Quote of The Day 4-11-13

"Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, big fan.  I also love traveling, and peculiar traveling as well.  The new strange experiences that we absorb through travel affect the psyche and broaden horizons both literal and figurative.  To embrace the odd or unforeseen is to improvise, to tumble through unknown motions, to learn from whatever privilege presents.  Much like dancing lessons from God.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922-2007) was an American author best known for his satirical dark humor.  A personal favorite of mine, Vonnegut’s style commonly combined science fiction along with his typical dark humor.  He also chronicles some of his wartime experience in Germany during World War II in several of his novels.   His books Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, and Breakfast of Champions are among his most popular and widely considered American classics.  Vonnegut was an outspoken pacifist, a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and was an honorary president of the American Humanist Association.

Quote of The Day 4-10-13

"A lie may fool someone else, but it tells you the truth: you're weak"
Tom Wolfe

Big fan of honesty in case you were wondering.  I mean, come on.  What do lies and bullshit really achieve.  It certainly succeeds in annoying others and causing hostility.  Then again so can truth.  But at least truth is indisputable.

Tom Wolfe (1931-) is an American author and journalist.  He is associated with the New Journalism movement which emphasized objectivity.  Wolfe became widely popular after the publication of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, in which the author gives a spirited account of his experiences with Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters.  His first novel Bonfire of The Vanities received much praise and is a personal favorite of mine.

Quote of The Day 4-9-13

“It is not half so important to know as to feel."

Rachel Carson

Totally.  And I am a pretentious didactic butthead.  At least that is the character I play in this blog.  However, to feel is to live.  And living is what we are here to do, no?

Rachel Carson (1907-1964) was an American marine biologist and author.  She is well known for her book Silent Spring which is commonly considered the work that birthed the modern environmental movement.  Carson was also awarded the U.S. National Book Award for her book The Sea Around Us and her books The Edge of The Sea and Under The Sea Wind were also monumental works.  Her advocacy against synthetic pesticides sparked national concern which ultimately led to the nationwide ban of DDT, more strict regulation of other pesticides, and spawned the grassroots environmental movement that eventually led to the forming of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Quote of The Day 4-8-13

"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."

Jack Kerouac

Perhaps this one is not for everybody.  Certainly not every person is capable of such a feat due to particular inabilities.  But the essence rings true for me nonetheless.  Especially as I am a person that enjoys solitude in the great outdoors very much.  I do believe that it is healthy to immerse oneself in the calm of nature.  Even if only sporadically in brief docile settings and not in prolonged rigorous attempts at isolated survival.  For the repose of wilderness garners humility.

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) was an American author.  He is best known for being a leader of the Beat Generation along with such writers as Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs.  Kerouac typically wrote in an impromptu style which was met with criticism but also influenced an entire generation of writers and beyond.  His best known work, On The Road, exemplifies Kerouac's generally autobiographical approach.  Using several different monikers for himself and other real life characters in his life, Kerouac considered his main body of work to be installments in a continuous legacy which he dubbed The Duluoz Legend.  Kerouac died from internal bleeding caused by a lifelong abuse of alcohol.

Quote of The Day 4-7-13

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear." 
Rosa Parks

Truth.  Utter truth.  There may be no better examples of courage, bravery, and self respect than Rosa Parks provides.  And this quote is a creed that can be adhered to by everyone.  For there are certain virtues and desires that we have as humans which are unequivocally undeniable.  In some particular circumstances these aspirations can be daunting.  However, if one can determine that a thirst must be absolutely quenched, no matter how great or small, then fear will wash away and be replaced by fierce determinism.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) was a true American hero and icon.  As all should know, Mrs. Parks refused to move to the back of a segregated bus when asked and was subsequently arrested on December 1, 1955.  She in turn became a national figurehead for the Civil Rights Movement.  At the time of her arrest Mrs. Parks was a secretary of the Montgomery, AL chapter of the NAACP.  In her time she also worked with Civil Rights leaders Edgar Nixon and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Everyone can take some inspiration from this remarkable woman.