“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.

“When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.”

Charles Evans Hughes, as header quotation on Frontier Centre Weekly E-newsletter Update June 18, 2025 [https://mailchi.mp/fcpp/foreign-affairs-economy-education-military-leaders-on-the-frontier].

“The system is broken, and once these judges get into their position, they have this sense of entitlement.... Last time I checked, there hasn’t been any judges elected. Maybe that’s the problem. We should do what the U.S. does. Let’s start electing our judges, holding them accountable.”

Doug Ford in a rare moment of lucidity, quoted in National Post April 30, 2025

“being idiotic is, alas, a human right as well.”

Barbara Amiel in Ottawa Citizen April 25, 1998

“Sing while you fight”

Me on the desirability of being a happy warrior in public policy, both for tactical reasons and because life is both too short and too marvelous an adventure to go around being sour about its difficulties, June 25, 2025

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”

Carl Sandburg, quoted in a C2C email teaser June 27, 2025 to an article that did not actually contain that quotation [https://c2cjournal.ca/2025/06/restoring-canada-special-seriespart-vi-the-desperate-need-for-a-baby-bump/].