Not A Known Side Effect

People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world.  While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.

-- Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, posting on Twitter as @SanofiUS in response to Roseanne Barr blaming Sanofi's Ambien sleep aid for a racist tweet that led to the cancellation of her show by ABC, 30 May 2018

Respect

That’s the Earth farting, man.  All I know is, that volcano is demanding some respect.

-- Rufus Daigle, a 69-year-old poet who runs a roadside stand not far from the Kilauea volcano, New York Times, 18 May 2018

Please Copy

♡ Copying is an act of love.  Please copy & share.

-- Nina Paley, on the copyheart.org home page, 3 December 2010

Lilith Patricia Ann

I'd like to welcome into the world Lilith Patricia Ann, born Friday 18 May 2018 at 8:19am, 8 lbs 1 oz, 20.5 inches.  She is my 10th grandkid (6th granddaughter), and the first child of my #3 daughter and her husband.  I'll make the trek to Louisiana this weekend to meet her in person.

Welcome, little one!

RIP Philip Roth

Just like those who are incurably ill, the aged know everything about their dying except exactly when.

-- Philip Milton Roth (19 March 1933 - 22 May 2018), American novelist, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1998 and the Man Booker International Prize in 2011, The Facts: A Novelist's Autobiography (1988), Opening letter to Nathan Zuckerman

Verify Verify Verify

This isn't "Trust, but verify."  It's "Distrust everything and verify, verify, verify."

-- Ernest J. Moniz, a secretary of energy in the Obama administration, who helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, describing the difficulty of enforcing a similar accord with North Korea, New York Times, 7 May 2018

RIP Tom Wolfe

The Internet is the modern form of knitting.  In the old days women who had nothing to do would knit, but at least you got something out of it -- a pair of socks, maybe a scarf, occasionally a little bedspread.  That's mostly what the Internet is, just passing the time.  But unfortunately you are dealing with words that can have meaning.

-- Thomas Kennerly (Tom) Wolfe (2 March 1931 - 14 May 2018), best-selling American author and journalist, American Spectator interview (2005)

Wobby On The Truth

When we as people, a free people, go wobbly on the truth even on what may seem the most trivial of matters, we go wobbly on America.

If our leaders seek to conceal the truth and we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then as an American people we are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom.

If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society and among our leaders in both private and public sector, and regrettably at times even the nonprofit sector, then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years.

-- Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaking to the graduating class of cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, 16 May 2018

All Directions

If the nation's economists were laid end to end, they would point in all directions.

-- Arthur Harrison "Red" Motley (1900-1984), publisher and business executive

First Time

On behalf of the 45th President of the United States of America, we welcome you officially and for the first time to the Embassy of the United States here in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.  Thank you.

-- First Daughter Ivanka Trump, at the unveiling of the plaque designating the new US Embassy in Jerusalem, 14 May 2018

Crème Brûlée

* Required

I will not use this in a house
    I will not point this at my spouse
I will not use this in an unsafe way
    The best use is crème brulee ...

... and that exhausts our rhyming ability.

-- From the Boring Company's Not-a-Flamethrower Terms and Conditions, 10 May 2018

Disturbing & Disqualifying

I believe Gina Haspel is a patriot who loves our country and has devoted her professional life to its service and defense.  However, Ms. Haspel's role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing.  Her refusal to acknowledge torture's immorality is disqualifying.  I believe the Senate should exercise its duty of advice and consent and reject this nomination.

-- Statement by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairmain John McCain on the nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the CIA, 9 May 2018

Take Note

It is with regret and concern that we, the Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

-- Joint statement from Prime Minister May, Chancellor Merkel and President Macron following President Trump’s statement on Iran, 8 May 2018

Apologizing

The capacity for friendship is God's way of apologizing for our families.

-- John Barrett (Jay) McInerney Jr (13 January 1955 -), American writer, The Last of the Savages (1996)

Never, Nor, Nor Have I Ever

I have never been disciplined, nor reprimanded, nor have I ever heard a complaint about my ministry during my time as House chaplain.

-- House Chaplain Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, in a letter to Paul Ryan rescinding his late-April forced resignation, 3 May 2018

Make Them Clear

Philosophy aims at the logical clarification of thoughts.  Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity.  A philosophical work consists essentially of elucidations. Philosophy does not result in "philosophical propositions", but rather in the clarification of propositions.  Without philosophy thoughts are, as it were, cloudy and indistinct: its task is to make them clear and to give them sharp boundaries.

-- Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 - 1951), Austrian-born philosopher, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1922), 4.112

Reality

Reality continues to ruin my life.

-- Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Collection (2005)