Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,As to be hated, needs but to be seen,But seen too oft, familiar with her face,We first endure, then pity, then embrace. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) from Essay on Man, Epistle ii Line 217. In these days, we often think of vice as sexual immorality. In reality, though, it… Continue reading Vice

Content thyself to be obscurely good.When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway,The post of honor is a private station. Joseph Addison (1672-1719) from Cato Act iv Scene 2 Public service is an honorable thing, and was regarded very highly in the Roman Republic, and later the Roman Empire. What these lines are telling us is… Continue reading Dictatorship

One of the things I emphasized in my prefvious post is that online trees and hints are not always accurate, and should not be accepted uncritically. They are also often incomplete. Bearing this in mind , here are some more rules for accepting online hints. Remember that you want to record the names of females… Continue reading 5 More Rules for Accepting Online Hints

Many of our motives, so obvious to us, are never perceived by the people we talk to. Many instances of rudeness, stubbornness, inconsiderateness, or refusal to cooperate are really caused by differences in conversational style. Deborah Tannen (born 1945) It is good for us to reflect upon our motives, intentions, and attitudes. What may be… Continue reading Attitudes

You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere. Lee Iacocca (1924-1919) Most people would accept that to succeed, you need a vision. But vision alone is not enough. Action is needed as well. And one of the important actions you need is to communicate your… Continue reading Communication

Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now–always. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) Scientific truth is ever changing. Even now, for example, scientists do not universally agree that global warming is man-made. Over the last several thousand years the earth has been both cooler and warmer than it is now. This does not… Continue reading Truth

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) Reflection: I am including this quotation because this is all about a quality we are seriously lacking in this day and age – integrity.… Continue reading Character

“Men and women need and want recognition of their value and uniqueness. The goal is not to make women more like men, or men more like women, but for everyone to become most like themselves.”  Eleanor Brantley Schwartz (born 1937)  in The Sex Barrier in Business Reflection: I am more than happy to celebrate the differences… Continue reading Differences