JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" [Owen Meany] said crossly. "LOOK AT THOSE WEIRDO TV MIRACLE-WORKERS--THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC! BUT THE REAL MIRACLES AREN'T ANYTHING YOU CAN SEE--THEY'RE THINGS YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. IF SOME PREACHER'S AN ASSHOLE, THAT'S NOT PROOF THAT GOD DOESN'T EXIST!
“I am never alone wherever I am. The air itself supplies me with a century of love. When I breathe in, I am breathing in the laughter, tears, victories, passions, thoughts, memories, existence, joys, moments, and the hues of the sunlight on many tones of skin; I am breathing in the same air that was exhaled by many before me. The air that bore them life. And so how can I ever say that I am alone?”
“It is often said that there are very few places left on earth that have yet to be discovered. But those who say this are usually referring to places that exist at the human scale. Take a magnifying glass to any part of your house and you will find a whole new world to explore. Use a powerful microscope and you will find another, complete with a zoo of living organisms of the most fantastic nature. Alternatively, use a telescope and a whole universe of possibilities will open up before you.”
“I didn't just love him…I needed him. Not in some desperate "you complete me" sort of way. No, Vincent didn’t make me whole. He improved me. Something about him—something I didn't understand—had a way of amplifying the good in my nature while muting the bad. He was a catalyst for my soul. I didn't need him in order to exist...I needed him in order to be a better me.”
“She was an extension of his dreams. A sprinkling of magic dust, of unfeasible wishes, on his stable existence. The one thing-the one bright, marvelous thing-he wanted more than the world, but didn't deserve. However much he was tortured for her sake, however much blood he had spilled to protect her, the bruises to his body and the thrashings to his sanity, it would never be enough to make a wretch like him worthy of such a miracle.”
“I take it that the intent of science is to ease human existence. If you give way to coercion, science can be crippled, and your new machines may simply suggest new drudgeries. Should you, then, in time, discover all there is to be discovered, your progress must become a progress away from the bulk of humanity. The gulf might even grow so wide that the sound of your cheering at some new achievement would be echoed by a universal howl of horror.”
“This year's nominations are a true reflection of the diversity that currently exists in Latin music -- not only across genres but across generations as well, ... In our sixth year, the spotlight continues to shine not only on established performers but on emerging singers and songwriters and the creative professionals who usually remain behind the scenes. It's inspiring to see so many albums, songs, and music makers getting due recognition from their peers, as well as such a cross section of genres being recognized. There will be much to celebrate on November 3.”
“Monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated great success as human therapeutics, with over 17 approved for human therapeutic use and an increasing number of these proteins in clinical development, ... We expect the demand for more potent anti-cancer monoclonal antibodies and for lower production costs to increase at a rate that will tax existing cell culture production systems. The introduction of this new chicken-based production technology will be of considerable interest to an industry coping with the commercial supply of an ever-increasing number of therapeutic antibodies.”
“The fact that the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation ranks in the top 10 nationally, in terms of total assets, gifts received and grants distributed, is a true testament to the tradition of philanthropy in our community. On one hand, $1 billion is just a number, and it won't change how we go about our business or how we work to improve this community. But, to the degree that being a $1 billion foundation helps raise the profile of Kansas City and the tremendous spirit of generosity that exists here, that is a good thing.”
“The curse which lies upon marriage is that too often the individuals are joined in their weakness rather than in their strength /each asking from the other instead of finding pleasure in giving. It is even more deceptive to dream of gaining through the child a plenitude, a warmth, a value, which one is unable to create for oneself; the child brings joy only to the woman who is capable of disinterestedly desiring the happiness of another, to one who without being wrapped up in self seeks to transcend her own existence.”