Happy Ayn Rand Week

All this week, the Reason Foundation is celebrating the "freedom and ideas of Ayn Rand", so I thought I'd celebrate a little too. I'm debating between either building a railroad in my backyard or writing a philosophical treatise, recording it, and posting it on YouTube (that's the modern equivalent of a radio broadcast, right?).

Either way, lets get the week started with Nick Gillespie, who takes a look at the enduring power of Rand, who has been referenced on everything from Mad Men to The Simpsons.



Gillespie also penned this article that examines Rand's life, her work, and the two new biographies that have been written about her.

If you still want more about Rand, from Gillespie, he wrote a similar story more than four years ago about the continued influence of Rand in American culture and politics.

Or, if you're tired of being too serious about Rand, you can check out this entertaining flow-chart (and how I love flow-charts) that serves as an easy how-to guide to become a Randian hero. The rest of the page is pretty entertaining too.

And by the way, Ayn rhymes with pine.

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Hammer Time?

I can't believe I'm doing a post about reality TV, but this is a little too good to pass up.

Former House Majority Leader (from 2003-2005) Tom Delay, who represented Texas' 22nd district from 1985-2006, will appear on the next season of "Dancing with the Stars". While serving in Congress, DeLay's nickname was "The Hammer" (thank you Mr. Ferris' 8th period senior year Poli-Sci class), so I hope America gets to see a rendition of the famous MC Hammer parachute-pants-dance before DeLay is voted off the show. In other words, he better do it the first week.

Nick Gillespie says this is one more indication that we are all living inside a Philip K. Dick novel, which is just about the best assessment I've heard of this kind of surreal absurdity.

There's no word yet on whether DeLay's received his dancing shoes from Jack Abramoff, but I wouldn't bet against that, either.