Quote of the day

Quote of the day / 23.10.2009

"Good and bad are too arbitrary. The value of philanthropy and other investments we make in our society need to be measured in terms of smart and dumb." Robert Egger ~ Philanthropist and founder of the DC Central Kitchen, author of Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient, and Rewarding for All Profound statement Egger made following his address to donors and borrowers of Forward Community Investments, a Madison-based Community Development Financial Institution that lends money to nonprofits for strategic fiscal improvements...

Cycling, Outdoor Recreation, Quote of the day / 19.10.2009

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge ~ (30th President of the United States, 1872-1933) Photo by James Edward Mills...

Commentary, Quote of the day / 22.09.2009

DeepWater

“I believe that (anyone’s) life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement, if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day, and as nearly as possible reaching the high water mark of pure and useful living.”

Booker T. Washington ~ American educator and reformer, first developer of Tuskegee Normal (1856-1915) Photo by Christine Lucas I should be packing my bags for an 850-mile Joy Trip. Flooding in Atlanta have me a bit nervous to make the drive. I’m afraid this photograph is a precursor of what lies ahead.  I’m not sure what to expect. But that’s what makes it an adventure. I’m heading to the “Breaking the Color Barrier to the Great American Outdoors” conference, perhaps into to deep water. And I’m going to try hard not to pick a fight.
Quote of the day / 18.09.2009

Smiles1

"A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature's best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give."

-- believed to be based on the writings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) a German rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Photo by John Urban
Quote of the day / 17.09.2009

“Fear is your best friend or your worst enemy. It's like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you; it can heat your house. If you can't control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy you. If you can control your fear, it makes you more alert, like a deer coming across the lawn.” Mike Tyson ~ Former heavy-weight boxing champion (1966- ) Photo by Joseph Mikus This photograph along with several others was taken by Joseph Mikus during a massive wildfire that raged along the...