I've been obsessed lately with the concept of energy of activation (Ea) - the energy you put into a system to get it to change. Without Ea, the chemicals just sit there. With it, they spurt and fizz and combine and do all kinds of other jazzy things. Remember catalysts, ...

Hamlet: To me [Denmark] is a prison. Rosencrantz: Why then your ambition makes it one. 'Tis too narrow for your mind. Hamlet: O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space—were it not that I have bad dreams. Guildenstern: Which dreams indeed ...

Here's a fantastic page of them: http://www.quotelady.com/subjects/perfectionism.html Some good ones: A child becomes an adult when he realises that he has a right not only to be right but also to be wrong.--Thomas Szasz Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my ...

Blogger Quarrygirl recently published an expose showing that VegNews magazine was using stock photographs of meat and dairy dishes to illustrate articles about vegan food. In one case, the magazine actually photoshopped out the bones from a photo of spare ribs to make the dish look vegan. While she has ...

In his essay On the Sublime Greek philosopher Longinus said that creators must be ready when the “arrow of inspiration” strikes. What the prolific know is that there aren't just a few arrows out there: it's arrows all the time. Just work to eliminate your obstacles to receiving and working ...

I attended a writer's group, the other day, where everyone told what they did to "become inspired." Two basic techniques were discussed: 1. Rituals, i.e., - "I try to write first thing in the morning when I'm fresh," or "When I'm stuck, I go for a walk/do a load of ...

I absolutely adore this quote by Giacometti, so republish it every year: "The more I work, the more I see things differently, that is, everything gains in grandeur every day, becomes more and more unknown, more and more beautiful. The closer I come, the grander it is, the more remote ...

A terrific book that really captures the essence of the challenge and struggle of graduate school. Filled with my favorite kinds of tips - pragmatic ones! Excerpt: As an undergraduate you were treated more or less as a child. You could do anything short of burning down the administration building ...