of Atlas Shrugged with actual historical events. By reading Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, readers can gain a new appreciation of her philosophical and literary contributions to our society and how their applications to everyday life and academic study can enhance one’s search for knowledge utilizing the comprehensive framework of the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning.

References

Clayton, G. (1995). Economics, principles and practices (pp. 476, 567). New York: McGraw Hill.

Hull, G., & Peikoff, L. (1999). The ayn rand reader (pp. 290, 337). New York: Penguin Putnam, Incorporated.

Kritsonis, W.A. (2007). Ways of knowing through the realms of meaning (pp. 11, 12, 73,266,413,430). Houston, Texas: National Forum.

Moritz, C. (1982). Current biography yearbook (pp. 234,331,332). New York:

The H.W. Wilson Company.

Rand, A. (1964). The virtue of selfishness (pp. 51, 55, xi, xii). New York: Penguin Putnam, Incorporated.

Rand, A. (1996). Ayn rand institute for the center on objectivism. Retrieved November 17, 2006, from aynrand.org

Rand, A. (1999). Atlas shrugged (pp. ix, xii, xiii, xiv, 55, 123, 131, 132, 133, 134, 138, 1017, 1018, 1048, 1049, 1060, 1064, 1066, 1067, 1069). New York: Penguin Putnam, Incorporated.

Riley, C. (1975). Contemporary literary criticism (p. 423). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company.

Uyl, D. J. and Rasmussen D. B. (1986). The philosophic thought of Ayn Rand (p. 173). Chicago, Illinois: Illini Books.

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If no one has seen God ae spoke to God who then know the way to God scince only God knows the way to Himself. This would make every one who claims to be a prophet a lier
I have dreams about people i know showing me when they are in harms way. and they come true..why?
I dont know what to do because my boyfriend and I arent connecting spiritually. I dont see a real effort from him to learn about God and I dont know what to do. I mean i’ve been real patient with…

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Fifty Ways To Save Our Planet

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 23:56:46 +0000

Fifty Ways To Save Our Planet

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Fifty Ways To Save Our Planet

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The Human Effect On Climate Change And Global Disasters

By the Urban News Ninja

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.
In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as “global warming” or “anthropogenic global warming” (AGW).
For information on temperature measurements over various periods, and the data sources available, see temperature record. For attribution of climate change over the past century, see attribution of recent climate change.

Human influences

Main article: Global warming

Anthropogenic factors are human activities that change the environment. In some cases the chain of causality of human influence on the climate is direct and unambiguous (for example, the effects of irrigation on local humidity), while in other instances it is less clear. Various hypotheses for human-induced climate change have been argued for many years. Presently the scientific consensus on climate change is that human activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global average temperatures over the past several decades. Consequently, the debate has largely shifted onto ways to reduce further human impact and to find ways to adapt to change that has already occurred.

Of most concern in these anthropogenic factors is the increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion, followed by aerosols (particulate matter in the atmosphere) and cement manufacture. Other factors, including land use, ozone depletion, animal agriculture and deforestation, are also of concern in the roles they play – both separately and in conjunction with other factors – in affecting climate, microclimate, and measures of climate variables.

Physical evidence for climatic change

Evidence for climatic change is taken from a variety of sources that can be used to reconstruct past climates. Reasonably complete global records of surface temperature are available beginning from the mid-late 1800s. For earlier periods, most of the evidence is indirect—climatic changes are inferred from changes in proxies, indicators that reflect climate, such as vegetation, ice cores, dendrochronology, sea level change, and glacial geology.

Historical and archaeological evidence

Main article: Historical impacts of climate change

Climate change in the recent past may be detected by corresponding changes in settlement and agricultural patterns. Archaeological evidence, oral history and historical documents can offer insights into past changes in the climate. Climate change effects have been linked to the collapse of various civilizations.

