~ George Orwell, 1984
This guy was a prescient genius
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
My favorite joke of all time
A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband is not in bed. She puts on her robe and goes downstairs to look for him. She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in front of him. He appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall.
She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.
"What's the matter, dear”, she whispers as she steps into the room, "Why are you down here at this time of night?"
The husband looks up from his coffee, "It's the 20th Anniversary of the day we met".
She can't believe he has remembered and starts to tear up.
The husband continues, "Do you remember 20 years ago when we started dating, I was 18 and you were only 16," he says solemnly.
Once again, the wife is touched to tears.
"Yes, I do”, she replies.
The husband pauses...The words were not coming easily.
"Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car?"
"Yes, I remember”, said the wife, lowering herself into the chair beside him.
The husband continued. "Do you remember when he shoved the shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter or I will send you to prison for 20 years’”?
"I remember that, too”, she replied softly.
He wiped another tear from his cheek and said “Today, I would have been a free man…"
Tom is the G.O.A.T.
To be successful at anything, the truth is you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t: consistent, determined and willing to work for it.
~ Tom Brady
Indeed
The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
~ Charles Bukowski
Yes
The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it –
Basically because you feel good when you are near or with them.
~ Charles Bukowski
People are indeed strange
People are strange: they are constantly angered by trivial things,
But on a major matter like totally wasting their lives, they hardly seem to notice.
~ Charles Bukowski
My experience generally confirms this
Sayre's Law
People often argue the most about things that matter the least.
Rasor to ponder
Hanlon's Razor
Don't attribute to malice what you can attribute to stupidity.
If your little brother colors on your homework, it's probably not because he hates you.
It's more likely he didn't know how important your homework was.
He was speaking in the context of relationships, but works in life generally
Do not punish behavior that you wish to see repeated.
~ Jordan Peterson
She knew
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
~ Judy Garland
Good point
A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something that he can understand.
~ Bertrand Russell
Good Advice from the Oracle of Omaha
You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you.
Frue power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True power is restraint.
If words control you, that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass.
~ Warren Buffett
If you know, you know…
Sometimes all I need is the air I breathe…
…and to love you.
~ seen on a piece of wall art on a shop in Pella, Iowa.
The Greatest Song Ever Written (according to Paul McCartney)
I may not
always love you,
but as long as there are
stars above you,
you'll never
need to doubt it.
I'll make you so
sure about it.
God only knows
what I'd be without you.
~ Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, God Only Knows, sung by The Beach Boys
Best (and saddest) Breakup Song and Lyrics EVER
You could be my silver spring
Blue-green colors flashin'
I would be your only dream
Your shinin' autumn ocean crashin'
And don't say that she's pretty
And did you say that she loved you?
Baby, I don't wanna know
So, I begin not to love you
Turn around, see me running
I say, "I loved you years ago"
Tell myself you never loved me, no
And don't say that she's pretty
And did you say that she loved you?
Baby, I don't wanna know, oh, no
And can you tell me, was it worth it?
Baby, I don't wanna know
Time cast a spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me
~ Silver Spring, written by Stevie Nicks, about Lindsey Buckingham, of Fleetwood Mac
Point taken
We don't do TV commercials, because our target audience isn't sitting around watching TV.
~ Ferruccio Lamborghini
If you know, you know.
I wasn't going to go home because I lifted.
~ Nolan Seigel (age 19), attempting to qualify for one of the last three spots at the 2024 Indianapolis 500 on his maiden try.
“I wasn’t going to go home because I lifted"
Primed as the last to go out, leaving Rahal without a chance to defend, Siegel ran an opening lap of 229.288mph. Pushing for every ounce of speed, he fully committed into Turn 1 on his second lap and glanced the wall on the exit of the corner, sending him into a spin before hitting the Turn 2 barriers.
“I was going to go home because I went flat and did everything I could do,” Siegel said. “I wasn’t going to go home because I lifted.”
The valiant effort portrayed encapsulated everything desired in a racing driver. And it was noticed by many of Siegel’s peers, including Rahal.
Not sure I get it, but there it is…
You can never be unfaithful to your one true love…
~ Norm, to Sam, in the final scene of the final episode of Cheers
Golden (silence is...)
If you’re too tired to speak, sit next to me, because I too, am fluent in silence.
~ Keanu Reeves
Warren Buffett's Most Important Decision in Life
Marry the Right Person
Buffett calls it the most important decision in life.
Your partner will be there through the ups & downs.
Find someone who:
- Challenges you
- Supports your dreams
- Brings joy to your days
The right partner is priceless.
Can confirm...
It is written -
One who's heart is not content
will never know happiness.
~ Chinese proverb, as mentioned in China Sky (1945)
It works!
Here's what I do when I'm feeling down:
I get very quiet and very still...
And I say to myself:
"Everyone in the world is as miserable and empty as I am.
They're just better at pretending."
Try it sometime, it may bring your some peace.
~ Mom, in the The Edge of Seventeen
Typical
When NASA first started sending astronauts to space, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent years and millions of dollars to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 degrees Celsius.
And what did the Russian do?
The Russians used a pencil.
