To celebrate Randsday, you do something not done on any other holiday: you give yourself a present. Randsday is for getting that longed-for luxury you ordinarily would not buy for yourself. Or for doing that long-postponed, self-pampering activity you cannot seem to fit into your chore-packed schedule.

Randsday is for reminding ourselves that pleasure is an actual need, a psychological requirement for a human consciousness. …

Read the full description here. Especially if you’re unfamiliar with Rand’s philosophy, please do click over. You might be surprised to get a taste of what Rand really means by selfishness.

I feel like my life is a series of Randsdays right now. I’m in the process of adding small goals and values back into my life, after having set so many things aside when the twins were born just to survive each day. The first things to go are always The Little Things, and there was one big Little Thing that I had been putting off, which will be my Randsday gift to myself: I’m getting my hair done again! There was no way I could make the appointment for today, but I’m going on Sunday. I don’t care that it takes over two hours and costs a fortune – it makes me feel like a civilized human being, and that is not meaningless.

Here are some other values that I’ve recently added back into my life:

• Basic grooming: Unlike when Sam was a baby, this time around I didn’t neglect my showers. But most other personal grooming activities were neglected. Now I clip my nails, use moisturizer, and even blow dry my hair. Styling my hair is still beyond me, but I think that will come back when I have a nice haircut again.
• Blogging: I’ve been up and down with blogging since the twins were born, but every time I write a post it gives me great satisfaction, so I’m committed to continuing.
• Taking care of my health: Just applying my topical psoriasis medicine was too much for me for a few months. It didn’t matter that my head itched constantly – I just didn’t have the focus on myself needed to take care of the problem. I’ve gotten that back under control and I’ve addressed some other health issues as well. Next step: a dentist appointment.
• Contact lenses: It takes one second to put on my glasses and almost a minute to put in my contacts. No contest in the early days. Besides, you can’t nap with contacts in. I’ve started wearing contacts again on occasion, but I’m still having trouble with the idea that that one minute is worth it. I’ll work on that.
• Clothing: I’ve only had a day or two where I stayed in my pajamas all day, but the first couple of months I was ashamed and depressed every time I got dressed. Buying some new clothing, even if it is a few sizes larger than I want it to be, has helped me to remember what a selfish value one’s appearance can and ought to be.
• Jewelry: I’ve actually worn earrings a few times lately, although I have to stay away from the dangling kind for a while yet. You can’t put a shiny, wiggly object right in front of a baby and expect it to stay put.
• Massages: After just a couple of months, I started getting the occasional massage, and it was well worth it because feeding babies can really give you a kink in the neck. I don’t really need the massages anymore so I’ve moved on to bigger and better things. Namely,
• Exercise: I joined a gym this week, and I’ve worked out twice already! Some might think of exercise as a chore or duty, not worthy of this kind of list. But anyone who has kids understands that exercise can be one of the most selfish, pleasurable activities of the day. Just getting out of the house by myself is huge.

These are the Little Things that I need to do for myself in order to achieve and enjoy the Big Things. It’s not a trade off, in terms of time and effort to accomplish them. And it’s not a sacrifice of the long-range to the short-range. It’s not even a matter of hierarchy. It’s a matter of integration. It’s a matter of being selfish and ambitious in all things, no matter how small. And when we dismiss the small, we lose sight of the purpose and meaning of the big.

Randsday is the time to challenge any duty-premise, re-affirm your love of your values, and honor the principle that joy in living is an end in itself.

Amen.

Intellectual Property Rights: Securing Values of the Mind

By Adam Mossoff

The extraordinary achievements in the pharmaceutical, biotech, telecommunications and computer industries in recent years are dramatic evidence of the significance of intellectual property rights to human life and success. Yet patents, copyrights and other intellectual property rights are under attack today by both collectivists and libertarians, who condemn these property rights as unjustified monopolies.

