TERMS STARTING WITH
dating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Date
TERMS ANYWHERE
Abhiniskramanasutra. (T. Mngon par 'byung ba'i mdo; C.Fo benxing ji jing; J. Butsuhongyojukkyo; K. Pul ponhaeng chip kyong 佛本行集經). In Sanskrit, "Sutra of the Great Renunciation"; this scripture relates the story of Prince SIDDHARTHA's "going forth" (abhiniskramana; P. abhinikkhamana) from his father's palace to pursue the life of a mendicant wanderer (sRAMAnA) in search of enlightenment. There are no extant Sanskrit versions of the SuTRA, but the work survives in Tibetan and in several distinct recensions available in Chinese translation, one dating to as early as the first century CE. The best-known Chinese translation is the Fo benxing ji jing, made by JNANAGUPTA around 587 CE, during the Sui dynasty. The text claims to be a DHARMAGUPTAKA recension of the JATAKA, or past lives of the Buddha. (Franklin Edgerton has suggested that this text may instead be a translation of the MAHAVASTU, "The Great Account," of the LOKOTTARAVADA offshoot of the MAHASAMGHIKA school.) JNAnagupta's recension has sixty chapters, in five major parts. The first part is an introduction to the work as a whole, which relates how rare it is for a buddha to appear in the world and why people should take advantage of this opportunity. Reference is made to the various meritorious roots (KUsALAMuLA) that sAKYAMUNI acquired throughout his many lifetimes of training, in order to prepare for this final life when he would finally attain enlightenment. The second part enumerates the entire lineage of the buddhas of antiquity, a lineage that sAkyamuni would soon join, and the third part follows with a genealogy of the sAKYA clan. The fourth part describes the decisive stages in sAkyamuni's life, from birth, through his awakening, to the first "turning of the wheel of the DHARMA" (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA). The last part gives extended biographies (going even into their past lives) of his prominent disciples, of which the stories involving his longtime attendant, ANANDA, are particularly extensive. In 1876, SAMUEL BEAL translated this Chinese recension of the sutra into English as The Romantic Legend of sAkya Buddha.
abracadabra ::: Abracadabra The word 'abracadabra' is generally known as 'the magic word' used by stage conjurers to ensure their 'magic trick' or illusion worked. However, it is a word of true ancient origin, used by real magicians from around the 3rd century AD. It appears frequently in Kabbalistic and Gnostic texts, and derives from an Aramaic phrase (Avarah K'Davarah), which means 'I will create as I speak'. Aramaic is a northwest Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew, dating from the 9th century BC. Its 'square' script replaced the archaic Hebrew script, which by the time of Jesus had become the normal script for writing in Hebrew. It was widely used in Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia, the Persians extending its use to India, central Asia, and Asia Minor.
accommodating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Accommodate ::: a. --> Affording, or disposed to afford, accommodation; obliging; as an accommodating man, spirit, arrangement.
According to the dating in the Esoteric table, the third root-race was at its peak in the Jurassic period, becoming denser in the Cretaceous period and ending in the early Cenozoic era. It overlapped the fourth root-race, commonly called the Atlantean, which reached its middle period 8-9,000,000 years ago, near the beginning of the earliest division of the Cenozoic era, the Paleocene. The disastrous breaking up of the main Atlantean continental area occurred in the Miocene period, but portions such as the great islands, Ruta and Daitya, lingered until much later, and Plato’s small “island of Atlantis” perished only 11-12,000 years ago.
Alaungpaya. Burmese king (r. 1752-1760) and founder of the Konbaung dynasty (1752-1885), the last Burmese royal house before the British conquest. He was born the son of the village headman of Mokesoebo in Upper Burma in 1711. Originally named Aungzeyya, he succeeded his father as headman and early on showed charismatic signs of leadership. By this time, the then Burmese empire of Taungoo, which had been founded in 1531, was on the verge of collapse. The Mon of Lower Burma, whose capital was Pegu, rebelled and soon swept northward, eventually capturing the Burmese capital, AVA, and executing its king. When emissaries from the Mon king, Binnya-dala, demanded the allegiance of Mokesoebo, Aungzeyya beheaded them and organized a rebellion to restore Burmese sovereignty. Gathering around him a loyal cohort of local chiefs and soldiers from Ava, he crowned himself king and established Mokesoebo as his first capital, which he renamed Shwebo. A brilliant tactician and masterful propagandist, he assumed the title Alaungpaya, meaning "Future Buddha," and waged war on the Mon as a BODHISATTVA intent on restoring the purity of the Buddha's religion and ushering in a golden age. In 1753, he recaptured Ava and subdued the Shan chieftains on his northern flank. In 1755, he captured the strategic port town of Dagon, which he renamed Yangon (Rangoon), meaning "End of Strife." In 1757, after a protracted siege, he destroyed Pegu, the last stronghold of Mon resistance, executing its king, Binnya-dala, and massacring its population. After consolidating Burmese control over the central provinces, Alaungpaya marched his armies against the Hindu kingdom of Manipur, which had taken advantage of the civil war to pillage Burma's western territories. Having vanquished Manipur, in 1760, he moved against the Thai kingdom of AYUTHAYA in the east in retaliation for fomenting anti-Burmese rebellions along the border. The Burmese seized Moulmein, Tavoy, and Tenasserim, but Alaungpaya was mortally wounded during the siege of Ayuthaya and died during the subsequent Burmese retreat. The empire created by Alaungpaya expanded under his sons and their descendants, eventually bringing it into conflict with the British East India Company.
Also graph search. ::: The process of visiting (checking and/or updating) each vertex in a graph. Such traversals are classified by the order in which the vertices are visited. Tree traversal is a special case of graph traversal.
Also tree search. ::: A form of graph traversal and refers to the process of visiting (checking and/or updating) each node in a tree data structure, exactly once. Such traversals are classified by the order in which the nodes are visited.
AmoghapAsa (Lokesvara). (T. Don yod zhags pa; C. Bukong Juansuo; J. Fuku Kenjaku; K. Pulgong Kyonsak 不空羂索). A popular tantric form of AVALOKITEsVARA, primarily distinguished by his holding of a snare (pAsa); his name is interpreted as "Lokesvara with the unfailing snare." Like Avalokitesvara, he is worshipped as a savior of beings, his snare understood to be the means by which he rescues devotees. His worship seems to have developed in India during the sixth century, as evidenced by the 587 Chinese translation of the AmoghapAsahṛdayasutra (the first chapter of the much longer AmoghapAsakalparAjasutra) by JNAnagupta. Numerous translations of scriptures relating to AmoghapAsa by BODHIRUCI, XUANZANG, and AMOGHAVAJRA and others up into the tenth century attest to the continuing popularity of the deity. The earliest extant image of AmoghapAsa seems to be in Japan, in the monastery of ToDAIJI in Nara, dating from the late seventh century. There are many extant images of the god in northwest India from the ninth and tenth centuries; some earlier images of Avalokitesvara from the eighth century, which depict him holding a snare, have been identified as AmoghapAsa, although the identification remains uncertain. Tibetan translations of the AmoghapAsahṛdayasutra and the AmoghapAsakalparAjasutra are listed in the eighth-century LDAN DKAR MA catalogue, though it is later translations that are included in the BKA' 'GYUR, where they are classified as kriyAtantras. (The Tibetan canon includes some eight tantras concerning AmoghapAsa.) Numerous images of AmoghapAsa from Java dating to the early second millennium attest to his popularity in that region; in the Javanese custom of deifying kings, King Visnuvardhana (d. 1268) was identified as an incarnation of AmoghapAsa. AmoghapAsa can appear in forms with any number of pairs of hands, although by far the most popular are the six-armed seated and eight-armed standing forms. Other than his defining snare, he often carries a three-pointed staff (tridanda) but, like other multiarmed deities, can be seen holding almost any of the tantric accoutrements. AmoghapAsa is depicted in bodhisattva guise and, like Avalokitesvara, has an image of AMITABHA in his crown and is occasionally accompanied by TARA, BHṚKUTĪ, SudhanakumAra, and HAYAGRĪVA.
ancient ::: 1. Of or in time long past or early in the world"s history. 2. Dating from a remote period; of great age; of early origin. 3. Being old in wisdom and experience; venerable. Ancient.
antedating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Antedate
antique ::: 1. Of or belonging to the past. 2. Dating from a period long ago; ancient.
Anxi guo. (J. Ansoku koku; K. Ansik kuk 安息國). Chinese transcription of the Parthian proper name Aršak, referring to the Arsacid kingdom (c. 250 BCE-224 CE) in the region Roman geographers called PARTHIA. Aršak was the name adopted by all Parthian rulers, and the Chinese employed it to refer to the lands that those rulers controlled to the southeast of the Caspian Sea. In the Marv oasis, where the old Parthian city of Margiana was located, Soviet archeologists discovered the vestiges of a Buddhist monastic complex that has been dated to the third quarter of the fourth century CE, as well as birch-bark manuscripts written in the BRAHMĪ script that are associated with the SARVASTIVADA school of mainstream Buddhism. There is therefore archaeological evidence of at least a semblance of Buddhist presence in the area during the fourth through sixth centuries. Parthian Buddhists who were active in China enable us to push this dating back at least two more centuries, for two of the important early figures in the transmission of Buddhist texts into China also hailed from Parthia: AN SHIGAO (fl. c. 148-180 CE), a prolific translator of mainstream Buddhist works, and An Xuan (fl. c. 168-189), who translated the UGRAPARIPṚCCHA with the assistance of the Chinese Yan Fotiao. (The AN in their names is an ethnikon referring to Parthia.) There is, however, no extant Buddhist literature written in the Parthian language and indeed little evidence that written Parthian was ever used in other than government documents and financial records until the third century CE, when Manichaean texts written in Parthian begin to appear.
aposiopesis: Deliberate break in a speech leaving it incomplete. This can have a powerful and intimidating effect
applet "web" A {Java} program which can be distributed as an attachment in a {web} document and executed by a Java-enabled {web browser} such as Sun's {HotJava}, {Netscape Navigator} version 2.0, or {Internet Explorer}. Navigator severely restricts the applet's file system and network access in order to prevent accidental or deliberate security violations. Full Java applications, which run outside of the browser, do not have these restrictions. Web browsers can also be extended with {plug-ins} though these differ from applets in that they usually require manual installation and are {platform}-specific. Various other languages can now be embedded within {HTML} documents, the most common being {JavaScript}. Despite Java's aim to be a "write once, run anywhere" language, the difficulty of accomodating the variety of browsers in use on the Internet has led many to abandon client-side processing in favour of {server}-side Java programs for which the term {servlet} was coined. Merriam Webster "Collegiate Edition" gives a 1990 definition: a short application program especially for performing a simple specific task. (2002-07-12)
applet ::: (World-Wide Web) A Java program which can be distributed as an attachment in a World-Wide Web document and executed by a Java-enabled web browser such as Sun's HotJava, Netscape Navigator version 2.0, or Internet Explorer.Navigator severely restricts the applet's file system and network access in order to prevent accidental or deliberate security violations. Full Java applications, which run outside of the browser, do not have these restrictions.Web browsers can also be extended with plug-ins though these differ from applets in that they usually require manual installation and are platform-specific. Various other languages can now be embedded within HTML documents, the most common being JavaScript.Despite Java's aim to be a write once, run anywhere language, the difficulty of accomodating the variety of browsers in use on the Internet has led many to abandon client-side processing in favour of server-side Java programs for which the term servlet was coined.Merriam Webster Collegiate Edition gives a 1990 definition: a short application program especially for performing a simple specific task.(2002-07-12)
Archimedes "computer" A family of {microcomputers} produced by {Acorn Computers}, Cambridge, UK. The Archimedes, launched in June 1987, was the first {RISC} based {personal computer} (predating {Apple Computer}'s {Power Mac} by some seven years). It uses the {Advanced RISC Machine} (ARM) processor and includes Acorn's {multitasking} {operating system} and {graphical user interface}, {RISC OS} on {ROM}, along with an interpreter for Acorn's enhanced {BASIC}, {BASIC V}. The Archimedes was designed as the successor to Acorn's sucessful {BBC Microcomputer} series and includes some backward compatibility and a {6502} {emulator}. Several utilities are included free on disk (later in ROM) such as a {text editor}, paint and draw programs. Software emulators are also available for the {IBM PC} as well as add-on {Intel} processor cards. There have been several series of Archimedes: A300, A400, A3000, A5000, A4000 and {RISC PC}. {Usenet FAQ (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/acorn/)}. {Archive site list (http://cs.vu.nl/~gerben/acorn/acorn-archives.txt)}. {HENSA archive (ftp://micros.hensa.ac.uk/)}. {Stuttgart archive (ftp://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/systems/acorn)}. See also {Crisis Software}, {Warm Silence Software}. (1998-04-03)
Arrhetos (Gnostic) Ineffable, unspeakable or, as used in Greek mystical philosophy, not to be divulged. Connected with the Greek Mysteries and of constant occurrence in Greek mystical literature dating from earliest times. Whatever was considered too holy, too sacred, or improper from every aspect to divulge to the public whether in speech or writing, was called arrheton (neuter). The word was taken over by the Gnostic sects and signified among other matters the sevenfold nature of the one formative Logos, the first cosmic hebdomad or septenary (this name of the ineffable is composed of seven letters in the Greek).
Asat: (Skr.) "Non-being", a school concept dating back to Vedic (q.v.) times. It offers a theory of origination according to which being (sat; q.v.) was produced from non-being in the beginning; it was rejected by those who believe in being as the logical starting point in metaphysics. -- K.F.L.
As Sri Aurobindo once wrote to Dilip Kumar Roy, (I paraphrase) ‘ The earth is a conscious being and the world is only the form it takes to manifest.’ This statement of the Avatar, predating the GAIA theory by many years and far surpassing it in its infinite scope, promises an earth returned to beauty to manifest, unknown to man, an inconceivable perfection. I once wrote to Mother with a question about what would happen to plants and flowers in the New Creation. Her reply filled me with joy and gratitude for She said that the flowers would be among the first to change (be transformed) because their entire life is an aspiration for light. Imagine the beauty to come with flowers brilliant with the Divine Light, colours such as never seen before, fragrances that can transofrm suffering and sorrow into a life free of pain and filled with joy.
Basing ::: refers to a period in which a stock or other traded security is showing minimal upward or downward movement. The resulting price pattern looks like a flat line or slightly rounded. Often, 'basing' is a term used by technical analysts to describe an issue that is consolidating after a period of rapid growth or decline. A stock that is basing has equal amounts of supply and demand. Basing is a common occurrence after a stock or the market has been in a lengthy decline or had a significant advance. In other words, the market is taking a break. Some stocks can form a base that lasts for several years before the trend reverses. Basing periods are accompanied by declining volume as prices consolidate. Volatility also contracts as a stock trades sideways. (For more, see: How Do I Identify a Stock That is Under Consolidation?) Stocks that are basing establish clear support and resistance levels as the bulls and bears fight for control. Institutional traders may use a basing period to accumulate a large order they are buying for a customer. Many technical analysts believe that basing is crucial, especially for stocks that have had a rapid advance. They view basing as the "breather" that allows the issue to continue climbing. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/basing.asp
Baudot code "communications" (For etymology, see {baud}) A {character set} predating {EBCDIC} and used originally and primarily on {paper tape}. Use of Baudot reportedly survives in {TDDs} and some HAM radio applications. In Baudot, characters are expressed using five {bits}. Baudot uses two code sub-sets, the "letter set" (LTRS), and the "figure set" (FIGS). The FIGS character (11011) signals that the following code is to be interpreted as being in the FIGS set, until this is reset by the LTRS (11111) character. binary hex LTRS FIGS -------------------------- 00011 03 A - 11001 19 B ? 01110 0E C : 01001 09 D $ 00001 01 E 3 01101 0D F ! 11010 1A G & 10100 14 H
Baudot code ::: (communications) (For etymology, see baud) A character set predating EBCDIC and used originally and primarily on paper tape. Use of Baudot reportedly survives in TDDs and some HAM radio applications.In Baudot, characters are expressed using five bits. Baudot uses two code sub-sets, the letter set (LTRS), and the figure set (FIGS). The FIGS character (11011) signals that the following code is to be interpreted as being in the FIGS set, until this is reset by the LTRS (11111) character. binary hex LTRS FIGS-------------------------- Where CR is carriage return, LF is linefeed, BELL is the bell, SP is space, and STOP is the stop character.Note: these bit values are often shown in inverse order, depending (presumably) which side of the paper tape you were looking at.Local implementations of Baudot may differ in the use of
dating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Date
Betrayal of the Mysteries Ancient writers affirm that the prime requisite of every candidate seeking entrance into the Mysteries was a pledge of utter secrecy. Persons guilty of the betrayal of the Mysteries were rigidly excluded from participation in the celebration of the rites. Likewise those were debarred who accidentally were guilty of homicide or any major crime, or who had been proved guilty of sorcery. If merely unfortunate mediums, they were taken care of in hospitals maintained for that purpose in the neighborhood of temples, and if possible restored to health; if consciously traitorous or wicked, they were dealt with in other ways. Thus it is clear that even in the degenerate days dating from before Plato’s time in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, abuse of occult power was considered one of the most heinous of human offenses, for it struck directly at the roots of society, and it was for this last reason that betrayal of the Mysteries, sorcery, or similar offense was punished by the State itself.
BhArhut. An important Buddhist archeological site in India; located in central India, in northeastern Madhya Pradesh. In 1873, the British general Alexander Cunningham discovered at the site an ancient Buddhist STuPA, or reliquary mound, dating as far back as the third century BCE. Surrounding this stupa are a series of sculptures that date to the second and first centuries BCE. The antiquity of these works, and the quality of their preservation, render them invaluable to the study of Indian Buddhist iconography. The structure follows the general Indian stupa design, with a central mound surrounded by a fence-like enclosure with four gates. The stupa is illustrated with several aniconic representations of the Buddha. These images include an empty throne (VAJRASANA), a BODHI TREE, a set of the Buddha's footprints (BUDDHAPADA), the triple gem (RATNATRAYA) and a dharma wheel (DHARMACAKRA). This stupa also includes a number of reliefs depicting various episodes in the life of the Buddha (see BAXIANG; TWELVE DEEDS OF A BUDDHA), including the dream of queen MAYA when he was conceived, the battle with MARA, and his enlightenment. Also depicted are a number of the Buddha's birth stories (JATAKA). The stupa's sculptural remains are now housed in the Indian Museum in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in the Municipal Museum of Allahabad. See also SANCĪ.
BodhgayA. (S. BuddhagayA). Modern Indian place name for the most significant site in the Buddhist world, renowned as the place where sAKYAMUNI Buddha (then, still the BODHISATTVA prince SIDDHARTHA) became a buddha while meditating under the BODHI TREE at the "seat of enlightenment" (BODHIMAndA) or the "diamond seat" (VAJRASANA). The site is especially sacred because, according to tradition, not only did sAkyamuni Buddha attain enlightenment there, but all buddhas of this world system have or will do so, albeit under different species of trees. BodhgayA is situated along the banks of the NAIRANJANA river, near RAJAGṚHA, the ancient capital city of the MAGADHA kingdom. Seven sacred places are said to be located in BodhgayA, each being a site where the Buddha stayed during each of the seven weeks following his enlightenment. These include, in addition to the bodhimanda under the Bodhi tree: the place where the Buddha sat facing the Bodhi tree during the second week, with an unblinking gaze (and hence the site of the animesalocana caitya); the place where the Buddha walked back and forth in meditation (CAnKRAMA) during the third week; the place called the ratnagṛha, where the Buddha meditated during the fourth week, emanating rays of light from his body; the place under the ajapAla tree where the god BRAHMA requested that the Buddha turn the wheel of the dharma (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA) during the fifth week; the lake where the NAGA MUCILINDA used his hood to shelter the Buddha from a storm during the sixth week; and the place under the rAjAyatana tree where the merchants TRAPUsA and BHALLIKA met the Buddha after the seventh week, becoming his first lay disciples. ¶ Located in the territory of MAGADHA (in modern Bihar), the ancient Indian kingdom where the Buddha spent much of his teaching career, BodhgayA is one of the four major pilgrimage sites (MAHASTHANA) sanctioned by the Buddha himself, along with LUMBINĪ in modern-day Nepal, where the Buddha was born; the Deer Park (MṚGADAVA) at SARNATH, where he first taught by "turning the wheel of the dharma" (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA); and KUsINAGARĪ in Uttar Pradesh, where he passed into PARINIRVAnA. According to the AsOKAVADANA, the emperor AsOKA visited BodhgayA with the monk UPAGUPTA and established a STuPA at the site. There is evidence that Asoka erected a pillar and shrine at the site during the third century BCE. A more elaborate structure, called the vajrAsana GANDHAKUtĪ ("perfumed chamber of the diamond seat"), is depicted in a relief at BodhgayA, dating from c. 100 BCE. It shows a two-storied structure supported by pillars, enclosing the Bodhi tree and the vajrAsana, the "diamond seat," where the Buddha sat on the night of his enlightenment. The forerunner of the present temple is described by the Chinese pilgrim XUANZANG. This has led scholars to speculate that the structure was built sometime between the third and sixth centuries CE, with subsequent renovations. Despite various persecutions by non-Buddhist Indian kings, the site continued to receive patronage, especially during the PAla period, from which many of the surrounding monuments date. A monastery, called the BodhimandavihAra, was established there and flourished for several centuries. FAXIAN mentions three monasteries at BodhgayA; Xuanzang found only one, called the MahAbodhisaMghArAma (see MAHABODHI TEMPLE). The temple and its environs fell into neglect after the Muslim invasions that began in the thirteenth century. British photographs from the nineteenth century show the temple in ruins. Restoration of the site was ordered by the British governor-general of Bengal in 1880, with a small eleventh-century replica of the temple serving as a model. There is a tall central tower some 165 feet (fifty meters) in height, with a high arch over the entrance with smaller towers at the four corners. The central tower houses a small temple with an image of the Buddha. The temple is surrounded by stone railings, some dating from 150 BCE, others from the Gupta period (300-600 CE) that preserve important carvings. In 1886, EDWIN ARNOLD visited BodhgayA. He published an account of his visit, which was read by ANAGARIKA DHARMAPALA and others. Arnold described a temple surrounded by hundreds of broken statues scattered in the jungle. The MahAbodhi Temple itself had stood in ruins prior to renovations undertaken by the British in 1880. Also of great concern was the fact that the site had been under saiva control since the eighteenth century, with reports of animal sacrifice taking place in the environs of the temple. DharmapAla visited BodhgayA himself in 1891, and returned to Sri Lanka, where he worked with a group of leading Sinhalese Buddhists to found the MAHABODHI SOCIETY with the aim of restoring BodhgayA as place of Buddhist worship and pilgrimage. The society undertook a series of unsuccessful lawsuits to that end. In 1949, after Indian independence, the BodhgayA Temple Act was passed, which established a committee of four Buddhists and four Hindus to supervise the temple and its grounds. The Government of India asked AnagArika Munindra, a Bengali monk and active member of the MahAbodhi Society, to oversee the restoration of BodhgayA. Since then, numerous Buddhist countries-including Bhutan, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam-have constructed (or restored) their own temples and monasteries in BodhgayA, each reflecting its national architectural style. In 2002, the MahAbodhi Temple was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Borobudur. [alt. Barabudur]. A massive Indonesian Buddhist monument located in a volcanic area west of Yogyakarta, in the south-central region of the island of Java. Although there are no written records concerning the monument's dating, archaeological and art-historical evidence suggests that construction started around 790 CE during the sailendra dynasty and continued for at least another three-quarters of a century. The derivation of its name remains controversial. The anglicized name Borobudur was given to the site by the colonial governor Sir Thomas Raffles, when Java was under British colonial rule. The name "budur" occurs in an old Javanese text referring to a Buddhist site and Raffles may have added the "boro" to refer to the nearby village of Bore. Borobudur is a pyramid-shaped MAndALA with a large central STuPA, which is surrounded by three concentric circular tiers that include a total of seventy-two individual stupas, and four square terraces, giving the monument the appearance of a towering mountain. The mandala may have been associated with the pilgrimage of the lad SUDHANA described in the GAndAVYuHA (and its embedded version in the "Entering the DharmadhAtu" chapter of the AVATAMSAKASuTRA). This structure is without analogue anywhere else in the Buddhist world, but seems to have influenced Khmer (Cambodian) architectural traditions. The central stupa houses a buddha image, and originally may have also enshrined a relic (sARĪRA). Each of the seventy-two smaller stupas also enshrines an image of a BODHISATTVA, of whom MANJUsRĪ and SAMANTABHADRA are most popular. The walls of Borobudur are carved with some 1,350 bas-reliefs that illustrate tales of the Buddha's past and present lives from the JATAKA and AVADANA literature, as well as events from such texts as the LALITAVISTARA, Gandavyuha, and the BHADRACARĪPRAnIDHANA. There are also niches at the upper parts of the walls that are enshrined with buddha images employing different hand gestures (MUDRA). The three circular tiers of Borobudur are presumed to correspond to the three realms of Buddhist cosmology (TRAIDHATUKA); thus, when pilgrims circumambulated the central stupa, they may have also been traveling symbolically through the sensuous realm (KAMADHATU), the subtle-materiality realm (RuPADHATU) and the immaterial realm (ARuPYADHATU). There are also ten series of bas-reliefs, which suggest that pilgrims making their way through the monument were also ritually reenacting a bodhisattva's progression through the ten stages (DAsABHuMI) of the bodhisattva path (MARGA). The monument is constructed on hilly terrain rather than flat land, and there is also some geological evidence that it may have originally been built on a lakeshore, as if it were a lotus flower floating in a lake. Borobudur is aligned with two other Buddhist temples in the area, Pawon and Mendu, an orientation that may well have had intentional ritual significance. By at least the fifteenth century, Borobudur was abandoned. There are two main theories regarding its fate. Since Borobudur was buried under several layers of volcanic ash at the time of its rediscovery, one theory is that a famine resulting from a volcanic eruption prompted the depopulation of the region and the monument's abandonment. A second explanation is that the rise of Islam hastened the downfall of Buddhism in Java and the neglect of the monument.
'Brom ston Rgyal ba'i 'byung gnas. (Dromton Gyalwe Jungne) (1004-1064). The foremost Tibetan disciple of the Bengali scholar ATIsA, and central figure in the founding of the BKA' GDAMS sect of Tibetan Buddhism during the period known as the later dissemination (PHYI DAR) of Buddhism in Tibet. Born in central Tibet, he began his education at an early age. Toward the middle years of his life, news of Atisa's arrival in western Tibet reached him, and he set out on the arduous journey to meet the master. 'Brom ston pa became an early and close student of Atisa and made arrangements for his Indian guru's tour of central Tibet in 1045. After Atisa's death, 'Brom ston pa established RWA SGRENG monastery in 1056, consolidating his career as translator and teacher at this important religious institution. He is remembered especially for the firm austerity of his religious practice. 'Brom ston pa's instructions, as recorded in Bka' gdams pa works such as the Bka' gdams gtor bu ("Bka' gdams Miscellania"), perhaps wary of the potential abuses of tantric practice, instead emphasize meditation on impermanence and compassion coupled with adherence to strict ethical principles and monastic discipline.
buddhavarsa. (P. buddhavassa; T. sangs rgyas kyi lo; C. foji; J. butsuki; K. pulgi 佛紀). In Sanskrit, "Buddhist Era." The term used for the Buddhist calendar calculated from the date of the final demise (S. PARINIRVAnA; P. parinibbAna) of the Buddha. There is general agreement among Buddhist traditions that the Buddha died in his eightieth year, but no consensus as to the date of his death and hence no agreement regarding the commencement of the Buddhist era. Dates for the parinirvAna given in texts and inscriptions from across Buddhist Asia range from 2420 BCE to 290 BCE. One of the more commonly used dates is 544/543 BCE, which is the year asserted for the Buddha's death by the THERAVADA tradition of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Use of the TheravAda calendar most likely originated in Sri Lanka, where it is attested in inscriptions dating from as early as the first century BCE. The same calendar appears in Burmese inscriptions beginning in the eleventh century, which coincides with that country's adoption of TheravAda Buddhism as its dominant faith. The earliest known record of its use in India is likewise relatively late, and dates from the thirteenth century in an inscription erected at BODHGAYA. Since at least the fifth century, the TheravAda traditions have asserted that the religion of the Buddha (P. buddhasAsana; see sASANA) would endure for five thousand years. Accordingly, in 1956 the halfway point in the life span of the religion was presumed to have been reached, an event that was celebrated with considerable millenarian overtones throughout the TheravAda world in the Buddha Jayantī ("Celebration of Buddhism"). A historically significant feature of the TheravAda calendar is that it places the coronation of the Mauryan emperor AsOKA 218 years after the parinirvAna of the Buddha. This contrasts with another ancient Buddhist calendar tradition, preserved primarily in Sanskrit sources, which instead places Asoka's coronation one hundred years after the parinirvAna. The two calendars have come to be designated in modern scholarship as the "long chronology" and "short chronology," respectively. According to the long chronology, the Buddha's dates would be 566-486 BCE. According to the short chronology, they would be 448-368 BCE. The precise dating of the Buddha's parinirvAna has been a contested issue among scholars for well over a century, and both the long and the short chronologies, as well as permutations thereof, have had their supporters. At present, there is widespread consensus, based primarily on Greek accounts and Asoka's own inscriptions, that Asoka ascended to the Mauryan throne in c. 265 BCE, or approximately sixty years later than what is reported in the long chronology. Scholars who accept this dating, but who still adhere to the TheravAda claim that the Buddha died 218 years before this event, therefore place the parinirvAna at c. 480 BCE. This is known as the "corrected long chronology" and is the theory upheld by many contemporary scholars of Indian Buddhism. Recently however, a number of historians have argued, based primarily on a reevaluation of evidence found in the DĪPAVAMSA, that the short chronology is the earlier and more accurate calendar, and that the parinirvAna should be moved forward accordingly to between c. 400 and 350 BCE. Many contemporary traditions of East Asian Buddhism now also follow the modern TheravAda system in which the Buddha's parinirvAna is calculated as 544/543 BCE.
build "programming, systems" To process all of a project's {source code} and other digital assets or resources in order to produce a deployable product. In the simplest case this might mean compiling one file of {C} source to produce an {executable} file. More complex builds would typically involve compiling multiple source files, building library modules, packaging intermediate build products (e.g. {Java} {class files} in a {jar file}), adding or updating version information and other data about the product (e.g. intended deployment {platform}), running tests and interacting with a {source code control} system. The build process is normally automated using tools such as {Unix} {make}, {Apache} {ant} or as part of an {integrated development environment}. This is taken one step further by {continuous integration} set-ups which periodically build the system while you are working on it. (2011-12-16)
bulletin board system ::: (communications, application) (BBS, bboard /bee'bord/)A computer and associated software which typically provides an electronic message database where people can log in and leave messages. Messages are like a distributed BBS). Any user may submit or read any message in these public areas.The term comes from physical pieces of board on which people can pin messages written on paper for general consumption - a physical bulletin board. Ward Christensen, the programmer and operator of the first BBS (on-line 1978-02-16) called it a CBBS for computer bulletin board system.Apart from public message areas, a BBS may provide archives of files, personal electronic mail and any other services or activities of interest to the bulletin a valuable function by knitting together lots of hackers and users in the personal-micro world who would otherwise be unable to exchange code at all.Use of this term for a Usenet newsgroup generally marks one either as a newbie fresh in from the BBS world or as a real old-timer predating Usenet.(2005-09-20)
bulletin board system "communications, application" (BBS, bboard /bee'bord/, message board, forum; plural: BBSes) A computer and associated software which typically provides an electronic message database where people can log in and leave messages. Messages are typically split into {topic groups} similar to the {newsgroups} on {Usenet} (which is like a distributed BBS). Any user may submit or read any message in these public areas. The term comes from physical pieces of board on which people can pin messages written on paper for general consumption - a "physical bulletin board". {Ward Christensen}, the programmer and operator of the first BBS (on-line 1978-02-16) called it a CBBS for "computer bulletin board system". Since the rise of the {World-Wide Web}, the term has become antiquated, though the concept is more popular than ever, with many {websites} featuring discussion areas where users can post messages for public consumption. Apart from public message areas, some BBSes provided archives of files, personal {electronic mail} and other services of interest to the system operator ({sysop}). Thousands of BBSes around the world were run from amateurs' homes on {MS-DOS} boxes with a single {modem} line each. Although BBSes were traditionally the domain of hobbyists, many connected directly to the {Internet} (accessed via {telnet}), others were operated by government, educational, and research institutions. Fans of {Usenet} or the big commercial {time-sharing} bboards such as {CompuServe}, {CIX} and {GEnie} tended to consider local BBSes the low-rent district of the hacker culture, but they helped connect hackers and users in the personal-{micro} and let them exchange code. Use of this term for a {Usenet} newsgroup generally marks one either as a {newbie} fresh in from the BBS world or as a real old-timer predating {Usenet}. (2005-09-20)
Calvinism: A term covering the current of theological thought dating back to John Calvin (1509-1564) whose famous Institutes embodies its historic principles. Generally speaking, Calvinistic thought is a system in which God is made the center of all that is and happens, God's will pervading human and cosmic events, and upon whom man is utterly and cheerfully dependent. -- V.F.
candidating ::: n. --> The taking of the position of a candidate; specifically, the preaching of a clergyman with a view to settlement.
CaryAgītikosa. (T. Spyod pa'i glu'i mdzod). In Sanskrit, "Anthology of Songs on Practice"; a collection of fifty songs, dating from the eighth through the twelfth centuries, that represent some of the oldest examples of specifically tantric literature written in an Indian vernacular language (see APABHRAMsA). The manuscript was discovered in Nepal in 1907 and published in 1916, and contained four sections. The first section in the collection, CaryAcaryAbhiniscaya, was written in the Bengali vernacular, while the three other sections were written in Eastern ApabhraMsa, a late Middle Indic dialect from the Bengal region. The original manuscript of the CaryAgītikosa contained sixty-nine folios, which included the fifty songs, with exegeses in Sanskrit. By the time of the text's rediscovery, however, five folios were lost, leaving sixty-four folios containing the text of forty-six full songs and the first six lines of another ten-lined song. The names of twenty-three different authors are ascribed to the songs themselves; the authorship of the Sanskrit commentary to the Bengali songs is attributed to Munidatta. The songs were handed down orally before they were committed to writing, and even today they are sung in the Buddhist communities of Nepal, Tibet, and other neighboring areas of the HimAlayas. Most of the songs deal with gaining release from the bondage of the illusory world and enjoying the great bliss of enlightenment, by employing worldly similes drawn from marriage and such daily activities as fermenting wine and rowing a boat.
catagmatic ::: a. --> Having the quality of consolidating broken bones.
colour palette "graphics, hardware" (colour look-up table, CLUT) A device which converts the {logical} colour numbers stored in each {pixel} of {video} memory into {physical} colours, normally represented as {RGB} triplets, that can be displayed on the {monitor}. The palette is simply a block of fast {RAM} which is addressed by the logical colour and whose output is split into the red, green and blue levels which drive the actual display (e.g. {CRT}). The number of entries (logical colours) in the palette is the total number of colours which can appear on screen simultaneously. The width of each entry determines the number of colours which the palette can be set to produce. A common example would be a palette of 256 colours (i.e. addressed by eight-bit pixel values) where each colour can be chosen from a total of 16.7 million colours (i.e. eight bits output for each of red, green and blue). Changes to the palette affect the whole screen at once and can be used to produce special effects which would be much slower to produce by updating pixels. (1997-06-03)
colour palette ::: (graphics, hardware) (colour look-up table, CLUT) A device which converts the logical colour numbers stored in each pixel of video memory into physical logical colour and whose output is split into the red, green and blue levels which drive the actual display (e.g. CRT).The number of entries (logical colours) in the palette is the total number of colours which can appear on screen simultaneously. The width of each entry determines the number of colours which the palette can be set to produce.A common example would be a palette of 256 colours (i.e. addressed by eight-bit pixel values) where each colour can be chosen from a total of 16.7 million colours (i.e. eight bits output for each of red, green and blue).Changes to the palette affect the whole screen at once and can be used to produce special effects which would be much slower to produce by updating pixels. (1997-06-03)
Comprehension: (Lat. com + prehendere, to grasp) The act or faculty of understanding, intellectual grasp, or insight. Comprehension may be achieved variously by: unifying and relating manifold facts or ideas; deducing something from premises; accommodating new facts or ideas to established knowledge; seeing a thing or idea in its proper or significant context; relating a fact or idea to something known, universal and subject to law. Comprehension carries sometimes the special connotation of thorough understanding.
congenital ::: a. --> Existing at, or dating from, birth; pertaining to one from birth; born with one; connate; constitutional; natural; as, a congenital deformity. See Connate.
consolidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Consolidate
consolidant ::: a. --> Serving to unite or consolidate; having the quality of consolidating or making firm.
consolidation ::: n. --> The act or process of consolidating, making firm, or uniting; the state of being consolidated; solidification; combination.
To organic cohesion of different circled in a flower; adnation.
The combination of several actions into one.
Culaniddesa. In PAli, "Shorter Exposition," second part of the Niddesa ("Exposition"), an early commentarial work on the SUTTANIPATA included in the PAli SUTTAPItAKA as the eleventh book of the KHUDDAKANIKAYA; also written as Cullaniddesa. Attributed by tradition to the Buddha's chief disciple, SAriputta (S. sARIPUTRA), the Niddesa is divided into two sections: the MAHANIDDESA ("Longer Exposition"), and Culaniddesa. The MahAniddesa comments on the sixteen suttas (S. SuTRA) of the AttHAKAVAGGA chapter of the SuttanipAta, while the Culaniddesa comments on the sixteen suttas of the ParAyanavagga chapter and on the KhaggavisAnasutta (see KHAdGAVIsAnA). The MahAniddesa and Culaniddesa do not comment on any of the remaining contents of the SuttanipAta, a feature that has suggested to historians that at the time of their composition the Atthakavagga and ParAyanavagga were autonomous anthologies not yet incorporated into the SuttanipAta, and that the KhaggavisAnasutta likewise circulated independently. The exegesis given to the SuttanipAta by the MahA- and Culaniddesa displays the influence of the PAli ABHIDHAMMA (S. ABHIDHARMA) and passages from it are frequently quoted in the VISUDDHIMAGGA. Both parts of the Niddesa are formulaic in structure, a feature that appears to have been designed as a pedagogical aid to facilitate memorization. In Western scholarship, there has long been a debate regarding the dates of these two compositions, with some scholars dating them as early as the third century BCE, others to as late as the second century CE. The MahA- and Culaniddesa are the only commentarial texts besides the SUTTAVIBHAnGA of the VINAYAPItAKA to be included in the Sri Lankan and Thai recensions of the PAli canon. In contrast, the Burmese canon includes two additional early commentaries, the NETTIPAKARAnA and PEtAKOPADESA, as books sixteen and seventeen in its version of the KhuddakanikAya.
Dasheng wusheng fangbian men. (J. Daijo musho hobenmon; K. Taesŭng musaeng pangp'yon mun 大乗無生方便門). In Chinese, "Expedient Means of [Attaining] Nonproduction according to the MAHĀYĀNA"; a summary of the teachings of the Northern School (BEI ZONG) of CHAN. Several different recensions of this treatise were discovered at DUNHUANG; the text is also known as the Dasheng wufangbian Beizong ("Five Expedient Means of the Mahāyāna: the Northern School"). These different editions speak of five expedient means (UPĀYA): (1) a comprehensive explanation of the essence of buddhahood (corresponding to the DASHENG QIXIN LUN), (2) opening the gates of wisdom and sagacity (viz., the SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA), (3) manifesting the inconceivable dharma (the VIMALAKĪRTINIRDEsA), (4) elucidating the true nature of dharmas (Sutra of [the god] Siyi), and (5) the naturally unobstructed path to liberation (the AVATAMSAKASuTRA). Although this arrangement of scriptures bears a superficial resemblance to a taxonomy of texts (see JIAOXIANG PANSHI), a common feature of Chinese Buddhist polemics and exegesis, this listing was not intended to be hierarchical. The explanation of the five expedient means occurs largely in dialogic format. Unlike the Dasheng wufangbian Beizong, the Dasheng wusheng fangbian men also provides a description of the method of conferring the BODHISATTVA precepts (PUSA JIE). In its discussions of both the five expedient means and the bodhisattva precepts, great emphasis is placed on the need for purity of mind.
database management system "database" (DBMS) A suite of programs which typically manage large structured sets of persistent data, offering ad hoc query facilities to many users. They are widely used in business applications. A database management system (DBMS) can be an extremely complex set of software programs that controls the organisation, storage and retrieval of data (fields, records and files) in a database. It also controls the security and integrity of the database. The DBMS accepts requests for data from the application program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data. When a DBMS is used, information systems can be changed much more easily as the organisation's information requirements change. New categories of data can be added to the database without disruption to the existing system. Data security prevents unauthorised users from viewing or updating the database. Using passwords, users are allowed access to the entire database or subsets of the database, called subschemas (pronounced "sub-skeema"). For example, an employee database can contain all the data about an individual employee, but one group of users may be authorised to view only payroll data, while others are allowed access to only work history and medical data. The DBMS can maintain the integrity of the database by not allowing more than one user to update the same record at the same time. The DBMS can keep duplicate records out of the database; for example, no two customers with the same customer numbers (key fields) can be entered into the database. {Query languages} and {report writers} allow users to interactively interrogate the database and analyse its data. If the DBMS provides a way to interactively enter and update the database, as well as interrogate it, this capability allows for managing personal databases. However, it may not leave an audit trail of actions or provide the kinds of controls necessary in a multi-user organisation. These controls are only available when a set of application programs are customised for each data entry and updating function. A business information system is made up of subjects (customers, employees, vendors, etc.) and activities (orders, payments, purchases, etc.). Database design is the process of deciding how to organize this data into record types and how the record types will relate to each other. The DBMS should mirror the organisation's data structure and process transactions efficiently. Organisations may use one kind of DBMS for daily transaction processing and then move the detail onto another computer that uses another DBMS better suited for random inquiries and analysis. Overall systems design decisions are performed by data administrators and systems analysts. Detailed database design is performed by database administrators. The three most common organisations are the {hierarchical database}, {network database} and {relational database}. A database management system may provide one, two or all three methods. Inverted lists and other methods are also used. The most suitable structure depends on the application and on the transaction rate and the number of inquiries that will be made. Database machines are specially designed computers that hold the actual databases and run only the DBMS and related software. Connected to one or more mainframes via a high-speed channel, database machines are used in large volume transaction processing environments. Database machines have a large number of DBMS functions built into the hardware and also provide special techniques for accessing the disks containing the databases, such as using multiple processors concurrently for high-speed searches. The world of information is made up of data, text, pictures and voice. Many DBMSs manage text as well as data, but very few manage both with equal proficiency. Throughout the 1990s, as storage capacities continue to increase, DBMSs will begin to integrate all forms of information. Eventually, it will be common for a database to handle data, text, graphics, voice and video with the same ease as today's systems handle data. See also: {intelligent database}. (1998-10-07)
database management system ::: (database) (DBMS) A suite of programs which typically manage large structured sets of persistent data, offering ad hoc query facilities to many users. They are widely used in business applications.A database management system (DBMS) can be an extremely complex set of software programs that controls the organisation, storage and retrieval of data (fields, the database. The DBMS accepts requests for data from the application program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data.When a DBMS is used, information systems can be changed much more easily as the organisation's information requirements change. New categories of data can be added to the database without disruption to the existing system.Data security prevents unauthorised users from viewing or updating the database. Using passwords, users are allowed access to the entire database or subsets of group of users may be authorised to view only payroll data, while others are allowed access to only work history and medical data.The DBMS can maintain the integrity of the database by not allowing more than one user to update the same record at the same time. The DBMS can keep duplicate records out of the database; for example, no two customers with the same customer numbers (key fields) can be entered into the database.Query languages and report writers allow users to interactively interrogate the database and analyse its data.If the DBMS provides a way to interactively enter and update the database, as well as interrogate it, this capability allows for managing personal databases. available when a set of application programs are customised for each data entry and updating function.A business information system is made up of subjects (customers, employees, vendors, etc.) and activities (orders, payments, purchases, etc.). Database and how the record types will relate to each other. The DBMS should mirror the organisation's data structure and process transactions efficiently.Organisations may use one kind of DBMS for daily transaction processing and then move the detail onto another computer that uses another DBMS better suited for data administrators and systems analysts. Detailed database design is performed by database administrators.The three most common organisations are the hierarchical database, network database and relational database. A database management system may provide one, most suitable structure depends on the application and on the transaction rate and the number of inquiries that will be made.Database machines are specially designed computers that hold the actual databases and run only the DBMS and related software. Connected to one or more accessing the disks containing the databases, such as using multiple processors concurrently for high-speed searches.The world of information is made up of data, text, pictures and voice. Many DBMSs manage text as well as data, but very few manage both with equal common for a database to handle data, text, graphics, voice and video with the same ease as today's systems handle data.See also: intelligent database. (1998-10-07)
debate ::: v. t. --> To engage in combat for; to strive for.
To contend for in words or arguments; to strive to maintain by reasoning; to dispute; to contest; to discuss; to argue for and against.
A fight or fighting; contest; strife.
Contention in words or arguments; discussion for the purpose of elucidating truth or influencing action; strife in argument; controversy; as, the debates in Parliament or in Congress.
depredating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Depredate
depredation ::: n. --> The act of depredating, or the state of being depredated; the act of despoiling or making inroads; as, the sea often makes depredation on the land.
Dharmaskandha[pādasāstra]. (T. Chos kyi phung po; C. Fayun zu lun; J. Hounsokuron; K. Pobon chok non 法蘊足論). In Sanskrit, "Aggregation of Factors," or "Collection of Factors"; one of the two oldest works in the SARVĀSTIVĀDA ABHIDHARMA, along with the SAMGĪTIPARYĀYA, and traditionally placed as the third of the six "feet" (pāda) of the JNĀNAPRASTHĀNA, the central treatise in the Sarvāstivāda ABHIDHARMAPItAKA. The text is attributed to sĀRIPUTRA or MAHĀMAUDGALYĀYANA. It is considered an early work, with some scholars dating it as early as c. 300 BCE. It draws principally from the ĀGAMA scriptures to provide an account of Buddhist soteriological practices, as well as the afflictions that hinder spiritual progress. In coverage, the closest analogues to the Dharmaskandha are the VIBHAnGA of the Pāli abhidhammapitaka and the first half of the sāriputrābhidharmasāstra (probably associated with the DHARMAGUPTAKA school), but it appears to be the most primitive of the three in the way it organizes DHARMA classifications, listing them as sense-fields or bases (ĀYATANA), aggregates (SKANDHA), and elements (DHĀTU), rather than the standard Sarvāstivāda listing of aggregates, bases, and elements (as is also found in the Pāli abhidhamma). The exposition of dharmas in the first half of the text follows the primitive arrangement of the thirty-seven factors pertaining to enlightenment (BODHIPĀKsIKADHARMA), probably the earliest of the MĀTṚKĀ (matrices) listings that were the origin of the abhidharma style of dharma analysis. The Dharmaskandha provides one of the earliest attempts in Sarvāstivāda literature to organize the constituents of the path (MĀRGA) and introduce the crucial innovation of distinguishing between a path of vision (DARsANAMĀRGA) and a path of cultivation (BHĀVANĀMĀRGA). This distinction would be of crucial importance in the mature systematizations of the path made by the VAIBHĀsIKAs and would profoundly influence later MAHĀYĀNA presentations of the path. The second half of the text covers various other classification schema, including the āyatanas and dhātus. The sixteenth chapter synthesizes these two divisions, and focuses especially on the afflictions (KLEsA) and their removal. Despite being one of the earliest of the Sarvāstivāda abhidharma texts, the mature tradition considers the Dharmaskandha to be one of the "feet" (pāda) of the JNĀNAPRASTHĀNA, the central treatise in the Sarvāstivāda abhidharmapitaka. The Dharmaskandha does not survive in an Indic language and is only extant in a Chinese translation made by XUANZANG's translation team in 659 CE.
Dhātukathā. In Pāli, "Discourse on Elements"; traditionally listed as the third of the seven canonical books of the THERAVĀDA abhidhammapitaka, and probably deriving from the middle stratum of Pāli abhidhamma literature, after the earlier VIBHAnGA and PUGGALAPANNATTI, but before the later KATHĀVATTHU; the proposed dating varies widely, but the first century BCE is its terminus ad quem. The Dhātukathā presents a psychological analysis of noble states of mind, supplementing the subject matter of the DHAMMASAnGAnI. Its fourteen chapters are presented in catechetic style, describing the relationship that pertains between specific factors (dhamma; S. DHARMA) and the three broader categories of the aggregates (khandha; S. SKANDHA), elements (DHĀTU), and sense-fields (ĀYATANA). In its analysis of the relationships that pertain between these various factors and categories, rigorous definitions of each factor are provided. The analytical approach taken in the text-e.g., whether a specific factor is both included and not included in a particular category, etc.-anticipates the sophisticated logical analysis found later in the four antinomies (CATUsKOtI). The Dhātukathā is reminiscent in style and exegetical approach to the SARVĀSTIVĀDA DHĀTUKĀYA, and may derive from a common urtext, although there are few similarities in their respective contents.
dilapidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Dilapidate
dilapidation ::: n. --> The act of dilapidating, or the state of being dilapidated, reduced to decay, partially ruined, or squandered.
Ecclesiastical waste; impairing of church property by an incumbent, through neglect or by intention.
The pulling down of a building, or suffering it to fall or be in a state of decay.
dingxiang. (J. chinzo; K. chongsang 頂相). In Chinese, lit. "mark on the forehead" or "head's appearance." The term dingxiang was originally coined as the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit term UsnĪsA, but the term also came to be used to refer to a portrait or image of a monk or nun. Written sources from as early as the sixth century, such as the GAOSENG ZHUAN ("Biographies of Eminent Monks"), recount the natural mummification of eminent Buddhist monks, and subsequently, the making of lifelike sculptures of monks made from ashes (often from cremation) mixed with clay. The earliest extant monk portraits date from the ninth century and depict the five patriarchs of the esoteric school (C. Zhenyan; J. SHINGONSHu); these portraits are now enshrined in the collection of ToJI in Kyoto, Japan. Another early example is the sculpture of the abbot Hongbian in cave 17 at DUNHUANG. Dingxiang portraits were largely, but not exclusively, used within the CHAN, SoN, and ZEN traditions, to be installed in special halls prepared for memorial and mortuary worship. After the rise of the SHIFANGCHA (monasteries of the ten directions) system in the Song dynasty, which guaranteed the abbacy to monks belonging to a Chan lineage, portraits of abbots were hung in these image halls to establish their presence in a shared spiritual genealogy. The portraits of the legendary Indian monk BODHIDHARMA and the Chan master BAIZHANG HUAIHAI were often placed at the center of these arrangements, symbolizing the spiritual and institutional foundations of Chan. The practice of inscribing one's own dingxiang portrait before death also flourished in China; inscribed portraits were presented to disciples and wealthy supporters as gifts and these portraits thus functioned as highly valued commodities within the Buddhist religious community. The practice of preparing dingxiang portraits was transmitted to Japan. Specifically noteworthy are the Japanese monk portrait sculptures dating from the Kamakura period, known for their lifelike appearance. The making of dingxiang portraits continues to flourish even to this day. In Korea, the related term CHINYoNG ("true image") is more commonly used to refer to monks' portraits.
disoblige ::: v. t. --> To do an act which contravenes the will or desires of; to offend by an act of unkindness or incivility; to displease; to refrain from obliging; to be unaccommodating to.
To release from obligation.
disobliging ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Disoblige ::: a. --> Not obliging; not disposed to do a favor; unaccommodating; as, a disobliging person or act.
Displeasing; offensive.
Dunhuang. (J. Tonko; K. Tonhwang 敦煌). A northwest Chinese garrison town on the edge of the Taklamakan desert in Central Asia, first established in the Han dynasty and an important stop along the ancient SILK ROAD; still seen written also as Tun-huang, followed the older Wade-Giles transcription. Today an oasis town in China's Gansu province, Dunhuang is often used to refer to the nearby complex of approximately five hunded Buddhist caves, including the MOGAO KU (Peerless Caves) to the southeast of town and the QIANFO DONG (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas) about twenty miles to the west. Excavations to build the caves at the Mogao site began in the late-fourth century CE and continued into the mid-fourteenth century CE. Of the more than one thousand caves that were hewn from the cliff face, roughly half were decorated. Along with the cave sites of LONGMEN and YUNGANG further east and BEZEKLIK and KIZIL to the west, the Mogao grottoes contain some of the most spectacular examples of ancient Buddhist sculpture and wall painting to be found anywhere in the world. Legend has it that in 366 CE a wandering monk named Yuezun had a vision of a thousand golden buddhas at a site along some cliffs bordering a creek and excavated the first cave in the cliffs for his meditation practice. Soon afterward, additional caves were excavated and the first monasteries established to serve the needs of the monks and merchants traveling to and from China along the Silk Road. The caves were largely abandoned in the fourteenth century. In the early twentieth century, Wang Yuanlu (1849-1931), self-appointed guardian of the Dunhuang caves, discovered a large cache of ancient manuscripts and paintings in Cave 17, a side chamber of the larger Cave 16. As rumors of these manuscripts reached Europe, explorer-scholars such as SIR MARC AUREL STEIN and PAUL PELLIOT set out across Central Asia to obtain samples of ancient texts and artwork buried in the ruins of the Taklamakan desert. Inside were hundreds of paintings on silk and tens of thousands of manuscripts dating from the fifth to roughly the eleventh centuries CE, forming what has been described as the world's earliest and largest paper archive. The texts were written in more than a dozen languages, including Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Sogdian, Uighur, Khotanese, Tangut, and TOCHARIAN and consisted of paper scrolls, wooden tablets, and one of the world's earliest printed books (868 CE), a copy of the VAJRACCHEDIKĀPRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀSuTRA ("Diamond Sutra"). In the seventh-century, a Tibetan garrison was based at Dunhuang, and materials discovered in the library cave also include some of the earliest documents in the Tibetan language. This hidden library cave was apparently sealed in the eleventh century. As a result of the competition between European, American, and Japanese institutions to acquire documents from Dunhuang, the material was dispersed among collections world-wide, making access to all the manuscripts difficult. Many items have still not been properly catalogued or conserved and there are scholarly disputes over what quantity of the materials are modern forgeries. In 1944 the Dunhuang Academy was established to document and study the site and in 1980 the site was opened to the public. In 1987 the Dunhuang caves were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and today are being preserved through the efforts of both Chinese and international groups.
dynamic random access memory ::: (storage) (DRAM) A type of semiconductor memory in which the information is stored in capacitors on a MOS integrated circuit. Typically each bit is inconvenience, the DRAM is a very popular memory technology because of its high density and consequent low price.The first commercially available DRAM chip was the Intel 1103, introduced in 1970.The early DRAM chips up to a 16k x 1 (16384 locations of one bit each) model needed 3 supply voltages (+5V, -5V and +12V). Beginning with the 64 kilobit 16-pin DIL package, which was the preferred package at the time, and also made them easier to use.To reduce the pin count, thereby helping miniaturisation, DRAMs generally had a single data line which meant that a computer with an N bit wide data bus needed of all chips were common and the data line of each chip was connected to one of the data bus lines.Beginning with the 256 kilobit DRAM, a tendency toward surface mount packaging arose and DRAMs with more than one data line appeared (e.g. 64k x 4), reducing Module). Today, this is the preferred way to buy memory for workstations and personal computers.DRAM bit cells are arranged on a chip in a grid of rows and columns where the number of rows and columns are usually a power of two. Often, but not always, 1024 x 1024 memory cells. A single memory cell can be selected by a 10-bit row address and a 10-bit column address.To access a memory cell, one entire row of cells is selected and its contents are transferred into an on-chip buffer. This discharges the storage capacitors (possibly altered) information is finally written back into the selected row, thereby refreshing all bits (recharging the capacitors) in the row.To prevent data loss, all bit cells in the memory need to be refreshed periodically. This can be done by reading all rows in regular intervals. Most cell is guaranteed to hold the data for 16 ms without refresh. Devices with more rows have accordingly longer retention times.Many varieties of DRAM exist today. They differ in the way they are interfaced to the system - the structure of the memory cell itself is essentially the same.Traditional DRAMs have multiplexed address lines and separate data inputs and outputs. There are three control signals: RAS\ (row address strobe), CAS\ and output again. 4. Deactivating RAS\ causes the data in the buffer to be written back into the memory array.Certain timing rules must be obeyed to guarantee reliable operation. 1. RAS\ must remain inactivate for a while before the next memory cycle is started to and Column Access Times of 15-40 ns. Speed grades usually refer to the former, more important figure.Note that the Memory Cycle Time, which is the minimum time from the beginning of one access to the beginning of the next, is longer than the Row Access Time (because of the Precharge Time).Multiplexing the address pins saves pins on the chip, but usually requires additional logic in the system to properly generate the address and control usually preferred when (because of the required memory size) the additional cost for the control logic is outweighed by the lower price.Based on these principles, chip designers have developed many varieties to improve performance or ease system integration of DRAMs:PSRAMs (Pseudo Static Random Access Memory) are essentially DRAMs with a built-in address multiplexor and refresh controller. This saves some system substitute because it is sometimes busy when doing self-refresh, which can be tedious.Nibble Mode DRAM can supply four successive bits on one data line by clocking the CAS\ line.Page Mode DRAM is a standard DRAM where any number of accesses to the currently open row can be made while the RAS signal is kept active.Static Column DRAM is similar to Page Mode DRAM, but to access different bits in the open row, only the column address needs to be changed while the CAS\ signal stays active. The row buffer essentially behaves like SRAM.Extended Data Out DRAM (EDO DRAM) can continue to output data from one address while setting up a new address, for use in pipelined systems.DRAM used for Video RAM (VRAM) has an additional long shift register that can be loaded from the row buffer. The shift register can be regarded as a second most of the time for updating the display data, thereby speeding up display data manipulations.SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) adds a separate clock signal to the control signals. It allows more complex state machines on the chip and high speed burst accesses that clock a series of successive bits out (similar to the nibble mode).CDRAM (Cached DRAM) adds a separate static RAM array used for caching. It essentially combines main memory and cache memory in a single chip. The cache memory controller needs to be added externally.RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) changes the system interface of DRAM completely. A byte-wide bus is used for address, data and command transfers. The bus operates at very compensated by a very fast data transfer, especially for burst accesses to a block of successive locations.A number of different refresh modes can be included in some of the above device varieties:RAS\ only refresh: a row is refreshed by an ordinary read access without asserting CAS\. The data output remains disabled.CAS\ before RAS\ refresh: the device has a built-in counter for the refresh row address. By activating CAS\ before activating RAS\, this counter is selected to supply the row address instead of the address inputs.Self-Refresh: The device is able to generate refresh cycles internally. No external control signal transitions other than those for bringing the device into self-refresh mode are needed to maintain data integrity. (1996-07-11)
dynamic random-access memory "storage" (DRAM) A type of {semiconductor} memory in which the information is stored in {capacitors} on a {MOS} {integrated circuit}. Typically each {bit} is stored as an amount of electrical charge in a storage cell consisting of a capacitor and a {transistor}. Due to leakage the capacitor discharges gradually and the memory cell loses the information. Therefore, to preserve the information, the memory has to be refreshed periodically. Despite this inconvenience, the DRAM is a very popular memory technology because of its high density and consequent low price. The first commercially available DRAM chip was the {Intel 1103}, introduced in 1970. Early DRAM chips, containing up to a 16k x 1 (16384 locations of one bit each), needed 3 supply voltages (+5V, -5V and +12V). Beginning with the 64 kilobit chips, {charge pumps} were included on-chip to create the necessary supply voltages out of a single +5V supply. This was necessary to fit the device into a 16-pin {DIL} package, which was the preferred package at the time, and also made them easier to use. To reduce the pin count, thereby helping miniaturisation, DRAMs generally had a single data line which meant that a computer with an N bit wide {data bus} needed a "bank" of (at least) N DRAM chips. In a bank, the address and control signals of all chips were common and the data line of each chip was connected to one of the data bus lines. Beginning with the 256 kilobit DRAM, a tendency toward {surface mount} packaging arose and DRAMs with more than one data line appeared (e.g. 64k x 4), reducing the number of chips per bank. This trend has continued and DRAM chips with up to 36 data lines are available today. Furthermore, together with surface mount packages, memory manufacturers began to offer memory modules, where a bank of memory chips was preassembled on a little {printed circuit} board (SIP = Single Inline Pin Module, SIMM = Single Inline Memory Module, DIMM = Dual Inline Memory Module). Today, this is the preferred way to buy memory for {workstations} and {personal computers}. DRAM bit cells are arranged on a chip in a grid of rows and columns where the number of rows and columns are usually a power of two. Often, but not always, the number of rows and columns is the same. A one megabit device would then have 1024 x 1024 memory cells. A single memory cell can be selected by a 10-bit row address and a 10-bit column address. To access a memory cell, one entire row of cells is selected and its contents are transferred into an on-chip buffer. This discharges the storage capacitors in the bit cells. The desired bits are then read or written in the buffer. The (possibly altered) information is finally written back into the selected row, thereby refreshing all bits (recharging the capacitors) in the row. To prevent data loss, all bit cells in the memory need to be refreshed periodically. This can be done by reading all rows in regular intervals. Most DRAMs since 1970 have been specified such that one of the rows needs to be refreshed at least every 15.625 microseconds. For a device with 1024 rows, a complete refresh of all rows would then take up to 16 ms; in other words, each cell is guaranteed to hold the data for 16 ms without refresh. Devices with more rows have accordingly longer retention times. Many varieties of DRAM exist today. They differ in the way they are interfaced to the system - the structure of the memory cell itself is essentially the same. "Traditional" DRAMs have multiplexed address lines and separate data inputs and outputs. There are three control signals: RAS\ (row address strobe), CAS\ (column address strobe), and WE\ (write enable) (the backslash indicates an {active low} signal). Memory access procedes as follows: 1. The control signals initially all being inactive (high), a memory cycle is started with the row address applied to the address inputs and a falling edge of RAS\ . This latches the row address and "opens" the row, transferring the data in the row to the buffer. The row address can then be removed from the address inputs since it is latched on-chip. 2. With RAS\ still active, the column address is applied to the address pins and CAS\ is made active as well. This selects the desired bit or bits in the row which subsequently appear at the data output(s). By additionally activating WE\ the data applied to the data inputs can be written into the selected location in the buffer. 3. Deactivating CAS\ disables the data input and output again. 4. Deactivating RAS\ causes the data in the buffer to be written back into the memory array. Certain timing rules must be obeyed to guarantee reliable operation. 1. RAS\ must remain inactivate for a while before the next memory cycle is started to provide sufficient time for the storage capacitors to charge (Precharge Time). 2. It takes some time from the falling edge of the RAS\ or CAS\ signals until the data appears at the data output. This is specified as the Row Access Time and the Column Access Time. Current DRAM's have Row Access Times of 50-100 ns and Column Access Times of 15-40 ns. Speed grades usually refer to the former, more important figure. Note that the Memory Cycle Time, which is the minimum time from the beginning of one access to the beginning of the next, is longer than the Row Access Time (because of the Precharge Time). Multiplexing the address pins saves pins on the chip, but usually requires additional logic in the system to properly generate the address and control signals, not to mention further logic for refresh. Therefore, DRAM chips are usually preferred when (because of the required memory size) the additional cost for the control logic is outweighed by the lower price. Based on these principles, chip designers have developed many varieties to improve performance or ease system integration of DRAMs: PSRAMs (Pseudo Static Random Access Memory) are essentially DRAMs with a built-in address {multiplexor} and refresh controller. This saves some system logic and makes the device look like a normal {SRAM}. This has been popular as a lower cost alternative for SRAM in {embedded systems}. It is not a complete SRAM substitute because it is sometimes busy when doing self-refresh, which can be tedious. {Nibble Mode DRAM} can supply four successive bits on one data line by clocking the CAS\ line. {Page Mode DRAM} is a standard DRAM where any number of accesses to the currently open row can be made while the RAS signal is kept active. Static Column DRAM is similar to Page Mode DRAM, but to access different bits in the open row, only the column address needs to be changed while the CAS\ signal stays active. The row buffer essentially behaves like SRAM. {Extended Data Out DRAM} (EDO DRAM) can continue to output data from one address while setting up a new address, for use in {pipelined} systems. DRAM used for Video RAM ({VRAM}) has an additional long shift register that can be loaded from the row buffer. The shift register can be regarded as a second interface to the memory that can be operated in parallel to the normal interface. This is especially useful in {frame buffers} for {CRT} displays. These frame buffers generate a serial data stream that is sent to the CRT to modulate the electron beam. By using the shift register in the VRAM to generate this stream, the memory is available to the computer through the normal interface most of the time for updating the display data, thereby speeding up display data manipulations. SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) adds a separate clock signal to the control signals. It allows more complex {state machines} on the chip and high speed "burst" accesses that clock a series of successive bits out (similar to the nibble mode). CDRAM (Cached DRAM) adds a separate static RAM array used for caching. It essentially combines main memory and {cache} memory in a single chip. The cache memory controller needs to be added externally. RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) changes the system interface of DRAM completely. A byte-wide bus is used for address, data and command transfers. The bus operates at very high speed: 500 million transfers per second. The chip operates synchronously with a 250MHz clock. Data is transferred at both rising and falling edges of the clock. A system with signals at such frequencies must be very carefully designed, and the signals on the Rambus Channel use nonstandard signal levels, making it incompatible with standard system logic. These disadvantages are compensated by a very fast data transfer, especially for burst accesses to a block of successive locations. A number of different refresh modes can be included in some of the above device varieties: RAS\ only refresh: a row is refreshed by an ordinary read access without asserting CAS\. The data output remains disabled. CAS\ before RAS\ refresh: the device has a built-in counter for the refresh row address. By activating CAS\ before activating RAS\, this counter is selected to supply the row address instead of the address inputs. Self-Refresh: The device is able to generate refresh cycles internally. No external control signal transitions other than those for bringing the device into self-refresh mode are needed to maintain data integrity. (1996-07-11)
Ebionites [probably from Hebrew ’ebyon poor] An early sect of Christians, but predating the term Christian. They were probably disciples of Jeshua ben Panthera, an initiated teacher living in the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (104-79 BC), around whom many scholars believe the Gospel story of the avatara Jesus was later built. There seems little support for the conjecture that they had a founder called Ebion. Accounts of their tenets are uncertain, for their name was transferred to various diverging sects, differing in the extent of their adhesion to the Mosaic law and in their way of interpreting Christian dogmas as to the nature and work of Jesus. They were regarded as Judaizers and heretics, and eventually became eliminated from the Church. As Gnostics of a kind, they regarded both Christ and the polar opposite Jehovah as emanations or rays of the Logos, and were concerned with the adaptation of esoteric teachings with the Mosaic law on the one hand and with the materializing spirit of the Church on the other.
Edinburgh Multi Access System "operating system" (EMAS) One of the first {operating systems} written in a {high-level language} ({IMProved Mercury autocode}), apparently predating {Unix}. [Papers in J. {British Computer Society}]. [More info? Dates?] (1996-04-07)
Edinburgh Multi Access System ::: (operating system) (EMAS) One of the first operating systems written in a high-level language (IMProved Mercury autocode), apparently predating Unix.[Papers in J. British Computer Society].[More info? Dates?] (1996-04-07)
elucidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Elucidate
elucidation ::: n. --> A making clear; the act of elucidating or that which elucidates, as an explanation, an exposition, an illustration; as, one example may serve for further elucidation of the subject.
Enchiridion: A collection of magical prescriptions and incantations for protection against illness and misfortune, dating from the ninth century A.D.
EOF ::: End Of File1. The out-of-band value returned by C's sequential character-input functions (and their equivalents in other environments) when end of file has been reached. This value is -1 under C libraries postdating V6 Unix, but was originally 0.2. The keyboard character (usually control-D, the ASCII EOT (End Of Transmission) character) that is mapped by the Unix terminal driver into an end-of-file condition.[Jargon File] (1995-01-18)
EOF End Of File 1. The {out-of-band} value returned by {C}'s sequential character-input functions (and their equivalents in other environments) when end of file has been reached. This value is -1 under {C} libraries postdating V6 Unix, but was originally 0. 2. The keyboard character (usually control-D, the ASCII EOT (End Of Transmission) character) that is mapped by the {Unix} terminal driver into an end-of-file condition. [{Jargon File}] (1995-01-18)
era ::: n. --> A fixed point of time, usually an epoch, from which a series of years is reckoned.
A period of time reckoned from some particular date or epoch; a succession of years dating from some important event; as, the era of Alexander; the era of Christ, or the Christian era (see under Christian).
A period of time in which a new order of things prevails; a signal stage of history; an epoch.
Etruscans An ancient Italian people predating the Romans. Among the older Greek historians there is mention of Tyrrhenoi or Tyrsenoi, and of a king of Lydia named Tyrrhenos who led a Pelasgian colony to Umbria. Roman history describes a mixed population, Etrusci, Tusci, or (by their own name) Rasenna, formed by immigrants from Asia and from over the Alps, still preserving much of their ancient culture amid corrupted habits, and diffusing it to other Italian peoples.
fall through "programming" (The American misspelling "fall thru" is also common) 1. To exit a loop by exhaustion, i.e. by having fulfilled its exit condition rather than via a break or exception condition that exits from the middle of it. This usage appears to be *really* old, dating from the 1940s and 1950s. 2. To fail a test that would have passed control to a subroutine or some other distant portion of code. 3. In C, "fall-through" occurs when the flow of execution in a {switch statement} reaches a "case" label other than by jumping there from the switch header, passing a point where one would normally expect to find a "break". A trivial example: switch (colour) { case GREEN: do_green(); break; case PINK: do_pink(); /* FALL THROUGH */ case RED: do_red(); break; default: do_blue(); break; } The effect of the above code is to "do_green()" when colour is "GREEN", "do_red()" when colour is "RED", "do_blue()" on any other colour other than "PINK", and (and this is the important part) "do_pink()" __and then__ "do_red()" when colour is "PINK". Fall-through is {considered harmful} by some, though there are contexts (such as the coding of state machines) in which it is natural; it is generally considered good practice to include a comment highlighting the fall-through where one would normally expect a break. See also {Duff's Device}.
fall through ::: (programming) (The American misspelling fall thru is also common)1. To exit a loop by exhaustion, i.e. by having fulfilled its exit condition rather than via a break or exception condition that exits from the middle of it. This usage appears to be *really* old, dating from the 1940s and 1950s.2. To fail a test that would have passed control to a subroutine or some other distant portion of code.3. In C, fall-through occurs when the flow of execution in a switch statement reaches a case label other than by jumping there from the switch header, passing a point where one would normally expect to find a break. A trivial example: switch (colour){ where one would normally expect a break. See also Duff's Device.
F. C. S. Schiller, the Oxford pragmatist or humanist, is, if anything, more hostile to rationalism, intellectualism, absolute metaphysics and even systematic and rigorous thinking than James himself. In his Humanism (1903) and his most important book Studies in Humanism (1907), he attempts to resolve or deflate metaphysical issues and controversies by practical distinctions of terms and appeal to personal, human factors, supposedly forgotten by other philosophers. Schiller wrote about many of the topics which James treated: absolute metaphysics, religion, truth, freedom, psychic research, etc., and the outcome is similar. His spirited defense of Protagoras, "the humanist", against Socrates and his tireless bantering critique of all phases of formal logic are elements of novelty. So also is his extreme activism. He goes so far as to say that "In validating our claims to 'truth' . . . we really transform them [realities] by our cognitive efforts, thereby proving our desires and ideas to be real forces in the shaping of the world". (Studies tn Humanism, 1906, p. 425.) Schiller's apparent view that desires and ideas can transform both truth and reality, even without manipulation or experiment, could also be found in James, but is absent in Dewey and later pragmatists.
fecundating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Fecundate
fertilization ::: n. --> The act or process of rendering fertile.
The act of fecundating or impregnating animal or vegetable germs; esp., the process by which in flowers the pollen renders the ovule fertile, or an analogous process in flowerless plants; fecundation; impregnation.
file server ::: Hardware and software that together provide file-handling and storage functions for multiple users on a local area network. The most common choices for file individual computers, thus economising on disk space and also makes administrating and updating the files easier.
file server Hardware and software that together provide file-handling and storage functions for multiple users on a {local area network}. The most common choices for file server software are {Sun Microsystems}' {Network File System} for {Unix} and {Novell Netware} for {IBM PC} compatibles. There is also a version of NFS for PCs called {PC-NFS}. Storing files on a file server saves having multiple copies stored on individual computers, thus economising on disk space and also makes administrating and updating the files easier.
finding such dating untenable, moved the time ahead to the 6th century. However, according to a French legend
formidable ::: 1. Arousing fear, dread, or alarm. 2. Of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating. 3. Arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc. 4. Of great strength; forceful; powerful.
functional database "database, language" A {database} which uses a {functional language} as its {query language}. Databases would seem to be an inappropriate application for functional languages since, a {purely functional language} would have to return a new copy of the entire database every time (part of) it was updated. To be practically {scalable}, the update mechanism must clearly be {destructive} rather than functional; however it is quite feasible for the {query language} to be purely functional so long as the database is considered as an argument. One approach to the update problem would use a {monad} to encapsulate database access and ensure it was {single threaded}. Alternative approaches have been suggested by Trinder, who suggests non-destructive updating with shared data structures, and Sutton who uses a variant of a Phil Wadler's {linear type} system. There are two main classes of functional database languages. The first is based upon {Backus}' {FP} language, of which {FQL} is probably the best known example. {Adaplan} is a more recent language which falls into this category. More recently, people have been working on languages which are syntactically very similar to modern {functional programming languages}, but which also provide all of the features of a database language, e.g. bulk data structures which can be incrementally updated, type systems which can be incrementally updated, and all data persisting in a database. Examples are {PFL} [Poulovassilis&Small, VLDB-91], and {Machiavelli} [Ohori et al, ACM SIGMOD Conference, 1998]. {Query optimisation} is very important for database languages in general and the {referential transparency} of functional languages allows optimisations which would be harder to verify in presence of {side-effects}. [Trinder, P., "Referentially transparent database languages", 1989 Glasgow Workshop on Functional programming] [Breazu-Tannen et al., DBPL-91]. [Poulovassilis, VLDB-94]. (1995-05-09)
functional database ::: (database, language) A database which uses a functional language as its query language.Databases would seem to be an inappropriate application for functional languages since, a purely functional language would have to return a new copy of the it is quite feasible for the query language to be purely functional so long as the database is considered as an argument.One approach to the update problem would use a monad to encapsulate database access and ensure it was single threaded. Alternative approaches have been suggested by Trinder, who suggests non-destructive updating with shared data structures, and Sutton who uses a variant of a Phil Wadler's linear type system.There are two main classes of functional database languages. The first is based upon Backus' FP language, of which FQL is probably the best known example. Adaplan is a more recent language which falls into this category.More recently, people have been working on languages which are syntactically very similar to modern functional programming languages, but which also provide all data persisting in a database. Examples are PFL [Poulovassilis&Small, VLDB-91], and Machiavelli [Ohori et al, ACM SIGMOD Conference, 1998].Query optimisation is very important for database languages in general and the referential transparency of functional languages allows optimisations which would be harder to verify in presence of side-effects.[Trinder, P., Referentially transparent database languages, 1989 Glasgow Workshop on Functional programming][Breazu-Tannen et al., DBPL-91].[Poulovassilis, VLDB-94]. (1995-05-09)
gong'an. (J. koan; K. kongan 公案). In Chinese, "public case," or "precedent"; better known in the West by its Japanese pronunciation koan, a word that has now entered common English parlance as "koan." Gong'an was originally a legal term, referring to the magistrate's (gong) table (an), which by metonymy comes to refer to a legal precedent or an authoritative judgment; the term also comes to mean simply a "story" (gong'an in vernacular Chinese refers to the genre of detective stories). The term is widely used in the CHAN school in a way that conveys both denotations of a legal precedent and a story. The study of gong'an seems to have had its beginnings in the practice, probably dating from the late-Tang dynasty, of commenting on the exchanges or "ancient precedents" (guce) culled from Chan genealogical histories (e.g., JINGDE CHUANDENG LU) and the recorded sayings or discourse records (YULU) of the Chan masters of the past. Commenting on old cases (niangu), often using verses (SONGGU), seems to have become a well-established practice by the early Song dynasty, as more recorded sayings began to include separate sections known as nianggu and songgu. Perhaps one of the most famous collections of verse commentaries on old cases is the Chan master XUEDOU CHONGXIAN's Xuedou heshang baice songgu, which now exists only as part of a larger influential collection of gong'ans known as the BIYAN LU. Other famous gong'an collections, such as the CONGRONG LU and WUMEN GUAN, were compiled during the Song dynasty and thereafter. These collections often shared a similar format. Each case (bence), with some exceptions, begins with a pointer (CHUISHI), a short introductory paragraph. The actual case, often a short anecdote, is interspersed with interlinear notes known as "annotations" or "capping phrases" (C. zhuoyu/zhuyu; see J. JAKUGO). After the case, a prose commentary (pingchang), verse commentary (songgu), and subcommentary on the verse commentary follow. Traditionally, 1,700 specific gong'an are said to have been in circulation in the Chan school. Although this number does have antecedents within the tradition, there are no fixed numbers of cases included in Chan gong'an anthologies; for example, a late Qing-dynasty collection, the 1712 Zongjian falin, includes 2,720 gong'an, which were claimed to be all the gong'an then in active use within the tradition. Whatever the number, there seems not to have been any kind of systematic curriculum within the Chinese Chan or Korean Son traditions using this full panoply of gong'an. The creation of a pedagogical system of training involving mastery of a series of many different koans is commonly attributed to HAKUIN EKAKU (1685-1768) in the Japanese RINZAISHu of ZEN. The widespread reference to 1,700 gong'an in Western-language materials may derive from accounts of Japanese government attempts in 1627 to routinize the Rinzai monastic curriculum, by promulgating a regulation requiring all Zen abbots to master 1,700 cases as part of their training. ¶ The literary endeavor of studying old cases also gave rise to new forms of meditation. The Chan master DAHUI ZONGGAO in the YANGQI PAI of the LINJI ZONG systematized a practice in which one focuses on what he termed the "meditative topic" (HUATOU), which in some contexts refers to the "keyword," or "critical phrase" of a gong'an story. For instance, the famous huatou "WU" (no) that Dahui used as a meditative topic was derived from a popular gong'an attributed to ZHAOZHOU CONGSHEN: A student asked Zhaozhou, "Does a dog have buddha nature, or not?," to which Zhaozhou replied "wu" (no; lit., "it does not have it") (see WU GONG'AN; GOUZI WU FOXING). This new practice was called the "Chan of observing the meditative topic" or, more freely, "questioning meditation" (KANHUA CHAN). During the Song dynasty, students also began to seek private instruction on gong'an from Chan masters. These instructions often occurred in the abbot's quarters (FANGZHANG). ¶ The active study of gong'an in Korean SoN begins with POJO CHINUL and his disciple CHIN'GAK HYESIM, who learned of Dahui's kanhua Chan largely through the writings of their Chinese counterpart. Hyesim was also the first Korean Son monk to compile his own massive collection of cases, titled the SoNMUN YoMSONG CHIP. The use of cases was later transmitted to Japan by pilgrims and émigré monks, where koan study became emblematic of the Rinzaishu. Because rote memorization of capping phrases came to take precedence over skilled literary composition in classical Chinese, the Japanese compiled large collections of capping phrases, such as the ZENRIN KUSHu, to use in their training.