Glaciers

Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years

Glaciers are considered among the most sensitive indicators of climate change, advancing when climate cools and retreating when climate warms. Glaciers grow and shrink, both contributing to natural variability and amplifying externally forced changes. A world glacier inventory has been compiled since the 1970s, initially based mainly on aerial photographs and maps but now relying more on satellites. This compilation tracks more than 100,000 glaciers covering a total area of approximately 240,000 km2, and preliminary estimates indicate that the remaining ice cover is around 445,000 km2. The World Glacier Monitoring Service collects data annually on glacier retreat and glacier mass balance From this data, glaciers worldwide have been found to be shrinking significantly, with strong glacier retreats in the 1940s, stable or growing conditions during the 1920s and 1970s, and again retreating from the mid 1980s to present.

Percentage of advancing glaciers in the Alps in the last 80 years

The most significant climate processes since the middle to late Pliocene (approximately 3 million years ago) are the glacial and interglacial cycles. The present interglacial period (the Holocene) has lasted about 11,700 years.Shaped by orbital variations, responses such as the rise and fall of continental ice sheets and significant sea-level changes helped create the climate. Other changes, including Heinrich events, Dansgaard–Oeschger events and the Younger Dryas, however, illustrate how glacial variations may also influence climate without the orbital forcing.

Glaciers leave behind moraines that contain a wealth of material – including organic matter that may be accurately dated – recording the periods in which a glacier advanced and retreated. Similarly, by tephrochronological techniques, the lack of glacier cover can be identified by the presence of soil or volcanic tephra horizons whose date of deposit may also be precisely ascertained.

What can we do to slow down or stop Global Warming

Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
We recommend you purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com, they have great deals on both screw-in and plug-in light bulbs.

Install a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.

Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.

Do not leave appliances on standby
Use the “on/off” function on the machine itself. A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

Move your fridge and freezer
Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

Don’t let heat escape from your house over a long period
When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

Get a home energy audit
Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

Cover your pots while cooking
Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

Take a shower instead of a bath
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow shower heads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow shower head (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

Insulate and weatherize your home
Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.
Be sure you’re recycling at home
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

Recycle your organic waste
Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

Buy intelligently
One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
You will also cut down on waste production and energy use… another help against global warming.

Reuse your shopping bag
When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

Reduce waste
Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

Switch to green power
In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don’t use for yourself.

Buy locally grown and produced foods
The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

Seek out and support local farmers markets
They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.

Buy organic foods as much as possible
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

Eat less meat
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north American commuters and travelers.

Don’t leave an empty roof rack on your car
This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight – removing it is a better idea.

Keep your car tuned up
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

Try car sharing
Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar – offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

Try telecommuting from home
Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.
Fly less
Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investing in renewable energy projects.

Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

Join the virtual march
The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

Encourage the switch to renewable energy
Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

Protect and conserve forest worldwide
Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere – deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.

Consider the impact of your investments
If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

Make your city cool
Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you’re in the U.S., join the cool cities list.

Tell Congress to act
The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

Make sure your voice is heard!
Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!

Share this list!
Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

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I’m looking at the diferent ways of saving money. how can i save money or in what ways will i be saving money with a general insurance policy or company?
How many planets does the milky way have ?
What if you have already called or texted entirely too much…Is there a way to save the relationship so his interest in you will return?

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7 Ways A Book Can Boost Your Business

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:00:56 +0000

Are you a book author? Still deciding if it?s worth the effort? It is!!! You can use your book in a wealth of ways to build your business or promote your professional practice.

Here are 7 suggestions for using your book that will make you more money, whether it?s a digital e-book or print version, whether you plan to self publish your book or not, whatever book market you?re targeting:

(1) Say thanks with your book. Brainstorm a list of people who?ve already helped you?who will probably be able to help again in the future. Don’t just give them a copy of your book to read. Provide them with extra copies that they can use for their own businesses. Or, say thanks for the referrals with your book.

If it?s printed, autograph each copy. Include a personal note from you. Generate some publicity, too. People will talk about the book you gave them, especially because it?s been personalized (and that got it for free as thanks).

