Ayn Rand, Objectivism and the Western Yoga-Marketing/Industrial ComplexRemember that very old and tastless pop song, 'I Got a Party in My Passnts and I want Yo All To Come..Ta da, da da da da daaaah?
How about "There's an an Elitist Greed is Good Group in my Leotaaards....
Ta Taaa Ta da da daah
The weak and poor and gentle can all go to hell, so's long as I get riccccchhhh
Ta taaa ta ta ta taaa taaaaaaaH
Bit and squease Tease my ego oooh pleassseeee oh pleeeeaseeee! ."
The Science of Yoga-The Risks and Rewards is now available as a book.
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www.google.com]
Note this article "The NY Times unfairly trashes yoga.'
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NY Times unfairly trashes yoga. - Knight Science Journalism Tracker5 days ago ... The piece is adapted from Broad's new book, “The Science of Yoga: The Risks
and Rewards,” to be published next month by Simon & Schuster ...
ksjtracker.mit.edu/2012/01/05/ny-times-unfairly-trashes-yoga/ - 37k - Cached - Similar pages
Yet here is a item that also refers to Broads book and gives ways to do yoga safetly.
If a balanced discussion of the risk potential for yoga is seen as an attack, that indicates
that the world of yoga and its propagandists need an attitude adjustment and some long overdue outside scrutiny.
If yoga is a worthy endeavor it should survive scrutiny.
Whether its integrity can survive consumerism and profit driven faddism is the open question.
And this goes into the larger world of sports and ego--and thats the problem.
Yoga has become profit driven and ego driven.
And truthfulness is always the first casualty long before people get injuried.
Now, here is the article on how to do yoga safetly.
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abcnews.go.com]
On respected teacher quoted in this article on how to do yoga safetly is Leslie Kaminoff
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webcache.googleusercontent.com]
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From the Yoga Anatomy YouTube channel:
Learn more about studying online at yogaanatomy.net.
11/15/11 10:59pm
Sthira & Sukha of the Spine, by Leslie Kaminoff
6/12/11 1:48pm
Why "drop your shoulder blades" will never work - by Leslie Kaminoff
6/12/11 1:45pm
What is a breath-centered practice? by Leslie Kaminoff
Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar, with thirty two years’ experience in the fields of yoga and breath anatomy. Leslie’s book Yoga Anatomy, (co-authored with Amy Matthews), has been a top-selling yoga book on Amazon ever since its release in 2007.
Leslie is the founder of The Breathing Project, a NYC educational non-profit where he teaches his highly respected courses in Yoga Anatomy.
Leslie’s teaching is now available to a worldwide audience online at yogaanatomy.net.
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Who is John Galt? RTFN.
LK Writing
photo credit: Emily Gan
As I write this, I am wearing an article of Lululemon clothing I purchased 8 years ago. Did I spend twice what I pay for other brands? Yes. But, Lulu’s product has lasted 4 times as long. Maybe reading Atlas Shrugged helped Chip Wilson make boxer briefs this good. If so, I thank both him and Ayn Rand from the bottom of my well-ventilated nutsack.
It has been quite the spectacle the past few weeks, observing the widespread reaction to Wilson’s decision to put four provocative words on Lululemon’s ubiquitous shopping bags. So far, I have not seen a single article, comment or quote referencing Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged or Objectivism that reflects even a rudimentary understanding of the fundamental ideas that they represent.
Aside from being a satisfied Lulu customer, I’ve been following this story with keen interest because of two facts: I’m both a yoga educator, and a publicly declared Objectivist of long standing. If I were to evaluate these two facts on the basis of the general response to the “Galt” kerfuffle, I’d have to judge them to be incompatible. Fortunately, I do not make judgements based on public opinion.
