Today we have another quote from Warren Miller, the king of ski movies.

“If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do.”

Warren shares this observation in almost everyone of his movies. It might be his motto.

I was reminded of it last night when my friend and I did something we don’t do enough. We went moonlight snowboarding. It was wonderfully quiet and empty. With the bright moon and the white snow the visibility is excellent. Snowboarding is an activity I usually do in the day time so doing it at night is surreal. Everything is familiar except the context is wrong.

What should you do this year instead of next?

Today’s quote is an old axiom about learning lessons the first time

There is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule.

The idea being there is some value in the first kick or mistake. But getting kicked a second time or making the same mistake twice is foolish and offers nothing that you couldn’t have learned from the first time you got kicked or made the mistake.

The quote was recently used by Dick Armey in an Op-Ed piece in USA Today. I like the saying but I don’t think it is an appropriate lead-in for Armey’s argument for a flat income tax. [The USA Today article is no longer available online. –Scott Sunday, February 1, 2009]

Let’s finish the week off with a quote from Voltaire:

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”

I like this quote because Voltaire, very clearly, reminds us that extreme positions are untenable and… absurd.

Voltaire is the pen name of François Marie Arouet. A French author and philosopher whose 18th century writings are some of best of the Enlightenment. He is most famous for writing Candide, a story of a hopeless optimist.

You can download and read many of Volatire’s writings at Project Gutenberg. His Dictionary of Philosophy is available from Hanover College’s website..

Today’s quote is from Oscar Wilde by way of Eric Jean of Montreal, Quebec. Eric has a weekly blog podcast at DeadWhiteMales.net. His podcast offers a brief discussion of literature and the arts. “The aim of the show is not to pretend to any exclusive knowledge. Rather, simply to share his own thoughts on these subjects in an effort to make them that much more interesting and approachable.”

Here is his recommended Oscar Wilde Quote:

“Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.”

- Oscar Wilde, dying in a Paris bedroom.

Oscar Wilde was a 19th Century Poet and playwright. He is most famous for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and the play The Importance of Being Earnest. The Complete text of The Importance of Being Earnest is available from WikiSource. If you don’t like reading you can watch the 2002 movie.

As we start a new year, here are some poignant and inspiring words from Andy Warhol.

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

Andy Warhol

Andy changed the art world and the world of pop culture.

I don’t have any specific new year’s resolutions, but Andy reminds me not to leave my life in time’s hands.

I wish you all a happy and fulfilling new year.