next »

[spudit]

Whedon didn't need to kill off 2 great charectors and pretty much end the story with Serenity. Why eascapes me.

As to patents, I can imagine a level of protection less absolute than government gunpoint. Less total too. The title company searches and affirms someone has clear title to a house. it does not much more depending in large part on the Law, yes, but also on custom to protect the client. The company's rep is its biggest asset and most powerful tool.

It has been a screaming at inanimate objects kind of week here, we all have them. This is as far as I can go with it now.

[J Thomas]

Whedon didn't need to kill off 2 great charectors and pretty much end the story with Serenity. Why eascapes me.

I found Serenity disappointing too. There was something very much missing. The best I can describe it is like throughout the series they kept investing in the characters and the background etc, so later shows would be even better. And for the movie they just cashed in. That doesn't quite say it, but it's the best I can do.

It's traditional to write characters out of the plot when their real-life situation will keep them from coming back. If those actors had lined up conflicting work which was likely to make them unavailable if something Firefly showed up later, or if they just didn't want to, then better to make it clear what happened to them in case there is another show.

[Warren]

I've watched a few times on Netflix instant and I really enjoyed it. I thought the actors did a great job and the screenplay got the point across about just how vile politicians, lobbyists, and crony capitalists and captive scientists can be. 

In the second part I'd like to see it moire firmly explained that just how important are entrepreneurs. 

My eldest daughter was in the room but not paying close attention and after it went off she was convinced that the film was about how railway politics led to a demon convincing people to give up everything and then drown themselves (In Atlantis).  It was then that I realized, though I've been explaining markets, economics and freedom concepts to her all her life, I had completely failed to mention Rand and Alas Shrugged.

Talk about a head-slap of a moment. Had I been wearing gauntlets or holding a bowling ball I likely would have cracked my skull open.

We went on a walk and I explained the concepts and I was gratified to discover that she was disgusted by the various laws that were passed. Saying only an idiot would believe they would work as stated or that they were even ethical.



 

[wdg3rd]

So loan her a copy of the book.  I read it when I was in 8th grade (and The Fountainhead in 7th and Anthem in 6th, Anthem overlapping my discovery of Edgar Rice Burroughs).  Nothing assigned and public school kids look at you funny when you're carrying a big-ass book that doesn't have any pictures.  And yes, I even read (and have reread) the long preachy chapter.  How they're gonna cover that in part 3 eludes me.  J. Neil Schulman suggested the book be made into an opera in his novel Alongside Night (which is supposedly being made into a movie).  Haven't been in touch with JNeil since shortly after Mike Moslow died, and there's not much info on IMDB.

[myrkul999]

I had the good fortune to read it digitally, which meant that even the long preachy chapter was just text that kept coming (and kept coming...) when I hit page down... I find it much easier to read massive books in digital form, probably because they're easier to carry. I may need to dig around a little bit, but I'm pretty sure I still have that file somewhere. I'd gladly convert it into any format you desire. I doubt Ayn would mind overmuch.