I have read Atlas Shrugged five times, Fountainhead four times, and all of Ayn Rand’s non-fiction. As far as her more formal work on philosophy is concerned, I have had the privilege of personally studying with two of the top Objectivist scholars in the world. I have been contemplating and applying Rand’s ideas in every area of my life and career for four decades, and I’m well aware of the hard work it’s taken to forge a consistent world view in which the principles of Yoga are compatible with those of Objectivism. It wasn’t easy, but I did it, and I owe whatever success I’ve had in my life to the effort I put in.
If you have made a similar effort to forge a consistent philosophy for yourself and have something RATIONAL to say about this issue, I’d love to hear from you.
However, if you wish to comment about “Who is John Galt,” I’ll give you the same advice issued by frustrated tech support when they are repeatedly assaulted with stupid questions that have already been answered by the people who have taken the trouble to write the operating instructions: “RTFM – Read The Fucking Manual.”
What I’m suggesting is that there is a very well-written manual for addressing all the injustices that both the Occupy Movement and the Tea Party are protesting. It is called “Atlas Shrugged.” So, before you bitch and moan about how society isn’t working for you, I suggest you “RTFN – Read The F-ing Novel.”
Then, we’ll talk.
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Posted on 12/02/2011 by lkaminoff Posted in News, Opinion |
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More on Ayn Rand and yoga here--via Lulelemon
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www.google.com]
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Lululemon Athletica Combines Ayn Rand and Yoga - NYTimes.comNov 27, 2011 ... Lululemon Athletica has long decorated shopping bags with uplifting slogans.
But this month its bags quote from a source that some may find ...
www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/.../combines-ayn-rand-and-yoga.html - Similar pages
Lululemon, Ayn Rand, and Yoga - Elephant JournalNov 26, 2011 ... Lululemon, Ayn Rand, and Yoga. Michael is “far too buddhist” discussing yoga,
Lululemon, and Ayn Rand on CTV. ...
www.elephantjournal.com/2011/11/lululemon-ayn-rand-and-yoga/ - 68k - Cached - Similar pages
Lululemon Athletica Combines Ayn Rand And YogaNov 28, 2011 ... Lululemon Athletica, the retailer of yoga pants and hoodies, has long decorated
shopping bags with slogans that appear to have been lifted ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../lululemon-ayn-rand_n_1116281.html - 197k - Cached - Similar pages
Dangerous Harvests: Ayn Rand Meets Yoga?Nov 22, 2011 ... Ayn Rand Meets Yoga? Some folks in the North American yoga community are
quite unhappy with yoga clothing company Lululemon's current ...
dangerousharvests.blogspot.com/2011/11/ayn-rand-meets-yoga.html - 111k - Cached - Similar pages
Atlas Stretched: What Ayn Rand, yoga, and lululemon's new ...Nov 18, 2011 ... If you've ever wandered into a Lululemon store or perused the website of this
purveyor of ultra-hip “yoga-inspired” athletic apparel, you may ...
www.slate.com/.../ayn_rand_groupies_yoga_enthusiasts_and_the_american_ genius_for_self_absorption_.html - 88k - Cached - Similar pages
Lululemon Combines Yoga Poses With Ayn Rand Philosophy ...Nov 17, 2011 ... Lululemon Athletica has built a name for itself by promoting healthy living and
selling yoga wear that you actually want to wear. Now, however ...
newsfeed.time.com/.../lululemon-combining-yoga-poses-with-ayn-rand- philosophy/ - 63k - Cached - Similar pages
Why Ayn Rand and yoga are trending on your news feed | Yoga ...Dec 14, 2011 ... Lululemon Yellow Yoga Why Ayn Rand and yoga are trending on your news feed
. Licensed under Creative Commons. ...
www.yogadistrict.com/why-ayn-rand-and-yoga-are-trending-on-your-news- feed/ - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
Stephen Colbert Warns of Lululemon's Ayn Rand Influence on Yoga ...Nov 30, 2011 ... Stephen Colbert Warns of Lululemon's Ayn Rand Influence on Yoga, Hilariously.
