Introvert-Proofing the House

At ATLOSCon 2011 (yes, all the way last year), Miranda gave a class about the concepts in The Not So Big House. Basically, the book says that you should set up your house for the way you actually use it and want to use it, not the way people set up houses traditionally. We brainstormed the way we used the rooms in our house, and I realized that the living room (the largest room in our tiny house) was hardly ever used.

This got me thinking about what kinds of things I would like to change about the way we use our house. See, Aaron uses his office A LOT. Basically, he is holed up in there a lot of the time doing mystical things with computers and routers and printers and black pop-up boxes on the computer screen.

Livy also uses her room A LOT. Basically, she is holed up in there a lot of the time watching TV, organizing her things, doing art, making projects, and playing with her toys.

It can be hard for a person like me, who is very extroverted, to live with these two extreme introverts, and I would love for them to come out of their rooms more often and do their introverty things next to me. I don't even want to bother them (well, I want to, but I can stop myself from doing it); I just want to have them in the room with me while I do school work, write on my blog, do household chores, etc.

So, since I am the kind of person who chooses not to manipulate the introverts in her life, I told them both about how I wanted us to parallel play more. They were both open to this idea, and we decided to rearrange the furniture to make that easier.

Last weekend, we finally got around to doing it. We moved the dining room table out into the living room and moved both the couch and the loveseat into the dining room. They are pretty squished in there, but we use them very rarely and almost always when hanging out drinking wine with Miranda. We don't mind squishing in with her.

We also set up a big sturdy folding table and new bookshelf in the living room to serve as a desk for me, and we set up a computer for Livy at one end of my desk. So, the plan is for her to play minecraft and do her computery things near me while I work on school stuff.

We also now have this great big table out in the room, where we can all do our projects. That part, at least, is already going according to plan. This afternoon, we all sat around the table--Aaron cleaning his guns, Livy cutting out and assembling zoo animals, and I reading aloud from an archaeology magazine. It was great fun, and not just for me! So the introverts like the set-up too!

We are also getting a TV for that room, so that I can do yoga videos in the new big open space and Livy can play Wii games (we'll all probably do that a little bit).

I'll let you know how the schoolwork/Minecraft part of the plan goes, but I wanted to let you all know that doing some strategic planning and rearranging of the house can help the isolated extroverts get the parallel play they want from the introverts in their lives. Miranda, your class changed our whole dynamic!

ATLOSCon Survey for People Who DIDN'T Go

Hi everyone,

Now that I am back in action after ATLOSCon (I was incredibly lazy for nearly two months while I recovered), I have created a survey for people who didn't go to ATLOSCon. Basically, we want to gather data to help us make ATLOSCon more relevant and interesting to people who didn't come this year. We'd love your help!

If you didn't come to ATLOSCon, please fill out this survey. Also, please pass it on. We'd really appreciate links to our survey on blogs, twitter, Facebook, Google+, your local Objectivist mailing list, basically anywhere Ayn Rand fans who didn't attend our conference may be lurking. It's very short, so never fear!

Here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DFZGZG7

Thanks,

Kelly

Sex at ATLOSCon

Okay, so maybe not formal, organized sex. But at least a class on sex. And plenty of chances to meet attractive Oists. The rest is up to you! :)

The class that I am talking about is called "Sexual Ethics and Objectivism," and it's being given by Jason Stotts of Erosophia fame. You can find a description of his talk here.

What I like about Jason's approach to sex is that he isn't a prude. I'm so done with people who, after chucking Christianity and altruism, can't seem to chuck Christian sexual ethics. Jason wants us all to talk more about sex, get more comfortable with how central it is to a happy human life, and learn to do it better and better. Those are goals I can get behind (pun completely intended).

As you can see from this picture, he clearly belongs here in Atlanta!

Here are some comments from a few of his other (famous on the internets) fans:

"I've read many of Jason Stotts's posts on his blog, Erosophia, and I've found it extremely interesting and thought-provoking. Jason's insights into sex and sexuality are quite astute--his clarity and precision of thought have definitely aided my own thinking on the issues he tackles, and it's refreshing that his analyses are not inhibited by conventional Victorian attitudes about sex, but rather frank and open." -- Arthur Zey

"Although I was never very religious growing up, have been studying Objectivism for 4 years and considered myself to have a very healthy sex life, I was surprised to find that many of my opinions about the morality of sex were based on the stereotypical Judeo/Christian values of American culture. Reading Jason's blog this past year has challenged my views on the morality of sex in more ways than I thought possible, and for that, I am forever grateful! I really enjoy his sex tips and his posts on etymology." -- Kelly Valenzuela

And from my Aaron, who is always ready to say something provocative and in the #AaronZone (but let's face it, so is Jason Stotts, though in the most calm and reasoned way possible):

