Life is full of boundaries; a life lived within them is a life not worth living at all.

–Altheides, 13th century Cypriot philosopher

this quote has tattoo potential…but only the original greek alphabet

Possession, which cloys Man, only increases the affection of Woman.

My mantra isn’t working.

Since He had obtained her favours, He was become dearer to her than ever, and She felt grateful to him for the pleasures, in which they had equally been Sharers. Unfortunately as her passion grew ardent, Ambrosio’s grew cold; The very marks of her fondness excited his disgust, and its excess served to exstinguish the flame, which already burned but feebly in his bosom.

I don’t know why I think I can do this, or why it would work out the way I intended. Probably because I always lie to myself about my intentions.

Matilda could not but remark that her society seemed less agreeable…He no longer gazed upon her with affection, or applauded her sentiments with a Lover’s partiality. This Matilda well perceived, and redoubled her efforts to revive those sentiments, which He once had felt. She could not but fail, since He considered as importunities, the pains which She took to please him, and was disgusted by the very means which She used to recall the Wanderer.

I’d like to blame everything on bad timing, but Matthew Lewis’ The Monk won’t allow me that denial. At least I’ll be gone in a month, and then what’s going on between us will have to end, and I can finally stop kidding myself.

’ήλθες έγω δέ ς’ έμαιόμαν,
’όν δ’ ’έψνξας ’έμαν φρέένχ χαιομέναν πόθωι

you came and I was crazy for you
and you cooled my mind that burned with longing

–Fragment 48

ούη ο’ιδ’ ’όττι θέω
δύο μοι τά υοήματα

I don’t know what to do
two states of mind in me

–Fragment 51

[Princess Stephanie of Monaco]
There’s Something
I Have To Say To You
If You Promise You’ll
Understand
I Cannot Contain Myself
When In Your Presence
I’m So Humble
Touch Me
Don’t Hide Our Love
Woman To Man

(more…)

Exerpt from Holy Terrors: Thinking about Religion after September 11 by Bruce Lincoln:

In December 1941 the Japanese general staff meant to deliver a definitive first strike that would end the war with a single blog by crippling American military capacities. Those who planned and executed the attacks of September 11 can hardly have expected to do anything on that order.
Rather, as I have suggested, their goal was to make a point: to demonstrate that, all appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, they possessed a power infinitely superior to their adversary’s and of an entirely different order. In contrast to the imperial Japanese, the Islamists designed their assault more for sign value than use value…Not Pearl Harbor: they were meant to be Hiroshima. That is to say, a spectacular event in which sign value and use value supported each other and were meant to display power that was not only overwhelming and decisive, but unprecedented and incomparable. Those who suffered such attacks were presumably meant first to surrender and thereafter to refashion their culture after that of the victors.

Following this logic, the US must either admit Hiroshima was at least a misjudged (if not unjustified) act of terror, or acknowledge a level of moral justification on behalf of al Qaeda for the attacks on 9/11.