Ten Quotes on Power

"Those who have been once intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it, even though for one year, never can willingly abandon it. They may be distressed in the midst of all their power; but they will never look to anything but power for their relief." -Edmund Burke, Political Philosopher (1729-1797)

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"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." -Frederick Douglas, Black Abolitionist, Editor, Renaissance Man (1818-1895)

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"A friend in power is a friend lost." -Henry Brooks Adams, U.S. historian (1838-1918)

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"Power only tires those who do not have it." -Giulio Andreotti, Former Italian Prime Minister (1919- )

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"No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition." -Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister (1804-1881)

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"A passion for politics stems usually from an insatiable need, either for power or for friendship and adulation, or a combination of both." -Fawn M. Brodie, Biographer (1915-1981)

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"If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases observe it." -Julius Caesar, Roman General, Statesman, and Writer (100-44 BC)

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"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." -Paulo Freire, Brazilian Educator and Philosopher (1921-1997)

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"Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power." -William Gaddis, American Author (1922-1998)

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"Whenever there is authority, there is a natural inclination to disobedience." -Thomas C. Halliburton, Canadian Jurist and Humorist (1796-1865)

Source: William B. Whitman (ed.), "The Quotable Politician"

Quotes on Democracy

These quotes were taken from the book entitled "The Quotable Politician":

"I don't know exactly what democracy is. But we need more of it." -Anonymous Chinese Student, during protests in Tianamen Square, Beijing (1989)

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"The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution." -Hannah Arendi, Political Scientist and Philosopher (1906-1975)

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"The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both the other classes." -Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384-322), "Politics"

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"Vote for the man who promises least; he'll be the least disappointing." -Bernard Baruch, Presidential Advisor and Financier (1870-1965)

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"To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making." -Otto Von Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany (1815-1898)

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"Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least." -Robert Byrne, American Writer (1933- )

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"Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature." -Samuel Butler, American Writer (1835-1902)

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The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." -Sir Winston Churchill, British Statesman, Prime Minister, and Author (1874-1965)

Trivia: Who Killed The Dead Sea?

I'm currently reading Kenneth C. Davis' book, "Don't Know Much About Geography." You'll find the following excerpts on pages 170 and 171 found of his book:

First of all it isn't a sea at all but a lake. The Dead Sea, forming part of the border between Israel and Jordan, is a landlocked salt lake with no outlet. With the Jordan River as its source, the Dead Sea is located 1,289 feet below the level of the nearby Mediterranean Sea, making it the lowest exposed point on the Earth's surface. In biblical times it was known as the Salt Sea because its salt content makes it saltiest "sea" on Earth. The high salt content is a result of rapid evaporation of the water due to the area's extremely high temperatures.

This extremely high saline level makes it difficult to sustain any life forms, which is why it came to be called the Dead Sea. In the Middle Ages, visitors believed that the air above the Dead Sea was poisonous, because no birds flew over its waters. But there are no birds there because there is nothing for them to eat; there are no plants, and any fish carried in from the Jordan River are killed immediately by the water's high salt content.

Halloween Rules

With Halloween upon us, it is worthwhile to remember a few simple rules to help keep this season healthy, happy and safe. Please use these helpful hints.

1. When it appears that you have killed the monster, never check to see if it's really dead.

2. Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.

3. Do not go into the basement when the power has gone out.

4. When you have the benefit of numbers, do not walk off alone.

5. As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals of hell.

6. If you are searching for something which caused a loud noise and find out that it's just the cat, run!

7. Do not take anything from the dead.

8. Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you're doing.

9. Do not go looking for witches in Maryland countryside.

10. Run from people carrying chainsaws or hedge trimmers.

11. If you find that your house is built upon a cemetery, now is the time to move in with your in-laws.

12. Do not mention the names of demons around open flames.

13. If your car runs out of gas at night on a lonely road, do not go to the nearby deserted-looking house to use the phone.

Source: FunnySermons.com

Anecdote: How Gullible Are We?

This anecdote came from TheHumorArchives.com. I'd like to share this with you because it has an important lesson to teach:

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical "dihydrogen monoxide."

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting
2. it is a major component in acid rain
3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
4. accidental inhalation can kill you
5. it contributes to erosion
6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

* Forty-three (43) said yes,
* Six (6) were undecided,
* Only one (1) knew that the chemical was water.

The title of his prize winning project was, "How Gullible Are We?"

He feels the conclusion is obvious.

(Photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu)

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 10

Quotes on Happiness

"The aim of life is to live and to live means to be aware - joyously,
drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware." -Henry Miller

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"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." -Albert Camus

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"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

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"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but they seize us." -Ashley Montagu

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"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." -Albert Schweitzer

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"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." -Allan K. Chalmers

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"Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy." -Cynthia Nelms

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"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same." -Anne Frank

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"A certain simplicity of living is usually necessary to happiness." -Henry Chapin

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"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with." -Mark Twain

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"Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy." -Gretta Brooker Palmer

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"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." -George Sand


(Photo courtesy of www.stockxpert.com)

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 9

Quotes on Dreams

"We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers." -Woodrow T. Wilson

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"Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely." -Erma Bombeck

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"We've got to have a dream if we are going to make a dream come true." -Denis Waitley

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"Dreams will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way."
-Baltasar Gracian

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"Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears." -Les Brown

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"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

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"What is now proved was once imagined." -William Blake

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"The most pitiful among men is he who turns his dreams into silver and gold." -Kahlil Gibran

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 8

Blog Action Day: Quotes on the Environment

Today, October 15, is Blog Action Day, when all participating bloggers around the Web write on just a single issue--the environment. My humble contribution to this effort, this being a Quotes blog, are the following memorable quotations on the environment:

"In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."
- From The Great Law of The Iroquois Confederacy

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"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - M. Gandhi

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"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." - Thomas Edison

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"There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." - Anon.

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"Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons; it is to grow in the open air and eat and sleep with the Earth."
- Walt Whitman

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"Increasingly, the world around us looks as if we hated it."
-Alan Watts

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"Not to have known, as most men have not, either the mountains or the desert, is not to have known oneself."
- Joseph Wood Krutch

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"He who is harmony with Nature hits the mark without effort and apprehends the truth without thinking."
- Confucius

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 7

Quotes from "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership"

I'm a history buff and as such, I can't help but view history as a collection of individual stories of great men and women with exceptional passion and determination. It impressed me that when you scratch the surface of great men and women, you'll find leadership traits at their very core.

This is why I got hooked on books about leadership. Leadership became my Grail quest as I started to supervise people and climb the corporate ladder. I bought this John C. Maxwell bestseller as my wife and I were shopping for our family New Year's eve get-together on December 28, 2000. It is one of my favorites on this subject. Hope you like it, too.

1. The Law of the Lid - "Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness."

2. The Law of Influence - "The true measure of leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less."

3. The Law of Process - "Leadership develops daily, not in a day."

4. The Law of Navigation - "Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course."

5. The Law of E.F. Hutton - "When the real leader speaks, people listen."

6. The Law of Solid Ground - "Trust is the foundation of leadership."

7. The Law of Respect - "People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves."

8. The Law of Intuition - "Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias."

9. The Law of Magnetism - "Who you are is who you attract."

10. The Law of Connection - "Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand."

11. The Law of the Inner Circle - "A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him."

12. The Law of Empowerment - "Only secure leaders give power to others."

13. The Law of Reproduction - "It takes a leader to raise up a leader."

14. The Law of Buy-in - "People buy into the leader, then the vision."

15. The Law of Victory - "Leaders find a way for the team to win."

16. The Law of the Big Mo - "Momentum is a leader's best friend."

17. The Law of Priorities - "Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment."

18. The Law of Sacrifice - "A leader must give up to go up."

19. The Law of Timing - "When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go."

20. The Law of Explosive Growth - "To add growth, lead followers-to multiply, lead leaders."

21. The Law of Legacy - "A leader's lasting value is measured by succession."

--John C. Maxwell

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 6

Trivia: Getting Rich Quickly

Legal methods:

-Marry someone who is already rich.

-Have a rich person die and will you their money.

-Strike oil.

-Discover gold.

-Win the lottery.

Illegal methods:

-Rob a bank.

-Blackmail someone who is rich.

-Kidnap someone who is rich and get a big ransom.

-Become a drug dealer.

For the sake of completeness:

"If you really want to make a lot of money, start your own religion."
- L. Ron Hubbard

Hubbard made that statement when he was just a science fiction writer in either the 1930s or 1940s. He later founded the Church of Scientology. He also wrote Dianetics.

Source: Contributed by James B. Reed to InvestFAQ.com

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 5

Did You Know That....?

Interesting facts about sex. Have a great weekend!

clipped from peety-passion.com According to the Kinsey Institute, the biggest erect penis on record measures 13 inches. The smallest tops off at 1 3/4 inches. The most common fantasy is oral sex. 8% of us have regular anal sex. 60% of men and 54% of women have had a 1-night stand. Women buy 4 out of every 10 condoms sold. In 1609, a doctor named Wecker found a corpse in Bologna with two penises. Since then, there have been eighty documented cases of men similarly endowed. Men say the average erect penis is 10″. Women say it’s 4″. A female orgasm is a powerful painkiller (because of the release of endorphins), so headaches are in fact a bad excuse not to have sex. 56% of men have had sex at work. Among the Mangaians of Polynesia, 18-year-old couples make love an average of three times a night, every night, until their thirties, when the weekly average drops to a mere 14. 1 in 3 of us have had an extramarital affair. 62% think there is nothing wrong with affairs. 29% of us are virgins when we marry. 58% like dirty talk during sex.

