Once I took a flight from Boston to China. I was about 22 years old and I was not an objectivist at the time. I ordered a value meal from Burger King at the terminal in Vancovour, CA and encounter the best crew worker ever.

I was impressed by her speed, compentency, accurancy, and level service she was able to provide. She put just about every crew worker I remember from my job to shame (myself included). At the time, I wondered why she took her job so seriously. I mean it is a "shit job". I guess I have grown a lot since then :).

You do not need to read Atlas Shrugged to have a very poor opinion of it. All you need is to listen to someone who feels threatened by Rand's ideas. "Don't bother reading that crap. Nobody reads Rand. She's useless. she's all for the rich, and has no feelings for the poor people."

Those people who are Rand's villains in real life recognize themselves in her fiction, and don't want others to discover their dirty secrets.

Correct.
Bill Gates almost falls into the same category - he was a better visionary and salesman then programmer.

Always looking on the bright side. :)

An interesting article. It's obvious that Maddow didn't read AS before she offered that description.

For examples of Pat Logan in my life, I could literally list at least several dozens, if not a few hundred. I've worked with others since I was 8 or so in more varied fields and areas than I could possibly list here. In every one of those experiences, I've met and admired men and a few women, (often wishing that I could also find the contentment and pride in finding a satisfying niche) that were so competent and happy in their work, that they demonstrated an ease, grace, and confidence that was simply amazing. In all of those cases, I seldom heard a complaint about pay or relative positions (except when obviously dealing with incompetence), generally they were glad to accept new projects and invariably found or had apprentice types that they gladly taught and/or mentored. They were commonly honorable and loyal to those that remembered to acknowledge them with a simple 'Thank you' or 'Good job.'

Such people were often very key persons to operations and companies, though seldom willing to look for or accept promotion. I found myself using those individuals to 'teach' new supervisors and managers, much like the grizzled platoon Sgt. with the shavetail 1st Lt.

I think that it's a matter of pride in oneself and the happiness developed in having found that expertise that provides that pride.

To expect anything resembling an honest opinion from Maddow is as ridiculous as pigs flying. Although with bioengineering I'd at least give that one a chance.

Robbie, you said it exactly. I am THAT draftsman. If I were to take a higher position, I would have to become a people manager and I don't like managing people. I like what I do and I do it well. I don't get bored because the technology is constantly changing and people always want new and better functionality from the digital graphics. I've worked there for 30 years.

Atlas has a special meaning for me due to the fact that I work for a large corporation that is run by the granddaughter of the founder. I think of her as our own "Miss Taggart". Fortunately, there is no "James Taggart" in the organization.

LOL. You're funny tonight. Nope. I could never say that about you.

at first I thought you were talking about me...:)

Not surprised, as usual, she's highly inaccurate and doesn't know what she's talking about.

yes

When I was in Los Angeles, working in an office building, there was a janitor who took his job very seriously. The bathrooms were always stocked with the essentials and spotless. The man had an unmistakable dignity. Any productive job is worthwhile.

You could've stopped with, "It is the left that divides." But back to your point, looters & moochers like to blame the rich: Moochers do it because it's a great way to wield the weapon of guilt; Looters do it because they can appear to be compassionate while actually giving nothing of themselves. I am certainly not wealthy, but I have worked for everything I have, and I applaud those who have earned great wealth. Can't wait until September!

thanks terry. So he was a mentor as well. extra

there aren't many in it

Hello khalling,
Thank you for bringing this succinct article to our attention. The point of respecting all for doing their best and being productive being at the heart of the matter, not how rich you are, can't be stressed enough.
When has Rachel been right??? I tried for too long to hear something reasonable from her and gave up. Her analysis is so shallow and biased I worry for her audience.
Regards,
O.A.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jobs wasn't a programmer. It was Woz that did the code in the beginning. Jobs was just the salesman.

If I had their ear I'd be trying to sell them pottery. LOL

Perhaps by saying "humble" I am meaning a different thing. Pat Logan was confident of his abilities to drive the train. As such, I'm certainly not humble of my abilities to make pottery. I KNOW that I make expertly hand crafted pottery, one piece at a time, in just the manner that potters have made pottery for centuries. However, I think that some might come into my studio and see my methods of production and chastise me for not using modern techniques. In that respect I would respectfully explain the differences, knowing that I'm not working in the most cost efficient method and humbly accept that they may not understand why I work as I do. It is simply that sometimes the value of the work can exceed the payment that can be asked. This is a very anti-objectivist thing to say, but as long as I can make pottery I will, knowing that few would ever pay the true value. To those who will, I gratefully accept their money. To those who can't pay that much, I'll accept what payment I can charge.

Take the most popular item I sell - a mug. It costs $10 to make a mug, materials, firing cost, equipment, building and then I spend $4-$5 selling that mug. In order to cover the costs, replace equipment, pay for insurance and a bit for my time, I need to get $25 for that mug. In some markets I can, but not here where I live and work. Most of the time I actually get $18-$20 and if I wholesale the mug, I'll get $12.

Every potter you see in a art show who makes what are called "functional pieces" works with these dynamics. In todays marketplace we don't compete with each other, we compete with China and people's "perceived value" of our work which is based on the price of mass produced work from China.

Yes, working in mud, even the finest work makes one humble. It really brings you down to earth. As one well known potter put it, when you have mud, you make mudpies, but in the end it's still mud. LOL

lol

Okay...I read it. I assumed by the title that it was something written my RM. (barf).

she didn't say it-someone from ARI said it!

A man I worked with comes to mind. His Father died when he was young. He was my lead man in a shop we worked in. Born to the right family he might have been a brilliant engineer. He was a great influence on me as a mentor and a leader.

I can't read something with that thing's name on it... ah!!!