"Jason Stotts is the Dan Savage of Objectivism. His blog Erosophia advocates rational, honest communication in relationships, along with being very sex positive and understanding the importance of being 'good, giving, and game'. He pushes the boundaries of some Objectivists by getting into unconventional topics such as anal play, pegging, and a new look at roles of masculinity and femininity. Erosophia recognizes that sex is not amoral, and that morality is extremely important to the proper role of sex. Yet it also recognizes that so much concerning sex can be a matter of individual differences, of optional values rather than universal/moral ones, including not only sexuality and libido, but also one's desires, kinks, and - even more controversial - desire for monogamy versus polygamy. I enjoy and recommend Erosophia and hope other Objectivists also discover and are willing to be pushed out of their comfort zone by it." -- Aaron Bilger

Jason and his wife Megan

Jason himself answers the question, "Why have you focused your academic interests on sex?":

"I get this question a lot: why sex? Why do I want to write about sex? Well, it seemed like a good choice, since, as a man in his sexual prime, I spend enough time thinking about sex that it seems like it’s not too much more effort to direct this thought and put words to paper.

"To be honest, though, the answer is deeply rooted in my past and psychology. You see, I was raised by a father who was a cross between a Nietzshean egoist, a Hedonist, and an amoralist. The result was a man whose primary care in life was sexual conquest. Quantity, not quality, was his goal and he did his best to instill this thought to his three sons. I, being the oldest son, tried for some time to live up to my father’s ideals. However, it didn’t take long for me to see that there were deep flaws with his position. Unfortunately, I couldn’t articulate exactly what was wrong with it and that bothered me deeply. I knew that this path of hedonistic conquest was wrong, but I couldn’t say why. Some people complain that they are left ignorant about sex by their parents. I would have been glad to have been given the gift of ignorance. Instead, I was saddled with bad ideas and the drive to discover precisely why these were wrong and what, then, was right.

"The primary reason that I write about sex is because I think that it’s silly that people are willing to shine the light of reason on nearly any other aspect of their lives, but not on sex. Sex is not some magical phenomenon, although sometimes it feels like it might be. Sex is part of being human, part of our nature and of “the human experience.” Further, it’s not like we need fear that looking too closely at sex will spoil the magic. To paraphrase Robert Solomon, if looking too closely will spoil the magic, then sex is a cheap trick indeed. We need to dispense with our irrational taboos regarding sex and take a fresh look at it. We need to not shelter ourselves in ignorance of sex and hope for the best, but to actively engage sex and make the most of our lives."

I'm very excited about hearing Jason's talk and discussing the ideas later with the other attendees. I hope you'll join us for Jason's talk and for all the other exciting classes and social events on our schedule. If you haven't signed up for ATLOSCon yet, get going! It's only 2 weeks away, but there is still time to register. See you there!

ATLOSCon 2011: Bringing You a New Enjoyment of the Visual Arts

Today, I want to tell you about Luc Travers, his book Touching the Art: A New Approach to Art Appreciation, and the three ways you can learn more about his method at ATLOSCon.

I've known Luc for many years; we were in a college campus club together in Tennessee, where he ran the successful MTSU Objectivist club. We've kept in touch over the years, and we consider him one of our honorary Atlanta Objectivists. Luc has gotten a degree in art history, moved to California to teach at the VanDamme Academy, and written a book, but the thing that impressed me about him in the old days is still the most noticable thing about him: passion. Luc loves what he does; talking about the visual arts sets him on fire. Going to the museum with him is an experience not to be missed. Anyway, enough about Luc in particular and on to his method.

He explains it best, I think, so here's his intro video:



And for one more taste of Luc's method, giving the viewer a tour of a painting that he loves:



At ATLOSCon, Luc will be giving a Saturday course on Art Appreciation, a guided visit to the High Museum on Sunday afternoon, and during the Friday and Saturday sessions, he will be available in the social area to sign copies of his book (which will be for sale) and talk with people about his ideas (he's super fun, so be sure to stop by his table).

Luc has this to say about his guided visit:

"The complaint I receive from attendees to my lecture presentations is that they don't feel confident that they can reproduce the experience they had with me when they are on their own. The solution to this problem is the guided visit. The guided visit is designed to be an intermediate step between an introduction to the principles and being fully self-confident in applying the principles yourself. Through the use of specially designed questionnaires and my assistance, the guided visit is the "training wheels" of applying the life-changing approach to art taught in the course.

This kind of guided visit has been the most highly praised of my presentations. The participants have felt personally empowered, and consequently their own self-generated experiences have been more powerful than anything they experienced while listening to me lecture. The guided visit is key to making my approach your own."

I hope that you will join us at ATLOSCon for Luc's presentations and for all the other wonderful course offerings and social events that are on our schedule. To register for ATLOSCon (held May 26-30 in Atlanta), go here. If you want to add Luc's guided visit to your current registration, email me at kellyelmore79@gmail.com. See you Memorial Day weekend!

ATLOSCon: Providing You with an Authentic Southern Experience Since 2010

This post is the first in a series designed to give you more details about some of our ATLOSCon events. I am hoping to spotlight some of the classes, the Saturday evening party, and other social events. I want you to get a feel for the kind of things our group enjoys doing and to know more about the awesome fun planned for people who attend our conference.

