Topic: My new favorite quote:

[DammitDan]

"Much that was called religion has carried an unconscious attitude of hostility toward life.  True religion must teach that life is filled with joys pleasing to the eye of God, that knowledge without action is empty.  All men must see that the teaching of religion by rules and rote is largely a hoax.  The proper teaching is recognized with ease.  You know it cannot fail because it awakens within you that which tells you this is something you've always known." 

 - Frank Herbert

Found this in a recent re-read of one of my favorite books, "Dune".  I've never adequately been able to explain to people why I believe things are the way they are (and seeing as how I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt, this always bothered me greatly).  As soon as I read this, it was like a door opening for me.

The sleeper has awakened! 

[eldar]

I like this quote.

#$%* beans!! That was them wasnt it!

Jay and silent bob strike back!

[Uncle Ernie]

2 of mine;

(a book title)  If you meet the buddha on the road, kill him.

Kahlil Gibron; The pain you feel is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

[CaféElite]

"Knowledge transfer, its your sacred duty"

[medic09]

"Much that was called religion has carried an unconscious attitude of hostility toward life.  True religion must teach that life is filled with joys pleasing to the eye of God, that knowledge without action is empty.  All men must see that the teaching of religion by rules and rote is largely a hoax.  The proper teaching is recognized with ease.  You know it cannot fail because it awakens within you that which tells you this is something you've always known." 

 - Frank Herbert

Found this in a recent re-read of one of my favorite books, "Dune".  I've never adequately been able to explain to people why I believe things are the way they are (and seeing as how I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt, this always bothered me greatly).  As soon as I read this, it was like a door opening for me.

The sleeper has awakened! 

Herbert borrowed a lot of material from religion(s) for the concepts in Dune.  Some classical Jewish things that I recognize easily, including thinly disguised Hebrew terms; along with some other Arabic/Islamic stuff as I recall.  Then he threw into the mix images from other places.  Quite a brew, and a good read.  It was a favority of mine in college in the late 70s.  Should of stopped early though, instead of trying to create an ongoing series.

[DammitDan]

Yeah, the series is pretty awful.  I could never get all the way though the second book, and I gave up there.

But the recently written prequels (written by his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson) are pretty good reads.  House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino.

[Serenity]

 :-\I remember struggling throught the book dune when i was young and found it so hard to follow, perhaps I just didnt want to...I may try again now as a adult...as one man aptly quoted, "Much of Herbert's work makes difficult reading. His ideas were genuinely developed concepts, not merely decorative notions, but they were sometimes embodied in excessively complicated plots and articulated in prose which did not always match the level of thinking...".

So did the book catcher in the rye really make mark chapman kill john lennon?

[DammitDan]

Nah, the govmen't did!

[Serenity]

Thats an interesting theory..why the government....?.....

[DammitDan]

The government reprograms people to become "subconscious assassins" and forces them to become obsessed with books that not many people buy but every bookstore carries.  Because the assassin is obsessed with the book, he/she compulsively has to buy the book on a certain schedule or else they have a mental breakdown.  This allows the government to track the movements of their assassin by tracking sales of that particular book.

And considering that both Mark David Chapman (Lennon) AND John Hinckley, Jr. (Regan) were obsessed with the book...  Hmmm 

And you notice how American assassins always have 3 names?  John Wilkes Boothe, Mark David Chapman, Lee Harvey Oswald, Leon Frank Czolgosz (McKinley's assassin), John Hinckley, Jr., Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, etc. etc. etc. 

[Serenity]

Interesting concept however Im wondering how the govt forces someone to become obsessed with a book, surely the person has to have some other kind of obsession before buying any book...I think sublimal messaging perhaps in song lyrics, maybe....The world is full of nuts trying to become famous thru their mental deficiencys........tho in saying that I believe the government is responsible for many things, but I think mark chapman had a loose screw to begin with.....

[DammitDan]

Who knows, maybe the government doesn't have to use books...  They could use old CB750 K8s.  Eldar could be an assassin after all!

[Serenity]

  hey I never thought of that.....I'm impressed 

[eldar]

Well I probably should not tell you this but I was given command of an intergalactic SPAM cruiser! 

This works well on star trek forums!

[Uncle Ernie]

When books are outlawed,
 only outlaws will have books!

[DammitDan]

When books are outlawed,
 only outlaws will have books!

I like that one, Ernie 

[Hockers Choppers]

"You guys are so far out of the ball park, you can't even buy a hot dog!!!!"

[Rocking-M]

When books are outlawed,
 only outlaws will have books!

we're well on the way to that Ernie.

Hum, I read "Unintended Consequences" was I forced to by the Government?

Since very few have read it I'm wondering, I did loan it to a friend who read it.
Does that mean we now have a sniper team

[Serenity]

oh to funny@sniper team

[mrbreeze]

Can't think of a new favorite quote at the moment but my old favorite one still stands......KEEP ON TRUCKIN"!!!!!!!!!!

[DammitDan]

Does that mean we now have a sniper team

Just make sure YOU'RE the one on the grassy knoll that gets away! 

[davedirt]

'Faith without works is dead'

[CrisPDuk]

The And you notice how American assassins always have 3 names?  John Wilkes Boothe, Mark David Chapman, Lee Harvey Oswald, Leon Frank Czolgosz (McKinley's assassin), John Hinckley, Jr., Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, etc. etc. etc. 

Considering over 70% of the population of the western hemisphere are registered with 2 forenames, it's hardly surprising that most assassins follow the trend really

The reason you know them by their full names is because the press always used their full names in any feature, I bet Mrs Oswald only called her husband Lee. By the way. John Hinckley does not count, only Americans who are to stupid to think of an original name for their spawn call their kid junior

On the other side of the coin what about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Harry S Truman, John C Stennis, J Edgar Hoover, or James Tiberius Kirk, they were all know by all three names, and as far as I know they never assassinated anyone either, granted Hoover I'm not too sure about



My favourite quotation?:

"If you can't make decisions in life, you're a bloody menace. You'd be better becoming an MP!"

Bill Shankly

[DammitDan]

So only the notorious are known by three names then, eh?  Bah, a likely story!  It's just another conspiracy, my friend.

By the way, the "S" from Harry S Truman doesn't stand for anything 

[CrisPDuk]

So only the notorious are known by three names then, eh?  Bah, a likely story!  It's just another conspiracy, my friend.

By the way, the "S" from Harry S Truman doesn't stand for anything 

Life itself is one big conspiracy my friend

From the moment you are born, to the day they finally succeed, the fates are continually conspiring against you


Which brings me to another famous old saying - "Life's a #$%*, then you die"


PS: I know the 'S' didn't stand for anything, I was just running out of names Anyway that little detail didn't stop the USN leaving it in when they named one of their little boats after him