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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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Thursday, July 01, 2004
Cameron rising 
The picture above is from the warm-up room for students who were waiting, earlier this year, to audition for the Phoenix Symphony Guild's Youth Orchestras. My son Cameron was one of the nervous young auiditees, and that room was a real eye-opener for him. He had grown used to being the best violinist in his age cohort, and it was a silence-inducing surprise to him to discover that there are child-fiddlers very much better-trained than he is. The dishwater blonde in the foreground, for instance, played a rich and spirited Paganini violin concerto--from memory. Even so, Cameron bowled 'em over. He has the ability to take his game to a completely different level when the pressure is on, and his audition was sufficient to win him a place among all these young prodigies. You can see the evaluations of his auditors here and here. He's making a lateral move from big-fish/small-pond to swimming with a much faster school. We are too much in love with this outcome, since it puts him among precisely the kinds of children we want him working with, playing with, competing against. And this is my wife Cathy's triumph as much as it is Cameron's. I care about the boy's honor and integrity, about his ability to read, to write and to reason. But it was Cathy who pushed this violin thing to the point where it is amounting to something. Cameron has great skills--good hands, a good ear and a talent for sight-reading anything. But if Cathy hadn't pushed him and pushed him and pushed him, his raw talent would have gone undeveloped. Three cheers for Cameron, but three cheers for Cathy, too. We live in a time when too many children do nothing but gorge themselves on empty desserts. Tonight Cameron gets to savor the feast of true accomplishment. To him: Bravo! |
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... | ||