GOSMACS /goz'maks/ Gosling Emacs. The first {Emacs} implementation in {C}, predating but now largely eclipsed by {GNU} {Emacs}. Originally {freeware}; a commercial version is now modestly popular as {UniPress Emacs}. The author (James Gosling) went on to invent {NeWS}. [{Jargon File}]
GOSMACS ::: /goz'maks/ Gosling Emacs. The first Emacs implementation in C, predating but now largely eclipsed by GNU Emacs. Originally freeware; a commercial version is now modestly popular as UniPress Emacs. The author (James Gosling) went on to invent NeWS.[Jargon File]
Guangshengsi. (廣勝寺). In Chinese, "Monastery of Vast Triumph"; located in the Zhaocheng county seat in southern Shanxi province, the monastery's foundation legend traces its history back to 147 CE. The monastery is comprised of two monastic compounds, called the lower (xiasi) and upper (shangsi) Guangsheng monasteries. The upper monastery was rebuilt in 769 CE during the Tang, when the Taizong emperor (r. 762-779 CE) bestowed upon it the current name of Guangsheng or "Vast Triumph." Upper Guangsheng monastery was known for housing both Buddhist relics and two editions of the Buddhist canon (DAZANGJING), one dating from the Jin dynasty (1115-1234 CE), the other from the Yuan (1271-1368 CE). Lower Guangsheng monastery was originally an independent monastery. It is unique in that its main shrine hall, which dates from 1319 CE during the Yuan dynasty, was not specifically Buddhist or Daoist but was instead dedicated to a local god-Mingying Wang, the King of Righteous Response. The monastery was later subsumed by its neighbor, Upper Guangsheng monastery, and since the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE) has been known as Lower Guangsheng monastery.
handle 1. "programming, operating system" A simple item of data that identifies a resource. For example, a {Unix} file handle identifies an open file and associated data such as whether it was opened for read or write and the current read/write position. On the {Macintosh}, a handle is a pointer to a pointer to some dynamically-allocated memory. The extra level of indirection allows on-the-fly {memory compaction} or {garbage collection} without invalidating application program references to the allocated memory. 2. "jargon" An alias used intended to conceal a user's true identity in an electronic message. The term is common on Citizen's Band and other amateur radio but, in that context usually means the user's real name as {FCC} rules forbid concealing one's identity. Use of grandiose handles is characteristic of {crackers}, {weenies}, {spods}, and other lower forms of network life; true hackers travel on their own reputations. Compare {nick}. [{Jargon File}] 3. "networking" {domain handle}. (2004-07-20)
handle ::: 1. (programming, operating system) A simple item of data that identifies a resource. For example, a Unix file handle identifies an open file and on-the-fly memory compaction or garbage collection without invalidating application program references to the allocated memory.2. (jargon) An alias used intended to conceal a user's true identity in an electronic message. The term is common on Citizen's Band and other amateur radio but, in that context usually means the user's real name as FCC rules forbid concealing one's identity.Use of grandiose handles is characteristic of crackers, weenies, spods, and other lower forms of network life; true hackers travel on their own reputations.Compare nick.[Jargon File](2004-07-20)
Hilbert and Ackermann, Grundzuge der theoretischen Logik, 2nd edn., Berlin, 1938. Logic, traditional: the name given to those parts and that method of treatment of formal logic which have come down substantially unchanged from classical and medieval times. Traditional logic emphasizes the analysis of propositions into subject and predicate and the associated classification into the four forms, A, E, I, O; and it is concerned chiefly with topics immediately related to these, including opposition, immediate inference, and the syllogism (see logic, formal). Associated with traditional logic are also the three so-called laws of thought -- the laws of identity (q. v.), contradiction (q. v.) -- and excluded middle (q. v.) -- and the doctrine that these laws are in a special sense fundamental presuppositions of reasoning, or even (by some) that all other principles of logic can be derived from them or are mere elaborations of them. Induction (q. v.) has been added in comparatively modern times (dating from Bacon's Novum Organum) to the subject matter of traditional logic. -- A. C.
his writings dating back to earliest Christian times
I laid the book aside and asked myself: who are these seven holy ones that stand before God? Has any biblical scholar identified them? Are they of the order of seraphim, cherubim, principalities, powers? And are they always the same seven who enjoy the privilege and eminence of closest proximity to the throne of Glory? And why seven? Were the seven planets the prototype? Or did the notion derive from the well-known chapter in Ezekiel 9: 2-11 which gives a terrifying picture of six “men” and a seventh “clothed in linen” whom God summoned to Jerusalem to “slay without pity”? Challenging, even intimidating, questions and ones that, I felt, ought not to be left unanswered. Meantime, the pursuit led me down many a heavenly brook. Over the years it served to unlock realms of gold I never suspected existed in Heaven or on earth.
IMProved Mercury autocode "language" (IMP) A version of {Autocode} used to program the {Edinburgh Multi Access System} (EMAS), one of the first {operating systems} written in a {high-level language}, apparently predating {Unix}. Luis Damas' {Prolog} {interpreter} in IMP for EMAS led to {C-Prolog}. [Papers in J. {British Computer Society}]. (1996-04-07)
IMProved Mercury autocode ::: (language) (IMP) A version of Autocode used to program the Edinburgh Multi Access System (EMAS), one of the first operating systems written in a high-level language, apparently predating Unix.Luis Damas' Prolog interpreter in IMP for EMAS led to C-Prolog.[Papers in J. British Computer Society]. (1996-04-07)
incommodating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Incommodate
Indian Aesthetics: Art in India is one of the most diversified subjects. Sanskrit silpa included all crafts, fine art, architecture and ornament, dancing, acting, music and even coquetry. Behind all these endeavors is a deeprooted sense of absolute values derived from Indian philosophy (q.v.) which teaches the incarnation of the divine (Krsna, Shiva, Buddha), the transitoriness of life (cf. samsara), the symbolism and conditional nature of the phenomenal (cf. maya). Love of splendour and exaggerated greatness, dating back to Vedic (q.v.) times mingled with a grand simplicity in the conception of ultimate being and a keen perception and nature observation. The latter is illustrated in examples of verisimilous execution in sculpture and painting, the detailed description in a wealth of drama and story material, and the universal love of simile. With an urge for expression associated itself the metaphysical in its practical and seemingly other-worldly aspects and, aided perhaps by the exigencies of climate, yielded the grotesque as illustrated by the cave temples of Ellora and Elephanta, the apparent barbarism of female ornament covering up all organic beauty, the exaggerated, symbol-laden representations of divine and thereanthropic beings, a music with minute subdivisions of scale, and the like. As Indian philosophy is dominated by a monistic, Vedantic (q.v.) outlook, so in Indian esthetics we can notice the prevalence of an introvert unitary, soul-centric, self-integrating tendency that treats the empirical suggestively and by way of simile, trying to stylize the natural in form, behavior, and expression. The popular belief in the immanence as well as transcendence of the Absolute precludes thus the possibility of a complete naturalism or imitation. The whole range of Indian art therefore demands a sharing and re-creation of absolute values glimpsed by the artist and professedly communicated imperfectly. Rules and discussions of the various aspects of art may be found in the Silpa-sastras, while theoretical treatments are available in such works as the Dasarupa in dramatics, the Nrtya-sastras in dancing, the Sukranitisara in the relation of art to state craft, etc. Periods and influences of Indian art, such as the Buddhist, Kushan, Gupta, etc., may be consulted in any history of Indian art. -- K.F.L.
innodating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Innodate
Interpress ::: Interpreted FORTH-like graphics language, possibly the first page description language, predating PostScript. Both are descendants of JaM. Used on Xerox printers.[Interpress, The Source Book, Steven Harrington et al, P-H 1988.]
Interpress Interpreted {FORTH}-like graphics language, possibly the first {page description language}, predating {PostScript}. Both are descendants of {JaM}. Used on {Xerox} printers. ["Interpress, The Source Book", Steven Harrington et al, P-H 1988.]
intimidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Intimidate
inturbidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Inturbidate
inundating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Inundate
inundation ::: n. --> The act of inundating, or the state of being inundated; an overflow; a flood; a rising and spreading of water over grounds.
An overspreading of any kind; overflowing or superfluous abundance; a flood; a great influx; as, an inundation of tourists.
invalidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Invalidate
invalidation ::: n. --> The act of inavlidating, or the state of being invalidated.
irritant ::: a. --> Rendering null and void; conditionally invalidating.
Irritating; producing irritation or inflammation. ::: n. --> That which irritates or excites.
Any agent by which irritation is produced; as, a chemical irritant; a mechanical or electrical irritant.
Jains, Jainas [from jina victorious] Followers of the jinas; one of the major Indian religions. Scholars place their origin in the 5th century BC, believing them to be the last direct representatives of the philosophical schools which then flourished. Jainism, however, became overshadowed with the rise of Buddhism, which it closely resembles; but came to the front when the Buddhist fervor waned in India. The first recorded Jain teacher is Vaddhamana (known as Mahavira, “the great hero”), a contemporary of Gautama Buddha; the Jains themselves state that there was a succession of teachers antedating him, and enumerate 24 Jinas or Tirthankaras. Jains deny the authority of the Vedas and do not believe in any personal supreme god. They have a complex religious philosophy which includes belief in the eternity of matter, the periodicity of the universe, and the immortality of human’s and animal’s minds. They are particularly known for avoiding harming any living thing.
'Jam dbyangs bzhad pa'i rdo rje Ngag dbang brtson 'grus. (Jamyang Shepe Dorje Ngawang Tsondrü) (1648-1722). The originator, and first in the line of 'JAM DBYANGS BZHAD PA SPRUL SKU (incarnations) that are the head lamas of BLA BRANG BKRA SHIS DKYIL monastery in A mdo, northeastern Tibet, now part of Gansu province in northwest China. He arrived in LHA SA in 1668 and entered Sgo mang grwa tshang (monastic college) of 'BRAS SPUNGS monastery. He received both his sRĀMAnERA and BHIKsU ordinations from the fifth DALAI LAMA. In 1676, he entered the tantric college of RGYUD SMAD. A prolific writer, his collected works (gsung 'bum) in fifteen volumes include commentaries on the GUHYASAMĀJATANTRA and VAJRABHAIRAVATANTRA, and long and detailed commentaries on ABHIDHARMA, PRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀ, VINAYA, and a range of issues in MADHYAMAKA and YOGĀCĀRA philosophy; these works replaced those of Gung ru Chos kyi 'byung gnas as the authoritative standard works (yig cha) studied in the Sgo mang college of 'Bras spungs monastery, and in the network of provincial monasteries associated with it. Among his most famous works is his doxography of the Indian philosophical schools, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, known as Grub mtha' chen mo. In the political turmoil that followed the death of the fifth DALAI LAMA in 1682 and the rule of SDE SRID SANGS RGYAS RGYA MTSHO in his name, 'Jam dbyangs bzhad pa was appointed abbot of Sgo mang in 1700. However, he came into conflict with the Sde srid over the latter's attempt to force a change in the monastic curriculum at 'Bras spungs, stepping down from the abbacy. He developed a friendship with Lha bzang Khan, the military ruler of central Tibet, accepting from him the hermitage of Pha bong kha located above SE RA monastery. He apparently sought to pacify the strained relations between the Sde srid and the Lha bzang Khan, but after the execution of the Sde srid by Mongolian forces in 1705, he left central Tibet for A mdo in 1709 where he founded Bla brang bkra shis dkyil. It grew into a huge monastery and a center of scholarship in its own right. The monastery attracted many Mongolian students and its influence was instrumental in consolidating the power of the DGE LUGS sect and the new DGA' LDAN PHO BRANG government over the A mdo regions.
jinglu. (J. kyoroku; K. kyongnok 經). In Chinese, "scriptural catalogues"; a genre of Buddhist literature unique to East Asian Buddhism. Because the Chinese state presumed the authority to authorize which texts (including Buddhist scriptures) were allowed to circulate, the Chinese Buddhist institution from early in its history began to compile catalogues of scriptures that were deemed authentic, and thus suitable for inclusion in the Buddhist canon (DAZANGJING), and texts that were deemed suspect and thus potentially to be excluded from the canon (see APOCRYPHA). Scriptural catalogues began to be compiled within a century of the beginnings of the translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese, or sometime around the middle of the third century, and some eighty catalogues were compiled over the next one thousand five hundred years, with the majority dating from the Tang dynasty (618-907) or before. As Buddhist canons came to be compiled in Korea and Japan as well, those countries also began to create their own catalogues. For the Chinese cataloguers, the main standard of scriptural authority was whether there was clear evidence that a scripture had been imported from outside China and then translated into Chinese; any evidence that indigenous material had intruded into texts, whether that evidence involved vocabulary, thought, or practice, could lead to those texts being judged as apocrypha. Important catalogues include DAO'AN's ZONGLI ZHONGJING MULU, the earliest catalogue, composed c. 374; Sengyou's CHU SANZANG JIJI from 515, which established the principal categories into which all subsequent cataloguers would classify texts; Fei Changfang's LIDAI SANBAO JI from 597, which fabricated many translator attributions to texts that had previously been listed as anonymous, so as to quash potential questions about the reliability of the Buddhist textual transmission; DAOXUAN's DA TANG NEIDIAN LU from 664; and Zhisheng's KAIYUAN SHIJIAO LU from 730, the catalogue par excellence, whose scriptural listings would provide the definitive content and organization of the East Asian Buddhist canon from that point onward.
Jubilees, Book of ::: Extra-canonical work, dating from the middle of the Second Temple period, purporting to be a secret revelation to Moses, upon his second ascent to Mount Sinai.
Kaniska. (T. Ka ni ska; C. Jianisejia wang; J. Kanishika o; K. Kanisaekka wang 迦膩色迦王) (c. 127-151 CE). Third king of the KUSHAN kingdom in the northwest of India and legendary patron of Buddhism, rivaled, according to the tradition, only by AsOKA, some four centuries later. The story of his conversion to Buddhism is widely found in the literature, but it seems to belong to the realm of legend, not history. Kaniska is said to have convened the fourth Buddhist council (see COUNCIL, FOURTH), which led to the compilation of the ABHIDHARMAMAHĀVIBHĀsĀ ("Great Exegesis of Abhidharma").Thanks to Kaniska's putative support, the Kushan kingdom has traditionally been assumed to have been an important conduit for the introduction of Buddhist materials into China via the SILK ROAD of Central Asia. Recent evidence of the decline in western Central Asian trade during the Kushan period, however, may suggest instead that the Kushans were more of an obstacle than a help to this dissemination. Hence, it may not have been the Kushans who facilitated the transmission of Buddhism but their Indo-Scythian predecessors in the region, the Saka (S. saka) tribe. The emerging scholarly consensus is that Kaniska's reign began in 127 CE; if accepted, this date will allow much more precise dating of the cultural products of the KASHMIR-GANDHĀRA region.
Kāsyapaparivarta. (T. 'Od srung gi le'u; C. Yiri monibao jing; J. Yuinichi manihokyo; K. Yuil manibo kyong 遺日摩尼寶經). In Sanskrit, "The KĀsYAPA Chapter"; a SuTRA from one of the earliest strata of Indian MAHĀYĀNA Buddhism, probably dating from sometime in the first century CE. The sutra offers an overview of practices emblematic of BODHISATTVAs, which are arranged in several groups of four practices apiece. The text cites a "bodhisattva canon" (BODHISATTVAPItAKA) as the source for the teaching on the six perfections (PĀRAMITĀ) and offers one of the earliest mentions of the "thought of enlightenment" (BODHICITTA) in its Mahāyāna interpretation as the aspiration to achieve buddhahood. A bodhisattva who generates this thought even for the first time is said to be superior to the solitary buddhas (PRATYEKABUDDHA) and disciples (sRĀVAKA). Disciples are also censured as not being true sons of the Buddha, an early expression of the later Mahāyāna school's more explicit denunciations of the so-called HĪNAYĀNA. The sutra also refers to bodhisattva precepts (see BODHISATTVAsĪLA), which will subsequently be elaborated upon in such texts as MAITREYA/ASAnGA's BODHISATTVABHuMI and in such Chinese APOCRYPHA as the FANWANG JING. The Kāsyapaparivarta was one of the first sutras translated into Chinese, by the Indo-Scythian monk *LOKAKsEMA (c. 178-198 CE) in 179 CE; a later recension is also included in the massive RATNAKutA collection of sutras. The Kāsyapaparivarta is one of a substantial number of scriptures in the Ratnakuta collection for which Sanskrit recensions have been rediscovered and edited. Its Sanskrit manuscript was first discovered in KHOTAN in the 1890s and was more than one thousand years old; other Sanskrit fragments have subsequently been recovered.
Key of Solomon the King: A treatise on magic, dating probably from the 14th or 15th century, although it pretends to have been written by King Solomon. (Cf. Lemegeton.)
Kharosthī. An ancient Indic script used in northwest India between the third century BCE and the third century CE to write Sanskrit and GĀNDHĀRĪ. It was used in the GANDHĀRA region, as well as KUsANA and SOGDIANA. Its alphabet follows the order of ARAPACANA. Several of the edicts of AsOKA from northwest India are in Kharosthī script; these were deciphered by James Prinsep. In the late twentieth century, numerous birch-bark Buddhist manuscripts written in Kharosthī were discovered in Afghanistan; dating from as early as the first century CE, they represent the oldest extant Buddhist manuscripts.
Kiyomizudera. (清水寺). In Japanese, "Pure Water Monastery"; an important monastery of the Japanese HoSSo school of YOGĀCĀRA Buddhism, located in the Higashiyama (Eastern Mountains) District of Kyoto. The monastery claims to have been founded in 778 by a monk named Enchin and the general Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, who stopped on the site for a drink from a waterfall fed by a natural spring, where he met the monk. Together, they contracted to create a magnificent image of an eleven-faced and forty-armed Kannon (AVALOKITEsVARA), which was enshrined in 798 in a temporary hall that was given the name Kiyomizudera. The monastery became a state shrine in 810 and a focus of state-protection Buddhism (see HUGUO FOJIAO) in Japan. The current buildings date from the latest reconstruction of the monastery in 1633. The monastery is perhaps best known for its long veranda that juts over the hillside in front of the main shrine hall; there is a folk tradition dating back to the Edo period that anyone who survives a plunge off the veranda is granted whatever one wishes. The monastery was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
kluge "jargon" /klooj/, /kluhj/ (From German "klug" /kloog/ - clever and Scottish "{kludge}") 1. A Rube Goldberg (or Heath Robinson) device, whether in {hardware} or {software}. The spelling "kluge" (as opposed to "kludge") was used in connection with computers as far back as the mid-1950s and, at that time, was used exclusively of *hardware* kluges. 2. "programming" A clever programming trick intended to solve a particular nasty case in an expedient, if not clear, manner. Often used to repair bugs. Often involves {ad-hockery} and verges on being a {crock}. In fact, the TMRC Dictionary defined "kludge" as "a crock that works". 3. Something that works for the wrong reason. 4. ({WPI}) A {feature} that is implemented in a {rude} manner. In 1947, the "New York Folklore Quarterly" reported a classic shaggy-dog story "Murgatroyd the Kluge Maker" then current in the Armed Forces, in which a "kluge" was a complex and puzzling artifact with a trivial function. Other sources report that "kluge" was common Navy slang in the WWII era for any piece of electronics that worked well on shore but consistently failed at sea. However, there is reason to believe this slang use may be a decade older. Several respondents have connected it to the brand name of a device called a "Kluge paper feeder" dating back at least to 1935, an adjunct to mechanical printing presses. The Kluge feeder was designed before small, cheap electric motors and control electronics; it relied on a fiendishly complex assortment of cams, belts, and linkages to both power and synchronise all its operations from one motive driveshaft. It was accordingly tempermental, subject to frequent breakdowns, and devilishly difficult to repair - but oh, so clever! One traditional folk etymology of "klugen" makes it the name of a design engineer; in fact, "Kluge" is a surname in German, and the designer of the Kluge feeder may well have been the man behind this myth. {TMRC} and the MIT hacker culture of the early 1960s seems to have developed in a milieu that remembered and still used some WWII military slang (see also {foobar}). It seems likely that "kluge" came to MIT via alumni of the many military electronics projects run in Cambridge during the war (many in MIT's venerable Building 20, which housed {TMRC} until the building was demolished in 1999). [{Jargon File}] (2002-10-02)
Kŭmgang sammae kyong. (S. *Vajrasamādhisutra; C. Jingang sanmei jing; J. Kongo sanmaikyo 金剛三昧經). In Korean, "Adamantine Absorption Scripture," usually known in English by its reconstructed Sanskrit title *Vajrasamādhisutra. East Asian Buddhists presumed that the scripture was an anonymous Chinese translation of an Indian sutra, but the text is now known to be an apocryphal scripture (see APOCRYPHA), which was composed in Korea c. 685 CE, perhaps by an early adept of the nascent SoN (C. CHAN) school, which would make it the second oldest text associated with the emerging Chan movement. The sutra purports to offer a grand synthesis of the entirety of MAHĀYĀNA doctrine and VINAYA, as the foundation for a comprehensive system of meditative practice. One of the main goals of the scripture seems to have been to reconcile the newly imported Chan teachings with the predominantly Hwaom (HUAYAN) orientation of Korean Buddhist doctrine (see KYO). The text also includes quotations from BODHIDHARMA's ERRU SIXING LUN and teachings associated with the East Mountain Teachings (DONGSHAN FAMEN) of the Chan monks DAOXIN and HONGREN, arranged in such a way as to suggest that the author was trying to bring together these two distinct lineages of the early Chan tradition. Unaware of the text's provenance and dating, WoNHYO (617-686), in the first commentary written on the sutra, the KŬMGANG SAMMAEGYoNG NON, presumed that the sutra was the scriptural source of the emblematic teaching of a treatise, the DASHENG QIXIN LUN ("Awakening of Faith According to the Mahāyāna"), that was written over a century earlier, viz., the one mind and its two aspects, true-thusness (ZHENRU; viz., S. TATHATĀ) and production-and-cessation (shengmie), which correspond respectively to ultimate truth (PARAMĀRTHASATYA) and conventional truth (SAMVṚTISATYA), or the unconditioned (ASAMSKṚTA) and conditioned (SAMSKṚTA) realms. (For the traditional account of the putative "rediscovery" of the sutra and the writing of its commentary, see KŬMGANG SAMMAEGYoNG NON s.v.).
Kun byed rgyal po. (Kun che gyalpo). In Tibetan, the "All-Creating King," an important tantra for the RNYING MA sect of Tibetan Buddhism, known for its exposition of RDZOGS CHEN. Within the tripartite division of ATIYOGA, it is placed in the SEMS SDE class. Although presented as an Indian text (in which case, its Sanskrit title would be Kulayarāja), the work is likely of Tibetan origin, dating from the late tenth century. A work in eighty-four chapters, it takes the form of a dialogue between the All-Creating King and Sattvavajra. Among its famous teachings are the "ten absences" (med pa bcu) that point to the special nature of primordial awareness, called BODHICITTA as well as the "all-creating king" in the text. The ten are as follows: no philosophical view on which to meditate, no vows to maintain, no method to seek, no MAndALA to create, no transmission to receive, no path to traverse, no BHuMI to achieve, no conduct to abandon or adopt, an absence of obstacles in the primordial wisdom, and spontaneous perfection beyond all hope and fear.
Lalitavistara. (T. Rgya cher rol pa; C. Puyao jing/Fangguang da zhuangyan jing; J. Fuyokyo/Hoko daishogongyo; K. Poyo kyong/Panggwang taejangom kyong 普曜經/方廣大莊嚴經). In Sanskrit, lit. "Extensive Play," a relatively late treatment of the Buddha's life, in mixed prose and verse, probably dating from the third or fourth century CE. The work treats the current Buddha's last lifetime, from his time waiting in the TUsITA heaven to take his final rebirth to the "first turning of the wheel of the dharma" (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA) at SĀRNĀTH, when the Buddhist dispensation (sĀSANA) begins. The frame of the Buddha's life story is enhanced with exuberantly told tales of his thaumaturgic abilities and his numinous essence. For example, the infant Buddha, after emerging from his mother's right side, takes seven steps and then gives an extended discourse to ĀNANDA, predicting that there will be fools who will not believe the miracles surrounding his birth and will reject the Lalitavistara, and as a consequence, will be reborn in the AVĪCI hell. Some scholars have suggested the text's supernal portrayal of the Buddha may have influenced the development of the MAHĀYĀNA conception of the multiple bodies of a buddha (see TRIKĀYA). The work is attributed to the SARVĀSTIVĀDA school, but it has been extensively reworked along Mahāyāna lines (including allusions to such emblematic Mahāyāna terms as TATHĀGATAGARBHA), suggesting that it went through continued, even radical, embellishment after its initial composition. There are two translations corresponding to this text in Chinese, the Puyao jing, translated by DHARMARAKsA in 308, and the Fangguang da zhuangyan jing, translated by Divākara in 683. The Newari Buddhist tradition of Nepal includes the Lalitavistara among its nine principal books of the Mahāyāna (NAVAGRANTHA; see NAVADHARMA).
lazy evaluation "reduction" An {evaluation strategy} combining {normal order evaluation} with updating. Under normal order evaluation (outermost or call-by-name evaluation) an expression is evaluated only when its value is needed in order for the program to return (the next part of) its result. Updating means that if an expression's value is needed more than once (i.e. it is shared), the result of the first evaluation is remembered and subsequent requests for it will return the remembered value immediately without further evaluation. This is often implemented by graph reduction. An unevaluated expression is represented as a {closure} - a data structure containing all the information required to evaluate the expression. Lazy evaluation is one {evaluation strategy} used to implement non-{strict} functions. Function arguments may be infinite data structures (especially lists) of values, the components of which are evaluated as needed. According to Phil Wadler the term was invented by Jim Morris. Opposite: {eager evaluation}. A partial kind of lazy evaluation implements lazy data structures or especially {lazy lists} where function arguments are passed evaluated but the arguments of data constructors are not evaluated. {Full laziness} is a {program transformation} which aims to optimise lazy evaluation by ensuring that all subexpressions in a function body which do not depend on the function's arguments are only evaluated once. (1994-12-14)
lazy evaluation ::: (reduction) An evaluation strategy combining normal order evaluation with updating. Under normal order evaluation (outermost or call-by-name evaluation) closure - a data structure containing all the information required to evaluate the expression.Lazy evaluation is one evaluation strategy used to implement non-strict functions. Function arguments may be infinite data structures (especially lists) of values, the components of which are evaluated as needed.According to Phil Wadler the term was invented by Jim Morris.Opposite: eager evaluation.A partial kind of lazy evaluation implements lazy data structures or especially lazy lists where function arguments are passed evaluated but the arguments of data constructors are not evaluated.Full laziness is a program transformation which aims to optimise lazy evaluation by ensuring that all subexpressions in a function body which do not depend on the function's arguments are only evaluated once. (1994-12-14)
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol ::: (protocol) (LDAP) A protocol for accessing on-line directory services.LDAP was defined by the IETF in order to encourage adoption of X.500 directories. The Directory Access Protocol (DAP) was seen as too complex for simple internet clients to use. LDAP defines a relatively simple protocol for updating and searching directories running over TCP/IP.LDAP is gaining support from vendors such as Netscape, Novell, Sun, HP, IBM/Lotus, SGI, AT&T, and BanyanAn LDAP directory entry is a collection of attributes with a name, called a distinguished name (DN). The DN refers to the entry unambiguously. Each of the . A jpegPhoto attribute would contain a photograph in binary JPEG/JFIF format.LDAP directory entries are arranged in a hierarchical structure that reflects political, geographic, and/or organisational boundaries. Entries representing states or national organisations. Below them might be entries representing people, organisational units, printers, documents, or just about anything else.RFC 1777, RFC 1778, RFC 1959, RFC 1960, RFC 1823. .[Difference v1, v2, v3?](2003-09-27)
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol "protocol" (LDAP) A {protocol} for accessing on-line {directory services}. LDAP was defined by the {IETF} in order to encourage adoption of {X.500} directories. The {Directory Access Protocol} (DAP) was seen as too complex for simple {internet clients} to use. LDAP defines a relatively simple protocol for updating and searching directories running over {TCP/IP}. LDAP is gaining support from vendors such as {Netscape}, {Novell}, {Sun}, {HP}, {IBM}/Lotus, {SGI}, {AT&T}, and {Banyan} An LDAP directory entry is a collection of attributes with a name, called a distinguished name (DN). The DN refers to the entry unambiguously. Each of the entry's attributes has a {type} and one or more values. The types are typically mnemonic strings, like "cn" for common name, or "mail" for {e-mail address}. The values depend on the type. For example, a mail attribute might contain the value "donald.duck@disney.com". A jpegPhoto attribute would contain a photograph in binary {JPEG}/{JFIF} format. LDAP directory entries are arranged in a {hierarchical} structure that reflects political, geographic, and/or organisational boundaries. Entries representing countries appear at the top of the tree. Below them are entries representing states or national organisations. Below them might be entries representing people, organisational units, printers, documents, or just about anything else. {RFC 1777}, {RFC 1778}, {RFC 1959}, {RFC 1960}, {RFC 1823}. {LDAP v3 (http://kingsmountain.com/LDAPRoadmap/CurrentState.html)}. [Difference v1, v2, v3?] (2003-09-27)
liquidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Liquidate
liquidation ::: n. --> The act or process of liquidating; the state of being liquidated.
Liuzu tan jing. (J. Rokuso dangyo; K. Yukcho tan kyong 六祖壇經). In Chinese, "Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch," the written transcription of the sermons of the sixth patriarch (LIUZU) HUINENG (638-713); the composition is attributed to the monk FAHAI; also known as the Nan zong dunjiao zuishang dasheng mohe bore boluomi jing, Liuzu dashi fabao tan jing, Fabao tan jing, or simply Tan jing ("Platform Sutra"). The Liuzu tan jing is one of the most influential texts of the CHAN tradition. The text is ostensibly a record of the lectures delivered by the reputed sixth patriarch Huineng at the monastery of Dafansi in Shaozhou (present-day Guangdong province). The lectures contain the famous story of Huineng's verse competition with his rival SHENXIU, which wins Huineng the Chan patriarchy (see ZUSHI), in which Huineng distinguished his own "sudden teachings" (DUNJIAO) of a so-called Southern school (NAN ZONG) of Chan from the "gradual teachings" (jianjiao) of Shenxiu's Northern school (BEI ZONG). As Huineng defines the term later in this sermon, the "sudden teaching" involves an approach to Buddhist training that is free from all dualistic forms of practice (see ADVAYA) and that correspondingly rejects any and all expedient means (UPĀYA) of realizing truth. This sudden teaching comes to be considered emblematic of the so-called Southern school (Nan zong) of Chan, which retrospectively comes to be considered the mainstream of the Chan tradition. The teachings of the text also focus on the unity of concentration (SAMĀDHI) and wisdom (PRAJNĀ), in which concentration is conceived to be the essence (TI) of wisdom and wisdom the functioning (YONG) of concentration; "no-thought" (WUNIAN), which the text defines as "not to think even when involved in thought"; seeing one's own nature (JIANXING); and the conferral of the formless precepts (WUXIANG JIE). Indeed, the "platform" in the title refers to the ordination platform (jietan; cf. SĪMĀ) where Huineng conferred these formless precepts. Although the Liuzu tan jing has been traditionally heralded as the central scripture of the Nan zong, and certainly is beholden to the teachings of the Southern-school champion HEZE SHENHUI, the text seems to have been influenced as well by the teachings of both the Northern and Oxhead schools (NIUTOU ZONG). Within the Chan tradition, a Yuan-dynasty edition of the Liuzu tan jing, which included an important preface by FORI QISONG, was most widely disseminated. SIR MARC AUREL STEIN's rediscovery in the DUNHUANG manuscript cache of a previously unknown, and quite different, recension of the text, dating to the mid-ninth century, did much to launch the modern scholarly reappraisal of the received history of the Chan school. See also DUNWU.
Lupercalia (Latin) Roman festival of purification and expiation held on February 15, originating from a pastoral festival dating before the foundation of Rome. The power invoked was that of Faunus (under the name of Lupercus), Pan, or some similar nature god, considered to be protector of flocks and promoter of fertility. The best known feature of the later Roman rite was the running around of the two youths called Luperci, who smote people with leather thongs, especially women wishing to be cured of barrenness. In 494 it was changed to the Christian Feast of the Purification.
Mahābodhi Temple. (T. Byang chub chen po; C. Daputisi; J. Daibodaiji; K. Taeborisa 大菩提寺). The "Temple of the Great Awakening"; proper name used to refer to the great STuPA at BODHGAYĀ, marking the place of the Buddha's enlightenment, and hence the most important place of pilgrimage (see MAHĀSTHĀNA) in the Buddhist world. The Emperor AsOKA erected a pillar and shrine at the site in the third century BCE. A more elaborate structure, called the VAJRĀSANA GANDHAKUtĪ ("perfumed chamber of the diamond seat"), is depicted in a relief at Bodhgayā, dating from c. 100 BCE. It shows a two-storied structure supported by pillars, enclosing the BODHI TREE and the vajrāsana, the "diamond seat," where the Buddha sat on the night of his enlightenment. The forerunner of the present structure is described by the Chinese pilgrim XUANZANG. This has led scholars to speculate that the temple was built between the third and sixth centuries CE, with subsequent renovations. Despite various persecutions by Hindu kings, the site continued to receive patronage, especially during the Pāla period, from which many of the surrounding monuments date. The monastery fell into neglect after the Muslim invasions that began in the thirteenth century. British photographs from the nineteenth century show the monastery in ruins. Restoration of the site was ordered by the British governor-general of Bengal in 1880, with a small eleventh-century replica of the monastery serving as a model. There is a tall central tower some 165 feet (fifty meters) in height, with a high arch over the entrance with smaller towers at the four corners. The central tower houses a small shrine with an image of the Buddha. The structure is surrounded by stone railings, some dating from 150 BCE, others from the Gupta period (300-600 CE), which preserve important carvings. The area came under the control of a saiva mahant in the eighteenth century. In the late nineteenth century, the Sinhalese Buddhist activist Anagārika Dharmapāla (see DHARMAPĀLA, ANAGĀRIKA), was part of a group that founded the MAHĀBODHI SOCIETY and began an unsuccessful legal campaign to have control of the site returned to Buddhists. In 1949, after Indian independence, the Bodhgayā Temple Act was passed, which is established a joint committee of four Buddhists and four Hindus to oversee the monastery and its grounds.
Mahāniddesa. In Pāli, "Longer Exposition," first part of the Niddesa ("Exposition"), an early commentarial work on the SUTTANIPĀTA included in the Pāli SUTTAPItAKA as the eleventh book of the KHUDDAKANIKĀYA. The Niddesa is attributed by tradition to the Buddha's chief disciple, Sāriputta (S. sĀRIPUTRA), and is divided into two sections: the Mahāniddesa and the CulANIDDESA ("Shorter Exposition"). The Mahāniddesa comments on the sixteen suttas (S. SuTRA) of the AttHAKAVAGGA chapter of the Suttanipāta; the Culaniddesa comments on the sixteen suttas of the Parāyanavagga chapter and on the Khaggavisānasutta (see KHAdGAVIsĀnA). The Mahāniddesa and Culaniddesa do not comment on any of the remaining contents of the Suttanipāta, a feature that has suggested to historians that at the time of their composition the Atthakavagga and Parāyanavagga were autonomous anthologies not yet incorporated into the Suttanipāta, and that the Khaggavisānasutta likewise circulated independently. The exegesis of the Suttanipāta by the Mahā- and Culaniddesa displays the influence of the Pāli ABHIDHAMMA (S. ABHIDHARMA) and passages from it are frequently quoted in the VISUDDHIMAGGA. Both parts of the Niddesa are formulaic in structure, a feature that appears to have been designed as a pedagogical aid to facilitate memorization. In Western scholarship, there has long been a debate regarding their dates of composition, with some scholars dating them as early as the third century BCE, others to as late as the second century CE. The Mahā- and Culaniddesa are the only commentarial texts besides the SUTTAVIBHAnGA of the VINAYAPItAKA to be included in the Sri Lankan and Thai recensions of the Pāli canon. In contrast, the Burmese canon includes two additional early commentaries, the NETTIPAKARAnA and PEtAKOPADESA, as books sixteen and seventeen in its recension of the Khuddakanikāya.
mahāsiddha. (T. grub thob chen po; C. dasheng; J. daisho; K. taesong 大聖). In Sanskrit, "great adept"; an epithet of a tantric YOGIN, used especially to refer to any one of a group of Indian tantric masters (in some renditions, numbering eighty or eighty-four; see "List of Lists"). These yogins, many of whom were historical figures (dating from between the seventh and twelfth centuries CE), were famous in India and Tibet and appear frequently in both hagiography and iconography. The most famous collection of hagiographies is the *CATURAsĪTISIDDHAPRAVṚTTI by Abhayadatta. Just as the ARHAT is the ideal of mainstream Buddhism and the BODHISATTVA the ideal of the MAHĀYĀNA, the MAHĀSIDDHA is the ideal of Buddhist TANTRA in India. Although many of the hagiographies of the mahāsiddhas tell stories of princes who, like the Buddha, renounced the world, others tell of enlightened masters who are neither virtuous monks nor gentle bodhisattvas but are instead drawn from the most ignoble levels of Indian society: butchers, hunters, fishermen, blacksmiths, leathersmiths, pimps; i.e., those involved in professions that were considered to be sources of pollution. If this were not enough, they also engage in activities that break taboos: they eat meat, they meditate sitting on top of corpses, they copulate with low-caste girls. If the power of the monk derives from the purity he acquires through abstaining from the things that laymen do, the power of the tantric yogin derives from his transgression of purity, engaging in acts that both violate monastic vows as well as the prescriptions regarding purity and pollution of traditional Indian society. The mahāsiddhas also perform prodigious magical feats, such as flying through the air, turning base metals into gold, diving into the earth, and restoring amputated limbs. They are regarded as enlightened beings, using what is prohibited on the path, and transforming acts that would send others to hell into the deeds of a buddha. It is unclear how many of the mahāsiddhas were historical figures, and the accounts of their deeds are obviously rich in mythological detail. Their stories are replete with what we might regard as miracles, the performance of which the Buddha was said to have discouraged. On a philosophical level, such miracles demonstrate that those who have insight into the true nature of reality are not bound by rules, their transgression of the conventions of society signifying their transcendence of the laws of nature. Those who understand the true nature of the world can manipulate it, unbound by the laws of either gravity or KARMAN. The stories of the mahāsiddhas also demonstrate the persistence of the worldly in the history of Buddhism. Tantric practice is said to produce two types of powers, called SIDDHIs. There are mundane (LAUKIKA) siddhis, such as the ability to turn base metals into gold, to find buried treasure, to gain the love of a woman, to curse an enemy, to paralyze an invading army, or to stop the sun from moving across the sky. These contrast with the supramundane (LOKOTTARA) siddhis of buddhahood. Much of the tantric literature that survives is designed to provide mundane siddhis, generally divided into four categories of deeds (CATURKARMAN): pacifying, increasing, controlling, and wrathful.
mahāsthāna. (T. gnas chen; C. lingdi; J. reichi; K. yongji 靈地). In Sanskrit, lit. "great site"; a list of four or eight sites of Buddhist pilgrimage in India that were the scenes of famous events in the life of the Buddha. The four sites, as mentioned in the MAHĀPARINIBBĀNASUTTA, are the sites of (1) the miracle of his birth at LUMBINĪ, (2) the defeat of MĀRA and the achievement of buddhahood at BODHGAYĀ, (3) the first turning of the wheel of the dharma (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA) at ṚsIPATANA (SĀRNĀTH), (4) his passage into PARINIRVĀnA at KUsINAGARĪ. In the list of eight, between the third and fourth events are added the following sites of (5) the "twin miracles" (YAMAKAPRĀTIHĀRYA) performed at sRĀVASTĪ, (6) the descent from the TRĀYASTRIMsA heaven at SĀMKĀsYA, (7) the taming of the elephant NĀLĀGIRI at RĀJAGṚHA, (8) the receipt of the monkey's gift of honey at VAIsĀLĪ. These sites became important places of pilgrimage in India and were ubiquitous stops during the sojourns of XUANZANG and other Chinese and Korean pilgrims on the subcontinent. These eight sites are found depicted in Indian sculpture dating from the Pāla period.
Mahāvyutpatti. (T. Bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa chen po; C. Fanyi mingyi daji; J. Hon'yaku myogi taishu; K. Ponyok myongŭi taejip 翻譯名義大集). In Sanskrit, the "Great Detailed Explanation"; an important Sanskrit-Tibetan lexicon dating from the ninth century. In order to provide consistency in the translation of Indian SuTRAs and sĀSTRAs, the Tibetan king RAL PA CAN convened a meeting of scholars in 821 and charged them with providing standard Tibetan equivalents for a wide range of terms encountered in Sanskrit Buddhist texts. The result was a lexicon known as the Mahāvyutpatti, which contains (in one version) 9,565 terms. The king is said to have instructed its compilers not to include tantric vocabulary. The work is organized into 283 categories, the purpose of some of which (the eighteen kinds of suNYATĀ, the ten virtuous actions, the thirty-two marks of a MAHĀPURUsA) are more self-evident than others ("names of strange things," "various terms"). During the seventeenth century, Chinese, Mongolian, and Manchurian equivalencies were added to the lexicon so that the terms would be available in the four major languages used in the Qing empire (Manchu, Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian). The first English translation was made by ALEXANDER CSOMA DE KŐRÖS, but it was not published until long after his death. The Mahāvyutpatti continues to be consulted in editions produced by Japanese scholars that include additional Chinese equivalencies and various indexes.
MaNjusrīmulakalpa. (T. 'Jam dpal gyi rtsa ba'i rgyud; C. Dafangguang pusazang wenshushili genben yigui jing; J. Daihoko bosatsuzo Monjushiri konpongikikyo; K. Taebanggwang posalchang Munsusari kŭnbon ŭigwe kyong 大方廣菩薩藏文殊師利根本儀軌經). In Sanskrit "The Fundamental Ordinance of MANJUsRĪ"; known in Tibetan as the "Fundamental Tantra of MaNjusrī." The work is an early and important Buddhist TANTRA (marking a transition between the SuTRA and tantra genres), dating probably from around the late sixth or early seventh centuries, which was later classed as a KRIYĀTANTRA. The text, which is in a compilation of fifty-five chapters, provides detailed instructions by the Buddha on the performance of rituals and consecrations, including the important jar or vase consecrations (KALAsĀBHIsEKA). The work is also among the first to introduce the notion of families (KULA) of divinities, in this case three families: the TATHĀGATAKULA, the PADMAKULA, and the VAJRAKULA. Like other tantric texts, it provides instruction on a wide range of topics, including the recitation of MANTRAs, the drawing of images and MAndALAs, and the nature of the VIDYĀDHARA, as well as on astrology, medicine. Among the many prophecies in the text is the oft-cited prophecy concerning NĀGĀRJUNA, in which the Buddha states that four hundred years after his passage into PARINIRVĀnA, a monk named Nāga will appear, who will live for six hundred years.
Māyā. [alt. Māyādevī; Mahāmāyā] (T. Sgyu 'phrul ma; C. Moye; J. Maya; K. Maya 摩耶). In Sanskrit and Pāli, "Illusion"; the mother of GAUTAMA Buddha. Her father was ANjana, king of Devadaha, and her mother was Yasodharā. Māyā and her sister MAHĀPRAJĀPATĪ were both married to the Buddha's father sUDDHODANA, the king of KAPILAVASTU. Māyā was between forty and fifty when the future buddha was conceived. At that time, the future buddha was a BODHISATTVA residing in TUsITA heaven, where he surveyed the world and selected his future parents. On the night of his conception, Māyā dreamed that four great gods transported her to the Himalayas, where goddesses bathed her in the waters of the Anotatta Lake and clad her in divine raiment. As she lay on a couch prepared for her, the future buddha, in the form of a white elephant holding a white lotus in its trunk, entered into her right side. After ten lunar months, during which time she remained chaste, Māyā set out to visit her parents in Devadaha. Along the way she stopped at the LUMBINĪ grove, where she gave birth to the prince and future buddha while holding onto a branch of a sĀLA tree; according to some accounts, he emerged from her right side. Seven days later, Māyā died. Varying reasons are provided for her demise, including that she died from joy at having given birth to the future buddha and that she died after seven days because she would have died from a broken heart when Prince SIDDHĀRTHA subsequently renounced the world at the age of twenty-nine. It is also said that the mothers of all buddhas die shortly after their birth because it is not suitable that any other child be conceived in the womb that had been occupied by a future buddha. Māyā was reborn as a male divinity named Māyādevaputra in the TUsITA heaven. After her death, Māyā's sister Mahāprājāpatī raised the future buddha as her own child. Because his mother's death had prevented her from benefiting from his teachings, the Buddha once spent a rainy season in TRĀYASTRIMsA heaven atop Mount SUMERU, during which time he preached the ABHIDHARMA to his mother, who had come from tusita heaven to listen, along with the other assembled divinities. These teachings, which the Buddha later recounted to sĀRIPUTRA, would become the ABHIDHARMAPItAKA. The Buddha's descent from the heaven at SĀMKĀsYA at the conclusion of his teachings is one of the most commonly depicted scenes in Buddhist art. The entry of the future Buddha into his mother's womb, and by extension into the human realm of existence, is a momentous event in Buddhist history, and elaborate descriptions of that descent and of that womb appear in a number of texts. One of the most famous is found in the forty-fourth chapter of the GAndAVYuHA, a MAHĀYĀNA SuTRA dating from perhaps the second century of the Common Era. In the sutra, SUDHANA goes in search of enlightenment. During his journey, he encounters all manner of exalted beings, each of whom provides him with instruction. One of the teachers he meets is Māyā. She describes in elaborate detail how her son entered her womb, revealing that it was able to accommodate much more than a white elephant, without for a moment distorting her form. She reveals that it was not only the bodhisattva SIDDHĀRTHA who descended from the tusita and entered her womb; in fact, countless other bodhisattvas accompanied him to become buddhas simultaneously in millions of similar universes. She reveals as well that she is the mother not only of all the buddhas of the present, but of all the buddhas of the past and that she will also be the mother of the next buddha, MAITREYA.
messidor ::: n. --> The tenth month of the French republican calendar dating from September 22, 1792. It began June 19, and ended July 18. See VendEmiaire.
micropyle ::: n. --> An opening in the membranes surrounding the ovum, by which nutrition is assisted and the entrance of the spermatozoa permitted.
An opening in the outer coat of a seed, through which the fecundating pollen enters the ovule.
misdating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Misdate
mozhao Chan. (J. mokushozen; K. mukcho Son 默照禪) In Chinese, "silent illumination meditation"; a form of Chan meditation attributed to the CAODONG ZONG (J. SoToSHu), and specifically the masters HONGZHI ZHENGJUE (1091-1157) and his teacher Danxia Zichun (1064-1117). This practice builds upon the normative East Asian notion of the inherency of buddhahood (see TATHĀGATAGARBHA) to suggest that, since enlightenment is the natural state of the mind, there is nothing that needs to be done in order to attain enlightenment other than letting go of all striving for that state. Authentic Chan practice therefore entails only maintaining this original purity of the mind by simply sitting silently in meditation. Hongzhi's clarion call to this new Caodong-style of practice is found in his Mozhao ming ("Inscription on Silent Illumination"), which may have been written in response to increasingly vehement criticisms of the practice by the rival LINJI ZONG, although its dating remains uncertain. In Hongzhi's description of the practice of silent illumination, silence (mo) seems to correlate roughly with calmness (Ch. zhi, S. sAMATHA) and illumination (zhao) with insight (C. guan, S. VIPAsYANĀ); and when both silence and illumination are operating fully, the perfect interfusion of all things is made manifest. Silent-illumination meditation thus seems to have largely involved prolonged sessions of quiet sitting (see ZUOCHAN) and the cessation of distracted thought, a state likened to dead wood and cold ashes or a censer in an old shrine. The Linji Chan adept DAHUI ZONGGAO deploys the term to denigrate the teachings of his Caodong contemporaries and to champion his preferred approach of practice, investigating meditative topics (see KANHUA CHAN) through Chan cases (C. GONG'AN), which demands a breakthrough to enlightenment, not simply what he claims is the passive sitting of the Caodong zong. After Dahui's obstreperous critique of mozhao, the term seems to have acquired such a pejorative connotation that it stopped being used even within the Caodong tradition. See also SHIKAN TAZA.
mule ::: n. --> A hybrid animal; specifically, one generated between an ass and a mare, sometimes a horse and a she-ass. See Hinny.
A plant or vegetable produced by impregnating the pistil of one species with the pollen or fecundating dust of another; -- called also hybrid.
A very stubborn person.
A machine, used in factories, for spinning cotton, wool, etc., into yarn or thread and winding it into cops; -- called also
munching squares ::: A display hack dating back to the PDP-1 (ca. 1962, reportedly discovered by Jackson Wright), which employs a trivial computation (repeatedly plotting the display) is likely to be referred to as munching foos. [This is a good example of the use of the word foo as a metasyntactic variable.]
munching squares A {display hack} dating back to the {PDP-1} (ca. 1962, reportedly discovered by Jackson Wright), which employs a trivial computation (repeatedly plotting the graph Y = X XOR T for successive values of T - see {HAKMEM} items 146--148) to produce an impressive display of moving and growing squares that devour the screen. The initial value of T is treated as a parameter, which, when well-chosen, can produce amazing effects. Some of these, later (re)discovered on the {LISP Machine}, have been christened "munching triangles" (try AND for XOR and toggling points instead of plotting them), "munching w's", and "munching mazes". More generally, suppose a graphics program produces an impressive and ever-changing display of some basic form, foo, on a display terminal, and does it using a relatively simple program; then the program (or the resulting display) is likely to be referred to as "munching foos". [This is a good example of the use of the word {foo} as a {metasyntactic variable}.]
Mutazilite: (Ar. seceders) Member of a Shiite sect of Islam dating from the 8th century, which stood for free will and against divine predestination. Mysticism: Mysticism in its simplest and most essential meaning is a type of religion which puts the emphasis on immediate awareness of relation with God, direct and intimate consciousness of Divine Presence. It is religion in its most acute, intense and living stage. The word owes its origin to the Mystery Religions. The initiate who had the "secret" was called a mystes. Early Christians used the word "Contemplation" for mystical experience. The word "mystical" first came into use in the Western World in the writings ascribed to "Dionysius the Areopagite", which appeared at the end of the fifth century.
Nāsik. A group of twenty-four Buddhist caves dating from the early second century CE, northeast of Mumbai (Bombay) in the Indian state of Maharastra. All the caves except cave 18 are VIHĀRA caves. The interiors of the caves are quite plain, in contrast to their highly ornamented exteriors, which include lithic carvings made to resemble wooden structures. The CAITYA cave has a pillared interior with a STuPA in its apse, which is a characteristic feature of early Indian Buddhist cave temples. Figures and ornaments in its facade bear resemblance to similar motifs at SĀNCĪ, suggesting artistic influence from that site.
natal ::: a. --> Of or pertaining to one&
Nestorians: A Christian sect dating from the 5th century. Nestorius, a patriarch of Constantinople 428-431) opposed the designation "Mother of God" (a declaration of Origen's) applied to Mary, the mother of Jesus. He said that Christ had two distinct natures and that Mary, a human being, could not have delivered anyone but a human. The emphasis is upon the genuine human nature and the exemplary value of Christ. Nestorianism was not only a Christo-logical viewpoint and the only cause for much theological dispute; it was also a part of a political and ecclesiastical feud between bishops east and west. The council of Ephesus in 431 declared the view heretical. Nevertheless the Nestorian churches spread widely and continues until our present time in Asiatic Turkey and Persia. -- V.F.
Netzach ::: Translated as either "Victory" or "Endurance" in Hebrew. The seventh Sephirah of the Kabbalah. It is representative of the second emanation of dualistic force: the fecundating, yearning, yang energy that characterizes phenomenal reality and which exists as the Sephirah closest to physicality on the Pillar of Mercy. Along with Hod and Yesod, Netzach is associated with the Magical Triad and the Astral Plane (i.e the Third World) and is associated with the whims, interactions, and movements of the Lunar Personality that emanated from the Mental. Associated with the sphere of Venus in the planetary magic paradigm.
oxidating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Oxidate
PaNNāsajātaka. In Pāli, "Fifty Birth Stories," and sometimes referred to in Western scholarship as the "Apocryphal Jātakas"; a collection of fifty JĀTAKA stories that are not included in the canonical jātaka collection of the Pāli TRIPItAKA. There are Thai, Cambodian, and Burmese recensions of these stories, the first two of which are quite similar in structure, the last of which differs in the selection and order of the stories. This Burmese (Myanmar) recension of this collection, called the ZIMMÈ PANNĀSA, literally means the "Chiangmai Fifty," suggesting that the provenance for many of these stories may be in the northwest of Thailand near the city of Chiangmai. The dating and authorship are unknown, but the terminus ad quem for the collection is around the fifteenth century. Some of the fifty stories show clear connections to the Pāli jātaka collection; others are more similar to Sanskrit texts. Still other stories seem to have no connection to the available Pāli and Sanskrit literature and may derive from folk traditions; indeed, the grammar and syntax of the stories also seems to suggest local influences.
Parthia. (C. Anxi guo; J. Ansoku koku; K. Ansik kuk 安息國). A region in Central Asia, southeast of the Caspian Sea, which the Roman geographers knew as Parthia; the Chinese is a transcription of the Parthian proper name Aršak or Arsakes (see ANXI GUO), referring to the Arsacid kingdom (c. 250 BCE-224 CE). Aršak was the name adopted by all Parthian rulers, and the Chinese employed it to refer to the lands that those rulers controlled. In the Marv oasis, where the old Parthian city of Margiana was located, Soviet archeologists discovered the vestiges of a Buddhist monastic complex that has been dated to the third quarter of the fourth century CE, as well as birch-bark manuscripts written in the BRĀHMĪ script that are associated with the SARVĀSTIVĀDA school of the mainstream Buddhist tradition. There is therefore archeological evidence of at least a semblance of Buddhist presence in the area during the fourth through sixth centuries. Parthian Buddhists who were active in China enable us to push this dating back at least two more centuries, for two of the important early figures in the transmission of Buddhist texts into China also hailed from Parthia: AN SHIGAO (fl. c. 148-180 CE), a prolific translator of mainstream Buddhist works, and An Xuan (fl. c. 168-189), who translated the UGRAPARIPṚCCHĀ with the assistance of the Chinese Yan Fotiao. (The AN in their names is an ethnicon referring to Parthia.) There is, however, no extant Buddhist literature written in the Parthian language and indeed little evidence that written Parthian was ever used for purposes other than government documents and financial records until the third century CE, when Manichaean texts written in Parthian begin to appear.
Phoenix [from Greek phoinix phoenix, date palm, Phoenician] The sacred bird possibly taken from the Egyptian benu. The most familiar legend about it in Europe, dating from the early medieval period, is that a bird from India lives on air for 500 years when, leaving its native land, it flies to the temple at Heliopolis, with its wings laden with spices. Flying to the altar, it burns itself to ashes on the sacred fire, whence arises a new or young phoenix. This bird is already feathered on the day following the suicide of its parent which was its former self and, having its wings full grown on the third day, it wings its way forth. Pliny and Herodotus give slightly different versions. Ancient art pictured the phoenix as a bird with wings partly golden and partly red in color; in outline and size it was drawn to resemble an eagle.
pollen ::: n. --> Fine bran or flour.
The fecundating dustlike cells of the anthers of flowers. See Flower, and Illust. of Filament.
Popchusa. (法住寺). In Korean, "Monastery Where the Dharma Abides"; the fifth district monastery (PONSA) of the contemporary CHOGYE CHONG of Korean Buddhism, located at the base of Songni (Leaving Behind the Mundane) Mountain in North Ch'ungch'ong province. Popchusa was founded in 553, during the reign of the Silla King Chinhŭng (r. 540-576), by the monk Ŭisin (d.u.) who, according to legend, returned from the "western regions" (viz. Central Asia and India) with scriptures and resided at the monastery; hence the monastery's name. In 1101, during the Koryo dynasty, ŬICH'oN (1055-1101) held an assembly to recite the RENWANG JING ("Scripture for Humane Kings") here for the protection of the state (see HUGUO FOJIAO), which is said to have been attended by thirty thousand monks. On entering the monastery, to the back and left of the front gate there are two granite pillars that date from the eleventh century, which were used to support the hanging paintings (KWAEBUL) that were unfurled on such important ceremonial occasions as the Buddha's birthday. A pavilion on the right houses a huge iron pot dated to 720 CE, which was purportedly once used to prepare meals for monks and pilgrims; off to the side is a water tank made of stone that would have held about 2,200 gallons (ten cubic meters) of water. There is also a lotus-shaped basin dating from the eighth century and a lion-supported stone lantern sponsored by the Silla monarch Songdok (r. 702-737) in 720. The main shrine hall (TAEUNG CHoN) houses images of VAIROCANA, sĀKYAMUNI, and Rocana buddhas. Behind these three statues are three paintings of the same buddhas, accompanied by BODHISATTVAs, a young ĀNANDA, and the elderly MAHĀKĀsYAPA. In the paintings sākyamuni and Rocana are surrounded by rainbows and Vairocana by a white halo. Popchusa is especially renowned for its five-story high wooden pagoda, which dates from the foundation of the monastery in 553; it may have been the model for the similar pagoda at HoRYuJI in Nara, Japan. The current pagoda was reconstructed in 1624 and is the oldest extant wooden pagoda in Korea. The pagoda is painted with pictures of the eight stereotypical episodes in the life of the Buddha (see BAXIANG). Inside are four images of sākyamuni: the east-facing statue is in the gesture of fearlessness (ABHAYAMUDRĀ); the west, in the teaching pose (DHARMACAKRAMUDRĀ); the south, in the touching-the-earth gesture (BHuMISPARsAMUDRĀ); and the north, in a reclining buddha posture, a rare Korean depiction of the Buddha's PARINIRVĀnA. Around the four buddha images sit 340 smaller white buddhas, representing the myriad buddhas of other world systems. The ceiling inside is three stories high, and the beams, walls, and ceiling are painted with various images, including bodhisattvas and lotus flowers. Outside the pagoda is Popchusa's most striking image, the thirty-three-meter (108-foot), 160-ton bronze statue of the bodhisattva MAITREYA. The original image is said to have been constructed by the Silla VINAYA master CHINP'YO (fl. eighth century), but was removed by the Taewon'gun in 1872 and melted down to be used in the reconstruction of Kyongbok Palace in Seoul. A replacement image was begun in 1939 but was never completed; another temporary statue was crafted from cement and installed in 1964. The current bronze image was finally erected in 1989. Near the base is a statue of a woman with a bowl of food, representing the laywoman SUJĀTĀ, who offered GAUTAMA a meal of milk porridge before his enlightenment.
postdating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Postdate
Priapus (Greek) A Greek god of fertility, worshiped as a protector of flocks, of the vine, and of other produce. His cult appeared on the coasts of Asia Minor, especially at Lampsacus, and he was undoubtedly well known and accepted as a member of the mythological hierarchy from a date long antedating both Homer and Hesiod. He is variously made the son of Dionysos and Aphrodite, of Adonis and Aphrodite, and of Hermes and Chione. The word also signified the phallus or phallic.
prochronism ::: n. --> The dating of an event before the time it happened; an antedating; -- opposed to metachronism.
Pulcho chikchi simch'e yojol. (佛組直指心體要節). In Korean, "Essential Excerpts of the Buddhas and Patriarchs Pointing Directly to the Essence of Mind," also known by the abbreviated titles Chikchi simch'e yojol, or simply Chikchi; the earliest surviving example from anywhere in the world of a text printed using movable metal type, predating Gutenberg's 1455 printing of the Bible by seventy-eight years. The two-roll lineage anthology of the CHAN school was compiled in 1372 by PAEGUN KYoNGHAN (1299-1374), one of the three great Son masters of the late-Koryo dynasty. This anthology was first printed in 1377 at Hŭngdoksa (the ruins of which were located in 1985 in Unch'ondong, near the city of Ch'ongju in South Korea) using movable cast-metal type. This printing technology was known to have been in use in Koryo-period Korea prior to the Mongol invasions of 1231-1232, but no examples survive. The metal-type printing of the Chikchi is held in the collection of the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris, and its existence was first noted by Maurice Courant in 1901. The first roll of the anthology includes the enlightenment poems of the seven buddhas of antiquity (SAPTATATHĀGATA), the twenty-eight Indian patriarchs of the Son school (starting with MAHĀKĀsYAPA and ending with BODHIDHARMA), the six Chinese patriarchs (ZUSHI) of Chan, and several later Son masters. The second roll is a collection of the poetry, epitaphs, discourse records, and seminal teachings of eminent masters of the Son school, such as the fourteen "nondualities" (ADVAYA) of Kyonghan's Indian teacher ZHIKONG CHANXIAN (K. Chigong Sonhyon; S. *Dhyānabhadra). Like many of these lineage anthologies, the text is derivative, drawing on such earlier genealogical collections as the JINGDE CHUANDENG LU and the SoNMUN YoMSONG CHIP of CHIN'GAK HYESIM (1178-1234). Although the entire first roll and the first page of the second roll of the metal-type recension are lost, a complete xylographic edition of the anthology survives, which dates to 1378, one year later than the metal-type recension.
Pulguksa. (佛國寺). In Korean, "Buddha Land Monastery," located outside KYoNGJU, the ancient capital of the Silla dynasty, on the slopes of T'oham Mountain; this Silla royal monastery is the eleventh district monastery (PONSA) of the contemporary CHOGYE CHONG of Korean Buddhism and administers over sixty subsidiary monasteries and hermitages. According to the SAMGUK YUSA ("Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms"), Pulguksa was constructed in 751 by Kim Taesong (700-774), chief minister of King Kyongdok (r. 742-765), and completed in 774; it may have been constructed on the site of a smaller temple that dated from c. 528, during the reign of the Silla King Pophŭng (r. 514-539). Although it was a large complex, Pulguksa was not as influential within the Silla Buddhist tradition as other Kyongju monasteries, such as HWANGNYONGSA and PUNHWANGSA. The monastery has since been renovated numerous times, one of the largest projects occurring at the beginning of the seventeenth century, after the monastery was burned during the Japanese Hideyoshi invasions of 1592-1598. Pulguksa's temple complex is built on a series of artificial terraces that were constructed out of giant stone blocks and is entered via two pairs of stone "bridges" cum staircases, which are Korean national treasures in their own right and frequently photographed. The main level of the monastery centers on two courtyards: one anchored by the TAEUNG CHoN, or the main shrine hall, which houses a statue of sĀKYAMUNI Buddha, the other by the kŭngnak chon, or hall of ultimate bliss (SUKHĀVATĪ), which houses an eighth-century bronze statue of the buddha AMITĀBHA. The taeung chon courtyard is graced with two stone pagodas, the Sokka t'ap (sākyamuni STuPA) and the Tabo t'ap (Prabhutaratna stupa), which are so famous that the second of them is depicted on the Korean ten-won coin. The juxtaposition of the two stupas derives from the climax of the SADDHARMAPUndARĪKASuTRA ("Lotus Sutra"), where the buddha PRABHuTARATNA (Many Treasures) invites sākyamuni to sit beside him inside his bejeweled stupa, thus validating the teachings sākyamuni delivered in the scripture. The Sokka t'ap represents sākyamuni's solitary quest for enlightenment; it is three stories tall and is notable for its bare simplicity. This stupa is in marked contrast to its ornate twin, the Tabo t'ap, or Pagoda of the buddha Prabhutaratna, which is modeled after a reliquary and has elaborate staircases, parapets, and stone lions (one of which was removed to the British Museum). During a 1966 renovation of the Sokka t'ap, the world's oldest printed document was discovered sealed inside the stupa: the MUGUJoNGGWANG TAEDARANI KYoNG (S. Rasmivimalavisuddhaprabhādhāranī; "Great DHĀRAnĪ of Immaculate Radiance"). The terminus ad quem for the printing of the Dhāranī is 751 CE, when the text was sealed inside the Sokka t'ap, but it may have been printed even earlier. Other important buildings include the Piro chon (VAIROCANA Hall) that enshrines an eighth-century bronze statue of its eponymous buddha, which is presumed to be the oldest bronze image in Korea; the Musol chon (The Wordless Hall), a lecture hall located directly behind the taeung chon, which was built around 670; and the Kwanŭm chon (AVALOKITEsVARA hall), built at the highest point of the complex. Two and a half miles (4 kms) up T'oham Mountain to the east of Pulguksa is its affiliated SoKKURAM grotto temple. Pulguksa and Sokkuram were jointly listed in 1995 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ragon, in his defense of the antiquity of Masonry, recalls the statements of classical writers that Neptune and Apollo offered themselves to Laomedon as masons “to build the city” of Troy, a well-known expression symbolically interpreted as meaning to establish a religious cult or Mystery school. Troy lay in a strategic position in regard to the trade routes of the ancient world and relics from distant lands prove that it was an active center of traffic. Even the first city, built in what archaeologists call the Neolithic period, was a strong and dominant center. Excavations at the lowest level revealed a great fortified wall with two towers and a stone carving of a human face, antedating by some 18 centuries the Troy of which Homer sang and which was the seventh city of the nine, counting upwards, that successively occupied the same site.
rang stong gzhan stong. (rang dong shen dong). In Tibetan, lit. "self-emptiness, other-emptiness," an important and persistent philosophical debate in Tibetan Buddhism, dating to the fifteenth century. The opposing factions are the DGE LUGS sect on one side and the JO NANG sect on the other, with support from certain BKA' BRGYUD and RNYING MA authors. The debate concerns issues fundamental to their understanding of what constituted enlightenment and the path to its achievement. For the Dge lugs, the most profound of all Buddhist doctrines is that all phenomena in the universe are empty of an intrinsic nature (SVABHĀVA), that the constituents of experience are not naturally endowed with a defining characteristic. Emptiness (suNYATĀ) for the Dge lugs is the fact that phenomena do not exist in and of themselves; emptiness is instead the lack of intrinsic existence. The Dge lugs then, are proponents of "self-emptiness," and argue that the hypostatized factor that an object in reality lacks (i.e., is empty of) is wrongly believed by the unenlightened to be intrinsic to the object itself. Everything, from physical forms to the omniscient mind of the Buddha, is thus equally empty. This emptiness is described by the Dge lugs as a non-affirming or simple negation (PRASAJYAPRATIsEDHA), an absence with nothing else implied in its place. From this perspective, the Dge lugs judge the sutras of the second of the three turnings of the wheel of the dharma as described in the SAMDHINIRMOCANASuTRA, "the dharma wheel of signlessness" (ALAKsAnADHARMACAKRA), to contain the definitive expression of the Buddha's most profound intention. By contrast, the Jo nang look for inspiration to the third turning of the wheel, "the dharma wheel for ascertaining the ultimate" (PARAMĀRTHAVINIsCAYADHARMACAKRA; see also *SUVIBHAKTADHARMACAKRA), especially to those statements that describe the nonduality of subject and object to be the consummate nature (PARINIsPANNA) and the understanding of that nonduality to be the highest wisdom. They describe this wisdom in substantialist terms, calling it eternal, self-arisen, and truly established. This wisdom consciousness exists autonomously and is thus not empty in the way that emptiness is understood by the Dge lugs. Instead, this wisdom consciousness is empty in the sense that it is devoid of all afflictions and conventional factors, which are extraneous to its true nature. Hence, the Jo nang speak of the "emptiness of the other," the absence of extrinsic and extraneous qualities. The Dge lugs cannot deny the presence of statements in the MAHĀYĀNA canon that speak of the TATHĀGATAGARBHA as permanent, pure, blissful, and endowed with self. But they argue that such statements are provisional, another example of the Buddha's expedient means of attracting to the faith those who find such a description appealing. The true tathāgatagarbha, they claim, is the emptiness of the mind; it is this factor, present in all sentient beings, that offers the possibility of transformation into an enlightened buddha. This is the view of CANDRAKĪRTI, they say, whom they regard as the supreme interpreter of the doctrine of emptiness. The Jo nang do not deny that this is Candrakīrti's view, but they deny Candrakīrti the rank of premier expositor of NĀGĀRJUNA's thought. For them, Candrakīrti teaches an emptiness which is a mere negation of true existence, which they equate with nihilism, or else a preliminary stage of negation that precedes an understanding of the highest wisdom. Nor do they deny that such an exposition is also to be found in Nāgārjuna's philosophical corpus (YUKTIKĀYA). But those texts, they claim, do not represent Nāgārjuna's final view, which is expressed instead in his devotional corpus (STAVAKĀYA), notably the DHARMADHĀTUSTAVA ("Praise of the Sphere of Reality"), with its more positive exposition of the nature of reality. Those who would deny its ultimate existence, such as Candrakīrti, they classify as "one-sided Madhyamakas" (phyogs gcig pa'i dbu ma pa) as opposed to the "great Madhyamakas" (DBU MA PA CHEN PO), among whom they would include the Nāgārjuna of the four hymns and ĀRYADEVA, as well as thinkers whom the Dge lugs classify as YOGĀCĀRA or SVĀTANTRIKA-MADHYAMAKA: e.g., ASAnGA, VASUBANDHU, MAITREYANĀTHA, and sĀNTARAKsITA. The Dge lugs attempt to demonstrate that the nature of reality praised by Nāgārjuna in his hymns is the same emptiness that he describes in his philosophical writings.
Ratnagotravibhāga. [alt. Ratnagotravibhanga] (T. Dkon mchog gi rigs rnam par dbye ba; C. Jiujing yisheng baoxing lun; J. Kukyo ichijo hoshoron; K. Kugyong ilsŭng posong non 究竟一乘寶性論). In Sanskrit, "Analysis of the Lineage of the [Three] Jewels," a seminal Indian MAHĀYĀNA sĀSTRA on the doctrine of the "embryo of the tathāgatas" (TATHĀGATAGARBHA), probably dating from the fourth century CE. Its full title is Ratnagotravibhāga-Mahāyāna-Uttaratantra and the treatise is often referred to simply as the Uttaratantra, or "Sublime Continuation." The Sanskrit recension is extant, along with Chinese and Tibetan translations. (RATNAMATI's Chinese translation was finished in 508.) The Chinese tradition attributes the work to Sāramati (C. Jianyi), while the Tibetan tradition attributes the core verses of the text to MAITREYA/MAITREYANĀTHA and its prose commentary entitled the Uttaratantravyākhyā to ASAnGA. It is one of the "five books of Maitreya," which, according to legend, were presented by the future buddha Maitreya to Asanga during the latter's visit to the TUsITA heaven. The primary subject of the Ratnagotravibhāga is the tathāgatagarbha or buddha-nature; this is the element (DHĀTU) or lineage (GOTRA) of the buddhas, which is present in all beings. The text offers an extensive overview of the tathāgatagarbha doctrine as set forth in such sutras as the TATHĀGATAGARBHASuTRA and the sRĪMĀLĀDEVĪSIMHANĀDASuTRA. Like the srīmālā Sutra, the treatise describes the tathāgatagarbha as being both empty (sunya) of the afflictions (KLEsA) but nonempty (asunya) of the buddhas' infinite virtues. In ordinary beings, the tathāgatagarbha may be obscured by adventitious defilements, but when those defilements are removed, the state of enlightenment is restored. In proving this claim, the treatise examines in detail the "body of the tathāgata," an alternate name for the buddha-nature, which is said to have four perfect virtues (GUnAPĀRAMITĀ): permanence, bliss, selfhood, and purity. Those who have not realized the buddha-nature make two fundamental mistakes about emptiness (suNYATĀ): either viewing emptiness as annihilation (see UCCHEDADṚstI), assuming that the experience of NIRVĀnA requires the extinction of the phenomenal world; or substantiating emptiness by presuming that it is something distinct from materiality (RuPA). Instead, the Ratnagotravibhāga asserts that the tathāgatagarbha is free from all the various types of afflictions, but fully contains the myriad inconceivable attributes of a buddha. The treatise also examines the specific deeds the buddhas perform for the welfare of all sentient beings. See also FOXING.
Ratnameghasutra. (T. Dkon mchog sprin gyi mdo; C. Baoyun jing; J. Houngyo; K. Poun kyong 寶雲經). The "Cloud of Jewels," an important Mahāyāna sutra, perhaps dating from the third or fourth century CE. It opens with the Buddha residing on the peak of Mt. Gayāsīrsa when the BODHISATTVA SARVANĪVARAnAVIsKAMBHĪ approaches the Buddha and asks him more than one hundred questions ranging from the practice of giving (DĀNA) and the six perfections (PĀRAMITĀ) to the means of swiftly attaining ANUTTARASAMYAKSAMBODHI. The Buddha's answers to these questions are widely quoted in later sĀSTRAS. In China, during the Ming dynasty, there were charges that interpolations were made in the sutra during the reign of the Empress WU ZETIAN in order to legitimize her usurpation of the throne. These interpolations included the story of Prince Moonlight (Yueguang tongzi), who received a prediction from the Buddha that he would later become a great queen in China.
rdzogs chen. (dzokchen). A Tibetan philosophical and meditative tradition, usually rendered in English as "great perfection" or "great completion." Developed and maintained chiefly within the RNYING MA sect, rdzogs chen has also been embraced to varying degrees by other Tibetan Buddhist sects. The non-Buddhist Tibetan BON religion also upholds a rdzogs chen tradition. According to legend, the primordial buddha SAMANTABHADRA (T. Kun tu bzang po) taught rdzogs chen to the buddha VAJRASATTVA, who transmitted it to the first human lineage holder, DGA' RAB RDO RJE. From him, rdzogs chen was passed to MANJUsRĪMITRA and thence to sRĪSIMHA, and the Tibetan translator Ba gor VAIROCANA, who had been sent to India by the eighth-century Tibetan King KHRI SRONG LDE BTSAN. In addition to Vairocana, the semimythical figures of VIMALAMITRA and PADMASAMBHAVA are considered to be foundational teachers of rdzogs chen in Tibet. Historically, rdzogs chen appears to have been a Tibetan innovation, drawing on multiple influences, including both non-Buddhist native Tibetan beliefs and Chinese and Indian Buddhist teachings. The term was likely taken from the GUHYAGARBHATANTRA. In the creation and completion stages of tantric practice, one first generates a visualization of a deity and its MAndALA and next dissolves these into oneself, merging oneself with the deity. In the Guhyagarbha and certain other tantras, this is followed with a stage known as rdzogs chen, in which one rests in the unelaborated natural state of one's own innately luminous and pure mind. In the Rnying ma sect's nine-vehicle (T. THEG PA DGU) doxography of the Buddhist teachings, these three stages constitute the final three vehicles: the MAHĀYOGA, ANUYOGA, and ATIYOGA, or rdzogs chen. The rdzogs chen literature is traditionally divided into three categories, which roughly trace the historical development of the doctrine and practices: the mind class (SEMS SDE), space class (KLONG SDE), and instruction class (MAN NGAG SDE). These are collected in a group of texts called the RNYING MA'I RGYUD 'BUM ("treasury of Rnying ma tantras"). The mind class is comprised largely of texts attributed to Vairocana, including the so-called eighteen tantras and the KUN BYED RGYAL PO. They set forth a doctrine of primordial purity (ka dag) of mind (sems nyid), which is the basis of all things (kun gzhi). In the natural state, the mind, often referred to as BODHICITTA, is spontaneously aware of itself (rang rig), but through mental discursiveness (rtog pa) it creates delusion ('khrul ba) and thus gives rise to SAMSĀRA. Early rdzogs chen ostensibly rejected all forms of practice, asserting that striving for liberation would simply create more delusion. One is admonished to simply recognize the nature of one's own mind, which is naturally empty (stong pa), luminous ('od gsal ba), and pure. As tantra continued to grow in popularity in Tibet, and new techniques and doctrines were imported from India, a competing strand within rdzogs chen increasingly emphasized meditative practice. The texts of the space class (klong sde) reflect some of this, but it is in the instruction class (man ngag sde), dating from the eleventh to fourteenth centuries, that rdzogs chen fully assimilated tantra. The main texts of this class are the so-called seventeen tantras and the two "seminal heart" collections, the BI MA SNYING THIG ("Seminal Heart of Vimalamitra") and the MKHA' 'GRO SNYING THIG ("Seminal Heart of the dĀKINĪ"). The seventeen tantras and the "Seminal Heart of Vimalamitra" are said to have been taught by Vimalamitra and concealed as "treasure" (GTER MA), to be discovered at a later time. The "Seminal Heart of the dākinī" is said to have been taught by Padmasambhava and concealed as treasure by his consort, YE SHES MTSHO RGYAL. In the fourteenth century, the great scholar KLONG CHEN RAB 'BYAMS PA DRI MED 'OD ZER systematized the multitude of received rdzogs chen literature in his famous MDZOD BDUN ("seven treasuries") and the NGAL GSO SKOR GSUM ("Trilogy on Rest"), largely creating the rdzogs chen teachings as they are known today. With the man ngag sde, the rdzogs chen proponents made full use of the Tibetan innovation of treasure, a means by which later tantric developments were assimilated to the tradition without sacrificing its claim to eighth-century origins. The semilegendary figure of Padmasambhava was increasingly relied upon for this purpose, gradually eclipsing Vairocana and Vimalamitra as the main rdzogs chen founder. In subsequent centuries there have been extensive additions to the rdzogs chen literature, largely by means of the treasure genre, including the KLONG CHEN SNYING THIG of 'JIGS MED GLING PA and the Bar chad kun gsal of MCHOG GYUR GLING PA to name only two. Outside of the Rnying ma sect, the authenticity of these texts is frequently disputed, although there continue to be many adherents to rdzogs chen from other Tibetan Buddhist lineages. Rdzogs chen practitioners are commonly initiated into the teachings with "pointing-out instructions" (sems khrid/ngos sprod) in which a lama introduces the student to the nature of his or her mind. Two main practices known as KHREGS CHOD (breakthrough), in which one cultivates the experience of innate awareness (RIG PA), and THOD RGAL (leap over), elaborate visualizations of external light imagery, preserve the tension between the early admonition against practice and the appropriation of complex tantric techniques and doctrines. Extensive practices engaging the subtle body of psychic channels, winds, and drops (rtsa rlung thig le) further reflect the later tantric developments in rdzogs chen. ¶ RDZOGS CHEN is also used as the short name for one of the largest and most active Tibetan monasteries, belonging to the Rnying ma sect of Tibetan Buddhism, located in the eastern Tibetan region of Khams; the monastery's full name is Rus dam bsam gtan o rgyan chos gling (Rudam Samten Orgyan Choling). It is a major center for both academic study and meditation retreat according to Rnying ma doctrine. At its peak, the monastery housed over one thousand monks and sustained more than two hundred branches throughout central and eastern Tibet. The institution was founded in 1684-1685 by the first RDZOGS CHEN INCARNATION Padma rig 'dzin (Pema Rikdzin) with the support of the fifth DALAI LAMA NGAG DBANG BLO BZANG RGYA MTSHO. Important meditation hermitages in the area include those of MDO MKHYEN RTSE YE SHE RDO RJE and MI PHAM 'JAM DBYANGS RNAM RGYAL RGYA MTSHO. DPAL SPRUL RIN PO CHE passed many years in retreat there, during which time he composed his great exposition of the preliminary practices of Tibetan Buddhism entitled the KUN BZANG BLA MA'I ZHAL LUNG ("Words of My Perfect Teacher").
reconsolidation ::: n. --> The act or process of reconsolidating; the state of being reconsolidated.
