The modern American tourist now fills his experience with pseudo-events. He has come to expect both more strangeness and more familiarity than the world naturally offers. He has come to believe that he can have a lifetime of adventure in two weeks and all the thrills of risking his life without any real risk at all.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.

The hero was distinguished by his achievement; the celebrity by his name or trademark.

Standing, standing, standing - why do I have to stand all the time? That is the main characteristic of social Washington.

More appealing than knowledge itself is the feeling of knowledge.

The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name.

The great obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents, and the oceans was not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.