Thursday, February 26, 2015

Theodore Roosevelt

The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison - beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world. ... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimit, and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

George Harrison

I Me Mine is the ego problem. There are two 'I's: the little 'i' when people say 'I am this'; and the big 'I' - is duality and ego. There is nothing that isn't part of the complete whole. When the little 'i' merges into the big 'I' then you are really smiling!

--"I Me Mine" was a Beatles song written and performed by Harrison, as well as the title of his 1980 autobiography.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Ruth Rendell

Some say life is the thing, but I prefer reading.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Winnie the Pooh

I was going to change my shirt, but I changed my mind instead.

Alan Watts

No one imagines that a symphony is supposed to improve as it goes along, or that the whole object of playing is to reach the finale. The point of music is discovered in every moment of playing and listening to it. It is the same, I feel, with the greater parts of our lives, and if we are unduly absorbed in improving them we may forget altogether to live them.

Alan Watts, philosopher, writer, speaker (1915-1973)

Dan Pashman

Everyone loves slow cookers. They're the Willie Nelson of kitchen appliances. 

Paul Jaskunas

I was surprised to learn that love is now considered essential to the employment relationship. Some of us are lucky enough to have lovable jobs, but this strikes me as an extreme standard to apply with respect to most positions.

When I lived in Eastern Europe more than a decade ago, I found that people had a more moderate approach. People did not seem to feel the need to love their job or even talk much about it. You could become well acquainted with someone without finding out what he did for a living. When the subject did come up, it seemed to be beside the point. The real action of life — the singular life of the mind, soul and body — was elsewhere, wrapped up in private pursuits, away from the workplace.

That may have had something to do with the size of the economy there. It’s not easy to be thrilled about work when opportunity is scarce. Admittedly, the dynamism of Western capitalism depends upon people who work with missionary zeal, who refuse to accept that a job is merely a job. It must be something more — a vocation, an adventure, a journey to higher heights.

I often do feel this way about my work, but I’d rather not feel obliged to profess my enthusiasm. I’ll keep my chin up; on a good day I might even whistle. But please don’t ask me to smile if I’m not in the mood.

--"The Tyranny of the Forced Smile," New York Times, February 14, 2015.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Chocolate Streusel Poundcake

In this stunning dessert, a moist and soft chocolate poundcake is topped on two sides — bottom and top — with crunchy, slightly salty streusel flecked with chocolate chips. The combination of cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate gives this cake a particularly rich flavor. You can make it up to 3 days ahead. Store it at room temperature, well wrapped in foil. Then serve it topped with ice cream or whipped cream and fresh berries, or toasted and buttered, or plain as it is. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.

Featured in "The Bittersweet Kiss of Chocolate," by Melissa Clarke. New York Times, February 6, 2015

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Mindy Kaling

I have a personality defect where I sort of refuse to see myself as an underdog. It has gotten me into a lot of trouble but it is also the reason for my success. I am often reminded of it when people ask me why I'm confident… Why wouldn't I be? It's because my parents raised me with the entitlement of a tall, blond, white man. That's the way to do it: Picture yourself as Armie Hammer on the outside.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Alan Lomax

We now have cultural machines so powerful that one singer can reach everybody in the world, and make all the other singers feel inferior because they're not like him. Once that gets started, he gets backed by so much cash and so much power that he becomes a monstrous invader from outer space, crushing the life out of all the other human possibilities. My life has been devoted to opposing that tendency.