(2) Freely give out an e-book (digital version) based on excerpts from the print version of your book. Capitalize on viral marketing by making selected excerpts into an e-book available as an opt-in at your website or distributed via specialized websites offering free e-books.

Provide valuable information for your readers. But, be careful. Don’t reveal all your how-to secrets in the e-book. Save them for your paid version. Tell why and what, not how, in your viral version. Use your excerpted free e-book to entice people to visit your website to buy the paid version of your book.

(3) ?Bribe? people with your book. If you?d like to get some people to help you but you don?t have money to pay them, use your book as a bribe to get them to provide their services for free.

If you?re looking to get help from experts, for example, offer to customize a digital version of your book by adding each person?s name as a contributor. Add a few pages to their personal version containing their words of wisdom. If they don?t want to write anything, interview them to draw forth some ideas that you put down on paper for them. They’ve now become co-authors or contributors to your book.

And, you?ll benefit from their services without having to blow your budget. Win-Win.

(4) Donate copies of your printed book to be used as prizes at a local business event. Who doesn?t love freebies, especially organizations that don?t have the money to pay for prizes? The organization gets to increase attendance at their event by using your books to attract attention. You get publicity when your book and your name are mentioned at prize time. And, the winners who get your books will tell others about your great information, further spreading the word about you and your business.

If you?ll be attending the event, offer to autograph the books for the winners, too. Not going to be at the event? No problem. Give the event planners autographed copies of your book in advance (obviously, without the personalization for the winners).

(5) Create a series of articles from your book to use in your own e-zine or send them out into cyberspace via e-zine and article directories, announcement services. Article marketing is a fabulous way to generate publicity, sell copies of your book, get new clients for your practice, and so on.

The cost is mostly time, rather than money, if you put together and distribute the articles yourself. Or, spend a bit of money to have someone else write the articles and have an assistant or article service distribute the articles.

(6) Turn your book into a course. Enjoy teaching, but never seem to find the time to develop a new course? Well, here?s another use for your book. Transform it into a course by adding some exercises and examples, weekly assignments, worksheets, self-quizzes, etc.

If you want to teach the course live, use your converted book to guide your students. If you prefer online teaching, digitalize your book. Don?t want to be directly involved in teaching? Create a course that your students can use on their own. Many people like the self-study approach.

(7) Laugh it up! Think funny. Develop a shorter version of your non-fiction book…with a humorous twist to it. If you?re artistically-skilled, add some cartoons or witty illustrations. If you?re artistically-challenged like I am, add humor with your words.

I turned my own business writing book into a really funny take-off by looking at collections from Mad Magazine and similar ?high-brow literature? for inspiration. I had even more fun writing the humorous version than I did creating the original serious version.

My favorite takeoff in the humorous book was when I used my medical background to develop a fake ad for WRITAGRA to treat debilitating writer?s block. I haven?t done any funny versions of my other books yet, but I probably will. My personal challenge is that I?m not all that inherently funny, although I?m less humor-challenged than I am artistically-challenged.

Some of these 7 methods require print copies of your book. With modern technology, you can get a relatively small number of copies printed at a reasonable cost to use for marketing purposes. Just make sure your distribution of print copies is well targeted, so you don?t waste your money.

If you?re using a digital version of your book, don?t worry about costs. They?re minimal. So, liberally use your digital e-book to make more money!

Which method will you start with for your own print book marketing or e-book marketing activities? How will becoming a book author boost your business, make more money for your professional practice?

Why are some people still making lots of money in a down economy? Because they’re maximizing the ultimate promotional tool to build business as the expert in their field. Dr. Alicejane Lippner, author of >15 business-building books, shows you how.

?http://www.Bookin30Days.com

5 Ways to Effectively Use Your Business Blog

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:03:18 +0000

Business blogging is now one of the best ways to provide fresh, high quality content to your followers and subscribers. If you are not already using the business blogging platform to attract visitors to your products and services, you are missing a golden opportunity.

