Ba Quotes

I seriously needed an extra-strength magic pillow, because my ba refused to stay put. [And no, Sadie, I don't think wrapping my head in duct tape would've worked either.]

Alam mo ba ang pinagkaiba ng mga bulag at ng mga nakakakita? Hindi alam ng mga nakakakita kung kelan sila bulag.

Alam mo ba kung gaano kalayo ang pagitan ng dalawang tao kapag nagtalikuran na sila? Kailangan mong libutin ang buong mundo para makaharap ulit ang taong tinalikuran mo.

Ballycumber (ba-li-KUM-ber) n. One of the six half-read books lying somewhere in your bed.

Imbis na magtanong ka ng ‘Hindi pa ba sapat?’, bakit hindi mo na lang kalimutan ang lahat? Kung alam mong binabalewala ka na, tanggapin mong nagsasawa na s’ya.

Alam mo ba kung gaano kahirap magpanggap na ok ka lang kahit hindi? Na masaya kahit gusto mo ng umiyak? Na umaasa kang magiging ok ang lahat kahit alam mong wala na talaga?

My heart can take on any form: A meadow for gazelles, A cloister for monks, For the idols, sacred ground, Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim, The tables of the Torah, The scrolls of the Quran. My creed is Love; Wherever its caravan turns along the way, That is my belief, My faith.

Hinde ba pwedeng samahan mo ako? Hinde ba pwedeng magkasama parin tayo..? Naiisip ko palang na magkakahiwalay tayo, hinde ko na kinakaya.

I can’t help thinking it’s a shame he’s such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners.

St. Clair: So did you enjoy the book? Anna: I did. Did you? St. Clair: I like the author's name the best. Ba-nah-na.

We go downstairs and in the hall, he takes my coat from the cupboard and holds it open while I slip my arms into it. In the drive outside, he holds the car door for me and waits until I’m in. As he closes it behind me, I can’t help thinking it’s a shame he’s such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners.

Kenji, okay lang ba kung makalin kita? 'I love you', gusto kong sabihin sayo pero natatakot ako. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako natatakot. Pag sinabi ko bang 'I love you', sasabihin mo rin ng 'I love you too'. Sigh.

Seems like "all systems go" na 'di ba? Super compatible. Gusto n'yo ang isa't-isa. Pero 'yan ang mga nakakatakot. 'Yung akala mo okay lahat, sabay 'pag sinabi mong mahal mo s'ya. *blam!* Guguho lahat.

The teeth must have escaped while you murdered the rest of it," said Bramble, cough-laughing into her napkin. "Ha ha ha! You know, sometimes I think Clover is harboring some deep, dark shocking secret. Fire poker! Ba-hahahahaaa!

I don't suppose I could have a whiskey instead of the wine, could I?" "Whiskey?" "Yes" "I didn't know you drank whiskey." "And I didn't know you were a psychopath. Just bring me a whiskey

Someday, you will make an excellent guardian ba.” “Thanks,” I muttered. “Can’t wait to be poultry forever.

With the world securely in order, Dain was able to devote the leisurely bath time to editing his mental dictionary. He removed his wife from the general category labeled "Females" and gave her a section of her own. He made a note that she didn't find him revolting, and proposed several explanations: (a) bad eyesight and faulty hearing, (b)a defect in a portion of her otherwise sound intellect, (c) an inherited Trent eccentricity, or (d) an act of God. Since the Almighty had not done him a single act of kindness in at least twenty-five years, Dain thought it was about bloody time, but he thanked his Heavenly Father all the same, and promised to be as good as he was capable of being.

But I am dead certain--ba-dump-bump-ching--that I'm the first guy to lead an army of spirits in an assault from the spirit-world side...and had them start off screaming, "BOO!

Henry's breath hissed out through his teeth. That ba-bad man, he finished, with a quick glance at Cecily, who rolled her eyes.

I.. I.. I love you." "Ano ka ba. Bakit ba masyado kang nagiging seryoso? Okay ka lang ba?" "Because I am serious. Seryoso ako sa mga sinabi ko.. sa nafifeel ko. I love you Kenji." "Yung binitawan mong salita, parang katumbas sa pag sabing hindi ka na makahinga. Alam mo ba yun? Sige na umuwi ka na. Goodnight." "You know what? Fine. Just forget everything that I have said. It meant nothing naman diba, kasi I was too serious. Sorry for feeling this way. Goodnight." "Athena.. Athena wait... I.. I.. I can't breathe.

Yes," Ba said sadly, "it is impossible. But it is not ridiculous.

MHARILYN: Naku, sobrang thank you po, talaga! URSULA: Bakit sobra? Hindi ba pwedeng eksakto ang--eksaktong thank you? Sayang naman yung sobrang hindi na magagamit!

You know me.. you believe me, right?" "Hindi kita ganun kakilala para paniwalaan kaagad." "Ganon na ba talaga tingin mo saken? Ang hirap kasi sayo ako na nga tong nasa tabi mo sa iba ka pa rin nakatingin. Hindi mo ba napapansin ha? You still don't know it, do you? Can't you feel it? Can't you fucking feel it?" "Anong hindi ko napapansin? Ano bang hindi ko alam? Anong hindi ko maramdaman?" "I like you, you idiot!" "Ako ba hinde?!

Happy birthday, my son. If only I could've helped you.

I cry even harder, thinking of how it could have been, of how I thought it would be. For the first time, I want to give up, to die, because suddenly everything is too much and there is no solution in sight.

A wife should always be few feet behind her husband. If he is an MA you should be a BA.If he is 5'4'tall you shouldn't be more than 5'3'tall. If he is earning five hundred rupees you should never earn more than four hundred and ninety nine rupees.That's the only rule to follow if you want a happy marriage...No partnership can ever be equal.It will always be unequal, but take care it is unequal in favor of the husband. If the scales tilt in your favor, God help you, both of you.

Di ko alam kung paano ie-explain, pero, para sa akin, ang bag ng babae ay simbolo ng kanyang daigdig. The mere fact na nag-decide ang babae na yun ang laman at bigat ng bag niya, 'yun ang personal nyang mundo. Kaya niya dinala yun kasi yun ang kaya nyang dalhin. Anytime, anywhere. Nadadala niya yun from point A to point B. Pero kapag nakakita na ng lalake, dapat lalake na ang magpatuloy ng pagdadala from point B to point C? Kapag umalis ba ang babae mula sa kanyang bahay, aware siya na may lalakeng magbibitbit ng bag niya? I don't think so. Even without the guy, dadalhin pa rin naman ng babae yun kahit saan siya magpunta. Kaya ako, hinahayaan ko lang bitbitin ng babae ang kanyang bag. Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na with or without me, or each other, tuloy lang ang pagbibitbit ng mundo, ng kani-kaniyang daigdig.

Listen to your kuya, sister. Got three type kilikili.” He raises his finger. “One, that kano armpit smell like butter, burger, dollar; two, that Chinese intsik one smell like noodles, siopao, yuan; three, that bumbay one bad smell like roti, curry, rupee. Next time, find a kano who smells like butter, burger, or dollar. Curry not good. Rupee also not good, ba.