Responsa ::: Also called teshubot, from sheelot uteshubot (questions and answers); answers to questions on halaka and observances, given by Jewish scholars on topics addressed to them. They originated during the geonic period, and are still used as a means of modern updating and revising of halaka.
Rgyal rabs gsal ba'i me long. (Gyalrab Salwe Melong). In Tibetan, "The Mirror Illuminating the Royal Genealogies," an important chronicle of the early Tibetan dynastic period, written in the fourteenth century by the SA SKYA hierarch BSOD NAMS RGYAL MTSHAN. Although its precise dating has long been in question, current scholarship suggests it was compiled in 1368. The work was regarded highly in Tibet and is often cited in later Tibetan literature.
rhyme: Rhyme is the matching similarity of sounds in two or more words, especially when their accented vowels and all succeeding consonants are identical. For instance, the word-pairs listed here are all rhymes: mating/dating, feast/beast, emotion/demotion and fascinate/deracinate. Rhyme is often used inpoetry.
Rosicrucians [from Latin rosa rose + crux cross] Rosy cross or rose cross, referring to the cross of the rose, the general medieval idea of the rose being an emblem of divine love, and the cross of renunciation and self-conquest. A medieval European mystical and quasi-occult fraternity, probably dating from about the mid-15th century. It represented one of the many cyclic attempts to reintroduce and keep alive the ancient wisdom, and its history is typical of most such enterprises. The name was first given to the disciples of a learned adept, Christian Rosenkreuz, the alleged surname itself being a German translation of rose-cross, leaving open whether Rosenkreuz was actually a family name or a surname mystically adopted to designate a particular body of mystical thought; the name Christian may be another such mystical name-adoption. At any rate, Rosenkreuz returned form a journey in Asia and founded a mystical order in Europe. He and his disciples encountered the determined opposition of the Christian Church which then held sway over so much of Europe. He dressed up his teachings in a Christian garb, using such names as Jehovah as screens for the real meaning, and communicating to his disciples the keys for an interpretation of his doctrines. He founded no formal association and built no colleges, for the utmost secrecy was necessary to escape persecution and even death. It is for these reasons that the true history of the Rosicrucians is so difficult to trace. The original Rosicrucians were fire-philosophers, successors of the theurgists and the Magi.
Saddharmapundarīkasutra. (T. Dam pa'i chos padma dkar po'i mdo; C. Miaofa lianhua jing/Fahua jing; J. Myohorengekyo/Hokekyo; K. Myobop yonhwa kyong/Pophwa kyong 妙法蓮華經/法華經). In Sanskrit, "Sutra of the White Lotus of the True Dharma," and known in English simply as the "Lotus Sutra"; perhaps the most influential of all MAHĀYĀNA sutras. The earliest portions of the text were probably composed as early as the first or second centuries of the Common Era; the text gained sufficient renown in India that a number of chapters were later interpolated into it. The sutra was translated into Chinese six times and three of those translations are extant. The earliest of those is that made by DHARMARAKsA, completed in 286. The most popular is that of KUMĀRAJĪVA in twenty-eight chapters, completed in 406. The sutra was translated into Tibetan in the early ninth century. Its first translation into a European language was that of EUGÈNE BURNOUF into French in 1852. The Saddharmapundarīkasutra is perhaps most famous for its parables, which present, in various versions, two of the sutra's most significant doctrines: skill-in-means (UPĀYA) and the immortality of the Buddha. In the parable of the burning house, a father lures his children from a conflagration by promising them three different carts, but when they emerge they find instead a single, magnificent cart. The three carts symbolize the sRĀVAKA vehicle, the PRATYEKABUDDHA vehicle, and the BODHISATTVA vehicle, while the one cart is the "one vehicle" (EKAYĀNA), the buddha vehicle (BUDDHAYĀNA). This parable indicates that the Buddha's previous teaching of three vehicles (TRIYĀNA) was a case of upāya, an "expedient device" or "skillful method" designed to attract persons of differing capacities to the dharma. In fact, there is only one vehicle, the vehicle whereby all beings proceed to buddhahood. In the parable of the conjured city, a group of weary travelers take rest in a magnificent city, only to be told later that it is a magical creation. This conjured city symbolizes the NIRVĀnA of the ARHAT; there is in fact no such nirvāna as a final goal in Buddhism, since all will eventually follow the bodhisattva's path to buddhahood. The apparently universalistic doctrine articulated by the sutra must be understood within the context of the sectarian polemics in which the sutra seems to have been written. The doctrine of upāya is intended in part to explain the apparent contradiction between the teachings that appear in earlier sutras and those of the Saddharmapundarīkasutra. The former are relegated to the category of mere expedients, with those who fail to accept the consummate teaching of the Saddharmapundarīkasutra as the authentic word of the Buddha (BUDDHAVACANA) repeatedly excoriated by the text itself. In a device common in Mahāyāna sutras, the sutra itself describes both the myriad benefits that accrue to those who recite, copy, and revere the sutra, as well as the misfortune that will befall those who fail to do so. The immortality of the Buddha is portrayed in the parable of the physician, in which a father feigns death in order to induce his sons to commit to memory an antidote to poison. The apparent death of the father is compared to the Buddha's entry into nirvāna, something which he only pretended to do in order to inspire his followers. Elsewhere in the sutra, the Buddha reveals that he did not achieve enlightenment as the prince Siddhārtha who left his palace, but in fact had achieved enlightenment eons before; the well-known version of his departure from the palace and successful quest for enlightenment were merely a display meant to inspire the world. The immortality of the Buddha (and other buddhas) is also demonstrated when a great STuPA emerges from the earth. When the door to the funerary reliquary is opened, ashes and bones are not found, as would be expected, but instead the living buddha PRABHuTARATNA, who appears in his stupa whenever the Saddharmapundarīkasutra is taught. sĀKYAMUNI joins him on his seat, demonstrating another central Mahāyāna doctrine, the simultaneous existence of multiple buddhas. Other famous events described in the sutra include the miraculous transformation of a NĀGA princess into a buddha after she presents a gem to sākyamuni and the tale of a bodhisattva who immolates himself in tribute to a previous buddha. The sutra contains several chapters that function as self-contained texts; the most popular of these is the chapter devoted to the bodhisattva AVALOKITEsVARA, which details his ability to rescue the faithful from various dangers. The Saddharmapundarīkasutra was highly influential in East Asia, inspiring both a range of devotional practices as well as the creation of new Buddhist schools that had no Indian analogues. The devotional practices include those extolled by the sutra itself: receiving and keeping the sutra, reading it, memorizing and reciting it, copying it, and explicating it. In East Asia, there are numerous tales of the miraculous benefits of each of these practices. The practice of copying the sutra (or having it copied) was a particularly popular form of merit-making either for oneself or for departed family members. Also important, especially in China, was the practice of burning either a finger or one's entire body as an offering to the Buddha, emulating the self-immolation of the bodhisattva BHAIsAJYARĀJA in the twenty-third chapter (see SHESHEN). In the domain of doctrinal developments, the Saddharmapundarīkasutra was highly influential across East Asia, its doctrine of upāya providing the rationale for the systems of doctrinal taxonomies (see JIAOXIANG PANSHI) that are pervasive in East Asian Buddhist schools. In China, the sutra was the central text of the TIANTAI ZONG, where it received detailed exegesis by a number of important figures. The school's founder, TIANTAI ZHIYI, divided the sutra into two equal parts. In the first fourteen chapters, which he called the "trace teaching" (C. jimen, J. SHAKUMON), sākyamuni appears as the historical buddha. In the remaining fourteen chapters, which Zhiyi called the "origin teaching" (C. benmen, J. HONMON), sākyamuni reveals his true nature as the primordial buddha who achieved enlightenment many eons ago. Zhiyi also drew on the Saddharmapundarīkasutra in elucidating two of his most famous doctrines: the three truths (SANDI, viz., emptiness, the provisional, and the mean) and the notion of YINIAN SANQIAN, or "the trichiliocosm in an instant of thought." In the TENDAISHu, the Japanese form of Tiantai, the sutra remained supremely important, providing the scriptural basis for the central doctrine of original enlightenment (HONGAKU) and the doctrine of "achieving buddhahood in this very body" (SOKUSHIN JoBUTSU); in TAIMITSU, the tantric form of Tendai, sākyamuni Buddha was identified with MAHĀVAIROCANA. For the NICHIREN schools (and their offshoots, including SoKA GAKKAI), the Saddharmapundarīkasutra is not only its central text but is also considered to be the only valid Buddhist sutra for the degenerate age (J. mappo; see C. MOFA); the recitation of the sutra's title is the central practice in Nichiren (see NAMU MYoHoRENGEKYo). See also SADĀPARIBHuTA.
Saidaiji. (西大寺). In Japanese, "Great Monastery to the West"; one of the seven major monasteries in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara (J. NANTO SHICHIDAIJI); the headquarters of the True Word Precepts (SHINGON-Ritsu) school in Japan. As its name implies, Saidaiji is located in the western part of Nara and was first constructed in 765 in accordance with a decree from SHoTOKU TAISHI (572-622). The monastery originally had two main halls, one dedicated to the buddha BHAIsAJYAGURU and the other to the bodhisattva MAITREYA. After conflagrations in 846 and 860, the monastery began to decline, but revived when Eison (Kosho bosatsu; 1201-1290) moved there in 1235 and made it the center of his movement to restore the VINAYA. After another major fire in 1502, the Tokugawa Shogunate supported a rebuilding project. The monastery enshrines four bronze statues of the four heavenly kings (CATURMAHĀRĀJA), dating to the Nara (710-794) period. The main hall is dominated by a statue of sĀKYAMUNI said to have been carved cooperatively by eleven sculptors in 1249. To its right is a statue of MANJUsRĪ riding a lion, to its left, a statue of Maitreya dating from 1322.
samaveda. ::: the third of the four Vedas, dating from 1700 BC, consisting of hymns, portions of hymns, and detached verses to be sung &
sanguan. (J. sangan; K. samgwan 三觀). In Chinese, "threefold contemplation"; several versions of such a threefold contemplation are elaborated in Chinese exegetical traditions, of which the most influential was the TIANTAI version outlined by TIANTAI ZHIYI in his MOHE ZHIGUAN. Zhiyi's version entails a system of contemplative practice that leads to the attainment of insight into the nature of reality. Zhiyi's "threefold contemplation" consists of the contemplations of the "three truths: (SANDI): emptiness, conventional existence, and their mean (C. kong jia zhong sanguan; J. ku ge chu sangan; K. kong ka chung samgwan). The first, "contemplation on emptiness" (kongguan), is the step of practice that advances beyond naïve realism by penetrating into the conditionally constructed, and therefore insubstantial, nature of all phenomena (see suNYATĀ). The second, the "contemplation on conventionality" (jiaguan), involves the reaffirmation of the conventional existence of all phenomena, whereby a bodhisattva actively engages the world in spite of his awareness of the reality of emptiness. The third, the "contemplation of their mean" (zhongguan), is understood as a dialectical transcendence of the previous two modes of practice. This transcendence has two aspects: it is transcendent because it is neither ("the middle that negates both," C. shuangfei zhi zhong) and because it affirms both ("the middle that illuminates both," C. shuangzhao zhi zhong). It is "neither" because the middle way is not fixed exclusively on either abiding in emptiness or on wallowing in mundane existence. It is "both" because it elucidates that "emptiness" and "conventionality" are not opposing realities but are in fact mutually validating. "The threefold contemplation" is understood variously as a gradual or a simultaneous practice ("two kinds of 'threefold contemplation,'" C. erzhong sanguan; J. nishu no sangan; K. ijong samgwan). The gradual practice of the "threefold contemplation" begins with the contemplation of emptiness, advances to that of conventional existence, and culminates in the contemplation of their mean. Tiantai exegetes variously labeled this approach "the threefold contemplation" by either "graduated stages" (C. cidi sanguan; J. shidai sangan; K. ch'aje samgwan) or "differentiation" (C. biexiang sanguan; J. besso no sangan; K. pyolsang samgwan). As a simultaneous practice, all three aspects of the reality are to be contemplated simultaneously within any given instant of thought: a true understanding of "emptiness" is the same as the correct understanding of "conventional existence," for they are just different emphases of the same truth of conditionality; only an erroneous construction of "emptiness" and "conventional existence" would lead to the conclusion that they are separate, contradictory realities. This approach is variously referred to as "the threefold contemplation that does not involve graduated stages" (C. bucidi sanguan; J. fushidai sangan; K. pulch'aje samgwan), "the perfectly interfused threefold contemplation" (C. yuanrong sanguan; J. ennyu no sangan; K. wonyung samgwan), or "the threefold contemplation [that is to be conducted within] a single moment of thought" (C. yixin sanguan; J. isshin sangan; K. ilsim samgwan). See also SANZHI.
sanity check "programming" 1. Checking {code} (or anything else, e.g. a {Usenet} posting) for completely stupid mistakes. Implies that the check is to make sure the author was sane when it was written; e.g. if a piece of scientific software relied on a particular formula and was giving unexpected results, one might first look at the nesting of parentheses or the coding of the formula, as a "sanity check", before looking at the more complex I/O or data structure manipulation routines, much less the {algorithm} itself. Compare {reality check}. 2. A run-time test, either validating input or ensuring that the program hasn't screwed up internally (producing an inconsistent value or state). [{Jargon File}] (1998-08-29)
sanity check ::: (programming) 1. Checking code (or anything else, e.g. a Usenet posting) for completely stupid mistakes. Implies that the check is to make sure the sanity check, before looking at the more complex I/O or data structure manipulation routines, much less the algorithm itself.Compare reality check.2. A run-time test, either validating input or ensuring that the program hasn't screwed up internally (producing an inconsistent value or state).[Jargon File] (1998-08-29)
Sārnāth. The modern place name for a site approximately four miles outside of Vārānasī and the location of the Deer Park (MṚGADĀVA) in ṚsIPATANA where the Buddha is said to have first "turned the wheel of dharma" (DHARMACAKRAPRAVARTANA), viz., delivered his first sermon. Sārnāth is thus considered one of the holiest sites in the Buddhist world and has long been an important place of pilgrimage. Seven weeks after the Buddha became enlightened at BODHGAYĀ, he started out for the Deer Park at Ṛsipatana, where he met and preached to his five former ascetic companions, the PANCAVARGIKA. To these five men, the Buddha preached the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (catvāry āryasatyāni). Of the five, the first to become enlightened was ĀJNĀTAKAUndINYA, followed shortly thereafter by the other four. Soon after the Buddha began teaching, a young man named YAsAS arrived from Vārānasī with fifty-four other people, who all asked to be ordained. Later, Emperor AsOKA had a large STuPA and other monuments erected at the spot. When FAXIAN visited Sārnāth during his fifth-century pilgrimage, the site was an active religious center, with two monasteries and four stupas. The monastic community was still thriving during the seventh century when XUANZANG visited. Today, the Dhamek stupa is the major surviving architectural structure, likely the restoration of a stupa dating back to the Asokan period. Ruins of the monastery are also visible, along with an important edict on an Asokan pillar forbidding activities that might cause a schism in the order (SAMGHABHEDA).
SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha. (T. De bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi de kho na nyid bsdus pa; C. Yiqie rulai zhenshishe dasheng xianzheng sanmei dajiaowang jing; J. Issainyorai shinjitsusho daijogenshozanmai daikyoogyo; K. Ilch'e yorae chinsilsop taesŭng hyonjŭng sammae taegyowang kyong 一切如來眞實攝大乘現證三昧大敎王經). In Sanskrit, "Compendium of Principles of All the Tathāgatas"; one of the most important Buddhist tantras, whose influence extended through India, China, Japan, and Tibet. Likely dating from the late seventh century, the text presented a range of doctrines, themes, and practices that would come to be regarded as emblematic of tantric practice. These include the the view that sĀKYAMUNI Buddha did not actually achieve enlightenment under the BODHI TREE but did so through ritual consecration. The commentaries to the SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha recount that Prince SIDDHĀRTHA was meditating on the banks of the NAIRANJANĀ River when he was roused by the buddha VAIROCANA and all the buddhas of the ten directions, who informed him that such meditation would not result in the achievement of buddhahood. He thus left his physical body behind and traveled in a mind-made body (MANOMAYAKĀYA) to the AKANIstHA heaven, where he received various consecrations and achieved buddhahood. He next descended to the summit of Mount SUMERU, where he taught the YOGATANTRAs. Finally, he returned to the world, reinhabited his physical body, and then displayed to the world the well-known defeat of MĀRA and the achievement of buddhahood under the Bodhi tree. The tantra also include the violent subjugation of Mahesvara (siva) by the wrathful bodhisattva VAJRAPĀnI, suggesting competition between Hindu and Buddhist tantric practitioners at the time of its composition and the increasing importance of violent imagery in Buddhist tantra. Such important elements as the five buddha families (PANCATATHĀGATA) and the practice of visualizing oneself as a deity also appear in the text. The tantra is also important for the prominment role given to the buddha Vairocana. In East Asia, the SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha was particularly influential in the form of the VAJRAsEKHARA, the reconstructed Sanskrit title derived from the Chinese translations of the first chapter of the SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha made by VAJRABODHI and AMOGHAVAJRA during the Tang dynasty. This would become a central text for the esoteric traditions of China and Japan. The full text of the SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha was not translated into Chinese until Dānapāla completed his version in 1015. Ānandagarbha (fl. c. 750) wrote an important commentary on the SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha called Tattvālokakarī ("Illumination of the Compendium of Principles Tantra"), and sākyamitra (fl. c. 750) wrote a commentary called KosalālaMkāra ("Ornament of Kosala"). Ānandagarbha's mandala ritual called Sarvavajrodayamandalavidhi is a ritual text based on the first chapter of the SarvatathāgatatattvasaMgraha. The tantra was very influential in Tibet during both the earlier dissemination (SNGA DAR) and the later dissemination (PHYI DAR) periods. Classified as a yogatantra, it was an important source during the later period, for example, for such scholars as BU STON RIN CHEN GRUB and TSONG KHA PA in their systematizations of tantra.
Sa skya Pandita Kun dga' rgyal mtshan. (Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsan) (1182-1251). Although associated primarily with the SA SKYA sect, Sa skya Pandita is traditionally considered one of the greatest savants and religious luminaries in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. He authored a number of seminal philosophical treatises, and beyond his role as scholar and logician, played an instrumental role in forging a relationship with the Mongol court. The name Sa skya Pandita is an honorific title, meaning "Scholar of Sa skya," often abbreviated as Sa pan. Born into a renowned family, he was the grandson of SA CHEN KUN DGA' SNYING PO and the nephew of the Sa skya BSOD NAMS RTSE MO and Grags pa rgyal mtshan (Drakpa Gyaltsen, 1147-1216), from whom he received teachings. Sa pan began his studies at a young age, and was quickly recognized as a prodigy. He studied extensively with the leading masters of his day, including scholars from the great centers of learning in India, such as sĀKYAsRĪBHADRA, from whom he received BHIKsU ordination in 1208. He excelled in all fields of Buddhist knowledge, especially Sanskrit grammar and poetics and the logical treatises on epistemology (PRAMĀnA). In 1216, Grags pa rgyal mtshan passed away, and Sa pan became the principal religious master of Sa skya. The next twenty-eight years of his career were highly productive. It was during this time that he composed his pramāna masterpiece, TSHAD MA RIGS GTER ("Treasury of Logical Reasoning") circa 1219, and his great synthetic doctrinal tract, SDOM GSUM RAB DBYE ("Clear Differentiation of the Three Vows"), in about 1232. He was renowned as both a debater (famously defeating a renowned Hindu scholar) and a polemicist, composing works critical of various doctrines of the rival BKA' BRGYUD, RNYING MA, and JO NANG sects. In 1244 Sa pan received a summons to the court of the Mongol prince Godan for the purpose of negotiating the submission of Tibet to Mongol authority. Traveling slowly across Tibet together with his nephew and eventual successor 'PHAGS PA BLO GROS RGYAL MTSHAN, he reached the Mongol court and met with Godan in 1247. The prince was greatly impressed by Sa pan's erudition, as well as his magical and medical powers; the prince is said to have converted to Buddhism after Sa pan cured him of a skin disease. Tibet was subsequently spared Mongol occupation, and the Sa skya sect, with Sa pan as its chief prelate, was granted political authority within Tibet, a position that was later passed on to 'Phags pa by Qubilai Khan. The relation of Sa pan, and later 'Phags pa, with the Mongol ruler would be cited as the paradigm of the so-called "priest-patron" (YON MCHOD) relationship. Sa pan did not live to return to Tibet, passing away at the capital of Godan's court. Sa pan authored more than a hundred works and translated many texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan. Among his compositions, the five most famous are, including the two listed above: Legs bshad ("Elegant Sayings"), Mkhas pa rnams 'jug pa'i sgo ("Entrance Gate for the Wise"), and Thub pa'i dgongs gsal ("Elucidating the Intention of the Sage").
semen ::: n. --> The seed of plants.
The seed or fecundating fluid of male animals; sperm. It is a white or whitish viscid fluid secreted by the testes, characterized by the presence of spermatozoids to which it owes its generative power.
sems sde. (sem de). In Tibetan, literally "mind class," one of the three divisions of RDZOGS CHEN, together with KLONG SDE, or "expanse class," and the MAN NGAG SDE, or "instruction class." It appears that the three classes were created simultaneously rather than sequentially, probably dating to the PHYI DAR, or later period of the dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet, that began in the eleventh century. It is possible that the classification scheme was invented by members of the Zur clan, who were involved in codifying the RNYING MA texts that were circulating at that time. Within the threefold division, the texts classified do not necessarily share a single set of characteristics. However, it can be said that the works in the sems sde are often earlier than those in the other two classes. The root tantra of the sems sde is the KUN BYED RGYAL PO, where a number of short early-period rdzogs chen texts were gathered into a single new tantra. The sems sde works tend toward simple, evocative statements that deny the need for any practice or moral concerns.
server-parsed HTML "file format, web" (SPML, SHTML) A kind of {HTML} file containing server-specific, non-standard commands which are interpreted by the {HTTP server} and replaced by standard HTML or text before the data is returned to the client. Different servers use different command syntax and support different sets of commands. The most common example is a {server-side include} command which simply expands to the contents of some given file and allows bits of HTML or text to be shared between pages for ease of updating. Other commands insert the value of an {environment variable} or the output of a {shell command}. These allow pages to be different each time they are served without requiring a {CGI} script. Some servers distinguish SPML from HTML with a different {filename extension}, others use the execute bit of the file's {permissions}. (1996-09-29)
shichido garan. (七堂伽藍). In Japanese, "seven-halled temple"; an early Japanese monastic layout consisting of seven main structures (shichido). The oldest extant example of this layout in Japan can be seen in the Kudara (viz., the Korean Paekche) layout at HoRYuJI. The seven halls of the monasteries built in the Nara period (646-794) generally included the golden hall (kondo), pagoda (to), lecture hall (kodo), bell tower (shuro), scriptorium (kyozo), monks' dormitories (sobo), and refectory (jikido). This term, however, does not seem to appear in any Chinese or Japanese materials predating its use by the Japanese monk Ichijo Kanera (1402-1481) to refer to the layout of ZEN monasteries. His list of the seven halls consists of the mountain gate (sanmon), buddha hall (butsuden), DHARMA hall (hatto), kitchen-office (kuin), SAMGHA hall (sodo; see SENGTANG), bathhouse (yokushitsu), and latrine (seijo or tosu). The seven-hall design is now commonly laid out in anthropomorphic form, consisting of a central axis-the mountain gate (the privates), buddha hall (heart), and dharma hall (head)-flanked by two pairs of buildings, namely (1) the latrine (left leg) and bathhouse (right leg) and (2) the saMgha hall (left arm) and kitchen-office (right arm).
Shichifukujin. (七福神). In Japanese, "Seven Gods of Good Fortune"; an assembly of seven deities dating from at least the fifteenth century, which gained popularity in Japan's folk religious setting and are still well known today. Those who have faith in the group are said to gain happiness and good fortune in their lives. Before their grouping, each of the individual gods existed independently and historically shared little in common. Of the seven, Ebisu is the only god with an identity linked to the Japanese islands. Daikokuten (C. Dahei tian; S. MAHĀKĀLA), Bishamonten (C. Pishamen tian; S. VAIsRAVAnA), and Benzaiten (C. Biancai tian; S. SARASVATĪ) originated in India, and Hotei (C. BUDAI, d. 917), Jurojin (C. Shoulaoren), and Fukurokuju (C. Fulushou) come from the Chinese Buddho-Daoist traditions. Their grouping into seven gods of good fortune likely occurred in the Japanese Kansai region, with the commerce-affiliated Daikoku and Ebisu gaining initial popularity among merchants. Early mention of them appears in a reference from 1420, when they were said to have been escorted in procession through Fushimi, a southern ward of Kyoto, in imitation of a daimyo procession. ¶ Ebisu (a.k.a. Kotoshiro-nushi-no-mikoto, the abandoned child of Izanami and Izanagi) is the god of fishermen and the sea, commerce, good fortune, and labor. Among its etymological roots, the term "ebisu" traces back to the Ainu ethnic group of Hokkaido, connecting them to fishermen who came from abroad. Ebisu is often depicted with a fishing rod in one hand and either a large red sea bream (J. tai) or a folding fan in the other. Since the inception of the Shichifukujin, he is often paired with Daikokuten as either son or brother. ¶ Daikokuten, or "Great Black Spirit," comes originally from India (where is he is called Mahākāla); among the Shichifukujin, he is known as the god of wealth, agriculture, and commerce. Typically portrayed as standing on two bales of rice, Daikokuten carries a sack of treasure over his shoulder and a magic mallet in one hand. He is also considered to be a deity of the kitchen and is sometimes found in monasteries and private kitchens. Prior to the Tokugawa period, he was called Sanmen Daikokuten (Three-Headed Daikokuten), a wrathful protector of the three jewels (RATNATRAYA). ¶ Bishamonten, also originally from India (where he is called Vaisravana), is traditionally the patron deity of the state and warriors. He is often depicted holding a lance in one hand and a small pagoda in the palm of his other hand with which he rewards those he deems worthy. Through these associations, he came to represent wealth and fortune. His traditional residence is Mt. SUMERU, where he protects the Buddha's dais and listens to the dharma. ¶ Benzaiten ([alt. Myoonten]; C. Miaoyin tian) is the Indian goddess Sarasvatī. She is traditionally considered to be a goddess of music, poetry, and learning but among the Shichifukujin, she also represents good fortune. She takes two forms: one playing a lute in both hands, the other with eight arms. ¶ Hotei is the Japanese name of Budai (d. 916), a Chinese thaumaturge who is said to have been an incarnation of the BODHISATTVA MAITREYA (J. Miroku bosatsu). The only historical figure among the Shichifukujin, Hotei represents contentment and happiness. Famous for his fat belly and broad smile, Hotei is often depicted holding a large cloth bag (Hotei literally means "hemp sack"). From this bag, which never empties, he feeds the poor and needy. In some places, he has also become the patron saint of restaurants and bars, since those who drink and eat well are said to be influenced by Hotei. ¶ Jurojin and Fukurokuju, often associated with one another and said to share the same body, originated within the Chinese Daoist tradition. Jurojin (lit. "Gaffer Long Life"), the deity of longevity within the Shichifukujin, is possibly a historical figure from the late eleventh through twelfth century. Depicted as an old man with a long, white beard, he is often accompanied by a crane or white stag. Fukurokuju (lit. "Wealth, Happiness, and Longevity") has an elongated forehead, a long, white beard and usually a staff in one hand; he is likely based on a mythical Daoist hermit from the Song period. ¶ This set of seven gods is most commonly worshipped in Japan. There are, however, other versions. Especially noteworthy is a listing found in the 1697 Nihon Shichifukujinden ("The Exposition on the Japanese Seven Gods of Good Fortune"), according to which Fukurokuju and Jurojin are treated as a single god named Nankyoku rojin and a new god, Kichijoten (C. Jixiang tian; S. srīmahādevī), the goddess of happiness or auspiciousness, is added to the group.
shishi wu'ai fajie. (J. jijimugehokkai; K. sasa muae popkye 事事無礙法界). In Chinese, "dharma-realm of the unimpeded interpenetration between phenomenon and phenomena," the fourth of the four dharma-realms (DHARMADHĀTU), according to the HUAYAN ZONG. In this Huayan conception of ultimate reality, what the senses ordinarily perceive to be discrete and separate phenomena (SHI) are actually mutually pervading and mutually validating. Reality is likened to the bejeweled net of the king of the gods INDRA (see INDRAJĀLA), in which a jewel is hung at each knot in the net and the net stretches out infinitely in all directions. On the infinite facets of each individual jewel, the totality of the brilliance of the expansive net is captured, and the reflected brilliance is in turn re-reflected and multiplied by all the other jewels in the net. The universe is in this manner envisioned to be an intricate web of interconnecting phenomena, where each individual phenomenon owes its existence to the collective conditioning effect of all other phenomena and therefore has no absolute, self-contained identity. In turn, each individual phenomenon "creates" the universe as it is because the totality of the universe is inconceivable without the presence of each of those individual phenomena that define it. The function and efficacy of individual phenomena so thoroughly interpenetrate all other phenomena that the respective boundaries between individual phenomena are rendered moot; instead, all things are mutually interrelated with all other things, in a simultaneous mutual identity and mutual intercausality. In this distinctively Huayan understanding of reality, the entire universe is subsumed and revealed within even the most humble of individual phenomena, such as a single mote of dust, and any given mote of dust contains the infinite realms of this self-defining, self-creating universe. "Unimpeded" (wu'ai) in this context therefore has two important meanings: any single phenomenon simultaneously creates and is created by all other phenomena, and any phenomenon simultaneously contains and is contained by the universe in all its diversity. A common Huayan simile employs the image of ocean waves to describe this state of interfusion: because individual waves form, permeate, and infuse all other waves, they both define all waves (which in this simile is the ocean in its entirety), and in turn are defined themselves in the totality that is the ocean. The Huayan school claims this reputedly highest level of understanding to be its exclusive sectarian insight, thus ranking it the "consummate teaching" (YUANJIAO) in the scheme of the HUAYAN WUJIAO (Huayan fivefold taxonomy of the the teachings).
Shwedagon. In Burmese, "Golden Dagon"; monumental golden pagoda (B. JEDI; S. STuPA; P. thupa) that dominates the skyline of Rangoon (Yangon), capital of Burma (Myanmar); named after Dagon, the ancient name of Rangoon. According to Burmese and Mon legend, the pagoda was built during the Buddha's lifetime to house eight hair relics given to TRAPUsA and BHALLIKA, two merchants from Ukkala who are said to have been the first disciples of the Buddha. The original account, which appears in the Pāli canon, places Ukkala in what is most likely modern-day ĀNDHRA, on the eastern coast of India. Mon-Burmese recensions of the story locate Ukkala at Dagon, acknowledgement of which is retained in the names Myauk Okkala-pa (North Ukkala) and Daung Okkala-pa (South Ukkala) given to Rangoon's suburbs. The Shwedagon is situated atop a two hundred-foot high hill, whose summit was leveled to create the four-acre plaza or platform that now surrounds the base of the shrine. The pagoda platform is approached by four covered stairways facing the cardinal directions, at the base of which are ornate entrances flanked by colossal Chinthe lions. The pagoda itself was repeatedly expanded and embellished over the centuries, reaching its current height of 326 feet in the fifteenth century. Constructed of brickwork, it is in the classical Burmese pagoda form of an inverted bell rising from an octagonal pyramidal base. These elements support a graceful spire crowned with a hti, or finial umbrella, that is encrusted with diamonds, rubies, pearls, and other gems of inestimable value. The hti also has many wind chimes, which gently tinkle in the constant breeze. The base of the pagoda is more than a quarter-mile in circumference and the entire structure is covered in gold, the accumulated munificence of generations of royal donors. Sixty-four smaller pagodas surround the main structure at its base, and at the four cardinal directions are shrines containing colossal statues of the four buddhas who have appeared in the world during the present fortunate eon (P. bhaddakappa; S. BHADRAKALPA). (See SAPTATATHĀGATA.) At one corner of the platform is a miniature replica of the main shrine, no more than a hundred feet tall. The smaller pagoda is affectionately known as the Shwedagon's older brother, as it was the model upon which the current main pagoda was based. At each corner of the Shwedagon's octagonal base is an alabaster statue of the Buddha dedicated to one of the eight days of the Burmese week (Wednesday being counted as two days), where it is believed to be especially auspicious for people born on those days to pray. A broad circumambulatory walkway paved in white marble rings the Shwedagon, which in turn is flanked with hundreds of lesser shrines dating mostly from the colonial period. Many types of religious piety are performed individually and in groups on the platform of the pagoda, such as the giving of DĀNA, freeing captured animals, processing candidates for the novitiate (B. shin-pyu), sweeping the plaza, lustrating images, reciting PARITTA texts, taking precepts, silent prayer, and meditation (B. taya a-to; P. BHĀVANĀ).
Sibylline Books: These were allegedly ancient, mythical and inspired utterances of prophecy consulted in times of calamity. Their destruction led to composite and forged versions. The so-called Sibylline Oracles were a group of Jewish and Christian writings dating from the 2nd century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D , written in Homeric style, and in imitation of the lost Sibylline Books. They included prophecies of future events, of the fate of eminent persons, of cities and kingdoms. -- V.F.
Sibylline Oracles: A group of Jewish and Christian writings dating from the second century B.C. to the third century A.D., written in Homeric style, and in imitation of the lost Sibylline Books. They included prophecies of future events, of the fate of eminent persons, of cities and kingdoms.
Siming shiyi shu. (J. Shimei jugisho; K. Samyong sibŭi so 四明十義書). In Chinese, "Siming's Letters on Ten Issues"; a collection of letters compiled by the TIANTAI monk SIMING ZHILI (960-1028) and edited together in 1006. The Siming shiyi shu is a valuable source of information on the SHANJIA SHANWAI, or "Home-Mountain/Off-Mountain," debate within the Song-dynasty Tiantai school. Two recensions of TIANTAI ZHIYI's commentary on the SUVARnAPRABHĀSOTTAMASuTRA, an expanded and an abridged version, were known to have circulated during the late Tang and early Five Dynasties period. Zhili and the Shanjia faction, which later came to define Tiantai orthodoxy, defended the expanded recension when the monk Ciguang Wu'en (912-986) and others of the so-called Shanwai faction began questioning the authenticity of certain of its passages, particularly the ten modes of contemplation found in the text. The Siming shiyi shu speaks of Zhiyi's teachings on contemplation in ten general points: (1) not discerning the subject of contemplation, (2) not discerning the object of contemplation, (3) not distinguishing between inside and outside, (4) not constructing the duality of principle and phenomena, (5) not elucidating the workings of contemplation, (6) not lingering on the difficulties of the mind, (7) not knowing the levels of contemplation, (8) not collecting the meanings of contemplation, (9) not being skilled at collecting passages, (10) not being skilled at studying principle.
simple multicast protocol "communications, protocol" A proposed {mulitcast} {protocol} that would ease the requirements for {IP} Multicast, such as no longer mandating that routers be able to calculate the source of a multicast stream. This has not been adopted by the {IETF}. {(http://infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?981125.whmulti.htm)}. [Reference?] (2001-07-02)
simple multicast protocol ::: (communications, protocol) A proposed mulitcast protocol that would ease the requirements for IP Multicast, such as no longer mandating that routers be able to calculate the source of a multicast stream. This has not been adopted by the IETF. .[Reference?](2001-07-02)
Siyam Nikāya. The largest of the monastic orders in Sri Lanka, dating from 1753, so named because it derives from an ordination lineage that came from Thailand (Siam); today approximately half of the monks in Sri Lanka belong to this order. In the preceding five centuries, the tradition of full ordination (UPASAMPADĀ) of BHIKsUs had died out in Sri Lanka because there was not the requisite number of five fully ordained monks to ordain new monks. Thus, all Sri Lankan monks remained as novices (sRĀMAnERA). The tradition of full ordination had been reintroduced twice before, but it had died out each time. In 1753, with the support of King Kīrti srī RājasiMha, the novice SARAnAMKARA invited the Thai elder Upāli to come to Sri Lanka to officiate at an ordination ceremony. The Siyam Nikāya is principally based around the city of Kandy and only accepts upper-caste males for full ordination.
SNAFU principle /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." - a central tenet of {Discordianism}, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification; And the plan was without form, and the specification was void. And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer." And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof." And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength." The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong." And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful." The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!" And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the {suits} protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired. [{Jargon File}]
SNAFU principle ::: /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for Situation Normal: All Fucked Up] True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan,and then the specification; was misinformed!, and the implementors are demoted or fired.[Jargon File]
sperm ::: n. --> The male fecundating fluid; semen. See Semen.
Spermaceti.
spread spectrum communications ::: (communications) (Or spread spectrum) A technique by which a signal to be transmitted is modulated onto a pseudo-random, noise-like, wideband carrier signal, producing a transmission with a much larger bandwidth than that of the data modulation.Reception is accomplished by cross correlation of the received wide band signal with a synchronously generated replica of the carrier.Spread-spectrum communications offers many important benefits:Low probability of detection, interception or determination of the transmitter's location. To an observer who does not possess information about the carrier, the transmission is indistinguishable from other sources of noise.High immunity against interference and jamming (intentional interference). The presence of (narrowband) interference signals only decreases the channel's signals, which would require very high power (again assuming that the jammer does not know the characteristics of the carrier).High immunity against adverse effects of multipath transmission. In the presence of multiple paths between transmitter and receiver (e.g. by reflected signals), mobile communications, where it causes blind spots - locations where no signal can be received.Transmitter/receiver pairs using independent random carriers can operate in the same frequency range with minimal interference. These are called Code Division can only accomodate a fixed number of channels determined by available bandwidth and channel width (data rate).When the data modulation cannot be distinguished from the carrier modulation, and the carrier modulation is random to an unwanted observer, the spread spectrum system assumes cryptographic capabilities, with the carrier modulation taking on the function of a key in a cipher system.The most important practical modes of spread spectrum coding are Direct Sequence (DS) and Frequency Hopping (FH). In DS, a pseudo random sequence is driven by a pseudo random sequence of numbers to generate output frequencies that hop around in the desired frequency range.Spread Spectrum development began during World War II, with the earliest studies dating from the 1920s. Most papers remained classified until the 1980s.Frequency hopping spread spectrum was invented by Hedy Lamarr (the most beautiful girl in the world, Samson and Delilah etc.) and the composer George Antheil. They held a patent filed in 1942. Direct sequence spread spectrum was invented by Paul Kotowski and Kurt Dannehl at Telefunken.The technique is used extensively in military communications today. Commercial applications include cellular telephony and mobile networking.[Spread Spectrum Communications, Charles E. Cook et al (Ed.), IEEE Press, New York, 1983. ISBN 0-87942-170-3]. , .(2001-08-08)
spread spectrum communications "communications" (Or "spread spectrum") A technique by which a signal to be transmitted is modulated onto a {pseudorandom}, noise-like, wideband {carrier signal}, producing a transmission with a much larger {bandwidth} than that of the data {modulation}. Reception is accomplished by {cross correlation} of the received wide band signal with a synchronously generated replica of the carrier. Spread-spectrum communications offers many important benefits: Low probability of detection, interception or determination of the transmitter's location. To an observer who does not possess information about the carrier, the transmission is indistinguishable from other sources of noise. High immunity against interference and jamming (intentional interference). The presence of (narrowband) interference signals only decreases the channel's {signal-to noise ratio} and therefore its {error rate}, which can be dealt with by using {error correcting codes}. A jammer would have to use wideband interference signals, which would require very high power (again assuming that the jammer does not know the characteristics of the carrier). High immunity against adverse effects of multipath transmission. In the presence of multiple paths between transmitter and receiver (e.g. by reflected signals), signals of certain frequencies can be cancelled at certain locations when the difference in path delays between multiple propagation paths cause the signals to arrive out of phase. This effect is particularly troublesome in narrowband mobile communications, where it causes "blind spots" - locations where no signal can be received. Transmitter/receiver pairs using independent random carriers can operate in the same frequency range with minimal interference. These are called {Code Division Multiple Access} (CDMA) systems. Increasing the number of T/R pairs again only gradually increases each channel's error rate. In contrast, narrowband systems can only accomodate a fixed number of channels determined by available bandwidth and channel width (data rate). When the data modulation cannot be distinguished from the carrier modulation, and the carrier modulation is random to an unwanted observer, the spread spectrum system assumes cryptographic capabilities, with the carrier modulation taking on the function of a key in a {cipher} system. The most important practical modes of spread spectrum coding are Direct Sequence (DS) and {Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum} (FH). In DS, a pseudo random sequence is phase-shift-keyed (PSK) onto the carrier. Spread Spectrum development began during World War II, with the earliest studies dating from the 1920s. Most papers remained classified until the 1980s. Direct sequence spread spectrum was invented by Paul Kotowski and Kurt Dannehl at Telefunken. The technique is used extensively in military communications today. Commercial applications include {mobile telephony} and mobile networking. ["Spread Spectrum Communications", Charles E. Cook et al (Ed.), IEEE Press, New York, 1983. ISBN 0-87942-170-3]. {Hedy Lamarr (http://sirius.be/lamarr.htm)}, {(http://ncafe.com/chris/pat2/)}. (2001-08-08)
SQL ::: (language, database, standard) /S Q L/ An industry-standard language for creating, updating and, querying relational database management systems.SQL was developed by IBM in the 1970s for use in System R. It is the de facto standard as well as being an ISO and ANSI standard. It is often embedded in general purpose programming languages.The first SQL standard, in 1986, provided basic language constructs for defining and manipulating tables of data; a revision in 1989 added language extensions administration, as well as substantial enhancements for data definition and data manipulation.Development is currently underway to enhance SQL into a computationally complete language for the definition and management of persistent, complex objects. This identifiers, methods, inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, and all of the other facilities normally associated with object data management.The emerging SQL3 standard is expected to be complete in 1998.According to Allen G. Taylor, SQL does _not_ stand for Structured Query Language. That, like SEQUEL (and its pronunciation /see'kw*l/), was just manual for DB2 and Craig Mullins's DB2 Developer's Guide say SQL _does_ stand for Structured Query Language. . is described in Lex & Yacc, by Levine, Mason & Brown published by O'Reilly. .[A Guide to the SQL Standard, C.J. Date, A-W 1987].[SQL for Dummies, Allen G. Taylor, IDG Books Worldwide].(2005-11-17)
SQL "language, database, standard" /S Q L/ An industry-standard language for creating, updating and, querying {relational database management systems}. SQL was developed by {IBM} in the 1970s for use in {System R}. It is the {de facto standard} as well as being an {ISO} and {ANSI} {standard}. It is often embedded in general purpose programming languages. The first SQL standard, in 1986, provided basic language constructs for defining and manipulating {tables} of data; a revision in 1989 added language extensions for {referential integrity} and generalised {integrity} {constraints}. Another revision in 1992 provided facilities for {schema} manipulation and {data administration}, as well as substantial enhancements for data definition and data manipulation. Development is currently underway to enhance SQL into a computationally complete language for the definition and management of {persistent}, complex objects. This includes: generalisation and specialisation hierarchies, {multiple inheritance}, user defined {data types}, {triggers} and {assertions}, support for {knowledge based systems}, {recursive query expressions}, and additional data administration tools. It also includes the specification of {abstract data types} (ADTs), object identifiers, {methods}, {inheritance}, {polymorphism}, {encapsulation}, and all of the other facilities normally associated with object data management. The emerging {SQL3} standard is expected to be complete in 1998. According to Allen G. Taylor, SQL does __not__ stand for "Structured Query Language". That, like "SEQUEL" (and its pronunciation /see'kw*l/), was just another unofficial name for a precursor of SQL. However, the IBM SQL Reference manual for DB2 and Craig Mullins's "DB2 Developer's Guide" say SQL __does__ stand for "Structured Query Language". {SQL Standards (http://jcc.com/sql_stnd.html)}. {An SQL parser (ftp://ftp.ora.com/published/oreilly/nutshell/lexyacc/)} is described in "Lex & Yacc", by Levine, Mason & Brown published by O'Reilly. {The 1995 SQL Reunion: People, Projects, and Politics (http://mcjones.org/System_R/SQL_Reunion_95/)}. ["A Guide to the SQL Standard", C.J. Date, A-W 1987]. ["SQL for Dummies", Allen G. Taylor, IDG Books Worldwide]. (2005-11-17)
stamen ::: n. --> A thread; especially, a warp thread.
The male organ of flowers for secreting and furnishing the pollen or fecundating dust. It consists of the anther and filament.
Standard Generalized Markup Language "language, text" (SGML) A generic {markup} language for representing documents. SGML is an International Standard that describes the relationship between a document's content and its structure. SGML allows document-based information to be shared and re-used across applications and computer {platforms} in an open, vendor-neutral format. SGML is sometimes compared to {SQL}, in that it enables companies to structure information in documents in an open fashion, so that it can be accessed or re-used by any SGML-aware application across multiple platforms. SGML is defined in "ISO 8879:1986 Information processing -- Text and office systems -- Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)", an {ISO} standard produced by {JTC} 1/SC 18 and amended by "Amendment 1:1988". Unlike other common document file formats that represent both content and presentation, SGML represents a document's content {data} and structure (interrelationships among the data). Removing the presentation from content establishes a neutral format. SGML documents and the information in them can easily be re-used by publishing and non-publishing {applications}. SGML identifies document elements such as titles, paragraphs, tables, and chapters as distinct objects, allowing users to define the relationships between the objects for structuring data in documents. The relationships between document elements are defined in a {Document Type Definition} (DTD). This is roughly analogous to a collection of {field} definitions in a {database}. Once a document is converted into SGML and the information has been 'tagged', it becomes a database-like document. It can be searched, printed or even programmatically manipulated by SGML-aware applications. Companies are moving their documents into SGML for several reasons: Reuse - separation of content from presentation facilitates multiple delivery formats like {CD-ROM} and {electronic publishing}. Portability - SGML is an international, platform-independent, standard based on {ASCII} text, so companies can safely store their documents in SGML without being tied to any one vendor. Interchange - SGML is a core data standard that enables SGML-aware applications to inter-operate and share data seamlessly. A central SGML document store can feed multiple processes in a company, so managing and updating information is greatly simplified. For example, when an aeroplane is delivered to a customer, it comes with thousands of pages of documentation. Distributing these on paper is expensive, so companies are investigating publishing on CD-ROM. If a maintenance person needs a guide for adjusting a plane's flight surfaces, a viewing tool automatically assembles the relevant information from the document {repository} as a complete document. SGML can be used to define attributes to information stored in documents such as security levels. There are few clear leaders in the SGML industry which, in 1993, was estimated to be worth US $520 million and is projected to grow to over US $1.46 billion by 1998. A wide variety tools can be used to create SGML systems. The SGML industry can be separated into the following categories: Mainstream Authoring consists of the key {word processing} vendors like {Lotus}, {WordPerfect} and {Microsoft}. SGML Editing and Publishing includes traditional SGML authoring tools like {ArborText}, {Interleaf}, {FrameBuilder} and {SoftQuad Author}/Editor. SGML Conversions is one of the largest sectors in the market today because many companies are converting legacy data from mainframes, or documents created with mainstream word processors, into SGML. Electronic Delivery is widely regarded as the most compelling reason companies are moving to SGML. Electronic delivery enables users to retrieve information on-line using an intelligent document viewer. Document Management may one day drive a major part of the overall SGML industry. SGML Document Repositories is one of the cornerstone technologies that will affect the progress of SGML as a data standard. Since 1998, almost all development in SGML has been focussed on {XML} - a simple (and therefore easier to understand and implement) subset of SGML. {"ISO 8879:1986//ENTITIES Added Latin 1//EN" (http://ucc.ie/info/net/isolat1.html)} defines some characters. [How are these related to {ISO 8859}-1?]. {ISO catalogue entry (http://iso.ch/cate/d16387.html)}. SGML parsers are available from {VU, NL (ftp://star.cs.vu.nl/Sgml)}, {FSU (ftp://mailer.cc.fsu.edu/pub/sgml)}, {UIO, Norway (ftp://ifi.uio.no/pub/SGML/SGMLS)}. See also {sgmls}. {Usenet} newsgroup: {news:comp.text.sgml}. ["The SGML Handbook", Charles F. Goldfarb, Clarendon Press, 1991, ISBN 0198537379. (Full text of the ISO standard plus extensive commentary and cross-referencing. Somewhat cheaper than the ISO document)]. ["SGML - The User's Guide to ISO 8879", J.M. Smith et al, Ellis Harwood, 1988]. [Example of some SGML?] (2000-05-31)
Standard Generalized Markup Language ::: (language, text) (SGML) A generic markup language for representing documents. SGML is an International Standard that describes the relationship that it can be accessed or re-used by any SGML-aware application across multiple platforms.SGML is defined in ISO 8879:1986 Information processing -- Text and office systems -- Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), an ISO standard produced by JTC 1/SC 18 and amended by Amendment 1:1988.Unlike other common document file formats that represent both content and presentation, SGML represents a document's content data and structure establishes a neutral format. SGML documents and the information in them can easily be re-used by publishing and non-publishing applications.SGML identifies document elements such as titles, paragraphs, tables, and chapters as distinct objects, allowing users to define the relationships between becomes a database-like document. It can be searched, printed or even programmatically manipulated by SGML-aware applications.Companies are moving their documents into SGML for several reasons:Reuse - separation of content from presentation facilitates multiple delivery formats like CD-ROM and electronic publishing.Portability - SGML is an international, platform-independent, standard based on ASCII text, so companies can safely store their documents in SGML without being tied to any one vendor.Interchange - SGML is a core data standard that enables SGML-aware applications to inter-operate and share data seamlessly.A central SGML document store can feed multiple processes in a company, so managing and updating information is greatly simplified. For example, when an can be used to define attributes to information stored in documents such as security levels.There are few clear leaders in the SGML industry which, in 1993, was estimated to be worth US $520 million and is projected to grow to over US $1.46 billion by 1998.A wide variety tools can be used to create SGML systems. The SGML industry can be separated into the following categories:Mainstream Authoring consists of the key word processing vendors like Lotus, WordPerfect and Microsoft.SGML Editing and Publishing includes traditional SGML authoring tools like ArborText, Interleaf, FrameBuilder and SoftQuad Author/Editor.SGML Conversions is one of the largest sectors in the market today because many companies are converting legacy data from mainframes, or documents created with mainstream word processors, into SGML.Electronic Delivery is widely regarded as the most compelling reason companies are moving to SGML. Electronic delivery enables users to retrieve information on-line using an intelligent document viewer.Document Management may one day drive a major part of the overall SGML industry.SGML Document Repositories is one of the cornerstone technologies that will affect the progress of SGML as a data standard.Since 1998, almost all development in SGML has been focussed on XML - a simple (and therefore easier to understand and implement) subset of SGML. defines some characters. [How are these related to ISO 8859-1?]. .SGML parsers are available from , , .See also sgmls.Usenet newsgroup: comp.text.sgml.[The SGML Handbook, Charles F. Goldfarb, Clarendon Press, 1991, ISBN 0198537379. (Full text of the ISO standard plus extensive commentary and cross-referencing. Somewhat cheaper than the ISO document)].[SGML - The User's Guide to ISO 8879, J.M. Smith et al, Ellis Harwood, 1988].[Example of some SGML?](2000-05-31)
Stein, Sir Marc Aurel. (1862-1943). Hungarian-born archaeologist who led four British expeditions through Central Asia to document and collect artifacts from the lost cultures of the ancient SILK ROAD. After receiving his doctorate in Sanskrit and Oriental religions under Rudolf von Roth at the University of Tübingen, Stein moved to England where he made use of the resources at the Ashmolean Museum, the Bodleian Library, the India Office Library, and the British Museum to further his study of Sanskrit. During his service in the Hungarian military, Stein learned both surveying and map-making, skills that would aid him in his career. Stein's greatest discovery was made at the DUNHUANG caves in northwest China. There, he came across a hidden library cave (Cave 17) containing over forty thousand scrolls, many of which he sent back to England for study. The Stein collection at the British Library contains over thirty thousand manuscripts and printed documents in languages as varied as Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Mongolian, Tangut, Khotanese, Kuchean, Sogdian, and Uighur. The art objects Stein collected are now divided between the British Museum, the British Library, the Srinigar Museum, and the Indian National Museum at New Delhi. In addition, thousands of photographs taken by Stein dating from the 1890s to 1938 have been preserved, as well as several volumes published by Stein detailing his explorations. These items are critical to the study of the history of Central Asia generally and the spread of Buddhist art and literature. Stein died and was buried in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Sum rtags. (Sumtak). In Tibetan, lit. "the Thirty and Signs"; a common abbreviation for two works on Tibetan grammar, the Lung du ston pa rtsa ba sum cu pa ("Root Grammar in Thirty Verses") and Lung du ston pa rtags kyi 'jug pa ("Grammatical Guide to Signs"). The former is often called simply Sum cu pa ("The Thirty") and the latter Rtags 'jug ("Guide to Signs"). These works are traditionally said to have been composed c. 650, and are the only two extant treatises of eight works on grammar attributed to Thon mi SaMbhota, the scholar who, according to legend, was dispatched to India by the Tibetan king SRONG BTSAN SGAM PO in order to devise an alphabet and grammar for the Tibetan language. The remaining six works in his oeuvre are said to have been destroyed during the persecution of Buddhism under the Tibetan king GLANG DAR MA. Both texts are still included as a part of the Tibetan Buddhist curriculum. The traditional dating of the texts as we now have them has been called into question because neither appears in its present redaction until about the twelfth century.
Taisekiji. (大石寺). In Japanese, lit., "Great Stone Temple"; located on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture. The temple was originally named Daibo (Great Lodging) but takes its current name after oishigahara (Great Stone Field), the tract of land where it was first established. Taisekiji is the administrative head temple (sohonzan) of the NICHIREN SHoSHu school of Japanese Buddhism, and its abbot serves as the sect's leader. Taisekiji was founded in 1290 by NICHIREN's (1222-1282) principal successor Nichiko (1246-1333), who enshrined at the temple the DAI-GOHONZON (lit. great object of adoration), Nichiren's unique cosmological chart (MAndALA) of the spiritual universe, along with his teacher's ashes and extant writings. The temple's Sanmon gate, built in 1717, is well known, as is the Mutsubo, most recently rebuilt in 1988. The Grand Reception Hall, Daikyakuden, was built in 1465 and rebuilt in 1995. Taisekiji's five-storied wooden pagoda, dating from 1749, faces toward the west rather than the usual south, signifying that Nichiren Buddhism would eventually spread back to the homeland of Buddhism. The Founders Hall, Mieido, built in 1522, houses an image of Nichiren made in 1388, and Nichiren's autograph of the Dai-gohonzon is enshrined in the sanctuary (kaidan), known also as the Hoanden. Because the temple is the home of the sanctuary where the Dai-gohonzon is enshrined, Taisekiji has long been a major pilgrimage center for both Nichiren Shoshu and later SoKA GAKKAI adherents; since the 1991 excommunication of the Soka Gakkai lay organization from the Nichiren Shoshu, however, Soka Gakkai members are barred from viewing the Dai-gohonzon.
Taligent A company founded jointly by Apple and IBM in March 1992. HP announced in January, 1994 that it would buy a 15% stake in Taligent. They are working on an "object-oriented operating system", due to be finished sometime in 1995. However, various independent pieces of Taligent will likely appear to be used with other operating systems, e.g. IBM's WorkplaceOS. Pink is an older name for Taligent, dating back to work that Apple did before the formation of Taligent.
Taligent ::: A company founded jointly by Apple and IBM in March 1992. HP announced in January, 1994 that it would buy a 15% stake in Taligent. They are working on an with other operating systems, e.g. IBM's WorkplaceOS. Pink is an older name for Taligent, dating back to work that Apple did before the formation of Taligent.
Tārā. (T. Sgrol ma; C. Duoluo; J. Tara; K. Tara 多羅). In Sanskrit, lit. "Savioress"; a female bodhisattva who has the miraculous power to be able to deliver her devotees from all forms of physical danger. Tārā is said to have arisen from either a ray of blue light from the eye of the buddha AMITĀBHA, or from a tear from the eye of the BODHISATTVA AVALOKITEsVARA as he surveyed the suffering universe. The tear fell into a valley and formed a lake, out of which grew the lotus from which Tārā appeared. She is thus said to be the physical manifestation of the compassion of Avalokitesvara, who is himself the quintessence of the compassion of the buddhas. Because buddhas are produced from wisdom and compassion, Tārā, like the goddess PRAJNĀPĀRAMITĀ ("Perfection of Wisdom"), is hailed as "the mother of all buddhas," despite the fact that she is most commonly represented as a beautiful sixteen-year-old maiden. She is often depicted together with BHṚKUTĪ (one of her forms) as one of two female bodhisattvas flanking Avalokitesvara. Tārā is the subject of much devotion in her own right, serving as the subject of many stories, prayers, and tantric SĀDHANAs. She can appear in peaceful or wrathful forms, depending on the circumstances, her powers extending beyond the subjugation of these worldly frights, into the heavens and into the hells. She has two major peaceful forms, however. The first is SITATĀRĀ, or White Tārā. Her right hand is in VARADAMUDRĀ, her left is at her chest in VITARKAMUDRĀ and holds a lotus and she sits in DHYĀNĀSANA. The other is sYĀMATĀRĀ, or Green Tārā. Her right hand is in varadamudrā, her left is at her chest in vitarkamudrā and holds an utpala, and she sits in LALITĀSANA. Her wrathful forms include KURUKULLĀ, a dancing naked YOGINĪ, red in color, who brandishes a bow and arrow in her four arms. In tantric MAndALAs, she appears as the consort of AMOGHASIDDHI, the buddha of the northern quarter; together they are lord and lady of the KARMAKULA. But she is herself also the sole deity in many tantric SĀDHANAs, in which the meditator, whether male or female, visualizes himself or herself in Tārā's feminine form. Tārā is best-known for her salvific powers, appearing the instant her devotee recites her MANTRA, oM tāre tuttāre ture svāhā. She is especially renowned as Astabhayatrānatārā, "Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Fears," because of her ability to deliver those who call upon her when facing the eight great fears (mahābhaya) of lions, elephants, fire, snakes, thieves, water, imprisonment, and demons. Many tales are told recounting her miraculous interventions. Apart from the recitation of her mantra, a particular prayer is the most common medium of invoking Tārā in Tibet. It is a prayer to twenty-one Tārās, derived from an Indian TANTRA devoted to Tārā, the Sarvatathāgatamātṛtārāvisvakarmabhavatantra ("Source of All Rites to Tārā, the Mother of All the Tathāgatas"). According to some commentarial traditions on the prayer, each of the verses refers to a different form of Tārā, totaling twenty-one. According to others, the forms of Tārā are iconographically almost indistinguishable. Tārā entered the Buddhist pantheon relatively late, around the sixth century, in northern India and Nepal, and her worship in Java is attested in inscriptions dating to the end of the eighth century. Like Avalokitesvara, she has played a crucial role in Tibet's history, in both divine and human forms. One version of the creation myth that has the Tibetan race originating from a dalliance between a monkey and an ogress says the monkey was a form of Avalokitesvara and the ogress a form of Tārā. Worship of Tārā in Tibet began in earnest with the second propagation and the arrival of ATIsA DĪPAMKARAsRĪJNĀNA in the eleventh century; she appears repeatedly in accounts of his life and in his teachings. He had visions of the goddess at crucial points in his life, and she advised him to make his fateful journey to Tibet, despite the fact that his life span would be shortened as a result. His sādhanas for the propitiation of Sitatārā and syāmatārā played a key role in promoting the worship of Tārā in Tibet. He further was responsible for the translation of several important Indic texts relating to the goddess, including three by Vāgīsvarakīrti that make up the 'chi blu, or "cheating death" cycle, the foundation of all lineages of the worship of Sitatārā in Tibet. The famous Tārā chapel at Atisa's temple at SNYE THANG contains nearly identical statues of the twenty-one Tārās. The translator Darmadra brought to Tibet the important ANUYOGA tantra devoted to the worship of Tārā, entitled Bcom ldan 'das ma sgrol ma yang dag par rdzogs pa'i sangs rgyas bstod pa gsungs pa. Tārā is said to have taken human form earlier in Tibetan history as the Chinese princess WENCHENG and Nepalese princess Bhṛkutī, who married King SRONG BTSAN SGAM PO, bringing with them buddha images that would become the most revered in Tibet. Which Tārā they were remains unsettled; however, some sources identify Wencheng with syāmatārā and Bhṛkutī with the goddess of the same name, herself said to be a form of Tārā. Others argue that the Nepalese princess was Sitatārā, and Wencheng was syāmatārā. These identifications, however, like that of Srong btsan sgam po with Avalokitesvara, date only to the fourteenth century, when the cult of Tārā in Tibet was flourishing. In the next generation, Tārā appeared as the wife of King KHRI SRONG LDE BTSAN and the consort of PADMASAMBHAVA, YE SHES MTSHO RGYAL, who in addition to becoming a great tantric master herself, served as scribe when Padmasambhava dictated the treasure texts (GTER MA). Later, Tārā is said to have appeared as the great practitioner of the GCOD tradition, MA GCIG LAP SGRON (1055-1149). Indeed, when Tārā first vowed eons ago to achieve buddhahood in order to free all beings from SAMSĀRA, she swore she would always appear in female form.
tarot ::: Tarot The earliest known extant specimens of Tarot cards are three decks of North Italian origin dating back to the early to mid-fifteenth century, and made for the then rulers of Milan, the Visconti family. The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards used for divination and meditation purposes, comprising the Major Arcana, consisting of twenty-two trump cards (or twenty-one plus 'The Fool'), and the Minor Arcana, consisting of fifty-six 'suit cards'. 'Arcana' is the plural form of the Latin word 'arcanum', its meaning being 'closed' or 'secret'. Like a standard deck of playing cards, there are four suits in the Minor Arcana, each consisting of ten cards numbered from Ace to ten, traditionally batons (wands), cups, swords and coins (pentacles) - forty cards in total. The difference between the Tarot and a normal deck of cards, apart from the Major Arcana, is that a Tarot deck has four court cards (or honours) in each suit. Instead of Jack, Queen and King we find Page, Knight, Queen and King, thus sixteen court cards as opposed to twelve.
The first two letters of the Greek word, symbol, superimposed in a monogram, were on the military standard of the later Christian emperors of Rome, probably dating from Constantine, and have a significance as geometrical symbols besides. See also CHRESTOS
The nebular hypothesis was mainly rejected by the Masters and Blavatsky because of its typical materialistic and mechanical character. It is a fact that the solar system was originally formed from a vast nebula consolidating into the physical world from inner worlds — astral matter becoming physical matter — but guided by innate mind and life; and the various motions within the solar system arise from the innate vitality within it. Furthermore, although the planetary chains were originally born from this nebula, their respective life times are far shorter than that of the solar system itself, so that these planetary chains have their many reimbodiments during the life period of the solar system. Comets, if they survive, are usually destined to become planetary bodies in the solar system in their turn, running their life period, and then dying, to reappear as comets again after long ages of rest in inner worlds.
The practice was ancient and widespread among the lower orders of the Greek and Roman peoples, and is expressly condemned by an uninterrupted testimony dating from archaic times, ancient legislators and philosophers condemning it, for it is a perversion of the real communion of the genuine spiritual theurgist with his own inner god. Modern Spiritualism is an unconscious blundering into necromancy; if the astral remains of the dead are really called up, then the normal processes of their dissolution are interfered with. If they are not called up, then they have been impersonated by still more harmful and dangerous denizens of the lower astral light.
The social theory, termed historical materialism, represents the application of the general principles of materialist dialectics to human society, by which they were first suggested. The fundamental changes and stages which society has passed through in the course of its complex evolution are traced primarily to the influence of changes taking place in its economic base. This base has two aspects: material forces of production (technics, instrumentalities) and economic relations (prevailing system of ownership, exchange, distribution). Growing out of this base is a social superstructure of laws, governments, arts, sciences, religions, philosophies and the like. The view taken is that society evolved as it did primarily because fundamental changes in the economic base resulting from conflicts of of interest in respect to productive forces, and involving radical changes in economic relations, have compelled accommodating changes in the social superstructure. Causal action is traced both ways between base and superstructure, but when any "higher" institution threatens the position of those who hold controlling economic power at the base, the test of their power is victory in the ensuing contest. The role of the individual in history is acknowledged, but is seen in relation to the movement of underlying forces. Cf. Plekhanov, Role of the Individual m History.
::: T'hillim ::: Psalms. ::: T'nuva ::: Produce; cooperative economic institution dating from Mandate times.
Tikkun Sof'rim ::: Literally “Corrections of the Scribes;” 18 changes to the Hebrew biblical text to avoid references to God that were deemed unseemly, dating from pre-Rabbinic times.
Todaiji. (東大寺). In Japanese, "Great Monastery of the East"; a major monastery in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara affiliated with the Kegon (HUAYAN) school of Buddhism, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The monastery was founded by the Hossoshu (FAXIANG ZONG) monk GYoGI (668-749). The monastery is renowned for its colossal buddha image of VAIROCANA (J. Birushana nyorai), which is commonly known as the NARA DAIBUTSU; at forty-eight feet (fifteen meters) high, this image is the largest extant gilt-bronze image in the world and the Daibutsuden where the image is enshrined is the world's largest wooden building. The Indian monk BODHISENA (J. Bodaisenna) (704-760), who traveled to Japan in 736 at the invitation of Emperor Shomu (r. 724-749), performed the "opening the eyes" (KAIYAN; NETRAPRATIstHĀPANA) ceremony for the 752 dedication of the great buddha image. Todaiji was founded on the site of Konshusenji by order of Emperor Shomu and became the headquarters of a network of provincial monasteries and convents in the Yamato region. The first abbot, Ryoben (689-773), is commemorated in the kaisando (founder's hall; see KAISHAN). Other halls include the inner sanctuary of the hokkedo (lotus hall), which was probably once Konshusenji's main hall. The hall enshrines the Fukukensaku Kannon, a dry lacquer statue of the BODHISATTVA AVALOKITEsVARA, which dates from 746. The monastery was renamed Konkomyoji in 741 and, in 747 when major construction began on the large compound, it finally became known as Todaiji, the name it retains today. The Todaiji complex was completed in 798; monastery records state that 50,000 carpenters, 370,000 metal workers, and 2.18 million laborers worked on the compound, its buildings, and their furnishings, almost bankrupting the country. Entering the monastery through the Great Gate to the South (Nandaimon), itself a Japanese national treasure, a visitor would have passed through two seven-storied, 328-foot high pagodas to the east and west (both subsequently destroyed by earthquakes), before passing through the Inner Gate to the Daibutsuden. North of the Daibutsuden, which is flanked by a belfry and a SuTRA repository, is the kodo (lecture hall), which is surrounded on three sides by the monk's quarters. An ordination hall displays exceptional clay-modeled shitenno (four heavenly kings; see LOKAPĀLA) dating from the Tenpyo Era (729-749). Of the eighth-century buildings, only the tegaimon (the western gate) and the Hokkedo's inner sanctuary have survived. After a conflagration in 1180, then-abbot Chogen (1121-1206) spearheaded a major reconstruction in a style he had seen in Southern Song-dynasty China. This style is exemplified by the south gate, which is protected by two humane-kings statues, both twenty-eight feet in height, carved in 1203. The Tokugawa Shogunate sponsored a second reconstruction after another fire in 1567 and the current Daibutsuden dates from about 1709. The Shosoin repository at the monastery, itself a Japanese national treasure (kokuho), contains over nine thousand precious ornamental and fine-art objects that date from the monastery's founding in the eighth century, including scores of objects imported into Japan via the SILK ROAD from all over Asia, including cut-glass bowls and silk brocade from Persia, Byzantine cups, Egyptians chests, and Indian harps, as well as Chinese Tang and Korean Silla musical instruments, etc. Every spring, the two-week long Omizutori (water-drawing) festival is conducted at Todaiji, which is thought to cure physical ailments and cleanse moral transgressions.
Traducianism: The view, dating back to Tertullian (200 A.D.), that the soul (as well as the body) is generated from the souls of the parents—that the process of natural propagation procreates the soul.
Traducianism: The view that the soul (as well as the body) is generated from the souls of parents. A doctrine dating back to Tertullian (200 A.D.) The process of natural propagation procreates the soul. -- V.F.
Turfan. Central Asian petty kingdom located along the northern track of the SILK ROAD through the Takla Makhan desert, in what is now the Chinese province of Xinjiang. This and other oasis kingdoms in Central Asia served as crucial stations in the transmission of Buddhism from India to China. Buddhism had a strong presence in Turfan from the seventh century through the fourteenth century, with important texts being translated, cave temples built, and works of art produced. The oldest physical manuscripts of the Indian Buddhist tradition are manuscripts in the KHAROstHĪ script (see GĀNDHĀRĪ), dated to the fourth to fifth centuries CE, which were discovered at Turfan. These and other discoveries were made by a team of German researchers led by Albert Grünwedel and Albert von Le Coq in a series of expeditions between 1902 and 1914. Turfan was also the locus where TOCHARIAN A (East Tocharian, or Turfanian) was used; manuscripts in Tocharian A date primarily from the eighth century. Western expeditions into the area led to the discovery of tens of thousands of textual fragments, in a variety of languages and scripts, which came to be known collectively as the "Turfan Collection." These texts belong to a variety of genres and schools, but the SARVĀSTIVĀDA is prevalent, leading to the conclusion that the school was prominent in Turfan. As with other locations in this region, the dry desert air helped to preserve the various materials on which these texts were written. In Turfan were found translations of Sanskrit and Chinese Buddhist texts, as well as some original Buddhist poetry and lay literature. Also discovered in Turfan were the Bezaklik rock caves, dating from around the ninth century, which contain the painted images of thousands of buddhas. Albert von le Coq removed many of these and transported them to Berlin, where many were destroyed by Allied bombing during the Second World War. Although this area was a melting pot of Indian, Chinese, and Central Asian traditions, Buddhist activity in the Turfan region saw a sharp rise in the ninth century, when the Uighur people moved from Mongolia into the Turfan region and many Turfan texts are recorded in the Uighur script. Buddhism seems to have survived in this region until as late as the fifteenth century.
Ugraparipṛcchā. (T. Drag shul can gyis zhus pa; C. Yuqie zhangzhe hui; J. Ikuga chojae; K. Ukka changja hoe 郁伽長者會). In Sanskrit, "The Inquiry of Ugra," an influential MAHĀYĀNA SuTRA, dating perhaps from the first century BCE, making it one of the earliest Mahāyāna sutras. The text has not survived in any Indic-language version, but has been preserved in five translated versions: three in Chinese, one in Tibetan, and one in Mongolian. The sutra is structured as a dialogue, mainly between the Buddha and the lay BODHISATTVA UGRA, whose inquiry prompts the Buddha to launch into a protracted discourse on the bodhisattva path (MĀRGA). Ugra is labeled a GṚHAPATI, a term that literally means "lord of the house" but that comes to refer to men belonging to the upper stratum of what would later be labeled as the vaisya (often rendered as "merchant") caste. The sutra is divided into two parts, one directed toward the lay bodhisattva and the other toward renunciants. In the oldest version of the sutra, Ugra and his friends, after hearing the Buddha's discourse, ask for and receive ordination as monks; in later translations, this event takes place in the middle of the sutra. In all versions, however, the overall message is that, although a lay practitioner may be capable of performing at least preliminary parts of the bodhisattva path, to attain the final goal of buddhahood he must become a monk. The Buddha declares, "For no bodhisattva who lives at home has ever attained supreme perfect enlightenment." Accordingly, the sutra urges the lay bodhisattva to break the ties of affection that bind him to his family and, above all, to his wife; the condemnation of marriage and family life is striking. Moreover, he is urged to emulate the conduct of the monks in his local monastery even while he still lives at home-involving, among other things, complete celibacy. This sort of practice is congruent with what was required of the UPĀSAKA, the lay adherent who has taken the three refuges and the five or eight precepts and dresses in white as a sign of his semirenunciant status. The lay bodhisattva described in the Ugraparipṛcchā is repeatedly urged to seek ordination as soon as he possibly can. If the lay bodhisattva is portrayed as the best of all possible laymen, the renunciant bodhisattva is portrayed as the best of all possible monks. Not only does he follow the standard requirements of the monastic life, but he goes beyond them, spending large periods of time (ideally, his whole lifetime) performing strict ascetic practices in the wilderness. This is a reenactment of the biography of sĀKYAMUNI Buddha; it appears that aspiring bodhisattvas, both lay and monastic, took the stories of the Buddha's life-including his previous lives, described in the JĀTAKA stories-as prescriptive for those who wished to become buddhas themselves. The Ugraparipṛcchā never portrays any actual female practitioner, whether lay or monastic, as a bodhisattva. Apart from a formulaic reference to "sons and daughters of good lineage," which appears at the beginning and the end of the sutra (and may have been added long after its initial composition), there is no indication that the authors of the sutra believed that women were capable of embarking upon the bodhisattva path. The Ugraparipṛcchā was a highly influential sutra in both India and East Asia, where it was widely quoted and commented upon and is regarded by scholars as an important and influential work in the formative period of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Undernet ::: (networking) An Internet Relay Chat network dating from the 1990s, when it broke away from the main (still larger) IRC network, EFNet. . . (1995-11-09)
Undernet "networking" An {Internet Relay Chat} network dating from the 1990s, when it broke away from the main (still larger) IRC network, {EFNet}. {(http://undernet.org/)}. {The History of the Undernet (http://www2.undernet.org:8080/~cs93jtl/unet_history.txt)}. (1995-11-09)
Upanishad, Upanisad: (Skr.) One of a large number of treatises, more than 100. Thirteen of the oldest ones (Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Katha, Isa, Mundaka, Kausitaki, Kena, Prasna, Svetasvatara, Mandukya, Maitri) have the distinction of being the first philosophic compositions, antedating for the most part the beginnings of Greek philosophy, others have been composed comparatively recently. The mode of imparting knowledge with the pupil sitting opposite (upa-ni-sad) the teacher amid an atmosphere of reverence and secrecy, gave these onginally mnemonic treatises their name. They are remarkable for ontological, metaphysical, and ethical problems, investigations into the nature of man's soul or self (see atman), God, death, immortality, and a symbolic interpretation of ritualistic materials and observances. Early examples of universal suffrage, tendencies to break down caste, philosophic dialogues and congresses, celebrated similes, succession of philosophic teachers, among other things, may be studied in the more archaic, classical Upanishads. See ayam atema brahma, aham brahma asmi, tat tvam asi, net neti. -- K.F.L.
Vedas, dating from 1000 BC, consisting of spells, prayers, charms, and hymns &
Vedas, dating from 2000 BC or earlier, consisting of several mythological and poetical accounts of the origin of the world, hymns praising the gods, and ancient prayers for life and prosperity; "praise verse"
Vedas, dating from between 1400-1000 BC, consisting of formulas &
vendemiaire ::: n. --> The first month of the French republican calendar, dating from September 22, 1792.
Wat Phra That Phanom. In Thai, "Monastery of the Relic (P. DHĀTU) in the city of Phanom" (Phanom is the Lao and Khmer term for mountain); the most revered Buddhist shrine in northeast Thailand, located in the town of Nakhon Phanom. The STuPA on the site has a history dating back some fifteen hundred years, according to some local traditions, while other legends claim that it was originally built in 535 BCE, eight years after the death of the Buddha, as a reliquary for his breastbone. The structure is Lao in style, with a square base surmounted by slender tapering vertical columns in the shape of an elongated lotus bud. Its present appearance dates from 1977, after its predecessor collapsed under heavy rains in 1975, and is modeled after WAT THAT LUANG in Vientiane, Laos.
Web 2.0 "jargon" A loosely defined term for {web applications} that go beyond displaying individual pages of static content and allow users to interact with the site and each other by adding or updating the content. Examples include social-networking sites like {Facebook} and other web-based communities, hosted services like {Google Docs}, web applications like {GMail}, video-sharing sites ({Youtube}), wikis ({Wikipedia}), {web logs}, {mashups} and {folksonomies}. While Web 2.0 applications often use advanced web features like {AJAX} to improve the speed of interaction, the term is more about the type of applications than the technology used. The term was coined by Darcy DiNucci in 1999, though she was discussing designing websites for new hardware platforms. (2009-11-18)
Xiangfa jueyi jing. (J. Zobo ketsugikyo; K. Sangpop kyorŭi kyong 像法決疑經). In Chinese, the "Scripture on Resolving Doubts Concerning the Semblance Dharma"; an indigenous Chinese Buddhist scripture (see APOCRYPHA), dating from the mid-sixth century. The Xiangfa jueyi jing is set against the background of the Buddha's PARINIRVĀnA. At the request of a BODHISATTVA named Changshi (Constant Giving), the Buddha offers instructions on the practice of giving (DĀNA), in which he declares charity to be the most appropriate practice during the age of the semblance dharma (XIANGFA; SADDHARMAPRATIRuPAKA). The semblance-dharma period is characterized as an age of degeneration, during which both clergy and laity begin to transgress the precepts and slander the Buddha's teaching. The Xiangfa jueyi jing emphasizes the importance of collective rather than individual giving during this age, and especially giving to the impoverished and underprivileged, rather than just to the three jewels (RATNATRAYA) of Buddhism. These and other ideas from the Xiangfa jueyi jing were especially influential in the teachings of the Third-Stage school (SANJIE JIAO) and that school's emblematic institution, the WUJINZANG YUAN (inexhaustible storehouse cloister). Such eminent monks as TIANTAI ZHIYI, JIZANG, and HoNEN also held the Xiangfa jueyi jing in high regard.
Year There are several years — the sidereal, tropical, lunar, and others — known to astronomy and calendrical science. Among nations we find numerous artificial years used for purposes of adapting civil requirements to celestial necessities, or for carrying out particular methods of computation: e.g., the year of 365 days, the Julian year of 365 1/4 days, an ancient Mexican year of 260 days, and a variety of Hindu years. There is also the occult year of 360 days, which may be looked upon as a year based upon a deep knowledge of astronomy and celestial principles. The year of 360 days may likewise be considered as an average, i.e., the year which the earth hovers around and attempts through the evolving cycles of time to attain and to hold. The lunar year of twelve lunations has been widely used in ancient times, and is still used by some nations; and there is a large number of intercalary devices for accommodating this to the solar year. Blavatsky speaks of years of six months and of two months (SD 2:621), and uses the word year as synonymous with cycle as applicable to various periods, known or secret, and even to so long a cycle as that of the precession.
yielding ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Yield ::: a. --> Inclined to give way, or comply; flexible; compliant; accommodating; as, a yielding temper.
