September 20, 2008 - Topic TBD

Next meeting Saturday September 20, 2008 - topic to be determined.

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Mini-review of "SlowAnna"

Tonight I went to see SlowAnna, Jeremy Menekseoglu's latest play. I found it quite moving.

It's about a teacher who comes to a school for problem children, who tries to actually reach and teach them. It is more macabre than sugarcoated, but in the end I found it both uplifting and tear-provoking. The whole production felt tightly focused - moreso than some of Dream Theatre's other work.

The acting was intense, but not over the top. Colby Sellers was magnetically compelling as the school's peculiar principal, and Anna Weiler just lit up the stage as the victimized but finally triumphant Johanna.

I liked the performance so much that I'm tempted to see it again!

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August 13, 2005 - Beauty and Morality: Value Judgments of Artistic Nudity

A discussion of the distinction between ethical and aesthetic judgments of artworks, with particular focus on the artistic value and moral implications of the nude human form. We will view and discuss particular examples of 'artistic nudity' in photography, and address such issues as the morality of exposing the human body, the line between art and pornography, the artistic aspect of modeling and photographing the human subject, and the sense of life expressed through nude artworks.

(Presented by Luke and Heidi Morris)

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July 23, 2005 - TBD - probably report on TOC conference

Not yet scheduled - will probably be a report on TOC conference.

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June 18, 2005 - New Intellectual Forum 17th Anniversary Party

New Intellectual Forum 17th Anniversary Party!

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On publishing UNHOLY QUEST

John Enright has an article in today's SOLO edition (here) on the steps he used to publish Unholy Quest. Check it out! And be sure to check the discussion thread as well.

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The Logical Compatibility of Austrian Economics and Objectivist Ethics

Update: The artilce has been re-produced on SOLO (here). You can also view the comment's on Heidi's artilce in the discussion thread.

Heidi Morris has an article in the Canadian libertarian publication Le Quebecois Libre on "The Logical Compatibility of Austrian Economics and Objectivist Ethics."

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Triumph Over Choas

NIF's own Heidi Morris has an article up at SOLO entitled "Triumph Over Chaos."

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May 21, 2005 - Can the Faithful be Allies in Achieving the Capitalist Society?

From Kyle Sing:

Can capitalists (Objectivists) work towards a more libertarian society by working with people who see religion as a major part of their lives and morality?

Many libertarians are Christian but would never support conservative efforts to force prayer in school and erase the line of separation between Church and State. But how many such people are there?

A free society allows us to believe as we choose, but can the faithful be allies of ours, the enlightenment rationalists, to achieve the moral capitalist society?

Looking back at the deistic Founding Fathers it would seem it is at least possible but is it likely in today's America that is seeing great growth in evangelical and Catholic membership over more rational mainline Protestant sects?

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April 9, 2005 - a "Listening Party"!

Post meeting update:

Listing people's song selections as they are made available:

• Marsha Enright: Portuguese group called Madredeus. The album is Movimento and the song "A Vida Boa" (The Good Life). Some selections are available at Amazon.


• John Enright: "You Say Ah" from The Twigs. A sampling is available in real media.


• Arena Mueller: 3rd movement of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto and "Mind in Motion" by Instransition.


• Stephen Boydstun: Morgen by Richard Strauss. Jessye Norman was the singer, and the orchestra was the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig conducted by Kurt Masur (1982). Recommends the album Vier Letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs).


• John Reis: "It" from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis.


• Merlin Jetton: "Black Bottom Stomp" by Jelly Roll Morton - available at Amazon.


• Bert Stunkard: Janis Ian's "From Me to You" from her 1975
  album "Between the Lines", available on Amazon and Janis' web site.

And here are some song selections of those who missed the meeting:

• Jason Walker: Album "Funeral" by Arcade Fire, see Amazon.


• Heidi Morris: "Eurydice" from the album "Echoes and Artifacts" by Cruxshadows, see Amazon.


• Richard Latimer: Soundtrack of the 1998 Bernardo Bertolucci movie "Besieged," see Amazon.


• Samantha Johnston: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Philip Glass, see Amazon.


• Luke Morris: Savatage album "The Wake of Magellan," see Amazon.

Please note that there is a new date for the next meeting. It will be April 9, 2005 (instead of April 16).

A "Listening Party":

Everyone who comes would bring a song on cd (it could be favorite song, or a song that means something special to them, one they want to share, or any other reason).

Each person would explain why they chose that song and then we would listen to it.

We get to be exposed to different types of music as well as discuss the music.

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