Photo by Hossein Zare Less is More “Less is More” is both the mantra of minimalists and authors. I believe there is truth in the statement from both perspectives but I believe this message of minimalism can be more...
In one of the more poignant philosophical scenes in Westworld, William decides to stop holding himself back from the park and decides to love Dolores despite his commitment to his fiance back home. He passionately tells her: I’ve been pretending...
Charles Schulz has to rank among the very few comic strip authors who are both humorous and philosophical, pragmatic and ridiculous. As a kid, I related to Charlie Brown much like many other kids my age: he was struggling to...
Asked what he would do if he lost an upcoming fight, Jon Jones responded: “I don’t allow myself to think about that.” I’ve pondered that response every day since I heard it last week. He didn’t elaborate much on that thought...
The most erroneous stories and those we think we know best – and therefore never scrutinize or question. Often, great quotes grab my attention only to fall into the trash bin the more I think about them. That is,...
When Stupid Jack declares: “Mummy you is 4x dummer than I thunk you was,” my children can’t help but to laugh. The line comes from Willy Claflin’s Stupid Jack & the Beanstalk story right after his mother scolds him for...
I once read that a word smith is a creature to be feared above all others. I suppose there is a good deal of historical precedent to support that assertion – just consider Thomas Paine’s Common Sense if you can’t...
Sometimes it is easy for sci-fi/fantasy authors to write about exotic people without really understanding different cultures of their own world. They write about primitive people who are superstitious and usually … well, inept. I ran across this video by...
At FantasyCon, I heard a quote from Einstein that every fantasy author should know: “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than...
Although he is one of my least favorite philosophers and although he has been credited with greatly influencing Hitler’s philosophies that led to the second world war, I have to admit that some of Nietzsche’s teachings are humorous and thought...
Today’s inspiration comes from Goethe and deservedly ranks as one of the best inspirational quotes of all time. It is so well stated that I have little to add to it today: Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to...
I have tons of dragon pictures. I also have a number of friends who would be embarrassed on my behalf to learn that I admitted that in a public forum! Among that large compilation of pictures, I find myself wondering...
Years ago, I toured China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines with BYU’s Wind Symphony. Unlikely enough, I was featured playing a solo on a tenor saxophone. While touring, my favorite part of each performance was when the rhythm section...
I was reminded the other day of something my son said to my wife when he was very young. She was looking and feeling very pregnant and had been teaching our children about the importance of eating healthy foods and...
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress. Joseph Joubert 1754-1824 I’ve been helping a client deal with a problem off and on for about ten years now. It seems like every time we come...
I once sat in an arbitration hearing where an unrepresented party was grumpily babbling over a number of trivial irrelevancies that were wearing on my nerves. This particular instance left me wishing that there was something I could do to...
I subscribe to David Farland’s blog “A Kick in the Pants.” It is dedicated to helping aspiring writers hone their writing skills but I read his articles for ulterior motives: occasionally, he cites interesting studies about reading and writing and...
I’m obsessed with beautiful things. I’m currently listening to my “inspiring” playlist on itunes. I own a butterfly store. I collect beautiful images for my screensaver and I have beautiful sculptures, feathers, shells, and various forms of art all over...
One thing I enjoy about comedians is that they try to look at the world from outside the box. Thinking outside the box can change our paradigms. Some of those paradigm shifts are life changing – others are simply delightful....
I’ve always appreciated people who are punctual but I couldn’t help laughing when I read Evelyn’s quote. However, you should be careful before joining in my mirth: this may be a controversial topic. Surveys have shown that some business executives...
I’ve heard my fair share of lawyer jokes in my life. Most of the time, I don’t think they are very funny because they either demonstrate a failure to understand the legal system or more likely … they demonstrate a...
Two similarly pointed quotes for consideration today: Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. Malcolm Forbes Clarifying that point a little, Alec Bourne pointed out that a student does not become well educated by filling...
Strive not for success but to be of value. Albert Einstein Einstein is one of my favorite personalities – not because he was brilliant – but because he was so practical. If being famous ever got to his head, he...
Today’s laugh comes from Homer Simpson’s epic misquote of Philippians 4:13: Trying is the first step towards failure. Or, maybe he was simply trying to get a job at despair.com. If you haven’t checked out their site before, give it...
I don’t recall when I found this quote or what it was regarding but I remember thinking that it was the work of a very clever word smith who thinks outside of the box: “Strictly speaking, … [what they are...
Every generation, teenagers come up with something new to identify themselves as somehow unique and different from their parents and/or previous generations. They feel a strong need to create a distinct identify for themselves that will make them feel important,...
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison True hundreds of years ago and still true today … although they may not have called them overalls hundreds of years...
“When you make one basket, it can never be more than one basket. But when you say words. They can be repeated over and over, and fill men’s hearts a thousand miles from where you first spoke them. Words can...
“Don’t you wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There’s one marked ‘Brightness,’ but it doesn’t work.” Gallagher So true – the obvious remedy of course is to cozy up to a good thriller....