www.yogadork.com/.../stephen-colbert-warns-of-lululemons-ayn-rand- influence-on-yoga-hilariously/ - 52k - Cached - Similar pages
Various items 1: Ayn Rand's yoga pants, the sequel- shakeup at ...Various items 1: Ayn Rand's yoga pants, the sequel- shakeup at Lulu. Posted on
January 9, 2012 by pdonaher. There were a couple of big yoga-related items ...
peaceandbewild.wordpress.com/.../various-items-1-ayn-rands-yoga-pants-the -sequel-shakeup-at-lulu/ - 38k - Cached - Similar pages
Lululemon and Ayn Rand: Thoughts from a San Francisco yoga ...Dec 8, 2011 ... From Yahoo! News: COMMENTARY | I've been an active yogi and very present
practitioner in the San Francisco yoga community for the past ...
news.yahoo.com/lululemon-ayn-rand-thoughts-san-francisco-yoga- practitioner-194600851.html - 228k - Cached - Similar pages
Ayn Rand after a Century
"
Atlas Shrugged was Rand's last novel, but she continued to expound her increasingly strident "philosophy" in speeches and in paperback tracts, chiefly
The Virtue of Selfishness (New American Library) By the time of her death in 1982, of lung cancer after a lifetime of heavy smoking, Rand had become such a consummate flibbertigibbet that she was practically friendless. But the cult soldiers on, as her books continue to sell at least 300,000 copies a year, mostly to young people. ''
"
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http://www.culteducation.com/reference/ayn_rand/aro3.htmlAyn Rand after a century: Who was she - and why?
Baltimore Sun/February 16, 2003
By Ray Jenkins
The author of 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged' simply won't go away - but she should.
At the close of the last century, Modern Library, the prestige publisher, announced its list of the 100 best novels of the 100 years, as chosen by a panel of top writers and scholars. Not a single work by Ayn Rand made the list.
Then, turning the contest into a national parlor game, Modern Library invited ordinary readers to submit their choices. A quarter of a million responded, and presto! Rand's magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged, scored No. 1, and three more Rand novels appeared in the top 10.
This news might have brought a contemptuous smile to Ayn Rand's stony face, but for one thing: Her chief competitor was L. Ron Hubbard, who landed three titles on the public's top 10. Hubbard, a marginal writer of science fiction, founded Scientology.
This outcome pretty well settles the enduring question of whether Ayn Rand was an important writer, or whether she was simply the goddess of a great American cult whose erstwhile members include such powerful men as Alan Greenspan. Whatever her status as a writer, as a charismatic spell-caster, Rand ranks up there with Rasputin and Aimee Semple McPherson.
Atlas Shrugged opens with the cryptic question, "Who is John Galt?" In 1,168 dense pages, Rand answers the question, but to know John Galt one must first ask, "Who is Ayn Rand?"
Our improbable goddess was born in 1905 in St. Petersburg, Russia, the daughter of a pharmacist who had achieved about as much material success as anyone, especially a Jew, could hope to reach in the twilight of czarist rule. Alissa Rosenbaum - Rand's birth name - witnesses all the terrors of the Russian Revolution. The precocious child finds escape and hope by immersing herself in the American films which somehow found their way to Russia in the grim years of her adolescence, and out of this experience comes a fierce determination to be a film writer.
Leveled to abject poverty, Alissa's family manages to get her to America to find refuge with relatives who had settled in Chicago. To the relatives' chagrin, Alissa shows no interest in the family left behind in Russia. She promptly changes her name to Ayn Rand - the surname was lifted from her Remington Rand typewriter. Within months she heads for Hollywood, where she stalks Cecil B. DeMille. The legendary director is so taken by her audacity that he employs her as a minor writer. She marries a bit actor named Frank O'Connor, who becomes her long-suffering life's companion.
By day she struggles at low-paying jobs, by night she labors over her first major novel, which, after many rejections, appears in 1943 under the title of The Fountainhead. The book gets tepid reviews but enthralls college students and gradually climbs to the best-seller list. The book becomes a film, with Rand as the screenwriter and Gary Cooper cast as Howard Roark, the young super-architect.
