"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

-- Sinclair Lewis, American novelist and playwright  (February 7, 1885 — January 10, 1951)

"Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest."

-- Isaac Asimov, scientist and science fiction writer (January 2, 1920 - April 6, 1992)

"Whenever morality is based on theology, whenever right is made dependent on divine authority, the most immoral, unjust, infamous things can be justified and established."

-- Ludwig Feuerbach, philosopher (1804-1872)

"The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead."

-- Robert Brault, software developer, writer (1972- )

"The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from."

-- Andrew S. Tannenbaum, computer science professor (1944- )

"The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind."

-- Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (1737-1809)

"News is what people want to keep hidden; everything else is publicity."

-- Bill Moyers, journalist (1934- )

"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. It it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day."

-- E.B. White, writer (1899-1985)

"Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have."

-- James Baldwin, writer (1924-1987)

"Civilizations in decline are consistently characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity."

-- Arnold Toynbee, historian (1889-1975)

"It takes a certain maturity of mind to accept that nature works as steadily in rust as in rose petals."

-- Esther Warner Dendel, writer and artist (1910-2002)

"There is no coming to consciousness without pain."

-- Carl Jung, psychiatrist (1875-1961)

"I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be."

-- Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect and author (1743-1826)

"Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don't swallow it."

-- Hank Ketcham, comic artist (1920-2001)

"One of my greatest pleasures in writing has come from the thought that perhaps my work might annoy someone of comfortably pretentious position. Then comes the saddening realization that such people rarely read."

-- John Kenneth Galbraith, economist (1908-2006)