"We are a lukewarm people and our longing for freedom is our longing for love. If we had the courage to love we would not so value these we acts of war." ~Jeanette Winterson, The Passion

"Did I tell you about that time I out-crazied a crazy woman on the A train?" ~Carly Miller, on living in NYC

"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." ~Dennis Waitley

"Mr. H. You know how when you fart and you diarrhea in your pants?..." ~a 1st grader to his teacher, on his messy situation

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be captive of the environment in which you first find yourself."
~Mark Caine

"Be my co-pilot bro, not a comedian." ~Fudge to Buff, on finding our destination

"Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be." ~Anton Chekhov

"Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

"The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort." ~Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

"Why would I leave square one when it's so cozy?"
~Jamie Masters

"If Taco Bell is the only Mexican food you've ever eaten, you're gonna think it's the best Mexican food there is." ~Jason Norton, on the importance of knowing what's out there

"We're searching for the answers so we can destroy them and dream up better questions." ~Rob Brezsny, Pronoia Is The Antidote For Paranoia

"I don't know, lyrics go by...fast." ~Jamie Masters, on not knowing the words

"You have your whole life to get your ducks in a row. What matters most is living to the fullest potential of your happiness while you line them up." ~me to michele via text message

"The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others." ~William Lyon Phelps

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." ~Jackie Robinson

"It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between."
~Diane Ackerman

"To realize the worth of a thing is more than recognizing its worth to you." ~Jeanette Winterson, Art Objects

"Every soul
Should receive a toast from us
For bravery!" ~Hafiz

"To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying 'Amen' to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

"What's in the bag, Raf?" ~jG Francis
...

"Some frozen pasta, 2 beers, 2 bananas and a bottle of rum." ~Rafael Ortega
...

"Sounds like a party." ~me, on Raf's plans for Wednesday night at our house while his girlfriend is watching Bon Jovi rock the Staples Center.

"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show." ~Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

"Maybe what we ingest with complete enjoyment and gratitude, while being fully aware of and celebrating the process, adds more enrichment to our souls than pounds to our bodies! Therefore, savour and bless each and every bite with a smile on your face and in your heart!... followed later by lots of exercise! ~"Rosalee Wordsworth Roundfellow (or lass) or something" or as I like to call her, Mom

"Always the struggle of the human soul is to break through the barriers of silence and distance into companionship. Friendships, lust, love, art, religion - we push into them pleading, fighting, clamoring for the touch of spirit laid against spirit." ~Don Marquis

"I desire revolution whether or not I can possess it."
~bathroom stall in Wellington, New Zealand

"The more pain I train myself to stand, the more I learn. You are afraid of the pain now, Unk, but you won't learn anything if you don't invite the pain. And the more you learn, the gladder you will be to stand the pain." ~Kurt Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” ~Abraham Lincoln (Happy 34th Birthday jG Francis!)

"You cracked your back and some long lost acid came out." ~Jeremy Burgan, on Ben coming up with bad band names

"Most species do their own evolving, making it up as they go along, which is the way Nature intended. And this is all very natural and organic and in tune with mysterious cycles of the cosmos, which believes that there's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fiber and, in some cases, backbone." ~Terry Pratchett

"Tell me when you're down to jam and I'll remove the food from my face." ~Rafael Ortega, at breakfast with scrambled egg on his cheek