November 30th, 2007 — Just thinking, Quotations
I thought this quote had both teeth and power. So often when unfortunate things happen folks say the latter phrase which is hardly helpful.
Karin
Related Articles Related StoresThat some good can be derived from every event is a better proposition than that everything happens for the best, which it assuredly does not. -James Kern Feibleman, philosopher and psychiatrist (1904-1987)
November 30th, 2007 — Guest writer, Just thinking
This was an Internet forward, but the cleverness of some of these was worth passing along. I did not check out every author to see if they were the real source. I know I always appreciate a quote from George Bernard Shaw and Gertrude Stein.
Karin
Related Articles Related StoresAhh, a good insult is like . . . what?? When insults had class: these glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language got boiled down to four letter words!
The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, “If you were my husband I’d give you poison,” and he said, “If you were my wife, I’d drink it.”
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: “Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease.”
“That depends, Sir,” said Disraeli, “on whether I embrace your policies or your mistress.”“He had delusions of adequacy.” - Walter Kerr
“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” - Winston Churchill
“A modest little person, with much to be modest about.” - Winston Churchill
“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.” - Clarence Darrow
“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).
“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?” - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.” - Moses Hadas
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” - Abraham Lincoln
“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.”
Mark Twain“He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” - Oscar Wilde
“I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend…. if you have one.”
- George Bernard Shaw to Winston
Churchill.“Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second… if there is one.” - Winston Churchill, in response.
“I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.” - Stephen Bishop
“He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” - John Bright
“I’ve just learned about his illness. Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial.” - Irvin S. Cobb
“He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others.” - Samuel Johnson
“He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.” - Paul Keating
“There’s nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won’t cure.” Jack E.
Leonard“He has the attention span of a lightning bolt.” - Robert Redford
“They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge.” - Thomas Brackett Reed
“In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.” - Charles, Count Talleyrand
“He loves nature in spite of what it did to him.” - Forrest Tucker
“Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?” - Mark Twain
“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.” - Mae West
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” - Oscar Wilde
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts… for support rather than illumination.” - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
“He has Van Gogh’s ear for music.” - Billy Wilder
“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.” - Groucho Marx
November 29th, 2007 — Music
I love, love, love this song, first heard in the movie theater as part of the advertisements.
Karin
Related Articles Related StoresNovember 9th, 2007 — Music
November 9th, 2007 — Music
This is a very pretty song, I think. I wish I could speak the language.
Karin
Related Articles Related StoresNovember 6th, 2007 — Music
Words by Yekhiel Mohar and melody by Yokanon Zarai.
He has a wonderful voice.
Karin
November 6th, 2007 — Just thinking
I have a special spot in my heart for military chaplains since I once knew a fellow who became a chaplain after we lost touch with each other. But knowing that their jobs can be as dangerous as a soldier’s has kept me connected to articles about them through the years.
This article talks about a female chaplain. The next one in the series will talk about an ultra-orthodox rabbi.
Do you know a military chaplain? Have you been one?
Karin
Related Articles Related StoresNovember 6th, 2007 — Guest writer, Just thinking, Opportunity, Prayer
What’s your irritation quotient? Do you find yourself with a constant underlying sense of irritation about the little things in life that should only be annoyances? Or does your irritation quotient go up only for select instances? Do you feel this is a function of not voicing some of the things that maybe should have been voiced along the way or do you see that you could have taken better care of yourself with more rest and more regular food? Maybe all of the above, since speaking up for ourselves can also constitute taking care of ourselves, unless it becomes a regular habit of speaking up over everything, which possibly we should break.
I can be irritable with the best of them, but it doesn’t necessarily make me feel better. I try to pray my way out of it before it settles in, so it doesn’t come out in ways I would prefer it not to. And sometimes I pray my way not to rehearse it in thought when it is something that isn’t immediately fixable.
What do you do with irritation? There are opportunities every day to overcome it or to be overcome by it. No life is free of it completely. Do you suppose some people have higher thresholds of irritation?
I find it helpful not to let a little river of irritation run in me that can go up with the slightest spark. Of course, that is, if I catch it in time. It would be saying too much to say that I always do.
Karin
Related Articles Related StoresThe subhead on the story said, “Little acts of revenge can feel so good.” [the person refused to call the sizes of drinks at Starbucks by their Starbuck names]
This notion is potentially useful in plotting a novel or TV show, but in the real world it fails on two levels. First of all, disputing the terminology of a cup size or other marketing detail just makes life harder for the clerk, who has no power over company policy. Why expend time and energy hassling an innocent bystander who’s just doing a job?
Second, and perhaps more important, if minor annoyances create enough agitation within you that seeking little acts of revenge becomes a priority, where do you draw the line? Can you even tell the difference between getting pushed around and just feeling bothered? And what if your “I’m fighting back” gambit causes someone else to want revenge on you?
To me, it wouldn’t matter if a company wanted to call its cup sizes “glork,” “koopa,” and “zeralack.” I could work with that. Some people might say this proves I’m just a big talking marshmallow. Not true. It’s just that I’ve set a high threshold for annoyance, and I keep issues in perspective.
It wasn’t too many decades ago that business owners in America could offer selective service to patrons based on skin color. Knowing this, making a fuss about cup sizes or a long line, or berating the clerk because you got incorrect change, is pretty lame.
If revenge is on your personal agenda for today, consider erasing it. Everyday life is full of bumps. Most of them are not the little hills you want to die on. They aren’t even worth a small skirmish. Jeffrey Shaffer To read the whole article go here Don’t take revenge, be happy .
November 1st, 2007 — Arts, Books, Just thinking
We had some really cute costumes here. Even at lunch the wait staff was dressed up, from pirates to speak easy. It made it fun to eat out.
At night, the little boys especially were adorable. One little fellow said he was Jack Sparrow. He was just the cutest thing. One little girl was so cute — she said she was a mermaid. A neighbor went as Harry Potter and his mother as Professor McGonagall. He delighted in telling me that.
My kids went eclectic. The 12 year old went as a detective fairy, wearing a trench coat over the Tinker Bell costume. She left off the wings as it was too windy. The 9 yr old went as a death eater, using the costume that was made for the last book opening night.
Meantime their friend went as a Vampire. Her costume was red and looked a bit like a pirate. It was her makeup that made it as much as the dress. Somehow she had what looked like piercings in her nose and eyebrow attached with glue, plus drippy red. Honestly, she’s such a cute girl; she just looked neat.
It makes me wonder if the two 12 year olds had any idea I’ve been reading the Dresden File series by Jim Butcher, a kind of grown up Harry Potter, with some swords of the Lord thrown in, quite a bit of humor, and a bit of — what if this were really true — thrown into the mix. I’m reading them out of order as the library gets them in for me. I started with the newest that was on the new book shelf. I missed hearing about them earlier. The protagonist is also called Harry who runs around in a leather duster. College Girl tells me it was a series on TV, but she didn’t like it as well as Buffy. The TV show was not supposed to be identical to the books. They changed the name of Karrin Murphy to Connie Murphy. (I’m partial to Karrin, as you can imagine.) (Parts are gruesome in the books, but the characters and humor and religious mix make it interesting. I laugh out loud at some of the humor. I have to read every word vs. skimming so as not to miss any of the details that make up the world he has created.)
Have you read them? do you like them?
Karin
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