Tôi nhận thấy rằng bất kỳ ai cũng phải tự tạo lấy đời sống của mình bằng những từng trải của mình; nghĩa là những lời khuyên của người khác ảnh hưởng rất ít đến đời sống của ta, nếu ta không có cái tính tình, cái tâm trạng của người đó, không ở trong hoàn cảnh của người đó, đã từng trải gần gần như người đó. Phải có đồng thanh mới tương ứng, hoặc nói theo giọng khoa học ngày nay, phải có bắt đúng điện ba thì mới lên tiếng.

Farsi Couplet: Ba khak darat rau ast maara, Gar surmah bechashm dar neaayad. English Translation: The dust of your doorstep is just the right thing to apply, If Surmah (kohl powder) does not show its beauty in the eye!

I look around at everybody laughing and joking together and struggle to understand my life has become a living hell that nobody present could even begin to imagine

Masama na ba talaga ngayon ang gumawa ng mabuti at kailangan mo na itong ipaliwanag?

If you've ever tried ba travel, I wouldn't recommend it-- unless of course you fancy turning into a phantom chicken and rafting uncontrollably through the currents of the Duat.

Ano sa makatwid ang isang Unibersidad? Isang institusyon para hindi matuto? Nagtitipon-tipon ba ang ilang tao sa ngalan ng kaalaman at pagtuturo para hadlangang matuto ang iba?

The door opens and he stands in the doorway, my handsome, psychopathic husband.

Leaves from the vine, Falling so slow Like fragile tiny shells Drifting in the foam Little soldier boy Come marching home Brave soldier boy Comes marching home

...Mengapa kau berhenti bercita-cita bujang?pahamkah engkau,berhenti bercita-cita adalah tragedi terbesar dalam hidup manusia!! Bapak Mustar M.Dja'idin.BA.

Pretending to be broken would be much harder, simply because it was in my nature to fight back.

A: Oy! Oy! Oy ba't sumisingit 'yan ha?! Hoy! Mahilig ka ba sa singit? Hoy! B: Hwsht! Pabayaan mo na, tsong... Big time 'yan eh... 'Wag mo na anuhin. Nanay n'yan senador, erpat n'ya general, kapatid n'ya kongresman, kapitbahay nila meyo -- A: Pwes ako anak ng Diyos! Tatay ko Poong Maykapal at utol ko si Hesukristo!! Ano?! Ha?!

Hindi ba mas tama na sa halip na maliitin ang kabataan dahil sa binabasa nilang manunulat ay purihin sila sa pagbabasa, at saka samantalahin ang pagkakataon para hikayatin sila at ipakilala sa iba pang makabuluhang libro? O masyadong malaking abala 'yon sa inyo?

What colour was Millie’s room, Grace?

By the welling of lord of Ka'ba, I have succeeded.

Are you a ghost?

All love starts with a sense of attraction or liking- physical, spiritual, intellectual or emotional. Pero hindi lahat ng pagkagusto ay masasabing tunay na pag-ibig.

What’s with the B.A. shit?” I asked. “Bad,” Tex pointed at me, “Ass.” Holy crap! I loved that! I was Fortnum’s own Mr. T, except white, female and without the Mohawk.

Saan ba ako pwedeng magpasya? Ang kaluluwa ko, kargo ng pari. Marka ko sa eskwelahan, nakasalalay sa dulo ng pulang ballpen ng titser ko. Yung gusto kong kurso, nakatali sa dulo ng bulsa ng tatay ko. Yung kalayaan ko, kahit bahagya ko palang nagagamit ay pinutol na nila. Sila na rin ang nagbigay ng bagong kahulugan nun, kahit hindi kami kinonsulta.

- Nu crezi dumneata în iubire? Nu te atrage iubirea?... - Ba da, mă atrage... Poate că e singurul rost al unei vieţi mărginite, comune, cum e viața noastră. Şi-mi place... dar ştiu că nu durează... că nu corespunde unei realităţi... Îmi place mult să privesc o noapte cu lună... şi uneori stau vreme îndelungată la fereastra mea, privind, dar ştiu bine că luna e altceva decât ceea ce pare... Nu întind mâna s-o prind... E mult şi ceea ce dă, fără intenţie şi sforţare.

Look what's happening around us: war, hunger, poverty, epidemics... tapos, ang iniisip natin, pagandahan? My God, Pilar; ang importante sa tao'y ang kabuuan niya bilang tao... hindi kung maganda ba ang mukha niya o makinis ba ang kanyang binti!

Buht se dukh hamari qismat men likhy hoty hain. woh hamen milny hoty hain. ba'az sach'chaaiyan aisi hoti hain ky woh chahy hamen jitni bhi nagawaar lagen mgr hamen unhy qabool krna parhta hai. insan har waqt khud per taras khata rahy, apni zindagi men aany waly dukhon ky baary men sochta rahy to woh dukh us per haawi hojaty hain. phir uski zindagi men agar khushiyan aati bhi hain to woh unhen daikh nahi patha.

When I look at him I feel dismayed as I always do at how normal he looks, because surely there should be something--pointed ears or a pair of horns--to warn people of his evilness.

Your heart's pounding like mad,' he whispered. Fingers brushed my collarbone, tapped gently. 'Ba-bom. Ba-bom.

Nhớ hồi lần đầu tôi đến Mỹ, 8 giờ sáng ngồi ngoài hiên nhìn mưa bay lất phất, tự nhiên thấy nhớ nhà kinh khủng. Cũng lạ, ba mẹ tôi, tất cả anh em ruột thịt của tôi đều ở bên cạnh, thế mà tôi lại nhớ nhà. Hóa ra nhà trong tâm khảm người Việt không chỉ là gia đình ruột thịt mà còn là không gian cảnh vật gắn bó với ta từ thuở ấu thơ, thậm chí từ nhiều đời, là tiếng mưa rơi trên mái tranh trên tàu lá chuối, là tiếng cuốc trưa hè, là những hình ảnh thấm vào kí ức và tình cảm ta một cách hữu hình lẫn vô hình...

I'm in love with you Coreen. Your name is embedded in my soul. Ang laking problema, hindi ba? Kaya sana mabaliw ka lang rin sakin para wala na tayong problem. So, I'm sorry, hindi kita iiwasan. Hindi kita lalayuan. I will forever be the pest in your life until you decide to love me back.

Maski hindi Valentine's Day nagpamudmod ang Malakanyang ng Valentine's package na may lamang five hundred pesos, tatlong latang sardinas, at isang torotot na kapag hinipan mo ay nagsasabing I love you, love mo din ba ako? Ang fatigue na uniform ng army ay ginawang pink para daw mapalapit sa sambayanan.

