Quote of the Day

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote of the Day

“I am sorry to say I do doubt the honesty of many men that are called good at home, that have given themselves up to serve a party. I am no man’s man. I bark at no man’s bid. I will never come and go, and fetch and carry, at the whistle of the great man in the white house, no matter who he is. And if this petty, un-patriotic scuffling for men, and forgetting principles, goes on, it will be the overthrow of this one happy nation, and the blood and toil of our ancestors will have been expended in vain.”
– Davy Crockett, An Account of Col. Crockett’s Tour to the North and Down East : In the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-four

Quote of the Day

“There is no virtue in compulsory government charity, and there is no virtue in advocating it. A politician who portrays himself as “caring” and “sensitive” because he wants to expand the government’s charitable programs is merely saying that he’s willing to try to do good with other people’s money. Well, who isn’t? And a voter who takes pride in supporting such programs is telling us that he’ll do good with his own money — if a gun is held to his head.”
– P.J. O’Rourke

Quote of the Day

“The fact is that the average man’s love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth. He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed, and intolerably lonely. Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men. It is the exclusive possession of a small and disreputable minority, like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty — and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies.”
– H.L. Mencken, Baltimore Evening Sun, 12 February 1923

Cherry blossoms in Shinjuku Geyoen Park, Japan

Reblogged from Janaline's world journey:

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I was lucky enough to move to Japan just before spring so had the chance to experience cherry blossom time in Tokyo!! Shinjuku Geyoen Park is one of the most beautiful cherry blossom sites that I visited while living in Japan.

The streets and especially parks were all filled with these beautiful blossoms.  I loved walking around in the parks after work or on weekends when they were filled with people picnicking and taking pictures of the blossoms.

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Hanami (lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms ("sakura"). From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa. The blossom forecast is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Source: Wikipedia