#of

I didn't feel like reading that night, so I went downstairs and watched a half-hour long commercial that advertised an exercise machine. They kept flashing a 1-800 number, so I called it. The woman who picked up the other end of the phone was named Michelle. And I told Michelle that I was a kid and did not need an exercise machine, but I hoped she was having a good night. That's when Michelle hung up on me. And I didn't mind a bit. ↗

— Stephen Chbosky

#the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower #advertising

Aphrodite,” [Annabeth] said. “Venus?” Hazel asked in amazement. “Mom,” Piper said with no enthusiasm. “Girls!” The goddess spread her arms like she wanted a group hug. The three demigods did not oblige. Hazel backed into a palmetto tree. ↗

— Rick Riordan

#aphrodite #hazel-levesque #heroes-of-olympus #percy-jackson-and-the-olympians #piper-mclean

Writing has nothing to do with meaning. It has to do with landsurveying and cartography, including the mapping of countries yet to come. ↗

— Gilles Deleuze

#organized-chaos #power-of-words #writing #chaos

If not for the horses, Piper would've died. ↗

— Rick Riordan

#horses #percy-jackson-and-the-olympians #piper-mclean #the-mark-of-athena #horses

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. ↗

— Guillaume Apollinaire

#good #happiness #happy #just #just be

Ambition is all very well, my lad, but you must cloak it. ↗

— Jonathan Stroud

#amulet-of-samarkand #bartimaeus-trilogy #jonathan-stroud #ambition

You are confused because the Bible describes God as an omnipotent and benevolent deity…Omnipotent-benevolent simply means that God is all-powerful and well-meaning.” I understand the concept. It’s just…there seems to be a contradiction.” Yes. The contradiction is pain. Man’s starvation, war, sickness…” Exactly!” Chartrand knew the camerlengo would understand. “Terrible things happen in this world. Human tragedy seems like proof that God could not possibly be both all-powerful and well-meaning. If He loves us and has the power to change our situation, He would prevent our pain, wouldn’t He?” The Camerlengo frowned. “Would He?” Chartrand felt uneasy. Had he overstepped his bounds? Was this one of those religious questions you just didn’t ask? “Well…if God loves us, and He can protect us, He would have to. It seems He is either omnipotent and uncaring, or benevolent and powerless to help.” Do you have children, Lieutenant?” Chartrand flushed. “No, signore.” Imagine you had an eight-year-old son…would you love him?” Of course.” Would you let him skateboard?” Chartrand did a double take. The camerlengo always seemed oddly “in touch” for a clergyman. “Yeah, I guess,” Chartrand said. “Sure, I’d let him skateboard, but I’d tell him to be careful.” So as this child’s father, you would give him some basic, good advice and then let him go off and make his own mistakes?” I wouldn’t run behind him and mollycoddle him if that’s what you mean.” But what if he fell and skinned his knee?” He would learn to be more careful.” The camerlengo smiled. “So although you have the power to interfere and prevent your child’s pain, you would choose to show your love by letting him learn his own lessons?” Of course. Pain is part of growing up. It’s how we learn.” The camerlengo nodded. “Exactly. ↗

— Dan Brown

#change

Drustan raked a hand through his hair and fumbled in the dark for the door. When it didn't budge, a part of him was unsurprised. Yet another part of him met the fact with a kind of glad resignation. She wanted battle? Battle she would get. It would be a pleasure to have it out with her finally. Once he'd ripped the door from the framing, he would exact vengeance upon her wee body with gleeful abandon. No more honorable I-won't-touch-you-because-I'm-betrothed. Nay he'd touch her. Any damn place and any damn way he wanted to. As many times as he wanted to. Until she begged and whimpered beneath him. She'd been trying to drive him mad? Well, he was giving in to it. He would act like the animal she made him feel like being. The hell with Anya, the hell with duty and honor, the hell with discipline. He needed to tup. Her. Now. ↗

— Karen Marie Moning

#gwen #karen-marie-moning #kiss-of-the-highlander #discipline

I'm not a purist. Coffee drinking minus cream and sugar is an acquired taste. I'm still not sure it isn't like telling chefs to dispense with spices in cooking. ↗

— Kevin Sinnott

#culinary #art

We can have all the food and water we need, but without the sustenance of real story, real art — without the wisdom, insight, and “life instruction” it brings — we will stagnate as a culture and become a swamp where quality life can no longer be sustained. So share your gifts! Share your art! ↗

— Derek Rydall

#emergence #law-of-emergence #selfhelp #spirituality #art