Re: The Quote Thread

[monetgo]

hey monetgo *waves* ... I had a look at Simplify on the web - sounds like a good little book ... what are your favourite bits from it? Love the quote from GF ... coming so soon after my lovely weekend away with my husband and son, I can relate . My son has been away on holiday with his GPs and cousins for the last week ... I miss his kisses ... but he's due home anytime now so I'm hanging out for the 'we're back!' phone call :cheers:

Hey Alts good am...your son's back yet?

I love everything in that little greeny book of mine though some are really hardcore simplicity but i managed to do four of it and i congratulated myself for that...some may find it absolutely impossible to do or will not be applicable to them due to different circumstances though...but because it's only me and my 15 years old daughter now...(my hubby Paul passed away 5 years ago due to heart failure)...i find it not as hard core as it's written actually. I'll share some thought provoking lines from that book here from time to time just for the purpose of sharing what i find a good read of all time.

Suddenly, I realized I no longer wanted my life to be that complicated....The first thing I did was get rid of all stuff I didn't use anymore....

~ Elaine St. James

Wise men and women in every major culture throughout history have found that the secret to happiness is not in getting more but in wanting less.

~ Elaine St James

[monetgo]

Such an intriguing, beautiful quote monetgo...especially since we live in the age of "ME", where we're trying to pack our boats with as much as we can without capsizing it!!

Does this mean my shopping sprees for clothes, shoes and bags are out?? I sense a meltdown...

Okay, I'll try to be better!! ;)

Hey...you're alright sens...been there...matching shoes and bags and everything that goes with it and enjoyed it....so enjoy it while you can!

We can always try (thanks for that word)...

to take advantage of the movement of the times and simplify, simplify. And enjoy.~Henry David Thoreau

[Altair]

hey monetgo *waves* ... I had a look at Simplify on the web - sounds like a good little book ... what are your favourite bits from it? Love the quote from GF ... coming so soon after my lovely weekend away with my husband and son, I can relate . My son has been away on holiday with his GPs and cousins for the last week ... I miss his kisses ... but he's due home anytime now so I'm hanging out for the 'we're back!' phone call :cheers:

Hey Alts good am...your son's back yet?

I love everything in that little greeny book of mine though some are really hardcore simplicity but i managed to do four of it and i congratulated myself for that...some may find it absolutely impossible to do or will not be applicable to them due to different circumstances though...but because it's only me and my 15 years old daughter now...(my hubby Paul passed away 5 years ago due to heart failure)...i find it not as hard core as it's written actually. I'll share some thought provoking lines from that book here from time to time just for the purpose of sharing what i find a good read of all time.

Suddenly, I realized I no longer wanted my life to be that complicated....The first thing I did was get rid of all stuff I didn't use anymore....

~ Elaine St. James

Wise men and women in every major culture throughout history have found that the secret to happiness is not in getting more but in wanting less.

~ Elaine St James

They're good lines mon. I love keeping it simple.

My son came back for two days but he's gone again! This time he is off fishing with his dad ... but they're due back tomorrow. I must admit that I've had a lovely indulgent day on my own today listening to Carl's CD *giggles*

[monetgo]

Good timin' then eh...lucky lucky enjoy the soothing voice of our man!

[Altair]

I know - it's been a great day! Surreal ... but great

[Angeo]

Hi all,

I love just reading through this thread.

'Simplify'

Just that word on it's own is a worthy quote. Speaks volumes and can be a solution to so much.

Keep it up guys. Enjoyable and inspirational.

[sensor]

You brought up a vexed question in my life alty, with that Janner quote.
It's the question about reaction to threat: flee (rabbit) or fight (lion).

When I was about sixteen, I "became" a "conscientious objector" in my heart, with a very simplistic, romantic philosophy that war and killing were immoral and must STOP.

My History teacher, after several discussions, said to me one day, "Tell me seriously, what would your response be, if there were a threat at our doorstep? eg. Sydney? Would you allow it to be overtaken, or would you want it defended?"

Finally decided that while war IS immoral and should be stopped, there are times when it is upon us, whether we like the notion or not. And I would certainly want my country/freedom defended.

I think too, that sometimes it's not so much about fleeing as about a measured response.

I always live in hope that negotiation would bring about a structured peace. But if push came to shove, and defending needed to be done, then defend I would. I couldn't take up a gun; but I would certainly help in the background, as they did in the "total war" age. However, even that sits uneasily with me, right up to present time... I guess it's the difference between head and heart.

Which is why I have so much respect for our Service men and women, who put themselves on the front line of our defence, every day.

PS. Just heard on the news an Australian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, during an attack. Several others wounded as well. Makes it horribly real...

[Altair]

oh I'm sorry you were vexed by the quote, Sensor ... I kind of just quote stuff that's on my mind at the time. I've been trying to finish that book for the last month and with my son away, I ended up reading a great chunk in one go ... I followed up 'The Great War' with 'Lions' so, along with it being Anzac Day, WWI has been on my mind for many months - and now I've just started reading 'Fromelle' so it's going to be on my mind for a while yet.