Young Earth creationism ::: The religious belief that Heaven, Earth, and life on Earth were created by a direct act of God dating between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. Its adherents are those Christians, Jews and Muslims who believe that God created the Earth in six 24-hour days, taking the Hebrew text of Genesis as a literal account.
Yunjusi. (雲居寺). In Chinese, "Cloud Dwelling Monastery"; monastery that is the home of the FANGSHAN SHIJING (stone scriptures). The monk Jingwan (?-639) allegedly founded this monastery in 631, but a stone inscription dated to 669 is the earliest written record of its existence. The monastery was also known as Xiyusi (Western Valley or Western Region Monastery), and in the seventh-century Mingbaoji ("Records of Miraculous Retribution") it is called Zhichuansi (Fount of Wisdom Monastery). On the nearby hill of Shijingshan (Stone Scriptures Hill) just to the east of Yunjusi, nine cave libraries stored the Fangshan lithic canon: its total of 14,278 lithic blocks of 1,122 Buddhist scriptures represent textual lineages that derive from recensions that circulated during the Tang and Khitan Liao dynasties. The carving of the lithic scriptures started during the Sui dynasty under the monk Jingwan with the support of Empress Xiao (r. 604-617), and continued through the late Ming dynasty. The monastery itself is famous for its pagodas, which were closely associated with the engraving of the lithographs. Seven stone pagodas date from the Tang, of which the single-story one at the top of Stone Scriptures Hill, with an inscription dated to 898, is noted for both its architecture and carved decorations. Two of the five pagodas from the Liao are especially significant. Built in 1117, the octagonal Southern Pagoda has eleven stories and pointed eaves and includes a depository of Buddhist scriptures beneath it. The Northern Pagoda is uniquely shaped: the bottom half is octagonal with bracketed eaves and carved niches, while the upper half is cone-shaped and decorated with nine circular bands. Its surface is decorated with more than thirty groups of brick reliefs depicting scenes of dancing and singing, the most interesting example of which is a goddess strumming a three-stringed instrument, one of the rare extant examples for the study of Liao musical culture. The Northern Pagoda is surrounded by smaller stone pagodas dating from the Tang dynasty, several of which resemble the Xiaoyanta (Small Wild Goose Pagoda; see DACI'ENSI) in the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an (modern Xi'an).
Zhengdao ge. (J. Shodoka; K. Chŭngdo ka 證道歌). In Chinese, "Song of the Attainment of the Way"; attributed to YONGJIA XUANJUE (675-713); also known as the Chanmen biyao jue ("Secret Essentials of the Chan Tradition"). Along with the XINXIN MING, the Zhengdao ge is cherished by the CHAN tradition as one of the classic verse expressions on the process of meditation and the experience of enlightenment. Its contents purport to convey Yongjia's awakening after only a single day and night of tutelage under the sixth patriarch (LIUZU) HUINENG, whence Yongjia's cognomen Ishujue ("Single-Night Enlightened," or "Overnight Guest"). The poem consists of fewer than two thousand Sinographs and follows a traditional regulated-verse style. The verse describes enlightenment as the realization that the true nature of all things is in fact the buddha-nature (FOXING), which is emptiness itself, transcending all the dichotomies of existence or nonexistence or truth and falsity. This enlightenment is said to occur suddenly, "in a snap of the fingers" (danzhi), the verse says, and it is this sudden enlightenment (DUNWU) that has been transmitted through the twenty-eight Indian and six Chinese patriarchs (ZUSHI) of the Chan tradition. Aspects of the style and vocabulary used in the poem, which seem to antedate the eighth century, have led to questions about the authenticity of its attribution to Yongjia. Several copies of this text were found at DUNHUANG, and numerous commentaries of this text are extant, dating from the Song dynasty. The Song-dynasty teacher DAHUI ZONGGAO claimed that the verse was held in such high esteem that it had even been back-translated into Sanskrit.
zhike. (J. shika; K. chigaek 知客). In Chinese, "guest prefect"; one of the six prefects (C. TOUSHOU) at a CHAN monastery. The guest prefect is in charge of receiving and accommodating important visitors and guests. In modern Japanese ZEN, the guest prefect plays an important role in the training of young monks on pilgrimage (J. ANGYA; see C. XINGJIAO) as they engage each other in the elaborate ritual of receiving permission to enter the monastery.
zushi. (J. soshi; K. chosa 祖師). In Chinese, "patriarch" (lit. "ancestral teacher"), referring to eminent teachers in lineages that are claimed to trace back to sĀKYAMUNI Buddha or even earlier buddhas. Indian Sanskrit texts dating from the 2nd century CE onward refer to a tradition of five "masters of the dharma" (dharmācārya) who succeeded the Buddha as head of the SAMGHA: MAHĀKĀsYAPA, ĀNANDA, MADHYĀNTIKA, sĀnAKAVĀSIN, and UPAGUPTA . Later sources expand this list into a roster of nine eminent masters who "handed down the lamplight of wisdom successively through the generations." Often, these genealogies were extended as far back as the seven buddhas of antiquity (SAPTATATHĀGATA). It is widely presumed that this notion of dharma-transmission lineages developed from the earlier VINAYA concept of the "preceptor" (UPĀDHYĀYA), a senior monk who confers the lower ordination (pravrajyā, see PRAVRAJITA) to new novices (sRĀMAnERA) and higher ordination (UPASAMPADĀ) to monks (BHIKsU). This personal connection between preceptor and disciple created incipient ordination families connected to specific preceptors, connections that later could be extended to dharma transmission as well. ¶ In East Asia, these lists of Indian dharma masters continued to be expanded and elaborated upon so that they also included the preeminent indigenous figures within each lineage, thus connecting the Chinese patriarchs of each lineage with their Indian predecessors. Most of the indigenous traditions of East Asian Buddhism, including the CHAN ZONG, TIANTAI ZONG, JINGTU ZONG, and HUAYAN ZONG, draw their legitimacy at least partially from their claims that their teachings and practices derive from an unbroken lineage of authoritative teachers that can be traced back geographically to India and temporally to the person of the Buddha himself. The specific names and numbers of patriarchs recognized within each lineage typically change over time and vary widely between the different traditions. Of these lists, the list of patriarchs recognized in the Chan school has received the lion's share of scholarly attention in the West. This Chan list varies widely, but a well-established roster includes twenty-eight Indian and six Chinese patriarchs. These six Chinese patriarchs (liu zu)-BODHIDHARMA, HUIKE, SENGCAN, DAOXIN, HONGREN, and HUINENG-are credited by the classical tradition with the development and growth of Chan in China, but early records of the Chan school, such as the LENGQIE SHIZU JI and LIDAI FABAO JI, reveal the polemical battles fought between disparate contemporary Chan communities to place their own teachers on this roster of patriarchal orthodoxy. It is important to note that all of these various lists of patriarchs, in all the different traditions, are created retrospectively as a way of legitimizing specific contemporary lineages or teachers and verifying the authenticity of their teachings; thus their accounts of the chronology and history of their lineages must be used critically. The compound zushi can mean either "patriarch" (lit., ancestral teacher) or in other contexts "patriarchs and teachers," as in the stock phrase "all the buddhas of the three time-periods and patriarchs and teachers throughout successive generations" (sanshi zhufo lidai zushi), which explicitly traces a school's ancestral lineage from the past to the present and into the future. Some modern Buddhists, especially in the West, deplore the sexism inherent in the term "patriarch," preferring instead to render it with the gender-neutral term "ancestor." See also CHUANDENG LU; FASI; PARAMPARĀ; YINKE.
KEYS (10k)
NEW FULL DB (2.4M)
21 Cassandra Clare
20 Anonymous
15 Aziz Ansari
13 Sherrilyn Kenyon
12 Henry Cloud
11 Rick Riordan
11 J R Ward
10 Richelle Mead
10 Mokokoma Mokhonoana
10 John Green
7 Laurell K Hamilton
7 Kelley Armstrong
6 Terry Pratchett
6 Joshua Harris
6 Jenny Han
6 Greg Behrendt
6 Chris Voss
5 Michelle Obama
5 Maggie Stiefvater
5 Dov Davidoff
*** WISDOM TROVE ***
1:Dating means two things; disillusionment or a racing heart. ~ mae-west, @wisdomtrove 2:That's what dating is for, after all - to learn if you're compatible with someone. ~ nicholas-sparks, @wisdomtrove 3:What's the point of dating without games? How do you know if you're winning or losing? ~ jerry-seinfeld, @wisdomtrove 4:Dating a new man is like holding a strawberry milkshake; first the taste, then the pleasure. ~ marilyn-monroe, @wisdomtrove 5:People are buying only one thing from you: the way the engagement (hiring you, working with you, dating you, using your product or service, learning from you) makes them feel. ~ seth-godin, @wisdomtrove 6:I’d rather be dating the blind. You know you could let the house go. You could let yourself go. A good-looking blind woman doesn’t even know you’re not good enough for her. ~ jerry-seinfeld, @wisdomtrove 7:He works at the kennel with Nana," Ben piped up. "And I think him and Mom are dating." At that, a stillness fell over a throng of admirers, punctuated by a few uncomfortable coughs. ~ nicholas-sparks, @wisdomtrove 8:George: I'd rather be dating the . You know you could let the house go. You could let yourself go. A good-looking blind woman doesn't even know you're not good enough for her. Seinfeld TV show ~ jerry-seinfeld, @wisdomtrove 9:We all prospect, and don't even know we're doing it. When you start the dating process, you are actually prospecting for the person you want to marry. When you're interviewing employees, you are prospecting for someone who will best fit your needs. ~ zig-ziglar, @wisdomtrove 10:On a ruinous wall I came upon a poster dating from the previous year and announcing that six handsome bulls’ would be killed in the arena on such and such a date. How forlorn its faded colours looked. Where were the handsome bulls and the handsome bull-fighters now? It appeared that even in Barcelona there were hardly any bullfights nowadays - for some reason all the best matadors were Fascists. ~ george-orwell, @wisdomtrove *** NEWFULLDB 2.4M ***
1:I don't have dating tips. ~ Bill Keller, #NFDB
2:Golf and dating don't mix. ~ Larry David, #NFDB
3:We’re not dating, remember. ~ Toni Anderson, #NFDB
4:you're...fucking...dating? ~ Kristen Ashley, #NFDB
5:I've never done online dating. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
6:Later, once we’d begun dating, ~ Kaira Rouda, #NFDB
7:I don't like to joke about dating. ~ Jen Kirkman, #NFDB
8:Dating is no charge prostitution. ~ M F Moonzajer, #NFDB
9:I'm finally dating. It's fun. ~ Kristin Chenoweth, #NFDB
10:I don't mind dating younger men now. ~ Jackee Harry, #NFDB
11:we’ve been dating for two months now. ~ R J Palacio, #NFDB
12:The dating process is not normal for me. ~ Jim Carrey, #NFDB
13:Dating black women will ruin your life ~ Terrence Howard, #NFDB
14:Dating is all about the chase. It's fun! ~ Lauren Conrad, #NFDB
15:Im dating a very high-maintenance career. ~ Aimee Garcia, #NFDB
16:Dating a older woman- hot" Emmet Cullen ~ Stephenie Meyer, #NFDB
17:I don't have the best dating track record. ~ Lauren Conrad, #NFDB
18:Not dating is a choice, not a failure. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
19:I'm very open to dating and finding a guy. ~ Kristin Cavallari, #NFDB
20:You’ve been dating him for less than a month. ~ Stephanie Perkins, #NFDB
21:I'm not great at dating, but I need to do it to relax. ~ Lena Dunham, #NFDB
22:I'm not interested in dating a girl I'm not gonna marry ~ John Green, #NFDB
23:My philosophy of dating is to just fart right away. ~ Jenny McCarthy, #NFDB
24:Dating a wo/man with a kid is the new adoption. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
25:Finding someone who reads is like dating a thousand souls ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
26:You two are the most in-love not-dating people I’ve met. ~ Kasie West, #NFDB
27:No one cares who you are or are not dating on LinkedIn. ~ Reid Hoffman, #NFDB
28:Dating isn't a natural need; it is a social want. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
29:I do like dating cynics - they tend to be incredibly funny. ~ Chris Pine, #NFDB
30:If Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her. ~ Donald Trump, #NFDB
31:I know you're busy dating actresses and psychopaths. ~ Christopher Moore, #NFDB
32:I wasn't dating anyone. I was fornicating with Batman. ~ Janet Evanovich, #NFDB
33:Ah, now, don't get all mushy on me. We ain't dating."
Butch ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
34:The next level. As though dating were a computer game. ~ Janette Rallison, #NFDB
35:Dating is a place to practice how to relate to other people. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
36:He's dead now and by dead I mean dating a stripper. ~ Marie Helene Bertino, #NFDB
37:I'm dating a woman now who, evidently, is unaware of it. ~ Garry Shandling, #NFDB
38:At that moment, I hated dating more than doing my laundry ~ Meredith Schorr, #NFDB
39:Great, I'm dating the ungay. Is that like the undead? ~ Deidre Knight, #NFDB
40:We’re not dating. We’re still performing some weird mating ritual. ~ C S Poe, #NFDB
41:Dating a tennis player is risky - love means nothing to us. ~ Anna Kournikova, #NFDB
42:Hey, Cooper, it's Lia from the geriatric-poker dating service. ~ Lisa Kessler, #NFDB
43:Honeymoon: A short period of doting between dating and debting. ~ Mike Binder, #NFDB
44:how have i ended up dating this sprinkled donut of a person? ~ David Levithan, #NFDB
45:I highly suggest marriage to all my friends who are dating. ~ Jerry O Connell, #NFDB
46:It's just me and my 6-month-old puppy. I am not dating anyone. ~ Bridget Hall, #NFDB
47:Now online dating is almost a prerequisite for a modern single. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
48:There's more to life than dating the boy on the football team. ~ Taylor Swift, #NFDB
49:The goal of online dating is to get offline as quickly as possible. ~ Amy Webb, #NFDB
50:I'm not very experienced with boys or the whole dating thingy. ~ Vanessa Hudgens, #NFDB
51:After a number of years dating, we decided we were good partners. ~ Melinda Gates, #NFDB
52:I've been dating since I was fifteen. I'm exhausted. Where is he? ~ Kristin Davis, #NFDB
53:Really, The smart thing to do was to stop dating and get a cat. ~ Jennifer Crusie, #NFDB
54:I'm enjoying dating. I'm single, though, I'm not in a relationship. ~ Matt Czuchry, #NFDB
55:I'm not dating anyone. I don't even know where I am half of the time. ~ Ashton Irwin, #NFDB
56:I'm not interested in serial dating; I'd honestly rather be single. ~ Tamsin Egerton, #NFDB
57:When it comes to dating, you're not as crazy as you think you are. ~ Leslye Headland, #NFDB
58:Basically, werewolf speed dating. Sniff-sniff. Am I your mate? No? Next! ~ Celia Kyle, #NFDB
59:Dating a wo/man with a child is adoption … without the paperwork. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
60:Unfortunately, even big ideas leave no fossils for carbon dating, ~ Daniel Todd Gilbert, #NFDB
61:Dating is complicated when you have dead people in your house.
p. 33. ~ E J Copperman,#NFDB
62:Dating is the social engagement with the threat of sex at its conclusion. ~ P J O Rourke, #NFDB
63:He who is jealous is better off not dating someone who is bisexual. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
64:It would be nice if you considered dating Haley. She’s such a nice woman. ~ R L Mathewson, #NFDB
65:(That was the downside of dating the smartest girl at camp: You learn stuff.) ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
66:I think you should not limit yourself to dating somebody older or younger. ~ Loni Anderson, #NFDB
67:Well, dating has become a sport and not about finding the person you love. ~ Rashida Jones, #NFDB
68:We've created a dating culture in which we never say what we really feel. ~ Ryan O Connell, #NFDB
69:Chaos and destruction do tend to take away a person's dating possibilities. ~ Veronica Roth, #NFDB
70:I'm dating a homeless woman. It was easier talking her into staying over. ~ Garry Shandling, #NFDB
71:Online dating is cool but I think Myspace and Facebook is a little bit off key. ~ Tom Hardy, #NFDB
72:When it comes to dating, Im straightforward and traditional with a twist. ~ Luke Pasqualino, #NFDB
73:I won't say if I'm single or dating or married or divorced. There's boundaries. ~ Tyra Banks, #NFDB
74:taking dating advice from Cash is like taking batting advice from a swimmer—but ~ Eve Jagger, #NFDB
75:(That was the downside of dating the smartest girl at camp: you learn stuff.) ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
76:All right, big boy. I am officially declaring you a dating crime scene. ~ Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, #NFDB
77:Because even though you're dating five other women, I think I'm cheating on you. ~ Kiera Cass, #NFDB
78:I have a boyfriend now. A real one. We're totally dating, it's very strange. ~ Michael Chabon, #NFDB
79:You men deserve whatever rabbit-boiling scenario dating crazy women gets you. ~ Rachel Hollis, #NFDB
80:Dating and getting attention from boys was something that came later to me. ~ Rachelle Lefevre, #NFDB
81:Great, he can’t read my mind. What I’d give to be dating Charles Xavier—though ~ Krista Ritchie, #NFDB
82:How did my relatively inexperienced dating life suddenly become so complicated? ~ Suzanne Young, #NFDB
83:The dating scene in Utah is a beautiful backdrop for a suicidal ideation. ~ Heather B Armstrong, #NFDB
84:Dating is a give and take. If you only see it as "Taking," you are not getting it. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
85:If your dating relationship is sustained by sin, what will sustain your marriage? ~ Bethany Baird, #NFDB
86:Our early dating life consisted of trying to figure out whether we were dating. ~ Mariska Hargitay, #NFDB
87:The whole dating ritual was different when I was a kid. Girls got pinned, not nailed. ~ Bill Maher, #NFDB
88:What good is dating a cop if I can’t use his get-out-of-jail-free card now and then? ~ Paige Tyler, #NFDB
89:Don’t think of online dating as dating—think of it as an online introduction service. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
90:I'm never going to say anything about who I'm dating unless I'm married or engaged. ~ Kirsten Dunst, #NFDB
91:Of course I still fancy girls but right now I'm dating a guy and I couldn't be happier. ~ Tom Daley, #NFDB
92:Workshops and seminars are basically financial speed dating for clueless people. ~ Douglas Coupland, #NFDB
93:Are Seth and I seeing each other? Is that even possible? I mean, inter-realmal dating? ~ Katie Klein, #NFDB
94:By my estimation, dating was 1 percent confidence and 99 percent troubleshooting. ~ Ophira Eisenberg, #NFDB
95:Dating a white girl is like dating a black girl if she were really passive-agressive. ~ Dov Davidoff, #NFDB
96:That's what dating is for, after all - to learn if you're compatible with someone. ~ Nicholas Sparks, #NFDB
97:This is more dangerous than double dating with Danny Bonaduce on the Kennedy compound. ~ Paul Heyman, #NFDB
98:How many of you have ever started dating because you were too lazy to commit a suicide? ~ Judy Tenuta, #NFDB
99:Rumors about me? Calista Flockhart, Pam Anderson, and Matt Damon. That's who I'm dating. ~ Ben Affleck, #NFDB
100:Boys and dating haven’t been on my priority list. And they certainly can’t be now. ~ Joelle Charbonneau, #NFDB
101:Dating has taught me what I want and don't want, who I am, and who I want to be. ~ Jennifer Love Hewitt, #NFDB
102:Meeting someone you like and dating him is supposed to make you feel better, not worse. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
103:Nah, what you need is to start dating. Someone to take care of your ass.” He smirked. ~ Santino Hassell, #NFDB
104:What's the point of dating without games? How do you know if you're winning or losing? ~ Jerry Seinfeld, #NFDB
105:Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them. ~ Nas, #NFDB
106:... at thirty-two she had less dating experience than the average high school student. ~ Lacey Alexander, #NFDB
107:I'm often dating people, but I don't say it because you sort of know it won't last long. ~ Graham Norton, #NFDB
108:I'm of the belief that dating "potential" is almost always an exercise in frustration. ~ Mallory Ortberg, #NFDB
109:I was dating a transvestite, and my mother said, "Marry him, you'll double your wardrobe." ~ Joan Rivers, #NFDB
110:I wish I was dating one of the ladies in 'Bollywood Hero.' They're gorgeous. Any of them. ~ Chris Kattan, #NFDB
111:radiocarbon dating works only for objects up to forty thousand or so years old. Curiously, ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
112:Bill Clinton is a man who thinks international affairs means dating a girl from out of town. ~ Tom Clancy, #NFDB
113:Busy' is another word for 'asshole'. 'Asshole' is another word for the guy you're dating. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
114:I drop back down to my seat, wondering how planning out a brutal murder is easier than dating. ~ S T Abby, #NFDB
115:It's a big responsibility dating me. Because I come with a little bit of baggage, you know? ~ Demi Lovato, #NFDB
116:I was a late starter on the romantic front. I didn't start dating until I was in my 30s. ~ Geri Halliwell, #NFDB
117:It’s not that I haven’t tried. I have. It’s just that I’m super awkward. Plus dating is hard. ~ Jana Aston, #NFDB
118:It's taboo for me to date wrestlers [on her father's opinion of her dating wrestlers]. ~ Stephanie McMahon, #NFDB
119:The only thing worse than dating a single mom is dating a single mom that won't put out. ~ Chelsea Handler, #NFDB
120:Are those cat hairs on your lapel, or have you been dating a blonde with a crew cut? ~ Lilian Jackson Braun, #NFDB
121:Dating is poetry. Marriage is a novel. There are times, maybe years, that are all exposition. ~ Ada Calhoun, #NFDB
122:I don't think courting and dating is a liability. I actually think it can be a blessing. ~ Rebecca St James, #NFDB
123:I'm honest about the journey I've been on, so I definitely don't take dating lightly anymore. ~ Demi Lovato, #NFDB
124:People tend to look at dating sort of like a safari - like they're trying to land the trophy. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
125:Two birds went for dating. The male bird was killed and the female bird is being murdered. ~ Santosh Kalwar, #NFDB
126:So are there any asshole guys here I can start dating?' she says. 'That's, like, my pattern. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
127:An alien had given her his phone number and asked her to wait. It was almost like dating again. ~ Nancy Kress, #NFDB
128:As long as they're not still living with their parents, [dating younger men] could be viable. ~ Sutton Foster, #NFDB
129:Dating a new man is like holding a strawberry milkshake; first the taste, then the pleasure. ~ Marilyn Monroe, #NFDB
130:I've been in plenty of situations where someone I'm dating had more time for a console than me. ~ Josie Maran, #NFDB
131:Nowhere is it written that you have to go down with the ship if you are only dating the captain. ~ Joan Bauer, #NFDB
132:So if I was dating somebody now and the relationship didn't work out, I'd take that as failing ~ Gavin DeGraw, #NFDB
133:It was a newsflash to me that dating as a pre-thirty divorcette was as bad as having herpes. ~ Stephanie Klein, #NFDB
134:Make Every Man Want You: How to Be So Irresistible You’ll Barely Keep from Dating Yourself!, ~ Timothy Ferriss, #NFDB
135:Mom, I don't care if you're dating the guy who picks up our garbage, as long as he's nice to you. ~ Jaci Burton, #NFDB
136:Online dating: Your last best hope of finding people like you who don't like people like you. ~ Eric Jarosinski, #NFDB
137:I am dating, but it is hard to find someone quick enough and funny enough. I am quite demanding. ~ Anne Robinson, #NFDB
138:I dont talk about who Im dating because when you break up, you wind up reliving it in the media. ~ Bridget Fonda, #NFDB
139:Just think of the acclaim! The feelings of satisfaction! The vastly increased dating opportunities! ~ Chris Baty, #NFDB
140:Conservative forces in the South have a lot of power - almost dynastic - dating back many years. ~ John Darnielle, #NFDB
141:Dating in Los Angeles can be hard, which makes it all the better when you meet a really nice guy. ~ Lauren Conrad, #NFDB
142:I love it so much I might agree to skip past friends and dating and have it's little gyro babies ~ Kiersten White, #NFDB
143:In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man will probably end up dating the best looking blind chick. ~ Dana Gould, #NFDB
144:Dating is pressure and tension. What is a date, really, but a job interview that lasts all night? ~ Jerry Seinfeld, #NFDB
145:too many people spend way too much time doing the online part of online dating, not the dating part. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
146:can’t believe you’re allowing him to do this. Next thing we know, you’ll be dating a human. ~ Jennifer L Armentrout, #NFDB
147:Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience. ~ Chris Pine, #NFDB
148:I was starting to learn one of the most important lessons of online dating: the wisdom of saying no. ~ Sarah Hepola, #NFDB
149:This was her version of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll—dating a chalk artist, and teaching school. ~ Allegra Goodman, #NFDB
150:Values are sometimes worth living and dying for, and are certainly worth dating and breaking up over. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
151:I think I should date a normal girl. I am tired of dating heroines. While I believe in marriage as an ~ Shahid Kapoor, #NFDB
152:I've been dating a lot. I've met some very interesting people, and I've had some horrible blind dates. ~ Whitney Port, #NFDB
153:The problem,” Peter tried to muster his indignation, “is that I don’t want to be dating a closet case. ~ Daisy Harris, #NFDB
154:Everyone agrees the celibacy rule is just a Church law dating from the 11th century, not a divine command. ~ Hans K ng, #NFDB
155:Everyone agrees the celibacy rule is just a Church law dating from the 11th century, not a divine command. ~ Hans Kung, #NFDB
156:I’m happy for you, man,” Driftwood said honestly. “Seriously. Dating sucks. Online dating really sucks. ~ Susan Stoker, #NFDB
157:I think more dating stuff is scheduling. It's needing people who understand your work schedule. ~ Jennifer Love Hewitt, #NFDB
158:Maybe he doesn’t date you but he is definitely dating me,” Eva responded before I could
say anything. ~ Abbi Glines,#NFDB
159:The squirrel and the chipmunk had been dating for two weeks when they ran out of things to talk about. ~ David Sedaris, #NFDB
160:Why go around dating random girls and having terrible sex when you can be with someone you really like? ~ Ansel Elgort, #NFDB
161:Before my first novel, I was dating a woman who later went to prison for bashing a guy with a hammer. ~ Gary Shteyngart, #NFDB
162:Generally, men prefer dating women they love over women who love them; women prefer the opposite. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
163:I'm a relationship girl, I like relationships, so I just miss being in one and chilling. And not dating. ~ Bella Thorne, #NFDB
164:Nice: meaning I'm going to be dating leather-wearing alcoholics and complaining about them - to you. ~ Raymond Chandler, #NFDB
165:A lot of people wouldn't feel miserable in this environment. A lot of people aren't dating my girlfriend. ~ Dov Davidoff, #NFDB
166:dating you would be like a series of unnecessary root canals interspersed with occasional makeout sessions. ~ John Green, #NFDB
167:Gay men should not adopt the sophomoric model of heterosexual dating; gay men should always have sex first. ~ John Rechy, #NFDB
168:Online dating is just a vehicle to meet more people,” she says. “It’s not the place to actually date.” For ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
169:Theory: People always get fired up when an unattractive girl an unattractive dude are dating each other. ~ Jesse Andrews, #NFDB
170:The problem with dating a model is they won't go out with you if your cars color doesn't match their outfit. ~ Dane Cook, #NFDB
171:[Dan Fried] served six presidents over a 40-year career dating back to the [Jimmy] Carter administration. ~ Rachel Maddow, #NFDB
172:Oh, my dating skills are the worst. No, I pick the wrong men; it's amazing. I am awful, the worst dater. ~ Paget Brewster, #NFDB
173:Patrick: How do you know so much about dating? You're a teenage girl.
Tess: Because I'm a teenage girl. ~ Steven James,#NFDB
174:My original inspiration was my mom: a few years after the death of my dad, she started dating one my teachers! ~ Meg Cabot, #NFDB
175:Writing a book is like dating. It's exciting. It's dreamy. And after four years, I just want to end it. ~ Carole Radziwill, #NFDB
176:He was polite, respectful, not daring even to hold Mi-ran’s hand until they’d been dating for three years. ~ Barbara Demick, #NFDB
177:JOURNEY: My life is fine without dating. People are too obsessed with finding someone to make them complete. ~ Bijou Hunter, #NFDB
178:non-dating type? What kind of type is that? A little mushroom who sits at home in a semidark room growing moss? ~ Jenny Han, #NFDB
179:Text is, in some ways, on the way out, unfortunately. There are dating sites now that are just pictures. ~ Christian Rudder, #NFDB
180:You look like Britney Spears, back when she was dating backup dancers and walking around gas stations barefoot. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
181:For what it's worth, any man who 'tries to score' with a girl he's not dating isn't much of a man in my eyes. ~ Patty Blount, #NFDB
182:Since I got a divorce, I have been dating younger guys. But it's just because they're the ones that ask me out. ~ Jerry Hall, #NFDB
183:This stupid weapons-shopping idea. Last time I take dating advice from Jace.” “You let Jace plan our date? ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
184:built into a device we carry and check some 150 times a day. Traditional dating sites like eHarmony and Match.com ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
185:I'm dating somebody. I am enjoying it very much, and having a really nice time at the moment. I'm very happy. ~ Maura Tierney, #NFDB
186:In dating, if you say no, your lover goes on to the next person. In marriage, if you say no, the person stays. ~ Esther Perel, #NFDB
187:Dating should be a part of your life, not your life a part of dating. There is more to life than finding a date. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
188:Don't kill the messenger, but I'm think you should change your dating profil to balding." -- Paris to William ~ Gena Showalter, #NFDB
189:he was the dating equivalent of a layover. A brief, hopefully fun, pit stop on the way to their final destination. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
190:I was bullied. I was a bit of a geek. Good-looking guys were off-limits. I didn't start dating until I was 18. ~ Michelle Ryan, #NFDB
191:Ladies & Gentelman, the man who tought William Kennedy Smith everything he knows about dating, Sweet Stan Lane! ~ Jim Cornette, #NFDB
192:Romance is diffcult for some celebrities. If the media finds out you’re dating Robert Pattinson, you’re screwed. ~ Stana Katic, #NFDB
193:I don’t really get the concept of having a type. My type is girls. All of them. Why would I limit my dating pool? ~ Nicola Yoon, #NFDB
194:Let's redefine scandal. Scandal is not who's dating who. Scandal is 1.2 million people living in tents in Haiti. ~ Olivia Wilde, #NFDB
195:The non-dating type? What kind of type is that? A little mushroom who sits at home in a semidark room growing moss? ~ Jenny Han, #NFDB
196:Dodi got a lot of criticism when he began dating Princess Diana. No one seemed to think he was good enough for her. ~ Lorna Luft, #NFDB
197:I asked Sunny if she would ever consider dating you. She said she would rather give birth to a porcupine on fire. ~ Jerry Lawler, #NFDB
198:I can't wait for my little sisters to start dating, because it will really be fun to pick on their boyfriends. ~ David Gallagher, #NFDB
199:I had never gotten the hang of dating — I was always going to be somebody who either had a girlfriend or didn't. ~ Rob Sheffield, #NFDB
200:Well, thanks, but I think I’ll go back to dating fictional characters. Everyone knows boys in books are better. ~ Charleigh Rose, #NFDB
201:What's your definition of dating?
Lengthy social time spent with a woman during which we're not actively fucking ~ Sylvia Day,#NFDB
202:Any guy that refers to dating women as the hunt or being on the prowl should be evaluated for a number of conditions. ~ Dane Cook, #NFDB
203:Descriptive statistics can be like online dating profiles: technically accurate and yet pretty darn misleading. ~ Charles Wheelan, #NFDB
204:And I honestly like her about twenty times more now than I did when we were dating. But love needs to have a future. ~ Rachel Cohn, #NFDB
205:I grew up in the world of bad television, on my dad's sets and then as a young schmuck on dating shows and so on. ~ George Clooney, #NFDB
206:I love you, Bridget. I’m pretty sure you feel the same way about me, and screw the whole dating thing. Let’s get married. ~ J Lynn, #NFDB
207:We're not dating," Alec said again. "Oh?" Magnus said. "So you're just that friendly with everybody, is that it? ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
208:What? It’s true. If you cut off your friends when you’re dating someone, you’ll be all alone if the relationship ends. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
209:I guess there's a benefit to dating a bunch of selfish losers...it sure teaches a girl to how to give a good blow job. ~ Elle Casey, #NFDB
210:Kita sedarkan dia yang cinta manusia itu hanya ibarat debu dihujung rumput. Dating embun pagi, hilanglah debu itu ~ Bahruddin Bekri, #NFDB
211:While I'm fine with you two dating and being happy, please try not to break his heart too much when the time comes. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
212:I did denounce it. I de-I denounced it. I denounced interracial dating. I denounced anti-Catholic bigacy... bigotry. ~ George W Bush, #NFDB
213:I want my audience to know me for my work, not because of who I'm dating or what drugs I'm on or what club I went to. ~ Shia LaBeouf, #NFDB
214:Leaving one religion for the sake of another one is like breaking with a rapist for the sake of dating a misogynist. ~ M F Moonzajer, #NFDB
215:No, really, Ronnie, it's good to share information when you know someone else is dating the lunarly challenged. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
216:They wrote that I'd gained 30 pounds over the summer and lost it in a week because I was dating three guys at once! ~ Yasmine Bleeth, #NFDB
217:When you're dating someone, you need to have intercourse at least ten times before you start talking about The Future. ~ Mimi Strong, #NFDB
218:I have an urge to communicate. I think I'm a change from what it would be like dating a normal guy who doesn't talk too much. ~ Drake, #NFDB
219:I spent so much of my time being loyal to you, even when we weren’t dating, because I thought we had our endgame plan. ~ Adam Silvera, #NFDB
220:she was quite promiscuous, to the point where dating her was similar to the experience of sitting on a warm toilet seat: ~ Tucker Max, #NFDB
221:Sometimes love doesn't come to us. We have to go out hunting. It's like pigs looking for truffles. It's called dating. ~ Patti LuPone, #NFDB
222:We haven’t even been dating an hour yet and you already want to dump me? Am I not very good at this boyfriend thing? ~ Colleen Hoover, #NFDB
223:We're not dating," Alec said again.
"Oh?" Magnus said. "So you're just that friendly with everybody, is that it? ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
224:Work takes up a lot of my brain space. So when I work, it's one thing. I don't have a lot of time to think about dating. ~ Chris Pine, #NFDB
225:All I’m saying is you’ve been dating him for three months. Most guys you date are either dead or running scared by now. ~ Kim Harrison, #NFDB
226:Apparently while I was reading
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating, he’d read The Guide to Dating a Complete Idiot. ~ Tracy Brogan,#NFDB
227:Dating any of the J's would have been like dating, not my brother necessarily, but definitely a stepbrother, or a cousin. ~ Kelly Oram, #NFDB
228:or the counterfeit intimacy that can come with premarital sex, you can see the person you’re dating for who they are. ~ DeVon Franklin, #NFDB
229:You don't need to know who I'm dating. You don't need to know what I'm doing. I'm fine with everybody not knowing that. ~ Eva Longoria, #NFDB
230:Honestly, a lot of the human etiquette I learned in life I learned from, like, thank-you notes and dating Jimmy Kimmel. ~ Roseanne Barr, #NFDB
231:I had a dream about starting a dating service for fish called solemate.com. In unrelated news, I will never drink again. ~ Jessica Park, #NFDB
232:I miss dating only for that final moment you kiss goodnight, watch her get out of your car and run into the police station. ~ Dane Cook, #NFDB
233:I'm single. I'm independent. And I'm dating. I think if you're honest that you're dating, there's nothing wrong with that. ~ Jerry Hall, #NFDB
234:There's not a dating service on this planet that can do what the human brain can do in terms of finding the right person. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
235:Guys are so transparent most of the time. Unless, of course, they're dating you, in which case they are utter mysteries. ~ Nicole Richie, #NFDB
236:have a strict rule against dating men like that. I don’t want to be the Luke to anyone’s Yoda, you know what I’m saying? ~ Julie Johnson, #NFDB
237:Let reputation be one of the green or red lights that leads you toward or away from a person you are considering dating. ~ Matt Chandler, #NFDB
238:The attraction of dating is that you don't take yes for granted - - you're fully engaged, there's seductiveness, tension. ~ Esther Perel, #NFDB
239:You ever see 'The Dating Game'? That's a weird game show. The prize on that show: another contestant. Talk about cheap. ~ Norm MacDonald, #NFDB
240:Only making time for people who make time for you. Only being interested in dating people who are interested in dating you. ~ Mark Manson, #NFDB
241:OR am I the only warlock you know?" "No... but you are the only warlock we know who happens to dating a friend of ours. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
242:The wisdom of taking risks early applies to most aspects of life, whether it be career choices, investments, or dating. ~ Avinash K Dixit, #NFDB
243:Dating and getting to really know a woman is a different game. Kind of like the difference in Monopoly and Texas Hold 'Em. ~ Carolyn Brown, #NFDB
244:If you want me to be straight, gay, into monkeys, dating Kylie, whatever, I'm happy for people to project whatever onto me! ~ Darren Hayes, #NFDB
245:My daughter's mother and I are no longer dating, and the people I'm most likely to date are those around me, who are athletes. ~ Tyson Gay, #NFDB
246:President Bush listed his income as $822,000. You know what John Kerry calls someone who earns $822,000? Not even worth dating. ~ Jay Leno, #NFDB
247:It was really shocking to me that when I was dating a dude I could get married and my taxes were 8 grand less, blah blah blah. ~ Sia Furler, #NFDB
248:Poverty does not always prevent a rich person from dating someone who is poor, unless the man is the one who is poor. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
249:Simon tried this, realized it was futile, and grabbed the tree in a hug so intimate, he wondered if they were now dating. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
250:Dating is about finding out who you are and who others are. If you show up in a masquerade outfit, neither is going to happen. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
251:OR am I the only warlock you know?"
"No... but you are the only warlock we know who happens to dating a friend of ours. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
252:Basically, dating is like climbing a volcano and you never know when it's going to erupt, dumping molten lava and burning you ~ Robin Bielman, #NFDB
253:Basically, dating is like climbing a volcano and you never know when it’s going to erupt, dumping molten lava and burning you ~ Robin Bielman, #NFDB
254:I bet in the All-Time History of Dating no girl has ever told a boy who has just asked her out that she has fleas-and then farted! ~ Zoe Sugg, #NFDB
255:Side benefit of dating me: free motivational speeches. It's like friends with benefits where the benefits are inspirational. ~ Josh Sundquist, #NFDB
256:Caleb could be so testy for no known reason. At times, it was like dating a woman with irritable bowel syndrome. Or rabies. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon, #NFDB
257:I drop back down to my seat, wondering how planning out a brutal murder is easier than dating. The world is entirely too fucked up. ~ S T Abby, #NFDB
258:The man clearly needed dating advice if he thought setting her up for murder was a way to make her want to run away with him. ~ Leighann Dobbs, #NFDB
259:I think we're dating now" "Come on...I got you naked. You wore a damn corset. And don't get me started on the sponge bath afterward. ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
260:It’s all cloak and dagger right now. That’s what happens when you’re a serial killer dating a FBI profiler who hunts serial killers. ~ S T Abby, #NFDB
261:No,” Isabella said. “I’ve been out to eat with boys who were my boyfriend, but that’s not dating. That’s just parallel eating. ~ Jennifer Close, #NFDB
262:He wasn’t The One. My One isn’t going to give up so easily on me. Yours won’t either" . -- The (Mis)Adventures of a Dating Failure ~ Donna Grant, #NFDB
263:Huge biceps are an unattractive-uneducated-underpaid man's last attempt to be seen as worthy of dating, or, sleeping with. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
264:Stuff about me dating Kim Kardashian - I have no idea where that came from and all these other rumors. I don't think I'm that type. ~ Jeremy Lin, #NFDB
265:I feel like I showed up to school naked or something. I say I'm dating a girl and suddenly all everyone cares about is my sex life. ~ Siera Maley, #NFDB
266:I don't know why anyone would want to ask an actor for dating advice. We are not the poster children for healthy relationships. ~ Ginnifer Goodwin, #NFDB
267:It's easy to remember, because dating rhymes with mating, and they're almost the same [...] So your mom thinks we're ma-- Uh, dating? ~ Anna Banks, #NFDB
268:Also feel free to give every ex a number somewhere on his costume, like this is the deli counter from dating hell. Whatever works. ~ David Levithan, #NFDB
269:Envy is what makes you, when an acquaintance is lustily telling you that she's dating a Greek god of a guy, ask, 'Which one, Hades?' ~ Gina Barreca, #NFDB
270:There's no way to get around it; online dating is work. And some people are more skilled at this kind of communication than others. ~ Rachel Martin, #NFDB
271:What she missed most about dating men was that small, disconcerting time frame when you thought that maybe you could change them. ~ Gary Shteyngart, #NFDB
272:But Rose? While I'm fine with you two dating and being happy, please try not to brake his heart too much when the time comes. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
273:Fallon, we have been dating for two hours now. I can read you like a book, and right now i do believe that book is full of erotica. ~ Colleen Hoover, #NFDB
274:Is it a bad sign when someone asks you about the person your dating and a tear falls from your eye as you leap into oncoming traffic? ~ Dov Davidoff, #NFDB
275:I think this is the first time we all have a reason to stay.' He paused. 'You're dating a girl who left her kid with you, Michael. ~ Brigid Kemmerer, #NFDB
276:So, are there any asshole guys here I can start dating?” she says. “That’s my, like, pattern. Run away from one, bump into the next. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
277:What r u wearing? Huh? Matt blinked at the phone, sure he'd read it wrong. Wasn't that how phone sex started? He wasn't dating anyone. ~ J L Langley, #NFDB
278:When you were steadily dating a boy, as she was Reeve, and this was known to everybody, it freed you up to be friends with boys. ~ Caroline B Cooney, #NFDB
279:Dating is great unless you don't like horrible awkwardness, lying, and a deep foreboding sense of disappointment that never goes away. ~ Dov Davidoff, #NFDB
280:Dating is primarily a numbers game.... People usually go through a lot of people to find good relationships. That's just the way it is. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
281:Encountering potential partners via online dating profiles reduces three-dimensional people to two-dimensional displays of information, ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
282:I'm in love with love and totally believe in marriage, but that's not even on my radar right now. I am not putting energy into dating. ~ Selena Gomez, #NFDB
283:We have Kenjii. We have my cell phone. Since we aren't officially dating, I'm sure you'll agree that's all the protection we need. ~ Kelley Armstrong, #NFDB
284:When I was first divorced, I started dating younger women, and it was really exciting. But after a while I was like, 'This is just dumb.' ~ Louis C K, #NFDB
285:DIGITAL TRUTH DIGITAL LIES • Searches • Social media posts • Views • Social media likes • Clicks • Dating profiles • Swipes ~ Seth Stephens Davidowitz, #NFDB
286:The Jonas Brothers are all sweet. They're so amazing to me. They've become really good friends of mine, but I'm not dating any of them. ~ Selena Gomez, #NFDB
287:While there may have once been a stigma to making money, high-earning women actually have an advantage in the dating-and-marriage market. ~ Liza Mundy, #NFDB
288:Courting is an activity where a man and a woman flaunt their virtues. Dating is an activity where life exposes the other’s vices. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
289:Frankly, I've worked my whole life to not be adorable with only limited success, and two adorable people dating is waaaay too cute for me. ~ Hank Green, #NFDB
290:I’m genuinely not suggesting marriage at this stage in the game, but I’ve always been a believer in fate, and I don’t take dating lightly. ~ M E Carter, #NFDB
291:It is not enough to merely be authentic in sharing yourself; to succeed in dating you need to consider how you will be interpreted as well. ~ John Gray, #NFDB
292:It's difficult dating, as an actor because your free time is precious. The guy I end up with someday is going to have to love traveling. ~ Serinda Swan, #NFDB
293:At the time that I knew them, they were not living together. They began dating again after their divorce, so I didn't really see fighting. ~ Kato Kaelin, #NFDB
294:Dating now is a lot like going shopping when you don't have any money. Even if you find the right thing, you can't do anything about it. ~ Joshua Harris, #NFDB
295:I'm dating a girl who's pretty levelheaded. She's a nurse. She's a real, normal girl. Which is what I need because my life isn't normal. ~ Kenny Chesney, #NFDB
296:I wasn't dating anyone. I was hyper-focused on acting. So I didn't bring a guy to the prom. I was the lone gay person as far as I knew. ~ Randy Harrison, #NFDB
297:My husband is the only guy I've ever dated where I've never been drunk around him. I couldn't handle dating without drinking in the past. ~ Alison Rosen, #NFDB
298:First Pallas and now you,” the gray-haired man said, shaking his head at Nick. “It’s like I’m running a goddamn dating service around here. ~ Julie James, #NFDB
299:In retrospect, the highlight of dating him had been free coffee and a particularly compelling discussion on the fall of the Roman Empire. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
300:Marriage and dating are man-made ideologies; if having a lover was a prerequisite to living, we’d all be born in pairs; as couples. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
301:My sister got lucky, married a yuppie, and took him for all he was worth. Now she's a swinger dating a singer, I can't decide which is worse. ~ Tom Petty, #NFDB
302:But in cynicism and general world weariness, which is a sort of carbon dating of the personality, he was about seven thousand years old. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
303:But our research also convinced me that too many people spend way too much time doing the online part of online dating, not the dating part. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
304:This is who Ezra is dating now. He is now into girls who are into dressing up as nineteenth century prostitutes. For the hats. ~ Leila Sales, #NFDB
305:No one knew me until I met my wife Lulu. Lulu's mother used to ask, Which one is Maurice? For six months she thought Lulu was dating Barry. ~ Maurice Gibb, #NFDB
306:I don't hide from cameras or anything. It doesn't bother me. I don't seek our press for the women I'm dating, but if it finds me, it finds me. ~ Tom Cruise, #NFDB
307:Is it a bad sign when you see the person you're dating and get the same feeling as if you just saw police lights in you're rear view mirror? ~ Dov Davidoff, #NFDB
308:On the Hugh Grant romance rumours: We're not dating and I'm not pregnant. We have not kissed or touched. We have not fought and broken up. ~ Sandra Bullock, #NFDB
309:What organized dating sites fail to understand is that the people are far more interesting in what they don't say about themselves. ~ Nassim Nicholas Taleb, #NFDB
310:If you have a solid friendship before dating, there's this understanding that you can be just youBut you should still have fun hooking up! ~ Tyler Blackburn, #NFDB
311:I looked back at my relationships and noticed my dating life had been more like Con Air than Cinderella-you know, bumpy and full of bad guys. ~ Cindi Madsen, #NFDB
312:That's how it should be. The first rule of dating is this-always please the woman first, the ideally a second time before you get yours in. ~ Lauren Blakely, #NFDB
313:My mother drove back to the intersection. "Who are you dating?" "Don't ask," I said. I wasn't dating anyone. I was fornicating with Batman. ~ Janet Evanovich, #NFDB
314:I know I’m not divorced. Yet. But I’m not asking you on a date. Yet. Truth time?”
“Always.”
“We’re not dating but we’re dating, yeah? ~ Jennifer Van Wyk,#NFDB
315:I'm dating myself, but this was before Jesus Christ. We worshiped a God named Sashatiba, who had five eyes, including one on the Adam's apple. ~ David Sedaris, #NFDB
316:You had sex with the guy I'm dating for my own good. That's really sweet. Thanks. But just to be clear, I don't need any more favors from you. ~ Susan Mallery, #NFDB
317:Dating is a man-made ideology: if having a lover was a prerequisite to living, one would either be in a relationship, or, six feet under. ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
318:But our research also convinced me that too many people spend way too much time doing the online part of online dating, not the dating part. After ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
319:When a man says you’re going to “really be surprised” by a new woman he’s dating, he means that for someone so hot they’re not a complete dipshit. ~ Liza Palmer, #NFDB
320:Believe nothing a man tells you and everything he shows you"....(Taken from a farewell video from a dying father to his infant daughter on dating) ~ Randy Pausch, #NFDB
321:Dating is just awkward moments and one person wants more than the other. It's just that constant strangeness. I think it's a very real thing. ~ Jason Schwartzman, #NFDB
322:He says they're not his type, but I don't really get the concept of having a type. My type is girls. All of them. Why would I limit my dating pool? ~ Nicola Yoon, #NFDB
323:I don't want to be one of those 40-something guys in L.A. still dating, still going out to clubs and chasing 21-year-olds. It's not a good look. ~ Jesse Metcalfe, #NFDB
324:I like to think I'll just be walking down the street one day and stop and meet someone, like, Oh my god, you're awesome, and then we start dating. ~ Laura Prepon, #NFDB
325:Keep dating and you will become so sick, so badly crippled, so deformed, so emotionally warped and mentally defective that you will marry anybody. ~ Florence King, #NFDB
326:Dating, after all, only ends one way: poorly. If you think about it...all romantic relationships end in either (1) breakup, (2) divorce, or (3) death. ~ John Green, #NFDB
327:Dating is about grand romantic gestures that mean little over the long term. Marriage is about small acts of kindness that bond you over a lifetime. ~ Lori Gottlieb, #NFDB
328:Do Mom and Dad know you’re dating a homicidal lunatic? (Madaug) No, and if you tell them, I’ll superglue your fingertips to your keyboard. (Eric) ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon, #NFDB
329:People say, 'Just say who you're dating. Then people will stop being so ravenous about it.' It's like, 'No they won't! They'll ask for specifics.' ~ Kristen Stewart, #NFDB
330:Dating is like pushing your tray along in a cafeteria. Nothing looks good, but you know you have to pick something by the time you reach the cashier. ~ Caprice Crane, #NFDB
331:It's always been my personal feeling that unless you are married, there is something that is not very dignified about talking about who you are dating. ~ Luke Wilson, #NFDB
332:All my freakouts have been pretty private and directed at family pets and/or people I have been dating for too short a time to freak out at in that way. ~ Lena Dunham, #NFDB
333:Because we fought. Because everything between us is weird. Because. . .” Because even though you’re dating five other women, I think I’m cheating on you, ~ Kiera Cass, #NFDB
334:I feel like I've always had gay fans, I don't think my dating a woman has changed my demographic, but it certainly changed the way I feel about politics. ~ Sia Furler, #NFDB
335:I think a nice romantic dinner should be saved for when you and the girl you're dating or seeing have something special and it's a more special occasion. ~ Ben Savage, #NFDB
336:I think you should consider the dating part. Fucking strangers doesn’t sound half as fun as falling in love and starting a family with the woman you love. ~ Elin Peer, #NFDB
337:I unfolded the note, and it took me a few seconds to decipher Adrian’s writing. If he did write me a dating proposal, I really hoped he would type it. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
338:Do Mom and Dad know you’re dating a homicidal lunatic? (Madaug)
No, and if you tell them, I’ll superglue your fingertips to your keyboard. (Eric) ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
339:Let's have an honest conversation about what's going on. A man and a man at a bar looks like mentoring. A man and a woman at a bar looks like dating. ~ Sheryl Sandberg, #NFDB
340:Once you decide not to worry about that stuff anymore, dating and relationships and love and all that, it's like you're free to get on with real life. ~ David Nicholls, #NFDB
341:The only thing that bothers me is that the girls come up to me and say, "I'm dating your ex-husband." I'm happy that he's dating girls and getting out. ~ Janet Jackson, #NFDB
342:I listen to old songs and remember exactly where I was living and where I recorded it and how I wrote it, the girl I was dating at the time or whatever. ~ Granger Smith, #NFDB
343:The Indian novel in English has been around for longer than is generally realized, with the first attempts dating to the middle of the nineteenth century. ~ R K Narayan, #NFDB
344:We go on dating from Cold Fridays and Great Snows; but a little colder Friday, or greater snow would put a period to man's existence on the globe. ~ Henry David Thoreau, #NFDB
345:I know my vision is impaired and cannot be trusted with even the simplest tasks, much less dating. Not that I´ve come within talon distance of a man. ~ Suzanne Finnamore, #NFDB
346:Okay. Roz is strong. She’s confident and loyal. She’s there when I need her.
“Congratulations,” I mumbled. “Sounds like you’re dating a German shepherd. ~ Jus Accardo,#NFDB
347:Women need to know that not all guys are going to hurt them the way that the guy did before they started dating me. I know guys I wouldn't go out with. ~ Garry Shandling, #NFDB
348:I didn’t realize that I missed dating my husband.
He reminded me that I did.
He reminded me that I loved falling in love with him the first time. ~ Jennifer Van Wyk,#NFDB
349:I realized it was like a dating agency: the ions are the lost souls looking for mates; the electrolyte is the agency that can help them find each other. ~ Victoria Finlay, #NFDB
350:The senior class already nominated Beth for homecoming court and Ryan is dating her.'
I become a rock. This isn't how I wanted my parents to find out. ~ Katie McGarry,#NFDB
351:School has barely started. You need to snap out of your dating funk. Find a cute guy. Make out in the corner. Let him touch your boobs. Maybe grab his ass. ~ Daisy Prescott, #NFDB
352:Your ma's dating?" Tim looks shocked. "I thought she pretty much confined herself to a vibrator and the shower nozzle since your dad screwed her over. ~ Huntley Fitzpatrick, #NFDB
353:Your ma’s dating?” Tim looks shocked. “I thought she pretty much confined herself to a vibrator and the shower nozzle since your dad screwed her over. ~ Huntley Fitzpatrick, #NFDB
354:But we all know how this ends, right? Just a few short months later, not only were Korie and Stephen no longer dating, they sure as hell weren’t best friends. ~ Lauren Layne, #NFDB
355:...for Christians typical dating can often be a swerver - an approach to relationships that wants to go in a different direction than the one God has for us. ~ Joshua Harris, #NFDB
356:That's the awful thing about dating. Tight underwear. We would all like to be in a big bra and pants and when you are in a secure relationship you can do that. ~ Dawn French, #NFDB
357:Bill keeps explaining to me that because Armenians commonly live for more than a hundred years and he’s not even fifty yet, he’s still too young to start dating. ~ Hope Jahren, #NFDB
358:But unlike Sir Sith's other childhood dreams--dating Dame May Whitty, driving two race cars at once, being voted King of the Gypsies--this one has come true. ~ David Letterman, #NFDB
359:I can say I'm a relationship person, and I like relationships. I think I also like relationships because then you don't have to date because dating is horrible. ~ Greta Gerwig, #NFDB
360:I'm so an all-or-nothing person in dating, always. I'm big on not wasting time. And so, yeah, if something's not working, it's time to not hold people back. ~ Ginnifer Goodwin, #NFDB
361:I spent the weekend after our date wishing I could stab him with my fluffy-duck pen and staring at the phone hoping he'd call. Dating is a very tricky business. ~ Cath Crowley, #NFDB
362:I think the whole concept of dating is deeply flawed, so maybe it's a good thing to be undateable. There's a difference between being unlovable and undateable. ~ Mickey Sumner, #NFDB
363:Writing a record is like dating a few men at once. You take them to the same restaurants to see if they measure up, and at some point you decide who you like best. ~ Lady Gaga, #NFDB
364:I do think that acting is such an unpredictable job, and you're away a lot. If you're dating somebody outside the industry, it can be hard to understand that. ~ Keira Knightley, #NFDB
365:[On New York City:] From a dating point of view, it's like a really large rummage sale - lots of strange items, but darned little that you'd want to take home. ~ Mary Jo Putney, #NFDB
366:When you first start dating and living together, don’t start doing things for him unless you’re willing to do them for the rest of your life. Rest. Of. Your. Life. ~ Celia Kyle, #NFDB
367:Yeah, sure. You know I can't stand the sight of blood, right?"
"Said no one ever while dating a vampire," he quipped
"Very clever. Ten points to Gryffindor. ~ Kristi Cook,#NFDB
368:A relationship that was squeezed into stolen glances and secret phone calls was drastically less than what she wanted that she refused to consider it dating. ~ Maggie Stiefvater, #NFDB
369:Facebook and pictures on the Internet have created such a different way of dating. It's not necessarily good because an obsessive quality can develop in people. ~ Alexander Koch, #NFDB
370:I'm a bit of a romantic, to a fault. It's led me to some great things and also some sad things. It's made me a better person, to keep a good spirit about dating. ~ Alexander Koch, #NFDB
371:It's a date," Leo repeats, and we shake on it.Leo's mother sticks her head in the door. "You guys are too young to be dating!"
"Mom!"Leo cries,turning bright red. ~ Wendy Mass,#NFDB
372:I think dating courtesies are common courtesies that should be practiced in most all civilized encounters. I pine for the days of good, old-fashioned manners. ~ Karen Marie Moning, #NFDB
373:I don't really comment on my personal life because I feel like any comment at all is opening up a whole can of worms. I'd just rather not talk about who I'm dating. ~ Josh Hartnett, #NFDB
374:She heard Adrian say to Christian, ʺYou know, your shirtʹs kind of grungy-looking. Seems like you could put in a little more effort since youʹre dating a princess.ʺ ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
375:You lied, La La.” MeShack grabbed his box off the door table and took a joint out. “You said Zulu wasn’t interested in you.” I groaned. “No. I said we’re not dating. ~ Kenya Wright, #NFDB
376:Celebrities say they date other celebrities because they have the same job. But I think they just like dating famous people. Celebrities attract each other, like cattle. ~ Jason Lee, #NFDB
377:His age was indeterminate. But in cynicism and general world weariness, which is a sort of carbon dating of the personality, he was about seven thousand years old. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
378:I'd forgotten that the best part of dating wasn't the actual dating at all but the talking about it: the analysis of potential new boyfriends with your girlfriends. ~ Liane Moriarty, #NFDB
379:I’m not defined by someone I thought I was dating, Luke, or what I do for a living. I’m not defined by what people think of me. My happiness comes from within, and I— ~ Jill Shalvis, #NFDB
380:I think audiences can relate to the guys I'm playing, those large-and-in-charge idiots. Or maybe I just make them feel better about who they are, or who they're dating. ~ Rob Riggle, #NFDB
381:Back in his dating days, a man didn’t go to a woman’s house if she lived alone. He might pick her up at the front porch, but he wouldn’t go inside. Propriety ruled. ~ Karen Kingsbury, #NFDB
382:It's difficult on my dating life, because anyone I get photographed with is automatically my boyfriend. So it just makes it look as if I've had, like, 6,000 boyfriends! ~ Emma Watson, #NFDB
383:I was thrown into the fashion world, dating models - and you'd read about me dating a new starlet every month. That's just where my life was. But I've grown up a lot. ~ Stephen Dorff, #NFDB
384:Maybe you should call him,' Simon suggested, trying not to think too hard about how weird it was to be giving a demon hunter advice about possibly dating a warlock. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
385:They seemed to grip the tree very lightly. Simon tried this, realized it was futile, and grabbed the tree in a hug so intimate, he wondered if they were now dating. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
386:Dating, after all, only ends one way: poorly. If you think about it, and Colin often did, all romantic relationships end in either (1) breakup, (2) divorce, or (3) death. ~ John Green, #NFDB
387:I ain't scared to do another dating show, but I ain't really trying to... I've done enough dating on television. I'm ready to spread my wings, and go down other avenues. ~ Flavor Flav, #NFDB
388:It wasn't like there was a dating and mating website for bear shifters. If there had been, its mascot would have been that yellow Care Bear with the heart on its stomach. ~ Lila Felix, #NFDB
389:Well, are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Dating people?”
Her lips quirked up at the corners. “Are you?”
“Nope.”
“Neither am I.”
“Good. You’re mine until you leave. ~ Katie Reus,#NFDB
390:When I'm dating someone, if she bonds with my cats I'll give her a chance maybe more than I would otherwise. But if she doesn't like my cats it's kind of a deal breaker. ~ Dave Franco, #NFDB
391:It's so funny - my mom when I am dating someone new, all she will get is the name, first and last, and within an hour, I will get an entire life report of the person. ~ Nico Tortorella, #NFDB
392:I want a guy I can go hiking with, who wants to do outdoorsy stuff. It's so much fun to be out in nature and who better to do that with than the person you're dating? ~ Adrianne Palicki, #NFDB
393:When you're dating, abstinence is a greater expression of love than making love, because you're doing what's best for your beloved, not just what feels good in the moment. ~ Jason Evert, #NFDB
394:I could be a party girl, dating whoever I want and being reckless, but I like being in a relationship. When you have somebody who grounds you and keeps you sane, it helps. ~ Eva Longoria, #NFDB
395:I'm dating three men, living with two more, and having occasional sex with two others. That's seven men. I'm like a pornographic Snow White. I think seven is plenty. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
396:In fact, since my last two dates were so awful, things can only get better.” “Bad deduction,” Jessie said. “If that were true, I’d be dating Harrison Ford by now.” “I’m ~ Jennifer Crusie, #NFDB
397:There was analysis dating back years that demonstrated Saddam had no such arsenal. Yet even though it was his group that handled Iraq, it hadn’t been asked for input on ~ Kurt Eichenwald, #NFDB
398:Dr. Morris believes, and I strongly agree, that couples are most likely to bond securely when they have not rushed the dating experience. Time is the critical ingredient. ~ James C Dobson, #NFDB
399:If your man or woman is a scrub, just own it so you and your friends can talk about more interesting things. My go-to explanation is “I am dating an asshole because I’m lazy. ~ Roxane Gay, #NFDB
400:I’m not very good with dating. I never was at twenty-two and I’m not much better at forty-two. Small talk… tiptoeing around things. I get impatient for something substantial. ~ Carol Mason, #NFDB
401:I take a benign view of digital connectedness. I notice in most young people's lives, Facebook and such doesn't replace normal dating or hanging out, it just facilitates it. ~ David Brooks, #NFDB
402:I've been dating younger men since my 20s, When I was 29, I dated someone 21... younger men are just more fun. I like their energy. I've always been kind of young for my age. ~ Dana Delany, #NFDB
403:My heart actually jumps. He wouldn’t be texting me already, would he? I thought you were supposed to wait, like, a day or two. It’s a written dating rule or something, right? ~ Alexa Riley, #NFDB
404:People are buying only one thing from you: the way the engagement (hiring you, working with you, dating you, using your product or service, learning from you) makes them feel. ~ Seth Godin, #NFDB
405:Were they dating? Sort of. Exclusive? Not as far as she knew... Discovering new feelings was one thing. Actually changing your Facebook status? That was real.
-- Savannah ~ Katy Regnery,#NFDB
406:I, Anita Blake, scourge of the undead-the human with more vampire kills than any other vampire executioner in the country-was dating a vampire. It was poetically ironic. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
407:Permission Marketing is just like dating. It turns strangers into friends and friends into lifetime customers. Many of the rules of dating apply, and so do many of the benefits. ~ Seth Godin, #NFDB
408:So you can shoot?” “Yeah. My dad taught me. Won a few competitions when I was younger. Farmer’s Daughters of America.” “Sounds like a redneck dating site.” “It does, doesn’t it? ~ T M Frazier, #NFDB
409:And if your son is unemployed? Three out of four women say they would not date an unemployed man. In contrast, for two-thirds of men, dating an unemployed woman is a nonissue. ~ Warren Farrell, #NFDB
410:It's so easy to misuse social media as a dating tool. I think it can be useful but it's scary when you think about who can access this information and what they're doing with it. ~ Justin Long, #NFDB
411:Oddly enough, I had found somebody. What, what? Deeply dead Dexter dating débutante doxies? Sex among the Undead? Has my need to imitate life gone all the way to faking orgasms? ~ Jeff Lindsay, #NFDB
412:And I’ll tell you now, I won’t be calling you tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, so don’t get in a stink when I don’t. None of the normal dating rules apply to this. ~ Cara McKenna, #NFDB
413:I can't even explain to you how terrible that feels, that I equate dating a woman with punishment, shame, guilt, disappointment, reproach, reprimand, persecution. It's a nightmare. ~ John Mayer, #NFDB
414:Indeed for James, "Memory requires more than the mere dating of a fact in the past. It must be dated in my past...I must think that I directly experienced its occurrence" (p. 612). ~ Ibid, p.22, #NFDB
415:I won't talk about who I'm dating. Because it's dumb. It leads to nowhere good. I let everybody else in the media do that for me. It takes the responsibility off my shoulders! ~ Renee Zellweger, #NFDB
416:Never let them see you sweat. Nicole Grant, former dating guru and A-list matchmaker, knew it was a bad sign when the philosophy you were living by came from a deodorant commercial. ~ Wendy Wax, #NFDB
417:Whatever we decide we don't want in life (whether it's dating, houses, neighborhoods, jobs, partners, or dogs), the fates usually intervene to open our eyes and prove us wrong. ~ Danielle Steel, #NFDB
418:Would a dating service for people on the net be "frowned upon" by DCA? I hope not. But even if it is, don't let that stop you from notifying me via net mail if you start one. ~ Richard Stallman, #NFDB
419:Dating is basically three hours of talking to a stranger, which is stupid, right? I don’t enjoy that. I mean who enjoys that? Who? Who are those people? It’s weird. Dating is weird. ~ Jana Aston, #NFDB
420:Dating meant nightclubs, heels, and black. It meant, "No, thank you. Really, I'm full." It meant matching bras and underwear. Clothes with the word MICRO used to describe them. ~ Stephanie Klein, #NFDB
421:I'm not old-fashioned when it comes to dating, but there's something nice about a guy pulling out a girl's chair and opening the door for her, even if it's just in the beginning. ~ Lauren Conrad, #NFDB
422:Perhaps this is why lunatics have a harder time dating, not because they are off the wall but because it is hard to find soemone who is willing to date so many people in one person. ~ Elif Safak, #NFDB
423:There are two rules for dating you should never forget. One, he should be strong enough so you can have sex standing up and two, never, ever date a guy who could wear your jeans. ~ Jen Frederick, #NFDB
424:You've been dating him since you were a freshman,' Jason said. 'Nobody else ever gets a chance.'
'Right, cause so many guys are lining up at my door.'
'I'm trying to,' he said. ~ J L Bryan,#NFDB
425:Grandma married him because he was the first man she’d ever met who wasn’t affected by her telepathy. This is the sort of thing that Internet dating sites never have a field for. ~ Seanan McGuire, #NFDB
426:I don't want to date someone who the whole world knows. Obviously, there are guys you look at and are like, 'Aww yeah, nice,' but I definitely have an anti-celebrity dating thing. ~ Stacie Orrico, #NFDB
427:I'm not interested in dating. I like being with my own best friend, me. Certain women, particularly older women, cannot believe I like going to a social event by myself. But I do. ~ Gloria Allred, #NFDB
428:It is the same way with dating. The time you are most prepared for dating is when you don't need anyone to complete you, fulfill you, or instill in you a sense of worth or purpose. ~ Myles Munroe, #NFDB
429:There is a disease to which plays as well as men become liable with advancing years. In men it is called doting, in plays dating.The more topical the play the more it dates. ~ George Bernard Shaw, #NFDB
430:Dating means doing a lot of fun things you will never do again if you get married. The fun stops with marriage because you're trying to save money for when you split up your property. ~ Dave Barry, #NFDB
431:But one thing I have to say about Darcy and dating is this: she never blew us off for a guy. She always put her friends first- which is an amazing thing for a high school girl to do. ~ Emily Giffin, #NFDB
432:Dating is a social brain teaser, as it requires constantly changing ratios of intimacy and distance, an erotic mental cha-cha choreographed by chemistry, insight, and fear. ~ Marilyn Suzanne Miller, #NFDB
433:How am I supposed to tell the difference when a week ago you were dating Nic, Casey, Scott, me and God knows who else?” “That wasn’t reality either. That was me running scared.” Aidan ~ Layla Reyne, #NFDB
434:I think I’m going to cut down on my dating,’ Annie said. ‘I used to need a lot of attention. You know, to make up for that empty feeling inside. But boys aren’t always the answer. ~ Francine Pascal, #NFDB
435:Oh, the beautiful smiles of the insane. Soon, he was sure, there would be a study that showed that the mentally ill were actually more attractive than other people. Dating proved it! ~ Lorrie Moore, #NFDB
436:Oscar Mayer, the food products company, is marketing Sizzl, a dating app that tries to pair people on the basis of whether they share a common taste for a preferred kind of bacon. Why ~ Tyler Cowen, #NFDB
437:There is no golden rule of dating, except to make sure that it engages both of you; too many people go to a cinema for a first date and of course don't say a word, that's a bad thing! ~ Steven Hill, #NFDB
438:Last guy I was interested in turned out to be an incestuous necrophiliac," she said. "So no, not currently dating, and definitely not doing any more shopping in the 'sociopath' category ~ Mira Grant, #NFDB
439:My wife and I have been together since 1986. I graduated in '86 and she graduated in '88. We began dating when she was 17. Actually she turned 18 when we started kissing and stuff. ~ Cuba Gooding Jr, #NFDB
440:first ever military cryptographic device, the Spartan scytale, dating back to the fifth century B.C. The scytale is a wooden staff around which a strip of leather or parchment is wound, ~ Simon Singh, #NFDB
441:He works at the kennel with Nana," Ben piped up. "And I think him and Mom are dating." At that, a stillness fell over a throng of admirers, punctuated by a few uncomfortable coughs. ~ Nicholas Sparks, #NFDB
442:It kind of struck me how great it would be to go out with a guy that size. And if you, you know, got tired of dating him, you could always use him as a house or something. ~ Catherine Gilbert Murdock, #NFDB
443:[On the Dating Handbook] 'With a telescope, some munchies, and a warm blanket, watch for Halley's comet.' Yeah. I like that. There's no time limit. Just sit there and grow old together. ~ David Cross, #NFDB
444:Some activities may look attractive, but you don’t have any business dating them, else they break you up. It may be good, but not right. Flee from good things and do right things! ~ Israelmore Ayivor, #NFDB
445:According to the New York Post, Lance Armstrong and Ashley Olsen are dating. They must be getting serious - Lance gave Ashley his yellow Live Strong bracelet. She wears it as a belt. ~ Chelsea Handler, #NFDB
446:Dating takes too much time. I wanted you. I took you. You’re mine.” She shivered. Women’s lib could say what it wanted. Being claimed by a sexy male still held loads of seductive charm. ~ Eve Langlais, #NFDB
447:I had one celebrity, who shall remain nameless,” Nicole said when pumped for stories about her high-profile clients, “who wouldn’t consider dating anyone who’d ever eaten a green M& M. ~ Wendy Wax, #NFDB
448:I'm friends with a lot of my exes, but it took time. We didn't just get into it. I don't think you can be friends until you're cool with them dating someone else. That's when you know. ~ Rashida Jones, #NFDB
449:But when you started dating someone, you could never be sure what you were getting into. You had to give someone a chance to show you who he really was . . . and believe him when he did. ~ Lisa Kleypas, #NFDB
450:So if you were dating the UPS guy, he could buy you whatever the hell he wanted. But I cant."well...yes, but I'd never date the UPS guy. Those brown shorts are just not a turn-on for me. ~ Lisa Kleypas, #NFDB
451:V?” Vishous raised his stare. “Yeah?” “I think you should know, after all this deep conversatin’…” Butch shook his head gravely. “We still ain’t dating.” The two of them busted out laughing, ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
452:When I'm dating someone, I have a list called my 'Oh No Nos.' If a woman commits a Oh No No, it can end the relationship. Not loving '90s R&B music is #3 on the Oh No Nos list. Girl don't ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
453:When I started dating I had relationships with people who came from families that weren't at all artistic or whatever, and they didn't understand how to communicate. I find that so boring. ~ Laura Dern, #NFDB
454:Although playing hard to get might be cute in the dating world, it won’t fly with potential employers. They don’t have time to court you, so you had better romance the hell out of them. ~ Sophia Amoruso, #NFDB
455:Dating becomes a lot about hiding who you really are, hiding you imperfections and in many cases, unfortunately, displaying and making primary what ought to be reserved only for marriage ~ Matt Chandler, #NFDB
456:The biggest change in dating between 2004 and 2014 was that one-third of all marriages in America began with online relationships, compared to a fraction of that in the decade before. ~ Daniel J Levitin, #NFDB
457:He works at the kennel with Nana," Ben piped up. "And I think him and Mom are dating."
At that, a stillness fell over a throng of admirers, punctuated by a few uncomfortable coughs. ~ Nicholas Sparks,#NFDB
458:You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
459:A deeper understanding of single men and women can be immensely helpful in navigating through the five different stages of dating: attraction, uncertainty, commitment, intimacy, and engagement. ~ John Gray, #NFDB
460:Anyone can have a relationship but if you're dating a woman who's so crazy in bed that if you aren't wearing your Kevlar one night you might never see daylight again... that's exciting. ~ Christopher Titus, #NFDB
461:As I see it, dating is a product of our entertainment-driven, disposable-everything American culture...Love and romance became things people could solely enjoy for their recreational value. ~ Joshua Harris, #NFDB
462:When someone is good, but it doesn't seem like their world will collapse if they don't get the part, it's more appealing. It's like dating someone: You don't want someone who's too into you. ~ Steve Carell, #NFDB
463:Dating? Presumptuous again.” I deliberately bit the side of my lip where my lip ring was and looked at him as innocently as possible before continuing. “I thought this was just a prelude to sex. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
464:I have a best friend that has been in a relationship for five years, they just broke up and now she is dating one of his best friends and [it] ruined everything. I have dated best friends. ~ Nico Tortorella, #NFDB
465:Acceptance doesn't mean predictability. Sex isn't always for 11 at night - - it's also 'meet at a hotel room at noon'. What you feel during dating can exist at home, if you don't suffocate it. ~ Esther Perel, #NFDB
466:Are you sure this is okay?” he asks. “I mean, did your dad really invite the handsome stranger who’s dating his daughter to sleep on the couch?”
“I like how you added in the ‘handsome. ~ Suzanne Young,#NFDB
467:Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational
things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the
principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion. ~ Scott Adams,#NFDB
468:Pamela Anderson Lee released a statement confirming that she has had her breast implants removed. Doctors say that Pamela is doing fine and that her old implants are now dating Charlie Sheen. ~ Conan O Brien, #NFDB
469:The Bob Jones policy on interracial dating, I mean I spoke out on interracial dating. I spoke against that. I spoke out against interracial dating. I support the policy of interracial dating. ~ George W Bush, #NFDB
470:So, you see, Sage, in essence, it’s almost like dating without the silly get-to-know-you process. Some of our girls have been here for years and have been with the same client for the entire time. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
471:You know, you handled yourself last night. Don’t know many humans who would have taken on Rhage or me. Much less in front of all the brothers.” “Ah, now, don’t get all mushy on me. We ain’t dating. ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
472:I've discreetly dated a lot of people - I once dated a billionaire, mostly because it was fun to say, "I'm dating a billionaire," but we did not have the same taste in music, and it was doomed. ~ Courtney Love, #NFDB
473:Years later I would hear my father say the divorce had left him dating his children. That still meant picking us up every Sunday for a matinee and, if he had the money, an early dinner somewhere. ~ Andre Dubus, #NFDB
474:All of the directors I work with have their own unique gifts. My particular segment deals with online dating. It's a very interesting take on it, and a great observation of what goes on there. ~ Dennis Haysbert, #NFDB
475:Early on, the best predictor of a relationship doesn’t depend on the couple’s social graph at all; for the first year or so of dating, the optimal method is how often they view each other’s profile. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
476:Emma: I want to be parabatai again. The way we were before.
Jules: We'll always be parabatai, Emma. It's for life.
Emma: It's been weird ever since we - ever since I started dating Mark. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
477:I'm fine," Kate said. "In fact, since my last two dates were so awful, things can only get better."
"Bad deduction," Jessie said. "If that were true, I'd be dating Harrison Ford by now. ~ Jennifer Crusie,#NFDB
478:She wasn’t interested in dating anyone. Men took up too much brain space, especially the handsome and uber mysterious type, like the weirdo seated next to her, who kept popping up without warning. ~ Gena D Lutz, #NFDB
479:You were just thinking dirty thoughts.”
“Was not,” I quip.
“Fallon, we’ve been dating for two hours now. I can read you like a book,and right now I do believe that book is full of erotica. ~ Colleen Hoover,#NFDB
480:Don’t do coffee dates either. Unless you have something planned afterward, there will be no making out in the coffeehouse. In the history of dating, there has never been a first kiss in the coffee shop. ~ Roosh V, #NFDB
481:It is our single friends who keep us in our marriages. They remind us that being single is sad. Dating is sad. Online dating is sad. Attending holidays and weddings is sad. Marriage, too, is sad. ~ Melissa Broder, #NFDB
482:Frankly, the reason I joined MENSA is because I was dating a guy at the time who spoke five languages and could solve a Rubik's Cube literally with his eyes closed because it's just an algorithm. ~ Ashley Rickards, #NFDB
483:How are we going to handle dating and the newspaper?"
He rubs the tension at the base of my neck. "I tell you what to do and you'll ignore me."
"So...like normal?"
"Yeah."
"Sounds good. ~ Jenny B Jones,#NFDB
484:I don't want to be one of those women who says horrible things about her husband, but your father had no right to take the hammer. I had that hammer when we were still dating, and he damn well knew it. ~ A M Homes, #NFDB
485:Mary Tyler Moore was a working woman whose story lines were not always about dating and men. They were about work friendships and relationships, which is what I feel my adult life has mostly been about. ~ Tina Fey, #NFDB
486:Maybe I hadn't been a big dating success because I was a boring person, but possibly it had been because I had limited tolerance for all this preliminary maneuvering and signal reading. - Aurora ~ Charlaine Harris, #NFDB
487:With cinema, one of the great lies dating back to its origin was "It's just entertainment! It doesn't make any impact" Like the great Samuel Goldwyn said, "If you've got a message, send a telegram." ~ Brett Leonard, #NFDB
488:You’re thinking about him naked, aren’t you?”
“Unfortunately.”
She patted my arm. “And to think—I was actually hesitant about dating him. Oh, and speaking of which. Chaps. Enough said. ~ Chloe Neill,#NFDB
489:Dating as a means to getting to know someone is highly overrated. When your hormones are raging and the attraction is magnetic, your brain takes a vacation. He was everything I never knew I needed. ~ Liv Constantine, #NFDB
490:I look to nature because I think the animals are smarter than we are. Animals mate; humans date. There's no dating in the animal kingdom. No dinner, no movie - just a quick sniff, 'Alright, let's go.' ~ Adam Ferrara, #NFDB
491:I once asked Holly how long it would be before she’d start dating again if I died and she said, ‘not for at least three months’. Says a lot really. She’ll probably be downloading Tinder at my funeral. ~ David Thorne, #NFDB
492:Simon’s love life was complicated, but there was a pang, just for a moment, for this woman talking graphic novels with him.
Ah, well. Tessa Gray, foxy nerd, was probably dating someone already. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
493:That’s so sweet.” He sighed again. “Jeez, I feel sorry for Bits, though.”
Mary lifted her head again. “Why?”
