Notable quotes, excerpts, and profound lines.

[BenG]

“I don't think I'll get married again. I'll just find a woman I don't like and give her a house.”
― Lewis Grizzard

[Apache]

US Torpedoes were very erratic during the early days of WWII. During an attack on a German Cargo ship protected by 4 E-Boats, (no discussion on how to properly spell please ) PT 206 ( Lt. DuBose) and PT 216 (Lt. (jg.) Sanders) fired two torpedoes each. PT 212 (Sinclair) was lining up for a shot when when a torpedo fired by PT 206, running wild, porpoised along side PT 212. Sinclair swung his boat hard right as the torpedo passed, and then returned to a firing course.
Lt. DuBose, PT Division Commander, impatiently asked Sinclair by radio, "How many have you fired?"
"None yet," Sinclair replied. "I'm to damned busy dodging yours."
From At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy

Apache

[BenG]

The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain. If you can’t lick ’em, join ’em. If it hurts, repeat it. But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else.

--Ursula K. Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by BenG

The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain. If you can’t lick ’em, join ’em. If it hurts, repeat it. But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else.

--Ursula K. Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

One of my top few favorite short stories the last few years. Excellent, excellent stuff!

[kennyc]

.


“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

― Henry David Thoreau
Civil Disobedience and Other Essays: Collected Essays of Henry David Thoreau

[BenG]

Another literary figure who was not so sympathetic to our aims was the theologian and novelist C. S. Lewis. Although several of his best books are about space flight, he was very much opposed to the idea and attacked rocket societies because they would spread the crimes of mankind to other planets. This annoyed me, and we arranged a confrontation in a famous Oxford pub. My second was Val Cleaver, later head of the Rolls-Royce Rocket Division, and Dr Lewis was supported by Professor J. R. R. Tolkien, since famous for The Lord of the Rings. We had a splendid time arguing about the merits of space travel, and as we parted Dr Lewis said, ‘I am sure you are very wicked people, but how dull it would be if everybody was good.’

-- Arthur C. Clarke, The View From Serendip

[xg4bx]

I don't remember it it's in the novel but this quote from Fight Club always spoke to me-

''Man, I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables – slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy **** we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars, but we won’t. We’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.''

[gmw]

"The people who use sites like Google and Facebook are not those companies' customers. They are the products that those companies sell to their customers. In general, if you're not paying for it, then you're the product. Sometimes you're the product even if you are paying for it."

-- Bruce Schneier, Liars & Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by gmw

The Martians are coming? What didn't someone tell me?

( P.S. I like the quote. )

They were here on Dec 21 2012 and after taking a quick look round they rocketed back to Mars where it was safe.

[crich70]

"Come Watson, come!" he cried. "The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!"

~Sherlock Holmes in the Adventure of the Abby Grange

[astrangerhere]

Never ask for what ought to be offered.

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Apache

The Martians Are Coming??????
Apache

Are they angry?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by frahse

Are they angry?

No, but I heard they need women!

BOb

[BenG]

Originally Posted by frahse

Are they angry?

Nah, they're just a bunch of kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7f7NND8sJQ

[forsooth]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

No, but I heard they need women!

BOb

better they eat our women than our brains

?