#iv

At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical comment than a repressive, so that if comedy is to function in some way as a safety release then it must obviously deal with these taboo areas. This is part of the responsibility we accord our licensed jesters, that nothing be excused the searching light of comedy. If anything can survive the probe of humour it is clearly of value, and conversely all groups who claim immunity from laughter are claiming special privileges which should not be granted. ↗

— Eric Idle

#freedom #funny #humor #humour #repressive

The effectiveness of our memory banks is determined not by the total number of facts we take in, but the number we wish to reject. ↗

— Jon Wynne-Tyson

#determined #effectiveness #facts #memory #number

When you use words, you're able to keep your mind alive. Writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence. ↗

— Gao Xingjian

#alive #existence #keep #mind #my own

The problem with a lot of Chinese is that they put up divisions between Taiwanese, Hong Kong natives, mainlanders. We are never united. I really hope that the Chinese can be more united. ↗

— Martin Yan

#chinese #divisions #hong #hong kong #hope

For a country boy, poor as I was, whose constant worry was to be able to have enough to eat, the Army guaranteed one's survival. ↗

— Mo Yan

#army #boy #constant #country #country boy

It's really about living in your head... just looking out at the world, then going back into your head and tossing around a lot of ideas and coming out with something interesting to say. ↗

— Lucinda Williams

#around #back #coming #going #head

I should like to say that I am as proud of my Chinese heritage and background as I am devoted to modern science, a part of human civilization of Western origin, to which I have dedicated and I shall continue to dedicate my work. ↗

— Chen Ning Yang

#background #chinese #civilization #continue #dedicate

I was later to receive an excellent first two years' graduate education in the same University and then again was able to pursue my studies in the U.S. on a fellowship from the aforementioned fund. ↗

— Chen Ning Yang

#aforementioned #again #education #excellent #fellowship

I know now that everything I write, I'm going to put out, and I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life. ↗

— Al Yankovic

#going #i #i write #know #life

I suppose I had my rock star fantasies while I was singing into my hairbrush in the bathroom mirror, but I never really consciously said, 'OK, this is what I'm going to do for a living and I'm going to be Weird Al.' ↗

— Al Yankovic

#bathroom #consciously #fantasies #going #had