"Calvin [Trillin] has never done anything majorly objectionable."

“Believe me, a grain is a terrible thing to waste.”

“It appears first, that liberty is a natural, and government an adventitious right, because all men were originally free.”

Source : Thomas Clarkson, Ottobah Cugoano (2010). “Thomas Clarkson and Ottobah Cugoano: Essays on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species”, p.124, Broadview Press

“Flirting is the first step in a long process of finding the right man or woman.”

“I have heard that one can conquer the empire on horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback.”

“Christmas is telling time-wondering time. Wonder enough about it, and you'll know, and you'll tell about it.”

“Don't focus on the wins and losses... focus your efforts on performing to your full potential.”

“As a scientist, objectivity is one of my most deeply held values. If we could just try harder, I once thought, surely we could each see the world as others see it and learn to respect one another's views more readily. But I learned from the Pirahas, our expectations, our culture, and our experiences can render even perceptions of the environment nearly incommensurable cross-culturally.”

Source : Daniel Everett (2010). “Don't Sleep, There are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle”, p.17, Profile Books

“Whether we knew many who died on September 11 or personally knew none, we all lost something on that day. Innocence. Security. A trust that our homeland would always be safe.”