The dominant type of humor in the '60s was essentially defensive and self-deprecating, using humor as a shield.

The Chinese had gunpowder, but it didn't occur to them to put it in a gun. They possessed the compass but didn't go anywhere. They invented paper, printing, and a written form of their language, but hardly anyone in China was taught to read.

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please.

The collegiate idealists who fill the ranks of the environmental movement seem willing to do absolutely anything to save the biosphere, except take science courses and learn something about it.

We need a government, alas, because of the nature of humans.

Harvard has been almost as important to the American Jewish community as the pork-sausage industry.

Lust, Pride, Sloth, and Gluttony, or, as we call them these days, "getting in touch with your sexuality," "raising your self-esteem," "relaxation therapy," and "being a recovered bulimic."