Qui voudrait jouer aux cartes sans risquer jamais de perdre? Voici un vieux roi qui joue avec des courtisans; quand il perd, il se met en colère, et les courtisans le savent bien; depuis que les courtisans ont bien appris à jouer, le roi ne perd jamais. Aussi voyez comme il repousse les cartes. Il se lève, il monte à cheval; il part pour la chasse; mais c’est une chasse de roi, le gibier lui vient dans les jambes; les chevreuils aussi sont courtisans. (22 Janvier 1908, Propos Sur le Bonheur, Alain)
Some months after the end of his term as president, Eisenhower was asked if leaving the White House had affected his golf game. “Yes,” he replied, “a lot more people beat me now.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)
During the Peloponnesian War an eclipse occurred when Pericles was about to set out to sea. As the pilot was too terrified to perform his duties, Pericles stepped forward and covered the man’s head with his cloak. “does this frighten you?” he asked. “No,” said the pilot. “Then what difference is there between the two events,” inquired Pericles, “except that the sun is covered by a larger object than my cloak?” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)
Alain (Émile Chartier) in English twitter.com/spernerev… @Waisberg
According to Christ, sinners are punished, but not by Christians.
Shortly before Austria went fascist, in 1938, Schuschnigg is reported to have said that 25 per cent of the population were for him, 25 per cent for Hitler, and that the rest would go the way the cat jumped. This principle deserves the name of Schuschnigg’s Constant. The only doubt is whether he did not grossly exaggerate the number of those having opinions. (Jacques Barzun, Of Human Freedom)
I can’t walk and eat the Body of Christ at the same time.
Dear Priests, A holy instinct tells us to sing “Agnus Dei” before Communion. The same instinct tells us to sing “Sanctus” before the Consecration.
After Einstein had gone into exile, a hundred Nazi professors published a book condemning his theory of relativity. Einstein was unconcerned. “If I were wrong,” he said, “one professor would have been enough.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)
"A Thessalian brought an exceptionally beautiful horse, named Bucephalus, to the Macedonian court, offering to sell it to King Philip. However, when the royal grooms tried to test its paces it proved wild and unmanageable. The young Alexander asked his father for permission to try his skill. Philip reluctantly agreed, saying that if the prince failed to ride Bucephalus he was to pay his father a forfeit equal to its price. Alexander walked quickly to the horse’s head and turned it to face into the sun, for he had noticed that the horse’s own shadow was upsetting it. He calmed it, then mounted it, and... waisberg.micro.blog
During William Morris’s last visit to Paris, he spent much of his time in the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower, either eating or writing. When a friend observed that he must be very impressed by the tower to spend so much time there, Morris snorted, “Impressed! I remain here because it’s the only place in Paris where I can avoid seeing the damn thing.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)
Censuring Stalin at a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a voice from the audience. “You were one of Stalin’s colleagues,” shouted the heckler. “Why didn’t you stop him?”
“Who said that?” roared Khrushchev. There was an agonizing silence in the room. Nobody dared to move a muscle. Then, in a quiet voice, Khrushchev said, “Now you know why.” (The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman)
A technical term or definition is not always preferable to a common term or definition; usually it is less preferable.
Downy woodpeckers are regular visitors. Today we were visited by hairy woodpeckers.
This, too, will pass.
Although it is late, I hope it will turn out to be Clematis John Paul II.
Might be nice out today.
There is no reason to pity the damned.
Even if your party wins, keep the pressure on.
If by chance some party, some administration gives [the agitator] one hundred per cent of what he demands, let him acknowledge it handsomely; but he need not thank them. They did it because they had to, or because their conscience compelled them. In neither case was it done for him. —John Jay Chapman, Practical Agitation, 1900, 1909, 2020, p. 40.
We who believe in hell are not surprised that men and women do damnable things. (Well, I’m still surprised about women.)