In this talk, Professor Mossoff explains Ayn Rand’s radical justification for intellectual property rights—that all property is at root intellectual property. In recognizing that intellectual property rights represent “the legal implementation of the base of all property rights: a man’s right to the product of his own mind,” Rand grounds intellectual property rights in her novel concept of value and in her discovery that man’s mind is his basic means of survival. In using a combination of philosophical and historical analysis, Professor Mossoff further develops Rand’s unique justification for intellectual property rights, demonstrating that all property—whether real estate, personal property or intellectual property—arises from the values that man must first conceive and then act to produce. Ultimately, to understand why intellectual property rights are property rights par excellence is to recognize the radical political and legal implications of Rand’s innovative ethical theory.

And here’s the description of the optional course he will present this year, which I’ve taken straight from the OCON web site:

Topics in Intellectual Property: The Computer and Biotech Revolutions
Adam MossoffThis course discusses how the intellectual property (IP) laws have promoted and secured the incredible innovation in the past 50 years in the areas of computer technology and biotech. No knowledge of science, technology or IP law is necessary, as the purpose of this course is to inform attendees about these subjects so that they can better understand these modern achievements within the context of their existing Objectivist knowledge about the concept of value, the virtue of productivity, the right to property, and the theory and practice of capitalism. After a general introduction to IP law in the beginning of the course, we examine the historical development of computer technology and biotech and explain how the IP laws secured the life-enhancing values produced by inventive geniuses in these fields. Ultimately, this course provides important intellectual ammunition for Objectivists in both understanding IP rights and how they function with respect to the “hot topics” of computer technology and biotech.

Adam’s ARC lecture from November in Chicago is available for free on ARC’s web site. Its full title is:

Why Should Business Leaders Care about Intellectual Property?—Ayn Rand’s Radical Argument

It looks like they have a separate video for the Q&A, so if you don’t have time for the whole thing, you might just check that out. As most people will tell you, Adam is excellent in the Q&A.

This lecture is a modified version of his OCON talk from 2010. This one is geared more towards non-Objectivists, so if you like it and want a fuller version, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase the OCON lecture at some point. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let you know when it is available.

To get us started, here is one my favorite quotes from Ayn Rand:

It is not in the nature of man—nor of any living entity—to start out by giving up, by spitting in one’s own face and damning existence; that requires a process of corruption, whose rapidity differs from man to man. Some give up at the first touch of pressure; some sell out; some run down by imperceptible degrees and lose their fire, never knowing when or how they lost it. Then all of these vanish in the vast swamp of their elders who tell them persistently that maturity consists of abandoning one’s mind; security, of abandoning one’s values; practicality, of losing self-esteem. Yet a few hold on and move on, knowing that that fire is not to be betrayed, learning how to give it shape, purpose and reality. But whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man’s nature and of life’s potential.

–”Introduction to The Fountainhead,” The Objectivist, March, 1968

One way to Hold Your Fire is to immerse yourself in the world of ideas.  And on that note, let’s move on to the round up!

Edward Cline presents Somali Piracy: Another Islamic War Front posted at The Rule of Reason, saying, “On February 22nd, four Americans were executed by Somali pirates as a U.S. warship bore down on the yacht they had hijacked. The U.S. government and the military are not saying much about why the pirates killed the Americans, but it just might have something to do with the fact that the two retired couples were on a private missionary voyage around the world to distribute Bibles. But I suspect that if the pirates had instead found cartons of Playboy Magazine on the yacht, the Americans would have suffered the same fate. It would demonstrate the grip Islam has even on criminal Muslims.”

Gene Palmisano presents Labor Extortion in a Socialist Democracy posted at The Metaphysical Lunch, saying, “Discard the altruistic hyperbole and the socialist labor rhetoric, then cut to the chase.”

Kate Yoak presents Naps are required by law! posted at Parenting is…, saying, “I am dismayed at another instance of the government’s reach into the private educational system.”

Valery Publius presents Campus Media Response: Wisconsin Protestors: Fighting for the Privilege to Count Themselves as the “Public” posted at The Undercurrent Blog, saying, “When do ‘collective rights’ begin to usurp the rights of individuals?”

Alex Hrin presents Campus Media Response: Solar Energy: A Path to Prosperity? posted at The Undercurrent Blog, saying, “Would ‘green’ energy truly need such massive government subsidies if it could stand on its own as a viable energy source?”

