Archive for the ‘Words to Live By’ category

Quote of the Week

February 20th, 2010

From “Bones,” Season 1, Episode 18, “The Man with the Bone”:

“Greed is the real curse.”

Tags: quote of the week, curse, bones, season 1, greed, episode 18
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Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose…

February 1st, 2010

“Every man has three characters – that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890)

“The more things change, the more they are the same.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890)

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890)

“We can invent only with memory.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890)

“Uncertainty is the worst of all evils until the moment when reality makes us regret uncertainty.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890)

And, three not by Karr:

The more things change, the more they remain… insane.”  - Michael Fry and T. Lewis, Over the Hedge, 05-09-04

“The squeaking wheel doesn’t always get the grease. Sometimes it gets replaced.” – Vic Gold
“The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwards.” – Arthur Koestler (1905 – 1983)
Tags: uncertainty, evils, jean baptiste, thorns have roses, memory
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Running Back and Forth Forever Between Grief and High Delight

January 28th, 2010

The author J.D. Salinger died today. These are some of my favorite quotes from his books, and by him:

“I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you’re dead? Nobody.”

- J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

I’m sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.

– J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

I’m not going to bed after all. Somebody around here hath murdered sleep. Good for him.

– J.D.Salinger (1919 – 2010), Seymour:An Introduction

I can’t be running back and forth forever between grief and high delight.

– J. D. Salinger (1919 – 2010)

I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody.

– J. D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), Franny and Zooey Pg. 30

The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.

– J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you’re dead? Nobody.

– J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

“I’m sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.

- J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.

- J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

I’m not going to bed after all. Somebody around here hath murdered sleep. Good for him.

- J.D.Salinger (1919 – 2010), Seymour:An Introduction

I can’t be running back and forth forever between grief and high delight.

- J. D. Salinger (1919 – 2010)

I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody.

J. D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), Franny and Zooey Pg. 30

The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.

- J.D. Salinger (1919 – 2010), The Catcher in the Rye

The most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid.”

– J.D. Salinger (Nine Stories)

Tags: j d salinger, franny and zooey, bunch of flowers, paranoiac, immature man, catcher in the rye
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Douglas’ Guide to the 2010 Galaxy

January 6th, 2010
Douglas Adams, that is … and re-reading – and re-thinking – his wit and wisdom is one of my favorite ways to start each new year.

His quotes are in no particular order; and all of them are worth thinking about.  Enjoy!

  • “Anything that happens happens, anything that in happening causes something else to happen causes something else to happen, and anything that in happening causes itself to happen again, happens again. Although not necessarily in chronological order.”
  • “We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.”
  • “A learning experience is one of those things that say, “You know that thing you just did? Don’t do that.”
  • “Some say that the universe is made so that when we are about to understand it it changes into something even more incomprehensible. And then there are those who say that this has already happened.”
  • “We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”
  • “A learning experience is one of those things that say, “You know that thing you just did? Don’t do that.”
  • “Some say that the universe is made so that when we are about to understand it it changes into something even more incomprehensible. And then there are those who say that this has already happened.
  • “We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”
  • “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
    There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”
  • “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”
  • “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.”
  • “The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong, it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.”
  • “You live and learn. At any rate, you live.”
  • “He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it. ”
  • “When you blame others, you give up your power to change.”
  • “Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
  • “The impossible often has a kind of integrity the merely improbable lacks.”
  • “Once you do know what the question actually is, you’ll know what the answer means.”
  • “Let the past hold on to itself and let the present move forward into the future.”
  • “Everybody has their moment of great opportunity in life. If you happen to miss the one you care about, then everything else becomes eerily easy.”
  • “See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.”
  • “Anything that thinks logically can be fooled by something else that thinks at least as logically as it does.”
  • “See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.”
  • “There’s always a moment when you start to fall out of love, whether it’s with a person or an idea or a cause, even if it’s one you only narrate to yourself years after the event: a tiny thing, a wrong word, a false note, which means that things can never be quite the same again.”
  • “Life is wasted on the living.”
  • “The complexities of cause and effect defy analysis.”
  • “The impossible often has a kind of integrity which the merely improbable lacks.”
  • “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by.”
  • “It’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the end.”
Tags: apparent disinclination, endangered species, douglas adams, wit and wisdom, chronological order, ingenuity, learning experience
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Douglas' Guide to the 2010 Galaxy

January 6th, 2010
Douglas Adams, that is … and re-reading – and re-thinking – his wit and wisdom is one of my favorite ways to start each new year.

His quotes are in no particular order; and all of them are worth thinking about.  Enjoy!