“BECAUSE SHE IS NEVER DATING—”
“Rhage, seriously. You gotta give that a rest. . . . ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
494:When I started dating I had this kind of Romeo and Juliet, fateful, romantic idea about love. It was almost that you were a victim - that there was a lot of pain involved and that was how it should be. ~ Emma Watson, #NFDB
495:I want people to understand and recognize that when it comes to dating, you're not as crazy as you think you are. Everyone needs love. We need it like air or water. We just don't know how to get it. ~ Leslye Headland, #NFDB
496:I was dating a guy once who spoke rudely to a taxi driver. I got out of the cab and walked home. Treat people with respect. I've waited tables, and that's why I just exceedingly overtip. It's exhausting work. ~ Kesha, #NFDB
497:Now, when you boys get home, you're gonna see a lot of war protestors. But don't be bitter. Go up to one, shake his hand, and smile. Then wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy. ~ Tommy Franks, #NFDB
498:Ally’s quite the vivacious young lady,” his mother continued after a long, excruciatingly silent moment, “and Nick’s smart as well as handsome. So which of them are you dating?” She winked. “Or is it both? ~ Cat Grant, #NFDB
499:I don't have a type. But one thing I can say from my dating experience is that a physical attraction will only take you so far. So you definitely have to have a strong intellectual connection as well. ~ Jesse Metcalfe, #NFDB
500:The United States is now relearning an ancient lesson, dating back to the Roman Empire. Brutalizing an enemy only serves to brutalize the army ordered to do it. Torture corrodes the mind of the torturer. ~ James Risen, #NFDB
501:He was the only boy I'd found worth dating in God knows how many schools. I mean, ever since he'd been bitten by a werwulf he'd been rock-steady. The best thing about this totally effed-up situation. ~ Lilith Saintcrow, #NFDB
502:There is a very important rule in dating and romance: To be happy in a relationship, and to pick the kind of relationship that is going to be the kind you desire, you must be able to be happy without one. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
503:To be Americanized was to be disobedient to your elders, to dress less conservatively, and to spend more time with your friends than your family. Cursing, drinking, and dating were simply unfathomable. ~ Nabeel Qureshi, #NFDB
504:A lot of people up North, they think everybody from the South is married to their sister and has seen a UFO. I told them, 'I'm just dating my sister and couldn't swear that it wasn't a weather balloon.' ~ Jeff Foxworthy, #NFDB
505:Beyond flakiness, as far as dating goes, I’ve observed many men who, while hopefully decent human beings in person, become sexually aggressive “douche monsters” when hiding behind the texts on their phone. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
506:And even though he doesn't mean it like I-want-to-leave-my-girlfriend-and-start-dating-you cute, something flickers inside of me. The "force of strength and destruction" Tita de la Garza knew so well. ~ Stephanie Perkins, #NFDB
507:As a matter of fact, getting a date might not be doable either. I didn’t want to think that I might be reduced to online dating.
Yeah, right. Hook up with a serial killer, why don’t you, Ash? ~ Rachel Hawthorne,#NFDB
508:On girls night in we talk about dating; the ups and downs of the previous week. Our collective laughter is uncontrollable and tearful, even the most disappointing dates become meritorious on girls night in. ~ Cilla Black, #NFDB
509:Yes, he had to admit to himself, he liked dating bookish girls who didn’t give him any trouble. And he found girls who read a lot had wonderful imaginations too, which certainly didn’t hurt in the sack. ~ Sharon Hamilton, #NFDB
510:You shouldn't be in a relationship with somebody who doesn't make you completely happy and make you feel whole. And if you're in that relationship and you're dating, then my advice is, don't get married. ~ Michelle Obama, #NFDB
511:And just because you didn’t admit it, you were stupid for each other from almost day one. So even though you’ve been dating for a couple of weeks, you’ve been each other’s person for a lot longer. - Sara ~ Rebecca Donovan, #NFDB
512:and, much as in real dating, experience something together. If so inclined, she might even suggest that they try to play some online games together, explore magical kingdoms, slay dragons, and solve problems. ~ Dan Ariely, #NFDB
513:[Cora:]‘Michael—that guy from the restaurant the other night—he works over there. He runs the prehistoric department.’
‘I’m surprised,’ Veda said.
‘At what?’
‘That you’re dating someone who reads. ~ Jessica Lave,#NFDB
514:I'm not cynical about marriage or romance. I enjoyed being married. And although being single was fun for a while, there was always the risk of dating someone who'd owned a lunch box with my picture on it. ~ Shaun Cassidy, #NFDB
515:I learned never to take him into a baby store. Ever. He snickered every time he heard the word ‘nipple.’” “Well, that’s what you get for dating a giant twelve-year-old,” I told her, sitting on Jolene’s left. ~ Molly Harper, #NFDB
516:I think online dating is a way of procuring people. Like Facebook and Myspace, it's the way that people connect now and procure small children and sometimes dodgy relationships. I don't think it's very healthy. ~ Tom Hardy, #NFDB
517:So far the only good things I have seen to come out of this recent technological renaissance are video-chatting with your grandparents, online dating, and being able to attend traffic school on your computer. ~ Amy Poehler, #NFDB
518:I'm much more interested in what an actor has to say about something substantial and important than who they're dating or what clothes they're wearing or some other asinine, insignificant aspect of their life. ~ Ben Affleck, #NFDB
519:I want to meet you in person.” “Sorry, I’m not into dating.” “Yeah, I can imagine with that face of yours you don’t have much luck there. But I don’t want you for sex.” “I’m so relieved. Now who the fuck are you? ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
520:Right leg gone? Her right leg? She couldn’t see anything except the man hanging over and a gold-coloured ceiling, high, high above. “This is a hospital?” she asked.
“No, no. A dating centre. ~ Will McIntosh,#NFDB
521:Tess realized one of the great modern dating sadnesses: everyone is so used to the comforting glow of the computer screen that no one can go so far as to say "good morning" in public without being liquored up. ~ Amelia Gray, #NFDB
522:Unfortunately, their approach was based on the traditional dating paradigm, which I had previously abandoned on the basis that the probability of success did not justify the effort and negative experiences. ~ Graeme Simsion, #NFDB
523:You can write about relationships all you want. Get as personal as you want. Your serial dating days are over, Ms. Greene. From here on out, anything related to your personal relationships better be about me. ~ Lauren Layne, #NFDB
524:In Bruce’s opinion, the only fun in dating was the sport of it. The more it was like a tennis match, where he had to wear down his opponent through expertise and sheer force of will, the better he liked it. ~ Francine Pascal, #NFDB
525:Like, how did you get him? No offense. I just thought you were the non-dating type.”
I frown. The non-dating type? What kind of type is that? A little mushroom who sits at home in a semidark room growing moss? ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
526:Ash twisted toward Daemon, her cheeks flushed. “I can’t believe you’re allowing him to do this. Next thing we know, you’ll be dating a human.”
Daemon busted out laughing. “Yeah, not going to happen. ~ Jennifer L Armentrout,#NFDB
527:I might even know more divorced people than married people, because I live in godless Los Angeles, where if you’re engaged it simply means you’re publicly announcing that you are dating a person monogamishly. I ~ Mindy Kaling, #NFDB
528:It was funny actually because that was still during the time we were dating. He would get all these calls because supposedly before we broke up, we had already broken up in the trades, in the rags or whatever. ~ Rosario Dawson, #NFDB
529:I'm the one who's dating the craft-service guy instead of the producer. Plus, if a producer is going to date a hot young thing, I'm probably not the first person on their list - the weird, quirky, funny girl. ~ Whitney Cummings, #NFDB
530:It doesn't matter. We could never date anyway. Doesn't the FBI have rules against partners dating? Even if I am just an unpaid consultant.'
'I'd certainly never want to date Gerard, so I never asked. ~ Rosemary Clement Moore,#NFDB
531:I wouldn't tell you anything about anybody I cared about because it becomes entertainment for other people, and it sort of just cheapens everything in your life. I would never tell you if I was dating anybody. ~ Kristen Stewart, #NFDB
532:Much of online dating, Finkel and company argued, is based on the faulty notion that the kind of information we can see in a profile is actually useful in determining whether that person would make a good partner. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
533:It's the difference between having a couple of dates, dating for a few months, or having a marriage and living together for eight years or so. It's easy to look back fondly on the ones that were somewhat short. ~ Brigid Brannagh, #NFDB
534:See, he may come back, sometimes they do, and I hope you don’t mind, but I fibbed a little, told the customer she was dating a police detective who never missed a workout. You don’t, do you? Ever miss a workout? ~ Kristen Ashley, #NFDB
535:The Boston Globe is reporting that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry used to date actress Morgan Fairchild but it didn't work out. Apparently she couldn't handle dating someone with bigger hair then she had. ~ Jay Leno, #NFDB
536:Dating someone you worked with had bad idea written all over it, but Todd, who was a few years older than me and had been dating the same girl since sixth grade, seemed to be under the impression he was my wing-man. ~ Chris Cannon, #NFDB
537:I wondered if it would've been too subtle to wear a T-shirt that said thank you for your interest, but I am no longer dating.
I knew Todd, wasn't a huge fan of reading, but he did like to stare at my shirts. ~ Elizabeth Eulberg,#NFDB
538:I don't know the first real thing about the dating game. I don't know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go to person by person and do the best you can with people in general. ~ Jason Schwartzman, #NFDB
539:I'm not with anybody, I don't have time for dating. Not to get too personal, but it's weirdly harder to meet new people now. But for the first time in my life since I was a little kid, I'm not so concerned about it. ~ Justin Vernon, #NFDB
540:She's not... She's not dating the skeleton, is she? How would that even be possible, let alone... nice? He's got no skin, or lips, or... or nothin'. And he talks. Good God, he talks and he never shuts up." - Billy-Ray ~ Derek Landy, #NFDB
541:Scheduling chatter is merely one of the many forms of useless banter that makes dating in the digital age so frustrating, especially for women over twenty-five, since they have less patience for constant text exchanges. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
542:The Google algorithm was a significant development. I've had thank-you emails from people whose lives have been saved by information on a medical website or who have found the love of their life on a dating website. ~ Tim Berners Lee, #NFDB
543:Beautiful Adonis-like male, stunning green eyes, wavy golden hair, flawless teeth. Athletic, outdoors-type, well-read and velvet-voiced, seeks: Average-looking, dating-challenged girl for irrevocable lifetime commitment. ~ Amy Patrick, #NFDB
544:I didn't say he was dating you," he said, "but funny that you knew just what I meant, isn't it?"
"We're not dating," Alec said again.
"Oh?" Magnus said. "So you're just that friendly with everybody, is that it? ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
545:Never talk to them when they’re human, or they’ll trick you. You’ll get confused and sympathetic. That was what his mom always said. She was probably right. Last time he talked to a werewolf, he ended up dating her. ~ S M Reine, #NFDB
546:I tried to tell them about the dating process because I'm single now and how horrible it is and how many foolish experiences I had had dating. So I was really selling him hard, but the whole time he really wanted me! ~ Andie MacDowell, #NFDB
547:There are a few things that tend to infuriate me. One is ignorance, because I have become accustomed to speaking to very intelligent people like Gore Vidal and Al Franken on a regular basis, since dating Bill Maher. ~ Karrine Steffans, #NFDB
548:Yeah, I think everybody has the crises of questioning themselves at some point or other in their lives. Is this where I should live? The job I should have? The girl I should be dating? Is this the friend I should have? ~ Chris Messina, #NFDB
549:It’s kind of like dating. If you are introduced to someone randomly in a bar, there is a chance it might work out, but you are more likely to have a higher success rate if you have a friend or family member introduce you. ~ Geoff Smart, #NFDB
550:Haven admits. “Like, how did you get him? No offense. I just thought you were the non-dating type.” I frown. The non-dating type? What kind of type is that? A little mushroom who sits at home in a semidark room growing moss? ~ Jenny Han, #NFDB
551:I don't really have a problem with just wanting sex. Never have. Even when I was a virgin and wanted to marry the first guy who I slept with, I never passed any judgments about that. But now I'm done [with dating around]. ~ Jessica Alba, #NFDB
552:Yes, it is. I once asked Holly once how long it would be before she’d start dating again if I died and she said, ‘not for at least three months’. Says a lot really. She’ll probably be downloading Tinder at my funeral.” “I ~ David Thorne, #NFDB
553:If you don't look back to self reflect, you're only going to repeat the same mistakes. Those mistakes will continue to show up in your dating lifescape because you haven't learned the lesson they were supposed to teach you. ~ jaha Knight, #NFDB
554:The ‘friend zone’ is like the penalty box of dating, only you can never get out. Once a girl decides you’re her ‘friend,’ it’s game over. You’ve become a complete non-sexual entity in her eyes, like her brother, or a lamp. ~ Ryan Reynolds, #NFDB
555:Magnus, remember what happened the last time you tried to tango. Your shoe flew off and nearly killed someone."
"It was a metaphor. He's a Shadowhunter, he's a Lightwood, and he's into blonds. He's a dating hazard. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
556:The learned are not agreed as to the time when the Gospel of John was written; some dating it as early as the year 68, others as late as the year 98; but it is generally conceded to have been written after all the others. ~ Simon Greenleaf, #NFDB
557:We're not really dating per se,' Leigh said. Nate grinned. 'I wouldn't be so sure about that, pretty lady. I know my brother's tastes and you definitely have the main ingredients. His eyes ate more than his mouth at dinner. ~ Destiny Booze, #NFDB
558:And the fresh hell of dating in your fifties was that, at this age, boyfriends could actually die. This had happened to Phoebe recently. It terrified her that at this age you couldn’t even rely on men to stay alive. Dating ~ Carolyn Jourdan, #NFDB
559:I prefer ordinary girls - you know, college students, waitresses, that sort of thing. Most of the girls I go out with are just good friends. Just because I go out to the cinema with a girl, it doesn't mean we are dating. ~ Leonardo DiCaprio, #NFDB
560:I grew up between the two world wars and received a rather solid general education, the kind middle class children enjoyed in a country whose educational system had its roots dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. ~ George Andrew Olah, #NFDB
561:She was my assignment."
"From The Eye?"
"No, from the Boy Scouts. That Witch Dating badge just kept eluding me."
"Well, you must have at least three Total Douchebag badges by now, so that has to count for something. ~ Rachel Hawkins,#NFDB
562:I like you. I like you so much that I … I think about you an inadvisable amount. But I really need there to be some more … dating in what we’re doing. Can we not just go out some time, have drinks, walk home, kiss goodnight? ~ Charlotte Stein, #NFDB
563:There's a lot that needs to be fixed in dating for men and women in the U.S. - there's a lot of pressure on women to do things they may not want to do. And if you start out unequal, you are not going to end up with equality. ~ Sheryl Sandberg, #NFDB
564:Black men, I discovered, are just as obsessed with hair as black women are. His dating history included various ethnicities, many of whose hair could have been packaged and put on the shelf at a Korean beauty salon. That silky shit. ~ Issa Rae, #NFDB
565:I want to start dating the man that I’m gonna marry. I want to start having some fun with someone that I know I’m gonna be with. I don’t play any games. I’m too old for that. I’ve been there, I’ve been around the block. ~ LisaRaye McCoy Misick, #NFDB
566:People love to talk, so let them have fun talking, I think they have an interesting, wonderful connection, so you knowWhat does dating mean? I don't know. I couldn't say. People love to talk, so let them have fun talking. ~ Catherine Hardwicke, #NFDB
567:She’s out of your league.”
Beth giggled. “That’s because she turned you down flat freshman year. Isaiah thought he could date up and asked a sophomore out. Little did he know Ms. Perfect had been dating King Luke for a year. ~ Katie McGarry,#NFDB
568:this was a thing you keep up on in high school, girls you secretly like but can’t get at ’cause they’re dating somebody, maybe a friend, and so you file ’em away and hope the guy joins the army and gets sent to laos or something… ~ Neil LaBute, #NFDB
569:Having a girlfriend was no longer my greatest need. Knowing and obeying Him was . I wanted to please Him in my relationships even if it meant looking radical and foolish to other people - even if it meant kissing dating goodbye. ~ Joshua Harris, #NFDB
570:I think we're too young to be dating. I mean I don't see what the rush is." Summer says.
"Yeah, I agree," said August. "Which is kind of a shame, you know what with all those babes who keep throwing themselves at me and stuff? ~ R J Palacio,#NFDB
571:Skull of an early modern human, dating from 90,000 years ago, found at Qafzeh in Israel. Found at the same site were remains of Neandertals, suggesting that here at least the two species coexisted, possibly for thousands of years. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
572:I’m not interested in dating anyone right now. I just got here, and I’m dealing with some stuff-”
“Everybody’s dealing with some stuff, darlin’. Sometimes it’s just nice to deal with it while looking at a gorgeous hunk of man. ~ Alice Clayton,#NFDB
573:One other thing.” “What.” “I think we’re dating now.” As V barked out a laugh, the cop shrugged. “Come on . . . I got you naked. You wore a damn corset. And don’t get me started about the sponge bath afterward.” “Fucker.” “To the end. ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
574:So what are you reading today?" She started shuffling through the book piles. "Poetry, poetry, more poetry. 'Dating for Eggheads'? 'How To Avoid Huge Ships'? Seriously? Trixie finds that simply staying on dry land works wonders, but… ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
575:I'm not dating Balthazar. I'm pretend dating him. Which involves some not pretend hand-holding. And maybe some not pretend kissing. But it's all actually pretend, see?
I groaned. My explanations were making my head hurt already. ~ Claudia Gray,#NFDB
576:My parents were minutes away from finding out that their sixteen-year-old only child was dating a grown man with no job and no car and no brain cells and bad teeth and oh, by the way, he also has a fucking penis tattooed on his head. ~ B B Easton, #NFDB
577:One of these days it was going to become too much. I would break under this torturous dating-but-not-dating limbo, jump on Stone Gentry’s sexy, aloof ass, and start riding like I was galloping toward a Kentucky Derby golden trophy. ~ Cora Brent, #NFDB
578:Quentin Quire: I'm just gonna lay this out there. You're blonde, Russian and exceedingly demonic. How is it that we aren't already dating?
.
Illyana Rasputin: I would tear you apart, little boy, like the bear does a baby goat. ~ Jason Aaron,#NFDB
579:That’s why teenage dating is so dumb, because it’s doomed to fail. You’d think people would have learned that by now, but I guess they haven’t. They go right on falling in love and thinking it’s going to survive high school. ~ Michael Thomas Ford, #NFDB
580:Unfortunately, there's no test of compatibility to see how couples will survive together, despite what they say on those online dating sites. There's always a risk you take when you agree to spend the rest of your life with someone. ~ Jaci Burton, #NFDB
581:What's that?"
"Jane!" Gansey said joyfully.
Adam said, "It's a wizard in a box."
"It will do your homework," Noah added.
"And it's been dating your girlfriend," Ronan finished.
Blue scowled. "Are you all drunk? ~ Maggie Stiefvater,#NFDB
582:An inscription, dating to the late fifth century B.C., forbids that anyone tan hides or throw litter into the Ilissos, further stipulating that no animal hides should be left to rot in the river above the temple of Herakles. ========== ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
583:I'm dating Brandon," I told his bowed head.
"Really?" he asked without looking up.
"Yes!"
"I'll print you a wallet card to whip out every time you need to say that, so you can save your voice."
"Could you laminate it? ~ Jennifer Echols,#NFDB
584:I'm dating myself by saying this, but I was the test audience for 'Space Invaders.' I remember when that was the first game that wasn't a pinball game. I spent a lot of money on 'Space Invaders,' in the form of quarters, of course. ~ John C Reilly, #NFDB
585:My colleagues and I have done a survey of 13,000 students on more than 17 campuses, and we found that while sex in college has always been a bit more casual, "hooking up" has pretty much replaced other traditional forms of dating. ~ Michael Kimmel, #NFDB
586:Poor guy,” Liam sighed, digging one of her tacos out of the bag. “Why?” she asked, totally confused. “You're dating this dude, yet gave your anal virginity to me. Must not like him too much,” he said. She almost choked on air. “You ~ Stylo Fantome, #NFDB
587:What was that about? His mother is practically gushing over you. Not to mention that he’s holding your hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Forget about dating - are you having a wedding you forgot to invite me to? ~ Rebecca Donovan, #NFDB
588:I think that we all have to have that rite of passage of dating the tortured artist who seems cooler than we think we are; we aspire to be like them, and we're excited that somebody is turning us on to new music or a new lifestyle. ~ Drew Barrymore, #NFDB
589:It was nice to see someone who appreciated her for her character, no matter how disgusted Christian was by the idea of ANYONE dating his aunt. And I actually kind of liked seeing Christian so obviously tormented. It was good for him. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
590:One other thing.” “What.” “I think we’re dating now.” As V barked out a laugh, the cop shrugged. “Come on . . . I got you naked. You wore a damn corset. And don’t get me started about the sponge bath afterward.” “Fucker.” “To the end.” As ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
591:What did I do to deserve you?” I wonder aloud, feeling like this woman just doesn't stop bewitching me.
“Nothing really. You bossed me into dating you. Fucked me good, and then you wouldn’t leave me alone. Now you’re stuck with me. ~ River Savage,#NFDB
592:Deception wasn’t Tricia’s strongpoint. Not when she’d been seven and blamed Angelica for a vase she’d broken, nor when coming up with excuses to avoid dating high school jocks who couldn’t spell, let alone comprehend, Sherlock Holmes. ~ Lorna Barrett, #NFDB
593:I am old school, I joined the gay liberation movement in 1972. If you had told me in 1972 that in the year 2009 I would be campaigning for the right to join the army or get married I think I would have started dating women at that time. ~ Cleve Jones, #NFDB
594:Let me quickly remind you that the allegation of being mentally incapable is a tried and tested method of silencing women dating back hundreds of years, a weapon to discredit us when we fought against abuses and stood up to authority. ~ Tom Rob Smith, #NFDB
595:The prospect of dating someone in her twenties becomes less appealing as you get older. At some point in your fife, your tolerance level goes down and you realize that, with someone much younger, there's nothing really to talk about. ~ Clint Eastwood, #NFDB
596:Big story at the Olympics regarding Michael Phelps. He stepped out with his girlfriend for the first time. She is a 25-year-old model from Los Angeles. Like every other model in L.A., She's dating an older retired guy. What's going on? ~ Conan O Brien, #NFDB
597:America, I might have my family, but imagine how embarrassing it is to have your parents watch as you attempt to date for the first time. And not just your parents—the whole country! Worse than that, it’s not even a normal style of dating. ~ Kiera Cass, #NFDB
598:Because dating is a human exercise, it can be a tightrope fraught with danger. You will be dating imperfect people, and some of them are more imperfect than others. In addition, you are not perfect either, so that complicates the picture. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
599:I mean … we’d just passed our one-year dating anniversary. I figured I was a sort of long-term investment for her. She hoped I would pay dividends eventually; if I died now, she would’ve put up with all my annoying qualities for nothing. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
600:Meditate?” I took my head out from under the pillow, shook dark hair back from my face, and rolled over on my side to look at him. “Excuse me, but the closest I ever got to having a spiritual awakening was dating a yoga instructor. Once. ~ Rachel Caine, #NFDB
601:When I met Nathan, I told my tour manager he was too good-looking for me. I don't have a history of dating good-looking men. I've always complained that girls don't get male groupies, and now I've married the first groupie I've ever had. ~ Nina Persson, #NFDB
602:between 2005 and 2012 more than one third of couples who got married in the United States met through an online dating site. Online dating was the single biggest way people met their spouses. Bigger than work, friends, and school combined. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
603:One more thing."
"What."
"I think we're dating now." As V barked out a laugh, the cop shrugged. "Come on....I got you naked. You wore a damn corset. And don't get me started about the sponge bath afterward."
"Fucker."
"To the end. ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
604:What was considered odd in elementary and junior high school became an asset on the dating circuit later in life. Men always loved the hummingbirds, weightless and colorful, so quick you could never catch them even if you wanted to. ~ Erica Bauermeister, #NFDB
605:Oh, we’re definitely not dating. I’m just mentoring him.” “Mentoring him?” Cassie asked, and I nodded. “Yeah, I’m his sex mentor,” I explained with a straight face. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but so far, he’s shown great progress. ~ Max Monroe, #NFDB
606:Hey—do you remember that movie when the girl waited around for the guy to ask her out, then made excuses when he didn’t? Then she slept with him when they were both drunk, and basically just hung around until they were kind of dating? Then ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
607:So he did not share a bed with his partners, did not perform oral sex, and was not interested in forming a relationship with a woman. I didn’t know much about the world of dating, but I was pretty certain my future husband wasn’t a great catch. ~ L J Shen, #NFDB
608:~There are moments when I feel like I have a looong road ahead of me, with college and dating and driving and all of that. But then I realize it just means that I have so much time left to enjoy my kids. And it really does go by so quickly.~ ~ Geena Davis, #NFDB
609:You don’t get to order me around and make the decision we’re dating without my agreement. That’s absurd. It doesn’t work like that.”
“It does. And we are. Exclusively, Georgia,” he said, glancing over at me as he stressed his last point. ~ Devney Perry,#NFDB
610:Just because times change and alot of people think that dating multiple people is the thing these days, it just isn't a solid foundation at all in matters of the heart. I still believe in marriages that have a physically powerful foundation. ~ Angela Merkel, #NFDB
611:We have Kenjii. We have my cell phone. Since we aren’t yet officially dating, I’m sure you’ll agree that’s all the protection we need.”
Dad choked on his coffee.
Mom waved us to the door. “Go. Have fun. Dinner will be at six thirty. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
612:I have always thought that the notion of a Republic is a noble one, dating back to the glory days of Hellas, which all D’Angelines regard fondly as the last Golden Era before the coming of Elua. Now, seeing it in action, I was not so sure. ~ Jacqueline Carey, #NFDB
613:It's weird to have people so interested in your personal life. It's a part of the business that grosses me out. I'm always bummed out for people who just happen to be dating a celebrity, and they're also famous, and they can't live their life. ~ Andy Samberg, #NFDB
614:The greatest difference between Internet dating in America and in China was conceptual: in America, it had the power to expand your universe of potential mates; in China, a nation of 1.3 billion people, online dating promised to do the opposite. ~ Evan Osnos, #NFDB
615:What happened to you over the last twelve hours? You call me on the way to work, all sobbing about Huxley going fishing. Then you call me and just got a grape sucked out of your hoohah and are dating the most eligible bachelor in the country? ~ Adriana Locke, #NFDB
616:You know, Liza, it would really shake up this town if fans got wind you’re dating Mr. Baseball. He has changed the game and the face of the Chiefs since he’s been here. I’d love to see how Cleveland would embrace him loving a black woman. ~ Toye Lawson Brown, #NFDB
617:If the guy you’re dating doesn’t seem to be completely into you, or you feel the need to start ‘figuring him out,’ please consider the glorious thought that he might just not be that into you. And then free yourself to go find someone that is. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
618:if the guy you’re dating doesn’t seem to be completely into you, or you feel the need to start “figuring him out,” please consider the glorious thought that he might just not be that into you. And then free yourself to go find the one that is. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
619:I just don't like when there's a rumor that says I'm dating someone who is below my standards. But when I got divorced, my ex-wife said I was spending all my time with Lindsay Lohan and Angelina Jolie. I was like, 'Thank you for the big ups!' ~ Marilyn Manson, #NFDB
620:I knew her type. She’d had some bad dating experiences and now she focused more on what she didn’t want than what she did want. Avoidance dating. She was already angry with me for the thoughtless things I would potentially do if we dated. When ~ Will McIntosh, #NFDB
621:Were I to put myself on... one of those online dating things, I would not include in my profile that I'm regularly hospitalized for psychosis. But I do know that when I get really bad, there is a place for me to go where I will feel better. ~ Marya Hornbacher, #NFDB
622:• Finding a good deal, the right business, the right people, the right investors, or whatever is just like dating. You must go to the market and talk to a lot of people, make a lot of offers, counteroffers, negotiate, reject, and accept. ~ Robert T Kiyosaki, #NFDB
623:So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook version of dating we’d gone through, I’d pretended that it was possible to love her when I only mildly liked her. Now I had no desire to pretend we’d ever be in love, and I liked her madly. ~ Rachel Cohn, #NFDB
624:So why were you with her?” “She was my assignment.” “From The Eye?” “No, from the Boy Scouts. That Witch Dating badge just kept eluding me.” “Well, you must have at least three Total Douchebag badges by now, so that has to count for something. ~ Rachel Hawkins, #NFDB
625:What does time have to do with anything? When two people have that kind of connection and you both can relate and help each other, like I know you both do now… who the hell cares about how long you’ve been dating? I say, when you know, you know. ~ Loni Flowers, #NFDB
626:He leaned forward and opened his door, politely standing aside to let me by before following me in. There are some advantages to dating a guy from another era, I thought. Though I am a big believer in gender equality, chivalry scores high in my book. ~ Amy Plum, #NFDB
627:My maternal grandmother was in London during the Blitz. Indeed, the man she was dating before she met my grandfather was killed beside her in a cinema, in 1941, when a bomb came through the roof - a tragedy in which she herself was badly wounded. ~ Chris Cleave, #NFDB
628:The profile’s the key, the absolute key to modern dating. If you can get quality people to look at your profile, it becomes a numbers game. The more views, the more hits. The more hits, the more the odds climb that you’ll find a compatible mate. ~ Will McIntosh, #NFDB
629:Skeletal remains taken from various regions of the world dating to the transition from foraging to farming all tell the same story: increased famine, vitamin deficiency, stunted growth, radical reduction in life span, increased violence…little ~ Christopher Ryan, #NFDB
630:Society is afraid of alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must have problems if, after a while, nobody is dating them. But lonely is a freedom that breaths easy and weightless and lonely is healing if you make it. ~ Tanya Davis, #NFDB
631:You know, they always say, “If you’re trying to meet someone, you may never find them. But it’s when you’re not looking, that’s when they find you.” I’ve always heard this in reference to government agents, but I think it applies to dating as well. ~ Joseph Fink, #NFDB
632:Because', she said, 'your problems are not real problems. You're dating two beautiful girls at once. Think about it. That's like...having rock-star problems.' 'Having rock-star problems may be the closest I ever get to being an actual rock star. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
633:It's always fun to welcome new people into your life. When dating anyone or becoming friends with anyone who has a different profession, a different life, it opens doors. All my friends here do such different creative things. It's so awesome. ~ Christopher Bollen, #NFDB
634:The very phrase 'Oscar night' used to accelerate my pulse. For one thing - dating myself - it meant Bob Hope. He always had good, strong jokes, that faultless delivery, and always a new joke about his own films' failure - once again - to be honored. ~ Dick Cavett, #NFDB
635:What was that about?' she demanded. 'His mother is practically gushing over you. Not to mention that he's holding your hand like it's the most natural thing in the world. Forget about dating - are you having a wedding you forgot to invite me to? ~ Rebecca Donovan, #NFDB
636:Every generation worries that educational standards are decaying. One of the oldest short essays in human history, dating from Sumer some 4,000 years ago, laments that the young are disastrously more ignorant than the generation immediately preceding. ~ Carl Sagan, #NFDB
637:She hadn’t had quite this much attention from T.J. since they’d started dating. He must feel completely threatened. She wasn’t sure if that amused her or worried her. But she turned off her phone just in case T.J. decided he had something more to say. ~ Robyn Carr, #NFDB
638:Whats nice about my dating life is that I dont have to leave my house. All I have to do is read the paper: Im marrying Richard Gere, dating Daniel Day-Lewis, parading around with John F. Kennedy, Jr., and even Robert De Niro was in there for a day. ~ Julia Roberts, #NFDB
639:If you are dating someone famous, you tend to be seen as part of a couple, rather than as an individual. But you can't help who you fall in love with. It's unfair when your career suffers - which mine did - simply because of who you're going out with. ~ Max Beesley, #NFDB
640:Of course, a lot of courtship and dating is about sexual attraction. If you're an attractive person, you have that sort of interest from people, whether you cater to it or not, but when you get older, that's not really the leading thing anymore. ~ Patricia Arquette, #NFDB
641:On the eve of the French Revolution in 1789, there were severe restrictions placed on Jews throughout Europe. In the German city of Frankfurt, for example, their lives were regulated by orders set out in a statute dating from the Middle Ages. There ~ Daron Acemo lu, #NFDB
642:The point is, I’m here to work.”
“And part of that work entails that you pretend we’re dating.”
“That’s outside this house. In here, I’m just your bodyguard.”
He stepped closer, his breath too close to her ear. “But out there, you’re mine. ~ Sidney Halston,#NFDB
643:Because', she said, 'your problems are not real problems. You're dating two beautiful girls at once. Think about it. That's like...having rock-star problems.'
'Having rock-star problems may be the closest I ever get to being an actual rock star. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
644:Isabelle and Sebastian? Hardly. Sebastian’s a nice guy – Isabelle only likes dating thoroughly inappropriate boys our parents will hate. Mundanes, Downworlders, petty crooks…” “Thanks,” Simon said. “I’m glad to be classed with the criminal element. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
645:They were all just chapters in the book, stepping stones. Each was perfect for where we were at the time, and I'm proud of them all. We couldn't have done this film [The Fourth Phase] without the other films pre-dating it and being part of the process. ~ Travis Rice, #NFDB
646:see also positrons; virtual particles Aristotle, 172–73 Atkins, Peter, 191 baryons, 76 Big Bang, xvii, 95, 107, 150, 173, 189 CMBR left from, see cosmic microwave background radiation dating of, 3, 15–16, 77, 87 density of protons and neutrons in, ~ Lawrence M Krauss, #NFDB
647:What the fuck? Didn't you tell him you had a boyfriend?" "I did. He asked if I loved you." "Who is this guy? What's he do?" "He's an accountant in Boston." "An accountant? Jesus Christ, didn't you tell him you're dating a fucking war correspondent? ~ Michael Hastings, #NFDB
648:Flustered, she replied, "You're not my - my - grandmother, or something." "You'd talk about this with your grandmother? I can't possibly imagine discussing my dating life with mine. She's a lovely woman, I suppose. If you like them bald and racist. ~ Maggie Stiefvater, #NFDB
649:I think people with anxiety do different things during different years, and for me, I waded through my anxiety during the last two years with men, and flirting, and dating, and this thing and that thing, and so that's going to stop, and that has stopped. ~ Jen Kirkman, #NFDB
650:So there’s a spiral death trap of dating. When you’re with someone, you look happy and relaxed, and thus, a lot more people than you need are attracted to you. When you’re sulky and alone, no one is attracted to you, and thus, you stay sulky and alone. ~ Caren Lissner, #NFDB
651:We’re not dating. We’re not a couple. I don’t want people to think something’s going on that isn’t,” she said.
Ben stared at her.
“I just came in your mouth.”
Beatriz glared at him.
“Okay, good point,” she said, smiling. “Lunch it is then. ~ Tiffany Reisz,#NFDB
652:We should leave people alone about their weight. Being skinny for a while (provided you actually eat food and don't take pills or smoke to get there) is a perfectly fine pastime. Everyone should try it once, like a super-short haircut or dating a white guy. ~ Tina Fey, #NFDB
653:Break ups aren't fair. Why does only one person have power? We both agreed to start dating. Why do you get to make the decision to end it? Shouldn't it be a joint decision too?
Relationships aren't a democracy. Not everyone gets an equal vote. ~ Alyssa Rose Ivy,#NFDB
654:Guys said you did good today.” He made a face. He’d done his job, nothing more. God knew he’d have taken on any threat to protect Taya. “Wish I’d been able to get more out of the bastard before he went to his seventy-two virgin dating service in the sky. ~ Kaylea Cross, #NFDB
655:I don't think there's a problem with dating somebody outside of your race, as long as you're doing it because you want to be with that person. Everybody tells you what you should do when you're dating, but if you follow your heart, it usually works out. ~ Donald Faison, #NFDB
656:Isabelle and Sebastian? Hardly. Sebastian’s a nice guy – Isabelle only likes dating thoroughly inappropriate boys our parents will hate. Mundanes, Downworlders, petty crooks…”
“Thanks,” Simon said. “I’m glad to be classed with the criminal element. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
657:So why were you with her?”
“She was my assignment.”
“From The Eye?”
“No, from the Boy Scouts. That Witch Dating badge just kept eluding me.”
Hawkins, Rachel (2011-03-01). Demonglass (Hex Hall Book 2) (p. 255). Disney. Kindle Edition. ~ Rachel Hawkins,#NFDB
658:We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today. ~ William F Albright, #NFDB
659:I feel like I am a real artist and I want to be able to feel what I am singing about. So when I sing, 'Leave (Get Out),' I have been through that. I think it is just a new generation, whether people are ready for it or not. Teenagers are dating. ~ Joanna Noelle Levesque, #NFDB
660:I think dating is all about role playing, and figuring out what you want and don't want. You figure out more about yourself by meeting people. You're like, "I'm not right for that person, but why am I not?" I think dating is a really interesting journey. ~ Shiri Appleby, #NFDB
661:when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them. And when you're fifteen don't forget to look before you fall. In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team. I didn't know it at fifteen. ~ Taylor Swift, #NFDB
662:Ridge: Well, then, I guess that means we’re roommates.
Me: If we’re roommates, can you do me a favor?
Ridge: What’s that?
Me: If I ever start dating again, don’t be like Tori and sleep with my boyfriend, okay?
Ridge: I can’t make any promises ~ Colleen Hoover,#NFDB
663:Sara was reminded of yet another one of Will's traits, which was that he had an uncanny knack for keeping his mouth shut when he didn't know what to say. This resulted in the sort of awkward moments that made Sara's dating life look downright ebullient. ~ Karin Slaughter, #NFDB
664:Things like dating, family, and friends are just so valuable to me and I didn't want to put any strain on any of those relationships and you can see how the cameras around people can make people a little bit loopy. I didn't want to bring that into my life. ~ Whitney Port, #NFDB
665:What do you want this to be, angel?” He smiles.
“I want to date you,” I finally say. “This is stupid.” I push him away or at least I try to.”
“Oh, I plan on dating the shit out of you. I plan on kissing the shit out of you, also. Just so you know. ~ Natasha Madison,#NFDB
666:I've always gone out with much younger guys. But I rushed into relationships before really getting to know the person. What would come up as a warning sign within the first two weeks of dating would usually be the exact reason the relationship would end! ~ Carrie Ann Inaba, #NFDB
667:No, really,' I said. 'I think she's great. And I honestly like her about twenty more times now than I did when we were dating. But love needs to have a future. And Sofia and I don't have a future. We've just had a good time sharing the present, that's all. ~ David Levithan, #NFDB
668:When I was in high school, I was dating this girl and wanted to make her birthday really special. I showed up early to school and went around to every single one of her classes and left a rose with her teachers. Each rose had a note with a little inside joke. ~ Dave Franco, #NFDB
669:As an adult, I've met an ocean of divorced people. I might even know more divorced people than married people, because I live in godless Los Angeles, where if you're engaged it simply means you're publicly announcing that you are dating a person monogamishly. ~ Mindy Kaling, #NFDB
670:Dating is like trying to make a meal out of leftovers. Some leftovers actually get better when they've had a little time to mature. But others should be thrown out right away, No matter how you try to warm them up, they're never as good as when they were new. ~ Lisa Kleypas, #NFDB
671:His text took only a moment. You tell the guy you’re dating that your boyfriend’s back. I let my arms drift back down to the bed as I closed my eyes, sighing. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too. My phone beeped again. And he’s gonna be in trouble . . . ~ Penelope Douglas, #NFDB
672:Flustered, she replied, "You're not my - my - grandmother, or something."
"You'd talk about this with your grandmother? I can't possibly imagine discussing my dating life with mine. She's a lovely woman, I suppose. If you like them bald and racist. ~ Maggie Stiefvater,#NFDB
673:For those whose ganglia were formed pre-TV, the mimetic deployment of pop-culture icons seems at best an annoying tic and at worst a dangerous vapidity that compromises fiction's seriousness by dating it out of the Platonic Always, where it ought to reside. ~ Jonathan Lethem, #NFDB
674:I mean, for years [my father] would been doing everything imaginable ... from speed to downers to you name it. I used to call that "changing seats on the Titanic," and I used to say that I myself was not only changing seats on the Titanic but dating the crew. ~ Carrie Fisher, #NFDB
675:Simon rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing we know the person who's dating Magnus," he said. "Otherwise, I get the feeling we'd all just lie around all the time wondering what the hell to do next. Or try to raise the money to hire Magnus by selling lemonade. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
676:At ten o’clock I receive a text from Blake. Hi, girlfriend! I just wanted you to know I’m turning in for the evening. Alone. Because we’re dating. I’m not a total jerk, so I reply, Hey there! How’s Chicago? I’m turning in, too. Alone. Because that’s how I roll. ~ Sarina Bowen, #NFDB
677:In the West, we have deliberately excluded religion from political life and regard faith as an essentially private activity. But this is a modern development, dating only to the eighteenth century, and would have been incomprehensible to both Jesus and Paul. ~ Karen Armstrong, #NFDB
678:Yesterday, the White House confirmed that President Obama will meet with Pope Francis during his visit in September. Some experts are wondering if they'll discuss their disagreement over contraception. Then Joe Biden said, 'I didn't even know they were dating.' ~ Jimmy Fallon, #NFDB
679:Evolution is unobservable. It's based on blind faith in a few dry bones and on unreliable dating systems in which the gullible trust. Kids should be allowed to make up their own minds about this issue, and not be censored to 'one side is all we will let you hear.' ~ Ray Comfort, #NFDB
680:I really like dating stories, like in Betty and Veronica comics; I like David Lynch and H.P. Lovecraft for the dark gut-wrenching stuff, and I'm inspired by Miyazaki's films for the subtle heart-warming moments, as well as the moments that blew up my imagination. ~ Fred Seibert, #NFDB
681:should be dating. She wasn’t good enough for him – she was too plain. Too ordinary. But she also wasn’t the kind of girl a boy like David would just have some fun with. She was no notch in his belt, no fling. And even if she had been, he wouldn’t have brought her ~ Kelly Rimmer, #NFDB
682:So far I was assumed to be a nasty slut who had a drinking problem. Then he took out a cloth handkerchief and blew his nose loudly in front of me. When he opened the fabric to look inside I wanted to hurl. No wonder he was on a dating site. This guy was hideous. ~ Jennifer Foor, #NFDB
683:Susan, nonetheless, wanted to know why she was having such a dating problem. Dusty said, "I think your problem is that you think everyone else is a freak except you, but everybody's a freak- you included- and once you learn that, the World of Dating is yours. ~ Douglas Coupland, #NFDB
684:Yes. It is true. I, Michael Scott, am signing up with an online dating service. Thousands of people have done it, and I am going to do it. I need a username, and I have a great one. 'Little Kid Lover.' That way people will know exactly where my priorities are at. ~ Steve Carell, #NFDB
685:When I saw music as a means to an end - more fame, more money, dating celebrities - that's when things have gone terribly wrong. Now my life is focused on just trying to keep making music. Because when it's really good, it's just the most remarkable feeling on the planet. ~ Moby, #NFDB
686:Dating is horrible, it's awful. I don't get it. It's like you're standing there: 'Hi. Do you want to have sex and later wish you hadn't?' It's horrible. And it's awkward at 42 because I don't have the body or the drive. I just sit in the car and hope somebody gets in. ~ Louis C K, #NFDB
687:Enough!” Romanoff barked. “Look around you. You’re on a military transport. Nobody’s flirting. S.H.I.E.L.D. does not run a dating service.” “Well,” Coulson said, “technically it’s frowned upon, but I’d be lying if—” Romanoff glared at Coulson, and he fell silent. ~ Margaret Stohl, #NFDB
688:Julius told me how much you’d grown, but I couldn’t believe it. Carter, I bet you’re shaving—”
“Mom.”
“—and dating girls—”
“Mom!” Have you ever noticed how parents can go from the most wonderful people in the world to totally embarrassing in three seconds? ~ Rick Riordan,#NFDB
689:Kai’s date to the Commonwealth’s ball last year, and it had been … terrifying. But also extraordinary. The people of Earth still weren’t sure what to do with the fact that one of their beloved leaders was not so secretly dating a Lunar, and a cyborg Lunar at that. ~ Marissa Meyer, #NFDB
690:I've never been on a date before," Isabella said to Mary as she got ready that night.
"You've been on plenty of dates," Mary said.
"No," Isabella said. "I've been out to eat with boys who were my boyfriend, but that's not dating. That's just parelle eating. ~ Jennifer Close,#NFDB
691:The doo-wop stalker love song on a Cincinnati oldies station--you broke up with me because I was an obnoxious jerk and now you're dating him, so I drive by your house and stare in your window every night, thereby proving that I'm an even bigger creep than you thought ~ Sarah Vowell, #NFDB
692:Sticking to the people we know is a tempting behavior. But unlike some forms of dating. A networker isn't looking to achieve only a single successful union. Creating an enriching circle of trusted relationships requires one to be out there, in the mix, all the time. ~ Keith Ferrazzi, #NFDB
693:I don't have much experience, but the few times when I would go on a date with a girl - like when I was 12 - there was a lot of sharing, and a lot of talking, and a lot of asking how I am. They thought we were dating, and I was sort of hoping to meet their brothers. ~ Anderson Cooper, #NFDB
694:Sympathy for the spinster. I'm perfectly content, thank you. And I refuse to be defined by my boyfriend. Or lack of. Once you decide not to worry about that stuff anymore, dating and relationships and love and all that, it's like you're free to get on with real life. ~ David Nicholls, #NFDB
695:Lane watched her for a moment with mounting irritation. Quite probably, he resented and feared any signs of detachment in a girl he was seriously dating. In any case, he surely was concerned over the possibility that this bug Franny had might bitch up the whole weekend. ~ J D Salinger, #NFDB
696:Nick is also supportive. Once, when Devon was dating a girl back in high school, Nick had even helped him research how to give oral. Seriously, the internet knows everything. Except how to alleviate a cramped tongue, apparently, which had been Devon’s downfall in the end. ~ Lisa Henry, #NFDB
697:JB frowned at Rowe for a second and then looked over at Noah. “Do you ever feel like you’re dating the devil? Because I’m pretty sure that calling the cops is the right thing to do, but he makes it sound so much more logical and saner to simply keep the cops out of it. ~ Jocelynn Drake, #NFDB
698:Butch sighed in relief. "Listen, man, do me a favor. Warn me before you pull another stunt like that. I'd rather choose." Then he smiled a little. "And we still ain't dating."
V laughed in a short burst. "Go to sleep, roomie. You can kick my ass for this later."
"I will ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
699:I don’t want any of this. I just want to be what I was before you showed up here and all hell broke loose. I want to be popular and dating the hottest guy in school. Now I’m none of those things, and I’m a human who has scary visions and don’t know what to do about any of it. ~ P C Cast, #NFDB
700:I got that experience through dating dozens of men for six years after college, getting an entry level magazine job at 21, working in the fiction department at Good Housekeeping and then working as a fashion editor there as well as writing many articles for the magazine. ~ Judith Krantz, #NFDB
701:I'm not saying dating is sinful, and I'm not saying a guy and a girl should never spend time alone together. I'm saying let's wait until we can be purposeful, so there's a reason behind our relationship, and we're not just stirring up passion for the sake of a good time. ~ Joshua Harris, #NFDB
702:This, however, is OKCupid, the vast, weird pink-and-blue toned jungle of the id masquerading as a dating site, where rare birds of modern romance flutter amongst the night-terrors of human loneliness and despair and the suspicious skin irritants of late-night hook-uppery. ~ Laurie Penny, #NFDB
703:I had to learn how to be faithful. When I was dating around and moving from woman to woman, I did not understand and know how to be faithful. Subsequently, once I entered into marriage, I had to learn how to be with one woman. For me, that was the biggest challenge of all. ~ Tony Gaskins, #NFDB
704:The number of people who have either gotten married or had kids or started dating or just made great friends over Instagram is countless. I think we're the only platform that continues to be successful in bringing people together in real life for these real relationships. ~ Kevin Systrom, #NFDB
705:While Catholics usually paint the Savior suffering, Mormon artists tend to depict Him as a rugged Idaho mountain man – the kind of Jesus you wouldn’t mind dating. In this particular picture he was healing a blonde child, because blondes were big in Jerusalen in 33 A.D. (131) ~ Elna Baker, #NFDB
706:Fears and expectations that date back to earlier experiences of dependency, but that didn't arise during courtship or dating, are activated as commitment to the relationship increases. As a result, partners start to anticipate the worst, not the best from their relationship. ~ Stan Tatkin, #NFDB
707:In my own relationships, I know that I should break up with someone who doesn't encourage me to be strong and make my own choices and do what's best in my life, so if you're dating someone who doesn't want you to be the best person you can be, you shouldn't be dating them. ~ Veronica Roth, #NFDB
708:It is our single friends who keep us in our marriages. They remind us that being single is sad. Dating, is sad. Online dating is sad. Attending holidays and weddings alone is sad. Marriage, too, is sad.
But love, lust, infatuation - for a few moments, I was not sad. ~ Melissa Broder,#NFDB
709:Not every girl is like you,” Sid says sadly.
“There are plenty like me. You just don’t find them in a mosh pit or with their tits hanging out outside the stage door.”
“Damn, that’s my dating pool gone then,” mutters Seth from the front of the car and the others snigger. ~ Lily Morton,#NFDB
710:When you’re on a Ferris wheel all anyone ever talks about is being on the Ferris wheel and the view from the Ferris wheel and whether the Ferris wheel is scary and how many more times it will go around. Dating is like that. Nobody who’s doing it ever talks about anything else. ~ John Green, #NFDB
711:I don’t want any of this. I just want to be what I was before you showed up here and all hell broke loose. I want to be popular and dating the hottest guy in school. Now I’m none of those things, and I’m a human who has scary visions and don’t know what to do about any of it. ~ Kristin Cast, #NFDB
712:I would like to allocate more time to dating, though. I need to find a girlfriend. That’s why I need to carve out just a little more time. I think maybe even another five to ten—how much time does a woman want a week? Maybe ten hours? That’s kind of the minimum? I don’t know. ~ Ashlee Vance, #NFDB
713:With my husband it was never like "omg, should I text him?" or "he didn't call me for two days." So, I think I knew it was right because it just happened so naturally. That's one piece of advice that I would give to women who are struggling in this crazy world of dating. ~ Lindsay Ellingson, #NFDB
714:...yesterday I saw Quentin not as the bright face everyone puts on for the purpose of dating but as she was when things broke down, and I still wanted to be there. Maybe more than ever, if only to enjoy the happiness that inevitably follows tragedy, when everything works out. ~ Jamie S Rich, #NFDB
715:Do you remember that street fighter who was coming into the tavern for a while?” Émilie’s expression lit up. “With the eyes?” she asked. “How could a girl forget?” Scarlet laughed. “Yeah, well. It turns out he’s Lunar.” Émilie gasped. “No.” “Also, I’m kind of dating him.” The ~ Marissa Meyer, #NFDB
716:I hate it when people say, "Oh, women are just jealous." I'm not jealous, but I do beat myself up about what I haven't accomplished in my own life yet - and when you meet a woman who has accomplished what you expect to achieve, and she's also dating your ex, of course it's hard! ~ Noel Wells, #NFDB
717:The tabloid that said that I dressed up as a medieval, like a sexy medieval something and that upset me more than the dating rumors that have been circling around that were fake. If somebody thinks I'm going to dress sexy to a costume party, they have another thing coming. ~ Jennifer Lawrence, #NFDB
718:I’d never really pictured myself dating anyone, it’s true, but I guess I still had this little corner in my mind tucked away even from myself about what it would be like anyway. Maybe you can’t help but lock away a little hope, no matter how improbable that possibility might be. ~ Amy Spalding, #NFDB
719:I'm just glad you're all right. And if you want to date, I promise I won't gut the little... Male."
She laughed at that. " I can wait until you're ready. I don't want you in jail for it."
Fain smiled. "Very well I'm told ninety is a prime dating age for a human female. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
720:When I was dating, my girlfriends and I used to say, ‘Don’t cry in front of him before date three.’ ”
“Cry?” I echoed, frowning.
“Yeah. Guys gets skittish when you cry.”
“I don’t think I have to worry about that one.”
“You don’t cry?”
“I don’t make it to date three. ~ Kasie West,#NFDB
721:I think it's important to be authentic but also be able to have fun and not be overly controlling or insecure. Dating is just one of those things where it's kind of when you know, you know. I have been really busy with my career and sometimes I find it hard to juggle the two. ~ Nolan Gerard Funk, #NFDB
722:The goal of Christian dating is not to have a boyfriend or girlfriend but to find a spouse. Have that in mind as you get to know one an- other, and if you’re not ready to commit to a relationship with the end goal of marriage, it’s better not to date but simply to remain friends. ~ Mark Driscoll, #NFDB
723:They (penguins) then fall madly in love and live happily ever after.
-
And so you ask yourself: "If a penguin can have a worthwhile, stimulating relationship, why the hell can't I?"
-
Or maybe you ask yourself: "Would I be happier if I started dating a penguin ~ Bradley Trevor Greive,#NFDB
724:The library was still giving trouble: a few books in some of the more obscure corners of the stacks retained some autonomy, dating back to an infamous early experiment with flying books, and lately they’d begun to breed. Shocked undergraduates had stumbled on books in the very act. ~ Lev Grossman, #NFDB
725:All my life, men have told me I wasn't pretty enough - even the men I was dating. And I'd be like, 'Well, why are you with me, then?' It's always been men putting me down just like my dad. To this day when someone says I'm cute, I can't see it. I don't see it no matter what anybody says. ~ Lil Kim, #NFDB
726:Dating is so insecure. My last relationship, I was always there for her and she dumped me. I told her about it. I said, "Remember when your grandma died? I was there. Remember when you flunked out of school? I was there. Remember when you lost your job? I was there!" She said, "I know ~ Tom Arnold, #NFDB
727:[...] he had his hand on your -" He put his hand at waist level behind me, without touching me.
"He had his hand on my ass?"
"No," they said.
"Behind your back," Rashad said. "Like you're dating or something." He put his hand behind Skip's back. Skip hit him. ~ Jennifer Echols,#NFDB
728:The only time Valentine's Day has any bearing on my life is when I'm dating someone, or if I'm in a relationship. I would call Valentine's Day the path of least resistance. If I buy you gifts, take you out to dinner, then you won't bust my balls. That is Valentine's Day in a nutshell. ~ Greg Dulli, #NFDB
729:The global economy is becoming a place where women are more successful than men, and these economic changes are starting to rapidly affect our culture - what our romantic comedies look like, what our marriages look like, what our dating lives look like, and our new set of superheroes. ~ Hanna Rosin, #NFDB
730:It would seem this is the gift modernity has bestowed upon our generation: the practice of "dating," an awkward procedure where a man and a woman find themselves talking rot to each other in a darkened room. If it were up to me, I would say modernity can keep it, as I want no part. ~ Suzanne Rindell, #NFDB
731:When I go to one of those singles dating parties I believe myself to be a bowl of fruit. When I talk to potential dates, I judge them by the smile in their lips, their smoothness of speech, and the whiteness of teeth; then I offer them the appropriate fruit, which is usually a lemon. ~ Amanda Holden, #NFDB
732:If I was dating someone and they were having their picture taken for a sexy publication that I knew horny women of all ages were going to buy to drool over . . . I’d prefer his face to be hidden so he’d be anonymous. They could enjoy his body, but I’d want his face to be all mine.” Wes ~ Susan Stoker, #NFDB
733:My standup has always been a direct reflection of my life. When I was single, I talked about single stuff. I talked about dating. When I got married there were only a handful of stories I could move over to where I wasn't going to be disrespectful to my wife. So I developed a new routine. ~ Henry Cho, #NFDB
734:If you are in a big city or on an online dating site, you are flooded with options. Seeing all these options, like the people in the job example, are we now comparing our potential partners not to other potential partners but rather to an idealized person whom no one could measure up to? ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
735:So I guess I’m ready to...start dating. I want to get married again. Have a family.” Ethan leans forward, causing Fat Mikey to jump off his lap. “I see,” he says. I look at the floor for a second. “Right.” Risking a peek at Ethan, I add, “So we should probably stop sleeping together. ~ Kristan Higgins, #NFDB
736:There are basically four kinds of chemistry between dating partners; physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Physical chemistry generates desire. Emotional chemistry generates affection. Mental chemistry creates interest. Spiritual chemistry creates love. A soul mate includes all four. ~ John Gray, #NFDB
737:He was a small, bandy-legged man, with a certain resemblance to a chimpanzee who never got invited to tea parties.
His age was indeterminate. But in cynicism and general world weariness, which is a sort of carbon dating of the personality, he was about seven thousand years old. ~ Terry Pratchett,#NFDB
738:They had a silent staring contest, but Percy didn’t back down. When he and Annabeth started dating, his mother had drummed it into his head: It’s good manners to walk your date to the door. If that was true, it had to be good manners to walk her to the start of her epic solo death quest. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
739:Domestic violence does not only happen to adults. Forty percent of girls age 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend, and approximately one in five female high school students reports being physically and sexually abused by a dating partner. ~ Dianne Feinstein, #NFDB
740:Everybody’s style of speaking is a mixture of echoes dating from different epochs of the past: hers recalls the prudent and modest civil servants of the last century who were proud that they represented the state and who took care not to compromise themselves by saying the wrong thing. ~ Theodore Zeldin, #NFDB
741:I often say we have a lot to learn from men regarding friendships. They tend to be less crazy about their friendships. They don't care if you don't call them back. They don't get hung up on who you're dating. I love men! But I also love women. There is richness in both types of friendships. ~ Kerry Cohen, #NFDB
742:When I started 'DailyGrace,' I was dating a 26-year-old guy I thought was the funniest person in the world. My creation process every day was imagining him watching my videos and wondering, 'Will he laugh at this?' But somehow that's turned into an audience that's mostly 15-year-old girls. ~ Grace Helbig, #NFDB
743:Dating was always a give-and-take. He showed his best side, so did she, and it took time to get past that effort to get to know the real person. The long-term future of the relationship depended on the ability to clearly see the other person and figure out if they were a good fit together. ~ Dee Henderson, #NFDB
744:God’s true love pretty much nullifies dating as we know it. . . .
It seems that dating as we have come to know it doesn’t really prepare us for marriage; instead it can be a training ground for divorce. We cannot practice life-long commitment in a series of short-term relationships. ~ Joshua Harris,#NFDB
745:I'd have provided her with diagrams and flow charts. But, Sam ruined that day she told the school we weren't dating. Sharks prowl in the water now, and I'll be damned if I step aside now and let Logan woo her with coffee and cheap teddy bears. It's time to break out the big guns: Signor Armani. ~ R S Grey, #NFDB
746:On 16 January 2002 India's Minister of Science and Technology released the first results of carbon-dating of the artefacts from the flooded cities of the Gulf of Cambay. The results date the artifacts to 9500 years ago -- 5000 years older than any city so far recognized by archaeologists. ~ Graham Hancock, #NFDB
747:Adrian kept sending me e-mails, asking me to rescue him (while also offering unsolicited dating advice). Ms. Terwilliger continued her passive aggressive attempts to teach me magic. Eddie continued in his fierce dedication to Jill. And Angeline continued her not-so-subtle advances on Eddie. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
748:Let me guess," Eric says, "You never meant for it to happen."
"Hell, yes, I did. I've wanted her since you two started dating."
Surprised, Eric blinks at me, and then even laughs a little. "I know."
"You did?"
"For God's sake, you're about as subtle as Hiroshima, Fitz." He sighs. ~ Jodi Picoult,#NFDB
749:We aren't just dating moms to help pass the time while our kids are little. That's part of it, that's a perk, but there's more. We date moms and do life together, so that when life gets hard, we have support. We have people who truly know us and are invested in us and love us no matter what. ~ Melanie Dale, #NFDB
750:Percy: “Hey, how’s it going?” Annabeth: “Uh, no thanks.” Percy: “Okay…have you eaten anything today?” Annabeth: “I think Leo is on duty. Ask him.” Percy: “So, my hair is on fire.” Annabeth: “Okay. In a while.” She got like this sometimes. It was one of the challenges of dating an Athena girl. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
751:My mom is going to kill me for talking about sleeping with people. But I don't want to put myself in the position where I'm in a monogamous relationship right now. I'm not dating just one person. 'Sex and the City' changed everything for me because those girls would sleep with so many people. ~ Lindsay Lohan, #NFDB
752:A great piece of advice for online dating is to stand out from the crowd. So greetings like "hello" and "hi" are very common. They do less well than things that are a little bit quirky or a little bit weird, like "howdy" or "holla." The rarer your salutation, the better it does, in general. ~ Christian Rudder, #NFDB
753:All the kids are gone. It's the greatest thing that has ever happened to Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hanks. I'll tell you that right now. Second greatest after having the kids in the first place. When they go, holy smoke, it's like you're dating again. It's fantastic. Also, we were doing an awful lot of work. ~ Tom Hanks, #NFDB
754:I still can’t believe you’re dating a gynecologist.”
“Someone has to,” she says in her practical tone of voice.
“You don’t think it’s weird that he’s on his way to the student clinic right now?” I push. “It’s not like he’s an ear, nose and throat doctor.”
“Please stop talking. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
755:What is your type, Finn? So far, I really don’t think you have one.”
“I don’t know. Tall, thin, smart. Quiet. Good with numbers.” Finn shrugged.
“You’re describing a ruler. Not a girl.”
“I’m describing myself,” Finn conceded with a laugh.
“Oh, and wouldn’t that be fun. Dating yourself. ~ Amy Harmon,#NFDB
756:When things went right, it was generally because the woman had cleverly manipulated the guy into good dating behavior. He’d call when he said he would. Put some thought into dates. He’d ask questions about her life because she didn’t vomit up all her personal history in the first ten minutes. ~ Kristan Higgins, #NFDB
757:I wish it was as easy as this”
“As what?”
“You and me. Talking. I wish the guys I dated got me the same way that you get me.”
He grows silent for a moment and I look over at him. He’s frowning, his attention focused on the road. “Maybe you’re just dating the wrong guys,” he finally says. ~ Karina Halle,#NFDB
758:Maybe this is just me, because my priorities have changed as I’ve gotten older. But now I don’t want to be ‘sort of dating’ someone. I don’t want to be ‘kinda hanging out’ with someone. I don’t want to spend a lot of energy suppressing all my feelings so I appear uninvolved. I want to be involved. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
759:The number one thing I am earnestly attracted to is intelligence. Writers are thus the pinnacle of intelligence. While actors are great and awesome, writers literally create new worlds from scratch. What is sexier than that? Personally, I don't know why every person out there isn't dating a writer. ~ Rachel Bloom, #NFDB
760:I definitely don’t think he’s a good guy for you. All of those lacrosse guys are so douchey.”
“Well, Peter’s not like those other guys.” I don’t understand why Margot can’t just be happy for me. I was at least pretend happy for her when she started dating Josh. She could be pretend happy for me too. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
761:How about you try dating?” I bet Charlotte Taggart could find someone to set you up with.” His eyes widened. “That is the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me. Don’t put that woman on me. She doesn’t give up.” Sweet laughter bubbled up at the thought of Charlotte playing matchmaker. “I promise nothing. ~ Lexi Blake, #NFDB
762:Tabitha was always trying unorthodox ways to set her up with guys. Although, to be fair to her sister, Tabitha didn't usually knock the guy unconscious before she forced them together. Still, with Tabitha there was a first time for just about anything. And extreme blind-dating was very vintage T. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon, #NFDB
763:That was the extent of our relationship, but I knew he used me to keep Were women from insinuating themselves into his life. My gaze landed on the fat little black book beside his phone. Apparently that didn’t slow him down when it came to dating. Dang, he needed a rubber band to keep the thing shut. ~ Kim Harrison, #NFDB
764:Cecilia swore again and rubbed her head, which really did hurt. She looked at the shoe boxes and saw that they were all for financial years dating back to the eighties. She began stuffing the pile of receipts into one of the boxes when her eye was caught by her own name on a white business envelope. ~ Liane Moriarty, #NFDB
765:I think people today are very cynical. They need to bring other people down. Reality television and tabloid magazinesnever before did we need to see movie stars taking out their garbage. But all of a sudden, it's front-page newstrying to figure out who's dating whom, all that stuff. Who cares? ~ Scarlett Johansson, #NFDB
766:I always hated high-school shows and high-school movies, because they were always about the cool kids. It was always about dating and sex, and all the popular kids, and the good-looking kids. And the nerds were super-nerdy cartoons, with tape on their glasses. I never saw 'my people' portrayed accurately. ~ Paul Feig, #NFDB
767:While she could hardly fathom what had just happened to her that night, she reached some conclusions before she fell asleep, certain things now made perfect sense; Moon River didn’t sound so syrupy, mistletoe wasn’t such a bad idea, and perhaps dating was not such a frivolous waste of time after all. ~ E A Bucchianeri, #NFDB
768:When you're on a Ferris wheel all anyone ever talks about is being on the Ferris wheel and the view from the Ferris wheel and whether the Ferris wheel is scary and how many more times it will go around. Dating is like that. Nobody who's doing it ever talks about anything else. I have no interest in dating. ~ John Green, #NFDB
769:When you’re on a Ferris wheel all anyone ever talks about is being on the Ferris wheel and the view from the Ferris wheel and whether the Ferris wheel is scary and how many more times it will go around. Dating is like that. Nobody who’s doing it ever talks about anything else. I have no interest in dating. ~ John Green, #NFDB
770:You know what my friends and I used to call girls like you? Girls who had everything handed to them on a silver platter, who only cared about how they looked and who was dating the most popular guy?"
"What?"
His grin grows wider. "We called you bitches. You girls were straight-up bitches. ~ Jessica Warman,#NFDB
771:There are several dozen storerooms with enough dried and sealed food to feed a fleet for a decade, if you want to call fortified and enriched sawdust dating from five millennia back ‘food.’” “It’s still nourishing?” “The ancients were good at preserving just about anything, except taste and themselves. ~ L E Modesitt Jr, #NFDB
772:The media is all over this Oui interview that Arnold did 25 years ago. Now, he's admitted he smoked pot, had group sex and didn't mind dating a girl that was out of shape and kind of fat if she satisfied him sexually. So, his handlers have stopped comparing him to Reagan and started comparing him to Clinton. ~ Bill Maher, #NFDB
773:Tabitha was always trying unorthodox ways to set her up with guys. Although, to be fair to her sister, Tabitha didn't usually knock the guy unconscious before she forced them together.
Still, with Tabitha there was a first time for just about anything. And extreme blind-dating was very vintage T. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
774:You said you and your husband are both werewolves?” “Yes,” she agreed. “How did that happen?” he asked earnestly. “Did he fall for you and then bite you? Or did you bite him? Or did you go to a werewolf dating site? I didn’t know there were actually women werewolves at all. The only ones you see on TV are men. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
775:Boyfriend?” Francis said. “Really?”
“Yes. Why is that a surprise?”
Looking away from Reg, Francis started typing. “I didn’t figure you for gay.”
“I’m sitting here being interrogated because I’m dating your biggest client, remember?” Reg reminded him. “You do realize Jeremy Jameson has a dick, right? ~ Cardeno C,#NFDB
776:You fishing for compliments, Burke?”
“From a hot young thang in a short red dress? You betcha.”
“A hot young thang who’s about to go out with your friend.”
“Ah. Right. That.”
Tell me not to go. Tell me I should be dating you instead. But of course he wouldn’t. Only in her fantasies. ~ Lauren Layne,#NFDB
777:That’s what happens when you insist on going around wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle,” she remarked. “When you start dating a girl, parents are going to have strong words. Deliver lectures. Set curfews. Hurl projectiles.”
Jared shrugged. “About how I always expected it would go, yeah. ~ Sarah Rees Brennan,#NFDB
778:The hot gossip in Washington is that Condoleezza Rice might have a new boyfriend. Secretary of State Rice is being linked to Canada's Foreign Minister, Peter MacKay. It's gotta be awkward dating a fellow diplomat. Like today, MacKay had to promise Condi he would get permission from the U.N. before he invaded her. ~ Jay Leno, #NFDB
779:Yeah, we've become really good friends. Our characters start dating in the book, and um, yeah, I think we - and we made up little back stories to our characters and little outtakes that we'd bring up to Edgar as a joke, and you know, kind of see different sides of stuff. So yeah, we have a really good time. ~ Johnny Simmons, #NFDB
780:Archaeologists recently unearthed a Han dynasty latrine dating to 206 BC. Complete with a running water supply, stone bowl, and an armrest, this 2,400-year-old Chinese technology looks downright modern. And that’s the problem: when it comes to our indoor plumbing, not much has changed in a very long time. ~ Peter H Diamandis, #NFDB
781:No," said her dad, starting to shout, "what I can't handle is you being dropped off after midnight by some kid who thinks he's a vampire!"
"And now you're dating a vampire?" Danny asked, intrigued. "You know they bite right?"
... ... ...
"How can he be a vampire when he knows so much about slayers? ~ Kelly Creagh,#NFDB
782:While I do not believe the earth loaned to us by our ancestors should be plagued by chemical horrors and thereby corrupted for future generations, neither do I believe I should have to face anything that has more eyes than I have during dinner. It was my rule when I was dating and, heck, it's still my rule now. ~ Gina Barreca, #NFDB
783:I’d never been the girl who invited strange men to my house. In fact, I generally took a while to invited guys I was dating over. But Joel had two things that made me want to break my usual protocol; information that could help me and intimate eyes.
Clearly friendship was looking more like a plan B. ~ Shawn Kirsten Maravel,#NFDB
784:In LA it's kind of common to date some random girl or guy, whereas back home it's more like you'll have your group of friends and you'll all kind of hang out, and then eventually there'll be a girl in the mix, and if you get on, then the next minute you'll be together. This whole dating process doesn't happen. ~ Martin Henderson, #NFDB
785:He went out with a variety of women, slept with some of them, hated the whole meaningless process. Drinks, dinners, plays and concerts and gallery openings ... He grew to despise the rigid formality of dating, missed the easy familiarity of simply being with someone, sharing friendly silences and unforced laughter. ~ Ken Grimwood, #NFDB
786:Is it necessary to add that the echoes of many characteristic tales, dating from that picturesque time, still linger about here, in more or less fragmentary form to be caught by the attentive ear? Some of them I have repeated; most of them I have forgotten; one I have never repeated, and assuredly can never forget. ~ Thomas Hardy, #NFDB
787:San Bernardino involved two killers were actually radicalized before they started courting or dating each other online, and online as late as - as early as the end of 2013, they were talking to each other about jihad and martyrdom before they became engaged and then married and lived together in the United States. ~ Keith Ellison, #NFDB
788:Americans understood dating to be about investments and gains, short or long term, but we saw romance and courtship as being about losses. After all, the only worthwhile courtship involved persuading a woman who could not be persuaded, not a woman already predisposed to examine her calendar for her availability. ~ Viet Thanh Nguyen, #NFDB
789:Are they dating?” Sky asks, pointing toward Paul. I shake my head. “He wants to, but he thinks she likes chicks.” I snicker. “Paul is the only one who doesn’t know.” “That’s kind of mean.” “I think it’s part of the reason why they’re so tight. He has a hard time being friends with women.” I shrug. “It works for them. ~ Tammy Falkner, #NFDB
790:Because I don’t like dating. I hate putting on a show and hoping someone will like me, and doing it again the next weekend and the next, with someone new. I don’t want ‘dudes.’ I want a man, who’s all my own. I want ‘the one.’” She gave him a halfhearted smile. “But you probably think that’s lame, don’t you, playboy? ~ Lauren Gilley, #NFDB
791:This may be crazy, but what the hell, right?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box, and Bridget felt faint as he cracked it open. An emerald set in a silver band winked up at her. "I love you, Bridget. I'm pretty sure you feel the same way about me, and screw the whole dating thing. Let's get married. ~ J Lynn, #NFDB
792:Lauriat made his first trip in 1873 on one of Cunard’s earliest steamers, the Atlas. His purchases routinely made news. One acquisition, of a Bible dating to 1599, a Geneva, or “Breeches,” Bible—so named because it used the word breeches to describe what Adam and Eve wore—drew nearly a full column in the New York Times. ~ Erik Larson, #NFDB
793:What do you want?
I want to stop living in fear. I want to stop coming up with excuses about why I'm not interested in dating. I want my family to know me. I want to get to learn more about Lisa. I want to stop feeling like everything I am is inadequate or makes me unworthy of love because of something I can't help. ~ Sara Farizan,#NFDB
794:He did that slow perusal thing with his eyes that guys did when they wanted a girl to know they liked what they saw. A slow smile curved his lips. “Yep.”
She recognized that look. She may have been out of the dating game for far too long, but she still understood the process. What she didn’t know was how to respond. ~ Tami Lund,#NFDB
795:Lauren frowned at Matthias. “We’re not dating.” It figured that was the part of the conversation she’d focus on. Garrett couldn’t imagine what Matthias would do with that information later. “Are you sure?” Matthias asked. Lauren’s frown only deepened. “Wouldn’t I know?” “Given Garrett’s skill with women? Possibly not. ~ HelenKay Dimon, #NFDB
796:Sebastian just smiled. “I could hear your heart beating,” he said softly. “When you were watching me with Valentine. Did it bother you?” “That you seem to be dating my dad?” Jace shrugged. "You’re a little young for him, to be honest.” “What?” For the first time since Jace had met him, Sebastian seemed flabbergasted. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
797:The spread of flash talk to the general population would prove to be a permanent shift in the English language. When you say “so long” to your “pal” in parting, you are participating in a subversive cultural phenomenon dating back to 1530 and the Derbyshire scoundrels who first developed a secret language all their own. ~ Lyndsay Faye, #NFDB
798:I've had such a great run with The Dutchess...and now this. You know, it is so interesting how in this business, the second you start dating they want to know if you're engaged. The second you're engaged they want to know when you're going to be married. The second you're married, they want to know when you're having children. ~ Fergie, #NFDB
799:What the fuck are you doing with your life?”
“Dating hookers, learning the gay, housing criminals, pissing off my fellow cops, and taking in what everyone says is a cat, but which I’m definitely sure is not a cat. I’m undecided on its actual species. I think it’s a cross between a rat and some kind of alien life— ~ Dani Alexander,#NFDB
800:Ah-ha! I knew it! Penis problems”
“Well, it seems that the cause of some of my problems happens to have a penis. Well, two actually,”
“Oh sweet Mary! You’re dating a guy with two dicks?”
“Ginger, no! It’s about two different guys.”
“Oh,” she says, obviously disappointed. “Damn. That woulda been kinda cool. ~ Michelle Leighton,#NFDB
801:If I'm with a man, is that going to prevent me from achieving my goal? What sacrifices will I have to make in terms of being myself, if I'm with a man? Something that young women find out really quickly is that when you start dating, all of a sudden you're supposed to have a role. You're not allowed to just be yourself. ~ Candace Bushnell, #NFDB
802:Peak hours for sending a first email through the online dating system tended to be during work (eleven A.M. to four P.M.) and then just after dinner (seven P.M. to nine P.M.). I did have a few women send me a first message after eleven P.M. Those who did had an 82 percent chance of coming from a profile that had too many words. ~ Amy Webb, #NFDB
803:Lara Jean, promise me you won’t let her get her hooks in Daddy. He doesn’t know the first thing about dating in the twenty-first century, and she’ll just eat him alive. He needs to be with someone mature, someone with wisdom in her eyes.” I snort. “Like who? A grandma? If so, I know a few from Belleview I could set him up with. ~ Jenny Han, #NFDB
804:Even if you haven't had the exclusivity conversation, they're still going to be mad if they find out you're dating someone they know and you haven't mentioned it. It's a dating rule." "Well, how am I supposed to know that rule?" "Everyone knows that rule." "I thought you were supposed to be on my side." "I am on your side! ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
805:Luke [the gospel writer] screws up his dating by tactlessly mentioning events that historians are capable of independently checking. There was indeed a census under Governor Quirinius - a local census, not one decreed by Caesar Augustus for the Empire as a whole - but it happened too late in 6 AD, long after Herod's death. ~ Richard Dawkins, #NFDB
806:Sebastian just smiled. “I could hear your heart beating,” he said softly. “When you were watching me with Valentine. Did it bother you?”
“That you seem to be dating my dad?” Jace shrugged. "You’re a little young for him, to be honest.”
“What?” For the first time since Jace had met him, Sebastian seemed flabbergasted. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
807:Are you really dating Rick Addison?” the darkest-haired of the girls, Emma, asked.
“I am.”
“Awesome.”
“Pause the game, Haley,” Livia instructed. “We need to pay Sam, and then she’s going to help get Anatomy Man back.”
Great. Now she could rob piggy banks. “You don’t need to pay me. We’ll call it a family courtesy. ~ Suzanne Enoch,#NFDB
808:In my dating career, I had found that mothers seemed to like me; fathers did not. Period. So I tended to avoid contact with the dads. I assumed that this wasn't personal. Rather, it was simply the fact that I was a hormone-laden, male teenager with a fully functional penis, who happened to be in the presence of their daughters. ~ Robin Yocum, #NFDB
809:I do get a little shy about contemporary language and events, but I also enjoy the idea of dating myself, somehow, anchoring a song in a specific time and place. Sometimes the new words and objects are too enjoyable and descriptive to ignore. And maybe making work that acknowledges that it won't last forever is important, too. ~ John K Samson, #NFDB
810:The good news is that these descriptive statistics give us a manageable and meaningful summary of the underlying phenomenon. That’s what this chapter is about. The bad news is that any simplification invites abuse. Descriptive statistics can be like online dating profiles: technically accurate and yet pretty darn misleading. ~ Charles Wheelan, #NFDB
811:Here’s the thing about dating at your age.” Laurence’s mom sat facing him as he ate breakfast. His dad had already gone to work. “It doesn’t count. It’s just like practice. Training wheels. You know this isn’t going to amount to anything. But that doesn’t mean it’s not important.” She was wearing sweatpants with a blouse. ~ Charlie Jane Anders, #NFDB
812:I've done a number of studies with speed dating and Match.com and what's interesting is that you know we still walk into a speed dating event, you know, thinking about what it is we're looking for in a mate and so you ask people, like women will say "I'm looking for somebody who is really kind and sincere and smart and funny." ~ Sheena Iyengar, #NFDB
813:He caught my hip, steadying me. “This’ll change everything,” he broke away from my mouth to say. “Once I’m inside you, you’re mine, I’m yours, and we are together. There will be no friendship and mild dating. It’s going to be all or nothing.”
I gazed up into his eyes. “Then make me your all.”
His eyes heated. “You always were. ~ Linda Kage,#NFDB
814:We walked toward the arcade and Noah shifted his hand to allow his fingers to rest beside mine. My heart galloped like a horse. This was Noah Hutchins. The Noah Hutchins that refused steady relationships or even dating. The Noah Hutchins that only wanted one-night stands. A stoner. My opposite. And right now, everything I wanted. ~ Katie McGarry, #NFDB
815:He'd written me up a proposal of why dating him was a sound decision. It had included things like "I'll give up cigarettes unless I really, really need one" and "I'll unleash romantic surprises every week, such as: an impromptu picnic, roses, or a trip to Paris—but not actually any of those things because now they're not surprises. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
816:Parker was also proving my theory. For instance, when Parker and Roger first started seeing each other, Parker got sick. Roger went to his house to cook him dinner and take care of him. That would never happen with a straight guy. If a straight guy got sick and he’d just started dating a woman and she wanted to take care of him, ~ Candace Bushnell, #NFDB
817:Bullshit," he snaps, before lowering his voice and leaning forward. "You're the reason we ... broke up. Shit, were we even dating?"
I lean forward. "I sure as hell thought so when I handed over my V card."
