“One of the great gifts that evolution has bestowed upon us is the ability to care for others. Frans de Waal believes we are on the verge of an Age of Empathy, in which we will understand that our culture’s obsession with competition and aggression is only half of the human story. “Compassion is not a recent weakness going against the grain of nature,” he writes, “but a formidable power that is as much a part of who and what we are as the competitive tendencies it seeks to overcome. ”
—The chips of fauna sanctuary - Andrew westoll, pg. 249
July 2011
35 posts
“He believed in me,” says Gloria. “And if someone believes in you, you can do just about anything. You have to have people who have faith in you, and then you’ll be fine. Even if your dream is the wonkiest dream in the world. ”
—The chips of Fauna Sanctuary, by Andrew Weston, pg. 63
“If anyone reading this runs a news channel, please, don’t clog the airwaves with fact-free conjecture unless you’re going to replace the word “expert” with “guesser” and the word “speculate” with “guess”, so it’ll be absolutely clear that when the anchor asks the expert to speculate, they’re actually just asking a guesser to guess. Also, choose better guessers. Your guessers were terrible, like toddlers hypothesising how a helicopter works. I don’t know anything about international terrorism, but even I outguessed them”
—The news coverage of the Norway mass-killings was fact-free conjecture | Charlie Brooker | Comment is free | The Guardian
“I think the voice behind “Game of Thrones” is a little boy saying “That time when there were knights and Lords and Ladies…. that was such a COOL time! I wish I lived back then…. Only I don’t, because it was a horrible time. Everyone was fighting. Women were getting raped. Bloodlines (e.g. racism) were all important. There was no ‘right’ side to be on. Poor people starved. It was a terrible, terrible time… except it was an AMAZING time! Men were real men; women were real women! People really LIVED! … I hate kings and queens. It’s unfair that some people get to have everything while others have nothing. … but MAN it would be AWESOME to be king! … except it wouldn’t… you’d have so many responsibilities and temptations. Power would probably corrupt you! But — meanwhile — think of all the BABES you’d get to fuck! Which would be sexist and horrible of you… but it would also be kind of fun… but…” This is EXACTLY my relationship to the Middle Ages, which I think is why I connect with Martin’s books. I don’t want that relationship to ever be resolved for me. I want to be in two minds (or forty minds) about it forever.”
—Here Be Dragons | MetaFilter
“The prosecution and conviction this week of Raquel Nelson – a metro Atlanta mother who lost her four-year-old son to a hit-and-run driver – on the charge of vehicular homicide is one of those times.”
—Transportation For America » Prosecuting the victim, absolving the perpetrators
- hiddenbrandon: I want it as a poster. Or a shirt. http://ecnef.tumblr.com/post/7687151442
- Me: that'd totally work
“Being female should not be special. It should be normal.”
—Max Barry | Dogs and Smurfs
“I appeal to people all over the world to stop buying ivory”
—Agony and Ivory | Culture | Vanity Fair
“Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.’”
—
Frank Herbert - Dune
*of course, this quote always makes me think of Peter the Puppy from Earthworm Jim*
“Hope clouds observation”
—Dune - Frank Herbert pg.9
“A popular man arouses the jealousy of the powerful”
—Dune - Frank Herbert pg.1