Top 8 Inspirational Quotes

This is part of my clippings collection at Clipmarks.com.

clipped from quotations.about.com 1) Mark Twain Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. 2) Luigi Pirandello In bed my real love has always been the sleep that rescued me by allowing me to dream. 3) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. 4) Zig Ziglar People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. 5) T. S. Elliot Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. 6) Buddha All that we are is the result of what we have thought. 7) Ralph Waldo Emerson Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. 8) Peter F. Drucker We know nothing about motivation. All we can do is write books about it.

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 4

Banker Joke: Wanna Bet?

A little old lady went into the Bank of Canada one day, carrying a bag of money. She insisted that she must speak with the president of the bank to open a savings account because, "It's a lot of money!"

After much hemming and hawing, the bank staff finally ushered her into the president's office (the customer is always right!). The bank president then asked her how much she would like to deposit. She replied, "$165,000!" and dumped the cash out of her bag onto his desk.

The president was of course curious as to how she came by all this cash, so he asked her, "Ma'am, I'm surprised you're carrying so much cash around. Where did you get this money?" The old lady replied, "I make bets."

The president then asked, "Bets? What kind of bets?" The old woman said, "Well, for example, I'll bet you $25,000 that your balls are square." "Ha!" laughed the president, "That's a stupid bet. You can never win that kind of bet!"

The old lady challenged, "So, would you like to take my bet?"

"Sure," said the president, "I'll bet $25,000 that my balls are not square!"
The little old lady then said, "Okay, but since there is a lot of money involved, may I bring my lawyer with me tomorrow at 10am as a witness?"

"Sure!" replied the confident president. That night, the president got very nervous about the bet and spent a long time in front of a mirror checking his balls, turning from side to side, again and again. He thoroughly checked them out until he was sure that there was absolutely no way his balls were square and that he would win the bet.

The next morning, at precisely 10am, the little old lady appeared with her lawyer at the president's office. She introduced the lawyer to the president and repeated the bet "$25,000 says the president's balls are square!" The president agreed with the bet again and the old lady asked him to drop his pants so they could all see. The president complied. The little old lady peered closely at his balls and then asked if she could feel them. "Well, Okay," said the president, "$25,000 is a lot of money, so I guess you should be absolutely sure."

Just then, he noticed that the lawyer was quietly banging his head against the wall. The president asked the old lady, "What the hell's the matter with your lawyer?" She replied, "Nothing, except I bet him $100,000 that at 10am today I'd have The Bank of Canada's president's balls in my hand.

Source: www.becquet.com

(Photo courtesy of Flickr.com)

Historical Trivia: Ten Most Fascinating Tombs in the World

If you're a history buff like me, you'll like this. The photos add a lot of flavor to this collection. You can post this to your blog, too, by simply clicking the button in the lower right hand potion of the Clipmarks frame below.

clipped from www.neatorama.com Newgrange The burial mound of Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland it is the also the world’s oldest surviving building (it’s older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt) Tana Toraja Sulawesi, Indonesia the strange part the funeral ceremony is often held weeks, months, or even years after the death Westminster Abbey London, United Kingdom Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred Tennyson Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Ernest Rutherford were all interred there Giza Necropolis Egypt the base sides have a mean margin of error of only 2 1/3 inch (58 mm)! Valley of the Kings a burial ground of ancient Egyptian pharaohs Catacombs of Paris a network of underground tunnels and rooms that used to be Roman-era limestone quarries Terracota Army Xi’an, China the burial ground of Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor and the unifier of China Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo Palermo, Italy Sedlec Ossuary Sedlec, Czech Republic Taj Mahal Agra, India October 1st, 2007

YouTube Video: Tuesdays With Morrie-Part 3

Clipmarks: Famous Quotes from Albert Einstein

I don't know if you're a science nut, but I'm awed by Albert Einstein's genius. Now, I respect him even more as a person because of his all-too human side which I didn't see before. Try these quotes which I imported from Clipmarks.com, where I'm a registered member (if you're a blogger, why don't you become one yourself?):

clipped from www.ruhanirabin.com Famous Quotes from Albert Einstein We always have something to learn from this Talented Genius Albert Einstein . Here are some of his most famous quotes.  In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius (and a lot of courage) to move in the opposite direction. A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin - what else does a man need to be happy? Imagination is more important than knowledge. Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish. One does not make wars less likely by formulating rules of warfare. Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details. If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax. Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it.