The Great Escape

Atlas Shrugged – Day 103 – pp. 1150-1159

Now we get a little hokey.

Francisco grills the subdued guards. How many guards are there? Where? What are these rooms?

It’s military precision. (You wonder, when you’re an expert at one thing, it would seem, in Rand’s universe, you’re an expert at everything. Continue reading “The Great Escape”

The “Passion” of John Galt (or the end of Jim Taggart)

Atlas Shrugged – Day 102 – pp. 1140-1149

No it ain’t.

“Long coils of wire, like the twisted arms of an octopus, stretched forward across the stone floor, from the machine to a leather mattress spread under a cone of violent light. John Galt lay strapped to the mattress, He as naked; the small metal disks of electrodes at the ends of the wires were attached to his wrists, his shoulders, his hips and his ankles…”

Sounds like an impressive creation. Wonder where Dr F bought the kit for that?

They turn on the machine and hear the buzz from the generator and the amplified sound of John Galt’s heartbeat.

Now he makes a fairly ridiculous sounding demand of Galt.

Continue reading “The “Passion” of John Galt (or the end of Jim Taggart)”

Captured!

Atlas Shrugged – Day 097 – pp. 1080-1089 + pp. 1090-1099

Guess what? It’s two-fer Thursday. The story between 1080 and 1089 was pretty stock stuff. If it was a movie, it’d be some kind of juxtaposition of scenes with a bit of dramatic background music.

Witness…

Continue reading “Captured!”

Broadcast interruptus

The news reports that reported Hank’s disappearance told everything but the story.

They said things like it was “social treason to ascribe too much importance to Hank Rearden’s disappearance.” Some denied his disappearance entirely. Others reported his untimely demise.

“It was strange she thought, to obtain news by means of nothing but denials…”

But the denials weren’t having their full desired effects.

Continue reading “Broadcast interruptus”

The looters next plans

Atlas Shrugged – Day 088 – pp. 942-951

…And without the necessary transportation in MN, the shit starts flying.

“…farmers who had waited in the streets of Lakewood for six days with no place to store their wheat . . . had demolished the local courthouse. . . While the flour mills and grain markets of the country were screaming over the phones and telegraph wires. . .”

Dagny and Eddie worked round the clock to get any transportation to MN. It wasn’t enough.

Continue reading “The looters next plans”

Francisco’s farewell… and trouble for Hank?

Atlas Shrugged – Day 086 – pp. 922-931

Hank’s feeling a little melancholy about it all. Like he betrayed Francisco, who was sacrificing for him.

Dagny tells him Francisco did it for them. For them all. (So what the hell are you two doing???)

What is it with these two? What is the drive not to give up? I mean, I understand the will not to give up. No quitters. But like Jim said before, they’re doers. Why not “do” where you can actually do something? Why keep trying to save the lost cause. Are they there for the little guys, like the tramp on the train, who refused to give up even though he was a lost cause too? Maybe. I guess I can see that.

Continue reading “Francisco’s farewell… and trouble for Hank?”

A September 2 surprise!

Atlas Shrugged – Day 085 – pp. 909-921

Somehow destroying a company like d’Anconia Copper or Rearden Steel is one thing. But destroying an innocent like Cherryl sinks the whole bunch to a new level of moral depravity.  (Not that I’m sentimental, but that bit pissed me off.)

That said, the drama is starting to pick up. I mean it was all well and good living in Atlantis for a month. But the real drama is here where the scumbags live. Hey, call me a jerk. I read the Bible and TMZ.com.

I stopped a couple pages early yesterday. Felt it was the fitting thing to do as the chapter ended with Cherryl. Time to get back on pace.

Continue reading “A September 2 surprise!”

Revelations all ’round

Atlas Shrugged – Day 079 – pp. 852-861

You know, I’m thinking. Wasn’t Hank Rearden’s motive one of self-interest too? I mean he made a choice. And he chose what he wanted to do. He knows he can re-build Rearden Metal. Maybe he was protecting a higher ideal too — Dagny. She’s the last remnant of capitalist morality in the world. Maybe this was his way of defending her as a principle. Maybe he is the moral hero of the book.

Anyway, on with the show…

Continue reading “Revelations all ’round”

Saving the country’s morale

Atlas Shrugged – Day 078 – pp. 842-851

“How many trains have been discontinued in the country in the past three weeks?”

