Some people have a “quote of the day”. I saw this in someone’s signature and realized it’s a good anti-quote, because no you never hear it:
You never hear in the news, “200 killed today when Atheist rebels took heavy shelling from the Agnostic stronghold in the North.”
Former Texas State Representative Suzanna Gratia-Hupp:
How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual… as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of.
Rather an interesting litmus test, and it holds up.
Make your choices. Do not whine and snivel if they become problematic.
– Skip Gochenour
It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.
— Daniel Webster
Remember, Hell is paved with good intentions.
Gibson Guitars has an interview with Zakk Wylde, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and the creative force behind Black Label Society. Some people give Zakk a bunch of crap, but I’ve yet to see any of them give Zakk that same crap to his face. 🙂 I’ve seen BLS live and it’s most enjoyable. Good music (tho I think some of the later albums were rushed and not as inspired as the earlier albums). Nevertheless, Zakk’s got the right attitude:
Zakk on Metallica and Some Kind of Monster
“When I saw the guys, I said, ‘What were you thinkin’?’ Who needs a psychiatrist? Like I need marriage counseling? I’ve been married for 24 years. Look, I’m gonna get in fights with the wife and that’s life, man. You got the high and the lows. You’re in a band, you’re gonna fight, you’re gonna get over it or it wasn’t meant to be any more.“The bottom line is this: Tough times don’t last; tough people do.
“Once Mom sent me to Promises rehab. I said, ‘Promises rehab?’ I’ll make you a promise right now: either I’m going to cap myself or some mother is going to die in this joint.’ And one of the bylaws of Black Label is ‘suicide is not an option.’ I got in there and had no time for those weak-willed assholes. One guy said he just couldn’t get out of bed in the morning to get to the group therapy meetings. I said, ‘Hey, sometimes I don’t want to get up on that stage but you get your damn jock strap on, you man up, and you do it.’ I’ve got no time for weak willed bull****. I was cut from the same cloth as General Patton.
“Hey, lions are born lions. They are not made. Berserkers are born berserkers. They are not made. Marines are born Marines. They are not made. Get tough or get out.”
I hadn’t read the original essay before, but because of this then this I was directed to this original essay.
I thought about what relevant snippet was worth quoting. Thing is, the whole thing is worth quoting. Hopefully Marko Kloos won’t be too upset by this, especially since I’m giving him proper credit (not this Major Caudill, who didn’t write this) and I’m not Ted Nugent nor writing some commercial book. I’m only doing this so I can add my own thoughts to his. I have quoted his essay in its entirety, just broken up so I can comment/respond:
When you’re betting for stones in an archery contest, you shoot with skill.
When you’re betting for fancy belt buckles, you worry about your aim.
And when you’re betting for real gold, you’re a nervous wreck.
Your skill is the same in all three cases – but because one prize means more to you than another, you let outside concerns weigh on your mind.
He who looks too hard at the outside gets clumsy on the inside.
-Chuang Tzu
This came into my inbox a few days ago. It’s relevant to where I am in life right now. When things don’t matter, I’m doing great. When important things are on the line, I don’t do so well. I’ve written about my trials in this, and also what I’m doing about it and how it’s working well.
Just good things to keep in mind.
Legendary band Spinal Tap has announced their 25th anniversary world tour, one night only.
If you’ve never seen the movie, “This is Spinal Tap” do yourself a favor and rent it.
Many people don’t know where the joke/phrase “going to 11” comes from:
And let’s not forget, that D Minor is the saddest of all keys.
Spinal Tap. Genius comedy.
Dr. Adrian Rogers:
You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply the wealth by dividing it.
Two separate but related quotes from Bruce Lee, on being.
It is the ego that stands rigidly against influences from the outside, and it is this “ego rigidity” that makes it impossible for us to accept everything that confronts us.
and
Seek not the cultivated innocence of a clever mind that wants to be innocent, but have rather that state of innocence where there is no denial or acceptance and the mind just sees what is.
Stuff From Hsoi 