His eyes narrow. "You act like you handed it over easily. Like it didn't take me all goddamn summer to get into your pants. ~ Lauren Layne,#NFDB
818:I've always believed comics should bring in things like that, and they haven't for a very long time, in general. You always get people complaining, "What's it going to look like in 10 years' time?" It's ridiculous. Everything is going to age. If you try and avoid dating it, you just end up with something that doesn't mean anything. ~ Jamie McKelvie, #NFDB
819:Selling your apartment in New York is like dating a manic-depressive.. you get used to cycles of elation and despondency. Every time someone would come to see the apartment, there was the thrill of the date. You want to be presentable, so you clean the place up, make sure it smells good, put on some mood lighting and mellow music. ~ Anderson Cooper, #NFDB
820:Conflict is the basis of drama. I guess that goes back as long as time has existed as far as mankind is concerned, dating back to the Greek tragedies or the Old Testament. And violence is a form of conflict, so whether that's catharsis or whether that has some socially damaging effect on audiences - I suppose that would just depend. ~ Clint Eastwood, #NFDB
821:She leaned over the bed to plant a goodbye kiss on his cheek. Instead he reached up and cupped her head in his left hand, so that he was in charge of her kiss and it landed oh his lips. It was not, as she would have expected, the fumbling kiss of a boy unused to dating but the practiced kiss of a man who knew exactly what he was doing. ~ Lois Duncan, #NFDB
822:I need dating advice. Fast.” Ash arched a single brow at that. “I’m useless. I’ve never been on one.” The three human men turned to gape at him. “What?” Ash asked them defensively. Nick started laughing. “Oh man, this is priceless. Don’t tell me the great Acheron is a virgin?” Ash gave him a droll look. “Yeah, Nick. I’m lily-white. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon, #NFDB
823:Cute's good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it's, 'Who are you as a person?' Don't look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. When you're dating a man, you should always feel good. ... You shouldn't be in a relationship with somebody who doesn't make you completely happy and make you feel whole. ~ Michelle Obama, #NFDB
824:We now talk about fast food, speed dating, power-naps and short-term therapy. Recently, I tested an app called Spritz. It only shows a single word at a time, but increases your reading speed from 250 to 500-600 words a minute. Suddenly you can read a novel in a couple of hours! But does this help you understand literature any better? ~ Svend Brinkmann, #NFDB
825:You are very sweet," she told him after a year of dating, as they shared dessert at a restaurant, "but it's like your family trained you to react to the world in a way that was so specific to their art that you don't know how to interact with people in the real world. You act like every conversation is just a buildup to something awful. ~ Kevin Wilson, #NFDB
826:You don’t think it’s a little relevant that the guy who is supposed to die in the next year is dating the girl who’s supposed to kill her true love with a kiss?”
She was too angry to do anything but shake her head. He merely raised an eyebrow in reply, an action that warmed the temperature of Blue’s blood by a single degree. ~ Maggie Stiefvater,#NFDB
827:Kramer's recognition, with the geologists Lees and Falcon, that people could have settled in the fertile valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers much earlier than had previously been assumed has been entirely vindicated by subsequent discoveries of the traces of 'primitive agricultural villages' dating back more than 8000 years. ~ Graham Hancock, #NFDB
828:Bed. I’m not good at it. I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you. I don’t think I have whatever womanly gene it is that makes me able to get off easily. None of the guys I’ve been with have ever been impressed with me. I can’t—” “Shhhhhh.” Boone put his finger over her lips. “Again, we’ve already established that you’ve been dating idiots. ~ Susan Stoker, #NFDB
829:Since we’re being all chatty and whatnot … what about you?” He rubs his eyes. “I don’t own a vibrator.” “You know what I mean. Are you sleeping with anyone?” “No.” “Dating anyone?” He makes a noise that’s almost a laugh but not quite. “No.” “Why not?” “Because if I were capable of dating someone, why the fuck would I have broken up with you? ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
830:Hang out with people who are living on purpose, who meet their challenges with a step aside, suckers attitude, who are dating super awesome people, making exactly the kind of money they want to be making (or working toward it) or taking the kinds of vacations they, and you, want to be taking, and you’ll not only see what’s possible for you, ~ Jen Sincero, #NFDB
831:Men don't settle down because of the right woman. They settle down because they are finally ready for it. Whatever woman they're dating when they get ready is the one they settle down with, not necessarily the best one or the prettiest, just the one who happened to be on hand when the time got to be right. Unromantic, but still true. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
832:Rafe grinned. "So we are dating?" "No. You have to pass the parental exam first. It'll take you awhile to compile the data. They'd like it in triplicate." I turned to my parents. "We have Kenji. We have my cell phone. Since we aren't officially dating, I'm sure you'll agree that's all the protection we need." Dad chocked on his coffee. ~ Kelley Armstrong, #NFDB
833:Even if you haven't had the exclusivity conversation, they're still going to be mad if they find out you're dating someone they know and you haven't mentioned it. It's a dating rule."
"Well, how am I supposed to know that rule?"
"Everyone knows that rule."
"I thought you were supposed to be on my side."
"I am on your side! ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
834:How different would I be, if I'd never met him? Might I have had a normal dating life like my friends did, flitting from one guy to the next, never getting too serious or too invested in one while I was still so young? Who would I be if I hadn't endured the heartbreak of losing him & losing that part of myself that was built around him? ~ Beth Harbison, #NFDB
835:In subject files labeled as correspondence related to Rosemary Kennedy, withdrawal sheets indicate the removal of hundreds of documents dating between 1923 and the 1970s. This leaves significant gaps in the historical record. A large amount of the withdrawn material is associated with Rosemary’s treatment and care after her lobotomy. ~ Kate Clifford Larson, #NFDB
836:Grayson looked at me again. This time his gaze traveled form my hair down, and he let me see that he was looking. What he meant by this was that he thought I was beautiful, it was not just my miraculous hair, and we shouldn’t be distracted from our true love by the pesky detail that he was blackmailing me into dating his brother.
Right. ~ Jennifer Echols,#NFDB
837:Technology and the Internet have created a new set of relationships. It's changed the social fabric of promotion: advertising, dating. Part of art world judgment, part of it, is based on people's statistics; their measure of financial value: of likes, of popularity. Data and technology are invading the traditional and classic set of criteria. ~ Steve Miller, #NFDB
838:I thought you wanted to date other women?" "I didn't want to date other women. We decided in the heat of the moment that were no longer exclusively attached." "And I could date other men." Morelli was starting to look annoyed. "Have you been dating other men?" "Maybe." "As long as it isn't Ranger," Morelli said. "I don't think Ranger dates. ~ Janet Evanovich, #NFDB
839:She worried that maybe they'd been dating too long to end up together. It was like when you tried to jump off the high dive and if you did it right away, you were fine. But if you stood there looking down, thinking of all the bad things that could happen, you were doomed. You would just climb back down the ladder to the safety of the ground. ~ Jennifer Close, #NFDB
840:You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much—no one loves chili dogs that much! ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
841:If a guy were dating my daughter but didn't want to spend the gas money to come pick her up or refused to buy her dinner because it cost too much, I would question whether he were really in love with her. In the same way, I question whether many American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him. ~ Francis Chan, #NFDB
842:Leo Coontz, Human Rights and Special Prosecutor at Justice Department, describes himself with words that mimic how i would describe myself: "I can't talk football, or tell you the plot of the last novel I read. I don't know who's dating whom in Hollywood. And i don't really care. There are so many things in the world considerably more important. ~ Jodi Picoult, #NFDB
843:You would hope that coworkers who are dating can act professionally. But then again, some people can handle it, and some people can't. And those who can't kind of ruin it for the rest of us. Sometimes it's hard to be around an office relationship that went sour. When two actors have to be onscreen together, it can get really, really awful. ~ Kathleen Robertson, #NFDB
844:I think I'm definitely more open. You know the thing is I wouldn't have said I was closed before, but like, it's the kind of thing that you don't even think of other options. I've been dating black men for really, for like, I don't know, 10 years. You know, I haven't really dated outside of that. Now I think I'm probably am more open to the idea. ~ Sanaa Lathan, #NFDB
845:Frustrated, Ria threw down her napkin and rose to her feet. "If he's that great, you marry him. I will not marry a man who hasn't even attempted to French-kiss me the entire year we've been 'dating.'"
Her parents yelled her name, but Jet's incredulous voice drowned them out. "Seriously? Not even a little tongue? You're right-- dude is lame. ~ Nalini Singh,#NFDB
846:This was another thing Vale’s mother never understood: Vale was aro-ace, both aromantic and asexual. She’d told her parents she just wasn’t interested in dating any number of times… But they never seemed to get it. To them, Vale’s sexuality was a ‘phase’ that they were certain she would one day outgrow. Their obliviousness was a raw spot for Vale. ~ Danika Stone, #NFDB
847:Dating isn't good for Gerald Faust because everyone knows his secrets.
And everyone has pyschoanalyzed him.
And everyone knows what his problem is.
And everyone knows he has baggage.
And everyone thinks they know how to help him.
Because everyone believes what they see on TV.
Because no one has realized yet that it's all full of shit. ~ A S King,#NFDB
848:Rafe grinned. "So we are dating?"
"No. You have to pass the parental exam first. It'll take you awhile to compile the data. They'd like it in triplicate."
I turned to my parents. "We have Kenji. We have my cell phone. Since we aren't officially dating, I'm sure you'll agree that's all the protection we need."
Dad chocked on his coffee. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
849:There's a point when you're dating someone where you become aware of all the things you kind of thought you couldn't depart from. You kind of build all of these nostalgias and sort of antiquated memories in your mind, and when you're at the point during the breakup, you realise, "you know what, it actually takes a bit more than all this bullshit". ~ Matthew Healy, #NFDB
850:At the end of the day, I think there is an important moment happening in our society right, and I have to do the right thing. At the end of the day, I don't label myself one way or another. I come from a place where I find it hard to identify with a label. I've dated men in the past, and now I'm dating a woman, and I see it as ultimately no big deal. ~ Amber Heard, #NFDB
851:Although there appears to be a deep desire to approach dating, marriage, and sex in a way that pleases God, there nevertheless seems to be a profound lack of wisdom and practical know-how. There is a sizable gap between our understanding of the gospel and our knowledge of the Scriptures on one hand and our application of that knowledge on the other. ~ Matt Chandler, #NFDB
852:I need dating advice. Fast.”
Ash arched a single brow at that. “I’m useless. I’ve never been on one.”
The three human men turned to gape at him.
“What?” Ash asked them defensively.
Nick started laughing. “Oh man, this is priceless. Don’t tell me the great Acheron is a virgin?”
Ash gave him a droll look. “Yeah, Nick. I’m lily-white. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
853:He gave her his phone number, in a peculiar reversal of dating procedure. She might have considered kissing him, even after the horrible first date, but he just didn’t seem to know what to do. However, Jeremy does have one outstanding quality. He likes her. And this quality in a person makes them infinitely interesting to the person who is being liked. ~ Steve Martin, #NFDB
854:The worst aspect of dating from the perspective of many men is how dating can feel to a man like robbery by social custom - the social custom of him taking money out of his pocket, giving it to her, and calling it a date. To a young man, the worst dates feel like being robbed and rejected. Boys risk death to avoid rejection (e.g., by joining the Army ~ Warren Farrell, #NFDB
855:I really don’t know why we even bother trying to be subtle around you.”
“Neither do I. It’s not like he isn’t going to realize he’s being vetted as daughter-dating material.”
Rafe grinned. “So we are dating?”
“No. You have to pass the parental exam first. It’ll take you awhile to compile the data. They’d like it in triplicate. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
856:In 2013, 2.4 million heterosexual interactions on the Facebook dating app ‘Are You Interested?’ were analysed and showed that ‘all men except Asians9 preferred Asian women’. 10 ALL. The fetishisation of the Asian female body is highly problematic. Sexual submissiveness, sexual voracity, and voicelessness is a particularly tricky and damning combination. ~ Nikesh Shukla, #NFDB
857:It's amazing how much time and money can be saved in the world of dating by close attention to detail. A white sock here, a pair of red braces there, a gray slip-on shoe, a swastika, are as often as not all one needs to tell you there's no point in writing down phone numbers and forking out for expensive lunches because it's never going to be a runner. ~ Helen Fielding, #NFDB
858:Taylor’s dating Scott Casey?” He began to laugh. He held up one hand, clutching his side with the other. “Wait, wait.” He gasped for breath. “This really is too good. I gotta write this down to use one day.”
Jeremy turned to his computer, reading out loud as he typed. “ ‘And then the evil, arrogant movie star learned that lying does not pay. ~ Julie James,#NFDB
859:We have to learn that service to the greater good is the greatest satisfaction. That idea is at the basis of all the great traditions dating back into history. When you get inside yourself - and you really find that deep inner peace that's rooted in love - then you can't live a life that we see being manifested in the large parts of the world right now. ~ Edgar Mitchell, #NFDB
860:Sitting on my coffee table are Vanity Fair magazines dating back to December 2010 that I haven’t had a chance to read yet. My DVR is full of Real Time with Bill Maher episodes from the 2012 election that I’ll get around to watching by the 2016 election, I’m sure. I do not know where all of this “spare time” is that people who have kids always tell me I have. ~ Jen Kirkman, #NFDB
861:I'm in, like, dating Babylon. Like, I go on dates with men and, literally, like Sarah Palin will come up in like the first 20 minutes, and that doesn't put me in the mood. Like, talking about Sarah Palin. And they just want to know gossip, and I'm just kind of taking a little hiatus from dating right now, because I just don't want to talk about Sarah Palin. ~ Meghan McCain, #NFDB
862:Life isn't about how popular you are. What girl or boy you are dating or who you know. Life is about always being true to who you are or what you believe in. Never let anyone convince you that their way is better than your way. In the end all we have is our hearts.. and our minds. This is the reason we sing.. this is the reason we cry... this is why we live. ~ Andy Biersack, #NFDB
863:Him: When you’re on a Ferris wheel all anyone ever talks about is being on the Ferris wheel and the view from the Ferris wheel and whether the Ferris wheel is scary and how many more times it will go around. Dating is like that. Nobody who’s doing it ever talks about anything else. I have no interest in dating. Me: Well, what do you have an interest in? Him: You. ~ John Green, #NFDB
864:When girls see two Unattractives dating, they think, 'Hey! Love is possible even for unattractive people. They have to love different things about each other than their physical appearances. That's so sweet.' Meanwhile, dudes see it and think, 'That is one less guy I have to compete with for the most succulent boobs in the Boob Competition that is high school. ~ Jesse Andrews, #NFDB
865:After a moment, he (Ren) elaborated, "By the way, I didn't say you weren't attractive. I just said you're young."
"So is Nilima by your standards. You're more than three hundred years old!"
"That's true." He grinned lopsidedly in an attempt to get me to smile.
"Technically, you should be dating a very old lady." A tiny smile passed my lips. ~ Colleen Houck,#NFDB
866:Has Timmy called?"
"Timmy?"
"Timothy J. Callahan. My great and good friend."
"No. You think I'm running a dating service around here, Strachey? Doing social work among the perverts?"
"I just asked if he'd phoned, Ned. Anyway, I'd never accuse the Albany Police Department of social work. Or even, in a good many cases, police work. ~ Richard Stevenson,#NFDB
867:In one grave, dating around 6250 BCE, the deceased’s head had been removed (shades of Çatalhöyük!) and replaced with sixteen turtle shells, two of them inscribed. Some of these signs—in the eyes of some scholars, at least—look strikingly like pictograms in China’s earliest full-blown writing system, used by the kings of the Shang dynasty five thousand years later. ~ Ian Morris, #NFDB
868:I thought you wanted to date other women?"
"I didn't want to date other women. We decided in the heat of the moment that were no longer exclusively attached."
"And I could date other men."
Morelli was starting to look annoyed. "Have you been dating other men?"
"Maybe."
"As long as it isn't Ranger," Morelli said.
"I don't think Ranger dates. ~ Janet Evanovich,#NFDB
869:Much of this information can help people who are already in relationships, since the things that make men and women feel good during dating need to keep happening during a relationship in order for it to be successful. I hope this book will serve as a bridge between men and women, helping with the process of ‘cross-cultural communication,’ so that everyone wins. ~ Melanie Rubin, #NFDB
870:He’d been living with and engaged to Donna for years, but never quite married, but the kids thought of him as their dad. Becca had been only six when he and her mother started dating. Edward, whom the vampires had nicknamed “Death,” had taken Becca to dance class and sat in the waiting room with the moms for years now. It made me smile just to think about it. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
871:The traditional selling models, methods, and techniques that most of us have been trained to use work best in small sales. For now, let me define small as a sale which can normally be completed in a single call and which involves a low dollar value. Unfortunately, these tried-and-true low-value sales techniques, most of them dating from the 1920s, don't work today. ~ Neil Rackham, #NFDB
872:Dating is not only a wonderful time of life, but also a context for enormous spiritual and personal growth. You learn so much about yourself, others, God, love, spirituality, and life through dating. Done well, it can be fulfilling in and of itself. Done well, it can be one of the most fun and rewarding aspects of your life. Done well, it can lead to a good marriage. ~ Henry Cloud, #NFDB
873:Most women love that. I knew better. Men don’t settle down because of the right woman. They settle down because they are finally ready for it. Whatever woman they’re dating when they get ready is the one they settle down with, not necessarily the best one or the prettiest, just the one who happened to be on hand when the time got to be right. Unromantic, but still true. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
874:One of two things when the guy you're dating isn't really ready to commit. He's an a**hole and he's cheating on you; bottom line he's an immoral dude. Or, he's too young. And the advice I give to everybody night in and night out is: Don't ever take seriously, don't ever consider, don't even pay any attention to what a man says or does until he gets to about 30. ~ Michael Catherwood, #NFDB
875:Under the mattress was a file containing background info on every kid in our class. Parents’ names, date of birth, hobbies. Mina had put a lot of emphasis on hobbies, underlining some of them, like wrestling, boxing, and law for Daniel. The emphasis on sports and extracurricular interests would make sense…if you were filling out applications for a dating service. ~ Kelley Armstrong, #NFDB
876:What I'm asserting is that we are looking at bisexuality the wrong way, making the identity entirely dependent on someone other that the bisexual person him- or herself. If I'm dating a man, I'm straight. If I'm dating a woman, I'm a lesbian. But sexuality is not who you sleep with, it's who you are. It doesn't change according to who is standing next to you. ~ Jennifer Baumgardner, #NFDB
877:Dating is an act of outrageous vulnerability. You're leaving the comfort of your home and your friends to subject yourself to the scrutiny of strangers. You're sliding into that restaurant booth, plopping your laptop and gym bag on the floor, and saying, 'Hi, I'm Sara. Let's see if we can start a life together, shall we?'
It doesn't get more optimistic than that. ~ Sara Eckel,#NFDB
878:She seemed to still be completely unaware that Elliot was pining openly for her and messing up customers' orders as a result. And the one time I'd tried to hint to her that there might be dating prospects with someone she already knew, someone she was friends with, she'd thought I was trying to set her up with Warren, and things had briefly gotten very uncomfortable. ~ Morgan Matson, #NFDB
879:All people in relationships ever do is talk about their relationship status. It like a Ferris wheel. When you're on a Ferris wheel all anyone ever talks about is being on the Ferris wheel and the view from the Ferris wheel and whether the Ferris wheel is scary and how many times it will go around. Dating is like that. Nobody who's doing it ever talks about anything else. ~ John Green, #NFDB
880:What was that about?” she demanded. “His mother is practically gushing over you. Not to mention that he’s holding your hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Forget about dating— are you having a wedding you forgot to invite me to?”
Donovan, Rebecca (2013-06-04). Reason To Breathe (The Breathing Series, Book 1) (p. 242). Skyscape. Kindle Edition. ~ Rebecca Donovan,#NFDB
881:I shook my head at him. “Unbelievable. You have no claim here,” I said, gesturing to myself. “You have no right to be upset that I’m dating Jack. You had your chance.”
“I guess I’m not as okay with it as I thought I was. I don’t like seeing him with you,” he said, and I wasn’t sure if it was because Jack was a known player or if Jack was suddenly playing with me. ~ Monica Alexander,#NFDB
882:Something else that’s different about Italian boys, I realize. If they see a girl they fancy they go up to her and start talking. If an English boy likes you, he’ll mostly avoid you not to seem too keen. Which is barking mad, of course.
Generally, things on the dating side do seem to run much better here. Except if you look like their sister. ~ Lauren Henderson,#NFDB
883:Love, love, love – all the wretched cant of it, masking egotism, lust, masochism, fantasy under a mythology of sentimental postures, a welter of self-induced miseries and joys, blinding and masking the essential personalities in the frozen gestures of courtship, in the kissing and the dating and the desire, the compliments and the quarrels which vivify its barrenness. ~ Germaine Greer, #NFDB
884:Love, love, love – all the wretched cant of it, masking egotism, lust, masochism, fantasy under a mythology of sentimental postures, a welter of self-induced miseries and joys, blinding and masking the essential personalities in the frozen gestures of courtship, in the kissing and the dating and the desire, the compliments and the quarrels which vivify its barrenness. ~ Germaine Greer, #NFDB
885:One of the great problems dating back to the Early Church was that of the static Christian. The static Christian is one who is slowed in his spiritual progress. This is a problem we need to face today in the Christian Church. The great challenge is how do we get such Christians interested in becoming more than the average run-of-the-mill type of believers we see everywhere. ~ A W Tozer, #NFDB
886:Dating in highschool was very different. Boys suddenly went up your shirt, girls were expected to give blow jobs and be sexy. You had to be hot, but not a slut. You had to be into sex, but never have it. Except when your boyfriend wanted it. If you had sex you had to keep it a secret, but also be very good at it. Except not too good, because this better be your first time. ~ Amy Poehler, #NFDB
887:Like the red pill in The Matrix, the Master Algorithm is the gateway to a different reality: the one you already live in but didn’t know it yet. From dating to work, from self-knowledge to the future of society, from data sharing to war, and from the dangers of AI to the next step in evolution, a new world is taking shape, and machine learning is the key that unlocks it. ~ Pedro Domingos, #NFDB
888:Fuck my cousin, it's got nothing to do with my cousin for me. If you were alone, I'd still be right on this carpet, on my knees, wanting to be with you. If you were mated to a female, if you were dating someone all casual and shit, if you were in a million different places in life … I’d still be right here. Begging you for something, anything one time, if that’s all you’ve got. ~ J R Ward, #NFDB
889:Tracy and I were among the few girls left in our class who hadn't made it to the table as Todd's girl of the moment. I'd never had the desire to be part of their demented version of Noah's Ark, where you could only survive if you were paired up with a member of the opposite sex. If I had to choose between dating Todd and missing the boat, I was fully prepared to drown. ~ Elizabeth Eulberg, #NFDB
890:I had to admit that I had a strong tendency to date jokers. I couldn’t say no to them. I would sit across from someone I was dating and try to imagine who in the entire world would date this nimrod other than me. But I always had to have a boyfriend. They distracted me from being sad. They baffled me with their stupidity. I refused to believe that finding love was difficult. ~ Heather O Neill, #NFDB
891:It means my luck sucks," she said. "It was nice dating a guy wo treated me like a friend instead of a blow-up doll."
"You were the one trying to unzip my pants in the truck!"
"Yeah, well, I thought you weren't interested. I didn't realize that your divining rod just pointed into a different direction."
"You're killing me," he said. But it sounded like he was smiling. ~ Brigid Kemmerer,#NFDB
892:I wouldn't have known anything about Catholicism if I hadn't been dating Gert. In those days, Catholics were much less ecumenical than they are today. Gert was always of the mind that she wouldn't go to another church except the Catholic Church. So when I would date her in New York City and later when we went to Oxford before we got married we always went to the Catholic church. ~ Wesley Clark, #NFDB
893:On a less public stage he meets a few times a month with Canadian technology entrepreneurs. He grants each visitor about an hour in a session that is part speed dating, part talent show. In these encounters, he plays the tough judge, brusquely challenging their technology, strategies, and financing as a way of preparing them for the kinds of predators that once threatened RIM. ~ Jacquie McNish, #NFDB
894:This homeostatic hypothesis effectively vanished from the mainstream thinking on human (as opposed to animal) obesity with the coming of World War II. The war destroyed the German and Austrian community of clinical investigators, who had done the most perceptive thinking about the causes of obesity and had a tradition of rigorous scientific research dating back two hundred years. ~ Gary Taubes, #NFDB
895:It's kind of freaky to send your picture over the Internet to someone you don't really know and then have to sit waiting for their judgement on how you look. Maybe that's why my aunt Penny, who got divorced two years ago, hates online dating so much. Mom's always nagging her to go back on Match.com but Aunt Penny says she'd rather have root canal work - without anesthetic. ~ Sarah Darer Littman, #NFDB
896:What I think I know about dating is that you can't take back something you say in a date. You can't lie, and you can't pretend to be someone you're not unless it's not going well and you never see them again. It never works if you try to make yourself seem like someone you're not, and you want to keep dating them. Be yourself. Don't embellish. It will always come back to get you. ~ Michael Urie, #NFDB
897:she couldn’t stand to look up another profile on that awful internet dating site and find another middle-aged, bald, chubby man staring smugly at her out of the computer screen, demanding a ‘slim lady who takes care of herself, for snuggles and long walks along the beach’. Yes, she wanted this child to love her and approve of her and save her from snuggles with chubby, smug men. ~ Liane Moriarty, #NFDB
898:The PUAs have a name for this: They call it one-itis. It’s a disease AFCs get: They become obsessed with a girl they’re neither dating nor sleeping with, and then start acting so needy and nervous around her that they end up driving her away. The cure for one-itis, PUAs like to say, is to go out and have sex with a dozen other girls—and then see if this flower is still so special. ~ Neil Strauss, #NFDB
899:I bet he's an actual good guy. The kind that I desperately need in my life. The thing of it is, he'll never be mine because he's a good guy. By nature alone, a good guy would never cheat on his girlfriend, hence the impossibility of anything happening between Nash and me. Even if they were to break up, he'd probably be too nice a guy to hurt her like that, by dating her cousin. ~ Michelle Leighton, #NFDB
900:In Turkey, ancient drawings that are two thousand or more years old show djinn in half human-half reptilian forms with horns, scaly skin, lizard-like eyes, and claws for hands. This depiction is similar to the Christian description of devils and demons. It is also interesting to note that Islamic art dating from only eight hundred years ago shows the djinn as more human-like. ~ Rosemary Ellen Guiley, #NFDB
901:Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Which was the truth. Kind of. Then I blurted out, “I love him.”
“You love Shay?”
“No.” I threw her a look. “I love Linde. We have a wild and forbidden passion for each other. Of course, it’s Shay. He’s the guy I’m dating.”
“I know.” She held her hands up. “You hold your cards close to your chest. I just wanted to make sure. ~ Tijan,#NFDB
902:Uh-uh, dude. I tried it your way with the dating and the girls and the kissing and the drama, and man, I didn't like it. Plus, my best friend is a walking cautionary tale of what happens to you when romantic relationships don't involve marriage. Like you always say, kafir, everything ends in breakup, divorce, or death. I want to narrow my misery options to divorce or death - that's all. ~ John Green, #NFDB
903:Well it seems the cause of some of my problems happens to have a penis. Well, two actually."
"Oh sweet Mary! You're dating a guy with two dicks."
"Ginger, no! It's about two different guys."
"Oh," she says, obviously disappointed. "Damn. That woulda been kinda cool."
"How so?"
"I don't know. One for each hole?"
"You're sick, you know that?"
"Yeah pretty much. ~ Michelle Leighton,#NFDB
904:You are confronted with abysses of time that are, in a way, unfathomable. You see a painting in charcoal of raindeer and it was left unfinished and somebody else finished it. But through radio carbon dating we know that the next one completed the painting 5,000 years later. You're just blown away by the notion of passage of time. We have no relationship to that kind of depth of time. ~ Werner Herzog, #NFDB
905:Although we met on a dating application that has basically transferred the human mating experience onto a plasma screen that you hold in your hand,that fact does not make us desperate,lonely,or insufficient in any way.We are just two normal twenty- something utilizing the unusual means of our times to reach out and connect with others in a world suddenly made lonely by hyper-connectibity. ~ Seth King, #NFDB
906:Cernunnos is a horned god associated with nature and animals. His name is usually translated as “Horned One”, and he is also known as “Lord of all Wild Things”. There was dispute about his name, as it is derived from a piece of altar found in Notre Dame (Paris) dating to 17 CE which reads ERNUNNO, and depicts a bull-horned god, not the stag-horned god of the Gundestrup Cauldron.[202] ~ David Rankine, #NFDB
907:The only dating advice I have to offer is: Expect the guys in your life to be kind and respectful. Don't make excuses for garbagey behavior-'Oh, that's just what guys are like.' It isn't true. Expect them to be good, treat them like they're good. And if they're garbagey, move on. Don't let your world get cluttered up with people who think they have some gender-based right to be awful. ~ Rainbow Rowell, #NFDB
908:Normally if you're dating, you're looking for compatibility, and then the moment that there's incompatibility, you're like, "Well, swipe left on that, let's just keep looking." In some ways I think the same lessons apply to people that apply to objects. It's just much easier to see that lesson in things because they're these fixed intangible lumps of stuff. People are not. They can change. ~ Ian Bogost, #NFDB
909:If a guy were dating my daughter but didn't want to spend the gas money to come pick her up or refused to buy her dinner because it cost too much, I would question whether he were really in love with her In the same way, I question whether many American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him." Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God ~ Francis Chan, #NFDB
910:In fact I no longer value this kind of memento. I no longer want reminders of what was, what got broken, what got lost, what got wasted. There was a period, a long period, dating from my childhood until quite recently, when I thought I did. A period during which I believed that I could keep people fully present, keep them with me, by preserving their mementos, their "things," their totems. ~ Joan Didion, #NFDB
911:Dawson: “I was married to your mom for a long time. And I didn’t know how you would feel about me dating someone.” “It’s okay, Daddy,” Harlow says. “Mommy is in heaven. God is her boyfriend now.” “I think she’d date Jesus. He’s younger.” Ava says. “Yes, Jesus,” Harlow agrees. “Mama and Jesus. But Mama would make him shave his beard.” I laugh loudly envisioning Whitney ordering Jesus around. ~ Jillian Dodd, #NFDB
912:Using words like "casual" and "hang out," and the time constraint, were all part of a strategy to make the visit a low-pressure event. It's a much better way to get someone to commit to time with a stranger than AFC-style dinner dating, which can be a painful, drawn-out affair that involves two people who may have nothing in common stuck together for an entire night of awkward conversation. ~ Neil Strauss, #NFDB
913:Die Dating-Welt ist ein verdammter Stellungskrieg, wo nur geblufft wird und niemand wirklich weiterkommt. Angeblich läuft alles nach bestimmten Spielregeln ab, aber so genau kennt die keiner - und deshalb spielt jeder nach den eigenen Regeln. Und weil du die Regeln des anderen nicht kennst, fällst du immer wieder auf die Schnauze. Woher sollst du sie auch wissen? Es sagt dir ja keiner was. ~ Helen Fielding, #NFDB
914:I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell people we’re an item. It was nice of you to take me to dinner and I had a good time, but I don’t think we’ll be dating.”
“Do you find me attractive?”
“Uh…”
“I thought so,” he said. “Already told you tonight you were beautiful. So since we’ve got some major fucking chemistry and we get along, how about we cut the bullshit and see where this goes? ~ Devney Perry,#NFDB
915:The old man had smiled kindly. “It is in their nature, child. God has made woman the weaker vessel.” It was an old belief, dating back to St Paul himself. “It is man who is made in God’s image, my child. Man’s seed produces his perfect likeness. Woman, being only the container in which the seed matures, is therefore inferior. She may still reach heaven, but, being inferior, it is harder. ~ Edward Rutherfurd, #NFDB
916:There is no such thing as biblical dating. If you're dating, I don't care who you're dating, you're out of God's will. If you're a young man and you're dating, you're out of God's will. Period. You can come talk to me about it later, you can be mad if you want. But that's just the truth. There's no such thing as recreational dating. There is biblical courtship, there is no recreational dating. ~ Paul Washer, #NFDB
917:One night in my junior year of high school, a friend was helping me prepare for a big party I was throwing while my parents were out of town. She’d been hanging out the last few months with some boys from Fenwick, the local all-boys Catholic high school, and asked if a few of them could come to the party. Sure, I said. Actually, she told me tentatively, she was sort of dating one of them. ~ Michelle McNamara, #NFDB
918:That's the advice I would give to women: Don't look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. Look at how the guy treats his mother and what he says about women. How he acts with children he doesn't know. And, more important, how does he treat you? When you're dating a man, you should always feel good. You should never feel less than. You should never doubt yourself. ~ Michelle Obama, #NFDB
919:And then there was poor perfect Peter who you dumped because he manscaped.”
... “Hey, you didn’t have to look at his perfect eyebrows all the time. It was off-putting how arched they were. And he had zero hair below the waist. I mean, come on. I don’t mind guys keeping it tidy down there, but he was totally smooth. I tried to get past it but it was like dating a Ken doll. ~ Leisa Rayven,#NFDB
920:In fact I no longer value this kind of memento.
I no longer want reminders of what was, what got broken, what got lost, what got wasted.
There was a period, a long period, dating from my childhood until quite recently, when I thought I did.
A period during which I believed that I could keep people fully present, keep them with me, by preserving their mementos, their "things," their totems. ~ Joan Didion,#NFDB
921:On a ruinous wall I came upon a poster dating from the previous year and announcing that ‘six handsome bulls’ would be killed in the arena on such and such a date. How forlorn its faded colours looked. Where were the handsome bulls and the handsome bull-fighters now? It appeared that even in Barcelona there were hardly any bullfights nowadays - for some reason all the best matadors were Fascists. ~ George Orwell, #NFDB
922:Because I don’t like the idea of you facing them alone. Because I’m not dating you because you’re convenient. Because I don’t want to simply have sex with you or hang out with you.” He stroked the line of Paul’s beard. “I want to be with. You. I want to watch gooey movies with you, and laugh and play and figure out new ways to enjoy sex, but I want to help you through the rough parts of life too. ~ Heidi Cullinan, #NFDB
923:She’s not just any Moroi. She’s royal. A princess. And you’ve seen how she is! Smart and strong and beautiful. She’s destined for great things, and one of them isn’t being involved with a controversial guardian like me. Her bloodline’s regal.Hell, I don’t even know who my dad is. Dating her is not even possible. My job is to protect her. To keep her safe. That’s where all my attention needs to be. ~ Richelle Mead, #NFDB
924:best friend; she was dating a billionaire whose reputation was already fragile. This would destroy both of them. She was out of the apartment, shopping, because doing something was better than sitting around, thinking of how they were no longer together. And the reason why just walked through my front door. She must hate Ben. I couldn’t take it. I had to do it now. I got up from my chair and opened ~ Vanessa Waltz, #NFDB
925:To get a true sense of the book, I have to spend a few moments inside. I'll glance at the first couple pages, then flip around to somewhere in the middle, see if the language matches me somehow. It's like dating, only with sentences......It could be something as simple yet weirdly potent as a single word (tangerine). We're meant to be, that sentence and me. And when it happens, you just know. ~ Amy Krouse Rosenthal, #NFDB
926:If talking about ourselves non-stop isn’t a good idea for the workplace, friendships, or dating, then why on Earth is this considered a good idea for social media? It isn’t, and this is why we’ve spent so much time exploring how society as a whole has changed. If we don’t understand our world and how we fit best within our modern culture, we’ll wear ourselves out and have no time left for writing books. ~ Kristen Lamb, #NFDB
927:We're sure it is," the Raven striker said, "seeing how you're dating a prostitute." "Stripper," Dan corrected as she showed up and wound an arm around Matt's waist. Her stilettos hung off her fingers by their thin straps and she jiggled them as she spoke. "Hopefully you're smart enough to distinguish between the two professions. If you're not, I have serious concerns about your academic standings." Neil ~ Nora Sakavic, #NFDB
928:I don't really know how dating works," Jared told her. "High school for me was mostly musical numbers. That's how it is in the States, you've seen the movies. Every time someone had an emotional dilemma or epiphany, they would burst into song, and we would all have to break out into perfectly choreographed dance sequences. It took a lot of intensive training. So many jazz squares, no time for love. ~ Sarah Rees Brennan, #NFDB
929:I need dating advice. Fast...Julian, how did you meet your wife?"
Julian shrugged. "My brother the sex god cursed me into a book for two thousand years. Grace got drunk on her birthday and summoned me out of it."
Vane rolled his eyes. "That's useless. Kyrian? What about you?"
"I woke up handcuffed to Amanda."
Vane could work with that. "So I need to get a set of handcuffs? ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
930:I mean, we did live in a kingdom, in a castle and all of that, but that didn’t mean we had to pretend we were in King Arthur’s time or something. Well, tonight we did, apparently. Tonight, we’d pretend we didn’t live in the age of the internet, and dating apps, and Facebook, and instead we’d spend the evening dancing with eligible princes, to a string quartet, in gowns. Welcome to the 21st century, right? ~ Madison Faye, #NFDB
931:I was used to the buttoned up, wealthy, Casper-skinned whites that always spoke in their library voices and used words like sassy and spicy to describe me. I was used to white people that embodied the suburban American dream. White people like Lainie's parents, who wished their daughters weren't dating me, but tolerated it and engaged me in discussions about affirmative action and how I benefited from it. ~ Gabby Rivera, #NFDB
932:Aren’t all demigods related on the godly side, and doesn’t that make dating gross? But the thing is, the godly side of your family doesn’t count, genetically speaking, since gods don’t have DNA. A demigod would never think about dating someone who had the same godly parent. Like two kids from Athena cabin? No way. But a daughter of Aphrodite and a son of Hephaestus? They’re not related. So it’s no problem. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
933:Her youthful habit of consuming a picture just inches from its aromatic surface died a long time ago. Sebastian, when they were first dating, had once called it an affectation and she could never bring herself to do it again. His offhanded comment should have been a sign of future cruelties and standards of perfection, but instead she’d quickly agreed with his assessment and was grateful for his candor. She ~ Dominic Smith, #NFDB
934:I knew she was leaving. I knew we were never going to date long-distance. I knew that we wouldn't have been able to be like this back when we were dating, so there was no use in regretting what hasn't happened. I suspected that what happens in hotel rooms rarely lasts outside of them. I suspected that when something was a beginning and an ending at the same time, that meant it could only exist in the present. ~ Rachel Cohn, #NFDB
935:Mom!" Becca stared at her. "You think—you think I'm dating Michael?"
Her mom stared back at her, obviously thrown. "You're not?"
This would be hilarious if her mom didn't look so serious.
"Oh my god," cried Becca. "Are you kidding? Michael is the last person I would ever—oh my god. I wouldn't go out with him if someone paid me. Ugh, that's just—"
"You know I can hear you, right?" called Michael. ~ Brigid Kemmerer,#NFDB
936:Online dating,” he mumbled dryly.
“Oh, like before? That makes sense then. It’s actually kind of sweet you still have each other through all this craziness.” It was like an ah-ha moment. They were gay.
“I was kidding,” his eyes snapped up to mine again and flashed with annoyance.
“I’m not judging you,” I quickly said. “I think it’s great. Seriously!”
“We’re not gay,” he growled. “We’re brothers. ~ Rachel Higginson,#NFDB
937:The arm of flesh will fail you," Bridie's grandmother had been fond of reminding her, especially after she'd started dating, bringing home this one and that one, going on and on about them. "Love with all your heart, . . . but don't look to anybody but the Lord to fill up your empty spots. There's never been a man born . . . who can do that, and I don't care if he's the finest thing since store-bought pickles. ~ Linda Nichols, #NFDB
938:There are many ways to get to know someone, and my favorite is seeing them naked in Happy Baby pose.
I also feel it is important to have sex soon after meeting someone in order to find out if you have sexual chemistry together. Otherwise, you could wait two to three months after you start dating someone only to discover that your new boyfriend is bad in bed, or even worse, is into anal beads and duct tape. ~ Chelsea Handler,#NFDB
939:And yes, I say, I do like girls. I don't pursue them, though, and there are a lot of reasons for that. It's gotten me in trouble before, but I also think I have ridiculously high standards because the whole dating, fooling around thing seems so complicated. And not in a good way. I hate obligations, and if you want to be with a girl, it's like you're expected to do certain things. And do them a certain way. ~ Stephanie Kuehn, #NFDB
940:There must come a time, after you've been online dating for months or even years, when you feel your spirit leaving your body. You'll stay online, but you won't even know why. You'll still sign in and look at people's profiles, just to pass the time, but you won't think of them as humans any longer. They might look like people, but then so do you, and you know that all you are anymore is a shell. You'll start flailing. ~ Katie Heaney, #NFDB
941:We’d talked in abstract ways about how each of us viewed marriage, and it worried me sometimes how different those views seemed to be. For me, getting married had been a given, something I’d grown up expecting to do someday—the same way having children had always been a given, dating back to the attention I’d heaped on my baby dolls as a girl. Barack wasn’t opposed to getting married, but he was in no particular rush. ~ Michelle Obama, #NFDB
942:We look down our noses at people who've made mistakes in relationships. She's so stupid! How could she do that! Our superiority makes us feel better. But I’d bet everything I have on the fact that people to claim to have a perfect record in love are either lying or have very limited dating experience. People who say, I’d never do that! Someday, unless you are very, very lucky, you’ll have a story to tell. Or not to tell. ~ Deb Caletti, #NFDB
943:They had come all at once, scientists being pack animals. Their leader was a nice man named Carlos, who had started dating Cecil, the presenter of the local radio station, after a near-death experience a few years before involving a brutal attack from a tiny civilization living under lane 5 of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex. It was an ordinary enough way to begin a relationship, as these things go. ~ Joseph Fink, #NFDB
944:Joke-ruiner," Stacey said. We drove north and west, away from the city center. The Treadwell house was in an odd area of town, upriver, near empty brick warehouses and a few old factory shells dating back more than a hundred years. The nearest residential neighborhood was a row of decrepit bungalows on narrow, weedy lots, some of them clearly abandoned or foreclosed. They'd probably been inhabited by factory and dock workers ~ J L Bryan, #NFDB
945:Meliorn?” said Clary. “I’ve met you, haven’t I? You used to go out with Isabelle Lightwood.” Meliorn was almost expressionless, but Clary could have sworn he looked ever so slightly uncomfortable. Luke shook his head. “Clary, Meliorn is a knight of the Seelie Court. It’s very unlikely that he – “ “He was totally dating Isabelle,” Simon said, “and she dumped him too. At least she said she was going to. Tough break, man. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
946:And this is Liam,” Erin said with less enthusiasm.
“I’m twelve. But I’m mature for my age. In case you felt like dating a younger man.”
“Mature?” Erin snorted. “You still play with Legos.”
“Just practicing for my future in engineering.” His voice cracked in an unintended squeak. “Mam says one day girls are gonna fall for my intelligence.” Liam wiggled those brows toward me. “Better get me while I’m still available. ~ Jenny B Jones,#NFDB
947:And this is Liam," Erin said with leass enthusiasm.
"I'm twelve. But I'm mature for my age. In case you felt like dating a younger man."
"Mature?" Erin snorted. "You still play with Legos."
"Just practicing for my future in engineering." His voice cracked in an unintended squeak. "Mam says one day girls are gonna fall for my intelligence." Liam wiggled those brows toward me. "Better get me while I'm still available. ~ Jenny B Jones,#NFDB
948:When I started dating I had this kind of Romeo and Juliet, fateful, romantic idea about love. It was almost that you were a victim - that there was a lot of pain involved and that was how it should be. Shakespeare said the course of true love never did run smooth and I had a sense it had to be painful. It was such a revelation to realise it shouldn't be that way and you get to choose who you love and who you give your heart to. ~ Emma Watson, #NFDB
949:Whit and she had started dating when Suzanne was living at home because she couldn’t hold down a job. Her anxiety was debilitating and she had trouble focusing. Antianxiety meds smoothed over the cracks, but the cracks were still there. Suzanne felt she might have a panic attack, collapse, at any moment. Whit calmed her, got her away from her parents, but now it occurred to her she might have simply traded one cage for another. ~ Sonja Yoerg, #NFDB
950: “Isn’t that kind of an intimate thing to say to a stranger?” Her tone betrayed her. I knew how to read body language, and hers was telling me that she was interested. I’d more than piqued her curiosity.
“Ah, we’re not strangers, Annie,” I whispered against her lips. “We’ve already shared a cozy elevator ride, I’ve cleaned your top, and you’ve sent me a very odd a picture of a question-mark clock. We’re practically dating. ~ L H Cosway,#NFDB
951:Meliorn?” said Clary. “I’ve met you, haven’t I? You used to go out with Isabelle Lightwood.”
Meliorn was almost expressionless, but Clary could have sworn he looked ever so slightly uncomfortable. Luke shook his head. “Clary, Meliorn is a knight of the Seelie Court. It’s very unlikely that he – “
“He was totally dating Isabelle,” Simon said, “and she dumped him too. At least she said she was going to. Tough break, man. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
952:Mary bring out your umbrella -
The sun shines down on this fine, fine day
But the ashes raining down forever
Are going to turn your hair to gray.
Mary keep your oars a-steady
Sail away on the rising flood
Keep your candle at the ready
Red tides can't be told from blood.
- "Miss Mary" (a common child's clapping game, dating from the time of the blitz), from Pattycake and Beyond: A History of Play ~ Lauren Oliver,#NFDB
953:Parasols with miniature electric gas lamps atop them were all the rage. Hers had a pink light in it, which meant she belonged to a family that allowed its children to follow the quaint old practice of dating. White indicated that a girl’s family would arrange a courtship for her, and blue identified a married woman. Green stood for a woman who wasn’t keen on men at all, but whose head could be turned by the sight of a pretty skirt. ~ Lia Habel, #NFDB
954:Simon rolled his eyes. “It’s a good thing we know the person who’s dating Magnus Bane,” he said. “Otherwise, I get the feeling we’d all just lie around all the time wondering what the hell to do next. Or trying to raise the money to hire him by selling lemonade or something.”
Alec looked merely irritated by this comment. “The only way you could raise enough money to hire Magnus by selling lemonade is if you put meth in it. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
955:At nine Megan calls to complain about Darlene. She thinks Darlene changed over the summer and now has a big ego because she’s dating a college guy. At nine thirty Darlene calls to say she suspects Megan is jealous because she’s dating a guy in college. At nine forty-five Sierra calls to tell me she talked to both Megan and Darlene tonight and she doesn’t want to get in the middle of it. I agree, although I think we already are. ~ Simone Elkeles, #NFDB
956:There’s like a dude at the door, asking for you?”
“Did you let him in?”
“No. I said I would check with you.”
“Well, did you ask his name?”
“Yeah. It’s Mr. Rickard.”
“That’s Adam you idiot! Go and let him in!”
“But he’s like fit!”
“No need to sound so shocked.”
“You’re dating him?”
“Yes. look, I haven’t got time to go this, and he is standing out on the doorstep.”
“Fucking hell Mum, like, way to go. ~ Robert Bryndza,#NFDB
957:The girls were both high school seniors, both pretty in that coltish way. The one sitting on the corner of his old bed—the one he had met for the first time an hour ago—was named Erin. Myron had started dating Erin’s mother, a widow and freelance magazine writer named Ali Wilder, two months ago. This party, here at the house Myron had grown up in and now owned, was something of a “coming out” party for Myron and Ali as a couple. The ~ Harlan Coben, #NFDB
958:The latest numbers we have for March 2017, they showed that March was the fourth warmest month that we have records on, dating back to the 1880s, and the warmest month in a non-El Niño period. That is to say, we're kind of in a permanent El Niño now. The temperature is always elevated. March saw record lows for the date in global sea ice. That's really, really scary. We are melting some of the biggest physical features on our earth. ~ Donald Trump, #NFDB
959:The death of literature had been exaggerated. Whereas on dating websites, those who like books are usually bracketed into a single category, the broad selections on offer at WH Smith spoke to the diversity of individuals’ motives for reading. If there was a conclusion to be drawn from the number of bloodstained covers, however, it was that there was a powerful desire, in a wide cross-section of airline passengers, to be terrified. ~ Alain de Botton, #NFDB
960:The so-called 'Sleeping Lady' statues found in the Hypogeum and numerous 'Venus' figurines found throughout Malta's megalithic temples leave little doubt that a form of Mother Goddess was the supreme deity worshipped in these mysterious places. But these artifacts 'have all been attributed arbitrarily to the Neolithic', even though they are distinctly characteristic of European Palaeolithic art forms, dating as far back at 30,000 BP. ~ Graham Hancock, #NFDB
961:Nancy had neither seen nor heard of girls who dressed as boys and could think of no documentation on the topic through all her time in Afghanistan, dating back to the country’s last king, who was ousted in 1973. But she was “not the least bit surprised” by my story of one little girl being brought up as a boy. Similar to Carol’s take on the subject, it made a certain sense to Nancy: “Segregation calls for creativity,” she had told me. ~ Jenny Nordberg, #NFDB
962:There’s an opening at Mom’s campaign,” I say. “She needs all the help she can get
now that she’s totally distracted by Clay Tucker.”
“Who the hell’s Clay Tucker?”
“The…” Nan lowers her voice, even though all she says is: “…younger man
Samantha’s mother’s dating.”
“Your ma’s dating?” Tim looks shocked. “I thought she pretty much confined herself
to a vibrator and the shower nozzle since your dad screwed her over. ~ Huntley Fitzpatrick,#NFDB
963:I said, “Pretty.” “Yes. She is.” “You had to be seeing her, when, before you knew me?” His eyes never left the picture. “I knew you, but I was still on the job.” I remember Joe dating back then, but the relationships seemed as they were now, none more important than any other. “I guess you were tight with this girl.” Joe nodded. “So what happened?” Pike handed back the picture. “I broke her heart.” “Oh.” Sometimes prying is a lousy idea. ~ Robert Crais, #NFDB
964:Chaz’s shift was over, so Kat met him at his apartment in the ritzy Lock-Horne Building on Park Avenue and 46th Street. Kat had come to an office party here two years ago when Stacy was dating the playboy who owned the building. The playboy, whose name was Wilson or Windsor or something else overtly preppy, was brilliant and rich and handsome and now, if rumors were true, had lost his mind à la Howard Hughes and become a complete recluse. ~ Harlan Coben, #NFDB
965:My soul is chaos, how can it be at all? There is everything in me: search and you will find out. I am a fossil dating from the beginning of the world: not all of its elements have completely crystallized, and initial chaos still shows through. I am absolute contradiction, climax of antinomies, the last limit of tension; in me anything is possible, for I am he who at the supreme moment, in front of absolute nothingness, will laugh. ~ Emil M Cioran, #NFDB
966:The inspiration for this movie [Something New] was this Newsweek article that came out a couple of years ago that talks about 42.4 percent of black women in America aren't married. Black women are shooting up the corporate ladder way faster than our black male counterparts. And (black men) are either dating outside their race, in jail or dying. And so if you want to have a family, you want to be married, you have to look at other options. ~ Sanaa Lathan, #NFDB
967:Human engagement for the storage of information in opposition to death cannot be measured with the same scales used by the natural scientist. Carbon-dating tests measure the natural time according to the information loss of specific radioactive atoms. However, the artificial time of human freedom (“historical time”) cannot be measured by simply turning carbon-dating formulas around, so that they now measure the accumulation of information. ~ Vil m Flusser, #NFDB
968:Some burns," Clary said. "Nothing that matters" "Everything that happens to you matters to me." "Well that certainly explains why you haven't called me back once. And the last time I saw you, you ran away without telling me why. It's like dating a ghost." Jace's mouth quirked up slightly at the side. "Not exactly. Isabelle actually dated a ghost. She could tell you--" "No," Clary said. "It was a metaphor. And you know exactly what I mean. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
969:These days, the teenage years are considered a time for socializing with a focus on dating and popularity. When relieved of the pressures of dating too young, I believe a young person is better able to focus on who they really are and find themselves in that crucial time when your personality is beginning to germinate. It’s all that time reading, dreaming, and goofing off with fellow oddballs where our best selves get to evolve as teenagers. ~ Rainn Wilson, #NFDB
970:This is starting to look less like a rescue mission and more like you going on a leisurely road trip with two hot chicks,” Nine grumbles.
Sarah rolls her eyes. I glare at Nine. “It’s not like that. You know we need you here, in case something happens.”
“Yeah, I’m backup,” he snorts. “Johnny, do I have to start dating you to get some action around here?”
Sarah winks at him. “It might help.”
Nine looks me over. “Ugh. Not worth it. ~ Pittacus Lore,#NFDB
971:As a Mark brand ambassador, I became extremely cognizant of the devastating statistics about dating abuse and partner violence via the mPowerment campaign and knew I wanted to help change those statistics. mPowerment by Mark and the Avon Foundation for Women funded the No More study, which explored dating abuse, partner violence, and sexual assault. I was honored to be part of it and report the results of the survey in a Capitol Hill briefing. ~ Ashley Greene, #NFDB
972:Seventeen years after its intial release, The Empire Strikes Back is still as thrilling and involving as ever. Because of the high quality of the original product, it doesn't show a hint of dating. Neither [Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope nor Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi] were able to match the narrative scope of Empire, which today remains one of the finest and most rousing science fiction tales ever committed to the screen. ~ James Berardinelli, #NFDB
973:The only important "skill" in dating is learning how to stop buying into your own bullshit, to stop believing your own stories. The resistance is constant. So you must constantly fight against it, acknowledge the stories you create for yourself, look them in the eye and say, “You know what, I don’t care if she’s on her phone and her ass says ‘PINK’ on it, I want to meet her.” And then do it. Without hesitation. Without fear. And without apology. ~ Mark Manson, #NFDB
974:Since you are "in the market," you need to set standards of what you are seeking in a partner and in a relationship. Dating is not simply a prelude to a committed relationship or marriage. Dating is an opportunity to evaluate whether the person you are dating is a good candidate for you. You need to pay attention to your partner's positive and negative characteristics. Ask yourself whether you could live with this person for the rest of your life. ~ David Price, #NFDB
975:She's different from the girls I'm used to dating. She doesn't get tired of my stories and jokes or expect me to start reading her mind. She doesn't want me to dress better or put highlights in my hair or serious up. I'm not a lifestyle accessory to her. I'm a necessity. I'm the guy that's going to crack open her cocoon. She doesn't need to change me - she needs me to change her. At least until her little butterfly wings get strong enough to fly away. ~ Tim Tharp, #NFDB
976:Dating women was the hardest thing I had to to as Ned, even when the women liked me and I liked them. I have never felt more vulnerable to total strangers, never more socially defenseless than in my clanking suit of borrowed armor.
But then, I guess maybe that's one of the secrets of manhood that no man tells if he can help it. Every man's armor is borrowed and ten sizes too big, and beneath it, he's naked and insecure and hoping you won't see. ~ Norah Vincent,#NFDB
977:Hanging out consists of people getting together in groups and doing stuff together. The atmosphere is relaxed and relations in the group rarely rise above the level of friendship (or friendship with benefits). Dating consists of pairing off with someone in a temporary commitment so you can get to know the person better and perhaps start a long-term relationship with them. There is nothing wrong with hanging out, but it’s not a replacement for dating. ~ Brett McKay, #NFDB
978:One word was floating around in stories about hackings of one sort or another: “cyber.” The word had its roots in “cybernetics,” a term dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, describing the closed loops of information systems. But in its present-day context of computer networks, the term stemmed from William Gibson’s 1984 science-fiction novel, Neuromancer, a wild and eerily prescient tale of murder and mayhem in the virtual world of “cyberspace. ~ Fred Kaplan, #NFDB
979:I think of Christians who, having been raised to read the Genesis creation story as literal science and history, leave for college, watch the History Channel, or log onto the internet, and find out that fossils and radiometric dating are in fact not hoaxes. That’s how nice Christian college freshmen become atheists by Christmas break. If your faith can unravel that quickly, it’s enough to make you question whether your faith is worth the effort at all. ~ Peter Enns, #NFDB
980:At ten o’clock I receive a text from Blake. Hi, girlfriend! I just wanted you to know I’m turning in for the evening. Alone. Because we’re dating. I’m not a total jerk, so I reply, Hey there! How’s Chicago? I’m turning in, too. Alone. Because that’s how I roll. I miss you, he writes. And now I don’t know whether or not to be honest. I miss you, too, I admit. But that doesn’t mean we’re dating. We are, though. Good night, Blake. Good night, girlfriend. ~ Sarina Bowen, #NFDB
981:We wait patiently while she calls someone. “Hey, baby. Nah, I’m fine,” she says to…her boyfriend? Her kid? No wedding ring or men’s belongings around, so not a husband. “You still dating that pretty lawyer lady? The one with all the security at her apartment building?” She eyes us, as she listens to the person on the other line. “Good. Go stay with her until I tell you otherwise. Momma’s about to tell a story that’s been burning a hole for over ten years. ~ S T Abby, #NFDB
982:It’s not like he isn’t going to realize he’s being vetted as daughter-dating material.”
Rafe grinned. “So we are dating?”
“No. You have to pass the parental exam first. It’ll take you awhile to compile the data. They’d like it in triplicate.” I turned to my parents. “We have Kenjii. We have my cell phone. Since we aren’t yet officially dating, I’m sure you’ll agree that’s all the protection we need.”
Dad choked on his coffee. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
983:He knew he shouldn’t have eavesdropped on Vega and Victoria but he’d wanted to know about Victoria’s dating experiences. And he wasn’t apologetic about his decision either. Maybe in another lifetime he would have been, but not now. He might not comprehend everything about this modern world, but he understood battle tactics and evasive maneuvering. Otherwise he wouldn’t have lasted in Hell for so long. So any leg up he could get with Victoria he would take ~ Katie Reus, #NFDB
984:People believe that companies have always had strategies, dating back at least to likes of Henry Ford or Andrew Carnegie, maybe to the contractors who built the Pyramids. As it turns out, it was only in the 1960s and 1970s that a new breed of "business intellectuals" began to develop the intellectual framework that allowed companies to look at the three "C's" of any good strategy - namely their costs, customers, and competitors - in an integrated way. ~ Walter Kiechel, #NFDB
985:Some burns," Clary said. "Nothing that matters"
"Everything that happens to you matters to me."
"Well that certainly explains why you haven't called me back once. And the last time I saw you, you ran away without telling me why. It's like dating a ghost."
Jace's mouth quirked up slightly at the side. "Not exactly. Isabelle actually dated a ghost. She could tell you--"
"No," Clary said. "It was a metaphor. And you know exactly what I mean. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
986:Next caller. Betty, you're on the air. What's your question ?"
"Hi, Kitty. I just wanted to know, are you going out with that Cormac guy from last month?"
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"Are you going out with that Cormac guy?"
"We are talking about the same Cormac who tried to kill me on the air, yes? the guy who hunts werewolves for a living ?"
"Uh-huh."
"And you want to know if I'm dating him ? Why on earth do you think that's a good idea? ~ Carrie Vaughn,#NFDB
987:First Pallas and now you,” the gray-haired man said, shaking his head at Nick. “It’s like I’m running a goddamn dating service around here.” He spun around. “Wilkins! Huxley!” he barked. “Next case that involves a single woman—you’re up.”
Standing at the sidewalk, Agent Wilkins pumped his fist excitedly. “Yes.”
Huxley adjusted his glasses with a grin, looking decidedly pleased.
“That was supposed to be sarcastic. I’m getting too old for this shit, ~ Julie James,#NFDB
988:(...) But Gaia had absorbed the new information. "I won't need to kill billions, Diana. When Nemesis is gone, there will be no other like me. Just me alone. I will grow and spread, one body and then another, and soon there will be so many of me that it will be impossible to eradicate me. Eventually all will be me, and I will be all."
"Won't that be boring?" Diana asked. "You'd be dating yourself. You'll have no one to discuss your evil plans with. (...) ~ Michael Grant,#NFDB
989:In a dating and courtship relationship, I would not have you spend five minutes with someone who belittles you, one who is constantly critical of you, one who is cruel at your expense and may even call it humor. Life is tough enough without the person who is supposed to love you leading the assault on your self-esteem, your sense of dignity, your confidence, and your joy. In this person's care, you deserve to feel physically safe and emotionally secure. ~ Jeffrey R Holland, #NFDB
990:For her first summer vacation, my sister went to California with a couple of friends on a package tour put together by her agency. One of the members of the tour group was a computer engineer a year her senior, and she started dating him when they came back to Japan. This kind of thing happens all the time, but it's not for me. First of all, I hate package tours, and the thought of getting serious about somebody you meet in a group like that makes me sick. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
991:Ah, like how Sharon Parker’s bra kind of found its way into your locker?”
He leaned in, resting his elbows on the table. “Are you going to constantly bring these things up the entire time we’re dating?”
“Sorry. Just using my prior knowledge to try and gauge what kind of fake boyfriend you’re going to make.”
“Well, if your bitterness is any indication of the kind of fake girlfriend you’re going to be, I won’t hold my breath for you to fake put out. ~ Jennifer Shirk,#NFDB
992:I'm different now, but back then I used to be the type of guy who would say, “I like you. Do you also like me or not? No? Tell me the truth. I'll give you time to think about it!” But now This isn't a lie but I've had 3 girlfriends, and I've dated each of them for 3 years. When it comes to dating, I'm the type who would be with someone for a long time. Before we start dating, I'd keep watching her. It's because I hate being hurt. I tend to give my everything once I date ~ Yunho, #NFDB
993:Are you sure? Because it looks bad. And you’re pale. You’re never pale.”
“I’ve seen him look much worse,” Dell said. “Like last year, when I signed him up for this online dating thing. He got all scared. He was pretty pale then.”
“Because I was stalked,” Adam said. “By a crazy person.”
“Aw, she wasn’t that bad. And she bought you that teddy bear, remember? Because you were her cuddle umpkins. How scary can a woman who says ‘cuddle umpkins’ be? ~ Jill Shalvis,#NFDB
994:Dating Sekhmet is like trying to romance an inferno, to clasp a creature of ancient aggression so close you either smothered its flames of carnage or were consumed by them. Either way, it's all or nothing, a conflict at turns brutal and brilliant, subtle and shocking. As real as any war, theirs is a relationship with its own particular feints, charges, tactics, and stratagems, each deployed in the hope of winning another inch of territory in the other's heart. ~ Matthew Laurence, #NFDB
995:On that basis, the earliest burials in the Forum would be around 1000 BCE, the huts on the Palatine around 750–700 BCE (excitingly close to 753 BCE, as many have observed). But even these dates are far from certain. Recent scientific methods – including ‘radiocarbon dating’, which calculates the age of any organic material by measuring the residual amount of its radioactive carbon isotope – have suggested that they are all too ‘young’, by as much as a hundred years. ~ Mary Beard, #NFDB
996:Which makes one wonder if he had to take his Facebook picture carefully in low lighting." She glared at me. "moving on."
Liz:Davis Goggins
"Awww," Chloe and I both said. I reached out to pinch liz's cheek. She and Davis hadn't been dating long, but it was so sweet she'd thought about him that way back in seventh grade. Almost as if they were destined to be together.
"I'm not sure anymore," Liz grumbled. "Ask me again after he pays for my Poser ticket. ~ Jennifer Echols,#NFDB
997:There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection IS the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted. ~ Judith Martin, #NFDB
998:She also remade the bed with her crispest, nicest sheets. It was probably time to sleep with him. O h, yes, it was a bit clinical, but that's how it was when you were dating in your thirties. It wasn't hearts and flowers anymore. They weren't sixteen. They weren't religious. They had met on the internet: a dating website. So it was all very clear and upfront. They were both looking for a long-term relationship. They had ticked corresponding boxes to indicate this. ~ Liane Moriarty, #NFDB
999:The table is silent again while we mull that over. Then Sophie reminds us that she dated a gay guy for two years.
“Dating sucks,” I conclude.
“I got kicked out a guy’s apartment once,” Everly offers as her contribution to dating horror stories.
“You broke into his apartment, Everly. You stole his key and broke in. You’re his dating horror story, not the other way around,” I remind her while Sophie and Sandra laugh.
“Minor detail, Chloe. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1000:Will Siobhan go out with me tonight?' And the professor said, very derisively, 'No.' So the boy, thinking himself clever, asked me where I'd like to have dinner, and I said I'd tell him later."
Her teeth flashed as she spoke.
"After class, I asked the professor why he'd answered 'no' with such certainty. Do you know what he said?"
"What?"
"He said, 'Because you're having dinner with me.' And that was the night I started dating Professor Brown. ~ Leah Raeder,#NFDB
1001:The grease from the awful lunch buffet took to the air, becoming more a skin coating than a smell. Who ate that stuff? she wondered. Buffalo wings dating back to the Carter administration. Hot dogs that sit in water until, well, until they were gone. French fries so oily it makes picking them up a near impossibility. Fat men circled the dishes and piled their Styrofoam plates to dizzying heights. Olivia could almost see their arteries hardening in the dim light. Some ~ Harlan Coben, #NFDB
1002:Where’s your head at today?” he asked, his voice low.
“Right here,” I replied. That was the best I could do. I couldn’t hand anything serious. I was fresh off a long-term, one-sided, mostly imaginary relationship and I couldn’t dive into the dating game and its associated bullshit right now. But I could be here, with this man who made swallowing sexy, and I could want him. I didn’t have all the answers yet but I could want him and it could be as simple as that. ~ Kate Canterbary,#NFDB
1003:It is the violence which is done and threatened to our persons; the destruction of our property by an armed force; the invasion of our country by fire and sword, which conscientiously qualifies the use of arms: And the instant, in which such a mode of defence became necessary, all subjection to Britain ought to have ceased; and the independancy of America, should have been considered, as dating its era from, and published by, THE FIRST MUSKET THAT WAS FIRED AGAINST HER. ~ Thomas Paine, #NFDB
1004:Although there was no reliable way of dating periods, there was no shortage of people willing to try. The most well known early attempt30 was made in 1650, when Archbishop James Ussher of the Church of Ireland made a careful study of the Bible and other historical sources and concluded, in a hefty tome called Annals of the Old Testament, that the Earth had been created at midday on 23 October 4004 BC, an assertion that has amused historians and textbook writers ever since. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
1005:Like the guy I was dating. White, liberal, educated. I went to meet his family and I think that they probably didn't know they had a problem with it until he walked in with me. And they definitely had issues. Mom had issues with it. Could not, didn't want to see her son. And I don't think she had anything against me. But it was about her son bringing me home. And I felt that for the first time. I was like, 'Wow, that's deep.' It's really simple: I don't fit their picture. ~ Sanaa Lathan, #NFDB
1006:Quite frankly, I had been in a dating slump. More precisely, I hadn’t wanted to date. I still didn’t, not really. I enjoyed being alone. I enjoyed my quiet moments. In the past, my relationships had proven to be more troublesome than they were worth. Truth was, I was pretty certain that I’d never been in full-blown love, even though I had said the words on occasion. That was okay. I loved my quiet life, instead. My simple life. I loved my books and TV shows, and my long walks. ~ J R Rain, #NFDB
1007:So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook version of dating we'd gone through, I'd pretended that it was possible to love her when I only mildly liked her. Now I had no desire to pretend we'd ever be in love, and I liked her madly.
'Can we try to be wise with each other for a very long time?' I asked her.
She laughed. 'You mean, can we share our fuckups and see if we can get any wisdom out of them?'
'Yeah,' I said. 'That would be nice. ~ David Levithan,#NFDB
1008:Dating in high school was very different. Boys suddenly went up your shirt. Girls were expected to give blow jobs and be sexy. You had to be hot but not a slut. You had to be into sex but never have it, except when your boyfriend wanted it. If you had sex you had to keep it a secret but also be very good at it, except not too good, because this better be your first time. Darling Nikki masturbated to a magazine, but Madonna was supposedly still a virgin. It was very confusing. ~ Amy Poehler, #NFDB
1009:met him, he’d charm the shit out of them. Because that’s what he did. My mom started to lap the kitchen island. I knew what she was thinking. How could I go off script? This wasn’t how we did things in the Conner family. “I need to process this.” She stopped and pressed her palms into the counter. “I know it’s fast. We’ve only been dating a few months, but he’s—” I had planned to list my favorite things about him. He was smart, he was a gentleman, he was close with his own mom. ~ Liz Fenton, #NFDB
1010:She hummed to herself because she was an unrivaled botcher of lyrics. When we were first dating, a Genesis song came on the radio: “She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.” And Amy crooned instead, “She takes my hat and puts it on the top shelf.” When I asked her why she’d ever think her lyrics were remotely, possibly, vaguely right, she told me she always thought the woman in the song truly loved the man because she put his hat on the top shelf. I knew I liked her then, ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1011:If you want something new in your life, you have to make space for it. I mean that psychologically as well as physically. Take a look at your closet. If you have the kind of closet where you can't fit another thing in there, that might be the reason you don't have more new clothes. If you want a new man in your life, you've got to let go of the one who stopped dating you five years ago. In other words, you need to complete the past in order for the present to show up more fully. ~ Jack Canfield, #NFDB
1012:But let’s all realize we are in the same boat dealing with the same shit. So if you aren’t into someone, before just ignoring them, try to be mindful of how frustrating it is to be on the other side of that and maybe try crafting them an honest message or, at the least, lie and say: “Hey, sorry, working on my debut rap album, Fantabulous, so gonna be in the studio nonstop and need to focus, not dating at the moment. I’m very flattered though and you are a great person, all the best. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
1013:Look, you’re right. Maybe I don’t like you the way someone should like you. I don’t like you in the call-you-and-read-you-a-poem-every-night-before-you-go-to-bed way. I’m crazy, okay? Sometimes I think, like, God, she’s superhot and smart and kind of pretentious but the pretentiousness just makes me kind of want her, and then other times I think it’s an amazingly bad idea, that dating you would be like a series of unnecessary root canals interspersed with occasional makeout sessions. ~ John Green, #NFDB
1014:I used to think that once we started going out, Derek would change. When I admitted that to Tori, she nearly laughed herself into an aneurysm and gave me a lecture on the stupidity of expecting to change a guy. Maybe I didn’t have her dating experience, but I knew you didn’t go out with someone because you thought you’d change him. That wasn’t what I’d meant. I liked Derek the way he was. I’d just hoped getting closer would mean landing on the sharp side of his tongue less often. ~ Kelley Armstrong, #NFDB
1015:One last thing,” I said as we headed for the door. Both men stopped to look at me. “I could use a little help initiating Quinn and Brody into the family.” Ronan and Memphis chuckled. While Ronan hadn’t been put through the ringer when he’d started attending family dinners with his husband, Memphis hadn’t been so lucky since he was dating not one, but two members of the Barretti family. “Leave it to me,” Memphis said with a smirk. “And here I thought this evening would be boring.” I ~ Sloane Kennedy, #NFDB
1016:The universe has fascinated mankind for many, many years, dating back to the very earliest episodes of Star Trek, when the brave crew of the Enterprise set out, wearing pajamas, to explore the boundless voids of space, which turned out to be as densely populated as Queens, New York. Virtually every planet they found was inhabited, usually by evil beings with cheap costumes and Russian accents, so finally the brave crew of the Enterprise returned to Earth to gain weight and make movies. ~ Dave Barry, #NFDB
1017:But let’s all realize we are in the same boat dealing with the same shit. So if you aren’t into someone, before just ignoring them, try to be mindful of how frustrating it is to be on the other side of that and maybe try crafting them an honest message or, at the least, lie and say: “Hey, sorry, working on my debut rap album, Fantabulous, so gonna be in the studio nonstop and need to focus, not dating at the moment. I’m very flattered though and you are a great person, all the best.” • ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
1018:I take it you don’t mean my reputation as a kickass law enforcement officer.’ ‘No, the other reputation.’ ‘Oh, that I’m a cold-blooded killer who shoots first and asks questions later?’ He gave a small chuckle. ‘Nope, the other one.’ ‘You mean that I’m one of the monsters and that’s what gives me a leg up in the job?’ I asked. He laughed. ‘No, the other-other reputation.’ ‘You mean that I’m dating too many men?’ I asked. ‘Something like that,’ he said, his voice soft again. ‘She’s ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
1019:I’ve been dating for over a decade, Libby, and I have never had a man look as hopeful and adorably desperate over me as Justin looked holding up that stupid poem for you. Hearts all over the country are breaking for that goofy, handsome fool, and when you go out there with your sign that says you love him, too, you’re going to put those hearts back together again. And you’re going to give them a reason to believe that maybe their own happily-ever-afters aren’t a hopeless cause after all. ~ Lili Valente, #NFDB
1020:Waiting helps you think clearly. Sex clouds judgment and gives rise to self-delusions. One of the big reasons our relationship is so strong today is that when we were dating, we couldn’t fall back on sex when talking got tough. When you’re seeking God and you’re focused on whatever you’re supposed to be doing, you see yourself and the other person clearly. Our intimacy was about conversation, connection, friendship, and falling in love with each other without it having to be about sex. ~ DeVon Franklin, #NFDB
1021:You smiled that night. He was adamant that it had lasted longer than the others.” Cole looked at her with troubled brown eyes. “Livia, if I may be so bold, he’s going to take your kindness very seriously. If you’re playing a game, or trying to get even with a boyfriend by dating the worst thing you could find—”
Livia held up one hand to stop him. “With all due respect, never, ever refer to Blake as ‘the worst thing’ in my presence again.”
To Livia’s surprise, Cole almost smiled. ~ Debra Anastasia,#NFDB
1022:How did I dance with a guy who's never heard of feminism?"
"I've heard of it, but that doesn't mean a woman can do everything a man can do," he goaded. I went to smack him on the back of his head, but he ducked with a snicker."I'm learning," he informed me. "How did I ever consider dating such a violent girl?"
"We're both lucky we got out early before we really knew each other."
"Oh yes, good thing neither one of is still interested in the other," Brent said with a playful grin. ~ Lani Woodland,#NFDB
1023:I remember always being baffled by other children. I would be at a birthday party and watch the other kids giggling and making faces, and I would try to do that too, but I wouldn’t understand why. I would sit there with the tight elastic thread of the birthday hat parting the pudge of my underchin, with the grainy frosting of the cake bluing my teeth, and I would try to figure out why it was fun. With Nick, I understood finally. Because he was so much fun. It was like dating a sea otter. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1024:So, are you in a relationship? Jess asked incredulously.
How the hell did I answer this question? Eva wasn't some random girl I'd picked up for today's entertainment. Bet we weren't in an actual relationship either.
We're dating, Eva piped up.
Jess scowled, Cage doesn't date.
I opened my mouth to say something to stop Jess from going on and on about my bad boy code of ethics.
Maybe he doesn't date you, but he is definitely dating me, Eva responded before I could say anything. ~ Abbi Glines,#NFDB
1025:Women sometimes don’t know what to expect or do when they re-join the dating world after a break. I know I didn’t. What Women Really Want from Men helps women learn from other women what they might anticipate at different stages in the dating process. Lots of women also have a hard time understanding where men are coming from – and how guys experience dating and relationships differently – just like men have a hard time understanding how women think and feel about dating and relationships. ~ Melanie Rubin, #NFDB
1026:I turn to our father, searching for an ally. "So Dad, is it legal for Bronte to date out of her species?"
Dad looks up from his various layers of pepperoni and breadless cheese. "Date?" he says. Apparently the idea of Bronte dating is like an electromagnet sucking away all other words in the sentence, so that's the only word he hears.
"You're not funny," Bronte says to me.
"No, I'm serious," I tell her. "Isn't he like... a Sasquatch or something?"
"Date?" says Dad. ~ Neal Shusterman,#NFDB
1027:But what’s perfectly obvious in the realm of geography is not so obvious in those other arenas. And, as we are about to discover, what’s true geographically is equally true relationally, financially, physically, and academically. There is a parallel principle that affects parenting, dating, marriage, our emotions, our health, and a host of other areas as well. Just as there are physical paths that lead to predictable physical locations, there are other kinds of paths that are equally predictable. ~ Andy Stanley, #NFDB
1028:Jeremy laughed. "Well, there was food, a gift, and you spent your time shopping. I'd say it was a date!"
Aiden squinted at Jeremy. "That's all we did last Saturday! he said, a little bit of surprise in his voice. "I thought you weren't gay!"
Jeremy widened his eyes big enough to look shocked. "Well, I didn't know you were!"
"God, what a dumbass!" Aiden shook his head. "Jesus, how can you give advice on two guys dating if you don't even know what two guys do if they're not on a date. ~ Amy Lane,#NFDB
1029:This wasn’t to say that Julie had perfected only the major, most obvious dating milestones, however. She also knew how to finesse the subtler moments—those key moments where the breath caught and you thought, Yes, this. Julie could explain every single nuance, from the toe-curling euphoria when his hand brushed yours to the tingle when eyes held for just a beat too long. And then there was her personal favorite moment: the bone-deep satisfaction when you made him laugh for the first time—a real laugh. ~ Lauren Layne, #NFDB
1030:What, are you like Buffy or something? A vampire slayer?”
I wish. “No, but my sister is. And my boyfriend’s a vampire so I know a lot about their kind.”
Jayden shrinks back from me, wide-eyed.
“No, no. He’s one of the good ones. Not all vampires are evil,” I assure him.
“So…you’re dating…Edward Cullen.”
“Sure, if you have to relate it all to a Stephenie Meyer book,” I grudgingly agree. “But don’t say that to Magnus’s face. He’s a card-carrying member of Team Jacob. Even has the T-shirt. ~ Mari Mancusi,#NFDB
1031:When Mahler went to a composing retreat, she began having an affair with Walter Gropius, the architect who founded the Bauhaus School. I do not really like the Bauhaus School. But if you started dating the founder of an architectural movement, I’d support you and think your choice was great, and I’d pretend to like his architectural movement when we were all hanging out because I’m a good friend. So Alma was an adulteress and creatively unfulfilled—but she was just killing it with her choice of men. ~ Jennifer Wright, #NFDB
1032:Yeah. All that is called dating.” She waves a finger in the air. “You’re dating Boyd.”
I think I’m going to throw up.
“You might even be engaged,” Everly continues. “For all you know... Hey, are you pregnant by any chance? Remember how Sophie didn’t know she was pregnant? That might be a thing you can add to your collection of things you don’t know are happening.” Her eyes light up and she places a hand on her chest. “Can I be the godmother?”
“I’m not pregnant.” But I do feel sick. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1033:What are you doing?” Percy asked.
“Sending a message,” Annabeth said. “I just hope Rachel gets it.”
“Rachel?” Percy asked. “You mean our Rachel? Oracle of Delphi Rachel?”
“That’s the one.” Annabeth suppressed a smile. Whenever she brought up Rachel’s name, Percy got nervous. At one point, Rachel had been interested in dating Percy. That was ancient history. Rachel and Annabeth were good friends now. But Annabeth didn’t mind making Percy a little uneasy. You had to keep your boyfriend on his toes. ~ Rick Riordan,#NFDB
1034:You'll be great," Cole said, patting her shoulder. He took one last look at Sam's face. Whatever he saw there made him smile. "But maybe you should go a little easy on him; he's had it tough."
She looked at Sam's face, too. "Rough as in dating gorgeous blondes named Selena who yell at you in the alley, or rough as in getting to go boating all day long for a living?"
