Mars has long exerted a pull on the human imagination. The erratically moving red star in the sky was seen as sinister or violent by the ancients: The Greeks identified it with Ares, the god of war; the Babylonians named it after Nergal, god of the underworld. To the ancient Chinese, it was Ying-huo, the fire planet.
John Updike
Related I like to open for a band as it brings on sort of a challenge and it makes things more interesting. ... KELLY JONES The Bible is God's chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show yo... HENRY WARD BEECHER She said 'Over my dead body!' so I took her at her word. DIANA WYNNE JONES The end of the world is a strange concept. The world is always ending, and the end is always being a... NEIL GAIMAN What is the Other?" they ask. The Other is the one who taught me whatI should be like, but not ... PAULO COELHO Some revelations have been reserved for the last days for God to accomplish His original plan. PST ADELAJA SUNDAY God is not impressed with what PRECEDES your name, but how you PROCEED in His Name." BJ NELSON Look, my friends!' he called. 'Here's a pretty hobbit-skin to wrap an elven princeling in! If it wer... J.R.R. TOLKIEN Hail to you gods, on that day of the great reckoning. Behold me, I have come to you, without sin, wi... THE BOOK OF THE DEAD When a man takes one step toward God, God takes more steps toward that man than there are sands in t... THE WORK OF THE CHARIOT How do you know they are Hunters?" Lucien asked. "They had guns and knives strapped to their bo... GENA SHOWALTER To get over the past, you first have to accept that the past is over. No matter how many times you r... MANDY HALE Here was one with an air of high nobility such as Aragorn at times revealed, less high perhaps, yet ... J.R.R. TOLKIEN God has the capacity to look at the world through two lenses. When God looks at a painful or wicked ... JOHN PIPER The unfortunate thing is that, sometimes, we slip, but, fortunately, consciously or unconsciously, w... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH Sink the Bible to the bottom of the sea, and man's obligation to God would be unchanged. He would ha... HENRY WARD BEECHER She herself is a haunted house. She does not possess herself; her ancestors sometimes come and peer ... ANGELA CARTER The profound ability to use aural and written language has enabled our species to collectively explo... KATHERINE VUCICEVIC No, sweet one. See, my precious: if we has it, then we can escape, even from Him, eh? Perhaps we gro... J.R.R. TOLKIEN Without God there could be no American form of government nor an American way of life. Recognition o... DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained. QUEEN ELIZABETH II Like all best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and... QUEEN ELIZABETH II My husband has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years, and I owe him a debt greater ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II It is easy enough to define what the Commonwealth is not. Indeed this is quite a popular pastime. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have to be seen to be believed. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughou... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana's loss, ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I myself prefer my New Zealand eggs for breakfast. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The British constitution has always been puzzling and always will be. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but t... QUEEN ELIZABETH II To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in th... QUEEN ELIZABETH II What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something e... QUEEN ELIZABETH II To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts an... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Grief is the price we pay for love. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a nobl... QUEEN ELIZABETH II At Christmas, I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Chr... QUEEN ELIZABETH II For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses w... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your s... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendor that are g... QUEEN ELIZABETH II We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the man... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Madam President, speaking here in Dublin Castle it is impossible to ignore the weight of history, as... QUEEN ELIZABETH II These wretched babies don't come until they are ready. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II The events that I have attended to mark my Diamond Jubilee have been a humbling experience. It has t... QUEEN ELIZABETH II In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognise how precious is the peace ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters... QUEEN ELIZABETH II No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have been aware all the time that my peoples, spread far and wide throughout every continent and o... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Those who worry stumble long The Way. Those who pray have no time to stray. ERROL ANTHONY SMYTHE I don't know if I have a favorite color. KATE MIDDLETON It's very special having a new little girl. KATE MIDDLETON The rules only applied to people who couldn’t afford different rules. CAMERON STRACHER When you live in the present, the past is forgotten & the future takes care of itself. MANDY HALE When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. SUN TZU It is no bad thing celebrating a simple life. J.R.R. TOLKIEN Though he walked and breathed, and about him living leaves and flowers were stirred by the same cool... J.R.R. TOLKIEN We'll sort of get over the marriage first and then maybe look at the kids. But obviously we want... PRINCE WILLIAM Family is the most important thing in the world. PRINCESS DIANA You philosophers are lucky men. You write on paper and paper is patient. Unfortunate Empress that I ... CATHERINE THE GREAT With the right help, children have a good chance of overcoming their issues while they are still you... KATE MIDDLETON As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. KING SOLOMON I don't mind a big fascinator. I think there is more scope for artwork in a fascinator rather th... ZARA PHILLIPS I was always told from the hat-makers that you should have your hair up because it shows the hat mor... ZARA PHILLIPS I don't think I'll still be riding at 40. There are a couple of people who are still riding ... ZARA PHILLIPS My dad's not a big talker. ZARA PHILLIPS My dad can be pretty critical sometimes. ZARA PHILLIPS I'd love to have kids, but not at the moment. ZARA PHILLIPS You cannot make horses 'safe.' ZARA PHILLIPS Virtually everything that gets printed about me is wrong anyway, so it doesn't really matter wha... ZARA PHILLIPS It's stupid to say that I don't like being in the public eye, but I don't like doing stu... ZARA PHILLIPS I'm an affectionate person. ZARA PHILLIPS People still text me to say that there is something about me in the paper, and what really annoys me... ZARA PHILLIPS Sometimes people will come up in the street and say: 'My daughter loves you, will you sign an au... ZARA PHILLIPS Taking part in an Olympics on home ground is something you dream about. ZARA PHILLIPS My brother and I have been able to get on and have been very lucky to do things with our family that... ZARA PHILLIPS I don't think about the media. ZARA PHILLIPS I love the sport and being competitive. ZARA PHILLIPS The horses are all characters, all personalities. Some you get along with, some you don't, some ... ZARA PHILLIPS I hate having my picture taken. ZARA PHILLIPS Unfortunately in sport it's either good or bad. You've got to take the highs and the lows. ZARA PHILLIPS My mother is massively into sailing, so we always had Musto clothes, and it went on from there, real... ZARA PHILLIPS The senior members of the royal family work very hard and I don't think people quite realise tha... ZARA PHILLIPS In our sport you're very lucky to find a horse of a lifetime and I found mine relatively early. ... ZARA PHILLIPS I don't have a stylist, and I do most of my shopping online, just because it's easier. I don... ZARA PHILLIPS I think Facebook's dangerous. So many people I know get into trouble with Facebook... I'd ra... ZARA PHILLIPS I'm not a princess anyway so I find that quite weird to be labelled as one. ZARA PHILLIPS Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs. KING JAMES I My dear mamma is quite right when she says that we must lay down principles and not depart from them... MARIE ANTOINETTE I never make a trip to the United States without visiting a supermarket. To me they are more fascina... WALLIS SIMPSON PS: It's all gossip about the prince. I'm not in the habit of taking my girlfriends' bea... WALLIS SIMPSON I am so anxious for you not to abdicate and I think the fact that you do is going to put me in the w... WALLIS SIMPSON I hate this place. I shall hate it to my grave. WALLIS SIMPSON I look a hundred and weigh 110 - you won't love me when you see the wreck England has made me. WALLIS SIMPSON A woman's life can really be a succession of lives, each revolving around some emotionally compe... WALLIS SIMPSON Never explain, never complain. WALLIS SIMPSON You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance. WALLIS SIMPSON
More John Updike