As well, they used their B-52 bombers to drop thousands of tons of bombs which included napalm and cluster bombs. In a particularly vile attack, they used poisonous chemicals on our base regions of Xuyen Moc, the Minh Dam and the Nui Thi Vai mountains. They sprayed their defoliants over jungle, and productive farmland alike. They even bull-dozed bare, both sides along the communication routes and more than a kilometre into the jungle adjacent to our base areas. This caused the Ba Ria-Long Khanh Province Unit to send out a directive to D445 and D440 Battalions that as of 01/November/1969, the rations of both battalions would be set at 27 litres of rice per man per month when on operations. And 25 litres when in base or training. So it was that as the American forces withdrew, their arms and lavish base facilities were transferred across to the RVN. The the forces of the South Vietnamese Government were with thereby more resources but this also created any severe maintenance, logistic and training problems. The Australian Army felt that a complete Australian withdrawal was desirable with the departure of the Task Force (1ATF), but the conservative government of Australia thought that there were political advantages in keeping a small force in south Vietnam. Before his election, in 1964, Johnston used a line which promised peace, but also had a policy of war. The very same tactic was used by Nixon. Nixon had as early as 1950 called for direction intervention by American Forces which were to be on the side of the French colonialists. The defoliants were sprayed upon several millions of hectares, and it can best be described as virtual biocide. According to the figure from the Americans themselves, between the years of 1965 to 1973, ten million Vietnamese people were forced to leave their villages ad move to cities because of what the Americans and their allies had done. The Americans intensified the bombing of whole regions of Laos which were controlled by Lao patriotic forces. They used up to six hundred sorties per day with many types of aircraft including B52s. On 07/January/1979, the Vietnamese Army using Russian built T-54 and T-59 tanks, assisted by some Cambodian patriots liberated Phnom Penh while the Pol Pot Government and its agencies fled into the jungle. A new government under Hun Sen was installed and the Khmer Rouge’s navy was sunk nine days later in a battle with the Vietnamese Navy which resulted in twenty-two Kampuchean ships being sunk.

Kaloka! Ito ba ang Pilipinas na gustong iligtas nina Lola Sepa at Emil? Iligtas mula saan? Kung sarili nga ayaw nitong iligtas! Ang gusto lang ng mga ito'y kumain, tumae, mag-Glutathione, saka pumunta sa weekend markets, mag-malling para makalibre ng air-con, mag-text ng corny jokes, sumingit sa pila ng bigas, saka umasa ng suwerte sa lotto o sa TV! Kapag may bagyo o lindol o anumang problema'y laban pero susuko din agad at makakalimot, o kaya ay magma-migrate! Ilang taon na ba ang bansang ito pero bakit hanggang ngayo'y wala pa ring pinagkatandaan?

We’ll be like the MudWings,” Clay said proudly. “We stick together. No matter what happens. We’re a team, and we look after one another. Which means the first thing we have to do is find Starflight. The NightWings can’t just take him away. He’s one of us, and we’ll search the whole world until we find him. It’s time for us to get our friend ba —” He stopped as a heavy thump shook the ground and wings flapped to a stop behind him. The others were staring over his shoulder. “That better not be who I think it is,” said Clay. “Found him!” Glory said gleefully. Clay turned around. Starflight stood, blinking, in the waving grass just outside the trees.

Most of my friends from Columbia are going on to get advanced degrees. And why not? A Ph.D. is the new M.A., a master's is the new bachelor's, a B.A. is the new high school diploma, and a high school diploma is the new smiley-face sticker on your first-grade spelling test.

Im not psycho...i just like psychotic things!

Sino nga ba ang learning disabled, ‘yung mga hirap mag-aral o ‘yun mga walang natutunan? Ano ang pinagkaiba ng out-of-school youth na shoplifter at Harvard-graduate na corrupt government official bukod sa mas mayaman ‘yung pangalawa?

AFTER THEIR FALL INTO TARTARUS, jumping three hundred feet to the Mansion of Night should have felt quick. Instead, Annabeth’s heart seemed to slow down. Between the beats she had ample time to write her own obituary. Annabeth Chase, died age 17. BA-BOOM. (Assuming her birthday, July 12, had passed while she was in Tartarus; but honestly, she had no idea.) BA-BOOM. Died of massive injuries while leaping like an idiot into the abyss of Chaos and splattering on the entry hall floor of Nyx’s mansion. BA-BOOM. Survived by her father, stepmother, and two stepbrothers who barely knew her. BA-BOOM. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Camp Half-Blood, assuming Gaea hasn’t already destroyed it. Her feet hit solid floor. Pain shot up her legs, but she stumbled forward and broke into a run, hauling Percy after her.

Em bây giờ như miếng bọt biển vậy, em hấp thụ tất cả những gì xung quanh mình. Cứ đi nhiều đi, cứ trải nghiệm nhiều đi, cứ hấp thụ thật nhiều đi”.

I like you Jack, but don’t like Jorj Koony

That is not my car!” “Correction. You used to drive a falling apart Toyota. B.A.” Had his lips just brushed her hair? She shivered. And though she knew better than to ask, she did it anyway. “Okay. You got me. What’s B.A.?” “Before. Adam. After Adam, you drive a BMW. I take care of what is mine. That Toyota wasn’t safe.” Figured that arrogant beast would define himself as the dawning of an epoch. “I’m not yours. It was too, and you can’t just go around stealing.” “I didn’t, and I filled out the paperwork myself.

I'm a Christian, but if God is truly a God of love, then why would he have a private torture chamber where he put people that he was suppose to love and forgive to punish forever? if you actually read the Bible, the idea of hell like in the movies and most books was invented by a writer. Dante's inferno was ripped off by the Church to give people something to ba afraid of...

I[John/Four] scratched Bernie Kosar's head. I don't think I could get used to calling him Hadley, but maybe I could get used to calling Six Maren Elizabeth. "I think you should take on a human name," I say. "If not Maren Elizabeth, then something else. I mean, at least for when we're in front of strangers." Everyone grows silent, and I reach behind me into the Chest for the velvet bag holding the Lorien's solar system. I set the six planets and the sun in my palm and watch them hover and glow to life. As the planets begin to orbit their sun, I find that I am able to dim their brightness with my mind. I intentionally lose myself in them, successfully forgetting just for a few moments that I might ba seeing Sarah soon. Six turns to look at the faint solar system that floats in front of my chest, and then she finally says. "I don't know; I still like the name Six. Maren Elizabeth was when I was a different person, and right now Six just feels right. It can be short for something if Someone asks." Sam looks over. "For what? Sixty?

He feels safer just knowing that even if he's away there is a home waiting for him to return.

Đừng nhìn việc không có tiền là một cản trở, mà nhìn nó như một thử thách để phát huy sự sáng tạo và khả năng giải quyết vấn đề của mình”.

Do I detect a renewal of your fighting spirit? I'm so glad. To tell the truth, I've been getting quite bored. Bring it on, Grace--I'm waiting for you.

Toata ziua vezi o multime de oameni.Vorbesti cu ei,razi cu ei,ai chiar prieteni,iubesti cateodata,crezi sa te intelegi,ba si comuniezi si nu pot zice ca uneori nu reusesti s-o faci.Dar toate acestea nu te impiedica sa fii singura,ingrozitor de singura.Esti legata de solitudinea ta pentru todeauna,de todeauna.Sunt eu si numai eu si tot timpul gandesc,deci ma schimb tot timpul,deci nimeni nu ma poate cunoaste cu adevarat.Eu ma stiu,ma inteleg si nu ma stiu si nu ma inteleg decat pe mine,pe nimeni altul decat mine.Eu ma iubesc si ma dispretuiesc si uneori as vrea sa ma bat-atat de dezgustator de imperfecta ma simt.

„– Będę czujny – westchnął. – Ale nie sądzę, żeby twój wytrawny gracz był w stanie mnie zaskoczyć. Nie po tym, co ja tu przeszedłem. Rzucili się na mnie szpiedzy, opadły wymierające gady i gronostaje. Nakarmiono mnie nie istniejącym kawiorem. Nie gustujące w mężczyznach nimfomanki podawały w wątpliwość moją męskość, groziły gwałtem na jeżu, straszyły ciążą, ba, nawet orgazmem, i to takim, któremu nie towarzyszą rytualne ruchy. Brrr... - Piłeś?

Cel mai uimitor sentiment din câte cunosc e dorul.Omul are impresia că este total absorbit de realitatea înconjurătoare,acomodat cu mediul,preocupat de noile lui probleme.Și deodată o străfulgerare orbitoare:chipul cuiva,ochii cuiva,ochii și gura cuiva.Le simți cu un realism zguduitor și îți dai seama că tot ce te înconjoară este lipsit de importanță,indiferent,ba chiar dizgrațios.Dizgrațios tocmai de aceea că ne îndepărtează de acele mâini,de acea gură.Cunoști dumneata durerea de inimă,durerea aceea fizică ce ne sfâșie pieptul,scurt și violent?...

He prides himself on uttering only the truth, and enjoys that I am the only one who understands the meaning behind his words.

May choice naman yata ako na hindi umasa sa pagbabalik ni Jen. Na kalimutan na siya nang tuluyan at maghanap na ng iba o mahanap ako ng iba. O pwedeng ako lang at wala na siya sa sistema ko. Dati naman akong okay nung wala pa siya. Dapat okay pa rin ako kahit wala na siya. Pero choice ko yata na pahirapan ang sarili ko. At sa ginagawa kong pagpapahirap sa sarili ko, parang nasisiyahan ako. Masaya yata ako na nahihirapan akong mahalin siya mula sa kawalan. Teka, kung masaya ako kahit nahihirapan ako... hindi kaya mas mahal ko ang sarili ko kesa sa kanya? Kung pinipilit ko siyang magstay para maging masaya ako pero hindi naman siya masaya, hindi rin ako magiging masaya. Kung masaya siya na malaya siya at masaya ako na masaya siya, teka uli... ultimately, ako ang sumasaya sa lahat ng ito? Dapat akong maging masaya! Bakit hindi ako masaya? Masaya ba ako o may sayad na?

One's interest or need does not annul other's right.

Acuma îşi dă seama că iubirea adevărată, adâncă, mântuitoare n-a cunoscut-o, ci numai ura, sub diverse forme... I s-a părut că-i sunt dragi toţi cei de un neam cu dânsul şi, îndată ce n-a găsit în inimile lor ura lui, dragostea s-a împrăştiat ca pulberea în adierea vântului... Iubirea adevărată nu moare niciodată în sufletul omului, ba îl însoţeşte şi dincolo, până în sânul nemărginirii... Dar iubirea nu poate prinde rădăcină în inima mânjită de ură, şi în el ura trăia mereu, ca un cui ruginit, uitat în carne vie...

The rich does not work for money, but money work for them...., While the poor work for money.Illiteracy, both in word and numbers, is the foundation of financial struggle....,Wealth is a person's ability to survive so many number of days forward... or if i stopped working today, how could i survive?...,Wealth is the measure of cash flow from to asset column compared with the expense column...,

Ôi Chip, mày nhận được những gì mày xứng đáng. Ai thèm để ý đến mày hả? Hàng triệu người ngoài kia thậm chí còn không biết bố mẹ mình là ai, nói gì đến ngày sinh. Nếu mày nghĩ mày xứng đáng nhận được nhiều hơn, hãy chiến đấu mà giành lấy nó. Không ai có trách nhiệm phải làm cho mày vui cả”.

When women cover songs by men, they don’t swap the pronouns. Is this a.) a lack of anxiety about convention, b.) a biologically essential fluidity native to humans with vaginas and/or two X chromosomes, c.) rampant queerness among women singers, or d.) the universal male default?

George Bush made a mistake when he referred to the Saddam Hussein regime as 'evil.' Every liberal and leftist knows how to titter at such black-and-white moral absolutism. What the president should have done, in the unlikely event that he wanted the support of America's peace-mongers, was to describe a confrontation with Saddam as the 'lesser evil.' This is a term the Left can appreciate. Indeed, 'lesser evil' is part of the essential tactical rhetoric of today's Left, and has been deployed to excuse or overlook the sins of liberal Democrats, from President Clinton's bombing of Sudan to Madeleine Albright's veto of an international rescue for Rwanda when she was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Among those longing for nuance, moral relativism—the willingness to use the term evil, when combined with a willingness to make accommodations with it—is the smart thing: so much more sophisticated than 'cowboy' language.

Nakapagtatakang nagtataka pa ang nanay at tatay ko kung bakit di ako mapirmi-pirmi sa bahay ng sino man sa kanila. Bakit nga raw ba ako palipat-lipat ng trabaho? Bakit pabago-bago ng karelasyon? At paiba-iba ng mga kaibigan? Gusto ko sanang ipaliwanag sa kanila na kapag matagal-tagal ka ring naging bola sa pingpong, di mo maiiwasang makasanayan ang pagpapadito at doon, dito, doon at ang pagpapadoon, dito, doon, dito. At sandaan pang pagpapadito-dito at pagpapadoon-doon. Sa sandali namang matapos ang laro o kahit sa pagkakataong datnan lamang ng pagod ang mga manlalaro, hahayaan ka nilang gumulong-gulong sa kung saan-saang sulok, kahit pa nga iyong namumutiktik sa alikabok. Hihingal-hingal ka ngayong maghihintay sa kung sino man sa kanila ang may awa o panahon para yumukod at pumulot.

Do you remember the story I told you about the paper of happiness? And the secret, which was one word written over and over again? … I have thought a long time about what that word could have been,” Ba said. “Was it wisdom or honor? Love or truth? For a long time I liked to think that the word was kindness.” Ma’s face remained hidden in Minli’s bed, but her sobs had stopped and Ba knew she was listening. “But now,” Ba said, “I think, perhaps, the word was faith.

Our forefathers were heroes. But why were they heroes? Because they fought for democracy. They fought for the life and liberty of the Filipino people. They fought for our independence, our freedom. They fought against tyranny, totalitarianism, and dictatorship. They fought for us and that is something we must be grateful for.

Does rough weather choose men over women? Does the sun beat on men, leaving women nice and cool?' Nyawira asked rather sharply. 'Women bear the brunt of poverty. What choices does a woman have in life, especially in times of misery? She can marry or live with a man. She can bear children and bring them up, and be abused by her man. Have you read Buchi Emecheta of Nigeria, Joys of Motherhood? Tsitsi Dangarembga of Zimbabwe, say, Nervous Conditions? Miriama Ba of Senegal, So Long A Letter? Three women from different parts of Africa, giving words to similar thoughts about the condition of women in Africa.' 'I am not much of a reader of fiction,' Kamiti said. 'Especially novels by African women. In India such books are hard to find.' 'Surely even in India there are women writers? Indian women writers?' Nyawira pressed. 'Arundhati Roy, for instance, The God of Small Things? Meena Alexander, Fault Lines? Susie Tharu. Read Women Writing in India. Or her other book, We Were Making History, about women in the struggle!' 'I have sampled the epics of Indian literature,' Kamiti said, trying to redeem himself. 'Mahabharata, Ramayana, and mostly Bhagavad Gita. There are a few others, what they call Purana, Rig-Veda, Upanishads … Not that I read everything, but …' 'I am sure that those epics and Puranas, even the Gita, were all written by men,' Nyawira said. 'The same men who invented the caste system. When will you learn to listen to the voices of women?

insanlar birbirlerini ne kadar iyi anliyorlardi... bir de ben bu halimle kalkip ba$ka bir insanin kafasinin icini tahlil etmek, onun duz veya kari$ik ruhunu gormek istiyordum. dunyanin en basit, en zavalli, hatta en ahmak adami bile, insani hayretten hayrete du$urecek ne muthi$ ve kari$ik bir ruha maliktir!.. nicin bunu anlamaktan bu kadar kaciyor ve insan dedikleri mahluku anla$ilmasi ve hakkinda hukum verilmesi en kolay $eylerden biri zannediyoruz? nicin ilk defa gordugumuz bir peynirin evsafi hakkinda soz soylemekten kacindigimiz halde ilk rast geldigimiz insan hakkinda son kararimizi verip gonul rahatiyla oteye geciveriyoruz?

Kaun bata sakta hai yeh mulaqaat pehli yaan aakhri hai.. Na jaane kitni baar mil chuka hoon tujhse aur kitni baar abhi milna baaki hai... Har daur mein hota hai koi kirdaar mere jaisa.. Na jaane kitne qisson me zikar hai mera aur kitni kahaniyon mein abhi likhna baaki hai... Sadiyon se chal hoon ekk kaafile ke saath saath.. Na Jaane kin Manzilon ki talaash hai aur kahan abhi Pahunchna baaki hai... Suna hai Sau raaste jaate hai usski jaanib ki taraf ... mujhe ek bhi nai mila, lagta hai nasamajh kadmon ka abhi Bhatkna baaki hai... Na thama hai, na hi thamega yeh ranjishon ka silsilaa 'Mehram.. Na jaane kitni dafa toota hoon abhi kitna aur bikhrana baaki hai... Khwabon me khawab dekh raha hai ek mitti ka bhut zameen pe.. Uske Khwabon ki ajal mein bas Palkon ka jhapkana baaki hai... Wajood-e-adam ke dayaron se nikal toh chuki hai zaat meri.. Bas saanson ka rukna aur rooh ka bicharna baaki hai.. Uss roshni ki talaash mein jo phir raha hai dar-ba-dar... Dekh Patangey ney Samait liya haunsla usme Jitnaa abhi baaki hai... Kaun bata sakta hai yeh mulaqaat pehli yaan aakhri hai Na jaane kitni baar mil chuka hoon tujhse aur kitni baar abhi milna baaki hai...

Hitherto, the Palestinians had been relatively immune to this Allahu Akhbar style. I thought this was a hugely retrograde development. I said as much to Edward. To reprint Nazi propaganda and to make a theocratic claim to Spanish soil was to be a protofascist and a supporter of 'Caliphate' imperialism: it had nothing at all to do with the mistreatment of the Palestinians. Once again, he did not exactly disagree. But he was anxious to emphasize that the Israelis had often encouraged Hamas as a foil against Fatah and the PLO. This I had known since seeing the burning out of leftist Palestinians by Muslim mobs in Gaza as early as 1981. Yet once again, it seemed Edward could only condemn Islamism if it could somehow be blamed on either Israel or the United States or the West, and not as a thing in itself. He sometimes employed the same sort of knight's move when discussing other Arabist movements, excoriating Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party, for example, mainly because it had once enjoyed the support of the CIA. But when Saddam was really being attacked, as in the case of his use of chemical weapons on noncombatants at Halabja, Edward gave second-hand currency to the falsified story that it had 'really' been the Iranians who had done it. If that didn't work, well, hadn't the United States sold Saddam the weaponry in the first place? Finally, and always—and this question wasn't automatically discredited by being a change of subject—what about Israel's unwanted and ugly rule over more and more millions of non-Jews? I evolved a test for this mentality, which I applied to more people than Edward. What would, or did, the relevant person say when the United States intervened to stop the massacres and dispossessions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo? Here were two majority-Muslim territories and populations being vilely mistreated by Orthodox and Catholic Christians. There was no oil in the region. The state interests of Israel were not involved (indeed, Ariel Sharon publicly opposed the return of the Kosovar refugees to their homes on the grounds that it set an alarming—I want to say 'unsettling'—precedent). The usual national-security 'hawks,' like Henry Kissinger, were also strongly opposed to the mission. One evening at Edward's apartment, with the other guest being the mercurial, courageous Azmi Bishara, then one of the more distinguished Arab members of the Israeli parliament, I was finally able to leave the arguing to someone else. Bishara [...] was quite shocked that Edward would not lend public support to Clinton for finally doing the right thing in the Balkans. Why was he being so stubborn? I had begun by then—belatedly you may say—to guess. Rather like our then-friend Noam Chomsky, Edward in the final instance believed that if the United States was doing something, then that thing could not by definition be a moral or ethical action.

De citit, citeam la întîmplare, pe apucate, şi n-am studiat nimic serios. Singura mea specialitate adevărată era plictiseala pe care mi-o provoca învăţătura sistematică. Îmi pregăteam însă cu grijă totdeauna cîteva citate pe care la momentul oportun le debitam ca din întîmplare, ca să forţez o impresie favorabilă; şi au fost cîţiva profesori care s-au lăsat înşelaţi, ba chiar au văzut în mine o speranţă, ceea ce mă făcea să rîd în sinea mea cu recunoştinţă deoarece, sărmanii de ei, îmi dădeau fără voie încredere în capacitatea mea de escroc; cel puţin la acest capitol nu eram cu desăvîrşire mediocru; învăţasem ceva din războiul cu tata, din lecţia dură a şcolii de corecţie şi din ipocrizia bine însuşită la spital. Azi nu mă mai mir decît de curajul şi luciditatea cu care am constatat atunci că nu eram bun de nimic. Cum am ajuns să-mi pierd ulterior această luciditate e aproape o taină pentru mine. La Belle Arte îmi spuneam aproape cu satisfacţie: "Avantajul meu faţă de ceilalţi mediocri, şi slavă Domnului nu sînt deloc singur, e important: eu ştiu! De aceea ei vor fi mereu în inferioritate faţă de mine". Şi totuşi am uitat asta. Singura explicaţie pe care mi-o dau e că în orice ins mediocru există primejdia de a se crede într-o bună zi genial.

Woman is a beam of the divine Light. She is not the being whom sensual desires takes as its object. She is Creator, it should be said. She is not a creature. Great Fatima-ul- Zehra ( Means of Fatima the Radiant, Brightest Star, Star of Venus, The Evening Star), the daughter of the Prophet, is the secret in Sufism. She is the Hujjat of Ali (JJ). In other words, she establishes the esoteric sense of his knowledge and guides those who attain to it. Through her perfume, we breathe paradise. Though she was his daughter, the Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) called her “Um Abi’ha” (mother of her father). What mystery was the Prophet hinting at by this statement? While Fatima Zahra ( Salam -ullah – alleha ) was Muhammad’s (SAWW) daughter. The spiritual Fatima Al-Batool ( the divine virgin) her house is the living Ka’ba.

So will your father object to me? Because I'm not American? I mean, not fully American? He's not one of those mad, patriotic nuts,is he?" "No.He'll love you,because you make me happy.He's not always so bad." St. Clair raises his dark eyebrows. "I know! But I said not always. He still is the majority of the time.It's just...he means well. He thought he was doing good,sending me here." "And was it? Good?" "Look at you,fishing for compliments." "I wouldn't object to a compliment." I play with a strand of his hair. "I like how you pronounce 'banana.' Ba-nah-na. And sometimes you trill your r's. I love that." "Brilliant," he whispers in my ear. "Because I've spent loads of time practicing." My room is dark,and Etienne wraps his arms back around me.We listen to the opera singer in a peaceful silence.I'm surprised by how much I'll miss France. Atlanta was home for almost eighteen years,and though I've only know Paris for the last nine months,it's changed me.I have a new city to learn next year,but I'm not scared. Because I was right.For the two of us, home isn't a place.It's a person. And we're finally home.

Nu, i-am spus, nu cred că există viitor. Adică eu, cel puțin, nu mi-l pot imagina. Cred că îți poți imagina viitorul doar atunci când ești fericit sau când simți că poți să depinzi de oameni. Nici unul, nici celălalt nu era cazul meu. Dacă încercam să-mi imaginez viitorul, tot ce puteam vedea era un azi nesfârșit, ca și cum și a doua zi ar fi fost firesc să mă găsesc tot în cușca de sticlă, tot cu Tedy, poștind aceeași țigară și făcând mișto de filmul penal din sala pe care o părăsisem. Viitorul, acum, e așteptarea asta, încercarea de-a ajunge in one piece la Dev, la party-ul ăla la care poate nici n-o să mă distrez, la care Dev poate nici n-o să stea prea mult cu mine, în Bucureștiul în care nu-mi doresc deloc s-o reîntâlnesc pe capră, ba nu-mi doresc nici măcar s-o văd pe Coco. Viitorul sunt doar eu, așa ceva i-am răspuns lui Tedy și știu sigur că a înțeles, fiindcă și el simțea asta. Viitorul e același păr blond de azi și aceeași rochie neagră, sunt unghiile mele de pe care oja neagră a sărit inestetic, viitorul sunt tenișii ăștia scâlciați. Dincolo de asta nu există nimic.

Startled, he tried to comfort him. But Father said slowly, "I ask myself whether I am afraid of death. I don't think I am. My life as it is now is worse. And it looks as if there is not going to be any ending. Sometimes I feel weak: I stand by Tranquillity River and think, Just one leap and I can get it over with. Then I tell myself I must not. If I die without being cleared, there will be no end of trouble for all of you… I have been thinking a lot lately. I had a hard childhood, and society was full of injustice. It was for a fair society that I joined the Communists. I've tried my best through the years. But what good has it done for the people? As for myself, why is it that in the end I have come to be the ruin of my family? People who believe in retribution say that to end badly you must have something on your conscience. I have been thinking hard about the things I've done in my life. I have given orders to execute some people…" Father went on to tell Jin-ming about the death sentences he had signed, the names and stories of the e-ba ('ferocious despots') in the land reform in Chaoyang, and the bandit chiefs in Yibin. "But these people had done so much evil that God himself would have had them killed. What, then, have I done wrong to deserve all this?" After a long pause, Father said, "If I die like this, don't believe in the Communist Party anymore.

Într-o zi, Rațiunea și Inima s-au hotărât să pornească împreună prin lume. -Hai să închidem ochii, să ne învârtim de câteva ori și să pornim pe drumul care ni se va deschide în fața ochilor, a spus Inima chicotind. -Ba mai bine hai să întrebăm, să vedem care dintre drumuri este sigur, a spus Rațiunea încruntându-se. Inima a cedat și a lăsat Rațiunea să aleagă drumul. Au călătorit împreună, Inima minunându-se și exaltându-se pentru tot ceea ce le ieșea în cale, Rațiunea privind cu atenție, analizând, criticând, comparând. Într-o zi s-au întâlnit cu un negustor. -Trebuie să vă vând ceva! a spus negustorul. -Dar nu avem nevoie de nimic! a spus Rațiunea. -Abia aștept să văd ce ai de oferit! a spus nerăbdătoare Inima. Vânzătorul a afișat un zâmbet fals, și-a înmuiat glasul în cea mai dulce miere și a început să le înșire tot ce avea în desagă. Inima s-a oprit la o cutiuță mică în care se afla o piatră strălucitoare. -Este un diamant! a spus vânzătorul și ochii lui sclipiră într-un mod ciudat. -Ba nu este! Este un fals! a spus Rațiunea după ce i-a aruncat o privire critică. -Este un diamant frumos! a spus Inima ridicându-l și lăsând razele soarelui să se răsfrângă pe suprafața pietrei. Îl vreau! -Nu merită! E fals! Uite! a strigat Rațiunea, dar în zadar, Inima își închisese deja ochii. -Este o înșelăciune! O să regreți! a strigat Rațiunea, dar Inima și-a acoperit urechile. -E fals! a strigat din toate puterile Rațiunea și o dată cu ea a strigat și Inima, un strigăt de durere - piatra aceea strălucitoare îi lăsase în palmă o rană adâncă. Oricât ar striga Rațiunea, Inima este de cele mai multe ori surdă și oarbă, nu aude, nu vede, dar simte durerea..

They know what the “perfumes” are going to say because they always say the same thing, but they pretend to believe them anyway. (a)“I could change your life.” (b)“A lot of women would like to be in your shoes.” (c)“You’re young now, but what will become of you in a few years’ time? You need to think about making a longer-term investment.” (d)“I’m married, but my wife . . .” (This opening line can have various endings: “. . . is ill,” “. . . has threatened to commit suicide if I leave her,” etc.) (e)“You’re a princess and deserve to be treated like one. I didn’t know it until now, but I’ve been waiting for you. I don’t believe in coincidences and I really think we ought to give this relationship a chance.

The Ancient Egyptians postulated seven souls.” Top soul (Vicarious), and the first to leave at the moment of death, is Ren the Secret name. This corresponds to my Director. He directs the film of your life from conception to death. The Secret Name is the title of your film. When you die, that's where Ren came in. Second soul (Jambi), and second one off the sinking ship, is Sekem: Energy, Power. LIGHT. The Director gives the orders, Sekem presses the right buttons. Number three (Wings/Days) is Khu, the Guardian Angel. He, she or it is third man out...depicted as flying away across a full moon, a bird with luminous wings and head of light. The sort of thing you might see on a screen in an Indian restaurant in Panama. The Khu is responsible for the subject and can be injured in his defense - but not permanently, since the first three souls are eternal. They go back to Heaven for another vessel. The four remaining souls must take their chances with the subject in the land of the dead. Number four (The Pot) is Ba, the Heart, often treacherous. This is a hawk's body with your face on it, shrunk down to the size of a fist. Many a hero has been brought down, like Samson, by a perfidious Ba. Number five (L.C., Lost Keys, Rosetta Stoned) is Ka, the double, most closely associated with the subject. The Ka, which usually reaches adolescence at the time of bodily death, is the only reliable guide through the Land of the Dead to the Western Lands. Number six (Instension) is Khaibit, the Shadow, Memory, your whole past conditioning from this and other lives. Number seven (Right in Two) is Sekhu, the Remains

I got hold of a copy of the video that showed how Saddam Hussein had actually confirmed himself in power. This snuff-movie opens with a plenary session of the Ba'ath Party central committee: perhaps a hundred men. Suddenly the doors are locked and Saddam, in the chair, announces a special session. Into the room is dragged an obviously broken man, who begins to emit a robotic confession of treason and subversion, that he sobs has been instigated by Syrian and other agents. As the (literally) extorted confession unfolds, names begin to be named. Once a fellow-conspirator is identified, guards come to his seat and haul him from the room. The reclining Saddam, meanwhile, lights a large cigar and contentedly scans his dossiers. The sickness of fear in the room is such that men begin to crack up and weep, rising to their feet to shout hysterical praise, even love, for the leader. Inexorably, though, the cull continues, and faces and bodies go slack as their owners are pinioned and led away. When it is over, about half the committee members are left, moaning with relief and heaving with ardent love for the boss. (In an accompanying sequel, which I have not seen, they were apparently required to go into the yard outside and shoot the other half, thus sealing the pact with Saddam. I am not sure that even Beria or Himmler would have had the nerve and ingenuity and cruelty to come up with that.)

La ce sunt bune cărţile? Îmi vine să răspund: la totul si la nimic. Poţi trăi foarte bine fără să citeşti. Milioane de oameni n-au deschis niciodată o carte. A vrea sa le explici ce pierd e totuna cu a explica unui surd frumuseţea muyicii lui Mozart. În ce mă priveşte, mă număr printre cei care nu pot trăi fără cărţi. Sunt un vicios al lecturii. Am nevoie să citesc aşa cum am nevoie să mănânc şi să beau. Hrana pe care mi-o oferă lectura îmi este la fel de indispensabilă ca şi aceea materială. Resimt fiecare zi fără o carte ca pe o zi pierdută. Înainte de a mă culca seara, îndată ce mă trezesc dimineaţa, în călătorii, ba chiar şi în tramvai, pretutundeni şi oricând citesc. Nu mă pot închipui fără să ţin în mână o carte. Îmi e uneori de ajuns să o răsfoiesc. Gestul mecanic al cititului mă satisface adesea. Când era foarte bătrân, tata nu mai citea decât romane poliţiste: aceleaşi, de mai multe ori. Le uita şi le relua. Aşa fac şi eu cu unele cărţi. Am uitat uneori ce am citit în ele. Am uitat alteori că le-am citit. Plăcerea lecturii rămâne de fiecare dată întreagă. În cele mai multe cazuri le ţin minte perfect şi aş putea să vorbesc la nesfârşit despre ele, fără să le am dinainte, fără să le deschid şi să le ordonez [...]. Pe cele noi le aştept cu sufletul la gură. Curiozitatea nu m-a părasit niciodată. O carte nouă e lucrul cel mai frumos care mi se poate intampla. Sufletul mi-e vesel, oho, pentru că n-am citit toate cărţile.