Cole tossed back his head and laughed. "You get a raise for that. I'll tell our accountant." He turned to Sam again. "Give her a raise. ~ Jill Shalvis,#NFDB
1035:The difference between prose logic and poetic thought is simple. The logician uses words as a builder uses bricks, for the unemotional deadness of his academic prose; and is always coining newer, deader words with a natural preference for Greek formations. The poet avoids the entire vocabulary of logic unless for satiric purposes, and treats words as living creatures with a preference for those with long emotional histories dating from mediaeval times. Poetry at its purest is, indeed, a defiance of logic. ~ Robert Graves, #NFDB
1036:By the fourth millennium BC, the Fertile Crescent was not the only region of coalesced communities; organized agricultural, military, religious, and administrative activity had also begun to appear in the Indus Valley, in what is now Pakistan. Even before written records, there is evidence of trade between these two regions. Archaeologists have discovered lamps and cups in Mesopotamia dating from the late fourth millennium BC and made from conch shells found only in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. ~ William J Bernstein, #NFDB
1037:People stopping you in the street, though, is very different from being hounded by the press, which is the kind of attention that celebrities get, and I'm probably too old for that kind of thing to happen anyway. I think it happens more when you're dating all sorts of different very handsome actors or something. They want gossip and scandal, and they know they're not going to get it from me because I'm too old to be scandalous. Of course, they could read the book - although it's not really a scandalous book. ~ Grace Coddington, #NFDB
1038:I've learned that I don't want to be as open or public about relationships anymore. In my first relationship, I thought I could hold on to the normalcy of just being like "Yeah, we're dating," just like if it were high school and I was telling my friends. But in high school, there aren't articles written everywhere when you break up and you don't have everyone in the school coming up to you and asking what happened or sharing their opinion with you. It didn't feel like ours anymore, it felt like everybody else's. ~ Camila Cabello, #NFDB
1039:Start dating someone who is funny, someone who has what in high school you called a "really great sense of humor" and what now your creative writing class calls "self-contempt giving rise to comic form." Write down all of his jokes, but don't tell him you are doing this. Make up anagrams of his old girlfriend's name and name all of your socially handicapped characters with them. Tell him his old girlfriend is in all of your stories and then watch how funny he can be, see what a really great sense of humor he can have. ~ Lorrie Moore, #NFDB
1040:But you can’t be planning development out that way,” said Miles. “Mother is trying to get people to move away from the local tectonics.” Cordelia abandoned patience as unrewarding. “Actually, Oliver and I are dating.” Miles stared. The silence stretched just a little too long, though Ekaterin raised her eyebrows, looked back and forth between Cordelia and Jole, and ventured, “Congratulations!” Miles closed his mouth. In another moment, he opened it again. “Er…what exactly do you mean by dating? In this context. ~ Lois McMaster Bujold, #NFDB
1041:GUESS WHERE I AM. CLUE? she texted back SWEAR U WON'T TELL A SOUL? U HAVE 2 ASK? I reluctantly texted,@ DINNER W. MARCIE'S DAD. #?@#$?!& MY MOM IS DATING HIM. TRAITOR! IF THEY GET MARRIED, U & MARCIE... COULD USE A LITTLE CONSOLATION HERE! DOES HE KNOW UR TEXTING ME? Vee asked. NO. THEY R INSIDE. I'M IN THE PARKING LOT ----COOPERSMITHS. THE PIMP. 2 GOOD 4 APPLEBEE'S, I SEE. I'M GOING 2 ORDER THE MOST EXPENSIVE THIN ON THE MENU. IF ALL GOES WELL,HIM GOING TO THROW HANK'S DRINK IN HIS FACE 2. ~Nora & Vee ~ Becca Fitzpatrick, #NFDB
1042:If he fears intimacy, then offering strength means offering intimacy. If he fears failing in his career, offering his strength means taking a promotion or accepting a new and risky project. If he fears standing up for his children against an angry school principal, then standing up for them is what he must do. If he fears committing to the woman he’s been dating for five years, then offering strength is buying her a ring. If he fears initiating sex with his wife, then offering strength means initiating sexual intimacy. ~ John Eldredge, #NFDB
1043:For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men - friends, coworkers, strangers - giddy over these awful pretender women, and I'd want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who'd like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I'd want to grab the poor guy by the lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn't really love chili dogs that much - no one loves chili dogs that much! ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1044:I really try to make movies as good as I can, and create a convincing character who means something to me and maybe other people. The notion of celebrity is kind of saying, ‘All that doesn’t matter. We’re not interested in the story you’re trying to tell. What interests us is you, your name, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, quote-unquote, and who you’re dating or what you’re eating or…’ And to me, that’s like, Wow, so you’re saying what I love and spend so much time caring about is irrelevant and doesn’t matter? Fuck you, too. ~ Joseph Gordon Levitt, #NFDB
1045:Gene and Claudia tried for a while to assist me with the Wife Problem. Unfortunately, their approach was based on the traditional dating paradigm, which I had previously abandoned on the basis that the probability of success did not justify the effort and negative experiences. I am thirty-nine years old, tall, fit and intelligent, with a relatively high status and above-average income as an associate professor. Logically, I should be attractive to a wide range of women. In the animal kingdom, I would succeed in reproducing. ~ Graeme Simsion, #NFDB
1046:Just because your lover died doesn't mean you can't find another. Besides, if
you don't start dating again your parents will intervene and I've met your parents, they scare the crap out of me."
Anthony shivered at the memory of his parents'
matchmaking skills. "Last time they fixed me up with a fairy."
Steven snorted. "I thought you didn't like labels."
"No. He was an actual fairy, you know, from Faeland."
That got Steven's full attention. "What happened?"
Anthony shrugged. "Let's just say it didn't work out. ~ Amber Kell,#NFDB
1047:There had been a cross-fertilizing trickle of researchers moving in both directions on a strictly one-for-one basis for years, dating back to the days of Eisenhower and Krushchev. There were a great many good motives for that: an honest appreciation of the supranational character of science; impulses of friendliness that are hard to wipe out completely in the individual human being; the desire to be exposed to a fresh and interesting outlook and to have your own slightly stale notions greeted by others as fresh and interesting. ~ Isaac Asimov, #NFDB
1048:Simon Lewis, are you forgetting that you were a mundane when I started dating you? A rather scrawny mundane with terrible fashion sense, I should point out. And then you were a vampire, and I still dated you. Then you were a mundane again, but this time with freaking amnesia. And still, inexplicably, I fell in love with you all over again. What could possibly make you think I have any standards left when it comes to you?"
"Uh, thank you, I think?"
"'Thank you' is the correct response. And also 'I love you, too, Isabelle ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1049:Hey,” I say, taking a seat on an island stool. “Did anyone call for me?”
“Your dad and I had a great day; thanks for asking.” Mom smirks.
“How was your day? Did anyone call for me?” I smile.
She dumps a gob of coconut oil into her raw-ful mixture. “Anyone meaning Ben?”
“Am I that transparent?”
“It’s just that I was sixteen once, too.”
“Right,” I say, shuddering even to think of her pre-forty, pre-me, pre-Dad, when it was just her hippie self, burning incense, going braless, and dating poets. ~ Laurie Faria Stolarz,#NFDB
1050:If I'm writing a story and you're reading it, or vice versa, you took time out of your day to pick up my book. I think the one thing that will kill that relationship is if you feel me condescending to you in the process. And how does that happen? Well, it happens when I know more than you do, and when I know that I know more than you do, and I'm holding it back from you. So that I can then manipulate you at the end. You know, you think about like in a dating situation how terrible that would be, it's the same thing with a book. ~ George Saunders, #NFDB
1051:Oh, and because I don’t have a dating history as big as your mouth, it doesn’t quite measure up?” he asks.
“I hate to break this to you, but that isn’t the only thing of yours that doesn’t measure up.” She waggles her pinkie at him.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He grins.
“I think I’m all set,” I interrupt, zipping up my bag.
“Don’t forget this.” Still cuddling my sweater, Wes purrs a couple of times before tossing it my way.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine why your dad thinks of you as feminine,” Kimmie mocks. ~ Laurie Faria Stolarz,#NFDB
1052:... and left decimated. Not for myself, but for all the single women out there trying to date. I wanted to run to the top of the Empire State Building and make an announcement to all of them to let them know they are worth so much more than this. That they don't need to wrangle some warm body to sit next to them just so they aren't alone on holidays. That they should never let a magazine or dating site or matchmaker monster tell them they're in a lower bracket of desirability because of their age or weight or face or sense of humor. ~ Amy Schumer, #NFDB
1053:I'd like to refocus everyone's attention away from the Kardashians and onto Doctors Without Borders or aid workers. Let's redefine scandal. Scandal is not who so-and-so is dating; scandal is the fact that 1.2 million people are still living in tents in Haiti, and cholera is rampant because Nepalese U.N. soldiers dumped s- from their Porta-Potties into the river. That's a f-ing scandal. If the average 15-year-old was hearing about that instead of so-and-so's plastic surgery or cheating in Hollywood, I'd feel better about our future. ~ Olivia Wilde, #NFDB
1054:This might seem kind of weird... but I mean, I wouldn't mind asking Jill out."
Adrian was on that before I could even think of a response. "What, do you mean like on a date? You son of a bitch! She's only fifteen." You never would of guessed he'd been talking about easy Moroi girls only moments before.
"Adrian," I said. "I'm guessing Lee's definition of a date is a little different than yours."
"Sorry, Sage. You've got to trust me when it comes to dating definitions. Last I checked, you aren't an expert in social matters. ~ Richelle Mead,#NFDB
1055:One of my great experiences in life was to be interviewed on a late-night talk show by a guy named Tom Snyder. He was interviewing me on a book I had written on the New Testament of the Bible called Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, and we talked about the dating of the books of the New Testament, and I said, "Well, the consensus is that the gospels were written some forty to seventy years after the crucifixion." And he stopped me and said, "Wait a minute, Bishop, that means they couldn't have been written by eyewitnesses." ~ John Shelby Spong, #NFDB
1056:I hope Ravi and Margot keep dating, because I could see him in our family forever. Or at least stay together long enough for Margot and me to take a trip to London and stay at his house!
Ravi has to leave for Texas the next afternoon, and while I’m sad to see him go, I’m also a little bit glad, because then we get to have Margot all to ourselves before she leaves again.
When we say good-bye, I point at him and say, “Hufflepuff.”
He grins. “You got it in one.” Then he points at me. “Hufflepuff?”
I grin back. “You got it in one. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1057:That happened when I was a freshman in high school. The guy reading it [the Bible] was dating my older sister. I thought he was the cutest thing that had ever happened in Nashville. He was nine years older than me and I thought, 'Mimi, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to steal this guy away.' So I went to this Bible study thinking I was going to make this guy fall in love with me. I was fourteen. Hey, you know. But I was so overwhelmed by what they were talking about at this Bible study. I became a very serious, committed Christian. ~ Amy Grant, #NFDB
1058:Despite what those on the happily coupled sidelines might think, 99 percent of online dates weren't exciting enough to be fun or nerve-racking enough to be adventurous. They were just...awkward. Boring. An hour of small talk with someone you'd think twice about saving from a burning building. Online dating was like Russian roulette. Mostly misses. But sometimes, people Evie knew had met that all-too-rare bullet: a smart, aesthetically pleasing New Yorker who was still single. Maybe tonight, Evie thought, is the night I blow my brains out. ~ Georgia Clark, #NFDB
1059:Except Caitlyn. High school dating, drill team, school spirit—it all seemed silly to her. Why did it feel like high school was crushing her soul? She
had nothing concrete she could point to. All she knew was that she didn’t belong here.
She preferred old, used clothes to new ones; her iPod was full of classical music; and photos of castles and reproductions of old European art
covered her bedroom walls, including a Renaissance painting of a young girl in white, named Bia. It should have been pop singers on her wall, or
movie stars ~ Lisa Cach,#NFDB
1060:Jessie?” “Hmmm?” “I’m glad we’re dating now.” Cue her arguments in 3…2…1… “We’re…not dating.” I grin at the ceiling. “Sure we are. We did it on my bed.” I shrug. “That means we’re dating.” “That’s not how it works!” she protests, raking a hand through her golden hair. “You don’t date people. Everyone says so. I mean, you’re just going there now because we had spectacular sex and you want more of it. It’s just the dopamine talking. I read up on this for my pharmacology exam.” I snort. “You’re saying I’m driving under the influence of orgasms? ~ Sarina Bowen, #NFDB
1061:since the Revolution, the French have become prisoners of the heritage of their past. The idea of the Hexagon as a model for the world is not one which many people could objectively defend in the twenty-first century, but it remains a potent reason to repel change or foreign influences. The French want to see their country as the bearer of a special mission bequeathed by their history, the Gallic cockerel crowing proudly to the world as they proclaim the historic virtues of the republican civil religion, on the basis of institutions dating ~ Jonathan Fenby, #NFDB
1062:I have learned a lot about myself over the years, mostly because I was open to hearing feedback. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I usually dislike someone before I like them. I’m sensitive—especially when I’m tired or feel I’m being misunderstood. This may sound like the “About Me” section on a bad online dating profile, but knowing this stuff has allowed me to keep my contacts, my reputation, and my sanity throughout a long and often stressful career. Being self-aware means knowing when you’re about to act bad—and then not acting bad. ~ Alyssa Mastromonaco, #NFDB
1063:The most important thing to understand is that while we courted, Americans dated, a pragmatic custom whereby a male and a female set a mutually agreeable time to meet, as if to negotiate a potentially profitable business venture. Americans understood dating to be about investments and gains, short or long term , but we saw romance and courtship as being about losses. After all, the only worthwhile courtship involved persuading a woman who could not be persuaded, not a woman already predisposed to examine her calendar for her availability. ~ Viet Thanh Nguyen, #NFDB
1064:Whatever anyone tells you about how technology and social media have made us disconnected from reality is probably right, but I think you can boil all these kinds of arguments down to the fact that people are no longer chill. They are goal-oriented. They are aware of all the things they could or believe they should have. They are aware of all the things that could go wrong. This awareness makes a lot of things—dating, finding a job, dating a person you meet at your job, planning a trip for the president of the United States—much harder. ~ Alyssa Mastromonaco, #NFDB
1065:There's an interesting story around that ["Heaven Without a Gun"], because the girl I was dating at the time got into a bike accident and couldn't make it into the studio, and the gentleman Dave Hamlin who worked on this record along with Ohad sort of took it, rearranged it. Dave went and sonically changed it and changed the keys so that Andy could sing it better. All these pieces came together that suddenly displayed that the song was meant for Andy [Kim] to sing. And he always said, "I'll never understand it, but I'll sing it with all my heart." ~ Kevin Drew, #NFDB
1066:According to tradition, the originator of Taoism, Lao-tzu, was an older contemporary of Kung Fu-tzu, or Confucius, who died in 479 B.C.1 Lao-tzu is said to have been the author of the Tao Te Ching, a short book of aphorisms, setting forth the principles of the Tao and its power or virtue (Te e). But traditional Chinese philosophy ascribes both Taoism and Confucianism to a still earlier source, to a work which lies at the very foundation of Chinese thought and culture, dating anywhere from 3000 to 1200 B.C. This is the I Ching, or Book of Changes. ~ Alan W Watts, #NFDB
1067:This, the idea of relationships bit, was all conjecture on her part. She herself felt too young to try to figure out her own life, let alone someone else's life near hers, and so she had never even sought out companionship of that type. Jackie thought about dating from time to time in the distant way a person thinks about eventually becoming famous or owning a castle or growing ram's horns. They're all achievable, realistic goals, but by turning objectives into mere fantasies, she never had to go through the trouble of achieving or maintaining them. ~ Joseph Fink, #NFDB
1068:I don’t do one-night stands, Tammy. Not my style.”
She sighed, sounding exasperated, but she was secretly pleased at his declaration. “I’m…the same way, only things haven’t worked out.”
“I understand.” He continued to stroke her hair with one hand, his other arm wrapped around her, holding her to him and showing possessiveness in an affectionate way.
She studied him for a moment and saw the sincerity in his expression, then sighed again. “Fine. Then we’re dating now. All right?”
He gave her the warmest smile. “You’ve got it. ~ Terry Spear,#NFDB
1069:I was in college - Carnegie Mellon, which is one of the reasons Pittsburgh was appealing to me - and I personally feel that whole world of what we used to call "college radio" is a big part of what kept me sane through a period where I stopped dating, I felt like a freak, I felt like no girl would like me. You know, a very adolescent response to losing my hair. I turned to obsessing about The Replacements and The Smiths and R.E.M. and getting further into The Velvet Underground. People who, in my sheltered suburban life, I knew of, but didn't know fully. ~ Greg Mottola, #NFDB
1070:I don’t know,” Mom said. “A boy in the house…” Her voice trailed off as though her thoughts were traveling into R-rated territory.
“It’s not like we’re going to date him, Mom. Worse than seeing Tiff without her clothes, he may see her without her makeup.”
“No way!” Tiffany screeched. “I don’t leave my room without makeup.”
“Exactly. It would be kinda icky dating a guy who was living with us, who wouldn’t always see us at our best. So, getting involved with him isn’t even an issue.” Getting involved with one of his teammates, yes, but him, no. ~ Rachel Hawthorne,#NFDB
1071:Aw, my girl misses her family. “Now that we’re dating, come with me to dinner at my folks’ house on the weekend.” She laughs. “Blake, seriously? You’re heading out on a week-long road trip, where I’ll bet you’d rather be single.” “Nope. I’m going to text you every night. You’ll see.” “We’re not dating,” she says. Except she’s cuddling me with her entire naked body and stroking my chest lovingly with one hand. “Want to eat ice cream in bed?” I ask. “Yeah,” she sighs, the arch of her foot stroking mine. Silly Jessie. We are dating. She just doesn’t know it yet. ~ Sarina Bowen, #NFDB
1072:One of the problems with the first date is that you know very little about a person, so you overweight those few things that you do know,’ the anthropologist and dating guru Helen Fisher told me. ‘And suddenly you see they’ve got brown shoes, and you don’t like brown shoes, so they’re out. Or they don’t like your haircut, so they’re out. But if you were to get to know each other more, those particular characteristics might begin to recede in importance, as you also found that they had a great sense of humor or they’d love to go fishing in the Caribbean with you. ~ Aziz Ansari, #NFDB
1073:since the Revolution, the French have become prisoners of the heritage of their past. The idea of the Hexagon as a model for the world is not one which many people could objectively defend in the twenty-first century, but it remains a potent reason to repel change or foreign influences. The French want to see their country as the bearer of a special mission bequeathed by their history, the Gallic cockerel crowing proudly to the world as they proclaim the historic virtues of the republican civil religion, on the basis of institutions dating back two centuries. ~ Jonathan Fenby, #NFDB
1074:He was a noisy robust little man with a gleam of real talent concealed in the messy obscurity of his verse. But because he did his best to shock people with his monstrous mass of otiose words (he was the inventor of the “submental grunt” as he called it), his main output seems now so nugatory, so false, so old-fashioned (super-modern things have a queer knack of dating much faster than others) that his true value is only remembered by a few scholars who admire the magnificent translations of English poems made by him at the very outset of his literary career,— ~ Vladimir Nabokov, #NFDB
1075:I know it's a guy who will talk to me, he wears his cockiness like an ironic T-shirt, but it fits him better. He is the kind of guy who carries himself like he gets laid a lot, a guy who likes women, a guy who would actually fuck me properly. I would like to be fucked properly! My dating life seems to rotate around three types of me: preppy Ivy Leaguers who believe they're characters in a Fitzgerald novel; slick Wall Streeters with money signs in their yes, their ears, their mouths; and sensitive smart-boys who are so self-aware that everything feels like a joke. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1076:Other unrelenting skeptics might declare that “seeing is believing”—an approach to life that works well in many endeavors, including mechanical engineering, fishing, and perhaps dating. It’s also good, apparently, for residents of Missouri. But it doesn’t make for good science. Science is not just about seeing, it’s about measuring, preferably with something that’s not your own eyes, which are inextricably conjoined with the baggage of your brain. That baggage is more often than not a satchel of preconceived ideas, post-conceived notions, and outright bias. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson, #NFDB
1077:Maybe there was a time when I hated you, but only for dating my brother who was
pretending to be me. All that changed the night I held you in my arms on the balcony. I
knew you were more than what other people saw. I still believe that. You’re brave and
strong in ways most people aren’t. And at the end of the day, know that there’s at least
one person in the world who believes in you. That’s the last thing I want to leave you
with other than this: I could’ve taken care of Duffy my way. I had the chance. The only
thing that stopped me was you. ~ Michelle Leighton,#NFDB
1078:If you hang out with people who constantly whine about how tired, broke and worried about the economy they are, you’ll feel like a hero just for getting out of bed in the morning. Hang out with people who are living on purpose, who meet their challenges with a step aside, suckers attitude, who are dating super awesome people, making exactly the kind of money they want to be making (or working toward it) or taking the kinds of vacations they, and you, want to be taking, and you’ll not only see what’s possible for you, too, but you’ll have more incentive to follow suit. ~ Jen Sincero, #NFDB
1079:Everyone was like, "Why do you need to meet someone on Match.com?" My response was, "I certainly don't need to meet more of the same broke, acting class guys that I'd been dating my whole life." I needed to change that whole paradigm. So, I decided to meet some corporate guys and see how that worked. So, I went on Match, but I didn't put a picture up, because I'm on television, and I didn't want anybody contacting me for the wrong reasons. So, I had to do the hunting, as it were. I didn't anticipate meeting my husband online, but there he was. And it all worked out! ~ Essence Atkins, #NFDB
1080:Do you currently have a girlfriend, Sam?” he asks. “I don’t believe—” Sky starts. But I cut her off. “Yes, I do.” “What’s her name?” He taps his pen against his notepad. I look at Sky. She nods. “Her name is Peck Vasquez.” “How long have you been dating?” Since last night. “A few months.” Well, that’s true if you count the time we spent together before. And there hasn’t been anyone else for me since the day I met her. “You’ll want to be seen with her in public to mitigate the damage caused by Amanda’s allegations.” “Not a problem.” I’d go anywhere with Peck. Suddenly, ~ Tammy Falkner, #NFDB
1081:If one were to choose a single word to characterize that identity, it would have to be more. For the majority of contemporary Americans, the essence of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness centers on a relentless personal quest to acquire, to consume, to indulge, and to shed whatever constraints might interfere with those endeavors. A bumper sticker, a sardonic motto, and a charge dating from the Age of Woodstock have recast the Jeffersonian trinity in modern vernacular: “Whoever dies with the most toys wins”; “Shop till you drop”; “If it feels good, do it. ~ Andrew J Bacevich, #NFDB
1082:And so, most great ideas first take shape in a partial, incomplete form. They have the seeds of something profound, but they lack a key element that can turn the hunch into something truly powerful. And more often than not, that missing element is somewhere else, living as another hunch in another person’s head. Liquid networks create an environment where those partial ideas can connect; they provide a kind of dating service for promising hunches. They make it easier to disseminate good ideas, of course, but they also do something more sublime: they help complete ideas. ~ Steven Johnson, #NFDB
1083:I'm glad you told me. About the sex stuff."
"None of it was a news flash."
"True. But I figure you came out with it because you trust my ass."
"I do. Now drag it back to the Pit. Marissa's got to be coming home soon."
"She is," Butch headed for the door but then paused and looked over his shoulder. "V?"
Vishous raised his stare. "Yeah?"
"I think you should know, after all this deep conversatin'…" Butch shook his head gravely. "We still ain't
dating."
The two of them busted out laughing, and the cop was still yukking it up as he disappeared into the gym. ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
1084:Once you are married, even if you have a banging sex life and make love for an hour every single day of the week (that exhausts me just to type it!), there will still be twenty-three hours of the day when you are not having sex. The problem I see with so many people's approach to dating is that they seem to prepare for only what will amount to a very small percentage of the time spent married. The benefit of having a good friendship in the early stages without any accompanying physical affection is that it will give you something to do the other twenty-three hours of the day. ~ Levi Lusko, #NFDB
1085:My mom was a manic depressive schizophrenic who, after a year in prison, went home and shot herself. My sister, Kirsten, an amazing poet, who was raised by this woman, and was dating a guy who broke up with her for the fourth time in three weeks. And one day, she came to his house, got a gun, and blew her brains out all over his headboard. I just went through a divorce, five years in court and cost me $2 million dollars. If anyone, by law, should be forced to take antidepressants it's me... But instead, I choose to be an antidepressant. And you can take me with alcohol. ~ Christopher Titus, #NFDB
1086:So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you ever meet some veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing.' I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.' There's a silver lining I've been looking for,' she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was a blissful oblivion, better than firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand on her back, the other in her long sweet-smelling hair. ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
1087:The premier principles of this book are free thought and free speech—open, mobile, and unconstrained by either liberal or conservative ideology. The liberal versus conservative dichotomy, dating from the split between left and right following the French Revolution, is hopelessly outmoded for our far more complex era of expansive technology and global politics. A bitter polarization of liberal and conservative has become so extreme and strident in both the Americas and Europe that it sometimes resembles mental illness, severed from the common sense realities of everyday life. ~ Camille Paglia, #NFDB
1088:My sister said Mary Elizabeth is suffering from low self-esteem, but I told her that she said the same thing about Sam back in November when she started dating Craig, and Sam is completely different. Everything can't be low self-esteem, can it? My sister tried to clarify things. She said that by introducing me to all these great things, Mary Elizabeth gained a "superior position" that she wouldn't need if she was confident about herself. She also said that people who try to control situations all the time are afraid that if they don't, nothing will work out the way they want. ~ Stephen Chbosky, #NFDB
1089:I want the young people to pay attention because, see, back when I first met Barack, we started dating, he had everything going for him. All right, ladies, listen to this. This is what I want you to be looking for. Yes, he was handsome-still is. I think so. He was charming, talented, and oh-so smart, truly. But that is not why I married him. Now, see, I want the fellas to pay attention to this. You all listening? What truly made me fall in love with Barack Obama was his character. You hear me? It was his character. It was his decency, his honesty, his compassion and conviction. ~ Michelle Obama, #NFDB
1090:. . . the whole idea of WHAT HAPPENED WAS.... is not about dating. It is more about people who are not committed to who they are or are indifferent about their life in general, which is how I felt about myself when I wrote it. I had turned 40 and I was unhappy and I wanted to write about that. Dating just became the framework. . . . I like all those fringy, weird, nonverbal, quiet, tiny little things, those powerful interchanges between people, things that go unsaid, that people know are happening all the time but nobody wants to talk about. That's what I want to make movies about. ~ Tom Noonan, #NFDB
1091:You killed him, Anita. You killed him without thinking about it. Even now, there’s no regret in you, no doubt.” He was right. I didn’t feel bad about it. Scary, but true. “So you invited me to come play because I’m now as much of a sociopath as you are.” “Oh, I’m a much better sociopath,” he said. “I’d never let a vampire sink his fangs into my neck. And I wouldn’t date the terminally furry.” “Do you date anyone, ever?” He just smiled that irritating smile that meant he wasn’t going to answer. But he did. “Even Death has needs.” Edward dating? That was something I had to see. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
1092:In Chapter 1, on relativity, I offered some dating advice. I proposed that if you want to go bar-hopping, you should consider taking along someone who looks similar to you but who is slightly less attractive than you are. Because of the relative nature of evaluations, others would perceive you not only as cuter than your decoy, but also as better-looking than other people in the bar. By the same logic, I also pointed out that the flip side of this coin is that if someone invites you to be his or her wingman (or wingwoman), you can easily figure out what your friend really thinks of you. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1093:So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you ever meet some veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing.'
I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.'
There's a silver lining I've been looking for,' she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was a blissful oblivion, better than firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand on her back, the other in her long sweet-smelling hair... ~ J K Rowling,#NFDB
1094:Yes,I'm seeing someone," Nick said. Standing beside them but hardly acknowledging them.He was watching for my answer on his phone.
"For how long?" a woman asked.
"Four years," I heard him say.
"Aww!" I squealed. Then I turned to Chloe. "Do I want to be in People?"
"No," she said firmly. "Nick is ot."
Gavin frowned and poked her in the side. "Hey."
She ducked away from his finger. "Facts are facts. Nick is hot,and when girls read People and see he's dating you,they will call you a skank ho. You and I have mooned over Prince William. We know the deal. ~ Jennifer Echols,#NFDB
1095:So, that sucked,” I said, trying to sound as jovial as possible. “Side effect of dating in the magical world, I guess.”
He made a sound of amusement, his shoulders jerking slightly. But he still didn’t look at me. “You think those guys ever had these kinds of problems?” he asked, nodding toward the picture. It was the one depicting the very first class at Hecate Hall, back in 1903. There had only been a few students that year, back when the school hadn’t been used for punishment but as a kind of safe house.
“Probably,” I said. “That chick in the straw hat seems kind of skanky. ~ Rachel Hawkins,#NFDB
1096:GUESS WHERE I AM.
CLUE? she texted back
SWEAR U WON'T TELL A SOUL?
U HAVE 2 ASK?
I reluctantly texted,@ DINNER W. MARCIE'S DAD.
#?@#$?!&
MY MOM IS DATING HIM.
TRAITOR! IF THEY GET MARRIED, U & MARCIE...
COULD USE A LITTLE CONSOLATION HERE!
DOES HE KNOW UR TEXTING ME? Vee asked
.
NO. THEY R INSIDE. I'M IN THE PARKING LOT ----COOPERSMITHS.
THE PIMP. 2 GOOD 4 APPLEBEE'S, I SEE.
I'M GOING 2 ORDER THE MOST EXPENSIVE THINGS ON THE MENU. IF ALL GOES WELL,HIM GOING TO THROW HANK'S DRINK IN HIS FACE 2. ~ Becca Fitzpatrick,#NFDB
1097:My advice to women who habitually gravitate toward musicians is that they learn how to play an instrument and start making music themselves. Not only will they see that it's not that hard, but sometimes I think women just want to be the very thing they think they want to sleep with. Because if you're bright enough--no offense, Tawny Kitaen--sleeping with a musician probably won't be enough for you to feel good about yourself. Even if he writes you a song for your birthday. Don't you know that a musician who writes a song for you is like a baker you're dating making you a cake? Aim higher. ~ Julie Klausner, #NFDB
1098:Brain-like in function and speed, the internet connected over one-third of the global population. Three million searches every minute; one-hundred-trillion emails every year; more Facebook users than people in North America, all with with personal photos, videos, apps, and chats. There were dozens of dating sites, an immersive universe called 2nd Life that boasted a country-sized GDP, a slew of viruses, obnoxious advertising, more than a billion photos of naked women, and seventy-two hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute. This was the environment where the friendship flourished. ~ Jake Vander Ark, #NFDB
1099:I just... I understand you might want to start dating more seriously, and that means dating someone from town. But if you're going to do that..." This time he took a long drink of coffee, and the mug was still at his lips when he said, "I like Daniel. He takes care of you."
I blinked. "Oh my God. Did you really just say that? He takes care of me?"
Dad flushed. "I didn't mean it like-"
"Takes care of me? Did I go to sleep and wake up in the nineteenth century?" I looked down at my jeans and T-shirt. "Ack! I can't go to school like this. Where's my corset? My bonnet? ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
1100:We are the puzzle pieces who seldom fit with other puzzle pieces. We inhabit singledom as our natural resting state...Secretly, we are romantics, romantics of the highest order. We want a miracle. Out of millions we have to find the one who will understand. For the quirkyalone, there is no patience for dating just for the sake of not being alone. On a fine but by no means transcendent date, we dream of going home to watch television. We would prfer to be alone with our own thoughts than with a less than perfect fit...but when the quirkyalone collides with another, ooh la la. The earth quakes. ~ Sasha Cagen, #NFDB
1101:The separation of young single adults from (plain old) single adults is supposedly a precaution against older men courting girls as young as eighteen. I'm not sure why said girls can't be taught to simply say no to men they're not interested in dating. Truthfully, I'm not sure it's a good idea to separate singles at all. Because we're absent from regular congregations, we singles--and our concerns--aren't often considered. Our absence reinforces the fact that a single life cannot be respected the way a married life can; it certainly can't be admired--unless as an example of how to bear a trial. ~ Nicole Hardy, #NFDB
1102:If he’s not calling you, it’s because you are not on his mind. If he creates expectations for you, and then doesn’t follow through on little things, he will do same for big things. Be aware of this and realize that he’s okay with disappointing you. Don’t be with someone who doesn’t do what they say they’re going to do. If he’s choosing not to make a simple effort that would put you at ease and bring harmony to a recurring fight, then he doesn’t respect your feelings and needs. “Busy” is another word for “asshole.” “Asshole” is another word for the guy you’re dating. You deserve a fcking phone call. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
1103:What is wrong with you?” He glared at me.
“I’m somewhat sure I’m suddenly gay,” I shrugged, “My father and mother are hypocritical abandoning homophobic assholes. The former defending my chief suspect in the biggest case of my life—something I’m sure you had a hand in. I’m obsessed with your freckles, your bunny slippers and your lips—which I should be getting points for not kissing while you’re incapacitated, by the way. I’m dating a whore while working on the vice squad—points to me again for not arresting your ass for that—and I’m ridiculously horny. Oh, and my fiancée won’t talk to me. ~ Dani Alexander,#NFDB
1104:What? I’m not suppose to date or hang out with anyone now?”
Daemon smiled. “Anyone human, yes.”
“Whatever.” I shook my head, standing. “This is a stupid conversation. I’m not dating anyone anyway, but if I were, I wouldn’t stop just because you said so.”
“You wouldn’t?” His hand shot out, tucking back a strand of hair behind my ear. “We’ll just have to see about that.”
I stepped sideways, keeping distance between us. “There’s nothing to see.”
Challenge filled his eyes. “If you say so, Kitten.”
Folding my arms, I sighed. “This isn’t a game.”
“I know, but if it were, I’d win. ~ Jennifer L Armentrout,#NFDB
1105:best hopes coming true. As the relationship progresses and the pair become closer and more interdependent, a couple bubble may form, and the perception of permanence may emerge. This is of course what they hope for. Yet sometimes along with security comes its opposite. Fears and expectations that date back to earlier experiences of dependency, but that didn’t arise during courtship or dating, are activated as commitment to the relationship increases. As a result, partners start to anticipate the worst, not the best, from their relationship. Anticipation of the worst is not logically purposeful, nor does it ~ Stan Tatkin, #NFDB
1106:We have become a sloppy bunch of people. We say things we don't mean. We make promises we don't keep. "I'll call you." "Let's get together." We know we won't. On the Human Interaction Stock Exchange, our words have lost almost all their value. And the spiral continues, as we now don't even expect people to keep their word; in fact we might even be embarrassed to point out to the dirty liar that they never did what they said they'd do. So if a guy you're dating doesn't call when he says he's doing to, why should that be such a big deal? Because you should be dating a man who's at least as good as his word. ~ Greg Behrendt, #NFDB
1107:Whenever Percy stopped by to see her, she was so lost in thought that the conversation went something like this: Percy: “Hey, how’s it going?” Annabeth: “Uh, no thanks.” Percy: “Okay…have you eaten anything today?” Annabeth: “I think Leo is on duty. Ask him.” Percy: “So, my hair is on fire.” Annabeth: “Okay. In a while.” She got like this sometimes. It was one of the challenges of dating an Athena girl. Still, Percy wondered what he had to do to get her attention. He was worried about her after her encounter with the spiders at Fort Sumter, and he didn’t know how to help her, especially if she shut him out. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1108:I have to say, after talking to my friend, it was hard not to feel like I have the better deal at Liberty. Sure, it’s frustrating not to be able to relieve sexual tension, but with that option off the table, I’m free to be totally transparent. The whole interaction feels more honest, more straightforward. In the words of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, “our entire motivation in relationships is transformed.” I’ve said things to Aimee tonight that I would never say to girls back in the secular world for fear of alienating them. Strange things to say to a girl who looks really beautiful—like, “You look really beautiful. ~ Kevin Roose, #NFDB
1109:I remember another thing Cosmo said. It typically takes half the time you’re dating a guy to fall out of love with him. My ex and I were together almost ten months before he admitted over the holidays that he’d fallen out of love with me, so by that measure I should’ve been cured weeks ago. But once you’ve anticipated spending forever with someone, I’m not convinced you can ever feel complete after being uncoupled. I think you just learn to live without the person. Like when someone dies, you don’t stop loving them just because they’re not around to love you back anymore. Breakups truly are a kind of death. ~ Daria Snadowsky, #NFDB
1110:If you harbor preferred principles and ways of behaving that have never brought you ANY happiness, or even much luck in your personal relationships over a number of years—this should not be taken as a sign that all women are bad or that none of them are serious, but
A SIGN THAT YOUR OWN ATTITUDE AND DATING STRATEGIES ARE FLAWED AND NOT REALLY SUCCESSFUL—and can only bring you further disappointments with women!
It seems like an elementary, easy thing to accept. Strangely, thousands of people seem, for some reason, to be unable, or stubbornly refuse, to see the truth and draw such a logical conclusion. ~ Sahara Sanders,#NFDB
1111:An old Gordita reflex, dating back to shortly after the Second World War, when a black family had actually tried to move into town and the citizens, with helpful advice from the Ku Klux Klan, had burned the place to the ground and then, as if some ancient curse had come into effect, refused to allow another house ever to be built on the site. The lot stood empty until the town finally confiscated it and turned it into a park, where the youth of Gordita Beach, by the laws of karmic adjustment, were soon gathering at night to drink, dope, and fuck, depressing their parents, though not property values particularly. ~ Thomas Pynchon, #NFDB
1112:Agatha Chubb, expert in ancient wizarding artefacts, has identified no fewer than twelve lead Bludgers dating from this period, discovered both in Irish peat bogs and English marshes. "They are undoubtedly Bludgers rather than cannonballs," she writes. The faint indentations of magically reinforced Beaters' bats are visible and one can see the distinctive hallmarks of manufacture by a wizard (as opposed to a Muggle) - the smoothness of line, the perfect symmetry. A final clue was the fact that each and every one of them whizzed around my study and attempted to knock me to the floor when released from its case, ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
1113:The earliest of these dates to around the eighth century BCE and was found in Jerusalem, and is the earliest known image of the god Yahweh, dating to the period when he was part of a pantheon rather than the sole god of the post-Deuteronomic-Jews.[84] As with other images of Yahweh, his gender is not emphasised and he is depicted without genitalia, and in this instant it is a simple figure with the face being an inverted triangle and stick-like legs.[85] Thus we can see that Asherah was the first divine wife of Yahweh, replaced by the Wisdom Goddess, and then at a later date by the Shekinah as the bride of Yahweh. ~ Sorita d Este, #NFDB
1114:You could call him,' Wes suggests. 'Why be a spectator in the game of love? Take charge. Don't wait around and let the boy call all the shots.'
'As cheesy as all of that sounds,' Kimmie adds.
'Cheese or not,I know what I'm talking about.' He sulks. 'I've lived it. I've learned it.'
Kimmie lets out a laugh. 'With who,Romeo? That Wendy girl you paid to date you?'
'Oh, and because I don't have a dating history as big as your mouth, it doesn't quite measure up?'
'I hate to break this to you, but that isn't the only thing of yours that doesn't measure up.'
'Wouldn't you like to know?' He grins. ~ Laurie Faria Stolarz,#NFDB
1115:Since I am in this pain, the pain of having what is special taken from me, I look inside myself and I don’t like what I see: a man who is broken and alone. I think of all the time Lily and I spent together, just the two of us—the talks about boys, the Monopoly, the movies, the pizza nights—and I wonder how much of it was real. Dogs don’t eat pizza; dogs don’t play Monopoly. I know this on some level, but everything feels so true. How much of it was an elaborate construct to mask my own loneliness? How much of it was built to convince myself the attempts I made at real life—therapy, dating—were not just that: attempts? ~ Steven Rowley, #NFDB
1116:Tell me you're not going to do anything stupid." "I'm not that kind of guy, Peter." "Not usually, no. But I've seen the look you've got in your eyes. A guy so consumed with his demons he'd throw himself on a min to escape it. Then they send the little polished medal home to the people who love him. You've got a lot of people who care about you, Ben. Don't do that to them. If you don't trust yourself tonight, then let me shadow you." Ben sighed, looked back out in the darkness. "Fine, but keep a distance. I don't want anyone to think we're dating." "No chance of that. I wouldn't be caught dead dating an ambulance chaser. ~ Joey W Hill, #NFDB
1117:Don’t want people around town thinking we’re just friends or we’re just fooling around. We’re gonna see where this goes.”
“We’ve had one kind-of-date, Jess. And I wouldn’t call us friends.”
“Because we’re not just friends.”
“I’m not dating you. I don’t even like you. Find someone else to keep you company at the café.”
“You like me. Can see it in your eyes when you look at me.”
“Physically, yes. But personally, you’re a jackass.”
He yanked the truck to the side of the road.
“What are you--” I started but Jess reached across the cab, grabbed me at the back of the neck and slammed his mouth down on mine. ~ Devney Perry,#NFDB
1118:He remembered how nice the kids at Camp Half-Blood had been to him after the war with Kronos. Great job, Nico! Thanks for bringing the armies of the Underworld to save us! Everybody smiled. They all invited him to sit at their table. After about a week, his welcome wore thin. Campers would jump when he walked up behind them. He would emerge from the shadows at the campfire, startle somebody and see the discomfort in their eyes: Are you still here? Why are you here? It didn’t help that immediately after the war with Kronos, Annabeth and Percy had started dating … Nico set down his fartura. Suddenly it didn’t taste so good. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1119:I know I’m doing this dating thing all wrong,” I said as his arms draped me. “I should ask lots of questions and flirt, but I haven’t dated a lot of guys and I don’t really know how to flirt. I like you, but I’m scared you’ll hurt me or make fun of me. I feel like I should get away from you except I don’t really want away from you. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do or say. I’m doing everything wrong, but I’m not doing it to be mean.”
Staring up at Cooper, I found the needy look from earlier and its intensity made me shiver. “I don’t care if you’re doing it wrong, just keep doing it. You’re driving me nuts here. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1120:wave. “Hey, girls.” Myron Bolitar prided himself on big opening lines. The girls were both high school seniors, both pretty in that coltish way. The one sitting on the corner of his old bed—the one he had met for the first time an hour ago—was named Erin. Myron had started dating Erin’s mother, a widow and freelance magazine writer named Ali Wilder, two months ago. This party, here at the house Myron had grown up in and now owned, was something of a “coming out” party for Myron and Ali as a couple. The other girl, Aimee Biel, mimicked his wave and tone. “Hey, Myron.” More silence. He first saw Aimee Biel the day after she was born ~ Harlan Coben, #NFDB
1121:Johnson’s voting record—a record twenty years long, dating back to his arrival in the House of Representatives in 1937 and continuing up to that very day—was consistent with the accent and the word. During those twenty years, he had never supported civil rights legislation—any civil rights legislation. In Senate and House alike, his record was an unbroken one of votes against every civil rights bill that had ever come to a vote: against voting rights bills; against bills that would have struck at job discrimination and at segregation in other areas of American life; even against bills that would have protected blacks from lynching. ~ Robert A Caro, #NFDB
1122:Let me tell you girls a story, short and sweet. In high school, I was a junior varsity cheerleader dating a senior who was up for football scholarships. I'd slept with him several times willingly. One night I wasn't in the mood, but he was. So he held me down and forced me. The few people I told about it - including my best friend - pointed out what would happen to him if I told. They stressed the fact that I hadn't been a virgin, that we were dating, that we'd had sex before. So I kept quiet. I never even told my mother. That boy put bruises on my body. I was crying and begging him to stop and he didn't. That's called rape, ladies. ~ Tammara Webber, #NFDB
1123:If the thought of Jackson dating someone caused a funny little pang in her stomach, Mollie ignored it. It was just that for a moment there, when the two of them had stood face-to-face in his apartment, she could have sworn there was a little sizzle of something between them. Nothing inappropriate. Not even interest. Just…awareness.
She’d always been aware of Jackson Burke. She’d accepted that as one of the facts of her life. But this was the first time she’d sensed that maybe he’d been aware of her.
Thank you, little red dress.
Mollie mentally slapped herself. No. That was not what this was about. ~ Lauren Layne,#NFDB
1124:This is what consent culture means. It means expecting more — demanding more. It means treating one another as complex human beings with agency and desire, not just once, but continually. It means adjusting our ideas of dating and sexuality beyond the process of prying a grudging “yes” out of another human being. Ideally you want them to say it again, and again, and mean it every time. Not just because it’s hotter that way, although it absolutely is; consent doesn’t have to be sexy to be centrally important. But because when you get down to it, sexuality should not be about arguing over what you can get away with and still call consensual. ~ Laurie Penny, #NFDB
1125:You’d hate me later if we do this and you have feelings for someone else.”
“No excuses,” he snarled.
It gave her pause as she regarded him with alarm.
He slowly crouched. “If there is a female, she’s not here. You are.”
Ouch. Would anyone with breasts do it for him right now?
He seemed to guess where her thoughts went. It shouldn’t have surprised her. The man she’d known had been deeply insightful.
“I am certain there is no female I want more than you, Joy. If I was dating, I settled for her.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
He leaned forward, gripped the edge of the bed with both hands, and nodded. “I have no doubt. ~ Laurann Dohner,#NFDB
1126:How long have you been dating her?' I asked.
Nine months. We never got along. I mean, I didn't even briefly like her. Like, my mom and my dad- my dad would get pissed, and then he would beat the shit out of my mom. And then my dad would be all nice and they'd have a honeymoon period. But with Sara, there's never a honeymoon period. God, how could she think I was a rat? I know, I know: Why don't we break up?' He ran a hand through his hair, clutching a fistful of it atop his head, and said, ' I guess I saty with her because she stays with me. And that's not an easy thing to do. I'm a bad boyfriend. She's a bad girlfriend. We deserve each other. ~ John Green,#NFDB
1127:What happened?”
“Well,” said Jared. “Your mother threw her bedside lamp at me.”
Kami looked over at her mother, who looked apologetic. She could picture the whole scene: her mother waking to fire and chaos, and finding a Lynburn’s face framed against the nightmare. She was quite proud of her mother for fighting back.
“That’s what happens when you insist on going around wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle,” she remarked. “When you start dating a girl, parents are going to have strong words. Deliver lectures. Set curfews. Hurl projectiles.”
Jared shrugged. “About how I always expected it would go, yeah. ~ Sarah Rees Brennan,#NFDB
1128:One afternoon in early August I was sitting in my backyard with a group of friends chatting over drinks, and one of them asked what was going on with me.
I imparted a few of my dating escapades from the weeks prior -- using all of the ridiculous monikers I'd given all my OkCupid paramours, like Weirdly-Obsessed-with-Sake Guy or Pretty-Sure-He-Hates-Me Guy.
She listened for a while, then said, "Okay, well, do you have any stories that don't revolve around looking for a man? Like, stories about other stuff you're doing with your life?"
Her message was clear. She thought I was better than this.
But I wasn't. I'm not. ~ Courtenay Hameister,#NFDB
1129:My general feeling is that date make-up should be an honest advertisement for a potential relationship. Frankly, it’s easier for you that way. There’s no point labouring over lots of perfectly applied make-up if you are, in reality, a low-maintenance kind of girl who can’t possibly keep it up beyond the honeymoon period. Equally, it seems unwise to imply you’re someone who rolls out of bed and out to a Sunday farmer’s market all natural skin, flushed cheeks and a smidge of lip balm when your real life is spent in full coverage foundation and smoky eyes. Like any part of dating, it is always safer to be yourself because who can maintain a lie for long? ~ Sali Hughes, #NFDB
1130:He’s supposed to look out for you.”
“I do!” Kieran sounded offended. “You should be proud of her. Hart requested her presence personally at the Drake coronation.”
I closed my eyes briefly. We were doomed.
“You went to a vampire ceremony?” Grandpa asked evenly.
“He didn’t know?” Kieran asked.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Sorry.”
Grandpa vibrated with rage. “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my family!”
“It’s different now,” Kieran tried to assuage him. “I’m dating Solange Drake. They’re a good family.”
Grandpa went red, then purple. Kieran took a step back. I whacked Grandpa between the shoulder blades.
“Grandpa, breathe! ~ Alyxandra Harvey,#NFDB
1131:Vincotto (Italian for cooked wine) is a tradition dating back to Roman times as a way to preserve wine. Its complex, sweet properties have recently attracted culinary interest as a condiment with many uses. 4-5 cups red wine—Primitivo is a good choice ⅔ cup honey 3 cinnamon sticks 3 whole cloves Combine everything in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Then simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about a cup. Once it’s cool, remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves, and pour into a jar or cruet. It’s delicious drizzled over salads, cooked meats, grilled vegetables or ricotta cheese. [Source: Traditional] ~ Susan Wiggs, #NFDB
1132:Britney ends by saying, after scenes of throngs of paparazzi surrounding her car, after tearful interviews and tearless ones, after impersonations of her father and make-up artists, after she says she's not a victim of her success and tries to stay positive and hates being placed in categories, after she dances her fucking ass off to get back what she had, after she explains that she married K-Fed because she liked the idea of it (a revelation that socked me in the chest and made my dating life flash before my eyes), and after she says that "people shave their heads all the time"; after all that, she leaves me with this: "I go through life like a karate kid. ~ Elissa Washuta, #NFDB
1133:right now everyone is on their phones. Everyone has that ‘me, me, me instant gratification’ shit going on and so when the going gets rough in a relationship, as it always does, they bail. They bail because they have a million other people on their phone, on those fucking apps, all waiting for a hook-up or a date. A million people around the corner, with their perfect filtered photos uploaded, their bios updated and edited so they all represent the perfect fake versions of themselves. So even when you’re on a date with one person, you can look at your phone and go to the next person, have your fun, then go to the next. It’s not fucking dating man, it’s shopping. ~ Karina Halle, #NFDB
1134:Simon turns back to his phone, clearly texting Bram. They’ve been dating for a little over a year, and they’re one of those vomitously happy couples. I don’t mean that in the PDA sense. They actually barely touch each other in school, probably because people are prehistoric dickwads about gay stuff. But Simon and Bram text and eyefuck all day long, like they can’t even go five minutes without contact. To be totally honest, it’s hard not to be jealous. It’s not even just about the true-love-heart-eyes-get-a-room-dudes fairy-tale magic. It’s the fact that they went for it. They had the balls to say fuck this, fuck Georgia, fuck all of you homophobic assholes. ~ Becky Albertalli, #NFDB
1135:I wanted to puke, and from the intense paint stench that was assaulting my nasal passages. Sage wanted Gaberot, Not Tucker, not Joe, but Gabe. It was all too gross to contemplate. So of course my brain couldn't stop contemplating it.
Sage and Gabe-rot sitting in the tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
We worked in silence for a few minutes while I fumed. How could she grill me about Gabe when she was already dating Mr.Perfect? If only Daniel were here to hear all of this instead of sitting back at SDH oblivious.
"So are you and Gabe, like close?" Sage asked.
Ugh!
"Very close," I said, tilting my head to one side,"Incestuous,actually. He's a fabulous kisser. ~ Kieran Scott,#NFDB
1136:He propped his hands on his hips, shook his head slightly and turned his gaze from the front of the building to meet her eyes, dead on. “It sounds ridiculous, but I want you to have dinner with me. Since we have an early night.”
Those truths clamored louder. She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“I don’t have time, Rogan.” [...]
“You don’t have time to eat?” he asked.
Kennedy blew out a breath. “I don’t have time for dating games.”
“Good, neither do I.”
“Then what’s this?”
He let go of her and lifted his shoulders, hands out. “Flirtation?”
Something intangible popped, and the tension faded. She smiled. “I expected you to say foreplay. ~ Natalie J Damschroder,#NFDB
1137:It was not until 2014, more than two decades after the mastodon's discovery [a mastodon scavenged by humans in the Americas], that the tide decisively turned. Built on improved understanding of processes that incorporate natural uranium and its decay products in fossil bone, a newly enhanced technique, known as 230 Th/U radiometric dating, was now available that could settle the age of the Cerutti deposit once and for all. Deméré therefore sent several of the mastodon bones to the US Geological Survey in Colorado, where geologist Jim Paces, using the updated and refined technique, established beyond reasonable doubt that the bones were buried 130,000 years ago. ~ Graham Hancock, #NFDB
1138:Who cares if you have a girlfriend, anyway?"
"I care," Simon said gloomily. "Pretty soon the only people left without a girlfriend will be me and Wendell the school janitor. And he smells like Windex."
"At least you know he's still available."
Simon glared. "Not funny, Fray."
"There's always Sheila 'The Thong' Bararino," Clary suggested.
"That is who Eric's been dating for the past three months," Simon said. "His advice, meanwhile, was that I ought to just decide which girl in school has the most rockin' bod and ask her out."
"Eric is a sexist pig," Clary said. "Maybe you should call your band The Sexist Pigs."
"It has a ring to it. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1139:What about her? Does she have a name? Not that I care really, but it would be rude to call her ‘new girl’ once Mike and I are dating.”
“I have an idea,” Jay suggested, leaning toward Chelsea from across the table. “Why don’t you put together a list of questions, in order of importance, and I’ll have him fill out the answers? Kind of like new-kid homework.” He smiled innocently. “You don’t have to do it now, of course; just try to get it to me before the end of the day.”
“Ha-ha.” Chelsea made a face. “You’re freakin’ hilari-ous, Jay.” And then she turned to Violet. “That must be why you like him so much. ‘Cause other than that, I just don’t get it. ~ Kimberly Derting,#NFDB
1140:When I lifted my head, Christian was sending a text message. “Give me that!”
I sprang to my knees and snatched it away. “What the hell did you say?”
“Only that I had you on your back. I made sure to sign my name.”
“You idiot!”
I punched his shoulder and he smirked. “In-service massage?”
Silver: It’s not what you think, Logan. I’ll call you later. Miss u.
“It’s your funeral. Logan is a Chitah.”
Christian’s eyes widened. “You’re serious? You? And a Chitah?” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Shite, why didn’t you tell me you were dating a fecking lunatic? Those bastards have a thing about hunting you for life. ~ Dannika Dark,#NFDB
1141:He offers a sheepish grin. “Remember that girl I was dating last year? Sheena? Well, she texted me a picture of her tits. Said I had to return the favor.”
Dean’s jaw falls open. “Dick for tits? Dude, you got played. No way are those even remotely comparable.”
“What’s the equivalent of tits then?” Hollis asks curiously.
“Balls,” Dean declares, before taking a deep pull of the joint. He blows out a ring of smoke as everyone laughs at his remark.
“You just said women don’t want to see balls,” Hollis points out.
“They don’t. But any idiot knows that a dick pic requires a full frontal shot in return.” He rolls his eyes. “It’s common sense. ~ Elle Kennedy,#NFDB
1142:Nixon was finding enemies everywhere: among liberals, the bureaucracy, on Capitol Hill, and in the press. “We can have peace. We can have prosperity. We can have all the blacks screwing the whites,” and still not get credit from the liberal establishment, he complained. His orders sometimes sounded like the mutterings of a paranoid. He had his staff comb through the microfilm at the D.C. public library and compile every Drew Pearson column dating back to 1946 that mentioned his name. “Agnew must be warned,” Nixon had told Haldeman and others, back during the campaign. “A candidate has no friends in the press—they are all enemies.” He underlined the word no four times. ~ John A Farrell, #NFDB
1143:It’s that right now everyone is on their phones. Everyone has that ‘me, me, me instant gratification’ shit going on and so when the going gets rough in a relationship, as it always does, they bail. They bail because they have a million other people on their phone, on those fucking apps, all waiting for a hook-up or a date. A million people around the corner, with their perfect filtered photos uploaded, their bios updated and edited so they all represent the perfect fake versions of themselves. So even when you’re on a date with one person, you can look at your phone and go to the next person, have your fun, then go to the next. It’s not fucking dating man, it’s shopping. ~ Karina Halle, #NFDB
1144:Ain't nothing going to eat you while Bubba's around." Caleb laughed. "They might toy with him for a bit but he won't let any past." Caleb to Nick.
"Is something wrong?" Nick to Bubba
"Nah... I just..." Bubba nervous.
"Please, God, Bubba, tell me you're not about to ask me out, are you?" Nick to Bubba.
Bubba made a rude sound at him. "Hell, nah. I'd date Mark first, provided he took a bath so I wouldn't have to fumigate my truck or store."
"But," Bubba continued, "now that you mention it... that is what I wanted to ask you about."
"Dating Mark? Really?" Nick to Bubba.
'Cause the kid with a brand-new license was such an expert on going out with others. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
1145:If Piper and Rudy hadn't seen me, I'd have done the inside work myself." Roarke lifted an eyebrow as he secured the first string and took out another. "I might have some mild objection to my wife dating strange men." She went back to the tray, took another pretty canape at random. "I wouldn't have slept with any of them... unless the job called for it."
She grinned at him. "And I would have thought of you the whole time." "It wouldn't have taken very long -- since I'd have cut off his balls and handed them to you."
He kept stringing lights as she choked on her wine. "Jesus, Roarke, I'm only kidding."
"Mmm-hmm. Me, too, darling. Hand me another string of these. ~ J D Robb,#NFDB
1146:How’s your boyfriend?” I ask. I know Seth said they broke up, but I want to hear it from her. I won’t touch someone who is dating someone else. I have had enough heartbreak in that area to last a lifetime. “What boyfriend?” she asks. “Don’t give me hope if there is none,” I sing. But I’m serious. Totally serious. “We broke up.” “Are you devastated?” I want to know how she’s feeling. About all of it. “Elated,” she says instead. Thank God. A shiver crawls up my spine, because I’m seriously interested in this woman. “You sure you’re done with him?” “Positive.” She nods. Her eyes don’t leave mine. “I’m going to make you fall in love with me,” I warn. “You can try,” she says quietly. ~ Tammy Falkner, #NFDB
1147:It’s important to keep in mind that when viewed against the full scale of our species’ existence, ten thousand years is but a brief moment. Even if we ignore the roughly two million years since the emergence of our Homo lineage, in which our direct ancestors lived in small foraging social groups, anatomically modern humans are estimated to have existed as long as 200,000 years.* With the earliest evidence of agriculture dating to about 8000 BCE, the amount of time our species has spent living in settled agricultural societies represents just 5 percent of our collective experience, at most. As recently as a few hundred years ago, most of the planet was still occupied by foragers. ~ Christopher Ryan, #NFDB
1148:Nobody knows the age of the Sphinx. There are those who claim that it is far older than the four thousand years attributed to it by conventional thinking. They have interesting reasons. First, it has been weathered, according to geologists, by the action of water, not wind. This fact is revealed by the condition of its sandstone body. According to John Anthony West, it must have been built long before the time of the pharaohs because it shows evidence of water erosion. Dr. Robert Schoch, a Boston University geologist, has confirmed the validity of this theory, and his dating was endorsed by three hundred other geologists at the 1992 convention of the Geological Society of America. ~ Whitley Strieber, #NFDB
1149:This, of course, directly contradicts Paul’s insistence that “in Christ” there should be full gender equality. So glaring is this discrepancy that many scholars believe that this passage was inserted into Paul’s letter at a later date by those who wanted to make Paul conform more closely to Greco-Roman norms. Paul’s letters were copied assiduously after his death and survived in 779 manuscripts dating from the third to the sixteenth century.46 There are variant versions in the earliest manuscripts of this letter, and copyists appear to have sometimes added remarks that reflected their own opinions rather than the apostle’s. One of these is almost certainly the passage quoted above. ~ Karen Armstrong, #NFDB
1150:Meal sharing? Like a date?”
“Nope. Sharing a meal in a non-dating capacity?”
“Let me get this straight…you’re sharing a meal twice a week, alone with him?”
“That’s right. In a non-dating capacity.”
“Which means what? You won’t be fucking at the end of the night?”
I sipped my drink. “Exactly.”
Jules cracked up. “He talked you into this crap?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re dating him and don’t even know it. I might love this man.”
I wasn’t dating him. Was I? We were just sharing a meal twice a week. Getting to know each other. Not seeing other people. And thinking of each other while we took care of ourselves. OMG. I am dating him! ~ Vi Keeland,#NFDB
1151:I felt bad for Lulu because I've been Lulu. It's really hard when you realize the guy you've been dating is basically a high schooler at heart. It make you feel like Mary Kay Letourneau. It's the worst.
Until I was thirty, I only dated boys, as far as I can tell. I'll tell you why. Men scared the shit out of me.
Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn't on the floor. Men tip generously. Men buy new shampoo instead of adding water to a nearly empty bottle of shampoo. Men go to the dentist. Men make reservations. Men go in for a kiss without giving you some long preamble about how they're thinking of kissing you. ~ Mindy Kaling,#NFDB
1152:The disdain shown toward these texts by most of the modern Orientalists, who wanted to relate everything back to the Vedä(s) (as, moreover, the Western world does to the Greeks), has led them to make monumental errors in dating and describing the evolution of religious and philosophical concepts. Many passages of the best-known texts of philosophical and religious brahmanic literature written in the Sanskrit language are derived from the Âgamä(s). This is the case with, for example, the Bhagavat Gîtâ, of which over half the verses are borrowed from the Parameshvarä Âgamä and three of which passages are quotations from the Shvetâshvatarä Upanishad, which is itself based on the Âgamä(s).2 ~ Alain Dani lou, #NFDB
1153:Marriages suffer from this same cycle. You start dating someone with wonder and anticipation, drunk on love. You romanticize everything about your partner, and even mundane activities like going to the grocery store together can seem like a fantastic date. But then you fall into a routine, and years later, you’ve become roommates, circling the same safe topics while packing lunches, the monotony broken only by occasional date nights. Deep down, you know why these parts of your life have gone stale. It’s because nothing new is happening. You may say you fear change, but the lack of change in your life is why you feel so blah. Monotony will drive any human relationship or endeavor into a ditch. ~ Mel Robbins, #NFDB
1154:The worst part is, you know they're not going to be together forever. I mean, come on, she's fifteen. Okay, sixteen. Still. It's not like they're going to get married or anything. Even if they last a couple of years which they won't she'll go to one college and he'll go to another, and pretty soon they'll forget all about each other. That's what always happens. That's why teenage dating is so dumb, because it's doomed to fail. You'd think people would have learned that by now, but I guess they haven't. They go right on falling in love and thinking it's going to survive high school. Allie and Burke, true love always. Whatever.
Anyway, happy birthday, Allie. I hope it was a good one. ~ Michael Thomas Ford,#NFDB
1155:Create your own “LUCK” in your personal life—instead of relying on “fate” and hoping that your happiness will spontaneously materialize sometime and somehow, as if by magic.
Be the “magician” of your own destiny. Take control of your own fate. Be aware. Instead of following the crowd of complainers and repeating their common mistakes, use the Smart Dating Strategies, which are clearly described in the chapters of our exclusive eBooks.
Be successful in your personal life and genuinely loved by the woman of your dreams.
Read how to do it; learn the secrets to use and master them.
Get the keys to the door of your own happiness.
Make things happen.
Choose to be a WINNER! ~ Sahara Sanders,#NFDB
1156:I’m really not any good at this whole dating thing, and I don’t even know if this is a date, but I know that whatever it is, it’s a little more than just two friends hanging out, and knowing that makes me think about later tonight when it’s time for you to leave and whether or not you plan to kiss me and I’m the type of person who hates surprises so I can’t stop feeling awkward about it because I do want you to kiss me and this may be presumptuous of me, but I sort of think you want to kiss me, too, and so I was thinking how much easier it would be if we just went ahead and kissed already so you can go back to cooking dinner and I can stop trying to mentally map out how our night’s about to play out. ~ Colleen Hoover, #NFDB
1157:There are no single guys who don’t have at least one major flaw, and a flaw, I might add, that would stop you from dating them – even if everything else was great. Why? Simple math. Women are interesting and honest and sensitive. Most men are not. There is only one normal, decent single guy for every five women in this city. This is what’s known as the Great Male Statistic. Girls don’t want to face the GMS. They want to believe there’s someone for everyone. The truth hurts. You only start coming to terms with the GMS when you’re twenty-six or twenty-seven. It actually killed Sylvia Plath. She finally found this guy in grad school who she thought was so great, and she married him, and he cheated on her. ~ Caren Lissner, #NFDB
1158:Because, Seaweed Brain, it’s the first time we really talked, you and me. I told you about my family, and…” She took out her camp necklace, strung with her dad’s college ring and a colorful clay bead for each year at Camp Half-Blood. Now there was something else on the leather cord: a red coral pendant Percy had given her when they had started dating. He’d brought it from his father’s palace at the bottom of the sea. “And,” Annabeth continued, “it reminds me how long we’ve known each other. We were twelve, Percy. Can you believe that?” “No,” he admitted. “So…you knew you liked me from that moment?” She smirked. “I hated you at first. You annoyed me. Then I tolerated you for a few years. Then—” “Okay, fine. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1159:A nice industry of crisis management firms has joined the fray by producing reports that identify 'threats' to business, including activist groups. In this industry built upon fear, corporations pay firms to identify threats to their profits, which leads to more campaigns to address these threats, which leads to more reports, and on it goes. The financial motivation to identify threats results in some interesting reports. For instance, the Society of Toxicology paid a private firm, Information Network Associates, to create a threat analysis in preparation for the group's annual meeting, ToxExpo. One section of the report profiled Seattle activists, including what schools they attended and whom they were dating. ~ Will Potter, #NFDB
1160:like my privacy; I want my privacy. I want Kyle gone. I want my bed and to be in it by myself. “Kyle is sleeping peacefully. There’s no reason for me to stay. Are you sure you don’t want me to leave?” “Only if you want to; there’s no rush.” “Where are your roommates?” “No idea. Probably with Jameson.” Mental groan. “Who’s Jameson?” “The nerdy girl my roommate is dating.” Then I hear myself add, “If you don’t want water I can make you some hot chocolate or something. It’s motherfucking cold out.” Shut up Zeke. For fuck’s sake, shut up. Violet smiles shyly, tripping up on her speech. “S-Sure, I can do a quick hot cocoa. That sounds toasty and delicious.” Toasty. I have a girl in my house that says shit like sounds toasty. ~ Sara Ney, #NFDB
1161:Do you want my jacket?” Jared asked. He was taking it off as he spoke, a little awkwardly as he still had to hang onto her.
“Yes,” said Kami instantly. He drew it close around her shoulders. “Also your pin and your class ring. That’s how you do dating in America, isn’t it? You see, I know the ways of your people.”
“I don’t really know how dating works,” Jared told her. “High school for me was mostly musical numbers. That’s how it is in the States, you’ve seen the movies. Every time someone had an emotional dilemma or epiphany, they would burst into song, and we would all have to break out into perfectly choreographed dance sequences. It took a lot of intensive training. So many jazz squares, no time for love. ~ Sarah Rees Brennan,#NFDB
1162:During the time we worked concurrently in the Genetics Department, we had numerous interesting discussions, and these continued after his change of position. I would have been satisfied with our relationship for this reason alone, but Gene also invited me to dinner at his house and performed other friendship rituals, resulting in a social relationship. His wife, Claudia, who is a clinical psychologist, is now also a friend. Making a total of two. Gene and Claudia tried for a while to assist me with the Wife Problem. Unfortunately, their approach was based on the traditional dating paradigm, which I had previously abandoned on the basis that the probability of success did not justify the effort and negative experiences. ~ Graeme Simsion, #NFDB
1163:I knew she was leaving. I knew we were never going to date long-distance. I knew that we wouldn't have been able to be like this back when were were dating, so there was no use in regretting what hadn't happened. I suspected that what happens in hotel rooms rarely lasts outside of them. I suspected that when something was a beginning and an ending at the same time, that meant it could only exist in the present...
..It was snowing outside, anointing the air with a quiet wonder shared by all passersby. When I got back to my mother's apartment, I was a mixture of giddy thrill-happiness and muddle gut-confusion-- I didn't want to leave anything regarding Sofia to chance, and at the same time I was enjoying this step away from it. ~ Rachel Cohn,#NFDB
1164:There’s a poetry to it, engineer’s poetry…it suggests Haverie—average, you know—certainly you have two lobes, don’t you, symmetrical about the rocket’s intended azimuth…hauen, too-smashing someone with a hoe or a club…” off on a voyage of his own here, smiling at no one in particular, bringing in the popular wartime expression ab-hauen, quarterstaff technique, peasant humor, phallic comedy dating back to the ancient Greeks…Slothrop’s first impulse is to get back to what that Plas is into, but something about the man, despite obvious membership in the plot, keeps him listening…an innocence, maybe a try at being friendly in the only way he has available, sharing what engages and runs him, a love for the Word. ~ Thomas Pynchon, #NFDB
1165:So, I asked her about Mary Elizabeth (leaving out the sex part) because I knew she could be neutral about it, especially since she "stayed clear" of the dinner. My sister said Mary Elizabeth is suffering from low self-esteem, but I told her that she said the same thing about Sam back in November when she started dating Craig, and Sam is completely different. Everything can't be low self-esteem, can it? My sister tried to clarify things. She said that by introducing me to all these great things, Mary Elizabeth gained a "superior position" that she wouldn't need if she was confident about herself. She also said that people who try to control situations all the time are afraid that if they don't, nothing will work out the way they want. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1166:Tengo had no particular desire for other women. What he wanted most of all was uninterrupted free time. If he could have sex on a regular basis, he had nothing more to ask of a woman. He did not welcome the unavoidable responsibility that came with dating a woman his own age, falling in love, and having a sexual relationship. The psychological stages through which one had to pass, the hints regarding various possibilities, the unavoidable collisions of expectations: Tengo hoped to get by without taking on such burdens.
The concept of duty always made Tengo cringe. He had lived his life thus far skillfully avoiding any position that entailed responsibility, and to do so, he was prepared to endure most forms of deprivation. ~ Haruki Murakami,#NFDB
1167:It’s pertinent information, that’s all. If you’re dating seriously it seems like—” “We’ve had two dates.” “But there’s history. Things could advance quickly.” “Because we were friends in high school?” “You said you like him.” Daniel gave a humorless laugh. “And we all know he likes you.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Please. He couldn’t keep his eyes off your butt at Cappy’s.” She gaped at him. “Whatever. Besides, you didn’t seem too worried when you were setting me up with James.” “I didn’t know you were pregnant then. And what if Cody doesn’t want kids either?” She almost brought up Cody’s nieces and nephew, but then . . . James enjoyed teaching children. That didn’t necessarily equate with parenthood. “Very unlikely,” she said. ~ Denise Hunter, #NFDB
1168:Good luck on your date, then,” she said at last. “Much appreciated, but I don’t need good luck; I need assistance,” said Magnus. “Just because I’m going on this date does not mean it will go well. I’m very charming, but it does take two to tango.” “Magnus, remember what happened the last time you tried to tango. Your shoe flew off and nearly killed someone.” “It was a metaphor. He’s a Shadowhunter, he’s a Lightwood, and he’s into blonds. He’s a dating hazard. I need an escape strategy. If the date is a complete disaster, I’ll text you. I’ll say ‘Blue Squirrel, this is Hot Fox. Mission to be aborted with extreme prejudice.’ Then you call me and you tell me that there is a terrible emergency that requires my expert warlock assistance. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
1169:Sometimes you change your mind about a person,' I tell her. 'Or your feelings for them change, or they change, or, I don't know, you just want to make a different decision. And that's always okay. You don't owe anyone anything. You know that, don't you?' 'What do you mean?' she says. 'I mean, like with Matt. I wanted to date him, and then I didn't want to anymore, and some people made me feel guilty for that. As if he deserved whatever he wanted, and I was being selfish for not giving it to him.' 'Are you talking about sex?' she asks matter-of-factly. 'No,' I say. 'Yes. Kind of. I'm talking about everything: dating, kissing, sex. All of it. You never owe another person something, no matter how nice they are to you. Relationships aren't transactions. ~ Emily Henry, #NFDB
1170:The library was still giving trouble: a few books in some of the more obscure corners of the stacks retained some autonomy, dating back to an infamous early experiment with flying books, and lately they'd begun to breed. Shocked undergraduates had stumbled on books in the very act.
Which sounded interesting, but so far the resulting offspring had either been predictably derivative (in fiction) or stunningly boring (nonfiction); hybrid pairings between fiction and nonfiction were the most vital. The librarian thought the problem was just that the right books weren't breeding with each other and proposed a forced mating program. The library committee had an epic secret meeting about the ethics of literary eugenics which ended in a furious deadlock. ~ Lev Grossman,#NFDB
1171:Why am I the expert all of a sudden?”
“Of the two of us, you have more stalking experience.”
He leaned back. “Really?”
“Yes. When you let yourself into my apartment before we were dating, did you fidget while you watched me?”
“Will you let it go?” he growled.
“No.”
“I didn’t fidget. I checked on you to make sure you hadn’t gotten yourself killed. I wanted to know that you weren’t dying slowly of your wounds, because you have no sense and half of the time you couldn’t afford a medmage. I didn’t stand there and watch you. I came in, made sure you were okay, and left. It wasn’t creepy.”
“It was a little creepy.”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“Worked how?”
“You’re still alive.”
“Yes, of course, take all the credit. ~ Ilona Andrews,#NFDB
1172:Bellamy took Clarke’s hand, then leaned in and whispered, “Should we go check on your parents?”
She turned to him and tilted her head to the side. “Don’t you think it’s a little early to be meeting my parents?” she teased. “After all, we’ve been dating less than a month.”
“A month in Earth time is like, ten years in space time, don’t you think?”
Clarke nodded. “You’re right. And I suppose that means that I can’t get mad at you if you decide to call it off after a few months, because that’s really a few decades.”
Bellamy wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her close. “I want to spend eons with you, Clarke Griffin.”
She rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek. “Glad to hear it, because there’s no going back now. We’re here for good. ~ Kass Morgan,#NFDB
1173:Junction nineteen! Una, she came off at Junction nineteen! You've added an hour to your journey before you even started. Come on, let's get you a drink. How's your love life, anyway?"
Oh GOD. Why can't married people understand that this is no longer a polite question to ask? We wouldn't rush up to THEM and roar, "How's your marriage going? Still having sex?" Everyone knows that dating in your thirties is not the happy-go-lucky free-for-it-all it was when you were twenty-two and that the honest answer is more likely to be, "Actually, last night my married lover appeared wearing suspenders and a darling little Angora crop-top, told me he was gay/a sex addict/a narcotic addict/a commitment phobic and beat me up with a dildo," than, "Super, thanks. ~ Helen Fielding,#NFDB
1174:That must have been some serious Island voodoo: the ending I saw in the cave came true. The next day we went back to the United States. Five months later I got a letter from my ex-baby. I was dating someone new, but Magda’s handwriting still blasted every molecule of air out of my lungs.
It turned out she was also going out with somebody else. A very nice guy she’d met. Dominican, like me. Except he loves me, she wrote.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to finish by showing you what kind of fool I was.
When I returned to the bungalow that night, Magda was waiting up for me. Was packed, looked like she’d been bawling.
I’m going home tomorrow, she said.
I sat down next to her. Took her hand. This can work, I said. All we have to do is try. ~ Junot D az,#NFDB
1175:The earth is a dynamic place [...] with multiple different processes of deposition and erosion under way at all times. You can make guesses based on style and weathering, but fragments of worked stone that have been in the open for an unknown period can't be dated by their archaeological context, because there is none. Carbon-dating organic materials in the sediment in which they were found won't work, either, because they were never entombed and preserved in sediment. And in fact no other objective and widely accepted method of dating can tell us how old they are. For these reasons archaeologists have to discount artifacts found on the surface when coming to any conclusions about the age of a site, even though the artifacts themselves may obviously be ancient. ~ Graham Hancock, #NFDB
1176:History, lie of our lives, mire of our loins. Our sins, our souls. Hiss-tih-ree: the tip of the pen taking a trip of three steps (with one glide) down the chronicle to trap a slick, sibilant character. Hiss. (Ss.) Tih. Ree.
He was a pig, a plain pig, in the morning, standing five feet ten on one hoof. He was a pig in slacks. He was a pig in school. He was a pig on the dotted line. But in my eyes it’s always the ones signing dotted lines that become pigs.
Did this pig have a precursor? He did, indeed he did. In point of fact, dating all the way back to the Biblical Age. Oh where? About everywhere you look there's pigs giving that fancy ol’ snake a chase. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can always count on a fuckin’ pretentious sarcastican for a fancy prose style. ~ Brian Celio,#NFDB
1177:You know what the problem is?” I tell him, gesturing to the bar, which is quite busy for a Thursday night. “It’s that right now everyone is on their phones. Everyone has that ‘me, me, me instant gratification’ shit going on and so when the going gets rough in a relationship, as it always does, they bail. They bail because they have a million other people on their phone, on those fucking apps, all waiting for a hook-up or a date. A million people around the corner, with their perfect filtered photos uploaded, their bios updated and edited so they all represent the perfect fake versions of themselves. So even when you’re on a date with one person, you can look at your phone and go to the next person, have your fun, then go to the next. It’s not fucking dating man, it’s shopping. ~ Karina Halle, #NFDB
1178:We’re turning onto Frontage Road headed into Vail Village when she tells me she met someone.
“What’s that?” I ask, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.
She nods and pulls out her phone. “On Facebook. I don’t know why I’m bothering with dating sites when there are guys like this available.” She waves the phone.
Fuck that. I’m available.
“I don’t think you’re ready yet,” I snap. “We’re still practicing your dating skills, remember?”
“Oh.” She frowns. “Are we exclusively practicing? I didn’t know. I thought this guy would be good practice.”
I make a mental note to hack her and alter all the incoming messages from men. Why the hell didn’t I do this the day I met her? When she told me about men sending her photos of their dicks? ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1179:Your objective is to avoid being on a string.
The first step, I think, is to get over the fear of losing a man by confronting him. Just stop being afraid, already. The most successful people in this world recognize that taking chances to get what they want is much more productive than sitting around being too scared to take a shot. The same philosophy can be applied to dating: if putting your requirements on the table means you risk him walking away, it's a risk you have to take. Because that fear can trip you up every time; all too many of you let the guy get away with disrespecting you, putting in minimal effort and holding on to the commitment to you because you're afraid he's going to walk away and you'll be alone again. And we men? We recognize this and play on it, big time. ~ Steve Harvey,#NFDB
1180:In chapter V of the first Epistle of St. John, these words strike the visitor, "There are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, and the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are One." If these two verses are authentic, they would be an affirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity, dating from the first century, at a time when the Gospels, the Acts, and St. Paul ignore it. It was first pointed out in 1806 that these verses were an interpolation, for they do not appear in the best manuscripts, notably all the Greek manuscripts down to the fifteenth century. The Roman Church refused to bow to evidence. The Congregation of the Index, on January 13, 1897, with the approbation of Leo XIII, forbade any question as to the authenticity of the text relating to the "three heavenly witnesses. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1181:Thady begins his memoirs of the Rackrent Family by dating MONDAY MORNING, because no great undertaking can be auspiciously commenced in Ireland on any morning but MONDAY MORNING. 'Oh, please God we live till Monday morning, we'll set the slater to mend the roof of the house. On Monday morning we'll fall to, and cut the turf. On Monday morning we'll see and begin mowing. On Monday morning, please your honour, we'll begin and dig the potatoes,' etc.