Yep
Letter to the Person Who Carved
His Initials into the Oldest Living
Longleaf Pine in North America
Tell me what it's like to live withoutcuriosity, without awe. To sailon clear water, rolling your eyesat the kelp reefs swayingbeneath you, ignoring the flickerof mermaid scales in the mist,looking at the world and feelingonly boredom. To standon the precipice of some wild valley,the eagles circling, a herd of cariboubooming below, and to yawnwith indifference. To discoversomething primordial and holy.To have the smell of the earthwelcome you to everywhere.To take it all in, and then,to reach for your knife.
~ Matthew Olzmann
Well...
My wife likes to make love in the back seat of the car...
...but I'm getting tired of driving her around.
~ Rodney Dangerfield
Never argue with someone at a lower level of political awareness than you
Levels of Awareness in politics
Level 1 - They believe what their preferred news say and do not sample other sources. Not aware of counter arguments. Not aware their news is mostly narrative.
Level 2 - Sample news from multiple sources but believe only their own sources are accurate. Think the other side is all narrative, but familiar with all sides of issues.
Level 3 - Aware that ALL news is fake, at least in the sense of missing context and spin. Also known as Gell-Mann Amnesia. But still believe the experts in various fields are usually correct.
Level 4 - Understand that NONE of our experts are reliable. Some might be right, not none can be trusted without verification. The distortion of money makes no expert credible.
Level 5 - They see the gears of the machine. The Republic no longer looks like whatever the Founders intended. The control of powerful billionaires and intelligence professionals is now obvious.
Level 6 - You are dead because you know too much. Also known as Epstein Level.
From Scott Adams
I think I'll take his advice tonight!
Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been.Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a negroni. Have two.
Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways.Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride.
~ Anthony Bourdain
Wait, what?
If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
Simple, indeed
There are really just five simple lessons to life:
Be honest, work hard, have fun, be grateful, and pay it forward.
~ Bruce Halle, Founder of Discount Tire
Old wisdom
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
~ Aristotle (384 - 322 BC)
The Transitive Theory of Your Destiny
Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words.
Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions.
Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits.
Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values.
Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny.
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Tree logic
Lloyd (discussing Tate): He has it, though.
Monica: Has what?
Lloyd: Toughness. You're either born a willow or born an oak - that all there is to it.
~ from Yellowstone
I need to get to boilin'...
You know, when you boil it all down,
it's funny how little you need.
~ Rip, in Yellowstone
Not bad
Interviewer: What is your definition of happiness?
A clear horizon;nothing to worry about on your plate,only things that are creative and not destructive.
~ Alfred Hitchcock
Sharks and Minnows
There's sharks and minnows in this world, Jimmy, and if you don't know which one you are, then you ain't a fuckin' shark.
~ Rip Wheeler, in Yellowstone
Courage, indeed...
Everyone needs a dream, Dan.
But dreams take courage.
~ John Dutton, in Yellowstone
So very sad
You can’t go to a SUPER BOWL PARADE, a bowling alley, to a restaurant, to work, to the mall, to a grocery store, to your church, to the movies or the bank.You can’t attend a concert, go to a dance class or go to see your doctor.You can’t ring a doorbell, use a leaf blower, hop in a car, pull down a driveway, bounce a ball, or ask the neighbor to keep it down.You can’t check out a farmer’s market or pick up a package at the post office or go to a Fourth of July parade, and you certainly can’t send your kids to school without worrying that someone will get shot.That someone you LOVE will get shot.Or that YOU will get shot.This is where we are now.This is not normal.This upside down reality is being imposed upon us by those who equate firearms with freedom.This is anything BUT freedom.And. This. Is. Not. A. Reality. We. Have. To. Accept.I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS REALITY.
~ Jo on Twitter
Context note - today February 14, 2024 - after the KC Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade, a moron opened fire on the crowd, killing one and wounding 11 to 20 (numbers are not final at this time)
Food for thought...
What people think success is:
- Making lots of money
What success actually is:
- Being healthy
- Having morals
- Not being a dick
- Being a good friend
- Owning your own time
- Being present with family
- Being authentic to yourself
- Working on something meaningful
~ Dan Go
Lessons to learn
The scientist has a lot of experience with ignorance and doubt and uncertainty, and this experience is of very great importance, I think.When a scientist doesn't know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is, he is uncertain. And when he is pretty darn sure of what the result is going to be, he is still in some doubt.We have found it of paramount importance that in order to progress we must recognize our ignorance and leave room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty — some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain.
~ Richard Feynman
I'm gonna meditate on this for a few days...
- Positivity is a CHOICE
- Happiness is a CHOICE
- Giving back is a CHOICE
- Being honest is a CHOICE
- Showing gratitude is a CHOICE
- Respecting yourself is a CHOICE
- Being kind to everyone is a CHOICE
The older I get the more I see life is simply what we CHOOSE to make it.
~ Tyler Todt
Indeed
No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training
... what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable
~ Socrates
Good advice
Do not use your energy to worry.Use your energy to believe, to create, to learn, to think and to grow.
~ Richard Feynman
Yep
I loved her against reason,against promise, against peace,against hope, against happiness,against all discouragementthat could be.
~ Charles Dickens, from Great Expectations
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