Today, I want to write a little about the Stone Mountain Lasershow. On the Sunday of ATLOSCon, May 29, we'll meet on the big lawn at Stone Mountain at 6:30 pm to stake out our spot and eat a picnic supper. The show is free, and parking is $10 per car. People who are going hiking on Sunday afternoon will have already paid this fee and won't need to move their cars.

The big lawn faces a huge Mt. Rushmore style carving of Confederate generals on their horses. The size of this carving is just spectacular and something to see on its own, but when they start putting lasers, fireworks, and music with it, you get this ginormous, Southern, cheesy, fun experience.

Now, you may think Confederate generals and a lightshow on the side of a mountain is kind of rednecky, and let's face it, you are right. :) But it is rednecky in the best possible way, meaning that it is unpretentious, fun, and incredibly patriotic. If you can't imagine how people can combine a nostalgic love of the Confederacy and a passionate love of America, you haven't spent much time in the South. It's a strange pairing, but it's true.

I leave the lightshow everytime happy, having enjoyed cheesy music and animations, having been moved by the patriotic spirit of Georgia's people, and having been amused by Southern culture all over again. It's a little like going to a museum or going to see some piece of Americana. You'll love it!

Here's what Jenn says about it:

"The first time we went to the Stone Mountain laser show, it was only a month after we'd moved to Georgia from the Midwest. We had no idea what to expect.

The mountain itself is unusual--a big hunk of rock sticking out into the sky, with a relief of three Confederate Generals carved into the side. We walked all the way up to the top (about a mile, I think) and the view was amazing. And amazingly windy!

Later that day we found a spot to watch the laser show and quickly found ourselves surrounded by tons of people. I was thinking that the laser show would be some cool lights to go with whatever music was playing. WRONG. It's really laser animation, and my favorite was the animation of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (great song btw).

The songs--everyone knew the words to the songs and sang along. There were classic Americana songs, patriotic songs, and Georgia songs. I love how all of the Georgia songs were the finale, and I LOVE how everyone sang all of the words and cheered. It's definitely a uniquely Georgian experience!"

Here's a recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about the new-and-improved lasershow that they are debuting just for us (okay, maybe not).

We hope you'll join us for ATLOSCon (this link is for registering, which you should do RIGHT NOW!) and for the Lasershow. Both are experiences not to be missed.

Registration is Up for ATLOSCon 2011!!

The Atlanta Objectivist Society is thrilled to announce that it’s time to register for our second annual conference, ATLOSCon! The conference will be held on Memorial Day weekend, May 26-30, 2011.

We have many different classes to choose from, ranging from Objectivist epistemology to swing dancing, including business, philosophy, art, exercise, sex, parenting, and science. We also have a large variety of social events planned, including hiking, eating, partying, and working out together.

Many of the classes have limits on the number of attendees, so if you are coming (and we hope you are!), we recommend that you sign up as soon as possible.

We can house a limited number of out-of-towners, so if the cost of lodging would keep you from coming, please email Kelly Elmore for more information. If you are under the age of 25, we have a 20% discount available. Email Kelly Elmore for more details about how to get the young ‘uns discount (before you register).

For more information, see the conference schedule, class descriptions, and speakers at http://www.atlantaobjectivists.com/atloscon-schedule/.

The registration page can be found at http://www.rsvpbook.com/event.php?403563.

Call for Talks for ATLOSCon 2011

ATLOSCon 2011 planning has begun! This year, our Atlanta Objectivist Society’s summer conference will be held on Memorial Day weekend, May 26-30, 2011, and we are currently accepting proposals for talks. The talks should be an hour in length (we might make a few exceptions, if you can prove that you are super fascinating for longer than that), and they should be of general interest to an Objectivist audience, though they need not be about Objectivism itself. In order to give a talk, please send a paragraph describing your talk to kellyelmore79@gmail.com by Feb 1. Our committee will choose the talks, and only if your talk is chosen will you need to send in more detailed info about your talk.

Please know that you need not be an expert on your topic. Many of our speakers last year were laymen with a strong passion for their subject, and they were fabulous talks. Here is a list of topics to give you an idea of the kinds of things that we are looking for, but please don’t limit yourselves to these. Talk about anything you are passionate about!

Any topic for beginner Oists from any branch of philosophy or any application
More advanced philosophical talks from metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, or art
Science talks
Art or Literature talks
Atheism
Benevolent Universe Premise
A Talk about an Ayn Rand essay
Lead a Discussion about: Politics, Personal Experiences in Oism, activism, economics, etc.
Dealing with Family Rationally
Cooking or Nutrition
Exercise/Crossfit
Free Market Alternatives to Government Services
Lead a Discussion of an article
Goal Setting/GTD/Productivity
Parenting/Education
Atlas Shrugged presentation or discussion
Talk about your Career
Psychology
Financial Planning

You get the idea; go wild with creativity! Our speakers will not be paid, but they may be able to attend the conference for free, if ATLOSCon generates enough income. Mostly you will be paid in fun and fame!