Michael Labeit presents The Enviable Brilliance of the Swiss posted at Michael Labeit at EconomicPolicyJournal.com.

Rational Jenn presents Seven Things I Refuse to Feel Guilty About As a Parent posted at Rational Jenn, saying, “Here’s to not accepting unearned guilt and feeling good about parenting decisions!”

Jared Rhoads presents Health Wonk Review: 3rd time hosting posted at The Lucidicus Project, saying, “Last week, we hosted the Health Wonk Review, which is a bi-weekly compendium of healthcare-related articles and entries from around the blogosphere. See what was submitted.”

Rachel Miner presents Warm, zesty, yum! posted at The Playful Spirit, saying, “A fun activity that I shared with my mom… making homemade, crystalized ginger!”

The Undercurrent Editors present Introducing This Issue posted at The Undercurrent, saying, “The February edition of The Undercurrent is out now! Check it out today.”

Edward Cline presents Mosques vs. Churches vs. Freedom posted at The Rule of Reason, saying, “The literature that recounts the evils of the political/theological ideology of Islam is vast, growing, and informative. Unfortunately much of it is wrongly premised and written by individuals of a religious bent who have yet to check their premises. They really have no reason to cast the first stone at Islam, when the stones thrown at them share a striking similarity to the stones they hurl back.”

Kelly Elmore presents Things I Won’t Feel Guilty About posted at Reepicheep’s Coracle, saying, “I love this meme! Objectivist parents should be making selfish decisions about their parenting and not feeling guilty about those decisions. But in our culture of parental sacrifice and maternal guilt, especially, that can be hard. Here’s the list of things I will not feel guilty about.”

Ari Armstrong presents Guarantee to Unions the Same Rights the Rest of Us Have posted at Free Colorado, saying, “People have the right to associate freely, but no right to force their conditions on others.”

Joshua John M. Lipana presents Capitalism Magazine – Senator Rand Paul’s Morality and the Welfare State posted at Capitalism Magazine, saying, “Sen. Paul is championing economic freedom while at the same time championing the morality that prevents it from existing.”

Scott Connery presents Have You Abandoned Faith but Kept Christian Morality? posted at Rational Public Radio, saying, “Many atheists abandon their faith, but don’t follow that decision through to it’s logical conclusion. Many of them hold onto the morality of Altruism after the faith that it depended on is removed.”

David C Lewis, RFA presents Induction In Life Insurance posted at A Revolution In Financial Planning, saying, “What is your date of death? Nobody knows, but life insurance companies can still predict your death–expressed as a probability–with amazing accuracy. I discuss how life insurance companies predict mortality and what I think the industry must have done to attain their amazing accuracy of predicting death rates.”

Paul Hsieh presents Socialized Medicine in Theory and Practice posted at We Stand FIRM, saying, “My latest OpEd appeared in Liberty Ink Journal, on the difference between the theory vs. practice of socialized medicine.”

Diana Hsieh presents SnowCon 2011: The Webcast! posted at NoodleFood, saying, “Most of the lectures and workshops of this weekend’s Objectivist conference in Denver — SnowCon — will be broadcast live! Come join us … virtually!”

Julia Campbell presents cajun stew posted at the crankin’ kitchen!, saying, “A super yummy cajun stew in honor of Mardi Gras!”

Jared Rhoads presents Twead #8: Revolt! posted at The Lucidicus Project, saying, “Here we share notes and quotes from Dick Morris’s new book, Revolt! Yes, this is the one that recently caused a stir on Peter Schiff’s radio show.”

Roderick Fitts presents Reduction of “the Initiation of Physical Force is Evil” posted at Inductive Quest, saying, “My reduction of the Objectivist principle that ‘the initiation of physical force is evil.’ Bullies and dictators beware!”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Objectivist Round Up using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

To warm yourself up, consider this quote from Ayn Rand, reprinted here simply because I like it:

Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.

–Ayn Rand, The Soul of an Individualist, For the New Intellectual, 84.