If you are stuck for ideas on what to add to your business blog, here are a few tips:

5 Ways to Effectively Use Your Business Blog

Personal log or diary

1. Create a personal diary to share your daily thoughts, tips and advice with your visitors. Become a ‘thought leader’ in your sector and research new ideas to pass onto others.

Review blog

2. Review other sites and blogs in your niche market. Make sure you ask for comments and encourage your visitors to recommend your blog to others. Provide recommendations, feedback and honest critique on other people’s services and products. Once your visitors know, like and trust you, they will be more comfortable following your recommendations.

Community blog

3. One of the best ways to grow your subscriber list is to create a community blog. You will be providing a place where your visitors can share their problems with others, just like them, to hopefully find solutions. In general, people have a natural desire to feel part of a group or community, rather than exist in isolation. A prime example of this, is the astronomical raise in popularity of the new social networking sites such as Facebook, now reporting over 110 million users worldwide.

Internal blog

4. If you work for a large organization consider using a blog to share ideas and brainstorming events. People like to feel their opinion counts.

Affiliate marketing blog

5. Become an affiliate marketer selling other people’s products and services.

Irene Houston is an eMarketing Technology Coach & Trainer. The best way to build your online business is to to create 1-page Squeeze Pages to market your products or services. Learn how to do this by visiting Create a Website and sign up for your **FREE 10 x VIDEO LESSONS** on ‘How to Create a Website in 2 Hours’ NOW!

Network Marketing: 3 Surefire Ways To Make The Most Money With The Least Effort

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:00:42 +0000

Stop stressing in your network marketing business. “We got into the business for financial freedom.” (AKA=stress free)

Here 3 surefire secrets to getting money in your pocket with the least amount of time…

1.Wet your downline’s appetite from time to time

Whether it is a new sales contest or a company retreat or convention. When you find out about something on the horizon, teasing your downline with some anticipation for something great is invaluable. It will always create an air of excitement and motivate everyone for more sales.

2.Success begins when you decide.

To make your network marketing a success, you must first begin with yourself. You cannot achieve success or it will take you long before you will truly enjoy the sweet taste of your great achievement if you won’t feel it in your heart that you can succeed. The road to winning begins here. It is when you start believing in yourself that it can be done and that it is possible to achieve your goals that you will be able to summon the courage to push yourself to the limit. You should have a sense of obligation to perform well for the good of your network marketing scheme.

3.Motivate

the most common types of people you will run into when trying to grow your network marketing business are those who are cynical, lazy and unrealistic. It’s natural and it’s probably based on some past experience or just the crap they hear from other’s who don’t know what they are talking about. Your motivational tactics can mean the difference between failure and success so think out the box to get the best from your team.

Would You Like To Know How I Do It?
Then grab my just finished 2009 edition of my MLM Wealth Formula

! **Mason is a Internet Marketer who as a newbie became

the founder of http://www.articlemarketinglesson.com,

generated 20,117 leads, and $30,198 in his first 90

days**
*************************************************************

*******
Just Copy Now!

Six Ways To Spy On The Competition

Tue, 25 May 2010 06:56:16 +0000

Six Ways To Spy On The Competition
Evenly matched with your rivals? Good intelligence can make the difference. Here’s how to get it.

7 Ways to Make Your Business Love You Back

Fri, 07 May 2010 06:56:16 +0000

1. Show your talent
Portfolio – post your portfolio online, you will be able to show future clients that you have the right mix of skills and qualifications to do the job. When you post your portfolio online you will be visible to everyday opportunities, recent studies show that more than 1/3 of Americans go online daily and 2/3 go online at least once a month. No matter what line of work you are in, you have a potential audience of people online. Do not simply keep your portfolio on your own site. Showcasing your portfolio in different websites (such as

In this way you will be able to show up your competition, small businesses have grown 46% faster utilizing websites than those who don’t – American City Business Journals. Also, you will be able to reach more people.

