Achieving the Impossible

Things are only impossible . . . until they’re not.

— Jean-Luc Picard


Courage of the Poet

The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.

— Christopher Morley


Madness

We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.

— Goethe

Goethe lived from 1749 to 1832. In the two centuries since his death I am please to report that the planet has made great strides in mental health. At the dawn of the 21st century we have managed to confine the majority of our disordered minds to the executive suites and the board rooms of our largest corporations. A small consolation to the millions of us who must work in these corporations but progress nonetheless.


Getting What You Want

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.

— Ben Stein


A Man With a Plan

I ain’t Martin Luther King. I don’t have a dream, I have a plan.

— Spike Lee


Theory of the Universe

There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

— Douglas Adams


Caw, Caw

The crows are calling my name, thought Caw.

— Jack Handey

I don’t know why but this line cracks me up every time I read it. Jack Handey is brilliant.


Problem of Evil

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

— Epicurus, philosopher (c. 341-270 BCE)

Years ago I struggled deeply with the Problem of Evil, i.e. the reconciliation of the existence of evil and suffering with the existence of a benevolent and omnipotent God. At the time, I found Dostoyevski’s novel The Brother’s Karamozov to be a great comfort and insight on the dilemma. I wish I had found Epicurus’ quote earlier in my life. The logic is compelling and impeccable.


Newspapers vs. Journalism

Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism. For a century, the imperatives to strengthen journalism and to strengthen newspapers have been so tightly wound as to be indistinguishable. That’s been a fine accident to have, but when that accident stops, as it is stopping before our eyes, we’re going to need lots of other ways to strengthen journalism instead.

— Clay Shirky


Write For Yourself

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.

— Cyril Connolly

Cyril Conolly died three decades before Twitter was conceived. And yet, I can’t help but think that he would have echoed the same sentiments today.


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