Roark is so incensed that grimy politicians would dare to change his design of a public-housing project that he blows up the building. At his trial, he wins acquittal with a defiant courtroom speech defending the integrity of creativity. (For those seeking a quick study in Ayn Rand's philosophy, The Fountainhead film can be found at most video stores, and it's worth viewing; time has transmogrified the film from high drama to low comedy.)
Profits from the film allowed Rand to devote all of her talents and energies to her life's mission, which, after 12 years in gestation, appears in 1957 as Atlas Shrugged. By this time Rand was showing sure signs that she suffered from the Russian writer's disease of megalomania, like Tolstoy before her and Solzhenitsyn after. When her publisher suggested the manuscript might be cut, Rand responded with aplomb: "Would you cut the Bible?" The chastened publisher dutifully produced all 1,168 pages as Rand wrote them.
The book's hero is John Galt, the Ideal Man, beautiful of body, incorruptible of mind and spirit. He leads "The Strike," in which he organizes the "men of mind" to abandon the world in disgust over the moral degradation brought on by unbridled democracy. By dint of will, Galt stops the motor of the world, and chaos ensues, to the point that a terrified populace clamors for John Galt's logic and reason, which he delivers in a three-hour radio address to the world.
Even the most dedicated Randians acknowledge that it's heavy slogging to get through these 60 pages, but the gist is captured in that perennial favorite of college sophomores, W.E. Henley's poem "Invictus," which concludes with the stirring affirmation: "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul."
Based on what we now know, it's a wonder that Atlas Shrugged ever saw the light of day, because it was during this period that Rand, at the age of 50, entered into a love affair with her acolyte, a 25-year-old man named Nathaniel Branden. The story of this bizarre tryst is related in brutal detail by Barbara Branden, Nathaniel's wife, who wrote the closest thing we have to an honest biography of Rand, titled The Passion of Ayn Rand (Bantam Doubleday Dell).
Barbara Branden, more an amanuensis than a biographer, relates how Ayn and Nathaniel called their respective spouses together to announce the affair, to assure them that the marriages were not threatened, and to lay down the terms: Ayn and Nathaniel must have an evening a week alone. The stunned spouses accepted the terms, and over several years, Frank O'Connor and Nathaniel Branden would pass one another as they came and went from Ayn's arms.
After five years, the affair ended only with Rand's caveat that she might want to resume it at some point. But when, at 60, she felt the yearnings of passion once more, Branden, at 35, just couldn't get up the old enthusiasm. The enraged Ayn excommunicated him in a scene that ended with her violent attack on the young lover. But her public explanation for the break was that Nathaniel had betrayed Objectivism, as her philosophy had by then become known.
The affair was revealed to the public only when the humiliated Barbara Branden wrote her book, but enough was known within the temple that it nearly destroyed the Rand cult. Nathaniel added his own account in My Years With Ayn Rand (Jossey-Bass).
Atlas Shrugged was Rand's last novel, but she continued to expound her increasingly strident "philosophy" in speeches and in paperback tracts, chiefly The Virtue of Selfishness (New American Library) By the time of her death in 1982, of lung cancer after a lifetime of heavy smoking, Rand had become such a consummate flibbertigibbet that she was practically friendless. But the cult soldiers on, as her books continue to sell at least 300,000 copies a year, mostly to young people.
So, as we approach the centennial anniversary of her birth, what is Ayn Rand's legacy? Aside from a lot of noise, practically nothing. In terms of public policy, Upton Sinclair and John Steinbeck exerted infinitely greater influence in establishing the most hated public policies in Rand's pantheon of evils, regulation and welfare. As for her disciples, Alan Greenspan knows full well that Randian economics is to real economics as astrology is to astronomy.
