Pictures
| “Broad, wholesome, charitable views ... can not be acquired by vegetating in one’s little corner of the earth.” -Mark Twain |
| Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise and rudely great: With too much knowledge for the skeptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic’s pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act or rest; In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer; Born but to die, and reasoning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his reason such, Whether he thinks too little or too much; Chaos of thought and passion, all confus’d; Still by himself abus’d, or disabus’d; Created half to rise, and half to fall; Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl’d; The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! -Alexander Pope |
| But we were born of risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. And so what shall we wonder at? Our murders and massacres and missles, and our irreconcilable regiments? Or our treaties whatever they may be worth; our symphonies however seldom they may be played; our peaceful acres, however frequently they may be converted to battlefields; our dreams however rarely they may be accomplished. The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. We are known among the stars by our poems, not our corpses. By Robert Ardrey |
| “A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives.” -Jackie Robinson |
| "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances that they want, and if they can’t find them, make them." -George Bernard Shaw |
| "Never say 'no' to adventures. Always say 'yes' otherwise you'll lead a very dull life." -Ian Fleming, author of the Bond books |
| “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.” -Marcel Proust |
| "The last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way." -Viktor Frankl |
| “You cannot hope to solve a problem on the same level on which it was created.” -Albert Einstein |
| “The mind is not to be filled with knowledge from without, like a vessel, but to be kindled and awakened. The growth of knowledge resembles the growth of Fruit; however external causes may in some degree cooperate, it is internal vigor, and virtue of the tree, that must ripen the juices to their just maturity.” |
| “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose that holy curiosity.” -Albert Einstein |
| "Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." -George Bernard Shaw |
| Hey yo, These are some serious times that we livin' in G. And a new world order is about to begin. And the question is, Are you ready for the real revolution, Which is the evolution of the mind. If you seek, then you shall find, That we all grew from the divine. You dig what I'm sayin'? Now if you take heed to the words of wisdom that are written on the walls of life, Then universally we will stand, And divided we will fall, Because love conquers all. You understand what I'm sayin'? This is a call to all you sleepin' souls, Wake up, and take control of your own cipher. And be on the lookout for the spirit sniper, Tryin' to steal your light. Ya know what I'm sayin'? Look withinside youself for peace, Give thanks, live life, and release. You dig me? You got me? -Flava Flav |
| The Newtonian Worldview |
| Jackie and Bear watching the sun set over the River Kwae. |
| Bear is all smiles as he gets to run wild. |
| The goal with this website/blog is to help inspire both myself and others to take advantage of life and not to waste away time. To seek knowledge through reading and traveling and any other way that helps you grow as a person. Remember, travelling isn't all about checking places off a list and photo-ops (though I myself am quite susceptible to both of these conditions). Meet people. Love people. Learn from people. Also, reading needs to be done between the lines. Try to incorporate some sort of thinking. Decide what you consider success to be and make it happen. That being said, this website is dedicated to all of my teammates in the game of life. Those who have supported me in every conceivable way and who have allowed me opportunities far beyond what I have deserved or could have dreamed of experiencing on my own. This includes family, friends, and anyone who has extended me a kind act or gesture when I needed it. I thank you all and I feel that I have been truly blessed by your presence in my life. -Newton Piper |