April 20

day of the year

Quotes of the day from previous years:

2004
Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped. ~ Elbert Hubbard
2005
Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope, John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble worker in the Lord's vineyard. The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. ~ Pope Benedict XVI (recent papal election)
2006
Oh, the comfort — the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person — having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~ Dinah Craik (born 20 April 1826)
2007
It may often be noticed, the less virtuous people are, the more they shrink away from the slightest whiff of the odour of un-sanctity. The good are ever the most charitable, the pure are the most brave. ~ Dinah Craik
2008
The true secret in being a hero lies in knowing the order of things. … Things must happen when it is time for them to happen. Quests may not simply be abandoned; prophecies may not be left to rot like unpicked fruit; unicorns may go unrescued for a very long time, but not forever. The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story. ~ Peter S. Beagle in The Last Unicorn
2009
Let every one of us cultivate, in every word that issues from our mouth, absolute truth. I say cultivate, because to very few people — as may be noticed of most young children — does truth, this rigid, literal veracity, come by nature. To many, even who love it and prize it dearly in others, it comes only after the self-control, watchfulness, and bitter experience of years. ~ Dinah Craik
2010
Schmendrick stepped out into the open and said a few words. They were short words, undistinguished either by melody or harshness, and Schmendrick himself could not hear them for the Red Bull's dreadful bawling. But he knew what they meant, and he knew exactly how to say them, and he knew that he could say them again when he wanted to, in the same way or in a different way. Now he spoke them gently and with joy, and as did so he felt his immortality fall from him like an armour, or like a shroud. ~ Peter S. Beagle in The Last Unicorn
2011
Society, in the aggregate, is no fool. It is astonishing what an amount of "eccentricity" it will stand from anybody who takes the bull by the horns, too fearless or too indifferent to think of consequences. ~ Dinah Craik
2012
Awakener, come!
Fling wide the gate of an eternal year,
The April of that glad new heavens and earth
Which shall grow out of these, as spring-tide grows
Slow out of winter's breast.
Let Thy wide hand
Gather us all — with none left out (O God!
Leave Thou out none!) from the east and from the west.
Loose Thou our burdens: heal our sicknesses;
Give us one heart, one tongue, one faith, one love.
In Thy great Oneness made complete and strong
To do Thy work throughout the happy world
Thy world, All-merciful, Thy perfect world.

~ Dinah Craik ~

2013
When the last eagle flies over the last crumbling mountain
And the last lion roars at the last dusty fountain
In the shadow of the forest though she may be old and worn
They will stare unbelieving at the last unicorn.
~ Jimmy Webb ~
for
The Last Unicorn
by
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
2014
We never know through what Divine mysteries of compensation the great Father of the universe may be carrying out His sublime plan; but those three words, "God is love" ought to contain, to every doubting soul, the solution of all things.
~ Dinah Craik ~
2015
When faith and hope fail, as they do sometimes, we must try charity, which is love in action. We must speculate no more on our duty, but simply do it. When we have done it, however blindly, perhaps Heaven will show us why.
~ Dinah Craik ~
2016
I have forgotten that men cannot see Unicorns. If men no longer know what they're looking at, there may well be other unicorns in the world yet — unknown — and glad of it.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
in
~ The Last Unicorn ~
2017
It's a rare man who is taken for what he truly is … There is much misjudgment in the world. … We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
in
~ The Last Unicorn ~
2018
I can never regret. I can feel sorrow, but it's not the same thing.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
in
~ The Last Unicorn ~
2019
Autumn to winter, winter into spring,
Spring into summer, summer into fall, —
So rolls the changing year, and so we change;
Motion so swift, we know not that we move.
~ Dinah Craik ~
2020
There never was night that had no morn.
~ Dinah Craik ~
2021
Excuse me while I light my spliff (spliff)
Good God I gotta' take a lift (lift)
From reality I just can't drift (drift)
That's why I am staying with this riff (riff)

Take it easy, easy skanking
Got to take it easy, easy skanking.
~ Bob Marley ~
2022
I am determined … to see to it that a change is made in the relationship between Germany and Poland that shall ensure a peaceful co-existence. In this I am resolved to continue to fight until either the present Polish government is willing to continue to bring about this change or until another Polish Government is ready to do so. I am resolved to remove from the German frontiers the element of uncertainty, the everlasting atmosphere of conditions resembling civil war. … I will not war against women and children. I have ordered my air force to restrict itself to attacks on military objectives. If, however, the enemy thinks he can form that draw carte blanche on his side to fight by the other methods he will receive an answer that will deprive him of hearing and sight. … Whoever departs from the rules of humane warfare can only expect that we shall do the same. I will continue this struggle, no matter against whom, until the safety of the Reich and its rights are secured.
~ Adolf Hitler ~
  • proposed by Kalki; a bit over fourscore years ago, HItler began his invasion of Poland with these quite false declarations of noble and peaceful dispositions and intentions — in such ways as have many parallels with other aggressive dictators throughout the ages, unto the present times.
2023
I'm always dreaming, even when I'm awake; it is never finished.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
in
~ The Last Unicorn ~
2024
I have not come into this world to make men better, but to make use of their weaknesses.
~ Adolf Hitler ~
2025
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Quotes by people born this day, already used as QOTD:


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Suggestions

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If freedom is short of weapons, we must compensate with willpower. ~ Adolf Hitler (born April 20)

  • 3 Zarbon 06:12, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 1 Kalki 17:13, 19 April 2008 (UTC) The statements and innumerable hypocrisies of Hitler are not such things as if find to be great material for qoute of the day.

Life never forgives weaknesses. ~ Adolf Hitler (born April 20)

  • 3 Zarbon 06:12, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 1 Kalki 17:13, 19 April 2008 (UTC) I might have some desire to use this eventually, but no strong desire to use anything by Hitler for quote of the day.

The rebels are not the despicable rabble too many have supposed them to be. … In all their wars against the French they never showed such conduct, attention, and perseverance as they do now. ~ General Thomas Gage, on the Siege of Boston, which began on 20 April 1776

  • 3 Kalki 20:48, 20 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 1 Zarbon 23:58, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

My people are in the world again. No sorrow will live in my heart as long as that joy — save one, and I thank you for that, too. ~ Peter S. Beagle in The Last Unicorn

  • 2 Kalki 00:58, 18 April 2009 (UTC) with a lean toward 3 or an eventual 4.
  • 1 Zarbon 15:21, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

The Unicorn Sonata … tells us that our true home is often right around the corner, if we'd only open our eyes — and our ears — to find it. ~ Peter S. Beagle

  • 3 Kalki 00:58, 18 April 2009 (UTC) with lean toward 4.
  • 1 Zarbon 15:21, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

When I was very young every grownup was a hero. It's been all downhill since then, and I have only two left.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~

Don't look back, and don't run. You must never run from anything immortal; it attracts their attention.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
in
~ The Last Unicorn ~

Unicorns are in the world again. No sorrow will live in me as long as that joy — save one. And I thank you for that part, too. Farewell good magician. I will try to go home.
~ Peter S. Beagle ~
in
~ The Last Unicorn ~