"Nature gropes and blunders and performs the crudest acts. There is no steady advance upward. There is no design."

“And once I knew a meditative rose That never raised its head from bowing down, Yet drew its inspiration from the stars. It bloomed and faded here beside the road, And, being a poet, wrote on empty air With fragrance all the beauty of its soul.”

“To enable men to exercise that power is the object of protection.”

Source : Henry Charles Carey (1853). “The slave trade, domestic and foreign: why it exists, and how it may be extinguished”, p.393

“Sometimes the best moment to sing a victory song is in the middle of your battle.”

Source : Twitter post from Feb 24, 2014

“Vermouth always makes me brilliant unless it makes me idiotic.”

Source : E. F. Benson (2015). “The Collected Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated): Dodo Trilogy, Queen Lucia, Miss Mapp, David Blaize, The Room in The Tower, Paying Guests, The Relentless City, The Angel of Pain, The Rubicon and more”, p.136, e-artnow

“I am a big believer in the value of traveling while you are young. The experiences you have in other countries can inspire greatness.”

“Refuse to accept the belief that your professional relevance, career success or financial security turns on the next update on the latest technology. Sometimes it's good to put the paddle down and just let the canoe glide.”

“When I look out [the window] at the big houses on either side of the road, it's obvious we've entered the rich side of town. Poor people don't post signs like NO TRESPASSING, PRIVATE DRIVE, PRIVATE PROPERTY, MONITORED BY CAMERA SURVEILLANCE. I should know because I've been poor my entire life, and the only person I know who ever posted a sign like these is my friend...and he actually stole the sign off a rich guy's yard.”

“'Good as Gone' goes from zero to 60 in under six seconds and never lets off the gas! If you like your thrillers filled with nonstop action in a race against time through Europe's underbelly, hop in and take a ride.”