A reader named Debra sent what I thought was a very appropriate quote:


"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." -- Cicero

A reader sent this.
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Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of achieving, and where the members of society least likely to succeed or even to sustain themselves, are abundantly rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

I picked this off of SurvivalBlog tonight. Read it, then read it again, and once more again. When it starts to sink in, you'll realize what a scary concept this is.
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"The disciplined warrior, made irrelevant by mechanized war, disdained and abandoned by the high-tech culture, is fading in American men. The fading of the warrior contributes to the collapse of society. A man who cannot defend his own space cannot defend women and children. The poisoned warriors called drug lords prey primarily for recruits on kingless, warriorless boys." - Robert Bly in Iron John, 1990

When Ronald Reagan was president, I was in my first year in college. I was also a good and dutiful liberal, so like all libs I dutifully hated Reagan without being able to specify why. In fact I spent both his terms in office hating him so much, I never heard what he said.

I'm fully aware of the errors Reagan made in office -- believe me, I ran with the crowd that crowed over every one -- but now that I'm older and wiser, I recognize him for the rare president that he was.  A friend just sent me some of his sayings. Can you possibly imagine any of these being uttered today by a politician? Naahhhhh.....
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"Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it, and hell where they already have it."
-Ronald Reagan

'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.'
-Ronald Reagan

'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'
-Ronald Reagan

'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.'
-Ronald Reagan

'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.'
-Ronald Reagan

'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress..
-Ronald Reagan

'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.'
-Ronald Reagan

'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.'
-Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.'
-Ronald Reagan

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.'
-Ronald Reagan

'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it, and if it stops moving, subsidize it'
-Ronald Reagan

'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'
-Ronald Reagan

'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'
-Ronald Reagan

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.'
-Ronald Reagan

A reader sent this.
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GOLDEN RULE
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

SILVER RULE
At least do for yourself what you would do for others.

IRON RULE
Don't do for others what they can do for themselves.

Here is an excellent collection of pithy observations on life, the universe, and everything. It's a huge read, but very entertaining and thought-provoking!

A few gems:

Many in prominent positions are only good at being prominent.

If it is simple a bureaucrat will hate it.

Most people who have screwed up their lives have done so because they wouldn’t listen to anyone. Now they want everyone to fix it for them. Just so long as you don’t you dare to ask them to make any changes.

No one is ever at fault! Just ask them.

The sure fire way to become a loser:

1. Ignore traditional values.
2. Abuse your mind and body with illegal drugs or booze.
3. Watch movies and listen to music that is morally degrading.
4. Constantly be self absorbed.
5. Never think of others.
6. Be easily offended. This way no one will ever be willing to step forward and try to help you for fear of offending you.
7. Find fault with everyone and everything.
8. Constantly be negative.
9. Nothing is your fault.
10. Nothing is your responsibility.
11. Hang around with people just like this.
12. Most importantly, refuse to work.

No act of unkindness can be undone. No unkind word can be taken back. No apology can entirely heal a stab to the heart. Just as with a gouged piece of furniture, the scar will remain forever.

Good decision making and happy memories go hand in hand.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
       and your plans will succeed.

This struck me as particularly apt.  Now that I think back on things, the essence of this verse has helped me make a lot of decisions, some of them hard (namely, dropping things that were NOT "committed to the Lord").

A reader sent this collection of quotes from Thomas Jefferson.  Do you realize how nearly every major problem in this country could be solved if we'd only heeded Jefferson's words?
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•    When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.

•    The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

•    It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.  A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

•    I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

•    My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

•    No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.

•    The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

•    The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

•    To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

•    I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.  If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Here's a quote by the author P.J. O'Rourke, sent by a reader. So true!
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There's only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.

I was noodling around another blog this morning and came across this quote, which frankly stopped me dead in my tracks:

"It is tempting to deny the existence of evil since denying it removes the need to fight it." - Alexis Carrel

Powerful words indeed. My thoughts flickered to a reader named Robert, who is a proud liberal. He routinely (but politely, I'll give him that) takes me to task for my WND columns because he can't believe things are as bad as I claim they are.

Taking me to task is easier than fighting it, I guess....

1. "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~Thomas Jefferson

2. Those who trade liberty for security have neither. ~John Adams

3. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

4. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

5. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.

6. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

7. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for.

8. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

9. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

10. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

11. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

12. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.

13. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.

14. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you NOT understand?

15. Guns have only two enemies; rust and politicians.

16. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

17. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

This came from Suzanne Venker's excellent blog, No Bull Mom. Like her, I found this quote to be terrifying:

Norman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. As a candidate he said this in a speech in 1944: "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of "liberalism," they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened. I no longer need to run as a presidential candidate for the Socialist party. The Democrat party has adopted our platform."

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

“There is no greater evil than forcing others to change.”

Lao Tsu – Chinese philosopher, circa 500 BC (approximately)

Here's a quote someone had tagged onto their signature line of their email. I thought it was kinda spiffy.

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic."

Hee hee. So true.