War is a troubling, albeit interesting, subject, though. There are so many facets, so many things to try and comprehend that are incomprehensible. That quote from Jenner was actually the last paragraph in his book. There were many opportunities for measured response during that 25 day period, and indeed, quite a few of the main players fought hard for one ... but ultimately it was a period in the world of major changes and anxiety over great power status and empirical holdings ... leading to the cult of the offensive ... with disastrous results.

I did like another paragraph of Jenner's in the final 'restrospective' chapter. He said "to keep the peace, everything has to go right - and usually a lot goes wrong. Students of disaster - wars, plane crashes, train crashes, the collapse of a dam or a building, Chernobyl - almost always remark on the number of separate and independent failures that contribute to a major catastrophe. July 1914 was no exception." (and you could add to that the Bhopal chemical disaster - the events that led to that disaster were mind boggling)
... when you think about the Cold War period and everything that's happened since then with Bosnia, Iraq etc, I wonder how many things have gone wrong, and how precarious the peace has been, all those years ... yet somehow we've avoided the the total disasters that were WWI and WWII. That gives me hope that the negotiation process does, for the most part, bring about a structured peace. Just my thoughts.

[sensor]

Never vexed by quotes - it was a challenging one - more by hard questions which seem to have so many conflicting answers.

I think that's the most troubling part of war. We only seem to see those "separate and independent failures" in hindsight, or when the catastrophe is upon us.

Let's hope that continued negotiation can keep our precarious peace, for a very long time; and we won't have to live that awful history again...

Like your thoughts alty - always open to them...

[Altair]

thanks Sensor :)

I have a lot of thoughts running around in my head. As my meany-peany husband would say "that's because there's nothing in there to stop them!"

[sensor]

That's a very brave thing for Mr. Altair to say, especially when he's in danger of his dinner being forgotten!!

The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up and does not stop until you get into the office. ~ Robert Frost

I like nonsense: it wakes up the brain cells. ~ Dr. Seuss

My favourite:
It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them - the character, the heart, the generous qualities, the progressive ideas.
~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

[Altair]

Mr Altair got his dinner ... eventually

It's that girl from Ipanema's fault!

She's getting the blame a lot lately

Great brain quotes Sensor ... love all three! :cheers:

[sensor]

She's always been trouble, that one. :evil:

It's those damn guys - why do they always go Ah as she walks by?? You'd think they'd never seen a classy dame before. And as you know, there are plenty right here on this board!!

I'm watching out for Carl too; I think she might have already ensnared him!!!

[Altair]

Sensor, I think we all need to watch out for our Carl.

Do you know that when Carl smiles, she doesn't see him ... she never sees him! . How could she not see him? With that smile that lights up the world?

Yep, that little missy-moo from Ipanema is trouble alrighty.

[Altair]

If a trainstation is where the train stops, what's a workstation? ~Author Unknown

[sensor]

Tall and tan and young and lovely -so shallow - what does he see in her?? pffft

And I'm worried she might be the same one who wrote Carl a letter. He's buying a plane ticket and rushing to her, as we speak; he don't care how much money he's got to spare; and now he's taken to calling her "my baby"!! The minx. I think he's got it bad alty!!

that's my kind of workstation!! Can I use that one, hehe??

Hard work never killed anyone, but why take a chance? ~ Edgar Bergen

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up. ~ Muhammad Ali

[Altair]

Eeeeeek! Stop him getting on that plane! Don't even let him take the fast train! This is no place for beginners or sensitive hearts!

I've heard she's been loved in seven languages

loved the quotes ... far out, M/Ali wasn't short on perspective ... he was a smart guy, shame about the damage to his scone.

[Angeo]

I'm most worried about the girl he's only just begun to live with!! That is song is simultaneously beautiful and devastating. It send me into thralls of emotion every time I hear it. And he sings it so emotively, I truly love it - but at the same time I wanna scream - I wish it were me!!!!!!!

I mean ... ahem . . . I wish it were me having that as my wedding song ... it would have been beautiful.

Oh and getting back to brain quotes - sort of - I like this one from everybody's favourite genius:

Imagination is more important than knowledge

-- Albert Einstein --

[monetgo]

War quotes...
"A leader who does not hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader."
"Wisdom is about being able to break an enemy's resistance without the need for fighting."

more Einstein...
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
"Man usually avoids attributing cleverness to somebody else -- unless it is an enemy."

[sensor]

That girl is one smooth operator... time after time, Carl says he's lucky to be loving her!! She must be stopped!!

As you would probably guess, I abhor boxing ( no eye-rolling- I can't help it!!:lol: )
I was just shocked that Ali put it out there so bluntly. He sure did know what his strengths were. It was just natural then, for him to beat people up... a scary thought...

Love the Albert Einstein quotes - he was a truly funny genius...