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JOHN UPDIKE We are most alive when we're in love. JOHN UPDIKE Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life. JOHN UPDIKE Each morning my characters greet me with misty faces willing, though chilled, to muster for another ... JOHN UPDIKE Writing criticism is to writing fiction and poetry as hugging the shore is to sailing in the open se... JOHN UPDIKE Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better. JOHN UPDIKE Art is like baby shoes. When you coat them with gold, they can no longer be worn. JOHN UPDIKE Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer c... JOHN UPDIKE The Internet doesn't like you to learn too much about explosives. JOHN UPDIKE I should mention something that nobody ever thinks about, but proofreading takes a lot of time. Afte... JOHN UPDIKE All love comes from the family. 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JOHN UPDIKE I picked up 'On Moral Fiction' in the bookstore and looked up myself in the index, but I did... JOHN UPDIKE I see no intrinsic reason why a doubly talented artist might not arise and create a comic-strip nove... JOHN UPDIKE The refusal to rest content, the willingness to risk excess on behalf of one's obsessions, is what d... JOHN UPDIKE Perfectionism is the enemy of creation, as extreme self-solitude is the enemy of well-being. JOHN UPDIKE America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy. JOHN UPDIKE We are most alive when we're in love. JOHN UPDIKE Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better. JOHN UPDIKE Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them. JOHN UPDIKE Critics are like pigs at the pastry cart. JOHN UPDIKE Life is like an overlong drama through which we sit being nagged by the vague memories of having rea... JOHN UPDIKE The cinema has done more for my spiritual life than the church. My ideas of fame, success and beauty... JOHN UPDIKE You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it ... JOHN UPDIKE I know more about what it's like to be elderly and infirm and kind of stupid, the way you get fo... JOHN UPDIKE Eros is everywhere. It is what binds. JOHN UPDIKE There should always be something gratuitous about art, just as there seems to be, according to the n... JOHN UPDIKE Toni Morrison has a habit, perhaps traceable to the pernicious influence of William Faulkner, of plu... JOHN UPDIKE He had a sensation of anxiety and shame, a sensitivity acute beyond usefulness, as if the nervous sy... JOHN UPDIKE For male and female alike, the bodies of the other sex are messages signaling what we must do, they ... JOHN UPDIKE The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood. JOHN UPDIKE Old age treats freelance writers pretty gently. 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JOHN UPDIKE What art offers is space – a certain breathing room for the spirit. JOHN UPDIKE The firmest house in my fiction, probably, is the little thick-walled sandstone farmhouse of 'Th... JOHN UPDIKE Her sentences march under a harsh sun that bleaches color from them but bestows a peculiar, invigora... JOHN UPDIKE I have never liked haircuts. JOHN UPDIKE New York is a city with virtually no habitable public space - only private spaces expensively mainta... JOHN UPDIKE Imagine writing a poem with a sweating, worried-looking boy handing you a different pencil at the en... JOHN UPDIKE Most Americans haven't had my happy experience of living for thirteen years in a seventeenth-cen... JOHN UPDIKE I didn't need to write historical epics, no, or science fiction, though I read a lot of science ... JOHN UPDIKE Until the 20th century it was generally assumed that a writer had said what he had to say in his wor... JOHN UPDIKE Doctorow here appears not so much a re-constructor of history as a visionary who seeks in time past ... JOHN UPDIKE Men emerge pale from the little printing plant at four sharp, ghosts for an instant, blinking, until... JOHN UPDIKE Writers take words seriously-perhaps the last professional class that does-and they struggle to stee... JOHN UPDIKE Many men are more faithful to their golf partners than to their wives and have stuck with them longe... JOHN UPDIKE Americans have been conditioned to respect newness, whatever it costs them. JOHN UPDIKE I would especially like to recourt the Muse of poetry, who ran off with the mailman four years ago, ... JOHN UPDIKE Life is like an overlong drama through which we sit being nagged by the vague memories of having rea... JOHN UPDIKE Writers may be disreputable, incorrigible, early to decay or late to bloom but they dare to go it al... JOHN UPDIKE All sunshine without a little rain makes a desert. 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JOHN UPDIKE Suddenly summoned to witness something great and horrendous, we keep fighting not to reduce it to ou... JOHN UPDIKE Each morning my characters greet me with misty faces willing, though chilled, to muster for another ... JOHN UPDIKE Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face. As soon as one is aware of being somebody, to be watche... JOHN UPDIKE Inspiration arrives as a packet of material to be delivered. JOHN UPDIKE Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what it is one is saying JOHN UPDIKE The Founding Fathers in their wisdom decided that children were an unnatural strain on parents. So t... JOHN UPDIKE Four years was enough of Harvard. I still had a lot to learn, but had been given the liberating noti... JOHN UPDIKE An aging writer has the not insignificant satisfaction of a shelf of books behind him that, as they ... JOHN UPDIKE His gray suit makes him seem extra vulnerable, in the way of children placed in unaccustomed clothes... 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