“The modern humanitarian began by saying, ‘The Gospel according to St. Charles Dickens is good enough for me; I do not need to go to Bethlehem if I can go to Bob Cratchit’s home and see Tiny Tim enjoy the turkey; or to Dingley Dell and drink punch with men of real goodwill like Pickwick and Wardle.’ I quite understand that and even sympathize with it up to a point. Anyhow, the modern humanitarian sympathised with it and said it; and then immediately went off to put up a placard threatening to jail anybody who drank punch in prohibited hours and to join a society for proving that it is cruel to kill turkeys for food. In other words, he first boasted that he preferred the Pagan part of Christmas to the Christian part; and then he himself started furiously abusing and abolishing the Pagan part.”

G.K. Chesterton “A Question about Christmas” reprinted in Gilbert: the Magazine of the Society of G.K. Chesterton Vol. 28 #2 (Nov./Dec. 2024)

“the sort of story in which Jane is just like Tarzan, but with cleavage.”

J. Budziszewski in the Underground Thomist May 5, 2025 [https://www.undergroundthomist.org/in-defense-of-a-stereotype].

“Never in human history were there writers who so sacrificed their humour and human dignity and hope of heaven, in order to be shocking. And never, in human history, were there readers who were so little shocked. There is no time or space for any shock to take effect.”

G.K. Chesterton in G.K.’s Weekly August 22, 1935, quoted in “Chesterton for Today” in Gilbert: the Magazine of the Society of G.K. Chesterton Vol. 28 #3 (Jan./Feb. 2025)

“Pilot, you’ll never get anywhere in this life if you only do what is wise.”

Lt.-Cmdr. Ninian Scott-Elliot, who had a distinguished wartime career with the Royal Navy (and uttered this phrase when warned that his plane was pursuing a U-boat too close to shore) before moving to the Solomons where he died age 86, quoted in the Ottawa Citizen April 19, 1998

“The worst kind of depression is not when we see bad things and hate them; the worst kind of depression, the hell below hell, is when we see good things and do not love them.”

G.K. Chesterton in London Opinion April 2, 1904, quoted in “Chesterton for Today” in Gilbert: the Magazine of the Society of G.K. Chesterton Vol. 28 #4 (March/April 2025)

“Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious. Islam does not allow swimming in the sea and is opposed to radio and television serials. Islam, however, allows marksmanship, horseback riding and competition ...”

Ayatollah Khomeini “Meeting in Qom "Broadcast by radio Iran from Qom on 20 August 1979." quoted in The Spirit of Allah: Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution (1986), by Amir Taheri, Adler & Adler, p. 259” according to Wikipedia article on “Khomeinism”, “Sternness and austerity” section [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khomeinism#Sternness_and_austerity] as of 23/6/25.

“The excitement never starts around here.”

Me on May 6, 2025 (to our dog, who was apparently expecting something marvellous to happen mid-morning on a Thursday while I struggled to get to my email).

“high vibe v low vibe”

A comment about the kinds of people we choose to surround ourselves with, by a colleague, June 25, 2025.