Who Rebels? Who rises in arms? Rarely the slave, but almost always the oppressor turned slave. ~ Emil Cioran

To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would be if men died for ideas that were true! -- H. L. Mencken

The real reason psychology is hard is that psychologists are trying to do the impossible.

Television has spread the habit of instant reaction and stimulated the hope of instant results. -- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

After having programmed for some three years, I had a discussion with A. van Wijngaarden, who was then my boss at the Mathematical Center in Amsterdam, a discussion for which I shall remain grateful to him as long as I live. The point was that I was supposed to study theoretical physics at the University of Leiden simultaneously, and as I found the two activities harder and harder to combine, I had to make up my mind, either to stop programming and become a real, respectable theoretical physicist, or to carry my study of physics to a formal completion only, with a minimum of effort, and to become....., yes what? A programmer? But was that a respectable profession? For after all, what was programming? Where was the sound body of knowledge that could support it as an intellectually respectable discipline? I remember quite vividly how I envied my hardware colleagues, who, when asked about their professional competence, could at least point out that they knew everything about vacuum tubes, amplifiers and the rest, whereas I felt that, when faced with that question, I would stand empty-handed. Full of misgivings I knocked on van Wijngaarden’s office door, asking him whether I could "speak to him for a moment"; when I left his office a number of hours later, I was another person. For after having listened to my problems patiently, he agreed that up till that moment there was not much of a programming discipline, but then he went on to explain quietly that automatic computers were here to stay, that we were just at the beginning and could not I be one of the persons called to make programming a respectable discipline in the years to come? This was a turning point in my life and I completed my study of physics formally as quickly as I could. One moral of the above story is, of course, that we must be very careful when we give advice to younger people; sometimes they follow it! ~ Edsger W. Dijkstra

The heart is not a logical organ. -- Dr. Janet Wallace, "The Deadly Years", stardate 3479.4

I've been working on a new electronic cash system that's fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party. -- Satoshi Nakamoto; Nov 1, 2008

"Laugh while you can, monkey-boy." -- Dr. Emilio Lizardo

quit When the quit statement is read, the bc processor is terminated, regardless of where the quit state- ment is found. For example, "if (0 == 1) quit" will cause bc to terminate. (Seen in the manpage for "bc". Note the "if" statement's logic)

Linux supports the notion of a command line or a shell for the same reason that only children read books with only pictures in them. Language, be it English or something else, is the only tool flexible enough to accomplish a sufficiently broad range of tasks. -- Bill Garrett

Blissful quiet, the rocking of a recent love Is both repose and anguish in my fainting dreams ~ Racter (The Policeman’s Beard is Half Constructed)

We come to bury DOS, not to praise it. (Paul Vojta, vojta@math.berkeley.edu, paraphrasing a quote of Shakespeare)

"Humpf!" Humpfed a voice! "For almost two days you've run wild and insisted on chatting with persons who've never existed. Such carryings-on in our peaceable jungle! We've had quite enough of you bellowing bungle! And I'm here to state," snapped the big kangaroo, "That your silly nonsensical game is all through!" And the young kangaroo in her pouch said, "Me, too!" "With the help of the Wickersham Brothers and dozens of Wickersham Uncles and Wickersham Cousins and Wickersham In-Laws, whose help I've engaged, You're going to be roped! And you're going to be caged! And, as for your dust speck... Hah! That we shall boil in a hot steaming kettle of Beezle-Nut oil!" -- Dr. Seuss "Horton Hears a Who"

What is the price of experience? Do men buy it for a song? Or wisdom for a dance in the street? No, it is bought with the price of all the man hath, his house, his wife, his children. ~ William Blake

I use not only all the brains I have, but all those I can borrow as well. -- Woodrow Wilson

Adopted kids are such a pain -- you have to teach them how to look like you ... -- Gilda Radner

Of the 92 counties in Indiana, only 5 observe daylight savings time.

Anything that prevents you from being friendly, a good neighbour, is a terror tactic. ~ Richard Stallman

To be a hero or a heroine, one must give an order to oneself. -- Simone Weil

The sooner our happiness together begins, the longer it will last. -- Miramanee, "The Paradise Syndrome", stardate 4842.6