Listen to Ayn with Michael Covel, the Turtle Trader
As I am driving to work, I turn on one of my favorite podcast hosts, Michael Covel, who is trend following trader focusing on technical analysis of securities. His podcast, available through ITunes or DoubleClick if you're a droid user, dated 12/6/2012, titled Money is the Root of All Evil is calling out to me. He talks about how another TF trader made this big imprint on his life because he insisted that Michael read Atlas Shrugged. So Michael takes 20 + minutes to read a soliloquy of Francisco's understanding of money, which is currently being treated as an evil thing in our society which is being "equalized through excessive government spending", is really the only way to measure a person's worth thanks to hard work and achievement. I almost hugged Michael right through the phone. Totally needed to hear those words so I can be reminded of what's normal and right in this crazy, immoral, "fiscal cliff" obsessed world. I didn't even know he was a AR reader but I guess it shouldn't surprise me. He is just very cool.
Have to share this with you after your comments.
First off, Atlas shrugged is required reading in my house. My kids must read it before they can get there drivers license.
ADD Moment: I ask some questions of my kids as they read it, generally challenge the premiss of the book with opposing views from society today as they read. Its a great teaching and conversation piece. I hope they take up the rational from it, but leave that to them. So far its been a great experience. Just starting it with the second kid now.
Back on target, my son was in the library (about a year ago) and someone was checking out atlas shrugged. A cute girl that he hit on and got a phone number from. They dated a bit and turns out her dad also has them read Atlas Shrugged before they can drive.
Needless to say I had to get to know this guy so my wife and I had her parents over for dinner. We now have some new friends and the kids quit dating, said it was to weird to have parents that were friends when your dating each other. They were getting a little to serious for 16 and 17 anyway.
I did not hug, but its nice to find others with similar views who like to think.
Is the required reading of Atlas significantly tied to getting a license for any other reason than motivation?
I wanted the kids to read it around 15 or 16. They have enough mental maturity (so far) around there to catch basic ideas presented in the book. I also wanted to create the basis for a life long religious, philosophical and political discussion between me and each of my kids. I thought this to be an excellent starting point.
In the case of my oldest, he started the book just cause dad was making him read it, but by the end of the first act he was reading all the time until he finished it.
This was a great side benefit for my oldest, He never read before this unless it was required for a class in school. In the last year he has read several other books (light reading like the Micheal Vey Books, which are very good light reading) and has done so on his own due to interest in doing so.
I will see how it goes with the rest of my kids, but based off the results with the first, I will try it again with the rest.
It is possible that a different motivational force may be used with other kids in the unlikely case that they do not care about the drivers license. My oldest has convinced my second child to read just because its really good and it makes you think. She is starting it just cause she wants to, but I doubt they will all be like that.
Probably TMI on the reason why its tied to the Drivers license. :)
This is a good podcast
Is this why a whole group of vapid lemmings choose trees? They think those trees are innocuous, but probably are filled with poison tree frogs.
I go to Greg Guttfeld's piece on creepy people. There should be a database, because it's only a matter of time...
http://ssvs04.zenfolio.com/img/s8/v15/p1...
That necklace with the JOHN GALT pendent has started many conversations with people who have never heard of this book. And when I explain the book they become very interested and have many come back and say WOW! That really got me thinking just like it took something I believed in and really helped me shape it for myself.
By the way Shrug, love the way you parent by insisting your kids read a phenomenal book before they have the privilege of driving a car. I have 4 kids who are a little younger but they are starting to develop their own opinions about the world, our country, economy etc. They think Obama is an incompetent fool. Guess he can't hide it from anyone.
edith, thank you for the parenting compliment, but I'm not the one who has their kids read Atlas before getting their license. (I wish I had thought of it). However, my 16 year is getting his permit next week so I know what's going in his stocking...and my 20 year old's too for that matter. The compliment belongs to XenoxRoy. :)