Tuesday Night OLists Happy Hour: Completing Projects & Setting Goals for 2011

Last week at the OLists Happy Hour, we had a rousing and fun discussion of everyone's achievements, looking back over 2010. 

In fact, it was so much fun, that I want to open this week's discussion to anyone who didn't get the opportunity last week. Feel free to join in and tell your achievements alongside our discussion of goals for the New Year.  Read about last weeks menu here.

For those who had their fill of retrospectivity last week, let's look ahead to next year:

Tuesday Night OLists Happy Hour: The Gift of Achievement

As Christmas fast approaches, and many of us are busy preparing to celebrate with family and friends this weekend, a specific observation occurs to me.

In discussing Christmas, in 1976, Ayn Rand observed:

The charming aspect of Christmas is the fact that it expresses good will in a cheerful, happy, benevolent, non-sacrificial way. One says: “Merry Christmas”—not “Weep and Repent.” And the good will is expressed in a material, earthly form—by giving presents to one’s friends, or by sending them cards in token of remembrance...

Years earlier, she wrote this passage in Atlas Shrugged, when Dagny is about to run the first train on the John Galt line:

She looked at the crowd and she felt...a sense of fitness that they should be here, that they should want to see it, because the sight of an achievement was the greatest gift a human being could offer to others.

As we approach the end of the year, I think there is real value in looking back on our individual achievements from the past year, both as a source of spiritual fuel, and as a means of checking one's bearings in contemplation of goals to set for the new year.

Tuesday Night OLists Happy Hour: Is College Worth It?

(Note:  This question has been suggested for Diana Hsieh's next Rationally Selfish Webcast, where she discusses various questions related to practical ethics, each Sunday morning.  If you find this topic of interest, check out her webcast info page here.  She suggested the topic for Happy Hour, and I think its a good one!)

Something that seems essentially taken for granted these days is the importance of a college diploma.  But is college really worth it?  As education costs continue to rise, and students/graduates find themselves saddled with huge amounts of student loan debt, one can easily see from the point of view of cost-benefit analysis that the question is not trivial.

Tuesday Night OLists Happy Hour: Optional Values 2.0

A few weeks ago we had a scheduled topic of Optional Values for the Happy Hour.  I was particularly excited about that topic, but we happened to have very light attendance that week.

This week, let's give it a try again with Optional Values: