“
The common denominator of all jokes is a path of expectation that is diverted by an unexpected twist necessitating a complete reinterpretation of all the previous facts — the punch-line…Reinterpretation alone is insufficient. The new model must be inconsequential. For example, a portly gentleman walking toward his car slips on a banana peel and falls. If he breaks his head and blood spills out, obviously you are not going to laugh. You are going to rush to the telephone and call an ambulance. But if he simply wipes off the goo from his face, looks around him, and then gets up, you start laughing. The reason is, I suggest, because now you know it’s inconsequential, no real harm has been done. I would argue that laughter is nature’s way of signaling that "it’s a false alarm." Why is this useful from an evolutionary standpoint? I suggest that the rhythmic staccato sound of laughter evolved to inform our kin who share our genes; don’t waste your precious resources on this situation; it’s a false alarm. Laughter is nature’s OK signal.
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V.S. Ramachandran (A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness: From Impostor Poodles to Purple Numbers)
“
After an early breakfast of black coffee – ‘concentrated sunshine’, as Humboldt called it – he worked all day and in the evening went on his usual tour of salons until 2 a.m. He
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Andrea Wulf (The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World)
“
HANNAH: ....English landscape was invented by gardeners imitating foreign painters who were evoking classical authors. The whole thing was brought home in the luggage from the Grand Tour. Here, look -- Capability Brown doing Claude, who was doing Virgil. Arcadia! And here, superimposed by Richard Noakes, untamed nature in the style of Salvator Rosa. It's the Gothic novel expressed in landscape. Everything but vampires.
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Tom Stoppard (Arcadia)
“
Spiritual yearnings are natural to many people, and may give them solace or hope, but extremists of any stripe are not content with faith as armor; they must forge it into a sword.
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Neil Peart (Roadshow: Landscape with Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle)
“
It is possible for a writer to make, or remake at least, for a reader, the primary pleasures of eating, or drinking, or looking on, or sex. Novels have their obligatory tour-de-force, the green-flecked gold omelette aux fines herbes, melting into buttery formlessness and tasting of summer, or the creamy human haunch, firm and warm, curved back to reveal a hot hollow, a crisping hair or two, the glimpsed sex. They do not habitually elaborate on the equally intense pleasure of reading. There are obvious reasons for this, the most obvious being the regressive nature of the pleasure, a mise-en-abîme even, where words draw attention to the power and delight of words, and so ad infinitum, thus making the imagination experience something papery and dry, narcissistic and yet disagreeably distanced, without the immediacy of sexual moisture or the scented garnet glow of a good burgundy. And yet, natures such as Roland's are at their most alert and heady when reading is violently yet steadily alive. (What an amazing word "heady" is, en passant, suggesting both acute sensuous alertness and its opposite, the pleasure of the brain as opposed to the viscera—though each is implicated in the other, as we know very well, with both, when they are working.)
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A.S. Byatt (Possession)
“
Altogether, humankind had spread over less than one-eighth of the galaxy. Expansion was somewhat self-limiting. The U.S. had not been able to hold a colony at two hundred light-years distance. At fifteen hundred light-years, most nations could consider their colonies temporary holdings. Any people it took you two months to reach were not going to pay your taxes or obey your laws. That was human nature. - Wolf Star, Tour of the Merrimack #2
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R.M. Meluch
“
All of the movements that opened up the democratic space in America—the abolitionists, the suffragists, the labor movement, the communists, the socialists, the anarchists, and the civil rights movement—developed a critical mass and militancy that forced the centers of power to respond. The platitudes about justice, equality, and democracy are just that. Only when ruling elites become worried about survival do they react. Appealing to the better nature of the powerful is useless.
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
“
In 1998 Gordon Hempton, a sound recordist attempting to build a library of natural sounds, toured fifteen states west of the Mississippi and found only two areas--in the mountains of Colorado and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota--that were free of motors, aircraft, industrial clamor, or gunfire for more than fifteen minutes during daylight.
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Robyn Griggs Lawrence (The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty)
“
We have a poor mathematical, as well as a poor intuitive understanding of the nature of coincidence.
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Melanie Mitchell (Complexity: A Guided Tour)
“
The day of the week on which the tour took place was known to all workers. All devices in its path ought to have been carefully neutralized or locked, since it was unreasonable to expect human beings to withstand the temptation to handle knobs, keys, handles and pushbuttons.
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Isaac Asimov (Robot Visions (Robot, #0.5))
“
Mr. J. Hudson Taylor well reminds us that while in nature the normal order of growth is from childhood to manhood and so to maturity, in grace the true development is perpetually backward toward the cradle: we must become and continue as little children, not losing, but rather gaining, childlikeness of spirit. The disciple's maturest manhood is only the perfection of his childhood. George Müller was never so really, truly, fully a little child in all his relations to his Father, as when in the ninety-third year of his age.
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George Müller (GEORGE MULLER COLLECTION (5-in-1): Biography, Autobiography, Answers to Prayer, Counsel to Christians, Preaching Tours and Missionary Labours)
“
Here’s the story of how Pluto lost its planetary status and was demoted to an ice ball in the outer solar system. It’s also about my role in this at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson (Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour)
“
The word corruption does not arouse the moral revulsion that it should. We think of it as more a nuisance than a great evil. But corruption kills societies every bit as much as murder kills an individual. Moreover there is no hope for any society in which corruption is endemic. One final thought: Here in Cameroon, as elsewhere in Africa, the knowledgeable guides who lead tours of the slave centers note that Africans were deeply involved in the slave trade, and that without them, the slave trade could not have existed. If only this fact were taught as readily in American universities as it is here in Africa — not in order to minimize white complicity, but because universities should teach truth. Flawed human nature has no color.
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Dennis Prager (Dennis Prager: Volume I)
“
...nature is so immoral, vulgar, and downright wicked we can't possibly use nature's behaviors to set rules for ourselves.
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Dan Riskin (Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You: A Lively Tour Through the Dark Side of the Natural World)
“
Nature—cue the theme from The Twilight Zone—somehow knows calculus.
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Steven H. Strogatz (The Joy Of X: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity)
“
Laughter is nature's ok signal.
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V.S. Ramachandran (A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness: From Impostor Poodles to Purple Numbers)
“
Fame requires every kind of excess. I mean true fame, a devouring neon, not the somber renown of waning statesmen or chinless kings. I mean long journeys across gray space. I mean danger, the edge of every void, the circumstance of one man imparting an erotic terror to the dreams of the republic. Understand the man who must inhabit these extreme regions, monstrous and vulval, damp with memories of violation. Even if half-mad he is absorbed into the public's total madness; even if fully rational, a bureaucrat in hell, a secret genius of survival, he is sure to be destroyed by the public's contempt for survivors. Fame, this special kind, feeds itself on outrage, on what the counselors of lesser men would consider bad publicity-hysteria in limousines, knife fights in the audience, bizarre litigation, treachery, pandemonium and drugs. Perhaps the only natural law attaching to true fame is that the famous man is compelled, eventually, to commit suicide.
(Is it clear I was a hero of rock'n'roll?)
Toward the end of the final tour it became apparent that our audience wanted more than music, more even than its own reduplicated noise. It's possible the culture had reached its limit, a point of severe tension. There was less sense of simple visceral abandon at our concerts during these last weeks. Few cases of arson and vandalism. Fewer still of rape. No smoke bombs or threats of worse explosives. Our followers, in their isolation, were not concerned with precedent now. They were free of old saints and martyrs, but fearfully so, left with their own unlabeled flesh. Those without tickets didn't storm the barricades, and during a performance the boys and girls directly below us, scratching at the stage, were less murderous in their love of me, as if realizing finally that my death, to be authentic, must be self-willed- a succesful piece of instruction only if it occured by my own hand, preferrably ina foreign city. I began to think their education would not be complete until they outdid me as a teacher, until one day they merely pantomimed the kind of massive response the group was used to getting. As we performed they would dance, collapse, clutch each other, wave their arms, all the while making absolutely no sound. We would stand in the incandescent pit of a huge stadium filled with wildly rippling bodies, all totally silent. Our recent music, deprived of people's screams, was next to meaningless, and there would have been no choice but to stop playing. A profound joke it would have been. A lesson in something or other.
In Houston I left the group, saying nothing, and boarded a plane for New York City, that contaminated shrine, place of my birth. I knew Azarian would assume leadership of the band, his body being prettiest. As to the rest, I left them to their respective uproars- news media, promotion people, agents, accountants, various members of the managerial peerage. The public would come closer to understanding my disappearance than anyone else. It was not quite as total as the act they needed and nobody could be sure whether I was gone for good. For my closest followers, it foreshadowed a period of waiting. Either I'd return with a new language for them to speak or they'd seek a divine silence attendant to my own.
I took a taxi past the cemetaries toward Manhattan, tides of ash-light breaking across the spires. new York seemed older than the cities of Europe, a sadistic gift of the sixteenth century, ever on the verge of plague. The cab driver was young, however, a freckled kid with a moderate orange Afro. I told him to take the tunnel.
Is there a tunnel?" he said.
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Don DeLillo
“
Our instincts weren't built to handle the kind of power our species wields over the planet, nature has been playing rough with us for so long, maybe it is no surprise we are being so rough with her now.
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Dan Riskin (Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You: A Lively Tour Through the Dark Side of the Natural World)
“
How is it that those systems in nature we call complex and adaptive—brains, insect colonies, the immune system, cells, the global economy, biological evolution—produce such complex and adaptive behavior from underlying, simple rules?
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Melanie Mitchell (Complexity: A Guided Tour)
“
L’amour concentre la certitude et le doute : on est sûr d’être aimé autant qu’on en doute, non pas tour à tour, mais en une simultanéité déconcertante. Chercher à se débarrasser de ce versant dubitatif en posant mille questions à l’aimée, c’est nier la nature radicalement ambigüe de l’amour.
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Amélie Nothomb (Soif)
“
When a guitar string is plucked or when children jiggle a jump rope, the shape that appears is a sine wave. The ripples on a pond, the ridges of sand dunes, the stripes of a zebra—all are manifestations of nature’s most basic mechanism of pattern formation: the emergence of sinusoidal structure from a background of bland uniformity.
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Steven H. Strogatz (The Joy Of X: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity)
“
Ce principe établi, il s'ensuit que la femme est faite spécialement pour plaire à l'homme. Si l'homme doit lui plaire à son tour, c'est d'une nécessité moins directe : son mérite est dans sa puissance ; il plaît par cela seul qu'il est fort. Ce n'est pas ici la loi de l'amour, j'en conviens ; mais c'est celle de la nature, antérieure à l'amour même.
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Emile, or On Education)
“
I had a choice. I can’t control noninfectious diseases, natural disasters, or heartbreak. I can’t control most of the things moms worry about, in fact. But I can control how I spend my time, what’s worth my focus and attention, what words I say, how well I love. What was up to me were the small choices, my mindset in this earthly life, and how best to spend my first and only tour on this planet.
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Kate Merrick (Here, Now: Unearthing Peace and Presence in an Overconnected World)
“
Affordable transportation does more than reunite people. It also allows them to sample the phantasmagoria of Planet Earth. This is the pastime that we exalt as “travel” when we do it and revile as “tourism” when someone else does it, but it surely has to count as one of the things that make life worth living. To see the Grand Canyon, New York, the Aurora Borealis, Jerusalem—these are not just sensuous pleasures but experiences that widen the scope of our consciousness, allowing us to take in the vastness of space, time, nature, and human initiative. Though we bristle at the motor coaches and tour guides, the selfie-shooting throngs in their tacky shorts, we must concede that life is better when people can expand their awareness of our planet and species rather than being imprisoned within walking distance of their place of birth. With
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Steven Pinker (Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress)
“
We must all create a world of fiction in which we alone can live. Our world never matches the one inhabited by those with whom we are most intimate. A writer, especially one of genius, creates a world we can all visit, like paupers touring a palace, wondering, as we explore its splendors, at the remarkable differences with our own more ramshackle abode, while struck by the persistence of human nature and emotion that makes us feel that we, too, could live in such a mansion. Proust always invites us in. After making a particularly revealing remark about an aspect of a character’s personality or behavior that the reader could have thought unique, he deftly switches to a pronoun, one or we, and embraces us all…he wrote a book that places the reader at its heart, a book that perhaps more than any other, is about each of us and our many reflections in the mirror.
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William C. Carter (Marcel Proust: A Life)
“
And are you married, sir?" Mrs Winstanley asked Tom. "Oh no, madam!" said Tom.
"Yes," David reminded him. "You are, you know."
Tom made a motion with his hand to suggest that it was a situation susceptible to different interpretations.
The truth was that he had a Christian wife. At fifteen she had had a wicked little face, almond-shaped eyes and a most capricious nature. Tom had constantly compared her to a kitten. In her twenties she had been a swan; in her thirties a vixen; and then in rapid succession a bitch, a viper, a cockatrice and, finally, a pig. What animals he might have compared her to now no one knew. She was well past ninety now and for forty years or more she had been confined to a set of apartments in a distant part of the Castel des Tours saunz Nowmbre under strict instructions not to shew herself, while her husband waited impatiently for someone to come and tell him she was dead.
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Susanna Clarke (The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories)
“
English landscape was invented by gardeners imitating foreign painters who were evoking classical authors. The whole thing was brought home in the luggage from the grand tour. Here, look – Capability Brown doing Claude, who was doing Virgil. Arcadia! And here, superimposed by Richard Noakes, untamed nature in the style of Salvator Rosa. It’s the Gothic novel expressed in landscape. Everything but vampires. There’s an account of my hermit in a letter by your illustrious namesake.
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Tom Stoppard (Arcadia (Faber Drama))
“
Le Bonadventure passa devant cette côte, qu'il prolongea à la distance d'un demi-mille. Il fut facile de voir qu'elle se composait de blocs de toutes dimensions, depuis vingt pieds jusqu'à trois cents pieds de hauteur, et de toutes formes, cylindriques comme des tours, prismatiques comme des clochers, pyramidaux comme des obélisques, coniques comme des cheminées d'usine. Une banquise des mers glaciales n'eût pas été plus capricieusement dressée dans sa sublime horreur! Ici, des ponts jetés d'un roc à l'autre; là, des arceaux disposés comme ceux d'une nef, dont le regard ne pouvait découvrir la profondeur; en un endroit, de larges excavations, dont les voûtes présentaient un aspect monumental; en un autre, une véritable cohue de pointes, de pyramidions, de flèches comme aucune cathédrale gothique n'en a jamais compté. Tous les caprices de la nature, plus variés encore que ceux de l'imagination, dessinaient ce littoral grandiose, qui se prolongeait sur une longueur de huit à neuf milles.
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Jules Verne (L'Île mystérieuse)
“
But I wasn’t like Archer Sylvan in other ways; I was never given the opportunity to try. Archer would sleep on tour buses with bands or camp in the desert with an actor or do ayahuasca with a politician and come to the realization that he had to divorce his wife and marry his research assistant, whom he now realized he knew twelve lives ago. He got lost for days waiting for a reclusive rock star. He spent $7,000 on stripper tips once, submitted the expense without a receipt (naturally), and was reimbursed even though no stripper ended up in the story. Once, I had to check a second bag on a flight from Europe where I was interviewing an actor and I got a pissed-off call from our managing editor and I never did it again.
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Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Fleishman Is in Trouble)
“
I had been trying to find some sort of exercise program that wasn’t overly bourgeois, but I was having a problem. Weight-lifting was too obviously fascist in nature. Horseback riding was too imperialistic. I gave a lot of thought to starting a co-ed softball league, but that turns out to be closely tied to beer consumption, and I didn’t need the carbohydrates. I had to do something to improve my health that didn’t compromise my revolutionary ethics. (I went so far as to ask my mother for advice on the subject, and she sent me a link to a Chinese tour company that specialized in re-enactments of the Long March, which sounded fascinating but would take me away from Washington at a pivotal time in history, so I didn’t sign up.)
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Curtis Edmonds (Snowflake's Chance: The 2016 Campaign Diary of Justin T. Fairchild, Social Justice Warrior)
“
The corporate state seeks to discredit and shut down the anticapitalist left. Its natural allies are the neo-Nazis and the Christian fascists. The alt-right is bankrolled by the most retrograde forces in American capitalism. It has huge media platforms. It has placed its ideologues and sympathizers in positions of power, including in law enforcement, the military, and the White House. And it has carried out acts of domestic terrorism that dwarf anything carried out by the left. White supremacists were responsible for forty-nine homicides in twenty-six attacks in the United States from 2006 to 2016, far more than those committed by members of any other extremist group, according to a report issued in May 2017 by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.109
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
“
During an interlude of peace in 1802, a consortium of patrons clubbed together to send Turner to Paris, in order to study in the Louvre. To begin with, he embarked on a tour of the Alps, whose sublime beauty and constant climatic change taught the young artist the awesome scale and mutability of nature. The Alpine tour resulted in some spectacular watercolours and oil paintings. Although he never witnessed an avalanche himself, an account of a devastating one in the Grisons prompted Turner to create the following painting in 1810. The tragic event occurred at Selva, killing twenty-five people. The canvas depicts huge rocks, driven before the weight of snow, crashing down upon a small chalet. Turner opted to portray not a single human figure, concentrating on the unparalleled might of nature instead.
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J.M.W. Turner (Delphi Collected Works of J.M.W. Turner (Illustrated) (Masters of Art Book 5))
“
Maybe, but such cycles are not just a Gallic idiosyncracy. Take an English phrase like ‘up above’, and you’ll discover a no less hyperbolic history. Old English ufan meant ‘on up’ – it was the locative case of the preposition uf ‘up’. But this little ufan was not considered nearly sturdy enough, so it was reinforced by another preposition, be ‘by’, to give a beefier be-ufan ‘by on up’. But before long, be-ufan was assaulted by the forces of erosion, and ended up as a mere bufan. Naturally, the syllabically-challenged bufan had to be pumped up again, this time by the preposition an ‘on’, to give an-bufan ‘on by on up’. Later on, anbufan was ground down by erosion, and – to cut a long story short – ended up as the modest above. But it seems that a mere above doesn’t soar nearly high enough nowadays, so we sometimes feel the need to reinforce it with ‘up’, to give up above – literally ‘up on by on up’.
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Guy Deutscher (The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention)
“
It is sometimes said that, by virtue of his psychological make-up, man cannot live unless he attaches himself to an object that is greater than himself and outlives him, and this necessity has been attributed to a supposedly common need not to perish entirely. Life, they say, is only tolerable if one can see some purpose in it, if it has a goal and one that is worth pursuing. But the individual in himself is not sufficient as an end for himself. He is too small a thing. Not only is he confined in space, he is also narrowly limited in time. So when we have no other objective than ourselves, we cannot escape from the feeling our efforts are finally destined to vanish into nothing, since that is where we must return. But we recoil from the idea of annihilation. In such a state, we should not have the strength to live, that is to say to act and struggle, since nothing is to remain of all the trouble that we take. In a word, the state of egoism is in contradiction with human nature and hence too precarious to endure.11
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
“
The road north out of central Lusaka quickly transitions from a world of impressively broad avenues and fancy new commercial districts to a stop-and-start tour of desolate, overcrowded slums. There, half-dressed young men sit around glumly, seemingly lacking the motivation in the face of persistently high unemployment to even bother looking for work. When at last one reaches the highway that leads north to the Copper Belt it is the oncoming traffic that makes the strongest impression. It consists mostly of van after jam-packed van full of poor Zambians. They are overwhelmingly young and desperate to get off the land and they arrive in the capital with dreams of remaking their lives in the big city. When most people think about China’s relationship with Africa they reduce it to a single proposition: securing access to natural resources, of which Africa is the world’s greatest storehouse. As one of the top copper-producing nations, Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa, is doubtlessly a very big part of that story.
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Howard W. French (China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa)
“
From every direction, the place is under assault—and unlike in the past, the adversary is not concentrated in a single force, such as the Bureau of Reclamation, but takes the form of separate outfits conducting smaller attacks that are, in many ways, far more insidious. From directly above, the air-tour industry has succeeded in scuttling all efforts to dial it back, most recently through the intervention of Arizona’s senators, John Kyl and John McCain, and is continuing to destroy one of the canyon’s greatest treasures, which is its silence. From the east has come a dramatic increase in uranium-mining claims, while the once remote and untrammeled country of the North Rim now suffers from an ever-growing influx of recreational ATVs. On the South Rim, an Italian real estate company recently secured approval for a massive development whose water demands are all but guaranteed to compromise many of the canyon’s springs, along with the oases that they nourish. Worst of all, the Navajo tribe is currently planning to cooperate in constructing a monstrous tramway to the bottom of the canyon, complete with a restaurant and a resort, at the confluence of the Little Colorado and the Colorado, the very spot where John Wesley Powell made his famous journal entry in the summer of 1869 about venturing “down the Great Unknown.” As vexing as all these things are, what Litton finds even more disheartening is the country’s failure to rally to the canyon’s defense—or for that matter, to the defense of its other imperiled natural wonders. The movement that he and David Brower helped build is not only in retreat but finds itself the target of bottomless contempt. On talk radio and cable TV, environmentalists are derided as “wackos” and “extremists.” The country has swung decisively toward something smaller and more selfish than what it once was, and in addition to ushering in a disdain for the notion that wilderness might have a value that extends beyond the metrics of economics or business, much of the nation ignorantly embraces the benefits of engineering and technology while simultaneously rejecting basic science.
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Kevin Fedarko (The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon)
“
Is the missing object a lover’s token you shouldn’t have?” “Gracious!” She sat back, looking dismayed but not insulted. “Investigating must call for a vivid imagination, Mr. Hazlit.” “Hardly. Human nature seems to draw most people into the same predictable peccadilloes over and over. So which misstep have you taken? Do you need to locate the child’s father? Pay off his wife to keep her mouth shut? Those aren’t strictly investigatory matters, but I can see where the need for discretion… What?” “I should slap you.” The words weren’t offered with any particular animosity, more a tired acceptance. “You are a man, though, and allowances must be made.” “I beg your pardon.” “And well you should.” She sipped her tea then tipped her head back to regard him. “Despite the foul implications of your questions, Mr. Hazlit—questions I doubt you would have put to any of my sisters—I still need your help, and I still intend to retain you. I have committed no indiscretion; I have no ill-conceived child on the way; I need not go for a tour of the Continent to eschew my dependence on laudanum.” “So
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Grace Burrowes (Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal (The Duke's Daughters, #2; Windham, #5))
“
I Never Knew What They Meant by Flyover Country
until the first time someone put me on a plane, windowed me
into the congregation looking down on our fields stretched out
endless in orderly blanks, redactions in the transcripts of the trial
of man versus nature. All this holy squinting at scrimshaw country
roads draped with power lines - trip wires lying in wait for the giants
we just sort of mice around. I watched the others look down on
our Fridays racing Opal Road to hit the tiny hill that drops stomachs
like a roller coaster, headlights off for cops. Eighty; Ninety. Ninety-five
in a fifty-five, how Kyle's brother talked about defusing IEDs on tour -
snip whichever wire you want, you'll only find out if you're a hero.
We learned a word for this, its reckless in court, predestination
in church. Funny how a thing gets a different name there. Robe becomes
vestment. Bench becomes pew. Truth grows a capital letter. Anything
to help believe, Mom says, though when it comes to theology we are
Presbyterian in casseroles only. This is the word of God, says the pastor
into the microphone. See you at the picnic after. See you at the finish,
says Kyle's Honda Civic. See you never says his brother's IED.
”
”
Robert Wood Lynn (Mothman Apologia)
“
Les riches, en particulier, sont nécessairement intéressés à appuyer un ordre de choses qui seul peut leur assurer la possession de leurs avantages. Des hommes d'une richesse inférieure se lient à la défense de la propriété de ceux qui leur sont supérieurs en richesses, afin que ces derniers se lient à leur tour à la défense de leurs petites propriétés. Tous les pasteurs et bergers du second ordre sentent que la sûreté de leurs troupeaux dépend de la sûreté de ceux du grand pasteur ou berger ; que le maintien de la portion d'autorité dont ils jouissent dépend du maintien de la portion plus grande dont jouit celui-ci, et que c'est sur leur subordination envers lui que repose le pouvoir de tenir leurs inférieurs dans une pareille subordination envers eux-mêmes. Ils constituent une espèce de petite noblesse qui se sent intéressée à défendre leur propriété et à soutenir l'autorité de son petit souverain, afin qu'il soit en état lui-même de défendre leur propriété et de soutenir leur autorité.. Le gouvernement civil, en tant qu'il a pour objet la sûreté des propriétés, est, dans la réalité, institué pour défendre les riches contre les pauvres, ou bien, ceux qui ont quelque propriété contre ceux qui n'en ont point.
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”
Adam Smith (An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations)
“
natural personality, or maybe he was simply capable of greater perspective than everyone else. Maybe he wasn’t quite as addled by drugs and alcohol. For whatever reason, Michael stayed on the sidelines as the rest of the band fought like a pack of starving wolves who have come across a carcass in the wilderness. Previous tours, especially in the first couple of years, had always featured a fair amount of ball-busting and the occasional argument that was required simply to clear the air. For the most part, though, we had a blast on the road. It was a nonstop party punctuated by spectacularly energetic concerts. There had been a lightness to it all, a sense of being part of something special, and of wanting to enjoy every minute. But now the levity was gone. Even though they spent hardly any time together offstage, the boys were at each other’s throats constantly, either directly or through a conduit—usually me. Two more quick stories, both involving Al. We were all sitting outside by the hotel pool one day. A guy named Mike had been flown in for a couple days to take care of the boys’ grooming needs. Mike was a hairdresser or stylist or whatever you want to call him. Point is, he was really good at his job, an artistic
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”
Noel E. Monk (Runnin' with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen)
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Eliot's own reflections on the primitive mind as a model for nondualistic thinking and on the nature and consequences of different modes of consciousness were informed by an excellent education in the social sciences and philosophy. As a prelude to our guided tour of the text of The Waste Land, we now turn to a brief survey of some of his intellectual preoccupations in the decade before he wrote it, preoccupations which in our view are enormously helpful in understanding the form of the poem. Eliot entered Harvard as a freshman in 1906 and finished his doctoral dissertation in 1916, with one of the academic years spent at the Sorbonne and one at Oxford. At Harvard and Oxford, he had as teachers some of modern philosophy's most distinguished individuals, including George Santayana, Josiah Royce, Bertrand Russell, and Harold Joachim; and while at the Sorbonne, he attended the lectures of Henri Bergson, a philosophic star in Paris in 1910-11. Under the supervision of Royce, Eliot wrote his dissertation on the epistemology of F. H. Bradley, a major voice in the late-nineteenth-, early-twentieth-century crisis in philosophy. Eliot extended this period of concentration on philosophical problems by devoting much of his time between 1915 and the early twenties to book reviewing. His education and early book reviewing occurred during the period of epistemological disorientation described in our first chapter, the period of "betweenness" described by Heidegger and Ortega y Gasset, the period of the revolt against dualism described by Lovejoy. 2
Eliot's personal awareness of the contemporary epistemological crisis was intensified by the fact that while he was writing his dissertation on Bradley he and his new wife were actually living with Bertrand Russell. Russell as the representative of neorealism and Bradley as the representative of neoidealism were perhaps the leading expositors of opposite responses to the crisis discussed in our first chapter. Eliot's situation was extraordinary. He was a close student of both Bradley and Russell; he had studied with Bradley's friend and disciple Harold Joachim and with Russell himself. And in 1915-16, while writing a dissertation explaining and in general defending Bradley against Russell, Eliot found himself face to face with Russell across the breakfast table. Moreover, as the husband of a fragile wife to whom both men (each in his own way) were devoted, Eliot must have found life to be a kaleidoscope of brilliant and fluctuating patterns.
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Jewel Spears Brooker (Reading the Waste Land: Modernism and the Limits of Interpretation)
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During a recent lunch with a close friend who is also the mother of two young children, Diana told of an incident which underlines not only the current state of her relationship with her husband but also the protective nature of her son William. She told her friend that the week that Buckingham Palace decided to announce the separation of the Duke and Duchess of York was understandably a trying time for her. She had lost an amicable companion and was acutely aware that the public spotlight would once again fall on her marriage. Yet her husband seemed unmoved by the furore surrounding the separation. He had spent a week touring various stately homes, gathering material for a book he is writing on gardening. When he returned to Kensington Palace he failed to see why his wife should feel strained and rather depressed. He airily dismissed the departure of the Duchess of York and launched, as usual, into a disapproving appraisal of Diana’s public works, especially her visit to see Mother Teresa in Rome. Even their staff, by now used to these altercations, were dismayed by this attitude and felt some sympathy when Diana told her husband that unless he changed his attitude towards her and the job she is doing she would have to reconsider her position. In tears, she went upstairs for a bath. While she was regaining her composure, Prince William pushed a handful of paper tissues underneath the bathroom door. “I hate to see you sad,” he said.
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Andrew Morton (Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words)
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If the past is a foreign country, it is a shockingly violent one. It is easy to forget how dangerous life used to be, how deeply brutality was once woven into the fabric of daily existence. Cultural memory pacifies the past, leaving us with pale souvenirs whose bloody origins have been bleached away. A woman donning a cross seldom reflects that this instrument of torture was a common punishment in the ancient world; nor does a person who speaks of a whipping boy ponder the old practice of flogging an innocent child in place of a misbehaving prince. We are surrounded by signs of the depravity of our ancestors’ way of life, but we are barely aware of them. Just as travel broadens the mind, a literal-minded tour of our cultural heritage can awaken us to how differently they did things in the past. In a century that began with 9/11, Iraq, and Darfur, the claim that we are living in an unusually peaceful time may strike you as somewhere between hallucinatory and obscene. I know from conversations and survey data that most people refuse to believe it.1 In succeeding chapters I will make the case with dates and data. But first I want to soften you up by reminding you of incriminating facts about the past that you have known all along. This is not just an exercise in persuasion. Scientists often probe their conclusions with a sanity check, a sampling of real-world phenomena to reassure themselves they haven’t overlooked some flaw in their methods and wandered into a preposterous conclusion. The vignettes in this chapter are a sanity check on the data to come.
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Steven Pinker (The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined)
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Un jour vint se loger, dans une des maisons qui sont sur la place, un homme de talent qui avait roulé dans des abîmes de misère ; marié, surcroît de malheur qui ne nous afflige encore ni l’un ni l’autre, à une femme qu’il aimait ; pauvre ou riche, comme vous voudrez, de deux enfants ; criblé de dettes, mais confiant dans sa plume. Il présente à l’Odéon une comédie en cinq actes, elle est reçue, elle obtient un tour de faveur, les comédiens la répètent, et le directeur active les répétitions. Ces cinq bonheurs constituent cinq drames encore plus difficiles à réaliser que cinq actes à écrire. Le pauvre auteur, logé dans un grenier que vous pouvez voir d’ici, épuise ses dernières ressources pour vivre pendant la mise en scène de sa pièce, sa femme met ses vêtements au Mont-de-Piété, la famille ne mange que du pain. Le jour de la dernière répétition, la veille de la représentation, le ménage devait cinquante francs dans le quartier, au boulanger, à la laitière, au portier. Le poète avait conservé le strict nécessaire : un habit, une chemise, un pantalon, un gilet et des bottes. Sûr du succès, il vient embrasser sa femme, il lui annonce la fin de leurs infortunes. « Enfin il n’y a plus rien contre nous ! » s’écrie-t- il. « Il y a le feu, dit la femme, regarde, l’Odéon brûle. » Monsieur, l’Odéon brûlait. Ne vous plaignez donc pas. Vous avez des vêtements, vous n’avez ni femme ni enfants, vous avez pour cent vingt francs de hasard dans votre poche, et vous ne devez rien à personne. La pièce a eu cent cinquante représentations au théâtre Louvois. Le roi a fait une pension à l’auteur. Buffon l’a dit, le génie, c’est la patience. La patience est en effet ce qui, chez l’homme, ressemble le plus au procédé que la nature emploie dans ses créations.
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Honoré de Balzac (Illusions perdues; Tome 3 (French Edition))
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What would be the natural thing? A man goes to college. He works as he wants to work, he plays as he wants to play, he exercises for the fun of the game, he makes friends where he wants to make them, he is held in by no fear of criticism above, for the class ahead of him has nothing to do with his standing in his own class. Everything he does has the one vital quality: it is spontaneous. That is the flame of youth itself. Now, what really exists?"
"...I say our colleges to-day are business colleges—Yale more so, perhaps, because it is more sensitively American. Let's take up any side of our life here. Begin with athletics. What has become of the natural, spontaneous joy of contest? Instead you have one of the most perfectly organized business systems for achieving a required result—success. Football is driving, slavish work; there isn't one man in twenty who gets any real pleasure out of it. Professional baseball is not more rigorously disciplined and driven than our 'amateur' teams. Add the crew and the track. Play, the fun of the thing itself, doesn't exist; and why? Because we have made a business out of it all, and the college is scoured for material, just as drummers are sent out to bring in business.
"Take another case. A man has a knack at the banjo or guitar, or has a good voice. What is the spontaneous thing? To meet with other kindred spirits in informal gatherings in one another's rooms or at the fence, according to the whim of the moment. Instead what happens? You have our university musical clubs, thoroughly professional organizations. If you are material, you must get out and begin to work for them—coach with a professional coach, make the Apollo clubs, and, working on, some day in junior year reach the varsity organization and go out on a professional tour. Again an organization conceived on business lines.
"The same is true with the competition for our papers: the struggle for existence outside in a business world is not one whit more intense than the struggle to win out in the News or Lit competition. We are like a beef trust, with every by-product organized, down to the last possibility. You come to Yale—what is said to you? 'Be natural, be spontaneous, revel in a certain freedom, enjoy a leisure you'll never get again, browse around, give your imagination a chance, see every one, rub wits with every one, get to know yourself.'
"Is that what's said? No. What are you told, instead? 'Here are twenty great machines that need new bolts and wheels. Get out and work. Work harder than the next man, who is going to try to outwork you. And, in order to succeed, work at only one thing. You don't count—everything for the college.' Regan says the colleges don't represent the nation; I say they don't even represent the individual.
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Owen Johnson (Stover at Yale)
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If the claims of the papacy cannot be proven from what we know of the historical Peter, there are, on the other hand, several undoubted facts in the real history of Peter which bear heavily upon those claims, namely: 1. That Peter was married, Matt. 8:14, took his wife with him on his missionary tours, 1 Cor. 9:5, and, according to a possible interpretation of the "coëlect" (sister), mentions her in 1 Pet. 5:13. Patristic tradition ascribes to him children, or at least a daughter (Petronilla). His wife is said to have suffered martyrdom in Rome before him. What right have the popes, in view of this example, to forbid clerical marriage? We pass by the equally striking contrast between the poverty of Peter, who had no silver nor gold (Acts 3:6) and the gorgeous display of the triple-crowned papacy in the middle ages and down to the recent collapse of the temporal power. 2. That in the Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15:1–11), Peter appears simply as the first speaker and debater, not as president and judge (James presided), and assumes no special prerogative, least of all an infallibility of judgment. According to the Vatican theory the whole question of circumcision ought to have been submitted to Peter rather than to a Council, and the decision ought to have gone out from him rather than from "the apostles and elders, brethren" (or "the elder brethren," 15:23). 3. That Peter was openly rebuked for inconsistency by a younger apostle at Antioch (Gal. 2:11–14). Peter’s conduct on that occasion is irreconcilable with his infallibility as to discipline; Paul’s conduct is irreconcilable with Peter’s alleged supremacy; and the whole scene, though perfectly plain, is so inconvenient to Roman and Romanizing views, that it has been variously distorted by patristic and Jesuit commentators, even into a theatrical farce gotten up by the apostles for the more effectual refutation of the Judaizers! 4. That, while the greatest of popes, from Leo I. down to Leo XIII. never cease to speak of their authority over all the bishops and all the churches, Peter, in his speeches in the Acts, never does so. And his Epistles, far from assuming any superiority over his "fellow-elders" and over "the clergy" (by which he means the Christian people), breathe the spirit of the sincerest humility and contain a prophetic warning against the besetting sins of the papacy, filthy avarice and lordly ambition (1 Pet. 5:1–3). Love of money and love of power are twin-sisters, and either of them is "a root of all evil." It is certainly very significant that the weaknesses even more than the virtues of the natural Peter—his boldness and presumption, his dread of the cross, his love for secular glory, his carnal zeal, his use of the sword, his sleepiness in Gethsemane—are faithfully reproduced in the history of the papacy; while the addresses and epistles of the converted and inspired Peter contain the most emphatic protest against the hierarchical pretensions and worldly vices of the papacy, and enjoin truly evangelical principles—the general priesthood and royalty of believers, apostolic poverty before the rich temple, obedience to God rather than man, yet with proper regard for the civil authorities, honorable marriage, condemnation of mental reservation in Ananias and Sapphira, and of simony in Simon Magus, liberal appreciation of heathen piety in Cornelius, opposition to the yoke of legal bondage, salvation in no other name but that of Jesus Christ.
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Philip Schaff (History Of The Christian Church (The Complete Eight Volumes In One))
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...pretending that nature is 100% benign requires either ignorance or willful disbelief.
Pollinators have basically become flying penises...under the influence of plant DNA.
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Dan Riskin (Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You: A Lively Tour Through the Dark Side of the Natural World)
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Wow! your book is a tour de force the research that you must have done to cover such a huge amount of years is amazing I loved the book you are a natural born story teller. I will give the book a week to settle in and then give it a review on Amazon. I wrote several non-fiction books but then decided to try fiction and I found it was my drug of choice. I hope to ready your next book soon. Lots of love and congratulations.!
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Erin Pizzey (Prone to Violence)
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THE SPH'S OFFICIAL VISIT (VIJAYA YATRA) TO KAILASA IN LOS ANGELES || E-TOUR || 21 FEB 2021 WORLDWIDE OFFICIAL VISITS (VIJAYA YATRA) OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM, JAGATGURU MAHASANNIDHANAM, HIS DIVINE HOLINESS BHAGAVAN #NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM CONTINUES TODAY WITH THE ETOUR TO KAILASA IN LOS ANGELES, USA. ADHERING TO WHO’S GUIDANCE ON RETAINING OURSELVES TO QUARANTINE AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, KAILASA’S DEPARTMENT OF BROADCASTING FACILITATED THE E-TOUR BRINGING HINDU DIASPORA IN LOS ANGELES CLOSER TO THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM. THE DE FACTO SPIRITUAL EMBASSY, #KAILASA IN LOS ANGELES HEADED BY SRI NITHYA MUKTHANANDA AND MA NITHYA MUKTHIKANANDA RECEIVED THE SPH AT 9.40AM IST. A FEW HUNDRED KAILASIANS PARTICIPATED IN THE E-TOUR VIA KAILASA’S OFFICIAL DIGITAL SPACES. THE E-TOUR WAS TRULY A BLESSED MOMENT FOR EACH AND EVERY KAILASIAN AS IT HAS BEEN 11 YEARS SINCE THE SPH HAD VISITED THE KAILASA IN LOS ANGELES PHYSICALLY. INSPIRING EVERY #HINDU TO RECLAIM THEIR HINDU CENTRIC FREEDOM AND BUILD KAILASA, THE ENLIGHTENED CIVILIZATIONAL NATION, THE SPH REVEALED VARIOUS POWERFUL TRUTHS IN THE 3 HOUR LONG E-TOUR. KAILASA IN LOS ANGELES’S DEPARTMENT OF #RELIGION & WORSHIP RECEIVED SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE ON THE DEITIES IN KAILASA. THE SPH REVEALED THAT WHEN INSTALLING DEITIES ENERGISED BY THE SPH BY A LIVING INCARNATION, THE DEITIES PROTECT THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF THE NATION. THEREFORE, THE DEITIES SHOULD BE PLACED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY TOUCH THE LAND (BHU) HE FURTHER REVEALED, “LEARN DISCIPLINE FROM NATURE BEFORE NATURE DISCIPLINES US". THE #SPH BLESSED THE VARIOUS INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES INCLUDING NITHYANANDA FOOD BANK (ANNAMANDIR) , DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - KAILASA IN LOS ANGELES.
#nithyananda kailaasa kailasa
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The SPH JGM HDH Nithyananda Paramashivam, Reviver of KAILASA - the Ancient Enlightened Civilizationa
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Hue To Bach Ma National Park Private Car
If you stay in Hue city and have done the Hue city tour, Hue countryside Tour, and Hue cooking class tour already but still would like to have a full day to admire pure nature. Hue to Bach Ma National Park private car with an English-speaking driver will be a great option.
For more information about Private Tours, Transfers, please contact us via:
Email: phamvanhoa28@gmail.com
Address: The 1st floor, 17 Tran Thuc Nhan, Vinh Ninh, Hue city.
Phone: +84349825119
Book now to get the full enjoyment of your trip.
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Vietnamvacation
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If you are not traveling, you are living in a deep well, and you are not only unfamiliar with the beauty of different cultures and nature, but you also don't know the feeling of affinity with strangers.
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Mohammed Zaki Ansari ("Zaki's Gift Of Love")
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Buying more and more of the best land, sometimes owning multiple estates spread across several states, extended plantation families - fathers who provided sons and sons-in-law with a start - created slaveholding conglomerates that controlled hundreds and sometimes thousands of slaves. The grandees' vast wealth allowed them to introduce new hybrid cotton seeds and strains of cane, new technologies, and new forms of organization that elevated productivity and increased profitability. In some places, the higher levels of capitalization and technical mastery of the grandees reduced white yeomen to landlessness and forced smallholders to move on or else enter the wage-earning class as managers or overseers. As a result, the richest plantation areas became increasingly black, with ever-larger estates managed from afar as the planters retreated to some local country seat, one of the region's ports, or occasionally some northern metropolis.
Claiming the benefits of their new standing, the grandees - characterized in various places as 'nabobs,' 'a feudal aristocracy,' or simply 'The Royal Family' - established their bona fides as a ruling class. They built great houses strategically located along broad rivers or high bluffs. They named their estates in the aristocratic manner - the Briars, Fairmont, Richmond - and made them markers on the landscape. Planters married among themselves, educated their sons in northern universities, and sent their wives and daughters on European tours, collecting the bric-a-brac of the continent to grace their mansions. Reaching out to their neighbors, they burnished their reputations for hospitality. The annual Christmas ball or the great July Fourth barbecue were private events with a public purpose. They confirmed the distance between the planters and their neighbors and allowed leadership to fall lightly and naturally on their shoulders, as governors, legislators, judges, and occasionally congressmen, senators, and presidents.
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Ira Berlin (Generations of Captivity: A History of African-American Slaves)
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No me esperaba gran cosa de la revelación de su lado oscuro: dos controles positivos para testosterona en 1999 y 2002, atrapado luego entre las redes de la Operación Puerto, dirigida por la Guardia Civil en 2006. Nada fácil de explicar. Me equivoqué, Botero fue el primero en lanzarse. Sobre la testosterona: Después de un primer control positivo en 1998 en el Tour de Romandía me hice exámenes en el Instituto Complutense de Madrid y, al ver los resultados, la UCI admitió que mi tasa elevada de testosterona era normal. Fijaron un umbral en 9 de manera arbitraria, todavía ignoro por qué. En todas las carreras que disputé en 1999, Tour de Valencia, París–Niza, Semana Catalana, di positivo. En Lausanne, nuevos exámenes volvieron a demostrar que todo era natural. Pero la UCI de todas maneras presionó para que me sancionaran y la Federación Colombiana me suspendió seis meses. Creo que el presidente de la UCI de esa época quiso demostrar su autoridad con un corredor principiante que no tenía los recursos para defenderse.
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Guy ROGER (Egan Bernal y los hijos de la cordillera: Viaje al país de los escarabajos (Spanish Edition))
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Fine. But I estimate you have about a twenty-one percent chance of making a profit.” “Really? That actually gives me hope, Dev. Thanks. I figured it was more like negative five percent.” “That might be more accurate,” he admitted. She hated to say it, but Dev was probably right. Her main problem was that the cost of fuel kept rising. Or maybe it was that boat repairs were expensive and the Forget Me Not had more leaks than a salad spinner. Or that she couldn’t steer a boat and be a guide at the same time, and therefore had to hire Captain Kid. Or that she couldn’t afford her own office and therefore had to rent a virtual closet in the back of the Jack Hammer Fishing Charters office. The receptionist, Carla, only answered the Forget Me Not Nature Tours phone line when she wasn’t busy. Plenty of potential bookings went straight to voicemail. Or maybe her biggest problem was that her
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Jennifer Bernard (Mine Until Moonrise (Lost Harbor, Alaska, #1))
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The sixth chakra is called the Agnya which is found in the forehead. The single is the reigning world. The Chakra of Agnya contains our ego and our conditioning. On the other hand the Sun forms our character and sense of being in accordance with the energy of the sign in which it is situated. "I'" is the keyword The sign in which the Sun is located is our main sign, and it signifies the stage of evolution with which we were born on this earth as well as the lessons we need to learn in life. It is what constitutes our sense of identity. We all have distinct identities which make us unique. Our family, education, friends, view of the world, the teams we support, and so on. All identities, however, are created by our ego. When our Agnya chakra opens our ego and conditioning cannot rule over us. We perceive our spirit within us which is a deeper identity. We continue to create modesty within us, and the fact that we are pure spirit. Dominant sun energy in the birth chart can make a dominant, conceited and selfish person. What blocks the sixth chakra is pride that makes a person feel superior to others. Other than this, redemption is dawning within us as we sense the pure spirit within each. • Our Sahasrara, the seventh chakra, is the fontanelle area on top of our head which was soft when we were small. The governing planet is the Sun, which controls the Cancer sign as well. The chakra of Sahasrara is above all chakras, and consists of a combination of all the chakras on top of our head. Emotions, instincts, and mind are governed by the Moon. The opening of the seventh chakra helps integrate the chakras within us and establishes a strong connection between us and the cosmic energy. This incorporation beyond consciousness carries an individual. Throughout astrology, the moon determines our character's unconscious state, implying a region outside our consciousness. This unconscious state has always existed, and it will always exist, since it is the all-pervading power that embraces the whole universe. The Sahasrara chakra is a door that opens to the knowledge of the all-pervading forces from our individual consciousness. At the time of birth, a bright moon makes a person receptive, instinctive, imaginative, sacrificial, capable of understanding others and spiritual. The Moon also reflects prosperity, femininity and motherhood experiences that have grown within us. In a birth chart with a dominant moon, the personality has a changing nature, because the moon is the fastest to tour the zodiac. The energy which it reflects changes and flows constantly. The moon also affords a good adaptability. Likewise, the universe is constantly changing and flowing too. When our seventh chakra is open and connected to the universal energy, we feel like a drop mixed in the ocean and our being is in harmony with that great flow.
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Adrian Satyam (Energy Healing: 6 in 1: Medicine for Body, Mind and Spirit. An extraordinary guide to Chakra and Quantum Healing, Kundalini and Third Eye Awakening, Reiki and Meditation and Mindfulness.)
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Paget found the tour enlightening – for the first time he realised that the ship was not a mere extension of the land, a sea-going workshop, but was an entirely different life, its own hermetic world, and that the denizens of one world did not naturally understand the other. The ship had its own language, hierarchy, theology and purpose, only tenuously related to the land-bound; the landsfolk could prate of their civilisation, but the sailor cleaved to an older, warrior code – there might be a place for a gentle Jesus on land, but the sea was the domain of Jehovah.
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Andrew Wareham (The Fuzzy-Wuzzy Man (Duty and Destiny #3))
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So let me confide in you a big secret. Whatever you experience when you simply rest your attention on whatever’s going on in your mind at any given moment is meditation. Simply resting in this way is the experience of natural mind. The only difference between meditation and the ordinary, everyday process of thinking, feeling, and sensation is the application of the simple, bare awareness that occurs when you allow your mind to rest simply as it is—without chasing after thoughts or becoming distracted by feelings or sensations. It took me a long time to recognize how easy meditation really is, mainly because it seemed so completely ordinary, so close to my everyday habits of perception, that I rarely stopped to acknowledge it. Like many of the people I now meet on teaching tours, I thought that natural mind had to be something else, something different from, or better than, what I was already experiencing. Like most people, I brought so much judgment to my experience. I believed that thoughts of anger, anxiety, fear, and so on that came and went throughout the day were bad or counterproductive—or at the very least inconsistent with natural peace! The teachings of the Buddha— and the lesson inherent in this exercise in non-meditation—is that if we allow ourselves to relax and take a mental step back, we can begin to recognize that all these different thoughts are simply coming and going within the context of an unlimited mind, which, like space, remains fundamentally unperturbed by whatever occurs within
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Yongey Mingyur (The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness)
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Si vous parcouriez la France, que de merveilles vous admireriez dans l'industrie des hommes, à côté des beautés de la nature!
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G. Bruno (Le tour de la France par deux enfants)
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God 4.0' is a stunning tour de force of erudition, deftly summarizing forty thousand years of the human search for spiritual transcendence – via the painted caves of the Ice Age shamans, the Neolithic megaliths and Mesopotamian ziggurats, and the soaring Medieval cathedrals and mosques. The second half of the book turns inward to describe the structures and processes of the human brain that foster transcendence, and the factors that interfere with it. Robert and Sally Ornstein make an ideal team for this collaboration, Sally a painter and publisher of children’s books, and Robert a psychologist and neuroscientist. The result is a brilliant guided expedition through reams of archeological and neurological research, with the authors highlighting in easily understood language the important discoveries and developments in our perennial quest for meaning and purpose. — Lisa Alther, novelist and author of four New York Times best sellers
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Robert Ornstein (God 4.0: On the Nature of Higher Consciousness and the Experience Called “God”)
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On your journey to nature, take your cat along, and leave your car at home.
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Michael Bassey Johnson (Song of a Nature Lover)
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There are people who make a hobby of "alternative history," imagining how history would be different if small, chance events had gone another way One of my favorite examples is a story I first heard from the physicist Murray Gell-Mann. In the late 1800s, "Buffalo Bill" Cody created a show called Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, which toured the United States, putting on exhibitions of gun fighting, horsemanship, and other cowboy skills. One of the show's most popular acts was a woman named Phoebe Moses, nicknamed Annie Oakley. Annie was reputed to have been able to shoot the head off of a running quail by age twelve, and in Buffalo Bill's show, she put on a demonstration of marksmanship that included shooting flames off candles, and corks out of bottles. For her grand finale, Annie would announce that she would shoot the end off a lit cigarette held in a man's mouth, and ask for a brave volunteer from the audience. Since no one was ever courageous enough to come forward, Annie hid her husband, Frank, in the audience. He would "volunteer," and they would complete the trick together. In 1890, when the Wild West Show was touring Europe, a young crown prince (and later, kaiser), Wilhelm, was in the audience. When the grand finale came, much to Annie's surprise, the macho crown prince stood up and volunteered. The future German kaiser strode into the ring, placed the cigarette in his mouth, and stood ready. Annie, who had been up late the night before in the local beer garden, was unnerved by this unexpected development. She lined the cigarette up in her sights, squeezed...and hit it right on target.
Many people have speculated that if at that moment, there had been a slight tremor in Annie's hand, then World War I might never have happened. If World War I had not happened, 8.5 million soldiers and 13 million civilian lives would have been saved. Furthermore, if Annie's hand had trembled and World War I had not happened, Hitler would not have risen from the ashes of a defeated Germany, and Lenin would not have overthrown a demoralized Russian government. The entire course of twentieth-century history might have been changed by the merest quiver of a hand at a critical moment. Yet, at the time, there was no way anyone could have known the momentous nature of the event.
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Eric D. Beinhocker (The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics)
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Many Schirmer parties overflowed into the Steinway apartment, and vice versa. A number of these entertainments were musical in nature, and every important composer or performer who passed through New York was entertained at dinner by the Schirmers, and visiting artists were always eager to step next door to try out one of Mr. Steinway’s new pianos. Once the Schirmers gave a dinner for the composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was passing through on an American concert tour. After dinner, thinking that Tchaikovsky
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Stephen Birmingham (Life at the Dakota: New York's Most Unusual Address)
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Traditional structures of social and economic support slowly weakened; no longer was it possible for a man to follow his father and grandfather into a manufacturing job, or to join the union and start on the union ladder of wages. Marriage was no longer the only socially acceptable way to form intimate partnerships, or to rear children. People moved away from the security of legacy religions or the churches of their parents and grandparents, toward churches that emphasized seeking an identity, or replaced membership with the search for connection or economic success (Wuthnow, 1988). These changes left people with less structure when they came to choose their careers, their religion, and the nature of their family lives. When such choices succeed, they are liberating; when they fail, the individual can only hold himself or herself responsible. In the worst cases of failure, this is a Durkheim-like recipe for suicide. We can see this as a failure to meet early expectations or, more fundamentally, as a loss of the structures that give life a meaning.10 Durkheim,
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
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Traditional structures of social and economic support slowly weakened; no longer was it possible for a man to follow his father and grandfather into a manufacturing job, or to join the union and start on the union ladder of wages. Marriage was no longer the only socially acceptable way to form intimate partnerships, or to rear children. People moved away from the security of legacy religions or the churches of their parents and grandparents, toward churches that emphasized seeking an identity, or replaced membership with the search for connection or economic success (Wuthnow, 1988). These changes left people with less structure when they came to choose their careers, their religion, and the nature of their family lives. When such choices succeed, they are liberating; when they fail, the individual can only hold himself or herself responsible. In the worst cases of failure, this is a Durkheim-like recipe for suicide. We can see this as a failure to meet early expectations or, more fundamentally, as a loss of the structures that give life a meaning.10 Durkheim, in his book On Suicide, wrote: It is sometimes said that, by virtue of his psychological make-up, man cannot live unless he attaches himself to an object that is greater than himself and outlives him, and this necessity has been attributed to a supposedly common need not to perish entirely. Life, they say, is only tolerable if one can see some purpose in it, if it has a goal and one that is worth pursuing. But the individual in himself is not sufficient as an end for himself. He is too small a thing. Not only is he confined in space, he is also narrowly limited in time.
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
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So when we have no other objective than ourselves, we cannot escape from the feeling our efforts are finally destined to vanish into nothing, since that is where we must return. But we recoil from the idea of annihilation. In such a state, we should not have the strength to live, that is to say to act and struggle, since nothing is to remain of all the trouble that we take. In a word, the state of egoism is in contradiction with human nature and hence too precarious to endure.
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
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UNCONVENTIONAL DESTINATION WEDDING LOCALES
Destination Wedding
Jan 6
This wedding season, fall in love with endearing unconventional destination wedding locales
Theme Weavers Designs
Since all the travel restrictions have been lifted, destination weddings are back in vogue. However, the pandemic has led to a major paradigm shift. In this case, Indian couples are looking into hidden gems to take on as their wedding destination, instead of opting for an international location. With the rich cultural heritage and a myriad of local traditions, it has been observed by industry insiders that couples feel closer to their past and history after getting married in a regional wedding destination. At the same time, it is a very cumbersome task to find the perfect wedding destination - it has to be perfectly balanced in terms of the services it offers as well as having breathtaking views. This wedding season, choose something offbeat, by opting for an unexplored destination, that is both visually appealing and has a romantic vibe to them.
Start off your wedding journey with an auspicious location. Rishikesh, on the banks of the holy river Ganges is one of the most sacred places a couple can tie the knot. This tiny town’s interesting traditions, picturesque locales, and ancient customs make this one of the most underrated places to get married in india. Perfect for a riverside wedding in extravagant outdoor tents, this wedding season, it is high time Rishikesh gets the hype it deserves. “The Glasshouse on the Ganges,” is one of the most stunning places to get married. While becoming informed travellers, this place is interred with a vast and vibrant cultural history. It offers an extremely unique experience as it revitalises ruined architectural wonders for the couple to tour or get married in, making it a heartwarming and wonderful experience for all those who are involved.
Steep your wedding party in the lap of nature, in Naukuchiatal, Nainital, Uttarakhand. This place is commonly referred to as “treasure of natural beauty,” where it offers mesmerising natural spectacles for a couple to get married in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony. Away from the hustle and bustle of the urban jungles that have slowly been taking over the Indian subcontinent, this location provides a much needed breath of fresh air. This location also provides much needed reprieve from the fast paced lifestyle that we live, making a wedding a truly relaxing affair. As this is a quaint hill station, surrounded with lush greens, there are numerous ideas to create a natural and sustainable wedding. The most distinguishing feature of this location is the nine-cornered lake, situated 1,220 m above sea level.
There is something classic and timeless about the Kerala backwaters. This location is enriching and chock full of unique cultural traditions. With spectacular and awe-inspiring views of the backwaters, Kumarakom in Kerala easily qualifies as one of the top wedding destinations in india. Just like Naukuchiatal, this space is a study in serenity, where it is far away from the noisy streets and bazaars. Perfect for a cozy and intimate wedding, the Kerala backwaters are a gorgeous choice for couples who are opting for a socially distant wedding, along with having a lot of indigenous flora and fauna. Punctuated with the salty sea and the sultry air, the backwaters in Kerala are an underrated gem that presents couples with a unique wedding location that is perfect for a historical and regal wedding.
The beaches of Goa and the forts of Rajasthan are a classic for a reason, but at the same time, they can get boring. Couples have been exploring more underrated wedding locations in order to experience the diverse local cultures of India that can also host their weddings
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Theme Weavers
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Connecting People With Nature off the Beaten Path! Explore the Real Florida! We offer scenic Pontoon Cruises, Sunset Dolphin Rides, Scalloping Adventures, Kayak Tours & Rentals, Island Excursions, Educational Group & Camping Outings and Hiking Tours. We offer a wide variety of experiences and can even customize an outing to fit your needs!!! We service all of West Central Florida including Clearwater, Tarpons Springs, Weeki Wachee, Chassahowitzka, Homosassa, Crystal River, Rainbow River, Withlacoochee, Ocala & more!!!
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Nature Coast Tours Chassahowitzka
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This nothingness into which the West is sliding is not the natural end, the dying, the sinking of a flourishing community of peoples. Instead, it is again a specifically Western nothingness: a nothingness that is rebellious, violent, anti-God, and antihuman. Breaking away from all that is established, it is the utmost manifestation of all the forces opposed to God. It is nothingness as God; no one knows its goal or its measure. Its rule is absolute. It is a creative nothingness that blows its anti-God breath into all that exists, creates the illusion of waking it to new life, and at the same time sucks out its true essence until it soon disintegrates into an empty husk and is discarded. Life, history, family, people, language, faith—the list could go on forever because nothingness spares nothing—all fall victim to nothingness. DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, Ethics
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
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Capitalism would, in the end, Marx said, turn on the so-called free market, along with the values and traditions it claims to defend. It would in its final stages pillage the systems and structures that made capitalism possible. It would resort, as it causes widespread suffering, to harsher forms of repression to maintain social control. It would attempt, in a frantic last stand, to extract profit by looting and pillaging state institutions, contradicting its stated nature.
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
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What if zoos stopped breeding all their animals, with the possible exception of any endangered species with a real chance of being re-released into the wild? What if they sent all the animals that need really large areas or lots of freedom and socialization to refuges? With apes, elephants, big cats, and other large and smart species gone, they could expand enclosures for the rest of the animals, concentrating on keeping them lavishly happy until their natural deaths. Eventually, the only animals on display would be a few ancient holdovers from the old menageries, some animals in active conservation breeding programs, and perhaps a few rescues.
Such 'zoos' might even be merged with sanctuaries, places that take wild animal that -- because injury or a lifetime of captivity -- cannot live in the wild. Existing refuges, like Wolf Haven, often do allow visitors, but not all animal are on the tour, just those who seem like it. Their facilities are really arranged for the animals, not for the people. These refuge-zoos could become places where animal live not in order to be on display, but in order to live. Display would be incidental.
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Emma Marris (Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World)
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Mass culture is an assault that, as the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci wrote, results in a “confused and fragmentary”77 consciousness, or what Marx called “false consciousness.” It is designed to impart the belief to the proletariat that its “true” interests are aligned with those of the ruling class. It transforms legitimate economic and social grievances into psychological and emotional problems. It uses nationalism to discredit class interests. We are not a product of nature, Gramsci understood, but of our history and our culture. If we do not know our history and our culture, if we accept the history and culture manufactured for us by the elites, we will never free ourselves from the forces of oppression
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Chris Hedges (America: The Farewell Tour)
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Jung’s work is a tour de force of the psyche, which—remarkably— leads to direct insights into the nature of life and the universe at large. Three key ideas underlie his implicit metaphysical system: first, that of the collective unconscious as a transpersonal experiential field, which generates all autonomous imagery we experience as both the perceived physical world and the worlds of dreams and visions; second, that of consciousness as an internally connected web of psychic contents that turns in upon itself so as to enable self-reflection; and third, that of daemons, autonomous psychic complexes that, although internally connected and conscious, are dissociated from their psychic surroundings.
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Bernardo Kastrup (Decoding Jung's Metaphysics: The Archetypal Semantics of an Experiential Universe)
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and Hiking: Madeira's stunning landscapes and network of hiking trails make walking and hiking popular activities for visitors. The island is crisscrossed with Levada walks, mountain trails, and coastal paths, offering opportunities to explore its natural beauty on foot. Guided hiking tours are available for those looking for expert guidance and insight into Madeira's flora, fauna, and geology. Cable Cars and Funiculars: In certain areas of Madeira, such as Funchal and Monte, cable cars and funiculars provide scenic rides and convenient access to viewpoints, gardens, and other attractions. The Monte Cable Car, for example, takes passengers from Funchal to the hillside village of Monte, offering panoramic views of the city and harbor along the way.
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Frankie C. Warre (Madeira Pocket Travel Guide 2024-2025: Exploring the Enchanting Island of Madeira: A Journey of Discovery)
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When I laid the ground plan of my journey, there were definite questions to which I wanted matching answers. ... I suppose they could all be lumped into the single question: 'What are Americans like today?'
In Europe it is a popular sport to describe what Americans are like. Everyone seems to know. And we are equally happy in this game. How many times have I not heard one of my fellow countrymen, after a three-week tour of Europe, describe with certainty the nature of the French, the British, the Italians, the Germans, and above all the Russians? Traveling about, I early learned the difference between an American and the Americans. They are so far apart that they might be opposites. Often when a European has described the Americans with hostility and scorn he has turned to me and said, 'Of course, I don't mean you. I am speaking of those others.' It boils down to this: the Americans, the British are that faceless clot you don't know, but a Frenchman or an Italian is your acquaintance and your friend. He has none of the qualities your ignorance causes you to hate.
I had always considered this a kind of semantic deadfall, but moving about in my own country I am not at all sure that is so. Americans as I saw them and talked to them were indeed individuals, each one different from the others, but gradually I began to feel that the Americans exist, that they really do have generalized characteristics regardless of their states, their social and financial status, their education, their religious and political convictions. But if there is indeed an American image built of truth rather than reflecting either hostility or wishful thinking, what is this image? What does it look like? What does it do? If the same song, the same joke, the same style sweeps through all parts of the country at once, it must be that all Americans are alike in something. The fact that the same joke, the same style, has no effect in France or England or Italy makes this contention valid. But the more I inspected this American image, the less sure I became of what it is. It appeared to me increasingly paradoxical, and it has been my experience that when paradox crops up too often for comfort, it means that certain factors are missing in the equation.
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John Steinbeck (Travels with Charley: In Search of America)
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BARTON CENTRE, 912, 9th Floor,
Mahatma Gandhi Rd,
Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560 001
Phone Number
+91 8884400919
Investigate the Best with Surfnxt
Might it be said that you are searching for an extraordinary tropical escape? Look no farther than Bali! Known for its perfect sea shores, rich scenes, and energetic culture, Bali has turned into a fantasy objective for voyagers around the world. With Surfnxt's selective bali tour package from bangalore, your fantasy excursion is only a booking ceaselessly!
Why Pick Bali?
Bali is a heaven that takes special care of each and every kind of explorer. Whether you're an ocean side darling, nature devotee, experience searcher, or culture buff, Bali offers something special for everybody. From the notorious sea shores of Kuta and Nusa Dua to the quiet rice patios of Ubud and consecrated sanctuaries like Tanah Parcel, Bali has everything. On the off chance that you're hoping to loosen up, the island's extravagant hotels and elite spas will spoil you unimaginable. For the experience addicts, exercises like surfing, scuba jumping, and traveling anticipate.
Advantages of Picking Surfnxt's Bali Visit Bundle
Surfnxt furnishes you with a consistent travel experience intended to guarantee a problem free occasion. Here's the reason you ought to pick Surfnxt's bali tour package from bangalore:
Thorough Agenda: Surfnxt curates point by point schedules that cover Bali's top attractions and unlikely treasures. You'll encounter Bali's rich culture, investigate stunning scenes, and get the ideal mix of unwinding and experience.
Reasonable Bundles: Surfnxt offers cutthroat evaluating, guaranteeing you get the best incentive for your cash. Browse financial plan amicable to extravagance bundles custom fitted to your requirements.
Adaptable Customization: Surfnxt comprehends that each explorer is unique. You can without much of a stretch modify your Bali visit bundle to incorporate the objections, facilities, and exercises that suit your inclinations.
Advantageous Takeoffs from Bangalore: With simple takeoffs from Bangalore, Surfnxt simplifies it for you to leave on your Bali process. You can sit back, unwind, and let Surfnxt handle everything — from trips to inn appointments, air terminal exchanges, and touring visits.
Master Neighborhood Guides: With Surfnxt, you gain admittance to educated nearby aides who offer shrewd insights concerning Bali's set of experiences, culture, and secret spots. Their skill adds profundity to your excursion, making it more significant.
What's in store in Your Bali Visit Bundle?
Here is a brief look at what you can expect in a commonplace Bali visit bundle from Bangalore:
Full circle Flights: Bother free departures from Bangalore to Bali, guaranteeing an agreeable excursion.
Convenience: Look over spending plan lodgings, store stays, or extravagance resorts, all halfway found.
Touring Visits: Visit notorious milestones like Uluwatu Sanctuary, Tegallalang Rice Porch, and the delightful sea shores of Seminyak and Jimbaran.
Experience Exercises: Choices to enjoy surfing, swimming, jumping, and social studios.
Social Encounters: Appreciate conventional Balinese dance exhibitions, visit craftsman towns, and investigate old sanctuaries.
Book Your Bali Visit Bundle from Bangalore with Surfnxt Today!
With Surfnxt's Bali visit bundles from Bangalore, your fantasy occasion is nearer than you suspect. Whether you're arranging a heartfelt escape, a family get-away, or a performance experience, Surfnxt guarantees an outing loaded up with critical encounters. Try not to pass up the tropical heaven of Bali — book your visit bundle today and prepare for an experience that could only be described as epic!
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bali tour package from bangalore:
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Investigate New Zealand: Extreme Visit Bundle from Bangalore
Find the excellence of New Zealand with Surfnxt's uncommonly arranged New Zealand Tour package from Bangalore! From the lively metropolitan existence of Auckland to the immaculate scenes of Queenstown and the geothermal marvels of Rotorua, New Zealand offers a remarkable encounter for nature darlings, experience lovers, and social pioneers the same.
Why Pick New Zealand?
New Zealand is known for its staggering normal magnificence, special untamed life, and inviting society. With scenes going from stunning sea shores and rich rainforests to snow-covered mountains and shining fjords, it's an ideal objective for anybody looking for a blend of experience, unwinding, and social submersion.
Visit Features
Auckland: The City of Sails
Start your excursion in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city. Partake in a city visit, investigating features like the Sky Pinnacle, Waitemata Harbor, and clamoring Sovereign Road. For an all encompassing perspective on the city, make a beeline for Mount Eden or take a harbor journey to respect Auckland's horizon and famous milestones from the water.
Rotorua: Geothermal Miracles and Maori Culture
Rotorua is a social and geothermal center point. Witness foaming mud pools, natural aquifers, and the popular Pohutu Fountain at Te Puia. Experience the rich Maori culture through conventional exhibitions and a hangi feast, an exceptional eating experience ready in an earth broiler.
Queenstown: Experience Capital of the World
Queenstown is a heaven for daredevils. Go bungee bouncing, skydiving, fly drifting, or partake in a beautiful voyage on Lake Wakatipu. In winter, Queenstown changes into a skiing safe house, while summer offers climbing and grape plantation visits. Try not to miss the dazzling perspectives from the Horizon Gondola.
Milford Sound: Nature's Show-stopper
Known as the "Eighth Miracle of the World," Milford Sound is a fjord encircled by transcending precipices, cascades, and rich rainforests. Take a boat journey to investigate this normal wonder, or choose a beautiful trip to observe its glory from a higher place.
Christchurch and Then some
Investigate Christchurch's Botanic Nurseries, noteworthy design, and lively workmanship scene. Require a roadtrip to Akaroa, an enchanting town with French impacts, or visit the close by Banks Promontory for additional picturesque scenes and untamed life experiences.
Considerations
Full circle departures from Bangalore
Convenience in premium lodgings
Day to day breakfast and select feasts
Directed visits and passage expenses to top attractions
Air terminal exchanges and transportation inside New Zealand
Book Your Fantasy Excursion with Surfnxt
With Surfnxt, arranging your New Zealand Tour package from Bangalore is simple and bother free. Our master guides and organized agendas guarantee you outwit New Zealand, from exciting undertakings to social encounters. Thus, gather your sacks and prepare for a remarkable excursion with Surfnxt's New Zealand visit bundle!
Investigate the shocking scenes and energetic culture of New Zealand with Surfnxt's selective visit bundle from Bangalore. Ideal for experienced darlings and nature devotees, this outing guarantees recollections that will endure forever!
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New Zealand Tour Package From Bangalore
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Address
BARTON CENTRE, 912, 9th Floor, Mahatma Gandhi Rd,
Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560 001
Phone Number
+91 8884400919
Set out on an exhilarating experience to the hypnotizing scenes and energetic societies of Kenya Tour Package From Bangalore. Kenya, eminent for its different natural life, unblemished sea shores, and rich social legacy, offers a really remarkable travel insight. This article fills in as a thorough manual for help you plan and capitalize on your Kenya visit, from the arranging stages to investigating the staggering attractions and drenching in the nearby customs. Find the miracles that look for you in Kenya and prepare for a remarkable excursion that could only be described as epic.
Prologue to Kenya Visit Bundles
Assuming you're hoping to set out on an exhilarating experience that joins untamed life, nature, and culture, Kenya is the ideal location for your next excursion. With its different scenes, colorful untamed life, and dynamic culture, Kenya offers a special encounter for explorers searching something strange.
Why Pick Kenya for Your Next Get-away
Kenya's charm lies in its dazzling public parks overflowing with natural life, flawless sea shores with completely clear waters, and a rich social legacy that makes certain to spellbind your faculties. Whether you're a nature darling, experience searcher, or essentially hoping to loosen up in a tropical heaven, Kenya has something for everybody.
Outline of Surfnxt's Kenya Visit Bundle from Bangalore
Surfnxt's Kenya visit bundle from Bangalore is intended to offer you a remarkable involvement with the core of Africa. From exciting safari undertakings to loosening up ocean side escapes, this bundle has everything. With master guides, agreeable facilities, and consistent planned operations, Surfnxt guarantees that your excursion to Kenya is absolutely phenomenal.
Arranging Your Outing from Bangalore to Kenya
While arranging your Kenya Tour Package From Bangalore, it's fundamental to consider the booking system and essential records expected for a smooth travel insight. Furthermore, understanding the best chance to visit Kenya can assist you with taking full advantage of your excursion.
Booking Interaction and Important Archives
Booking your Kenya visit bundle with Surfnxt is simple and bother free. Just follow the means given by Surfnxt's group, and guarantee you have every one of the important records like a legitimate identification, visa, and travel protection to stay away from any last-minute inconveniences.
Best Opportunity to Visit Kenya
The best chance to visit Kenya is during the dry season, which normally falls between June to October and January to February. During this time, you can observer the Incomparable Relocation in Masai Mara and appreciate clear skies for ideal natural life seeing and open air exercises.
Features of Kenya Visit Bundle with Surfnxt
Set out on an extraordinary excursion with Surfnxt's Kenya visit bundle as you dig into the entrancing safari undertakings in Kenya's famous public stops and enjoy ocean side escapes and water exercises along the staggering shoreline.
Safari Undertakings in Kenya's Public Parks
Get ready to observe the lofty Huge Five - lions, elephants, bison, panthers, and rhinos - right at home as you continue exciting safari trips in Kenya's undeniably popular public stops like Masai Mara and Amboseli.
Ocean side Escapes and Water Exercises in Kenya
Loosen up on the perfect sea shores of Diani and Watamu, where you can absorb the sun, swim in turquoise waters, and participate in exciting water exercises like swimming, jumping, and water sports, making your get-away in Kenya genuinely remarkable.
Investigating the Untamed life and Nature in Kenya
Experience the crude excellence of Kenya's untamed life and nature as you experience the famous Large Five on safari and visit protection focuses and holds devoted to saving the country's rich biodiversity.
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Kenya Tour Package From Bangalore
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BARTON CENTRE, 912, 9th Floor, Mahatma Gandhi Rd,
Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560 001
Phone Number +91 8884400919
### Uncover Sri Lanka's Enchantment: Your Upcoming Tropical Vacation
Are you looking for the ideal tropical getaway with stunning scenery, a thriving culture, and a fascinating past? You need look no farther than a Surfnxt sri lanka tour package from bangalore. Known as the "Pearl of the Indian Sea," this island country tempts with its stunning regular excellence, cordial individuals, and various remarkable encounters.
#### A Landscape Tapestry
From immaculate beaches to verdant tea plantations and foggy mountainous areas, Sri Lanka is well known for its varied landscapes. Engaging in a tour from Bangalore allows you to fully experience the island's natural splendors. Explore the golden beaches of
As you venture inland, you'll end up in the core of Sri Lanka's tea country. The picturesque slopes of Nuwara Eliya and Ella are covered with undulating green tea manors, making a postcard-wonderful background. Here, you can partake in a directed visit through a tea manufacturing plant and relish newly prepared Ceylon tea while looking at the shocking vistas.
#### A Jump into History and Culture
Past its shocking view, Sri Lanka is saturated with a rich social legacy that goes back millennia. The old city of Anuradhapura offers a brief look into the island's regal past with its very much safeguarded ruins and consecrated locales like the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, accepted to be the most seasoned living tree on the planet. Likewise, Polonnaruwa, the second capital of antiquated Sri Lanka, flaunts noteworthy archeological locales, including sanctuaries and sculptures that mirror the island's imaginative ability.
Your Sri Lanka visit bundle will likewise incorporate the chance to encounter the nearby culture through customary moves, music, and culinary joys. Try not to miss attempting neighborhood top picks like containers, kottu roti, and the famous Sri Lankan curry, which burst with flavor and mirror the island's assorted culinary impacts.
#### Special Untamed life Experiences
Sri Lanka is a sanctuary for untamed life devotees. The island is home to a few public parks, including Yala and Udawalawe, where you can set out on an exhilarating safari. Spotting great elephants, panthers, and a heap of bird animal types is an elating encounter that couple of can stand up to. The opportunity to notice such heavenly animals right at home is really extraordinary.
#### Consistent Travel from Bangalore
sri lanka tour package from bangalore has never been more straightforward. With numerous flight choices, your tropical escape is only a couple of hours away. Entering an alternate world, with its accommodating local people and energetic business sectors, makes certain to be a reviving change from the hurrying around of city life.
#### Your Process Is standing by
With Surfnxt, you can modify your Sri Lanka visit bundle to accommodate your own inclinations, guaranteeing that each snapshot of your process is extraordinary. Whether you're looking for unwinding on flawless sea shores, experience in the mountains, or social advancement, Sri Lanka is the best objective for your next occasion.
Enjoy the tranquility, experience, and appeal that look for you on this charming island. Prepare to investigate the sorcery of Sri Lanka — your tropical escape begins now!
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surfnxt
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1. Sri Lanka’s Cultural and Historical Richness
"Sri Lanka is a place where history lives in harmony with the present. From ancient temples to colonial fortresses, every corner of this island tells a story."
Sri Lanka’s history stretches over 2,500 years, featuring incredible landmarks like the Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Anuradhapura's ancient ruins. The country is also home to the famous Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, an important religious site for Buddhists around the world. Each historic site tells a different story, making Sri Lanka a treasure trove of cultural and spiritual experiences. Find out more about planning a visit here.
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2. Nature’s Bounty and Biodiversity
"In Sri Lanka, nature isn't merely observed; it's experienced with all the senses — from the scent of spice plantations to the sight of vibrant tea terraces and the sound of waves on pristine beaches."
Sri Lanka’s national parks, like Yala and Udawalawe, are among the best places to see elephants, leopards, and a diverse range of bird species. The island’s ecosystems, from rainforests to coastal mangroves, create an incredible array of landscapes for nature lovers to explore. For those planning to visit these natural wonders, start your journey with a visa application.
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3. Sri Lankan Hospitality and Warmth
"The true beauty of Sri Lanka is found in its people — hospitable, welcoming, and ready to share a smile or story over a cup of tea."
The warmth of Sri Lankans is a common highlight for visitors, whether encountered in bustling cities or quiet villages. Tourists are frequently invited to join meals or participate in local festivities, making Sri Lanka a welcoming destination for international travelers. To experience this hospitality firsthand, ensure you have the right travel documents, accessible here.
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4. Beaches and Scenic Coastal Areas
"Sri Lanka’s coastline is a place where sun meets sand, and every wave brings with it a sense of peace."
With over 1,300 kilometers of beautiful coastline, Sri Lanka offers something for everyone. The south coast is famous for relaxing beaches like Unawatuna and Mirissa, while the east coast’s Arugam Bay draws surfing enthusiasts from around the globe. To enjoy these beaches, start by obtaining a Sri Lanka visa.
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5. Tea Plantations and the Hill Country
"The heart of Sri Lanka beats in the hill country, where misty mountains and lush tea plantations stretch as far as the eye can see."
The central highlands of Sri Lanka, with towns like Ella and Nuwara Eliya, are dotted with tea plantations that produce some of the world’s finest teas. Visiting a tea plantation offers a chance to see tea processing and sample fresh brews, with the cool climate adding to the serene experience. Secure your entry to the hill country with a visa application.
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6. Sri Lankan Cuisine: A Feast for the Senses
"In Sri Lanka, food is more than sustenance — it’s an art form, a burst of flavors that range from spicy curries to sweet desserts."
Sri Lankan cuisine is a rich blend of spices and textures. Popular dishes like rice and curry, hoppers, and kottu roti offer a true taste of the island. Food tours and local markets provide immersive culinary experiences, allowing visitors to discover the flavors of Sri Lanka. For a trip centered on food and culture, start your journey here.
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parris khan
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Top Reasons to Go to Vietnam
There's just no dearth of things to do in Vietnam and you can be rest assured that your Vietnam getaways will not have a single dull moment. Vietnam tours are another name of enjoyable and excitement. There are lots of tour operators that conduct interesting Vietnam tours and journeys through a number of Vietnam bundle trip.
Holidaying in Vietnam is fantastic undoubtedly for sightseeing in Vietnam. The country is dotted with numerous well-known tourist websites in Vietnam. Amongst many places of interest in Vietnam astounding natural charm, tranquil villages, serene lakes, old pagodas, gorgeous lakes especially allure the travel freaks. Even the history fans like to discover the popular traveler destinations. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hoi An are significant cities of Vietnam that are frequented by visitors.
Sightseeing tours in Vietnam take the travelers to various places of historic, spiritual significance and Vietnam Culture Trip. Fantastic architecture of the citadels, royal tombs, temples and palaces is marvelous site. Dien Bien Phu, C? Loa citadel, Hoa Lo prison, Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and Ba Dinh square and Quang Tri are not to be missed out on while exploring in Vietnam.
Things to do in Vietnam give a broad variety of options. Some locations like Hoi Chin Minh City and Hanoi are finest locations to have trendy clothes and actual antique pieces. People also like to have Vietnam War- Army watches and military clothes as momentums of the nation.
Entertainment in Vietnam has numerous alternatives. Night life of Vietnam is pulsating and the celebration enthusiasts are thrilled by the revitalizing nightlife here. Vietnam tourist guide will assist you know more about nightlife in Vietnam. Pool, Nightclubs, bars, clubs are an usual website below. Even in the far-flung and remote mountainous areas like Sapa, Karaoke bars are popular amongst the different nightspots of Vietnam.
There are numerous bars and clubs in Ho Chin Minh City, vietnam tours, the most popular ones among them being Apocalypse Now, Q Bar, Underground Bar and Grill and Carmen Bar. Nha Trang too offers a selection of choices with regards to bars and bars. With these options, you certainly wouldn't need to stress over things to do in Vietnam after dusk sets in.
There's just no dearth of things to do in Vietnam and you can be rest assured that your Vietnam trips will not have a single dull moment. There are many trip operators that conduct remarkable Vietnam tours and moves through a number of vietnam holiday packages.
Holidaying in Vietnam is terrific certainly for sightseeing in Vietnam. Touring tours in Vietnam take the travelers to various places of historical, spiritual significance and Vietnam Culture Trip. Vietnam traveler guide will help you know more about night life in Vietnam.
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Vietnam
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idea models—models that are simple enough to study via mathematics or computers but that nonetheless capture fundamental properties of natural complex systems.
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Melanie Mitchell (Complexity: A Guided Tour)
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Tony Rothman points out, “Why the second law should distinguish between past and future while all the other laws of nature do not is perhaps the greatest mystery in physics.
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Melanie Mitchell (Complexity: A Guided Tour)
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Sweden’s capital is an expansive and peaceful place for solo travellers. It is made up of 14 islands, connected by 50 bridges all within Lake Mälaren which flows out into to the Baltic Sea. Several main districts encompass islands and are connected by Stockholm’s bridges. Norrmalm is the main business area and includes the train station, hotels, theatres and shopping. Őstermalm is more upmarket and has wide spaces that includes forest. Kungsholmen is a relaxed neighbourhood on an island on the west of the city. It has a good natural beach and is popular with bathers. In addition to the city of 14 islands, the Stockholm Archipelago is made up of 24,000 islands spread through with small towns, old forts and an occasional resort. Ekero, to the east of the city, is the only Swedish area to have two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the royal palace of Drottningholm, and the Viking village of Birka. Stockholm probably grew from origins as a place of safety – with so many islands it allowed early people to isolate themselves from invaders. The earliest fort on any of the islands stretches back to the 13th century. Today the city has architecture dating from that time. In addition, it didn’t suffer the bombing raids that beset other European cities, and much of the old architecture is untouched. Getting around the city is relatively easy by metro and bus. There are also pay‐as‐you‐go Stockholm City Bikes. The metro and buses travel out to most of the islands, but there are also hop on, hop off boat tours. It is well worth taking a trip through the broad and spacious archipelago, which stretches 80 kms out from the city. Please note that taxis are expensive and, to make matters worse, the taxi industry has been deregulated leading to visitors unwittingly paying extortionate rates. A yellow sticker on the back window of each car will tell you the maximum price that the driver will charge therefore, if you have a choice of taxis, choose
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Dee Maldon (The Solo Travel Guide: Just Do It)
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Trump’s understanding of his own essential nature was even more precise. Once, coming back on his plane with a billionaire friend who had brought along a foreign model, Trump, trying to move in on his friend’s date, urged a stop in Atlantic City. He would provide a tour of his casino. His friend assured the model that there was nothing to recommend Atlantic City. It was a place overrun by white trash. “What is this ‘white trash’?” asked the model. “They’re people just like me,” said Trump, “only they’re poor.
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Michael Wolff (Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House)
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There are underlying principles at play in nature, from the fields, quanta, and forces of the universe to the ebb and flow of complexity, emergence, and organization. Those principles form a language rich enough to transcend any separation in time or space-we just have to learn how to translate it all.
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Caleb Scharf (The Zoomable Universe: An Epic Tour Through Cosmic Scale, from Almost Everything to Nearly Nothing)
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Quel exploit d’avoir réussi à placer l’ensemble de l’humanité pensante devant des « écrans » de toutes sortes : ordinateurs, télévisions, cinémas et téléphones mobiles ; quel tour de force de l’avoir persuadée que ces moyens sophistiqués étaient de nature à favoriser la connaissance et la transmission du savoir !
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Charles-André Gilis
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I turn my face to the window as the train starts to move. Charles suggested I take the car, but I prefer this strange elevated route out of town, the rooftop tour of south London as the carriages rattle between spires and old smokestacks and the tips of poplars; the sudden glimpses into school playgrounds and street markets and quiet litter-strewn alleys, narrow avenues of blackened brick. Little by little the city falls away, like something giving up, and then the acoustics of the carriage change, and we're out in the open: meadows riven with streams, the fast blue shadows of clouds on the hills.
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Harriet Lane (Her)
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I do not intend to give a tour of the magnificent Himalayas to my readers. But the amazing behaviour of a herd of wild elephant at Kumai tea garden was a challenge to my personal and professional capabilities. It was a kind of clash of personality between men and nature.
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Maloy Krishna Dhar (Open Secrets: The Explosive Memoirs of an Indian Intelligence Officer)
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This wonderful hill station in Karnataka, often called the Scotland of India is one of the most alluring places to begin your love. Walk over the rolling hills or just sit and relax at the Alps of nature at Coorg. What should you do at Coorg?
• Walk over the bamboo bridge to the island of Cauvery Nisargadhama, located at the heart of the river or enjoy an elephant safari through the 64 acres’ bamboo groves of Cauvery Nisargadhama.
• Wash away all stress and be joyful at the Abbey Waterfalls; inhaling the aroma of spice plantations and pepper vines.
• Play with baby elephants at the Dubare Elephant Camp, trek through the jungles, boost your adrenaline with river rafting or enjoy fishing.
• Witness the beauty of Islamic architecture at the Omkareshwara Temple; the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
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Sophia Peterson (Sino-Soviet-American relations: Conflict, communication, and mutual threat (Monograph series in world affairs ; v. 16, books 1-2))
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Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
Outside of the major cities, the great majority of Cuba is agricultural or undeveloped. Cuba has a number of national parks where it is possible to see and enjoy some plants and animals that are truly unique to the region. Because it is relatively remote and limited in size, the Cuban Government has recognized the significance and sensitivity of the island’s biodiversity. It is for these reasons many of these parks have been set aside as protected areas and for the enjoyment of the people.
One of these parks is the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, named for Alexander von Humboldt a Prussian geographer, naturalist and explorer who traveled extensively in Latin America between 1799 and 1804. He explored the island of Cuba in 1800 and 1801. In the 1950’s during its time of the Cuban Embargo, the concept of nature reserves, on the island, was conceived with development on them continuing into the 1980’s, when a final sighting of the Royal Woodpecker, a Cuban subspecies of the ivory-billed woodpecker known as the “Campephilus principalis,” happened in this area. The Royal Woodpecker was already extinct in its former American habitats. This sighting in 1996, prompted these protected areas to form into a national park that was named Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. Unfortunately no further substantiated sightings of this species has bird has occurred and the species is now most likely extinct.
