The only gift is a portion of thyself.

Thou must bleed for me. Therefore the poet brings his poem; the shepherd, his lamb; the farmer, corn; the miner, a gem; the sailor, coral and shells; the painter, his picture; the girl, a handkerchief of her own sewing. This is right and pleasing, for it restores society in so far to its primary basis, when a man’s biography is conveyed in his gift, and every man’s wealth is an index of his merit. But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy me something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith’s.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Strength Thru Shopping

-Jello Biafra

rant....

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/23901

'There is always an easy solution to every human problem - neat, plausible and wrong.'"

H. L. Mencken:

The American cult of founder worship.

Review of Ulysses

http://www.amazon.com/review/R36V6DYQXY1PX0/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Review of "A Goats Song" by Dermot Healy

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3S6XQHAUKEO4Z/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Information == Knowledge

And I'm not sure that just because you can get more information you are actually better off. I think there is already too much information which is of no great use or purpose. So I think there's a bit of fine tuning needed there, which you can say about the 20th century in general.

Damien Lovelock, The Celibate Rifles

Poverty comes in an exciting range of variegated colours.

Wealth always looks the same.

- AA Gill.

It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.

Philip Adams

You don't need to outdo the competition. It's expensive and defensive. Underdo your competition. We need more simplicity and clarity.
-Jason Fried

"The unexamined life is not worth living"
- Socrates