Heartbeats

I heard on the radio that we creatures have about a billion and a half heartbeats to use. Voles and birds use theirs fast as do meth heads and stockbrokers, while whales and elephants are slower. This morning I'm thinking of recounting mine to see exactly where I am.
--Jim Harrison

Most Singular Difference

The fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid.
--J. D. Salinger

Vanity

It must require an inordinate share of vanity and presumption, too, after enjoying so much that is good and beautiful on earth, to ask the Lord for immortality in addition to it all.
--Henrich Heine

Elitist

Your life may depend on an arrogant elitist who happens to know what he's doing.
--Garrison Keillor

Loss of Time

Just about everyone I know complains about the same thing when they're being honest--including, maybe especially, people whose business is reading and writing. They mourn the loss of books and the loss of time for books.
--George Packer

The Truth

When there is no authority to the truth, prejudices thrive.
--David Aaronovitch

Dither

People I hardly know still keep asking me to be their Facebook friend. What do I do? It's a bit impolite to ignore their request, which I often do by default. It's rude to say No. And it's a bit false to say Yes. So I dither.
--Dharmaruci

Calamity

It seems there is a sort of calamity built into the texture of life.
--Frank Kermode

Cultivate

No mockery in this world ever sounds to me so hollow as that of being told to cultivate happiness. What does such advice mean? Happiness is not a potato, to be planted in mould and tilled with manure.
--Charlotte Brontë

Indispensable

The cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.
--Charles de Gaulle

Just a Dream

Looking down on empty streets, all she can see,
Are the dreams all made solid,
Are the dreams all made real.,
All of the buildings, all of those cars,
Were once just a dream
In somebody's head.
--Peter Gabriel (Mercy Street)