‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la laaa, la la laaaaaaaa.

Below we find two paintings, in the spirit of the season, and who knows what they might inspire. Both are entitled ‘Madonna of the Carnation’, and both are similar - co-linear - yet different enough in their own respect so that we see that there is individuality among the artists. Quite great work… how could it ever be done without divine inspiration?

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(Ref ID: 1514)

But when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money–booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!” — W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition (quoting John Anster who in turn paraphrased Goethe’s Faust in the final two sentences of the preceding quote from Murray).

Goethe, by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein

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(Ref ID: 1999)

Naturally the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. - Hermann Goering

He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death. - Thomas Paine

Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this [world], isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to [the government]. [It] promised you order, [it] promised you peace, and all [it] demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. - V

When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of Liberty quits the horizon. - Thomas Paine

We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. - Edward R. Murrow

Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves. - D.H. Lawrence

You have freedom when you’re easy in your harness. - Robert Frost

There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. - Charles Kingsley

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. - George Bernard Shaw

Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder. - George Washington

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin

The condition upon which God hath given Liberty to man is eternal vigilance. - John Philpot Curran

Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves. - Nietzsche

It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural Liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it. - George Washington

Life without liberty is like a body without spirit. - Kahlil Gibran

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself. -Thomas Paine

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those with conscience and those without. Now you know how to determine who is who. Which kind are you? - Anonymous

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(Ref ID: 1321)