Measured as literature, her work was either ignored or deplored by the critics of the day, and the most savage attack of all on Atlas Shrugged came from William F. Buckley Jr.'s National Review in a review written by, of all people, Whittaker Chambers. She never found favor with orthodox conservatives, because she didn't believe in God, and even Libertarians, who might share her atheist beliefs, in the end had to admit that she hovered too close to the hazy line that separates libertarianism from outright anarchy.
But for the sake of speculation, what would the world be like if Rand's "philosophy" had prevailed? Well, it's worth noting that in 1948, her Fountainhead shared places on the best-seller list with George Orwell's 1984. But Orwell, like Aldous Huxley a few years earlier, was writing bitter satire; Ayn Rand was deadly serious, consciously striving to expunge any trace of humor that might creep into her work.
It's not likely Orwell ever read Rand, because he died in 1950. But if he had, Big Brother may well have been Big Sister.
Ray Jenkins, as a reporter for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger, won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for his coverage, with another reporter, of the 1954 Phenix City, Ala., upheaval. He has worked for the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser-Journal, The New York Times and the Clearwater (Fla.) Sun, and was editorial page editor of The Evening Sun. His book, Blind Vengeance, was published in 1997 by the University of Georgia Press.
Here are some positions currently held by the Ayn Rand Institute.
Yogis take note.
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The Morality of War and Civilian Casualties - Ayn Rand InstituteThe Morality of War and Civilian Casualties. Q & A with Ayn Rand on the Death of
Innocents in War. The following are excerpts from Ayn Rand Answers: The ...
www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?...media...casualties - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
Stop Apologizing for Civilian Casualties - Ayn Rand InstituteThe Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights (ARC) is a public policy and media
center in Washington, DC. A division of the Ayn Rand Institute, the Center ...
www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7786... - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
The Sanction of the Victims - Ayn Rand InstituteThe Sanction of the Victims. By Ayn Rand (1981). In Ayn Rand's final public talk,
she exhorts a group of businessmen to stop apologizing, and stop supporting ...
www.aynrand.org/reg_ar_sanction - 31k - Cached - Similar pages
Ayn Rand Institute: U.S. Should Not Help Tsunami VictimsNobody helped me rebuild after after a hurricane wrecked my property so I tend
to agree with this philosophy.
www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message64388/pg1 - Similar pages
PRODOS FSG presents Ayn Rand's 1981 talks: Sanction of the VictimsFeb 6, 2011 ... Ayn Rand 1981 - Sanction of the Victims. Ayn Rand on the Sanction of the Victim:
Every kind of ethnic group is enormously sensitive to any ...
prodos.thinkertothinker.com/?p=893 - 44k - Cached - Similar pages
Quotes~Ayn Rand. Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths...I mean, it's not
relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that? ...
antiwar.com/quotes.php - 204k - Cached - Similar pages
Twitter / Fake Ayn Rand: How many deaths, mutations ...How many deaths, mutations or diseases can be tied or attributed to the 3 mile
Island accident? Answer - "0"
twitter.com/FakeAynRand/status/49470666210164736 - Similar pages
An Ayn Rand Institute flashback: "U.S. Should Not Help Tsunami ...Jan 29, 2005 ... Of course you all remember the libertarian classic "U.S. Should Not Help
Tsunami Victims" from the Ayn Rand Institute from a few weeks ago: ...
24ahead.com/blog/archives/002608.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
Casualties of a $67 Million Frivolous Lawsuit - THE FORUM for Ayn ...Sep 21, 2007 ... Although the trial ended favorably for them, the owners of a dry cleaning
establishment sued for $67 million by a.
forums.4aynrandfans.com/index.php?showtopic=7039 - 128k - Cached - Similar pages
Sanction of the Victim — Ayn Rand LexiconThe Ayn Rand Lexicon: This mini-encyclopedia of Objectivism is compiled from
Ayn Rand's statements on some 400 topics in ... “The Sanction of the Victims,” ...
aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/sanction_of_the_victim.html - 19k - Cached - Similar pages