There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer.
~ Eugene Ionesco, Rhinoceros
In Ionesco's absurdist play, Rhinoceros, all the inhabitants of a small town, save one, turn into rhinos. This was meant to symbolize man's mindless descent into fascism and the difficulty of maintaining one's individuality midst the herd. Well, today's Raging RINOs turn that idea on its head. They're a wild pack of individualists on a rampage against the human herd. And though it's true the dead outnumber us, we RINOs demonstrate that we can learn from them. With that, I introduce you to this week's RINO sightings, the notable, quotable edition, our take on the issues of the day through the filter of the individuals who came before us.
"I'm a great believer in vulgarity. We all need a splash of bad taste. No taste is what I'm against."
~ Diana Vreeland
Vreeland's successor at Vogue, Anna Wintour, thinks the word blog is vulgar and she's instructed her underlings to come up with something a little more tasteful. Reader_Iam at Done with Mirrors sees some merit to her position, but suggests that Wintour embrace the garish.
As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?
~ Alexis de Tocqueville
Llamabutcher Steve-O bestows the first annual "What would Alexis de Tocqueville Do?" Award for fostering the rebirth of American democracy to a strip club owner in Florida who seeks to increase civic participation and make a few bucks while he's at it.
It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races.
~ Mark Twain
Dean notes that difference of opinion, however, isn't something that's cherished at many leading universities where diversity of opinion is thought to be a poor substitute for a rainbow of skin colors.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
~ Helen Keller
All our phrasings are spiritualized shadows cast multitudinously from our readings.
~ Mark Twain
aTypical Joe has a great post on Twain and Helen Keller, who was accused of plagiarism at age 12.
They say that in the end truth will triumph, but it’s a lie.
~ Anton Chekhov
The reclusive Valerie Plame was never a spy, says Don Surber. But she is a big, fat liar.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
~ Mr. Micawber
Dan Melson at Searchlight Crusade has some thoughts on the sub-prime lending meltdown.
NEPOTISM, n. Appointing your grandmother to office for the good of the party.
~ Ambrose Bierce
Jane at Armies of Liberation looks at nepotism and jihad in Yemen.
Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community.
~ Saint Thomas Aquinas
Digger's been providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of Lozano v. City of Hazleton (Pennsylvania). The city's defending its Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which can pull the licenses of business that hire illegal aliens and fine landlords who rent to them. It's a case with national implications and Digger's got it all covered.
A government ought to contain in itself every power requisite to the full accomplishment of the objects committed to its care, and to the complete execution of the trusts for which it is responsible, free from every other control but a regard to the public good and to the sense of the people.
~ Alexander Hamilton
Eric at Classical Values hopes Fred Thompson runs, whom he sees as the lone Federalist among the GOP hopefuls.
