Michael Jordan

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Nation's Strength

What makes a nation's pillars high
And it's foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome

Dr. Seuss

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” 

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” 

Ernest Hemingway

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?”

We Were Evergreen

HBO's NEWSROOM Opening scene "Why America's Not the Greatest Country"

I have been watching this show religiously ever since I saw this little segment several weeks ago. I could not help but agree wholeheartedly with his argument.  As I have attempted to inform myself better about my country and about where I stand politically, over the past several years, I have mostly become frustrated and saddened by how selfish and petty we have become.  Then, being the son of a historiaholic, who dragged me around the country almost deifying all the great men that established our laws and who fought to make this country great, I was often reminded of the days when this county truly was great. 
I love this country and I feel so blessed to have been born a citizen of it, however we each have a responsibility as such.  As he states in the clip, we need to inform ourselves and realize we can do better.  Our government was established to be "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people".  If we, as the people will inform ourselves and then act in accordence with our beliefs, instead of just stand back, then "change" can truly come.

Scilla Elworthy: Fighting with non-violence

Of Monsters and Men - Love Love Love (Live on KEXP)

Beautiful song.  When I play it I like to change the lyrics at the end of the first verse though.   I think it should be "Well maybe, I know" instead of "Well baby, I know "

Don Tapscott: Four principles for the open world