“It has eliminated thirty per cent of the trains run in the country,” said Eddie. “The only competition left is in the applications to the Board for permission to cancel trains. The railroad to survive will be the one that manages to run no trains at all.”

That’s quite an explanation.

What’s going on in Dagny’s head?

Continue reading “Saving the country’s morale”

Dagny’s return from paradise

Atlas Shrugged – Day 077 – pp. 832-841

“The buildings seemed worn by weeks of summer heat, but the people seemed worm by centuries of anguish.”

Dagny’s back in the Big Apple. Apparently things have gone down hill in just the last month. These ten pages are more or less catch up so I’m just going to hit the highlights. (I want to get moving on that Project X — or Thompson Harmonizer plot twist.)

So she got dropped in Watsonville NE. Made her way to the train she took to the airport. While on the train she realized that her return from the dead was going to be a public affair. (Wait’ll you see how she covers her bases on that!) At the airport boarding the plane she stops a reporter, identifies herself and tell’s him she’s alive before boarding her flight.

The news is out all over by the time she lands.

Continue reading “Dagny’s return from paradise”

Project X

Atlas Shrugged – Day 075 – pp. 812-821

But then again, maybe I judge too harshly. Self-interest is the thing that Rand is all about, and Galt is looking out for his interests. OK, maybe he’s not such a liar… Maybe.

Anyway, as they’re saying goodnight, Dagny bursts into a stream of Galt-worship that come dangerously close to blasphemy.

“…my love and my hope to reach you and my wish to be worthy of you on the day when i would stand before you face to face…”

Sounds like a wish of some sort of divine judgment.

Continue reading “Project X”

Decision Day!

Atlas Shrugged – Day 074 – pp. 802-811

I can’t wait!!

“Yes or no, Miss Taggart?”

She’s at a meeting with the “heads” of state — Mulligan, Galt, Francisco and Hugh Akston.

Now I think we all know what her answer will be. The only question is whether she goes back to save the railroad or to save Hank.

So what is her decision?

Continue reading “Decision Day!”

Romantic Objectivism … Bullshit

Atlas Shrugged – Day 073 – pp. 792-801

Galt, Francisco and Dagny walk out to see d’Anconia Copper mine #1.

Francisco and Galt chat but Dagny is watching Francisco. She notices the “quality of his glance whenever it rested on Galt.”

Francisco obviously looks up to Galt. He’s the alpha dog in this pound.

And the way Rand is describing this, or at least the way I’m reading it, it’s leaving me with a little bad taste in my mouth. (Like a really cheap cigar.)

Continue reading “Romantic Objectivism … Bullshit”

“Dagny in Love” and other romantic twists

Atlas Shrugged – Day 071 – pp. 772-781

Francisco says:

This country was the only country in history born, not of chance and blind tribal warfare, but as a rational product of man’s mind. this country was build on the supremacy of reason — and , for on magnificent century it redeemed the world.

Indeed. The birth of the US was brought about by thinking men. Men who understood the dangers of unchecked power and the different guises that tyranny assumes. Our founding fathers. They had a vision. They brought that vision to life. And in the ensuing centuries, it has become corrupted by — what I’d say are inevitable forces of “civilized” society.

Continue reading ““Dagny in Love” and other romantic twists”

St. Paul, Capitalism and Ayn Rand (a few extra thoughts…)

Atlas Shrugged – Day 070 – pp. 762-771

Cut to scene, Dagny’s at the airfield in Galt’s Gulch (that’s what they’re calling it.) Who gets off the plane but Owen Kellogg.

He brings back a bit of reality. It’s been three days since she’s been missing and the outside world thinks she’s dead. Harsh reality.

“She nodded slowly, grasping the events she had not thought of considering.”

Continue reading “St. Paul, Capitalism and Ayn Rand (a few extra thoughts…)”

A guest for breakfast

Atlas Shrugged – Day 069 – pp. 752-761 (One extra page at the end of the last chapter.)

Chapter 2 – Utopia of Greed! (Don’t know but it sounds good.)

So it’s morning and Dagny wakes up to see John Galt who’s already working at his desk.

She broke something on the “ray screen” of the power plant when she crashed so he has to run off and do his “handy man” thing. Dagny insists on cooking breakfast while he’s at work.

Getting kind of domestic after only one day.

As she’s cooking, a man she’s never seen runs up and in through the front door.

Continue reading “A guest for breakfast”