The profession of shaman has many advantages. It offers high status with a safe livelihood free of work in the dreary, sweaty sense. In most societies it offers legal privileges and immunities not granted to other men. But it is hard to see how a man who has been given a mandate from on High to spread tidings of joy to all mankind can be seriously interested in taking up a collection to pay his salary; it causes one to suspect that the shaman is on the moral level of any other con man. But it is a lovely work if you can stomach it.

No matter where or what, there are makers, takers, and fakers.

The mind's ability to rationalize it's own shortcomings is unlimited; I am no exception.

It was better to live with disappointment and frustration than to live without hope.

For me, politeness is a sine qua non of civilization.

I woke up in bed with a man and a cat. The man was a stranger; the cat was not

Audacity, always audacity - soundest principal of strategy.