Usual Quotes - Page 8

During the Blitz, a lot of shops had their windows blown in and put up notices saying, 'More open than usual'. I now declare this place more open than usual.

Prince Philip

Classic, Window, Blitz

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Greatness, generally speaking, is an unusual quantity of a usual quality grafted upon a common man.

William Allen White

Men, Greatness, Quality

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Everyone seems to be playing well within the boundaries of his usual rule set. I have yet to hear anyone say something that seemed likely to mitigate the idiocy of this age.

John Perry Barlow

Age, Boundaries, Idiocy

"Terrorism and Democracy in Madrid". Personal blog "BarlowFriendz", March 10, 2005.

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Once we know the plot and its surprises, we can appreciate a book's artistry without the usual confusion and sap flow of emotion, content to follow the action with tenderness and interest, all passion spent. Rather than surrender to the story or the characters - as a good first reader ought - we can now look at how the book works, and instead of swooning over it like a besotted lover begin to appreciate its intricacy and craftmanship. Surprisingly, such dissection doesn't murder the experience. Just the opposite: Only then does a work of art fully live.

Michael Dirda

Art, Book, Passion

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One the one hand, our economists treat human beings as rational actors making choices to maximize their own economic benefit. On the other hand, the same companies that hire those economists also pay for advertising campaigns that use the raw materials of myth and magic to encourage people to act against their own best interests, whether it's a matter of buying overpriced fizzy sugar water or the much more serious matter of continuing to support the unthinking pursuit of business as usual in the teeth of approaching disaster.

John Michael Greer

Hands, People, Water

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There is nothing beginning nor end to the imagination but it delights in its own seasons reversing the usual order at will.

William Carlos Williams

Order, Imagination, Delight

William Carlos Williams (1971). “Imaginations”, p.35, New Directions Publishing

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If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual.

Donald A. Norman

Thinking, People, Buying

"The Design of Everyday Things". Book by Donald Norman, Ch. 1, p. 8, 2002.

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I imagine a future aircraft, which will take off vertically, fly as usual, and land vertically. This flying machine should have no moving parts. This idea came from the huge power of cyclones.

Henri Coanda

Moving, Should Have, Land

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Like you, I'm fed up with business as usual in Washington. Send me to Congress, and I won't tweak our broken system. I'll shut it down.

Francine Busby

Aggravation, Broken, Like You

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I can't say whether we had more wit among us now than usual, but I am certain we had more laughing, which answered the end as well.

Oliver Goldsmith

Laughing, Alcohol, Ends

Oliver Goldsmith, David Masson (1869). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith”, p.83

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The usual terminology of political language is stupid. What is 'left' and what is 'right'? Why should Hitler be 'right' and Stalin, his temporary friend, be 'left'? Who is 'reactionary' and who is 'progressive'? Reaction against an unwise policy is not to be condemned. And progress towards chaos is not to be commended.

Ludwig von Mises

Stupid, Political Language, Progress

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I have been reading the morning paper. I do it every morning-knowing well that I shall find in it the usual depravities and basenesses and hypocrisies and cruelties that make up civilization, and cause me to put in the rest of the day pleading for the damnation of the human race. I cannot seem to get my prayers answered, yet I do not despair.

Mark Twain

Morning, Prayer, Reading

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In HEATHEN, R. Flowers Rivera remixes the classical and the Biblical, the usual and the typical until what we thought we knew of ourselves and others is new again. The mythic becomes particular; the particular becomes mythic in these fascinating poems of personalities and personas. Rivera’s work is rich in empathy and invention. Heathen is a book of psalms for the present day.

Terrance Hayes

Flower, Book, Biblical

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Ninety-eight percent of all American companies have fewer than 100 employees. Over half of all Americans work for a small business. Small businesses are the backbone of our nation’s economy and we must protect this great resource.....Helping American small business is part of our movement for change and the end of politics as usual.

Barack Obama

Eight, Movement, Half

"Obama Tries to Retract Statement to End Billions in Contracting Fraud" by Lloyd Chapman, www.huffingtonpost.com. November 20, 2008.

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When we step out of our normal world and leave behind us all the usual barriers and prejudices, we tend to become more adventurous.

Paulo Coelho

Prejudice, World, Steps

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The journalistic tradition so exalts novelty and flashy discovery, as reputable and newsworthy, that standard accounts for the public not only miss the usual activity of science but also, and more unfortunately, convey a false impression about what drives research.

Stephen Jay Gould

Discovery, Missing, Research

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Jones looks like he wants to slug me, which is only subtly different from his usual way of looking at me like I'm a slug.

Holly Black

Different, Looks, Slugs

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It was a crazy idea. But, as usual, that’s all Percy had.

Rick Riordan

Crazy, Ideas, Crazy Ideas

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How much do they be paying you?" he asked mellowly. "The usual salary. A little more than they think I'm worth and a little less than I think I'm worth.

Betty Smith

Thinking, Salary, Littles

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As usual, no one's ever around when you need them.

Tiffanie DeBartolo

Needs

"How to kill a rock star". Book by Tiffanie DeBartolo, 2005.

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Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me. When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is. This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones. My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated. -Prisoner 24601

Richelle Mead

Dresses, Stories, Fabric

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She sits in her usual ample armchair, with piles of books and unopened magazines around her. She sips cautiously from the mug of weak herb tea which is now her substitute for coffee. At one time she thought that she could not live without coffee, but it turned out that it is really the warm large mug she wants in her hands, that is the aid to thought or whatever it is she practices through the procession of hours, or of days.

Alice Munro

Coffee, Book, Hands

Alice Munro (2011). “New Selected Stories”, p.421, Random House

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King Drowden has given his men instructions to infiltrate the town, bribe townspeople for the secrets of their neighbors, steal the neighbors’ hidden treasures. Much more subtle than Drowden’s usual smash and burn technique. We do hope Drowden isn’t growing a brain.

Kristin Cashore

Kings, Men, Secret

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Hey!" I exclaimed, seeing the total. "They're charging me retail. Glenn!" I complained. "They can't do that." I shook it at him. "I shouldn't have to pay retail!" "What did you expect? You can keep that. It's your copy." I sat back in a huff and shoved it in my bag with my sticky scarf as he typed his slow, painful way through my report. "Where's this human compassion I keep hearing about?" "That's it, baby doll," he said, voice smoother than usual. He was laughing at me.

Kim Harrison

Baby, Compassion, Voice

Kim Harrison (2013). “Black Magic Sanction”, p.35, HarperCollins UK

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I woke up this morning,” Gabriel said, “thinking of nothing more than rolling over and pulling you into my arms and kissing you again. Kissing: only kissing. As if I were a green boy of fourteen. In case you don’t realize it, Kate, kissing is not a man’s usual inclination in the morning.

Eloisa James

Morning, Kissing, Boys

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