[monetgo]

"The boxer is not afraid of being knocked down -- he's afraid of not being able to get up again." ~ compiled quotes of David Bairn author of "Wisdom"

[Altair]

You can't shake hands with a clenched fist. ~ Indira Gandhi

[sensor]

It is essential to know that to be a happy person, a happy family, a happy society, it is very crucial to have a good heart. World peace must develop from inner peace.
Peace is not just the absence of violence, but the manifestation of human compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

[monetgo]

I found some enjoyable and inspirational at the same time Ange....here they are:
"Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbour. It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him."
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
"If you lie down with dogs you'll rise with fleas."
"There never was an old slipper but there was an old stocking to match it."
"Firelight will not let you read fine stories, but it's warm and you won't see the dust on the floor."
"It's no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking."
"The best way to keep loyalty in a man's heart is to keep money in his purse."
~compiled quotes by David Bairn, author of 'Wisdom'

[sensor]

Have been thinking about the horrific cyclone which has struck Myanmar, killing tens of thousands. And without wanting to be trite, have also been thinking how random and fragile life is; and what a precious gift.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain

[Angeo]

Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
O dream maker
You heart breaker
where ever you're goin' I'm goin' your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
there's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end
Waitin' round the bend
My Huckleberry friend
Moon river and me.

I have friends, a couple, who have lost contact with relatives in Myanmar. His brothers and their wives were holidaying there but hopefully were safe in a hotel in Rangoon. Her mother's family - brothers and sisters who live there still, are in their seventies and their homes are just huts. There's little hope for them. The anguish they are going through right now is just too awful. There is just no news coming out.

[sensor]

Not knowing - the worst possible situation. My heart goes out to your friends and their family. I hope their news when it comes, at least gives them some peace...
Myanmar is such a closed-off country. And I heard earlier they're not accepting help from the outside. Don't know whether that's still the case, but they can't be an island in the face of all this disaster. It's just too overwhelming, for Myanmar to handle alone.

That lovely old song - I guess we have to live while we have the chance...

[monetgo]

ARTIST: Seals and Crofts
TITLE: We May Never Pass This Way Again

Life, so they say
Is but a game and they'd let it slip away
Love, like the autumn sun
Should be dyin' but it's only just begun

Like the twilight in the road up ahead
They don't see just where we're goin'
And all the secrets in the universe
Whisper in our ears
All the years that come and go
Take us up, always up
We may never pass this way again

Dreams, so they say
Are for the fools and they let 'em drift away
Peace, like the silent dove
Should be flyin' but it's only just begun

Like Columbus in the olden days
We must gather all our courage
Sail our ships out on the open seas
Cast away our fears and
All the years that come and go
Take us up, always up

So - I wanna laugh while the laughin' is easy
I wanna cry when it makes it worthwhile
I may never pass this way again
That's why I want it with you

'Cause you make me feel like I'm more than a friend
Like I'm the journey and you're the journey's end
I may never pass this way again
That's why I want it with you, baby

[sensor]

A lovely song monetgo and lovely thoughts...

What a tragedy is Myanmar. 200,000 estimated killed. I can't even get my head around that number.

I guess we all feel helpless, especially when Myanmar won't accept outside help. They're terrified those bringing aid, will try to take over their country...


A spring of love gushed from my heart, and I bless'd them unaware. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

[monetgo]

Tragedy indeed! Sometimes i don't even know now if it's purely done by mother nature or mother nature provoked by human insanity...if you know what i mean....in this crazy world? I believe human madness causes imbalances to everything....who knows what diabolical concoction :twisted: we'd just made again unconsciously (or consciously) causing what's just happened. Anyhoo...it's always easy to blame 100%mother nature in everything isn't it? I supposed we could just be like Pontius Pilate, washing our hands to whatever happened and will happen. Am i crazy or somethin'? Well then, I chose mother nature for this one.....you...mother nature....you...(but not all the time) But i wonder what's the aftermath of this? Another 'epidemic'? After the death of thousands and thousands of people? Cause and effect....cause and effect....airborne.....this is what happens after watching I, Legend last night....well i guess we could utter a prayer or send a donation or go and volunteer (easier said than done isn't it? )and then move on Sens....nothing much here to do really (or is there :?: )
PS. My daughter was assigned to make and say 'Prayer for Burma' at their school mass.

“He bade me observe it, and I should always find, that the calamities of life were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind; but that the middle station had the fewest disasters” ~ Daniel Defoe

“A good conscience is to the soul what health is to the body; it preserves constant ease and serenity within us; and more than countervails all the calamities and afflictions which can befall us from without.” ~ Joseph Addison

“Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.”
~Aristotle

“History, is made up of the bad actions of extraordinary men and woman. All the most noted destroyers and deceivers of our species, all the founders of arbitrary governments and false religions have been extraordinary people; and nine tenths of the calamities that have befallen the human race had no other origin than the union of high intelligence with low desires.”
~Thomas Babington Macaulay

“It may serve as a comfort to us, in all our calamities and afflictions, that he that loses anything and gets wisdom by it is a gainer by the loss” ~ L. Estrange

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