Today's Words of Wisdom - October 23, 2015

Today is the birthday of the following people:

Michael Eric Dyson (1958 - ):

“Charity is no substitute for justice. If we never challenge a social order that allows some to accumulate wealth--even if they decide to help the less fortunate--while others are short-changed, then even acts of kindness end up supporting unjust arrangements. We must never ignore the injustices that make charity necessary, or the inequalities that make it possible.”

and

“The writer's gift can make us see ourselves and our morals differently than our reality suggests.”

and

“Justice is what love sounds like when it speaks in public.”

Augusten Burroughs (1965 - ):

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

and

“Your mind is like an unsafe neighborhood; don't go there alone.”

“Weird” Al Yankovic (1959 - ):

"As my father used to tell me, the only true sign of success in life is being able to do for a living that which makes you happy."

Johnny Carson (1925 – 2005):

“Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.”

Gordon Korman (1963 - ):

“Ask yourself: 'Do I feel the need to laminate?' Then teaching is for you.”

Sam Raimi (1959 - ):

“That's what heroic stories do for us. They show us the way. They remind us of the good we are capable of.”

Ang Lee (1954 - ):

“In my culture, there's a tradition that when you're in an overwhelming situation and you don't know what to do, you put yourself in a woman's shoes.”

and

“Sensitivity and money are like parallel lines. They don't meet.”

Michael Crichton (1942 – 2008):

“Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled.”

and

“I am certain there is too much certainty in the world.”

and

“In the information society, nobody thinks. We expect to banish paper, but we actually banish thought.”

It is also “Mole Day,” a day celebrated among chemists and chemistry students on October 23, between 6:02 AM and 6:02 PM, making the date 6:02 10/23, which aligns with Avogadro's number, (approximately 6.02×1023) defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in one mole of substance. Every year, there is a “theme” to “Mole Day.” This year’s theme is “May the Moles Be With You.”