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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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Saturday, December 27, 2003
BetterVegas: Poker 'win' up 12.2%--but that's not the best news... From the Las Vegas Review Journal: One of the biggest trends in casino gaming is the emergence of poker as a profit center, Rubin said. The Barona Valley Ranch Casino, a San Diego tribal property he consults for, recently doubled the size of its poker room.The house doesn't actually win anything at poker. The house is not a player in the game. Its profit comes from taking a small rake on each pot. In this respect, casino poker is a negative-sum game, like all casino games--the amount of money taken away from the table by the players will necessarily be smaller than the amount brought to the table. But unlike all other casino games, poker is a positive-expectation game, which means that a skillful player can show a net profit consistently and in the long run, all without violating any laws or getting kicked out of the casino. You have to be good enough to beat most of the other players, of course--and derision of "math whizzes" is not a good strategy in the service of that goal. But you also have to be good enough to beat the rake--an indefatigable "math whiz" of an opponent. But both of these things can be done. Poker is a game that can actually be beaten--unlike every other game in the casino. The rest of the quoted article is concerned with the means by which unbeatable Las Vegas games are becoming even more unbeatable. When you walk throught he casino, you'll see the slot players over here and the blackjack players over there. There's a crowd around the roulette wheel, and the craps tables are mobbed with people whooping and shouting. None of those people are "math whizzes," I promise, but they're all having a good time and every one of them will leave a huge amount of money behind. And for this reason, poker is only the second-best game in Las Vegas. The very best game in Sin City--positive-expectation, positive-sum and positively perfect at least until the very last Baby Boomer dies of old age--is gaming stock issues. Las Vegas was packed for Christmas! (One refrains from saying, "For Christ's sake!") The "math whizzes," at least, know on which side of the gaming table the 'win' is to be found... Thursday, December 25, 2003
Merry Christmas! (at last...) I've been flat-out busy (which is good) and Cathy did all the Christmas shopping (which is even better). But in consequence, I haven't myself felt much like Christmas. Sunny Arizona doesn't help, of course, and I haven't so much as set foot in a mall since Thanksgiving. I haven't written the annual Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie Christmas story yet, even though this year's is going to be a real show-stopper. Cameron had a sweet violin solo last night at Mass, but not even the Mass itself put me into that Christmas Mood. But this morning Cameron and I were mixing up the mortar to make a batch of heart-healthy Christmas cookies (go figure!), and we started singing O come all ye faithful in Latin. And that did the trick. Peace on Earth, Good Will To All Men, and get me at them goodies! Merry Christmas to you, and just say so if you want a really bad brick-like Christmas cookie; I'm sure there will be extras... |
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... | ||
