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Egoism Individualism Sovereignty Splendor (These ideas are explicated in this sloppy manifesto) SplendorQuotes: Splendor is the interior experience of being so enthralled by the act of creating the values that contribute to and ultimately comprise your idealized perfect self that, while you are experiencing it, you are your idealized perfect self. Living is what you're doing when you're too enthralled to notice. Dying is what you're doing when all you can do is notice. Man is the only animal capable of comprehending what his life requires, and he is the only animal capable of failing to do what his life requires. Self-love is the joy and reverence you earn and deserve by the relentless pursuit of your deepest desire. Self-esteem is the high regard in which you presume to hold yourself in appreciation for the accomplishment of absolutely nothing. Greg Swann's writings Wild Cochise Gang: Our family pages and Christmas cards Read my free e-book about love, splendor and philosophy, The Unfallen My Myers-Briggs type is ESTJ: Administrator--Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of population. Take a free Myers-Briggs personality test. War with Iraq: The Cain Doctrine The 'wrest' of the story Taking a better grip Why the Bush Doctrine will prevail--and fail A Just and Libertarian war... Persephone's second coming... presence of the recent past Nick and Norm drive the point home A Costco family Christmas Hang tough The season's greetings Curing the incuriosity of the East A canticle for Kathleen Sullivan Colloquy with a goat Back-handing the sinister American left To Condi, with sweetness Reds Sacrificing Diana Defusing the Unabomber Let 'em eat steak Shyly's delight Anastasia in the light and shadow Archives Join the email update list 
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Tuesday, November 18, 2003
SplendorQuest: Just because I'm a cover... I'm busy in the real world, as you might have guessed. But, while working, I've been listening to albums of covers of other people's songs and thinking about the art of the cover. This relates back to Peter Pan at the CD rack, and it tends to make the point: Pop covers generally stink. To be awful, all a cover has to do is betray the attitude of the original. I defy anyone to come up with a cover of 'Piece of My Heart' that is worth listening to--and there have been dozens of them. On the other hand, to be good, at least, if not utterly great, the performer has to bring something new to the attitude. A new arrangement matters a lot--and there is no end to stone duplicates pretending to be covers--but a new attitude matters even more. Allison Krauss is off-the-charts excellent at covering other people's work because she understands this. What I've been listening to, mostly, is the Dolly Parton hit 'Jolene' as covered by Mindy Smith on the new encomium album Just Because I'm a Woman--Songs of Dolly Parton. Listening to it over and over again, maybe 600 times by now. There are other covers on that album that are worth listening to--and plenty that are horrifyingly bad--but Smith's 'Jolene' is perfectly haunting. It was a truly great song to begin with, and Parton's up-tempo original still holds up, despite its stuck-in-the-seventies instrumentation. But Smith takes 'Jolene' to a completely different place, a heart-wrenching alternative take. These are the lyrics, a pocket lesson in economy and simplicity: JoleneThere are spots where I want another fifteen minutes of thought. For example, those paired uses of 'easily' have always annoyed me. They would jar even if they didn't break the scansion both times (ellided into 'eezlee'), but having them together is ear-raking if not completely ear-aching. Even so, the song is terrific as country, and in Smith's version it turns out to be terrific as a folky alternative song. You can see the video for the Mindy Smith version at the above link. Not an insanely great video, so you can just turn away and listen to the song--over and over again. |
SplendorQuests
Work
I am a a Realtor working in sunny Phoenix, Arizona, and the Designated Broker for Bloodhound Reatly. I am an Accredited Buyer's Representative, a Certified Buyer's Representative, a Certified Residential Specialist, an E-Pro Internet Certified Realtor and a Graduate of the Realtor Institute. I speak frequently on real estate issues and write a weekly column for West Valley sections of the Arizona Republic. If you need--or you know someone who needs--to buy or sell a home in the Metropolitan Phoenix area, I would be grateful for the opportunity to compete for the business. I think I represent the best of all worlds: Objectivist intelligence, Libertarian integrity and Catholic conscientiousness. For a liberty-loving take on real estate news, visit the Bloodhound Home Marketing Group weblog. And if what I'm doing suits the readership of your web site or weblog, please do link to it. Or go me one better by putting the customizable button above on your web page. Either way, for every person you refer who buys or sells a home with us, we will donate 10% of our net commission to the charity or advocacy group of your choice (within limits; we won't give money to people who kill people). Find out more from our referral page.
Play
If you don't know how to play poker, but want to learn, a place to begin is my Amazon list of poker books for beginners. Just remember: If you don't have a Positive Expected Value--you're gambling... | ||