2. Making your business famous
Profile/Video – your profile is the first chance to make a connection with your future clients, to really make a positive impression.

It’s almost like the first meeting face to face, like the first hand shake. Studies show that the first 30 seconds in any meeting determines the future relationship. It’s really important to make a great impression. Create an online profile and video to be able to show your talent to the world. Humans remember 20% of what we hear and 30% of what we see, but 50% of what we both see and hear. 85% of the information taken into the brain enters through the eyes and the largest part of the brain is set aside to process information taken in visually.

3. Customer loyalty = loyal business
Feedback, survey, web presence, customer service – satisfied customers tells 3 friends, angry customers tell 3,000.
Study of 1,000 retailers show that 43% of customers abandoned a provider because of a negative experience and 30% felt that they were not treated as valued customers – Acumen Research Group

Studies show, when you receive positive feedback on our website, you can increase sales by 15-20%. Feedback can give you credibility – you’ll get positive feedback if your customers are satisfied with their product or services you provide. “in the end… there is only one point of view that matters, there is only on perspective that matters… the customers.” – Jeffrey Gitomer.

4. Make a new friend – people like to do business with friends, make a friend, make more business.
Build your customer base with name recognition. Becoming a recognizable name is not that easy or everyone would do it but something you can do to help your chances is to post your portfolio everywhere, go to trade shows, get involved in your industries community network.

Everyone wants referral business, yet few people understand how to get it. It always seems that our competitors are benefitting from word of mouth advertising through referrals. This all depends on making the right connections. * People will do business with people they have been told they can trust.

For example, if you are a personal shopper and you network and build a relationship with a personal trainer. When this personal trainer has a client who has lost a lot of their weight, they will need and want to buy new clothes that fit them.

Here is where the referral process kicks in. If you have a relationship with that personal trainer, you can refer customers back and forth. With our networking system you can maximize your referrals through other professionals, while building relationships and positive word of mouth advertising.
Keep connected – most clients will need to be revisited again in the future. They will probably need your services again. Take time to catch up with past clients may lead to new work. It’s a good idea to organize your contact info of your past clients so that you can easily follow-up in the future.

5. Blogging and Networking
Creating a blog is a great way to reach clients who have a specific interest in your company, or share your interests, product or services. You can post opinions, create product reviews, talk about new services you offer and this will attract visitors and new clients while influencing others. Blog post will help you draw traffic to the blog itself and they will convert to clients. If you run a blog with an active readership you will benefit from hugely improved name recognition. *You have the knowledge and ability.

A blog is one of the best and cheapest methods to share your voice with others.
Additionally, your credibility can be helped as well with just a profile and portfolio it’s very difficult for visitors to know and understand you. With a blog you will become more transparent to your readers and that can give you added credibility that can help you attract more inquires. Networking is a great way to improve your business. Building a strong network of friends and colleagues can lead to more referral work, opportunities and sharing of clients.

Also, tapping into your network of friends and associates is an excellent way to leverage knowledge of your competition. You need to think out of the box, here is what I mean, you need to not just depend on your friend and associates, you need to talk with everyone about your network. Make your network different, talk about something that stands out and is important to people and offer new information in it. Ideas where you can increase visibility for your network – coffee shop, fitness or sports gym, car wash, malls, etc.

6. Party with your business – events, seminars, trade shows
An event will give you the advantage of meeting with your clients face to face. You’ll have the chance to personally connect with your clients.

You should make all your events educations, interesting, fun and something memorable. You should offer something new and helpful for your clients and it should be about what you do to help them and what you can offer for them to improve their business.

Studies show that through event education, it will be easy for you to get connected to your future clients, also you will appear less “sales” and more helpful and caring about your clients.

7. Sell your stuff – you create it, you can sell it. You design your own stuff, you have your own brand to sell and you area proud of it but you don’t know how to get it out – utilize online shopping.

In 2006 online sales were $146.4 billion and in 2007 it jumped 19% to $174.5 billion- National Retail Federation (NRF). By this option you will reach your target faster and more easily. The #1 activity on the internet by consumers today is purchasing – US Dept of Commerce.

Oz Ahmad is the Co-founder of Yougoz.com. He is a creative entrepreneur, fitness coach and business consultant for almost 15 years. He began his career at a very young age, working in retail, design and fashion overseas. He spent 17 years in high-level sports, he has traveled throughout the world and wrote his autobiography at the age of 28. Oz believes success comes through a positive attitude along with new creative ways for businesses.

What ways could we attract clients to our booth at a home town event?

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:11:15 +0000

We are a local Mortgage company, I need ideas outside of the box. Not little pens, or key chains. Something that is different. Please share your ideas.Thanks

6 Ways to Save on Honeymoon Travel

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:11:11 +0000

It’s hard to imagine spending another dime after the nightmare of expenses involved in planning the wedding of your dreams, let alone forking over thousands for a luxury honeymoon vacation. But after months of tireless planning, you will need to get away and spend some alone-time with your new hubby. Honeymoons can be as costly as a month-long excursion across Europe or as cost-efficient as a weekend getaway at your local B&B. With these budget travel tips, you can escape without sacrificing your ultimate goal: relaxation and reconnection.

Think Outside the Season –
Off-season does not necessarily equate to bad weather. Many tropical locations have ideal weather year-round, but rates soar upwards when cold climate residents are looking to escape the winter blues. If you want to hop on a flight immediately following your wedding, consider booking your honeymoon travel arrangements at an off-season location; if you have your mind set on a particular destination, be flexible with your either your wedding date or your departure date to reap big savings.

Consult an Expert –
Look to a professional to help you book your vacation – and enjoy big savings. Travel agents provide all sorts of money-saving expertise and can often access on-going sales or last-minute deals on honeymoon travel. They’ll work with you to find the best vacation packages to suit your preferences and budget.

Ask for a Helping Hand –
If time away is more important to you than a waffle iron, consider setting up a honeymoon registry. Many travel agents offer services to collect, record, and apply contributions from your guests toward honeymoon resorts and expenditures. Some even allow guests to contribute to specific activities at your destination location, such as scuba diving lessons or boat rides.

Do Your Research –
Don’t let your honeymoon take a backseat to the wedding planning process. Start thinking about your vacation once you have established a wedding date, and keep your eyes peeled for deals posted online or in the paper. Give yourself plenty of time to comparison shop. This complete honeymoon travel guide will help you get started.

Earn Rewards –
If your credit allows, open a credit card with the best frequent-flier and other travel rewards. Start charging your wedding-day expenses, and cash in on the bonuses for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and other upgrades. Be careful here though; you should be able to pay off all expenditures at the end of every month to avoid finance charges and racked up debt. Also be sure to check black-out dates before making your travel arrangements.

Consider the Alternatives –
You aren’t bound by the typical island retreat when it comes to honeymoon options, but be sure to weigh the pros and cons of all your choices before booking. While all-inclusive resorts once carried a negative connotation with “mandatory fun” activities, their inclusive honeymoon packages afford you the luxury of a flat-rate and a carefree experience. Bed and breakfasts, on the other hand, offer romantic retreats at typically affordable prices, but can lack exclusive privacy. The point here is that you should do your research, discuss the types of honeymoon vacations available with your fiance, and decide which priorities take precedence. Our guide to honeymoon accommodations can help you weight the options.

Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete Weddings and Wedding Planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, how-to guides, photo galleries, checklists, and expert advice to walk brides through every step of the wedding planning process.

View the complete sitemap to find everything you need to plan your wedding.

Leadership group finding ways to improve Vallejo

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:08:12 +0000

Leadership group finding ways to improve Vallejo
At first the best part of Leadership Vallejo for Sandy Stowes was learning about her city’s secret treasures, its history, rich naval past and its schools, government and arts.Over the past three years Stowes has helped steer Leadership Vallejo into the future, and is