  • “Anything that happens happens, anything that in happening causes something else to happen causes something else to happen, and anything that in happening causes itself to happen again, happens again. Although not necessarily in chronological order.”
  • “We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.”
  • “A learning experience is one of those things that say, “You know that thing you just did? Don’t do that.”
  • “Some say that the universe is made so that when we are about to understand it it changes into something even more incomprehensible. And then there are those who say that this has already happened.”
  • “We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”
  • “A learning experience is one of those things that say, “You know that thing you just did? Don’t do that.”
  • “Some say that the universe is made so that when we are about to understand it it changes into something even more incomprehensible. And then there are those who say that this has already happened.
  • “We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”
  • “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
    There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”
  • “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”
  • “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.”
  • “The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong, it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.”
  • “You live and learn. At any rate, you live.”
  • “He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it. ”
  • “When you blame others, you give up your power to change.”
  • “Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
  • “The impossible often has a kind of integrity the merely improbable lacks.”
  • “Once you do know what the question actually is, you’ll know what the answer means.”
  • “Let the past hold on to itself and let the present move forward into the future.”
  • “Everybody has their moment of great opportunity in life. If you happen to miss the one you care about, then everything else becomes eerily easy.”
  • “See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.”
  • “Anything that thinks logically can be fooled by something else that thinks at least as logically as it does.”
  • “See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.”
  • “There’s always a moment when you start to fall out of love, whether it’s with a person or an idea or a cause, even if it’s one you only narrate to yourself years after the event: a tiny thing, a wrong word, a false note, which means that things can never be quite the same again.”
  • “Life is wasted on the living.”
  • “The complexities of cause and effect defy analysis.”
  • “The impossible often has a kind of integrity which the merely improbable lacks.”
  • “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by.”
  • “It’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the end.”
Tags: douglas adams, learning experience, wit and wisdom, endangered species, apparent disinclination, ingenuity
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Craig Marker’s Picture of New Year’s Eve 2010 @ the Seattle Space Needle

January 2nd, 2010

My friend Craig posted a truly wonderful photo of Seattle’s New Year’s Eve 2010:

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.

May good luck pursue you each morning and night.”

-  Traditional Irish Blessing


“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been

the foresight to know where you’re going

and the insight to know when you’re going too far.”

-  Traditional Irish Blessing

Tags: space needle, hindsight, new year, friend craig, foresight, marker, seattle space needle, pockets, traditional irish blessing
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Craig Marker's Picture of New Year's Eve 2010 @ the Seattle Space Needle

January 2nd, 2010

My friend Craig posted a truly wonderful photo of Seattle’s New Year’s Eve 2010:

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.

May good luck pursue you each morning and night.”

-  Traditional Irish Blessing


“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been

the foresight to know where you’re going

and the insight to know when you’re going too far.”

-  Traditional Irish Blessing

Tags: hindsight, space needle, foresight, traditional irish blessing, seattle space needle, marker
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A Salute to Colonel (Retired) Harry Shoup, USAF (1917-2009)- Norad’s 1st Santa Tracker

December 25th, 2009

Sometimes the best things in life begin by accident.

From Norad’s Santa Command website:

Why we track Santa

Santa

For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s Christmas Eve flight.

The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.

In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.

Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to Christmas Eve phone calls and emails from children. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Last year, millions of people who wanted to know Santa’s whereabouts visited the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide Christmas Eve updates on Santa’s journey.

“I have the greatest admiration for Col. Shoup and found delight in his remarkable humor with taking the first-ever call regarding Santa’s whereabouts back in 1955. His kind and thoughtful gesture will forever be a legacy at NORAD, and with the millions of people around the world who follow the NORAD Tracks Santa program each year. Truly, forever in the minds of millions he will be fondly remembered as the “Santa Colonel” and his legend will live on forever.”

General Victor E. Renaurt, Jr., USAF
Commander, NORAD
Commander, USNORTHCOM

Tags: american aerospace defense, governments of canada, norad tracks santa, colonel harry, thoughtful gesture, aerospace defense command
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A Salute to Colonel (Retired) Harry Shoup, USAF (1917-2009)- Norad's 1st Santa Tracker

December 25th, 2009

Sometimes the best things in life begin by accident.

From Norad’s Santa Command website:

Why we track Santa

Santa

For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s Christmas Eve flight.

The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.

In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.

Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to Christmas Eve phone calls and emails from children. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Last year, millions of people who wanted to know Santa’s whereabouts visited the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide Christmas Eve updates on Santa’s journey.

“I have the greatest admiration for Col. Shoup and found delight in his remarkable humor with taking the first-ever call regarding Santa’s whereabouts back in 1955. His kind and thoughtful gesture will forever be a legacy at NORAD, and with the millions of people around the world who follow the NORAD Tracks Santa program each year. Truly, forever in the minds of millions he will be fondly remembered as the “Santa Colonel” and his legend will live on forever.”

General Victor E. Renaurt, Jr., USAF
Commander, NORAD
Commander, USNORTHCOM

Tags: norad tracks santa, aerospace defense command, thoughtful gesture, continental air defense, sears roebuck co, american aerospace defense, colonel harry, governments of canada
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Tis the Season…

December 21st, 2009

Some folks may be familiar with several charity websites, which offer netizens an opportunity to contribute to different causes by “clicking to give,” with the actual donation coming from the site owner (CharityUSA.com) donating its revenue from sponsors.

The “click to give” causes sites include The Animal Rescue Site; The Hunger Site; The Breast Cancer Site; The Child Health Site; The Literacy Site; and The Rain Forest Site.

Since donating via one of these sites really only requires a minute of or two of my time, I’ve worked hard to  build a habit of visiting each once a day to  ”click to give.”

By doing this, I’ve discovered netizens seem to favor feeding stray animals over feeding starving people; since more people click to donate food  to animals via CharityUSA.com’s sites than click to donate food to starving people.

Wow.    I believe in helping people and animals;  I hope you do too.  If so – be the change you wish to see in this world, and  ”click to give” to one or more of these sites each day, and on a generous day, maybe buy something via one of your chose charity site’s stores,  too.

Tags: animal rescue site, hunger site, stray animals, charity websites, breast cancer
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