The park, located on the eastern end of Cuba, is tropical and mostly considered a rain forest with mountains and some of the largest rivers in the Caribbean. Because it is the most humid place in Cuba it can be challenging to hike. The park has an area of 274.67 square miles and the elevation ranges from sea level to 3,832 feet at top of El Toldo Peak. In 2001 the park was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Tours are available for those interested in learning more about the flora & fauna, wild life and the natural medicines that are indigenous to these jungles.
“The Exciting Story of Cuba” by award winning Captain Hank Bracker is available from Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, BooksAMillion.com and Independent Book Vendors. Read, Like & Share the daily blogs & weekly "From the Bridge" commentaries found on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and Captain Hank Bracker’s Webpage.
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Hank Bracker
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Now there is an attempt to reverse the history, to go back to the happy days when the principles of economic rationalism briefly reigned, gravely demonstrating that people have no rights beyond what they can gain in the labor market. And since now the injunction to "go somewhere else" won't work, the choices are narrowed to the workhouse prison or starvation, as a matter of natural law, which reveals that any attempt to help the poor only harms them—the poor, that is; the rich are miraculously helped thereby, as when state power intervenes to bail our investors after the collapse of the highly-toured Mexican "economic miracle," or to save failing banks and industries, or to bar Japan from American markets to allow domestic corporations to reconstruct the steel, automotive, and electronics industry in the 1980s (amidst impressive rhetoric about free markets by the most protectionist administration in the postwar era and its acolytes). And far more; this is the merest icing on the cake. But the rest are subject to the iron principles of economic rationalism, now sometimes called "tough love" by those who allocate the benefits.
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Noam Chomsky (Chomsky On Anarchism)
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La pensée moderne n'est pas, d'une façon définitive, une doctrine parmi d'autres, elle est ce qu'exige telle phase de son déroulement, et elle sera ce qu'en fera la science matérialiste et expérimentale, ou ce qu'en fera la machine; ce n'est plus l'intellect humain, c'est la machine - ou la physique, la chimie, la biologie - qui décident ce qu'est l'homme, ce qu'est l'intelligence, ce qu'est la vérité.
Dans ces conditions, l'esprit dépend de plus en plus du « climat » produit par ses propres créations : l'homme ne sait plus juger humainement, c'est-à-dire en fonction d'un absolu qui est la substance même de l'intelligence; s'égarant dans un relativisme sans issue, il se laisse juger, déterminer, classer par les contingences de la science et de la technique; ne pouvant échapper à la vertigineuse fatalité qu'elles lui imposent et ne voulant pas avouer son erreur (1), il ne lui reste plus qu'à abdiquer sa dignité d'homme et sa liberté.
C'est la science et la machine qui à leur tour créent l'homme, et c'est elles qui « créent Dieu », s'il est permis de s'exprimer ainsi (2); car le vide laissé par Dieu ne peut rester un vide, la réalité de Dieu et son empreinte dans la nature humaine exigent un succédané de divinité, un faux absolu qui puisse remplir le néant d'une intelligence privée de sa substance. On parle beaucoup d' « humanisme » à notre époque, mais on oublie que l'homme, dès lors qu'il abandonne ses prérogatives à la matière, à la machine et au savoir quantitatif cesse d'être réellement « humain ». (3)
(1) Il y a là comme une perversion de l'instinct de conservation, un besoin de consolider l'erreur pour avoir la conscience tranquille.
(2) Les spéculations teilhardiennes offrent un exemple frappant d'une théologie succombée aux microscopes et aux télescopes, aux machines et à leurs conséquences philosophiques et sociales, - « chute » qui serait exclue s'il y avait là la moindre connaissance intellective directe des réalisations immatérielles. Le côté « inhumain » de la dite doctrine est d'ailleurs très révélateur.
(3) Le plus intégralement « humain », c'est ce qui donne à l'homme les meilleurs chances pour l'au-delà, et c'est aussi, par là même, ce qui correspond le plus profondément à sa nature
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Frithjof Schuon (Understanding Islam)
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The idea of the existence of WIMPS fits with many cosmic measurements, including the inferred gravitational fields of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, the observation of gravitational lensing, and the patterns of the cosmic microwave background radiation. The snag is that no WIMP has ever been detected directly, and a number of Earth- bound experiments are actively searching for them. It's possible that instead of there being dark matter, there is something incomplete in our understanding of the nature of gravity itself.
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Caleb Scharf (The Zoomable Universe: An Epic Tour Through Cosmic Scale, from Almost Everything to Nearly Nothing)
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L'unité de l'homme primitif et de la nature est d'essence magique. L'homme ne se sépare vraiment de la nature qu'en la transformant par la technique et, la transformant, il la désacralise. Or l'emploi de la technique est subordonné à une organisation sociale. La société naît avec l'outil. Bien plus, l'organisation est la première technique cohérente de lutte contre la nature. L'organisation sociale - hiérarchisée puisque fondée sur l'appropriation privative - détruit peu à peu le lien magique existant entre l'homme et la nature, mais à son tour elle se charge de magie, elle crée entre elle et les hommes une unité mythique calquée sur leur participation au mystère de la nature.
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Raoul Vaneigem (The Revolution of Everyday Life)
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In the well reported Kubizek period from late 1904 through mid-1908, with its additiona data from the circumstances of failure at school, lung ailment, and tragic episode of his mother’s death, the picture remains the same. Hitler’s character is one of bold license for a youngster, but not directed toward dissolute behavior or activity that gives a hint of evil. Hitler devoured grand opera and classical music, painted, sketched, planned a great new Linz; he wrote sonnets, communed with nature, and exuded politeness and reserve. These are activities and qualities that suggest potential, although overblown, aspirations to artistic genius. What we see, like it or not, is morally laudable behavior and aspiration on the part of a young man in his teens. But is there a dark side somewhere in this picture?
If there were a dark side, it probably would have been the light gray of the contempt that he had for many of his school teachers and his resistance to formal education. Hitler’s comments in Mein Kampf support such contempt and are buoyed by his indelible comment, about his tour of the customs office where his father worked, that the clerks and officials squatted about as monkeys in cages.
-- Hitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny, p. 101
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Russel H.S. Stolfi (Hitler: Beyond Evil and Tyranny (German Studies))
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There are many faces to the horrors of war-- decimation, mutilation, barbarity, and, of course, death itself. But one of the most savage and dehumanizing consequences of armed conflict is the prison system that springs up to house enemy combatants--and ordinary citizens too. These hellish camps encapsulate the lowest depths of human depravity; ruled by violence and degeneracy, political prisoners are forced to endure unthinkable conditions and unchecked cruelty--all without any chance of reprieve. Uta Christensen's latest novel, Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life, chronicles this appalling consequence of war, weaving a narrative of atrocity that, despite its artful inventions and complex characters, is so starkly based on grim realities... that one cannot help but shudder.
Caught tells the story of Janos, a young German boy kidnapped by the Nazis during WWII--and forced into a Russian prison camp. There, Janos must survive against all odds, fighting off starvation and death at every turn as the years march on... and he becomes a man. It is, in fact, within the hardships of this very crucible, that Janos thrives, overcoming the frailties and ignobilities of existence to discover friendship, compassion, and love--making him into the apotheosis of an upstanding, self-reliant citizen: a true model to all his fellow countrymen.
Told in flashbacks, Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life explores the intricate nature of suffering and memory, delving into the complexities of how the past--even the most vicious episodes--informs the present... and the very nature of the self. Uta Christensen, with striking prose and a poetic sensibility, brings the darker chapters of history to life in such a way that one is instantly captivated by a concurrent horror and pity, a sense of tragedy, but too a catharsis in overcoming, in human resilience and beauty itself. A truly breathtaking novel, Caught is a tour de force of literary perfection; poignant, unremitting, and painfully real, this book is essential reading for all those willing to face hard truths--and grow from them.
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Phi Beta Kappa review, 5 Star Review by Charles Asher.
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In October, she spent three days on an official tour in Wales. This might have been a difficult tour. Unemployment in Wales was up to sixteen percent, and the economy was down. Traditionally, many Welsh had seen the British as snobs who believed that they were superior. Even the weather was against her as dark and cloudy skies scattered rain in her path.
To the surprise of many, crowds lined the streets to meet this new princess as she passed by shops, trailer courts, and rundown coal mines. She smiled and waved, and people in the streets waved and smiled back. They wanted to touch her, to talk to her, and to listen to her voice. She answered their comments easily and naturally. She asked some how far they had come for the procession. She asked others if they had been waiting long for her. She expressed surprise and delight at their loyalty to her. She graciously accepted hundreds of gifts--among them flowers, poems, and a Welsh heifer.
In Cardiff, she gave her first public speech as Diana, Princess of Wales. When she uttered a phrase in Welsh, the crowd roared their approval of her accent. As one spectator put it, Diana “speaks it like an angel, she does.
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Nancy Whitelaw (Lady Diana Spencer: Princess of Wales)
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In the meantime, Pat was enjoying his first solo conversation with Diana. Previously, he’d seen her only twice at our flat in London in 1980 and again at the prewedding ball in 1981. Pat had been waiting on the palace driveway by our car. Diana’s butler had come out and asked, “Are you Mr. Robertson?” Then he graciously said, “Please come inside.” Pat expected to be shown into the entrance hall to wait more comfortably. He was pleasantly surprised to be led upstairs into Diana’s elegant drawing room. There, Diana’s butler gave him coffee and the newspaper to read while Diana and I finished our tete-a-tete.
Pat was caught unawares when Diana breezed in to see him. Pat is six feet three inches tall, but he was struck by Diana’s height and by her natural good looks and vitality. He stood up, saying “Gosh, I don’t know what to call you.” Diana, unassuming and direct as always, replied, “Diana’s just fine.” They sat down together and had a short visit. Pat recalls that they talked about children, hers and ours, and our travel plans for Wales and Scotland. He couldn’t get over how unaffected and natural she was. He was thrilled finally to visit with the wonderful Diana I’d been talking about for years.
Pat asked if we’d taken any photographs yet. Diana said, “Yes, but would you like to take another one outside in the garden?” I had finished my coffee and the children had returned from their tour, so we all walked downstairs and out onto the front courtyard and lawn. With my camera, Pat took a picture of Diana standing with the children and me. Then Diana asked one of her staff, who was standing nearby, to use my camera so that Pat could be in a photograph. Then with hugs and good wishes all around, we returned to our car and drove slowly from Kensington Palace. I hated to leave Diana, not knowing when, or even if, we’d see her again.
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Mary Robertson (The Diana I Knew: Loving Memories of the Friendship Between an American Mother and Her Son's Nanny Who Became the Princess of Wales)
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The constant needle and edge in their working relationship is matched by a cloak of secrecy the warring offices throw around their rival operations. Diana had to use all her guile to tease out information from her husband’s office before she flew to Pakistan on her first major solo overseas tour last year. She was due to stopover in Oman where Prince Charles was trying to woo the Sultan to win funding for an architectural college. Curious by nature, Diana wanted to know more but realized that a direct approach to Prince Charles or his senior advisers would receive a dusty response. Instead she penned a short memo to the Prince’s private secretary, Commander Richard Aylard and asking innocently if there was anything in the way of briefing notes she needed for the short stopover in Oman. The result was that, as she was travelling on official Foreign Office business, the Prince was forced to reveal his hand.
In this milieu of sullen suspicion, secrecy is a necessary and constant companion. Caution is her watchword. There are plenty of eyes and ears as well as police video cameras to catch the sound of a voice raised in anger or the sight of an unfamiliar visitor. Tongues wag and stories circulate with electrifying efficiency. It is why, when she was learning about her bulimic condition, she hid books on the subject from prying eyes. She dare not bring home tapes from her astrology readings nor read the satirical magazine Private Eye with its wickedly accurate portrayal of her husband in case it attracts unfavourable comment. The telephone is her lifeline, spending hours chatting to friends: “Sorry about the noise, I was trying to get my tiara on,” she told one disconcerted friend.
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Andrew Morton (Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words)
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Waterfall by Maisie Aletha Smikle
Soothing water gushing from the rocks
Hastens to meet the rivers and streams
That meet in the ocean deep
Never to reach a mountain peak
Soft mist rises from the lunging gush
As crystal water plunges down in a rush
Carried by the gentle breeze
Like a balm it calms the soul with ease
It dims the heat and cools the air
Trickles on the grassy meadow
And on the sand beneath
Cooling pebbles for your feet
As you walk the sandy shore
Inhaling cool mist as you tour
And watch the little birds soar
Chirping and singing like never before
Beautiful waterfall
So splendid and so tall
Climb to the top
And view the backdrop
Mountains elegantly towering
Over hills and plains beneath
Casting shadows
On lush green meadows
Crystal clear water drops
Naturally pure to the very last drop
Nature is kind nature is fine
Nature is undoubtedly divine
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Maisie Aletha Smikle