And now, on with the Round Up:

Roderick Fitts presents Reduction of Objectivity (Aristotle) posted at Inductive Quest, saying, “A post reducing how Aristotle would have reached his idea objectivity, of a method designed to reach knowledge by adhering to reality. Enjoy!”

Roderick Fitts presents Induction of Objectivity (Aristotle) posted at Inductive Quest, saying, “A presentation of how Aristotle might have induce his system of logic, and view of objectivity. I learn to appreciate Aristotle a lot after working this induction, and I hope you do too!”

Kate Yoak presents Speaking freely posted at Parenting is…, saying, “Lessons I learned from other objectivist on the value of speaking my views – and teaching my kids to do the same.”

Hanah presents The Little Engine That Could posted at Charlie’s Bookshelf, saying, “I’m excited to join the carnival with my brand-new blog on the very specialized topic of children’s book reviews from an Objectivist perspective.”

Rachel Miner presents Finding Objectivism posted at The Playful Spirit, saying, “From a program designed to train me as a young, Jewish leader to the streets of Jerusalem to Poland’s concentration camps… I decided to finally write the story of how I found Objectivism.”

Stella presents My silence on Avastin posted at ReasonPharm, saying, “ReasonPharm readers should know why I’ve kept silent on an important issue — because my silence has implications.”

Diana Hsieh presents My Year in Review posted at NoodleFood, saying, “I accomplished more than I realized in 2010, despite a dismal start to the year.”

John Drake presents Emotions and Self-discipline posted at Try Reason!, saying, “A short post about the relationship between emotions and self-discipline.”

Paul Hsieh presents Hsieh PJM OpEd: “Will the GOP Walk the Walk On The Constitution?” posted at We Stand FIRM, saying, “In my latest PJM OpEd, I tell the GOP that it’s not enough to just pay lip service to the Constitution. They must also defending with deeds the principles of individual rights and limited government.”

Rational Jenn presents Mythbusting: Positive Discipline posted at Rational Jenn, saying, “In this post, I tackle a few of the more common objections I’ve heard to Positive Discipline/non-punitive discipline.”

Ari Armstrong presents My Interview with Sam Adams Alliance posted at Free Colorado, saying, “I discuss Ayn Rand, Harry Potter, and free market activism in my recent interview with the Sam Adams Alliance.”

David C Lewis, RFA presents Should Financial Advisers Be Licensed? posted at A Revolution In Financial Planning, saying, “Should licensing be required for financial advisers? Does it help or hurt advisers and clients? In this post, I argue that licensing violates individual rights and does not ensure a better quality of service.”

Thomas Hochmann presents Blank Check for the “Less Fortunate” posted at The Objectivist Voice, saying, “We call racism evil, because it pre-judges an individual based on genetic qualities beyond his control. Yet there is apparently nothing evil with pre-judging people who are born “fortunate” with good health or a good family, or the like.”

Kelly Elmore presents My Accomplishments 2010 posted at Reepicheep’s Coracle, saying, “I like the idea of looking back over the things I accomplished in 2010, so here it is. Plus, I like that Oists don’t mind bragging. I am hoping to write a post about what I am hoping and striving for in 2011 to follow this one.”

Morgan Polotan presents Raw Milk Fans Should Read Ayn Rand posted at Morgan Polotan’s Blog, saying, “This is my first time submitting to the Objectivist Roundup, and I’m excited to make this a consistent weekly habit!”

Jared Rhoads presents Twead #7: Cynthia Koelker posted at The Lucidicus Project, saying, “Notes and highlights from Cynthia Koelker’s new book, “101 Ways to Save Money on Health Care.”"

Martin Lindeskog presents 100 VOICES BY SCOTT MCCONNELL posted at EGO, saying, “I have read the first interview (Eleanora Drobysheva) in Scott McConnell’s book, 100 Voices: An Oral History of Ayn Rand.”

Michael Labeit presents Defending “Draft Dodging” posted at Michael Labeit at EconomicPolicyJournal.com.

Jim Woods presents Statism Advocacy Organizations posted at Words by Woods, saying, “When NGOs and civil society organizations advocate intrusive government regulation of individuals’ lives and accept public funding, are they still nongovernmental?”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Objectivist Round Up using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.