...Quả thật vậy, khuya, sau khi tắt đèn, vừa nhắm mắt lại chú đã thấy mình ở một nơi xa lạ. Mọi thứ đều sáng choang. “Chào anh, anh đến rồi à!” Ai gọi mình thế nhỉ? Chú quay lưng lại. Ồ, một cô gái xinh đẹp. Nụ cười của nàng tươi như hoa. “Vâng, chào cô. Cô ơi, đây là đâu?” “Còn ở đâu nữa, anh!” Chú nhìn quanh quất một hồi mới đập vào mắt tấm biển to đùng trên cao đề mấy chữ: “Câu lạc bộ Những tâm hồn đồng điệu”. A ha! Chú reo lên. Đúng như mình nghĩ. Nhưng chú cứ vờ vĩnh: “Hôm nay chưa phải là chủ nhật mà…” “Đã gọi là đồng điệu thì không cần “đến hẹn lại lên”, anh ạ!” Ôi tuyệt vời! Trúng y boong ý chú! Cơ mặt chú dãn duỗi hẳn ra, thoải mái như ở nhà. “Đúng đúng! Thế những người khác đâu rồi cô nhỉ?” Nàng lại nở nụ cười, ánh mắt hướng vào bên trong. Khung cảnh sáng đến lóa mắt dần dịu đi, nhường chỗ cho nào bàn nào ghế. Và vô số con người có mặt ở đây tự lúc nào. Chú bước chậm rãi qua cánh cửa lớn, ôi chao bầu không khí gì thế này? Ập vào chú là cảm giác hết sức vui vẻ gần gũi. Bên tai phảng phất điệu nhạc du dương cùng những tiếng trò chuyện nói cười hoan hỉ khoan thai. “Chào người anh em!” Một anh chàng vừa trông thấy chú đã vội chạy ra tay bắt mặt mừng. “Xin chào! Ở đây đông vui quá. Thế mà tôi không biết.” “Tất nhiên rồi. Chắc chắn anh sẽ rất vui khi tham gia câu lạc bộ này.” Anh ta kéo chú vào một bàn có ba bốn người đang bàn luận sôi nổi vấn đề gì đấy. Mấy người kia trông thấy chú liền reo lên: “Ôi lâu quá không gặp, ngồi xuống đi bạn hiền của tôi!” Bạn hiền của tôi? Lâu quá không gặp? Quái, chú đã gặp họ bao giờ đâu mà bảo lâu với chẳng nhanh. Đang nghĩ nghĩ ngợi ngợi thì anh chàng kia đã lên tiếng: “Anh không phải băn khoăn. Ở đây chúng tôi đón tiếp người mới đều như thế cả.” Thích thật, chú cười toe toét, ngồi vào bàn cùng với họ. “Anh có thích hát không?” “Không!” – Chú lắc đầu quầy quậy. “Vậy anh thích nhảy không?” “Cũng không!” – Chú nhún vai. Mấy người trong bàn hết nhìn chú lại quay sang nhìn nhau. Nhưng rất nhanh để một người nữa nêu thêm câu hỏi: “Thế ắt hẳn anh rất mê đọc sách, và tất nhiên là văn chương?” “Không!” “A thôi tôi biết rồi! Anh rất đam mê hội họa!” – Tiếng nói khác vang lên. “Thưa, không đâu…” Mất chú ít thời giờ nữa trước khi họ đồng thanh reo to: “Lần này đảm bảo chính xác! Anh tôn thờ sắc đẹp, anh thích phụ nữ, trúng phóc rồi chứ gì!” Ý họ nói chú mê gái. Chú cũng chẳng rõ nữa. Có thể có hoặc có thể không. Chỉ biết từ lâu lắm rồi chú ở mãi một mình. Không hẹn hò, không cặp bồ cặp bịch, không yêu ai, quen ai, gặp ai… Sắc mặt chú xụ xuống trông thấy, mấy người kia hoảng quá vội vã trấn an. “Ôi ông anh ơi, đã đến đây là phải vui vẻ chứ. Vui lên đi nào, đời có là bao nhiêu. Tôi dắt anh sang chỗ đám các cô trẻ đẹp nhé!” Lặng lẽ bước theo người dẫn đường, đầu óc chú mông lung, mắt chắm chúi theo từng bước chân mình. Chú chẳng nghĩ được lâu hơn khi giọng nói ngọt ngào thân quen từ đâu rót tuột vào tai, vội vã ngẩng đầu lên. “Anh không thoải mái à?” Chính là cô gái ban nãy ở ngoài cửa. Lạ thật, hẳn là chú đã từng gặp nàng đâu đó rồi, đoan chắc nhưng vắt óc mãi không nhớ ra. “Không! Tôi thích lắm…” - Chú lúng túng. “Vậy anh ngồi xuống đây, thư giãn nào…” Nàng kéo chú ngồi xuống ghế, nháy mắt với anh chàng kia. Anh ta vẫy tay rồi nhanh chóng mất hút vào đám đông chộn rộn. “Thế nhé. Tôi giao ma mới này cho cô đấy.” Còn lại chú và nàng. Không gian bây giờ cảm tưởng như chỉ có hai người. Thật lạ lùng, đám đông dường như đang dạt đi, ra xa, xa mãi, xa tít. Nàng tiếp tục nở nụ cười tươi như hoa: “Sao anh lại muốn tham gia câu lạc bộ này?” Câu hỏi đến với chú bất ngờ. Tại sao? Ừ nhỉ, tại sao thế? Tại sao chú không mảy may chút xíu đắn đo tức tốc gọi điện đăng ký tham gia vào chốn đây. Chú còn nhớ tâm trạng mình đã hết sức mừng rỡ như vớ được vàng khi biết được trên đời tồn tại một nơi tuyệt vời thế này. “Bởi vì… từ lâu tôi cứ ngỡ… chẳng bao giờ có cái gọi là câu lạc bộ Những tâm hồn đồng điệu…” – Giọng chú chùng hẳn xuống, cổ họng thấy nghèn nghẹn...

So, whenever the subject of Iraq came up, as it did keep on doing through the Clinton years, I had no excuse for not knowing the following things: I knew that its one-party, one-leader state machine was modeled on the precedents of both National Socialism and Stalinism, to say nothing of Al Capone. I knew that its police force was searching for psychopathic killers and sadistic serial murderers, not in order to arrest them but to employ them. I knew that its vast patrimony of oil wealth, far from being 'nationalized,' had been privatized for the use of one family, and was being squandered on hideous ostentation at home and militarism abroad. (Post-Kuwait inspections by the United Nations had uncovered a huge nuclear-reactor site that had not even been known about by the international community.) I had seen with my own eyes the evidence of a serious breach of the Genocide Convention on Iraqi soil, and I had also seen with my own eyes the evidence that it had been carried out in part with the use of weapons of mass destruction. I was, if you like, the prisoner of this knowledge. I certainly did not have the option of un-knowing it.

It is the simplest phrase you can imagine,” Favreau said, “three monosyllabic words that people say to each other every day.” But the speech etched itself in rhetorical lore. It inspired music videos and memes and the full range of reactions that any blockbuster receives online today, from praise to out-of-context humor to arch mockery. Obama’s “Yes, we can” refrain is an example of a rhetorical device known as epistrophe, or the repetition of words at the end of a sentence. It’s one of many famous rhetorical types, most with Greek names, based on some form of repetition. There is anaphora, which is repetition at the beginning of a sentence (Winston Churchill: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields”). There is tricolon, which is repetition in short triplicate (Abraham Lincoln: “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people”). There is epizeuxis, which is the same word repeated over and over (Nancy Pelosi: “Just remember these four words for what this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs”). There is diacope, which is the repetition of a word or phrase with a brief interruption (Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”) or, most simply, an A-B-A structure (Sarah Palin: “Drill baby drill!”). There is antithesis, which is repetition of clause structures to juxtapose contrasting ideas (Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”). There is parallelism, which is repetition of sentence structure (the paragraph you just read). Finally, there is the king of all modern speech-making tricks, antimetabole, which is rhetorical inversion: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” There are several reasons why antimetabole is so popular. First, it’s just complex enough to disguise the fact that it’s formulaic. Second, it’s useful for highlighting an argument by drawing a clear contrast. Third, it’s quite poppy, in the Swedish songwriting sense, building a hook around two elements—A and B—and inverting them to give listeners immediate gratification and meaning. The classic structure of antimetabole is AB;BA, which is easy to remember since it spells out the name of a certain Swedish band.18 Famous ABBA examples in politics include: “Man is not the creature of circumstances. Circumstances are the creatures of men.” —Benjamin Disraeli “East and West do not mistrust each other because we are armed; we are armed because we mistrust each other.” —Ronald Reagan “The world faces a very different Russia than it did in 1991. Like all countries, Russia also faces a very different world.” —Bill Clinton “Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.” —George W. Bush “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights.” —Hillary Clinton In particular, President John F. Kennedy made ABBA famous (and ABBA made John F. Kennedy famous). “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind,” he said, and “Each increase of tension has produced an increase of arms; each increase of arms has produced an increase of tension,” and most famously, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Antimetabole is like the C–G–Am–F chord progression in Western pop music: When you learn it somewhere, you hear it everywhere.19 Difficult and even controversial ideas are transformed, through ABBA, into something like musical hooks.