A classic

What makes a classic?

There isn't a clear answer, but I believe that a classic is something which has quality supassing expectations. My father would certainly consider the above Corvette, seen in Sonoma over the weekend, a classic. The powerful engine, unique deisgn and concerted splendor of driving one aren't duplicated with other cars, even though a Toyota is much more reliable. Similarly think about the books we read as classics. Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" isn't the page-turner you would find in today's bestseller list, but it provides insight about ourselves and the world which is pleasantly unexpected. A classic is when purpose and art converge to approach perfection. Classics don't need to be flawless, but it's pursuit of excellence and the extraordinary efforts which make them beautiful.

And classics aren't just about cars, literature or artwork. Your life, your career, your family, your dreams can be classics, if you push for it. The first step is to stop checking boxes. Never do the minimal required; anything you bother to do, do it well. When we settle for good enough at work and at home, we take the easy path of mediocritiy. MIddle of the road will pay the bills and keep you going, but it never feeds the fire of our souls. Whether it's designing children's books or starting your own band, dedicate yourself to what you pursue. I'm placing a few items below to illustrate what people get they when push themselves to create classics:

Literature Classic: A young professor sat on a beach in Tahiti and read a thriller mystery. He thought he could do better by mixing history, religion, cryptography together with the pace of a murder mystery. His 2003 book, the Da Vinci Code, has now sold over 60 million copies.

Technology Classic: Two guys from Stanford thought they could use how web pages link to each other to make better internet searches. And this became Google.

Sports Classic: Roger Federer beats Andy Roddick on July 5th, 2009 in the longest Wimbleton final ever to win his 15th grand slam. If you didn't watch, it's worth the replay.

Career Classic: A patent examiner in Switzerland thinks he can better explain how light and gravity work. He struggles to get his first fledgling papers published. His work later bear his name as Einstein's theories of special and general relativity.

Chess Classic: I got to play Stephen Clark, a friend of mine from Cornell, for two years in a chess match (1-2 weeks per each move). I won in last two weeks (Classic Chess).

As for the weekend in Sonoma, Sam and I had a great time with Lindsay, Scott and some of our other friends who joined from the Bay area. I've placed a few photos below, as well as updating my travel map on the main page (American Playground). My new path will take me South to San Diego before heading over to Las Vegas.

Miles driven: 2,430

Poker Update: No good news here, I won't be playing much until Vegas

Quote of the day: "Quality is a direct experience independent of and prior to intellectual abstractions. - Robert Pirsig

(read more about Quality in Lila http://www.amazon.com/Lila-Inquiry-Morals-Robert-Pirsig/dp/0553299611)