Quote of The Day 5-15-13

"Courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount."
Clare Boothe Luce

I believe this.  Courage is the basis for nearly any endeavor, whether physical or mental exertion.  Life is hard and ambiguous.  Fact.  And courage is an absolutely necessary asset.  Embrace it and you will satisfy your soul.

Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987) was an American author, journalist, Congresswoman, and US ambassador.  As a Congresswoman she was well known for her moderate position towards minorities, immigrants, and women denied privileges, which contrasted with most of her Republican counterparts.  She was a fierce and outspoken public speaker.

Quote of The Day 5-13-13

"Do not travel far to other dusty lands, forsaking your own sitting palace; if you cannot find the truth where you are now, you will never find it."

-Dogen

Word son.  I have no qualms with traveling and seeking experience through new sights and cultures.  But ultimate truth and meaning is not something to be found in a particular place.  It is to be found within.  And you are always with yourself.

Dogen (1200-1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist.  Born in Kyoto, Dogen founded the Soto school of Zen after training under Rujing in China, a master of the Caodong sect of Buddhism.  He is known for his bountiful writings, especially Treasury of The Eye of The True Dharma.

Quote of The Day 5-10-13

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Truth.  Nothing like old fashioned American wisdom.  Friendship is a two way street, you must give to receive.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet.  He is known for being a leader of the Transcendentalist movement which he solidified with his 1836 essay Nature.  Oliver Wendell Holmes considered Emerson's subsequent speech, "The American Scholar", America's "Intellectual Declaration of Independence".  Emerson's work would go on to influence American thinking and culture indefinitely.  He was also a good friend and mentor to fellow Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.

Quote of The Day 5-9-13

"Conventionality is not morality."
Charlotte Bronte

We all wish to do what is right.  However, what is right in our hearts does not always necessarily coincide with societal norms.  Morality is born in our hearts and though it may correlate with particular morals of a certain culture it is ultimately an individual responsibility.

Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was an English author of novels and poetry.  She was the eldest of three sisters that survived to adult age.  Her younger sisters Emily and Anne were also authors of note.  Bronte's most famous work is Jane Eyre which she wrote under the pen name Currer Bell.  The book revolutionized modern fiction with its precedent of the main character's inner battles of consciousness along with social critique.  Bronte's writing would influence such luminaries as James Joyce and Marcel Proust.  She was very outspoken of her high sense of morals and tended to preach tolerance over revolution.

Quote of The Day 5-8-13

"Diligence is the mother of good luck."

Benjamin Franklin

I like this one.  It has a nice ring to it.  And diligence is most certainly an admirable quality; one which typically yields success and favorable results.  Hence, good luck.

Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790).  You can find his face on the 100 dollar bill.  Now if that is not an icon of greatness, I do not know anything.  Franklin was a man of many talents, interests, and abilities.  Among those were writing, printmaking, political theory, postmaster, scientist, inventor, musician, satirist, and diplomat.  He was also a founding father of our great nation.  His achievements and contributions to our nation are simply too many to name here.  I anticipate his wisdom shall grace QOD again in the future and provide more opportunity to relish his greatness.

Quote of The Day 5-7-13

"Computers are useless.  They can only give you answers."
Pablo Picasso

Okay, useless?  No.  Especially now that computers are basically placed in our laps at birth and we barely live a moment without the use of one.  But the sentiment of this quote resonates with me.  For it highlights an essential piece of human nature:  inquisitiveness.  Yes, perhaps with the aide of computers certain questions and new problems needing solved can arise but the origin of all queries is the human mind.  It is one of the greatest abilities we have.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).  We all know him as a famous painter, he was also a sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer.  He is credited with co-founding the Cubist style of painting, co-inventing the collage, and inventing constructed sculpture.  A couple of his most famous works are Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937).  One of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century, Picasso along with contemporaries Marcel Duchamp and Henri Matisse, was responsible for exemplifying advancements in the plastic arts.

Quote of The Day 5-6-13

"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."
Henry David Thoreau

What a wonderful metaphor fishing is.  And what a strange experience being alive.  I believe Thoreau is hitting on something true in this statement.  We aspire to so many strange things and dedicate our time to so many different hobbies in our lives.  Perhaps these activities can be summed up simply as pursuits of freedom.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, naturalist, historian, and transcendentalist.  He was also an abolitionist and tax resistor; total rebel rocker.  Mr. Thoreau is another lucky fella that has been featured on QOD twice.  His wisdom is classically and distinctly American, bridging the new and old worlds with grace and intellectual provocation.

Quote of The Day 5-5-13

Actual tools at actual job I worked on at home

 "Don't do more work than you have to... Let your tools do the work."
Tom Bond

I figured it was only fair that my dad gets a shot at QOD.  So there you have it, how can you argue with that?

Quote of The Day 5-4-13

"Eat your vegetables."
Mary Fitzpatrick

That's my mum. And I'm sure your mum would agree too.

Quote of The Day 5-3-13

"Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."
Thelonius Monk

Well...perhaps I should shut up then.  You get the point.

Thelonius Monk (1917-1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer.  He is considered one of the greatest composers in America's music history.  Monk's unique style was characterized as angular, percussive, and dramatic.  His improvising approach has influenced countless musicians after him.  Monk has also contributed some of the most classic jazz standards to the American music canon including "Epistrophy", "Round Midnight", and "Straight No Chaser".  He is also the second most recorded composer after Duke Ellington which is exceptionally incredible as Monk composed only about 70 songs compared to Ellington's exceeding 1,000.

Quote of The Day 5-2-13

"It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play."
Dizzy Gillespie

Another fine proponent of simplicity.  Less is more. And you hear it more and more.  This not only applies to music and art but every day life.  When the superfluous can be eliminated, there is then more room mentally, physically, and ultimately spiritually.

Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) was an American trumpet player, bandleader, and composer.  Along with Charlie Parker, he helped usher in the bebop sound of the 1940's.  Still considered one of the best players to ever pick up the trumpet, Gillespie taught and influenced a number of jazz greats including Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, and Lee Morgan.

Quote of The Day 5-1-13

"Music washes away the dust of everyday life."
Art Blakey

Yes it surely does.  Nothing like music can give the soul a thorough cleansing.

Art Blakey (1919-1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.   Born in Pittsburgh, PA, he began by playing the piano but switched to drums as the superior Erroll Garner began gaining recognition.  Blakey's style was an immeasurable influence on so many musicians after him and continues to this day.  Drummers Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, and Blakey were at the forefront of the bebop jazz movement of the 1940's.  His style was typically characterized as powerful and funky, he was truly one of the hardest groovers to ever pick up a pair of drumsticks.  As the leader of The Jazz Messengers, Blakey ultimately showcased many musicians that would go on to have substantial  careers of their own such as Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, and Branford Marsalis.