Stone Pigs

This page ‘houses’ various random thoughts, advice, and quotations I encounter over time.  Where possible, I provide as much citation information as I can.  If you see that my citation is wrong, please let me know so I can make necessary corrections.

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

— often incorrectly attributed to Ben Franklin, American Founding Father

“Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic.  But will they keep it?  Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom?  Material abundance without character is the path of destruction.”

— Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father, Author of “Declaration of Independence,” and 3rd US President.

“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

— Thomas Paine, American Founding Father, Pamphleteer

“The spouting of catchy, meaningless slogans is widespread. The habit of stopping and thinking about whether they really mean anything is not.”

— John T. Reed, from an analysis he completed about Robert Kiyosaki and his book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”

— Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emporer and Philosopher.

“It’s not what you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”

— both Rachel Dawes and Batman say this in “Batman Begins” (2005).

“They say we live and learn.  Often what we learn is what damn fools we have been.”

— Thomas Sowell, December 24, 2008, in a column titled, “Random Thoughts.”

“It’s a good thing we don’t get all the government we pay for.”

— credited to both Will Rogers and Milton Friedman.

“Despite the disastrous history of price controls, politicians never manage to resist tampering with prices — that’s not a flattering observation of their learning abilities.”

— Walter E. Williams, Ph.D. Economics, George Mason University, in a discussion of the consequences of price controls.

“Um, just for the record, in a world where nukes are outlawed, only outlaw nations will have nukes.”

— Jonah Goldberg, JonahNRO on Twitter, September 25, 2009

“Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched.  Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion.  Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.”

— Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father, Author of “Declaration of Independence,” and 3rd US President.

“The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.”

— Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father, Author of “Declaration of Independence,” and 3rd US President.

“Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life: if it has been honest and dutiful to society the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one.”

— Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father, Author of “Declaration of Independence,” and 3rd US President.