All the intermediate days, between the making of such speeches and the ensuing Monday, are wasted: and when Monday morning comes, it is ten to one that the business is deferred to THE NEXT Monday morning. The Editor knew a gentleman, who, to counteract this prejudice, made his workmen and labourers begin all new pieces of work upon a Saturday. ~ Maria Edgeworth,#NFDB
1182:There is no truer statement: men are simple. Get this into your head first, and everything you learn about us in this book will begin to fall into place. Once you get that down, you’ll have to understand a few essential truths: men are driven by who they are, what they do, and how much they make. No matter if a man is a CEO, a CON, or both, everything he does is filtered through his title (who he is), how he gets that title (what he does), and the reward he gets for the effort (how much he makes). These three things make up the basic DNA of manhood—the three accomplishments every man must achieve before he feels like he’s truly fulfilled his destiny as a man. And until he’s achieved his goal in those three areas, the man you’re dating, committed to, or married to will be too busy to focus on you. ~ Steve Harvey, #NFDB
1183:Rosie: Well we’re not exactly 20 years old are we? Ruby: No thank god for that because if that was the case I would have to go through a shit marriage and a divorce all over again. We would have to go out and look for jobs, be all uncertain about our lives, care about dating and how we look and what car we’re driving, what music we’re playing in it, what we wear, whether we’ll get into certain clubs or not bla bla bla bla. What’s so good about being 20? I call them the materialistic years. The years we get distracted by all the bullshit. Then we cop on when we hit our 30s and spend those years trying to make up for the 20s. But your 40s? Those years are for enjoying it. Rosie: Hmmm good point. What are the 50s for? Ruby: Fixing what you fucked up on in your 40s. Rosie: Great. Looking forward to it. ~ Cecelia Ahern, #NFDB
1184:One cannot discuss "women's ways of knowing" without mentioning écriture féminine, a French school of language theory whose name was coined by Hélène Cixous. Dating back to the early 1970s, it counts among its other leading lights Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, and Monique Wittig, who argue that language is by natural masculinist, and that women, when they use it, are wielding an instrument that is foreign to them and that was invented as a means of suppressing them. Therefore it's the task of women to place their own stamp on language, an act that the "French feminists," as they're commonly called, associate with the female body. (Cixous, for example, compares "the desire to write" to "the gestation drive.") It's fair to say that these women's ideas don't easily translate into clear French, let alone clear English. ~ Bruce Bawer, #NFDB
1185:You’ll have a very pleasant drive with him. It’s nice of him to look after his mother.” “He’s not being nice, George, he’s being overprotective and nosy. He’s got this idea we have to have a heart-to-heart talk about the fact I haven’t been dating! He brought it up, you know—apparently, my sons have been concerned about me being alone. More to the point, they’re all concerned that I’m determined to be alone!” “Shame on you, Maureen! Tell the young man you’re not going to be alone!” “No! It’s none of his bloody business!” “You’re just being stubborn. If he’s worried, it might put his mind at ease.” “I’m not ready to talk to Aiden about you. Besides, once you tell one of those boys, they’ll all know. They’re worse gossips than a bunch of girls. Nothing is sacred with them. No way I’m confessing to any one of them.” “Could ~ Robyn Carr, #NFDB
1186:It is not only the size of these redwoods but their strangeness that frightens them. And why not? For these are the last remaining members of a race that flourished over four continents as far back in geologic time as the upper Jurassic period. Fossils of these ancients have been found dating from the Cretaceous era while in the Eocene and Miocene they were spread over England and Europe and America. And then the glaciers moved down and wiped the Titans out beyond recovery. And only these few are left--a stunning memory of what the world was like once long ago. Can it be that we do not love to be reminded that we are very young and callow in a world that was old when we came into it? And could there be a strong resistance to the certainty that a living world will continue its stately way when we no longer inhabit it? ~ John Steinbeck, #NFDB
1187:Funnier still how much faith her parents put in him, considering the fact that Jay would officially be younger than Violet in less than a week.
Violet was about to turn seventeen, while Jay would still be sixteen for nearly two full months/
Jay liked that, the whole older-woman thing. He also liked to joke about the fact that Violet would soon be dating a younger man.
One night, when Violet’s parents had gone out, he teased her about it, whispering against his throat, “I should probably be dating girls my own age now that you’ll be over-the-hill.” Jay was stretched out on Violet’s bed as she curled against him.
Violet laughed, rising to the bait. “Fine,” she challenged, pulling away and leaning up on her elbow. “I’m sure there are plenty of men my own age who would be willing to finish what you’ve started. ~ Kimberly Derting,#NFDB
1188:Society doesn't officially recognize friendship as an institution in the way it recognizes sexual relationships, so there's no real protocol for ending one. If you've been going out, dating, or just sleeping with someone for even a month or two an you want to stop seeing him, you're expected to have a conversation with him letting him know it and giving him some bogus explanation. This conversation is seldom pleasant, and it ranges in tone from brittle adult adult discussions in coffee shops to armed standoffs in day care centers, but once it's over, you at least know your status.
Because there's no formal etiquette for ending a friendship, most people do it in the laziest, most passive and painless way possible, by unilaterally dropping any effort to sustain it and letting the other person figure it out for themselves. ~ Tim Kreider,#NFDB
1189:I’d forgotten about them until this very moment, pushed out of my memory from years of dating boys in indie rock bands, boys who scoffed at my love of PJ Harvey, boys who saw my copy of Jagged Little Pill and asked why the fuck was I listening to her, boys who would’ve most certainly ridiculed my love of a cappella. And if they didn’t like my music, they wouldn’t like me, right? Right? If there are any young women reading this and those above sentences sound familiar, if you’re hiding parts of yourself to look cool or make someone love you, please repeat after me: fuck that noise. You are perfect. You matter. Hold on to what you love, the songs and books and style and obsessions and causes and questions that make you you. Find people who love these things, too. When you get lost, they’ll help you find your way back to yourself. ~ Megan Stielstra, #NFDB
1190:Hmmm. Odd. Okay.” He took Nick’s hand.
Nick pulled back. “Dude, don’t touch me.”
“Why not?”
Why not? Really? He had to explain stranger-danger and personal space? Where did this guy live that he didn’t understand grabbing another dude’s body parts without an invitation was a first class ticket to a major butt-whipping event.
“Look, I don’t know you, and we’re not dating. So keep your hands off me.”
Again with the annoyed noise. “Then how can I lead you if I can’t touch you when you can’t see?”
“How ’bout you don’t lead me anywhere?” Nick was beginning to like the darkness. Unlike Asmodeus, it was quiet and rather peaceful. And it definitely didn’t give him a headache.
“But you said you couldn’t see.”
Nick was aghast at the way this guy’s mind worked. “That doesn’t mean you can touch me.”
“I’m so confused. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon,#NFDB
1191:Level 2: Meeting Women (Complete 4 of 5) Figure out demographics: Figure out your demographics based on the recommendations in. Write down the type of women you’d like to meet and the places you enjoy going most. Then find venues or events where those two things intersect. It could be independent rock concerts, it could be art gallery showings, it could be salsa nights. Whatever it is, find your niche and pursue it. Meet 5 women in one day: Self-explanatory Meet 20 women in one week: Also self-explanatory. Join an online dating site and email 10 women: Also self-explanatory. If you’re under 30 years old, I recommend free dating sites. If you’re over 30 years old, I recommend pay sites. Sign up for a singles or speed dating event: If you have trouble doing the approaching tasks, then this may give you a needed boost in the right direction. ~ Mark Manson, #NFDB
1192:Many historians regard him [Offa] as the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king before Alfred the Great. In the 780s he extended his power over most of Southern England. One of the most remarkable extantfrom King Offa's reign is a gold coin that is kept in the British Museum. On one side, it carries the inscription Offa Rex (Offa the King). But, turn it over and you are in for a surprise, for in badly copied Arabic are the words La Illaha Illa Allah ('There is no god but Allah alone'). This coin is a copy of an Abbasid dinarfrom the reign of Al-Mansur, dating to 773, and was most probably used by Anglo-Saxon traders. It would have been known even in Anglo-Saxon England that Islamic gold dinars were the most important coinage in the world at that time and Offa's coin looked enough like the original that it would have been readily accepted abroad. ~ Jim Al Khalili, #NFDB
1193:Love, love, love—all the wretched cant of it,
masking egotism, lust, masochism, fantasy under a mythology of
sentimental postures, a welter of self-induced miseries and joys,
blinding and masking the essential personalities in the frozen gestures
of courtship, in the kissing and the dating and the desire, the compliments and the quarrels which vivify its
barrenness. ‘We were not made to idolize one another, yet the whole
strain of courtship is little more than rank idolatry.’ It may seem
that young men no longer court with the elaborate servilities that
Mary Astell, the seventeenth-century feminist, was talking about,
but the mystic madness of love provides the same spurious halo,
and builds up the same expectations which dissipate as soon as the
new wife becomes capable of ‘calmly considering her Condition ~ Germaine Greer,#NFDB
1194:I do not worry very much about the young men and women, including many returned missionaries, who are of such an age that in all likelihood they will be married within a relatively short time. I feel they should not be put under pressure by counsel from Church leaders to rush into it. But neither do I believe that they should dally along in a fruitless, frustrating, and frivolous dating game that only raises hopes and brings disappointment and in some cases heartache.
The young men should take the initiative in this matter. It goes without saying that they should be encouraged to live worthy of the companionship of a wonderful partner. They should be taught to put aside any thought of selfish superiority and recognize and follow the teaching of the Church that the husband and wife walk side by side with neither one ahead or behind. ~ Gordon B Hinckley,#NFDB
1195:Madge did the honors. “Are you…keeping company with Doc Piney?”
Jesse answered carefully. “We are not dating, but we are seeing a lot of each other.” Factually true. Revealing nothing.
The three women sat silently for a long moment, sharing glances with each other.
“You know he has a sad history,” Walter Lou said finally.
“Of course she knows,” Madge said immediately.
“Everybody knows. The question is are you planning on breaking that man’s heart again?”
The suggestion was not at all what Jesse expected.
She stuttered out an answer.
“I…I don’t…I don’t think Piney knows me well enough to get his heart broken,” she managed finally.
“Oh, Lord, girl,” Madge said. “He’s a Baxley. A more lovelorn line of men never graced the earth.”
“That’s the truth of that,” Walter Lou agreed. “Those men dote on their women something fierce. ~ Pamela Morsi,#NFDB
1196:Years ago, when my wife and I were dating, she took me on a day trip to the seaside at Brighton. It was my first exposure to the British at play in a marine environment. It was a fairly warm day--I remember the sun came out for whole moments at a time--and large numbers of people were in the sea. They were shrieking with what I took to be pleasure, but now realize was agony. Naively, I pulled off my T-shirt and sprinted into the water. It was like running into liquid nitrogen. It was the only time in my life in which I have moved like someone does when a movie film is reversed. I dived into the water and then straight back out again, backward, and have never gone into an English sea again.
Since that day, I have never assumed that anything is fun just because it looks like the English are enjoying themselves doing it, and mostly I have been right. ~ Bill Bryson,#NFDB
1197:Grima explained that the primary tool in establishing Malta's prehistoric chronology had been radiocarbon-dating (based on the rate of decay of C-14 stored in all formerly living matter). My views about C-14 are on the record. I think it should be only one amongst several tools and techniques brought to bear on the dating of megalithic or rock-hewn sites. It is a truism, but worth repeating nevertheless, that C-14 cannot date stone -- only such organic materials as are found around or in association with stone ruins. It is an assumption (more or less safe depending on the stratigraphy and general circumstances of the site but still, at the end of the day, an assumption) that organic materials found close to megalith B or trilithon A or dolmen C, etc., do in fact date from the same period as the quarrying and erection of the megaliths concerned. ~ Graham Hancock, #NFDB
1198:I thrust Sophie into a corner, blocking her with my body. She panted and snagged her lower lip in her teeth. “This is not my life,” she insisted.
I looked at her solemnly. “I’m afraid it is. But it doesn’t have to be for long. Let’s just get through this. Then things go back to normal for you.”
“Like they keep going back to normal for you?” Sophie hissed. “Ghost of your mother, psycho ex-best friend, company agent dating your dad, psychic vampire ex-boyfriend, werewolf current boyfriend—by the way, I can’t blame you for that one,” she confessed, eyes round as she mouthed the word whoa before continuing with her list, “Trip to the asylum, attempts against your life, vigilante father…”
“Hey, the last ones are brand new. And the vigilante father thing? He’ll revert.”
“Anyhow, I’m not so keen on your concept of normal.” I caught her staring at me. ~ Shannon Delany,#NFDB
1199:Very few people know loyalty anymore." "Do you?" I asked, needing for my own piece of mind to know. "Did I maybe start flirting with Shelly when I was still dating Meg in high school? Yeah, I did. I was sixteen and stupid as fuck. But I grew up. I watched countless families get torn apart by infidelity. I have had to comfort dozens of crying women in my office when I handed them the pictures they paid me to take. And I've gotten to witness the awful thing that happens when they stop crying." "What's that?" "They make up their minds to never let themselves get hurt like that again. See, cheating doesn't just screw up that one relationship, it tends to screw up every single one later because the person gets bitter or scared or distrusting. It's a sad fucking thing to see. And it's not something I am ever willing to do to a woman." He paused and I let those words sink in. ~ Jessica Gadziala, #NFDB
1200:Harry has kissed Craig so many times, but this is different from all of the kisses that have come before. At first there were the excited dating kisses, the kisses used to punctuate their liking of each other, the kisses that were both proof and engine of their desire. Then the more serious kisses, the it’s-getting-serious kisses, followed by the relationship kisses—that variety pack, sometimes intense, sometimes resigned, sometimes playful, sometimes confused. Kisses that led to making out and kisses that led to saying goodbye. Kisses to mark territory, kisses meant only for private, kisses that lasted hours and kisses that were gone before they’d arrived. Kisses that said, I know you. Kisses that pleaded, Come back to me. Kisses that knew they weren’t working. Or at least Harry’s kisses knew they weren’t working. Craig’s kisses still believed. So the kissing had to stop. ~ David Levithan, #NFDB
1201:Did you think I was helping you out of the goodness of my heart? Or am I just the only warlock you know?” (Magnus)
…
“No,” he said now, “but you are the only warlock we know who happens to be dating a friend of ours.” (Jace)
For a moment everyone stared at him-Alec in sheer horror, Magnus un astonished anger, and Clary and Simon in surprise. It was Alec who spoke first, his voice shaking. “Why would you say something like that?”
Jace looked baffled. “Something like what?”
“That I‘m dating-that we‘re-its not true,” Alec said, his voice rising and dropping several octaves as he fought to control it.
Jace looked at him steadily. “I didn’t say he was dating you,” he said, “but funny that you knew just what I meant, isn’t it?”
“We‘re not dating,” Alec said again.
“Oh?” Magnus said. “So you‘re just that friendly with everybody, is that it?”
-pg.241- ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1202:Show me it’s possible to be an adult and also be happy. Please. This is a free country. You don’t have to keep doing this if you don’t want to. You can do anything you want. Be anyone you want. That’s what they tell us at school, but if you keep getting on that train and going to the place you hate I’m going to start thinking the people at school are liars like the Nazis who told the Jews they were just being relocated to work factories. Don’t do that to us. Tell us the truth. If adulthood is working some death-camp job you hate for the rest of your life, divorcing your secretly criminal husband, being disappointed in your son, being stressed and miserable, and dating a poser and pretending he’s a hero when he’s really a lousy person and anyone can tell that just by shaking his slimy hand—if it doesn’t get any better, I need to know right now. Just tell me. Spare me from some awful fucking fate. Please. ~ Matthew Quick, #NFDB
1203:I focus on my favorite daydream, the one where I return from London at the end of the summer and am all glamorous and drop-dead gorgeous and every girl in my school is completely jealous when Quinn McKeyan asks me to Fall Homecoming because he can’t resist my charm.
Hey, it’s my daydream. I can dream what I want to.
The thing is, Quinn’s face keeps getting replaced in my head by Dante’s.
Since I’ve had a mad crush on Quinn from the time we started kindergarten all the way through our junior year last year, that’s saying something.
Every daydream I’ve had for eleven years has been of him. I’m a very loyal daydreamer. And I suddenly feel like I’m cheating on my imaginary boyfriend, a boy who happens to be real, but who has been dating my best friend Becca for the past two years. And no. Becca has no idea that I’m secretly in love with her boyfriend. It’s the one secret that I’ve kept from her. ~ Courtney Cole,#NFDB
1204:THIS book is radioactive. And so are you. Unless you are dead, in which case we can tell how long ago you died by how much of your radioactivity is left. That’s what radiocarbon dating is—the measurement of the reduction of radioactivity of old bones to deduce the time of death. Alcohol is radioactive too—at least the kind we drink. Rubbing alcohol usually isn’t, unless it was made organically—that is, from wood. In fact, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tests wine, gin, whiskey, and vodka for radioactivity. A fifth of whiskey must emit at least 400 beta rays every minute or the drink is considered unfit for human consumption. Biofuels are radioactive. Fossil fuels are not. Of those killed by the Hiroshima atomic bomb, the best estimate is that fewer than 2% died of radiation-induced cancer. These statements are all true. They are not even disputed, at least by experts. Yet they surprise most people. ~ Richard A Muller, #NFDB
1205:you’ve spent two years at the same school as Mina, hardly talking to her, never even realizing she is alive. Then she goes and does something crazy, against my wishes. She placed her own life in danger to save yours.” Her face became very still. “Now, because of those actions, our whole family has to live with the consequences. You now feel obligated to help her, like she did you. I get that, I really do. But what gives you the right to question our actions and lifestyle?” Silence filled the kitchen. Mina held her breath, afraid to move. Brody straightened in his seat and swallowed slowly. Sara brushed her hands over her forehead in defeat. “You’re enamored. That’s it. In another week or so, you will wake up, and this will all be a dream. You will forget that Mina ever even saved your life. She will go back to being my clumsy, forgotten, outcast teen daughter, and you will go back to ruling the school and dating the head cheerleader. ~ Chanda Hahn, #NFDB
1206:Along with osmium and platinum, iridium is one of the three heaviest (densest) elements on the Table—two cubic feet of it weighs as much as a Buick, which makes iridium one of the world’s best paperweights, able to defy all known office fans. Iridium is also the world’s most famous smoking gun. A thin layer of it can be found worldwide at the famous Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary† in geological strata, dating from sixty-five million years ago. Not so coincidentally, that’s when every land species larger than a carry-on suitcase went extinct, including the legendary dinosaurs. Iridium is rare on Earth’s surface but relatively common in six-mile metallic asteroids, which, upon colliding with Earth, vaporize on impact, scattering their atoms across Earth’s surface. So, whatever might have been your favorite theory for offing the dinosaurs, a killer asteroid the size of Mount Everest from outer space should be at the top of your list. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson, #NFDB
1207:You think destroying Centillion will free you, whatever ‘free’ means. But let me ask you, can you tell me the requirements for starting a new business in the State of New York?”
Sai opened his mouth and realized that his instinct was to ask Tilly. He closed his mouth again.
“What’s your mother’s phone number?”
Sai resisted the urge to reach for his phone.
“How about you tell me what happened in the world yesterday? What book did you buy and enjoy three years ago? When did you start dating your last girlfriend?”
Sai said nothing.
“You see? Without Tilly, you can’t do your job, you can’t remember your life, you can’t even call your mother. We are now a race of cyborgs. We long ago began to spread our minds into the electronic realm, and it is no longer possible to squeeze all of ourselves back into our brains. The electronic copies of yourselves that you wanted to destroy are, in a literal sense, actually you. ~ Ken Liu,#NFDB
1208:Let's start with the basics." He pulled a worn Helios-Ra guidebook of the top of the pile of books next to his laptop. "You got one of these in your orientation packet, right?"
"I already had a copy," I replied. I'd picked Kieran's pocket this summer for it, to be precise. I had my own profile in the cream-colored pages.
Tyson flushed. "Oh. Right. I forgot you're in it."
"I'm famous," I agreed blandly. "Just this morning someone locked me in a bathroom stall."
He flushed even redder.
"Are you blushing?"
He cleared his throat. "No."
I grinned. "You are adorable."
"Uh ..."
"Relax, I'm dating the undead, remember."
"Stop teasing poor Tyson," Jenna said from behind me.
I tilted my head to look up at her. "But it's fun."
Jenna hiked her hip on the table and swung her sneaker-clad foot. "You're going to give him a coronary."
We both turned to grin at him, waiting for his retort. He just looked slightly nauseated. ~ Alyxandra Harvey,#NFDB
1209:...A huge “army” of immature guys with blinders over their eyes, looking for UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, are going nowhere. Such men are all ending up to be eternal dating losers, because they are simply wasting huge amounts of effort, trying hard and hoping to find something that does not exist on the planet.
To achieve the goal of personal happiness, we have to be honest with ourselves first of all. We need to be brave enough and smart enough to look into the mirror at our true selves, without our comfortable masks of lies or hypocrisy.
LET’S FACE IT:
There are always reasons why we feel love for another person; we don't love someone for no reason at all. We love them for the qualities they possess, which we admire; for those amazing, bright emotions they evoke from within ourselves; for the love and care that we so acceptingly receive from them; and for what good feelings we experience being around them, etc.
Be HONEST with yourself! ~ Sahara Sanders,#NFDB
1210:Sophie’s the first one of us to have a baby, even though Everly has a five-year-old son, Jake. Everything is happening so fast. Well, for my friends anyway. Sophie met Luke last fall during our senior year at Penn. She was pregnant and married before graduation. Everly met Sawyer last Thanksgiving and they were married over the summer. Sawyer’s son from a previous relationship lives with them full-time and Everly adapted to insta-motherhood better than anyone could have expected. She’s working on a children’s book series about blended families now. Weird, I know. I always assumed she’d write porn. And then there’s Sandra; she’s a few years older than us. Sandra works for Everly’s husband and quickly became a part of our friendship circle, or squad, as Everly prefers we call it. Sandra started dating Gabe at the beginning of the year and was living with him by summer.
That leaves me.
Chloe Scott. Third wheel, or seventh wheel in this case. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1211:It turns out that (he) has a condition known as micropenis. This means his penis is less than three inches long, fully erect. It looks like a large clitoris, sticking out above two balls.
"Suck my big, fat cock, " he tells me. "You like that big dick?"
I am dizzy. I am literally dizzy. I was so shocked to encounter the micropenis and now am even more shocked to encounter the apparent lack of knowledge about the micropenis. I grip it in my hand, and it's lost, so I use my thumb and index finger to jerk it.
"Yeah, " he says. "Yeah, man, stroke that long, hard cock. Work it."
I am now engaged in what I consider volunteer work. I am jerking him off purely out of pity. This is really no different from donating five percent of my paycheck to United Way every month, and it occurs to me that maybe now I don't need to give to the United Way and instead can keep the cash for myself for dating, which I am obviously going to have to do quite a bit more of. ~ Augusten Burroughs,#NFDB
1212:Another night then,' Mom said. 'Maybe on the weekend we can have a barbecue and invite your sister.'
'Or,' I said turning to Rafe, 'if you want to skip the whole awkward meet-the-family social event you could just submit your life story including your view on politics religion and every social issue imaginable along with anything else you think they might need to conduct a thorough background check.'
Mom sighed. 'I really don't know why we even bother trying to be subtle around you.'
'Neither do I. It's not like he isn't going to realize he's being vetted as daughter-dating material.'
Rafe grinned. 'So we are dating.'
'No. You have to pass the parental exam first. It'll take you awhile to compile the data. They'd like it in triplicate.' I turned to my parents. 'We have Kenjii. We have my cell phone. Since we aren't yet officially dating I'm sure you'll agree that's all the protection we need.'
Dad choked on his coffee. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
1213:So why were you with her?"
"She was my assignment."
"From The Eye?"
"No,from the Boy Scouts. That Witch Dating badge just kept eluding me."
"Well,you must have at least three Total Douchebag badges by now, so that has to count for something. What about Holly? Was that fake,too?" I was panting slightly, thanks to trying to keep up with him. Stupid short legs.
He had his hands in his pockets, and hi head was slightly down, like he was walking against the wind. "You know, these were all things I was willing to tell you several weeks ago. Too bad you decided to stand me up."
I had caught up to him by now, and I snagged his elbow,doing my best to ignore the little thrill that went through me even at that innocent touch. "How is that you can go from decent human being to complete jackass in zero-point-two seconds? Do they teach you that in The Eye?"
He stopped, and his eyes glided over my lips. "Actually,I'm just trying to see if I can make you mad enough to kiss me again. ~ Rachel Hawkins,#NFDB
1214:Annabeth and I were relaxing on the Great Lawn in Central Park when she ambushed me with a question.
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
I went into red-alert mode. It’s easy to panic when you’re a new boyfriend. Sure, I’d fought monsters with Annabeth for years. Together we’d faced the wrath of the gods. We’d battled Titans and calmly faced death a dozen times. But now that we were dating, one frown from her and I freaked. What had I done wrong?
I mentally reviewed the picnic list: Comfy blanket? Check. Annabeth’s favorite pizza with extra olives? Check. Chocolate toffee from La Maison du Chocolat? Check. Chilled sparkling water with twist of lemon? Check. Weapons in case of sudden Greek mythological apocalypse? Check.
So what had I forgotten?
I was tempted (briefly) to bluff my way through. Two things stopped me. First, I didn’t want to lie to Annabeth. Second, she was too smart. She’d see right through me.
So I did what I do best. I stared at her blankly and acted dumb. ~ Rick Riordan,#NFDB
1215:Sweet pea, what did you expect?"
"Something other than that."
"Well, you shouldn't have. We human girls are a bit feistier than your Syrena females-Rayna being the exception of course."
"But Emma's not human."
Rachel shakes her head at him as if he's a child. "She's been human all her life. It's all she knows. The good news is, she can't date anyone right now."
"Why's that?" Because to him, it sounded like maybe Emma thought she could.
"Because she's supposed to be dating you. And if I were you, I'd mark my territory as soon as I got back to school-if you know what I mean."
He scowls. He hadn't planned on staying in school after Emma learned the truth-the whole purpose for going was to eventually get Emma to the beach. He didn't anticipate having to teach her how to become Syrena. And he didn't anticipate that up until yesterday she actually thought she was human. In fact, there's a list the length of his fin of things he didn't anticipate.
Like how thick the school books are. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1216:I’m never going to be kissed.”
I open my eyes to see my brothers gaping at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“You don’t kiss boys,” says West. “Boys shouldn’t be anywhere near you. Guys only want one thing, Rach, and it ain’t conversation. I should know.” He waves off the subject in frustration, then shakes his head as he speaks again. “Why are we even talking about this? You aren’t seeing anyone.”
“Ah, hell,” mumbles Jack. “We’re having the sex talk with my baby sister.”
“Is she dating?” Gavin demands of West and Ethan. “She can’t be dating. Now we have to beat the snot out of some horny teenager. You should have told me this was going on.”
“Make them stop,” I whisper to Ethan. Along with the dread of speeches and vomiting, I’m also dying of embarrassment.
“She’s not dating!” West shudders as if spiders cover him. “That’s just sick, Rach. Don’t talk like that. Ever. Again.”
Gavin sends me a glare clearly meant to warn me off from kissing and dating boys before he heads for the main ballroom. ~ Katie McGarry,#NFDB
1217:I didn’t want to be not dating someone just because I was used to not dating anyone. But, on the other hand, one of the nice things about being single all the time is that there’s no built-up generalized desire for romantic companionship to factor into the decision. I have no impulse to date just to date. When people say, “Ugh, I have a date tonight. I am not looking forward to it,” I am incapable of understanding that as a statement. And when I say I’m pretty sure I don’t like someone enough to date him, but I admit, when pressed, that I don’t know how to be sure, and then the people around me take that as incontrovertible evidence that I should proceed anyway—I don’t understand that, either. Everyone means so well, but how weird is it that so many girls spend so much time convincing each other to date people we aren’t sure we want to date? What are we pushing each other toward? Look, I’m literally as little of an expert as you can be at something when it comes to dating. I just don’t get any of this. Still, ~ Katie Heaney, #NFDB
1218:I sit her at the vanity in Sawyer’s bathroom and go to work putting big loose curls into Sandra’s hair.
“Who is Everly trying to set you up with?” Chloe asks her, while digging through my makeup bag, so she misses the startled expression on Sandra’s face.
“What?” Sandra’s eyes dart over to Chloe.
“She’s setting you up, you know that, right?” Chloe, finding my hand lotion, looks up.
“I’m not setting anyone up.” I shake my head. I’m not. I’m merely creating opportunities.
“She put me on a dating site without telling me.” Chloe squeezes some lotion out of the tube and rubs her hands together. I don’t think she needs the lotion. I think she was just looking for an excuse to rub her hands together in glee over having someone new to share my wrongdoings with. “Sent me on a date I didn’t even know I was on,” she adds.
“One time. That happened one time.” I unplug the curling iron, wrapping the cord around the handle.
“Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“It won’t! ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1219:Stepping closer, I wiped away a tear from her cheek. “You’ll make a great mom.”
“I guess we’re going to find out,” she said, melting into my arms. “I was on the pill. I can’t even do that part right.”
Taking a deep breath and accepting this direction in my life, I said softly, “Don’t listen to the crap in your head. Listen to my heart. It’s known you from the beginning.”
Lark tightened her grip on me. “You’re not mad.”
“Why would I be mad?”
“We just started dating.”
“Oh, I had our whole lives planned out before you walked into my shop to fix your worm.”
Lark smiled up at me. “Do you feel like I tried to trap you?”
“Shit, you really have no idea how I see you. None at all. In fact, I’m happy on two levels. As the guy who wants to spend his life with you, I’m excited to think of our baby growing inside you. Plus, the caveman part of me is just excited that I beat Cooper.”
Laughing, Lark nuzzled my chest. “And you knocked me up when I was on the pill. You have the mighty Thor of sperm. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1220:It was called evolutionary biology. Under its sway, the sexes were separated again, men into hunters and women into gatherers. Nurture no longer formed us; nature did. Impulses of hominids dating from 20,000 B.C. were still controlling us. And so today on television and in magazines you get the current simplifications. Why can't men communicate? (Because they had to be quiet on the hunt.) Why do women communicate so well? (Because they had to call out to one another where the fruits and berries were.) Why can men never find things around the house? (Because they have a narrow field of vision, useful in tracking prey.) Why can women find things so easily? (Because in protecting the nest they were used to scanning a wide field.) Why can't women parallel-park? (Because low testosterone inhibits spatial ability.) Why won't men ask for directions? (Because asking for directions is a sign of weakness, and hunters never show weakness.) This is where we are today. Men and women, tired of being the same, want to be different again. ~ Jeffrey Eugenides, #NFDB
1221:She hesitated. "You know I'm older than you, right?"
Richard stared down at her and forced himself not to laugh at the irony. He may be over two hundred years old, but he looked as if he were in his late twenties, thirty at the most. And Jenna was worried that her being thirty-seven would be a problem?
A hint of insecurity entered her features. "I don't mean to press this, but... I dated a guy once--- very briefly---who said the same thing until his friends found out and started to razz him about it. I'm thirty-seven. Are you sure that isn't a problem?"
"I don't know why his friends would tease him about dating you unless they were envious. You look like you're in your twenties, Jenna. Not much older than your son, in fact. And, if you looked like you were in your forties, guess what. I would be just as interested."
She smiled and closed the distance between them. "And if I looked like I were in my fifties?"
"Still interested."
"Sixties?"
"I happen to think laugh lines are hot. ~ Dianne Duvall,#NFDB
1222:games. A summary: Exposing children to a violent TV or film clip increases their odds of aggression soon after.41 Interestingly, the effect is stronger in girls (amid their having lower overall levels of aggression). Effects are stronger when kids are younger or when the violence is more realistic and/or is presented as heroic. Such exposure can make kids more accepting of aggression—in one study, watching violent music videos increased adolescent girls’ acceptance of dating violence. The violence is key—aggression isn’t boosted by material that’s merely exciting, arousing, or frustrating. Heavy childhood exposure to media violence predicts higher levels of aggression in young adults of both sexes (“aggression” ranging from behavior in an experimental setting to violent criminality). The effect typically remains after controlling for total media-watching time, maltreatment or neglect, socioeconomic status, levels of neighborhood violence, parental education, psychiatric illness, and IQ. This is a reliable finding of large magnitude. The ~ Robert M Sapolsky, #NFDB
1223:You're thirty-four or thirty-five, gainfully employed, never been married. You think maybe you'll settle down one day, perhaps when you're forty, but for now, you work hard at your job, so you want to play hard, too. You tend to skew more toward dating women in their mid-twenties, because women in their early twenties seem just a little too young and women in their thirties frustrate you with the way they all want to talk about marriage and kids by the third date. You'll go out with a girl a few times, you'll have a lot of fun together, and when she starts pushing for something more serious, you'll move on to something else, wondering why it is that women can't be content to just 'date' without needing a commitment. And why would you want to commit to one person right now? For men as attractive as you, this city is one big candy store, filled with so many shiny treats, you couldn't possibly choose just one. So instead, you run around with your obviously healthy ego, sampling as many of the goods as you can get your hands on--simply because you can. ~ Julie James, #NFDB
1224:I can accept them and their power and their age because I was early exposed to them. On the other hand, people lacking such experience begin to have a feeling of uneasiness here, of danger, of being shut in, enclosed and overwhelmed. It is not only the size of these redwoods but their strangeness that frightens them. And why not? For these are the last remaining members of a race that flourished over four continents as far back in geologic time as the upper Jurassic period. Fossils of these ancients have been found dating from the Cretaceous era while in the Eocene and Miocene they were spread over England and Europe and America. And then the glaciers moved down and wiped the Titans out beyond recovery. And only these few are left--a stunning memory of what the world was like once long ago. Can it be that we do not love to be reminded that we are very young and callow in a world that was old when we came into it? And could there be a strong resistance to the certainty that a living world will continue its stately way when we no longer inhabit it? ~ John Steinbeck, #NFDB
1225:Zach, it doesn't matter which talking heads the Republicrats put up as their candidates. Either way you're voting to maintain the status quo. Is that what you want?"
"Ummm...."
"Are you pro-choice?"
"Sure, I guess." Abortion's not something a gay man has to think about often.
"And you must be in favour of allowing gays to marry?"
"Of course." But I'd have to be dating someone first, right?
"And you believe in the decriminalization of marijuana?"
"I suppose." There was no way i was going to to argue with a man who sold bongs for a living on that one.
"Don't you think you should be able to vote against our out-of-control welfare state without having to vote against those basic rights? Basic rights which should be protected by our constitution?"
"Well-"
"Have you even read the constitution, Zach?"
"I don't think so," I admitted in surprise.
He shook his head at me. "Neither has the president, Zach. Think about that."
He left a stack of pamphlets on the counter and headed for Ruby's. It was going to be a long campaign season. ~ Marie Sexton,#NFDB
1226:All my relationships are short and sweet. Well...short, anyway."
"Mine too."
I sat in a leather chair near the sofa. It was stylish but uncomfortable, shaped like a cube and encased in a polished chrome frame. "I guess that's bad, isn't it?"
He shook his head. "It shouldn't take a long time to figure out if someone is right for you. If it does, you're either dense or blind."
"Or maybe you're dating an armadillo."
Gage shot me a perplexed glance. "Pardon?"
"I mean someone who's hard to set to know. Shy and heavily armored."
"And ugly?"
"Armadillos aren't ugly," I protested, laughing.
"They're bulletproof lizards."
"I think you're an armadillo."
"I'm not shy."
"But you are heavily armored."
Gage considered that. He conceded the point with a brief nod. "Having learned about projection in couples counseling, I'd venture to say you're an armadillo too."
"What's projection?"
"It means you accuse me of the same things you're guilty of"
"Good Lord," I said, lifting the wineglass to my lips. "No wonder all your relationships are short. ~ Lisa Kleypas,#NFDB
1227:Which parts of Pembrook Park had been real? Any of it? Even herself? The absurdity bubbled up inside her, and she laughed out loud. The woman next to her stiffened as if forcing herself not to look at the crazy person.
“Excuse me.”
The sound of the voice flattened Jane against the back of her seat as though the plane had taken off at a terrifying speed.
It was him. There he was. In the plane. Vest and cravat and jacket and all.
“Holy cow,” she said.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” Nobley said to the woman beside Jane. “My girlfriend and I don’t have tickets together, and I wonder if you would mind switching. I have a lovely seat on the exit row.”
The woman nodded and smiled sympathetically at Jane as though pondering the sadness of a crazy woman dating a man in Regency clothes.
The man who was Mr. Nobley sat beside her. He lifted his hand to remove his cap, discovered it’d been dislodged during the scuffle with Martin, and then inclined his head just as Mr. Nobley would have.
“How do you do? I’m Henry.”
So he was Henry Jenkins.
“I’m still Jane,” she said. Or, squeaked, rather. ~ Shannon Hale,#NFDB
1228:The historic importance of the Khidr story is unfortunate, given another lesson that emerges from it in Islamic tradition: don’t kill children, unless you know they’re going to grow up to be unbelievers. One early Muslim, Najda, recalled, “The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless you could know what Khadir had known about the child he killed, or you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to be a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside.”26 This interpretation may help to explain the persistent phenomenon of honor killing in Islamic countries and even among Muslims in the West, in which a Muslim kills a daughter or other relative who has “shamed” him by engaging in allegedly un-Islamic activity, such as dating a non-Muslim boy or adopting Western clothing. Muslims who take the Koran literally can find a justification in this passage for such acts by claiming his victim was turning into an unbeliever. ~ Robert Spencer, #NFDB
1229:Right around that time, I started dating a guy named Jeff. He was a classically handsome, popular guy. But there was something different about him too. He was angrier than most teenage boys, and a little misunderstood. I ignored the signs that he was probably a bit unstable. Signs like when they gave him a fish fillet at McDonald’s instead of a Big Mac, he became so furious that he cried. Truly lost it. Real tears of rage. Like the kind of tears guys are only supposed to get when they watch a movie that touches on their dad issues. (So, most movies.) Isn’t it funny that they say most girls have daddy issues, when really, every dude does? But this dude had daddy, mommy, doggy, and fish fillet issues. I just thought, Well, he can’t help it. But I understand him. I’m here for him. Even though we were both generally well liked, when we were together it was us vs. the world. I’ve only recently broken my pattern of being drawn to the “you’re the only one who gets me” guy. Which is a bad guy to be drawn to, and it’s not a coincidence if everyone—including all your friends and family and your dog—dislikes him. But ~ Amy Schumer, #NFDB
1230:So were you born and raised in Winnipeg, or Ontario?” Anders asked. “Cambridge, Ontario,” Valerie answered reluctantly, knowing what question would come next. It was Bricker who asked it. “Then how did you end up opening a clinic in Winnipeg?” Valerie considered how best to answer, but really there was only one answer. “A man.” Silence filled the SUV briefly and then Anders said, “You aren’t married.” It wasn’t really phrased as a question, more like a command, she thought, and wondered about that, but said, “No. I’ve never been married. But I started dating another student my first year at university. We dated all seven years of school, but he was from Winnipeg. He wanted to go back when we graduated and he asked me to go.” She shrugged. “I moved there with him and set up shop.” “But you didn’t marry?” Anders asked and she glanced over to see that his eyes were narrowed on the road. There was a tension about him she didn’t understand. “No.” She turned to stare out the window at the passing scenery and said, “We split up eventually, but by then the clinic was successful and I’d made friends there. I stayed. ~ Lynsay Sands, #NFDB
1231:Evgeny Morozov, the most bracing critic of modern optimism, emphasizes the anaesthetizing effects of perpetual amusement. People use new means of communication not to engage in political activism, but to find entertainment. The Net is no exception, and has increased the opportunities for the masses to find pleasing diversions to a level that no one had previously imagined possible. In Russia, China, Vietnam and the other formerly puritan communist countries, the decision by the new market-orientated regimes to allow Western-style media to provide high-quality escapism, sport, dating and gossip sites was a smart move that made their control of the masses more effective. In Belarus, Morozov discovered Internet service providers that were offering free downloads of pirated movies and music. The dictatorship ‘could easily put an end to such practices, [but] prefers to look the other way and may even be encouraging them’. Unlike so many who write about the Net, Morozov was brought up in a dictatorship – Belarus, as it happens – and the knowledge that freedom is hard to win explains his impatience with wishful thinking. ~ Nick Cohen, #NFDB
1232:Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl. Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men — friends, coworkers, strangers — giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1233:end of the class he stood in the doorway to block the Frenchman’s exit. “You’re going around the world showing people pictures of how to use condoms?” Cool B asked mockingly. “I’ll show you what to do.” He snatched away the man’s prospectus and, reading from the text, improvised an anti-AIDS rap on the spot in the manner of LL Cool J. The Frenchman was impressed. Within a couple of days, he had arranged for Cool B to record the rap at a downtown nightclub, and the song made him a momentary celebrity among Abidjan youth. It also began his long association with white people—among them Petra, his girlfriend, who eventually went back to Germany, and Éliane de Latour, a French filmmaker who employed him for a while as a researcher on a feature about Abidjan youth. Cool B keeps pictures of them on his wall, and he tries to figure out why, in spite of these connections, he remains stuck in Koumassi. He spends his ample free time and his limited funds at a local Internet café, surfing international dating sites and chat rooms where people he knows have found marriage opportunities that got them out of Africa. Or he visits ~ George Packer, #NFDB
1234:He was scowling. "What the hell? If I had a daughter and she was dating a guy like me, I'd take him out back and threaten him with a shotgun to make sure he treated her right."
Kit's mouth fell open. "You?"
"Yeah." He folded his arms, his scowl growing heavier. "Jeez, Kit, he didn't even tell me to be good to you. That's bullshit."
Realizing he was dead serious, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "Where did you pick up this chivalrous instinct?"
"My father," he said, the sneer that usually accompanied any mention of Robert St. John missing from his voice. "He's a son of a bitch, but he brought me up to look after any women under my care."
"Under your care?" Kit raised an eyebrow. "Chauvinistic much?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, well, maybe it is, but I'm not changing. My imaginary daughters are never dating musicians. Ever."
Stomach somersaulting at the idea of little girls with Noah's features and talent, she shook her head. "Noah St. John, bad boy of rock and concerned father of imaginary daughters. Hell hath frozen over and become an ice rink. ~ Nalini Singh,#NFDB
1235:Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many people call you and it's not about who you've dated, are dating or haven't dated at all. It isn't about who you've kissed, what sport you play, or which guy or girl likes you. It's not about your shoes or your hair or the color of your skin or where you live or go to school. In fact, it's not about grades, money, clothes, or colleges that accept you or not. Life isn't about if you have lots of friends, or if you are alone, and it's not about how accepted or unaccepted you are. Life just isn't about that.
But life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness, and compassion. It's about sticking up for your friends and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. It's about seeing people for who they are and not what they have. Most of all, it is about choosing to use your life to touch someone's else's in a way that could never have been achieved otherwise. These choices are what life's about. ~ Anonymous,#NFDB
1236:If you want to be irresistible and have magical relationships, you’ve got to stop looking at men like they are a different species, out to do you wrong. This attitude is no different from racial or religious discrimination. Start looking at men and women as unique and individual people.
Many women ask, “Where are all the real men?” or complain, “There just aren’t enough single men my age. They all want younger women.” Women who make remarks like these fail to see, unbeknownst to themselves, that they harbor a deep-seated contempt for men. They unconsciously look for ways to prove men do it wrong, think wrong, behave wrong, and are wrong. It’s impossible to attract a loving and satisfying relationship with a man, and have it last, if you are a secret or not-so-secret man hater.
Here are some tendencies to watch out for:
You compete with men professionally to prove women are better.
You look for ways to prove women have it harder.
You make or laugh at male-bashing jokes.
You hold resentments, judgments, or complaints against your father.
You spend more time complaining about men than actually dating them. ~ Marie Forleo,#NFDB
1237:When he says he doesn’t love you anymore, roll your shoulders back and look him in the eye even when it feels like your ribs are breaking inward; like spider legs.
When he digs up old aches that he swore he forgave you for, smile and ask him why he didn’t leave you sooner.
Ignore the way the words feel like sandpaper running all the way up your throat to your mouth.
When he blames you for mistakes that wear his face, do not scream.
Do not cry.
Tell him that there are boys who would be proud to say they’d love you.
Tell him that in two years you won’t even remember his name and don’t let him see the way you can taste your own lie.
When he leaves, ignore the howling in your blood and do not get up after him. Not even to lock the door.
Do not, do not, DO NOT. Smell his shirts when you box them up to give them back. Not one.
Swear off dating when you realize you’re chasing ghosts that wear his smile.
It’s okay to cry over him. It’s even okay to forgive him. But do not go back to him if he did not know how to love you the first time. He won’t know how to do it the next. ~ Ashe Vernon,#NFDB
1238:AHall80: Heh. It’s all right. How you feeling?
RubyMars: Compared to how I was feeling three weeks ago, a thousand times better. Compared to how I felt two months ago, still like crap.
RubyMars: :)
AHall80: You eating?
RubyMars: Yes, Mommy Aaron. I’m back up ten pounds.
RubyMars: Am I being too… familiar with you? I don’t want to make you feel weird.
AHall80: No. You’re how I expected
AHall80: You’re packing on that weight quick.
RubyMars: ……
AHall80: I’m messing with you. Glad you are
AHall80: Am I being too familiar now?
RubyMars: No, you’re just like I expected.
RubyMars: :)
RubyMars: How’s the constipation?
AHall80: ….
RubyMars: ….
AHall80: ….
RubyMars: No? You didn’t like that question?
AHall80: …..
AHall80: Did you finish your dating website profile?
RubyMars: I’ll take it you’re still constipated.
AHall80: Who are you?
RubyMars: I’m tired. I haven’t been sleeping much. My sister says I get feisty when I’m tired.
AHall80: I see. Now I know for next time. I’ll be prepared. ~ Mariana Zapata,#NFDB
1239:Our genus, Homo, arose two and a half million years ago, and for more than ninety-nine percent of human existence, we all lived like Onwas, in small bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers. Though the groups may have been tight-knit and communal, nearly everyone, anthropologists conjecture, spent significant parts of their lives surrounded by quiet, either alone or with a few others, foraging for edible plants and stalking prey in the wild. This is who we truly are. The agricultural revolution began twelve thousand years ago, in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East, and the planet was swiftly reorganized into villages and cities and nations, and soon the average person spent virtually no time alone at all. To a thin but steady stream of people, this was unacceptable, so they escaped. Recorded history extends back five thousand years, and for as long as humans have been writing, we have been writing about hermits. It’s a primal fascination. Chinese texts etched on animal bones, as well as the clay tablets containing the Epic of Gilgamesh, a poem from Mesopotamia dating to around 2000 B.C., refer to shamans or wild men residing alone in the woods. People ~ Michael Finkel, #NFDB
1240:It is for this reason that the anxiety about the boundaries between people and machines has taken on new urgency today, when we constantly rely on and interact with machines—indeed, interact with each other by means of machines and their programs: computers, smartphones, social media platforms, social and dating apps. This urgency has been reflected in a number of recent films about troubled relationships between people and their human-seeming devices. The most provocative of these is Her , Spike Jonze’s gentle 2013 comedy about a man who falls in love with the seductive voice of an operating system, and, more recently, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina , about a young man who is seduced by a devious, soft-spoken female robot called Ava whom he has been invited to interview as part of the “Turing Test”: a protocol designed to determine the extent to which a robot is capable of simulating a human. Although the robot in Garland’s sleek and subtle film is a direct descendant of Hesiod’s Pandora—beautiful, intelligent, wily, ultimately dangerous—the movie, as the Eve-like name Ava suggests, shares with its distinguished literary predecessors some serious biblical concerns. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1241:What about her? Does she have a name? Not that I care really, but it would be rude to call her ‘new girl’ once Mike and I are dating.”
“I have an idea,” Jay suggested, leaning toward Chelsea from across the table. “Why don’t you put together a list of questions, in order of importance, and I’ll have him fill out the answers? Kind of like new-kid homework.” He smiled innocently. “You don’t have to do it now, of course; just try to get it to me before the end of the day.”
“Ha-ha.” Chelsea made a face. “You’re freakin’ hilarious, Jay.” And then she turned to Violet. “That must be why you like him so much. ‘Cause other than that, I just don’t get it.”
Claire’s brow creased, as though Chelsea’s statement didn’t make sense. She decided to help Violet out. “No, he’s cute too.” And when Jules started laughing, she added, “Well, he is!”
Chelsea was unmoved by Claire’s explanation and, as usual, had to have the last word. “No offense, Violet, but no one’s that cute. That’s all I have to say about it.” And then, in usual Chelsea fashion, she changed the subject before Jay had the chance to remind them all that he was sitting right there. ~ Kimberly Derting,#NFDB
1242:Luke gestured to Shelby to visit with George while he walked his mother to her car, but he had to move pretty quick to do that. Maureen was shrugging into her jacket as she exited the bar, apparently in a very big hurry to leave. “Hey, hey, hey,” Luke called after her with laughter in his voice. “Mom!” Maureen stopped and turned to him. “What was that?” She just tilted her head in a questioning way. “Excuse me?” “That! You aren’t recently widowed! You brushed him off. Totally.” “Oh that,” she said. “I’m not interested in dating anyone.” “Why, for heaven’s sake? George seems like a very nice guy. And he’s not exactly Stranger Danger—Noah’s known him for years. He was at our wedding. Maybe the two of you would enjoy yourselves.” She put a hand on his cheek. “That’s very sweet, Luke,” she said. “I’m just not interested.” “But why? Is there something about George you don’t like?” “Not really,” she said, shaking her head as if disinterested. “I don’t want to go out with a man.” She shivered. “Now, I need to get going. It’s a long drive and I’m cold.” He just stared at her for a second. He leaned toward her and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for coming out, Mom. Drive carefully.” He ~ Robyn Carr, #NFDB
1243:When he says
He doesn’t love you anymore,
Roll your shoulders back
And look him in the eye
Even when it feels like your ribs
Are breaking inward, like spider legs.
When he digs up old aches
That he swore he forgave you for,
Smile
And ask him why he didn’t leave you sooner.
Ignore the way the words feel like sandpaper
Running all the way up your throat to your mouth.
When he blames you
For mistakes that wear his face,
Do not scream.
Do not cry.
Tell him that there are boys
Who would be proud to say they’d loved you.
Tell him that in two years
You won’t even remember his name
And don’t let him see the way you can taste your own lie.
When he leaves
Ignore the howling in your blood
And do not get up after him.
Not even to lock the door.
Do not, do not
Do not.
Smell his shirts when you box them up
To give them back.
Not one.
Swear off dating when you realize
You’re chasing ghosts that wear his smile.
It’s okay to cry over him.
It’s even okay to forgive him.
But do not go back to him.
If he did not know how to love you the first time,
He won’t know how to do it the next. ~ Ashe Vernon,#NFDB
1244:I have had a lifelong association with these things. (Odd that the word 'trees' does not apply.) I can accept them and their power and their age because I was early exposed to them. ON the other hand, people lacking such experience begin to have a feeling of uneasiness here, of danger, of being shut in, enclosed and overwhelmed. It is not only the size of these redwoods but their strangeness that frightens them. And why not? For these are the last remaining members of a race that flourished over four continents as far back in geologic time as the upper Jurassic period. Fossils of these ancients have been found dating from the Cretaceous era while in the Eocene and Miocene they were spread over England and Europe and America. And then the glaciers moved down and wiped the Titans out beyond recovery. And only these few are left--a stunning memory of what the world was like once long ago. Can it be that we do not love to be reminded that we are very young and callow in a world that was old when we came into it? And could there be a strong resistance to the certainty that a living world will continue its stately way when we no longer inhabit it? p. 172 Travels with Charley ~ John Steinbeck, #NFDB
1245:She was sliding dangerously fast down a slippery slope, if she went from "no kissing" and "we'll see" to him coming over when the children were gone. She cast around in her mind for something, anything, to stop her headlong plunge.
She blurted out, "Do Djinn date?"
He blinked. "That is not something to which I have given much thought," he said. "Perhaps some Djinn might date some ... creatures ... some ... times. Dating has not previously been a habit of mine."
She nodded, too rapidly, and forced herself to stop. "I just wondered."
"Humans like to date," Khalil said thoughtfully. Then he turned decisive. "That is what we will do tomorrow. We will go on a date."
Suddenly she was dying. She didn't know from what exactly: repressed laughter or mortification or perhaps a combination of both. She managed to articulate, "You don't dictate a date."
"I do not see why not," said Khalil, his energy caressing hers with lazy amusement. He tapped her nose. "Humans require air. Breathe now."
She did, and a snicker escaped. "If you order a date to happen, it's no longer a date. It becomes, I don't know, a meeting or kidnapping or something. ~ Thea Harrison,#NFDB
1246:Elle’s chin lifted. “I just told you how you could put your hands on me. One night. None of this dating bullshit.”
A harsh noise came out of my throat, because the woman could be infuriating. I’d never thrown out an offer like this and having it pitched back in my face sucked ass. “Tell me why. What’s your hang up, woman? I get that I’m fucked up in a helluva lot of ways, but I’m not a bad guy. I don’t even deserve a shot?”
The ice in her expression melted a degree. “It’s not you—”
My laugh was gravelly. “Let me guess, it’s you?”
That ice? It was back, in spades. She pivoted for the door, but I moved faster. I trapped her against it, a hand pressed to the wood on either side of her fiery red hair.
“You’re going to tell me why before you leave this room.”
“You’re not a bad guy? Just the kind that traps women against their will in a room they want to leave?”
I smiled. “Not women—just you.”
This time it was Elle who growled. She shoved against my chest, but I was an immovable rock where she was concerned. I didn’t budge. “You’re a caveman too, just like your brother, aren’t you? I’ve heard the stories. Is this a genetic issue? ~ Meghan March,#NFDB
1247:For those of you who may not understand the enemy we face out here let me remind you that the previous week this group of terrorists took two innocent and unwitting women who had Downs Syndrome, rigged them with explosive vest and detonated them 20 minutes apart in a crowded market causing several deaths and hundreds of injuries... For any of you out there who doubt the validity of this war and the evil that resides in our enemy I ask you to study your history again. Over the last 20+ years dating back to the bombing of the Marine Corps Barracks in Lebanon, various factions of radical Islamic Terrorists have been committing heinous acts of terrorism against the free world. We are fighting the same enemy here... While the American media strives daily to erase the memory of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and paint this war as an unjust occupation of a sovereign nation, men... are out here hunting down and destroying the enemies of the very freedom that allows our media to try and discredit us. Terrorism is real, evil is real, this war is real and real men and women are in this fight because righteousness and freedom are worth fighting for... Sincerely, The Angry American ~ Eric Blehm, #NFDB
1248:God, what makes you such an expert on love? You’ve liked five guys in your life. One was gay, one lives in Indiana or Montana or some place, McClaren moved away before anything could actually happen, one was dating your sister. And then there’s me. Hmm, what do we all have in common? What’s the common denominator?”
I feel all the blood rush to my face. “That’s not fair.”
Peter leans in close and says, “You only like guys you don’t have a shot with, because you’re scared. What are you so scared of?”
I back away from him, right into the wall. “I’m not scared of anything.”
“The hell you’re not. You’d rather make up a fantasy version of somebody in your head than be with a real person.”
I glare at him. “You’re just mad because I didn’t die of happiness because the great Peter Kavinsky said he liked me. Your ego really is that enormous.”
His eyes flash. “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t show up on your doorstep with flowers and profess my undying love for you, Lara Jean, but guess what, that’s not real life. You need to grow up.”
That’s it. I don’t have to listen to this. I turn on my heel and walk away. Over my shoulder I say, “Enjoy the hot tub.”
“I always do,” he calls back. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1249:Is Jace with you?"
"Uh, no," said Alec.
He wondered if Aline was asking for a specific reason. Aline and Jace had kissed in Alicante, before the war. Alec tried to think of what Isabelle usually said to girls about Jace.
"The thing is," he added, "Jace is a beautiful antelope, who has to be free to run across the plains."
"What?" said ALine.
Maybe Alec had gotten that wrong. "Jace is home with his, uh, his new girlfriend. You remember Clary." Alec hoped Aline was not too heartbroken.
"Oh right, the short redhead," she said. Aline was tiny herself, but refused to ever admit it. "you know, Jace was so sad before the war, I thought he must have a forbidden love. I just didn't think it was Clary, for obvious reasons. I thought it was that vampire."
Alec coughed. Aline offered him a sip of her latte.
"No," he said when he got his voice back. "Jace is not dating Simon. Jace is straight. Simon is straight."
"I totally saw scars on Jace's neck," Aline said. "He let the vampire bite him. He brought him to Alicante. I thought: classic Jace. Never makes a mess when a total catastrophe will do. Wait, did you think I wanted a ride on that disaster train?"
"Yes?" said Alec. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1250:Anna?" Someone knocks on my door, and it startles me out of my seat.
No.Not someone. St. Clair.
I'm wearing an old Mayfield Dairy T-shirt, complete with yellow-and-brown cow logo,and hot pink flannel pajama bottoms covered in giant strawberries. I am not even wearing a bra.
"Anna,I know you're in there. I can see your light."
"Hold on a sec!" I blurt. "I'll be right there." I grab my black hoodie and zip it up over the cow's face before wrenching open the door. "Hisorryaboutthat. Come in."
I open the door wide but he stands there for a moment, just staring at me. I can't read the expression on his face. Then he breaks into a mischievous smile and brushes past me.
"Nice strawberries."
"Shut up."
"No,I mean it. Cute."
And even though he doesn't mean it like I-want-to-leave-my-girlfriend-and-start-dating-you cute,something flickers inside of me. The "force of strength and destruction" Tita de la Garza knew so well.St. Clair stands in the center of my room.He scratches his head, and his T-shirt lifts up on one side, exposing a slice of bare stomach.
Foomp! My inner fire ignites.
"It's really...er...clean," he says.
Fizz. Flames extinguished. ~ Stephanie Perkins,#NFDB
1251:For as long as I’d been dating, I’d had a mental flow chart, a schedule, of how things usually went. Relationships always started with that heady, swoonish period, where the other person is like some new invention that suddenly solves all life’s worst problems, like losing socks in the dryer or toasting bagels without burning the edges. At this phase, which usually lasts about six weeks max, the other person is perfect. But at six weeks and two days, the cracks begin to show; not real structural damage yet, but little things that niggle and nag. Like the way they always assume you’ll pay for your own movie, just because you did once, or how they use the dashboard of their car as an imaginary keyboard at long stoplights. Once, you might have thought this was cute, or endearing. Now, it annoys you, but not enough to change anything. Come week eight, though, the strain is starting to show. This person is, in fact, human, and here’s where most relationships splinter and die. Because either you can stick around and deal with these problems, or ease out gracefully, knowing that at some point in the not-too-distant future, there will emerge another perfect person, who will fix everything, at least for six weeks. ~ Sarah Dessen, #NFDB
1252:A good hard fuck later, she stared at me in a sleepy way. Raven needed more rest after all our fun. I know I sure as hell did.
“My dick needs a nap,” I told her while brushing hair away from her face.
“I should go.”
Resting on my back, I sighed. “I need a nap too.”
“After we sleep, you’ll drive me to my car, so I can go home?” she muttered with her eyes half closed.
“No, we’ll get something to eat then I’ll take you to Jodi’s for your car.”
“Getting something to eat sounds like a date and I’m not dating anyone,” she said, forcing her eyes open.
“It’s not a date, crabapple. We’re friends with benefits. We’ve done the benefits. Now, let’s do the friend crap.”
“I don’t want to be your friend,” she said, cuddling up against my arm.
Smirking, I pulled a sheet over us. “Of course, you do. I’m awesome.”
“I don’t want to eat with you.”
“You need to keep your strength up, Raven, because I’m really looking forward to fucking you at your place. Doing a chick in more than one location is my thing.”
A grinning Raven nuzzled the “Hungry Like a Wolf” tattoo on my shoulder. “You’re an idiot.”
“Fuck you, darling. I’m the Einstein of the Reapers. Now, shut up and go to sleep. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1253:Suddenly William loomed over him, scowling, snarling and bloody, his suit dirt-stained and ripped. “Do you know. How many strands. Of hair I lost. On my way down?”
Whatever. “Math was never my thing, but I’m gonna say you lost…a lot.”
Electric-blues glittered with menace. “You are a cruel, sadistic bastard. My hair needs TLC and you…you… Damn you! I’ve gutted men for less.”
“I know. I’ve watched you.” Paris lumbered to his feet and scanned the rocky bank they stood upon, the crimson ocean lapping and bubbling in every direction. The drawbridge was only a fifty-yard dash away. “Don’t kill the messenger, but I’m thinking you should change your dating profile to balding.”
Masculine cheeks went scarlet as the big bad warrior struggled for a comeback.
…
“One of these days you’re going to wake up,” William finally said, “and I will have shaved you. Everywhere.”
“Won’t make a difference. Women will still want me. But you know what else? What I did to you wasn’t cruel, Willy.” He offered the warrior a white-flag grin. A trick. A lie. “This, however, is.”
He grabbed William by the wrist, swung the man around and around before at last releasing him and hurling his body directly onto the bridge. ~ Gena Showalter,#NFDB
1254:I’d gone on dates with every flavor of cute boy under the sun.
Except for one. Cowboy. I’d never even spoken to a cowboy, let alone ever known one personally, let alone ever dated one, and certainly, absolutely, positively never kissed one--until that night on my parents’ front porch, a mere couple of weeks before I was set to begin my new life in Chicago. After valiantly rescuing me from falling flat on my face just moments earlier, this cowboy, this western movie character standing in front of me, was at this very moment, with one strong, romantic, mind-numbingly perfect kiss, inserting the category of “Cowboy” into my dating repertoire forever.
The kiss. I’ll remember this kiss till my very last breath, I thought to myself. I’ll remember every detail. Strong, calloused hands gripping my upper arms. Five o’clock shadow rubbing gently against my chin. Faint smell of boot leather in the air. Starched denim shirt against my palms, which have gradually found their way around his trim, chiseled waist…
I don’t know how long we stood there in the first embrace of our lives together. But I do know that when that kiss was over, my life as I’d always imagined it was over, too.
I just didn’t know it yet. ~ Ree Drummond,#NFDB
1255:The possible, as it was presented in her Health textbook (a mathematical progression of dating, "career," marriage, and motherhood), did not interest Harriet. Of all the heroes on her list, the greatest of them all was Sherlock Holmes, and he wasn’t even a real person. Then there was Harry Houdini. He was the master of the impossible; more importantly, for Harriet, he was a master of escape. No prison in the world could hold him: he escaped from straitjackets, from locked trunks dropped in fast rivers and from coffins buried six feet underground.
And how had he done it? He wasn’t afraid. Saint Joan had galloped out with the angels on her side but Houdini had mastered fear on his own. No divine aid for him; he’d taught himself the hard way how to beat back panic, the horror of suffocation and drowning and dark. Handcuffed in a locked trunk in the bottom of a river, he squandered not a heartbeat on being afraid, never buckled to the terror of the chains and the dark and the icy water; if he became lightheaded, for even a moment, if he fumbled at the breathless labor before him– somersaulting along a river-bed, head over heels– he would never come up from the water alive.
A training program. This was Houdini’s secret. ~ Donna Tartt,#NFDB
1256:I’m just picking up a couple of components.”
Kenzie gave a little yelp. “Yikes--that reminds me. Yesterday my boss asked me to pick something up for him out in the boondocks. I forgot until you said that. So if my dot falls off your watch, you’ll know why.”
He smiled at her warmly as he bent his arm and rested it on the bottom of the window frame. The bicep under the flannel rounded up very nicely as he lifted a hand and chucked her gently under the chin. “Funny.”
The friendly touch was unexpectedly intimate.
In fact, it triggered a dangerous sensation of giving in. She smiled at him, feeling weak. His brown eyes were dark and warm. She felt herself blush under his steady gaze.
Linc was the real deal. Maybe she didn’t have to be so tough all the time. It was okay to be protected. More than okay.
Back when she’d had Tex at her side, she’d actually liked the feeling. Like all military working dogs, he’d been trained to maintain an invisible six-foot circle around her, and woe to anyone who crossed into it without her permission. Including guys she was dating.
“Kenzie?”
She snapped out of it. “Sorry. You knocked on my stupid spot.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
She shook her head in mock dismay. “Please don’t. ~ Janet Dailey,#NFDB
1257:Mark sitting next to me proves it. I'm moving on. Getting on with my life. Staying in school. Enrolling in college. Cooking chicken instead of fish. Dating other people. And with enough luck, I'll be kissing other people by the end of this date. Even if it doesn't mean anything.
"Is everything okay?" Mark asks as we turn onto the interstate.
"Sure. Why?" But we both know why he'd ask.
Mark's obviously too much of a gentleman to point out that I'm getting more space time than an astronaut. He says, "You just seem quiet tonight. I hope I didn't already do something to screw this up."
I laugh. "That's exactly what I was just thinking. That I didn't want to screw it up, I mean."
He nods, gives a knowing smile.
"What?" I say.
He shrugs.
"No. You gave me a look," I say, crossing my arms.
"No I didn't."
"I don't date liars." Anymore.
He laughs. "Fine. If you must know, I don't think there's anything you could possibly do to screw this up."
I can't help but smile. "Oh, you shouldn't have said that out loud." Good-looking, smart, funny. And now sweet. So quit waiting for your purse to ring, stupid.
"You might remember that you forced me to say it out loud. But don't worry. I'm not superstitious."
"I'm not either. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1258: Will you for me?
I stared at the two hands, trying to figure out the missing word until a loud sigh came through the door.
"Either the answer is no or my drawing sucks."
"Hold on." I quickly dressed and opened the door. Simon was leaning against the wall.
"So?" he said.
"I'm having trouble with one part." I pointed to the hands.
"Give," he said.
"Ah." I read the note. "Will you for...forgive me? I looked up at him. "I think that's supposed to be my question."
"No, you did the right thing. You realized it wasn't what you wanted, and you said no. I'm the jerk who stomped off and left you alone in the forest. I'm sorry. Really sorry." He paused. "So...are we okay?"
Relief made my knees wobble. "We're okay. But I am sor—"
He held up a hand to cut me off. "I can't get mad at you for confirming something I already suspected. I gave it a shot. I didn't work out. I'm not going to say I'm fine with that, but..." He shrugged. "I like you, Chloe. And it's not a girlfriend-or-nothing kind of like, so I'm hoping we can skip the we-tried-dating-and-it-blew stage and jump straight back to where we were, if you want that."
"I want that." ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
1259:Most of the general considerations in the chapter on 'The Evolution of Ideas' equally apply to the evolution of art. In both fields the truly original geniuses are rare compared with the enormous number of talented practitioners; the former acting as spearheads, opening up new territories, which the latter will then diligently cultivate. In both fields there are periods of crisis, of 'creative anarchy', leading to a break-through to new frontiers-followed by decades, or centuries of consolidation, orthodoxy, stagnation, and decadence-until a new crisis arises, a holy discontent, which starts the cycle again. Other parallels could be drawn: 'multiple discoveries' -the simultaneous emergence of a new style, for which the time is ripe, independently in several places; 'collective discoveries' originating in a closely knit group, clique, school, or team; 'rediscoveries'- the periodic revivals of past and forgotten forms of art; lastly 'cross-fertilizations' between seemingly distant provinces of science and art. To quote a single example: the rediscovery of the treatise on conic sections by Apollonius of Perga, dating from the fourth century B.C., gave the ellipse to Kepler who built on it a new astronomy-and to Guarini, who introduced new vistas into architecture. ~ Arthur Koestler, #NFDB
1260:Hey!" I yell. Everyone turns around and looks at us. I glance at Six and her eyes are wide. I inhale a deep breath, then turn back to the table. Specifically to Holder. "She fist bumped me,"I say, pointing at Six. "It's not my fault. She hates purses and she fist bumped me, then she made me push her on the damn merry-go-round. After that, she demanded to see where I had sex in the park, then she forced me to sneak into my own bedroom. She's weird and half the time I can't keep up with her, but she thinks I'm funny as hell. And Chunk asked me this morning if I wanted to love her someday, and I realized I've never hoped I could love someone more than I want to love her. So every single one of you who has an issue with us dating is going to have to get over it because..." I pause and turn toward Six. "Because you fist bumped me and I could care less who knows we're together. I'm not going anywhere and I don't want to go anywhere so stop thinking I'm into you because I'm not supposed to be into you." I lift my hands and tilt her face toward mine. "I'm into you because you're awesome. And because you let me accidentally touch your boob." She's smiling wider than I've ever seen her smile. "Daniel Wesley, where'd you learn those smooth moves?" I laugh. "Not moves, Six. Charisma. ~ Colleen Hoover, #NFDB
1261:As she’s scrolling through her feed, a picture from the ski trip pops up. Haven’s in the Charlottesville Youth Orchestra, so she knows people from a lot of different schools, including mine.
I can’t help but sigh a little when I see it--a picture of a bunch of us on the bus the last morning. Peter has his arm around me, he’s whispering something in my ear. I wish I remembered what.
All surprised, Haven looks up and says, “Oh, hey, that’s you, Lara Jean. What’s this from?”
“The school ski trip.”
“Is that your boyfriend?” Haven asks me, and I can tell she’s impressed and trying not to show it.
I wish I could say yes. But--
Kitty scampers over to us and looks over our shoulders. “Yes, and he’s the hottest guy you’ve ever seen in your life, Haven.” She says it like a challenge. Margot, who was scrolling on her phone, looks up and giggles.
“Well, that’s not exactly true,” I hedge. I mean, he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my life, but I don’t know what kind of people Haven goes to school with.
“No, Kitty’s right, he’s hot,” Haven admits. “Like, how did you get him? No offense. I just thought you were the non-dating type.”
I frown. The non-dating type? What kind of type is that? A little mushroom who sits at home in a semidark room growing moss? ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1262:INT. NEWT’S SITTING ROOM—FIVE MINUTES LATER—NIGHT
The threesome sit at a table bearing NEWT’S mismatched crockery, the atmosphere tainted by TINA’S absence. QUEENIE’S case lies open on the sofa.
QUEENIE: Tina and I aren’t talking.
NEWT: Why?
JACOB’S POV—pink and hazy, as though happily drunk.
QUEENIE: Oh well, you know, she found out about Jacob and I seeing each other and she didn’t like it, ’cause of the “law.” (miming quotation marks) Not allowed to date No-Majs, not allowed to marry them. Blah, blah, blah. Well, she was all in a tizzy anyway, ’cause of you.
NEWT: Me?
QUEENIE: Yeah, you, Newt. It was in Spellbound. Here—I brought it for you—
She points her wand at her suitcase. A celebrity magazine zooms to her: Spellbound: Celebrity Secrets and Spell Tips of the Stars! On the cover, an idealized NEWT and an improbably beaming Niffler. BEAST TAMER NEWT TO WED!
QUEENIE opens the magazine. THESEUS, LETA, NEWT, and BUNTY stand side by side at his book launch.
QUEENIE (showing him):
“Newt Scamander with fiancée, Leta Lestrange; brother, Theseus; and unknown woman.”
NEWT: No. Theseus is marrying Leta, not me.
QUEENIE: Oh! Oh dear . . . well, see, Teen read that, and she started dating someone else. He’s an Auror. His name’s Achilles Tolliver. ~ J K Rowling,#NFDB
1263:Here, let me do it,” Peter says, coming up close behind me.
I jerk away from him. “No no, I’ll do it,” I say, and he shakes his head and tries to take the measuring cup from me, but I won’t let go, and flour poufs out of the cup and into the air. It dusts us both. Peter starts cracking up and I let out an outraged shriek. “Peter!”
He’s laughing too hard to speak.
I cross my arms. “I’d better still have enough flour.”
“You look like a grandma,” he says, still laughing.
“Well, you look like a grandpa,” I counter. I dump the flour in my mixing bowl back into the flour canister.
“Actually, you’re really a lot like my granny,” Peter says. “You hate cussing. You like to bake. You stay at home on Friday nights. Wow, I’m dating my granny. Gross.”
I start measuring again. One, two. “I don’t stay home every Friday night.” Three.
“I’ve never seen you out. You don’t go to parties. We used to hang out back in the day. Why’d you stop hanging out?”
Four. “I…I don’t know. Middle school was different.” What does he want me to say? That Genevieve decided I wasn’t cool enough so I got left behind? Why is he so clueless?
“I always wondered why you stopped hanging out with us.”
Was I on five or six? “Peter! You made me lose my count again!”
“I have that effect on women. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1264:You’re saying your mother engaged in unprotected sex outside her primary relationship?’
‘With some other student,’ replied Rosie. ‘While she was dating my’ – at this point Rosie raised her hands and made a downwards movement, twice, with the index and middle fingers of both hands – ‘father. My real dad’s a doctor. I just don’t know which one. Really, really pisses me off.’
I was fascinated by the hand movements and silent for a while as I tried to work them out. Were they a sign of distress at not knowing who her father was? If so, it was not one I was familiar with. And why had she chosen to punctuate her speech at that point … of course! Punctuation! ‘Quotation marks,’ I said aloud as the idea hit me.
‘What?’
‘You made quotation marks around “father” to draw attention to the fact that the word should not be interpreted in the usual way. Very clever.’
‘Well, there you go,’ she said. ‘And there I was thinking you were reflecting on my minor problem with my whole fucking life. And might have something intelligent to say.’
I corrected her. ‘It’s not a minor problem at all!’ I pointed my finger in the air to indicate an exclamation mark. ‘You should insist on being informed.’ I stabbed the same finger to indicate a full stop. This was quite fun. ~ Graeme Simsion,#NFDB
1265:Hey,Dad, remember earlier this week, when I got stabbed?"
"I have a hazy recollection, yes."
"Is it worth it? Being head of the Council? I mean, if people are always gunning for you, why not hand it over to someone else? You could go on vacation.Have a life.Date."
I waited for Dad to embrace his inner Mr. Darcy again and get all huffy, but if anything,he just looked rueful. "One,I made a solemn vow to use my powers to help the Council. Two, things are turbulent now, but that won't always be the case. And I have faith that you'll make a wonderful head of the Council someday,Sophie."
Yeah,except for that whole sleeping with enemy part,I thought.Wait, not that I would actually be sleeping with...I mean,it's a metaphor. There would only be metaphorical sleeping.
My face must have reflected some of the weirdness happening in my brain, because Dad narrowed his eyes at me before continuing, "As for dating, theres no point."
"Why?"
"Because I'm still in love with your mother."
Whoa.Okay, not exactly the answer I was expecting.
Before I could even process that, Dad rushed on, saying, "Please don't let that get your hopes up. There is no way your mother and I could or will ever reunite."
I held up my hand. "Dad,relax. I'm not twelve, and this isn't The Parent Trap. ~ Rachel Hawkins,#NFDB
1266:Would you like to join us, Rafael?” my mom asked. “Or do you go by Rafe?”
“Usually.” A disarming grin. “Unless I’m in trouble.”
I opened the door and motioned him in as he continued, “About dinner, I appreciate that, but my sister will be expecting me.”
“Another night then,” Mom said. “Maybe on the weekend we can have a barbecue, and invite your sister.”
“Or,” I said, turning to Rafe, “if you want to skip the whole awkward meet-the-family social event, you could just submit your life story, including your views on politics, religion, and every social issue imaginable, along with anything else you think they might need to conduct a thorough background check.”
Mom sighed. “I really don’t know why we even bother trying to be subtle around you.”
“Neither do I. It’s not like he isn’t going to realize he’s being vetted as daughter-dating material.”
Rafe grinned. “So we are dating?”
“No. You have to pass the parental exam first. It’ll take you awhile to compile the data. They’d like it in triplicate.” I turned to my parents. “We have Kenjii. We have my cell phone. Since we aren’t yet officially dating, I’m sure you’ll agree that’s all the protection we need.”
Dad choked on his coffee.
Mom waved us to the door. “Go. Have fun. Dinner will be at six thirty. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
1267:EXERCISE Creating Authentic Relationships The questions below deal with issues most people take for granted and let society define for them. You can start with a blank canvas and create your own definitions. • How do you define intimacy and closeness? • What constitutes a relationship for you? • Are there different types of relationships you wish you could have? • How long should a significant relationship last? • What is sex? Is it intercourse? Is it more specific: penis-in-vagina or penis-in-ass intercourse? What about manual stimulation and penetration, oral sex, sex toys, BDSM play? • What kinds of things do you consider intimate? Sex, sexual touch, genital contact, a BDSM scene with no sexual aspect? • Must you live near a partner for a relationship to be important? • How do you define fidelity? • What constitutes loving, affectionate, sexual, and romantic behavior? Where do things like flirting, kissing, love letters, gift giving, dating, courting, phone calls, emails, and instant messages fit into your definitions? • What does commitment mean to you? How do you define a committed relationship? • What are the most important things you need in a relationship? • How important is it for you to live with a partner? • Realistically , how much time and energy do you have to give to a relationship? ~ Tristan Taormino, #NFDB
1268:Dear Pinterest, When we first started dating, you lured me in with Skittles-flavored vodka and Oreo-filled chocolate chip cookies. You wooed me with cheesy casseroles adjacent to motivational fitness sayings. I loved your inventiveness: Who knew cookies needed a sugary butter dip? You did. You knew, Pinterest. You inspired me, not to make stuff, but to think about one day possibly making stuff if I have time. You took the cake batter, rainbow and bacon trends to levels nobody thought were possible. You made me hungry. The nights I spent pinning and eating nachos were some of the best nights of my life. Pinterest, we can’t see each other anymore. You see, it’s recently come to my attention that some people aren’t just pinning, they are making. This makes me want to make, too. Unfortunately, I’m not good at making, and deep down I like buying way more. Do you see where I’m going with this? I’m starting to feel bad, Pinterest. I don’t enjoy you the way I once did. We need to take a break. I’m going to miss your crazy ideas (rolls made with 7Up? Shut your mouth). This isn’t going to be easy. You’ve been responsible for nearly every 2 a.m. grilled cheese binge I’ve had for the past couple of years, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. Stay cool, Pinterest. PS. You hurt me. PPS. I’m also poor now. Xo Me 10 ~ Bunmi Laditan, #NFDB
1269:It was about a week later that I left my parlor to find my long-absent bodyguard leaning with his back against the wall, as though there were nothing unusual about his presence in the corridor outside my door.
“London!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to find you back on duty.”
“I hope you’re not disappointed, but I figured I might be welcome here again,” he said with a laugh. “I assume I’m no longer a war criminal.”
“Quite the contrary--you are a war hero. But I haven’t seen you since you escorted Narian and me back to the city. Where have you been all this time?”
“I had to take care of some other business.” He shifted his weight and glanced downward, unable to conceal a grin. “There was another woman who deserved to know I was all right.”
I immediately glanced to the third finger of his right hand, where rested a golden betrothal ring, and my smile lifted along with my heart.
“Tanda is a fortunate woman to have you.”
In atypical form, London confessed his feelings toward her. “After so many years, I never thought I would be so blessed as to have her once more by my side.”
Was this the effect Tanda had on my bodyguard, even dating back to the beginning of their courtship? Was her love the key to making him less guarded, more open, more relaxed? And did my love have the same effect on Narian? ~ Cayla Kluver,#NFDB
1270:Have you ever known someone who worried about dating a long-time friend? If you have, you’ve probably heard that person say something like this: “He asked me out, but I’m just afraid that if we start actually dating it will change our friendship.” What is this person really saying? People who make statements like that, whether or not they realize it, recognize that dating encourages romantic expectations. In a true friendship you don’t feel pressured by knowing you “like” the other [35] person or that he or she “likes” you back. You feel free to be yourself and do things together without spending three hours in front of the mirror, making sure you look perfect.
C. S. Lewis describes friendship as two people walking side by side toward a common goal. Their mutual interest brings them together. . . .
In dating, romantic attraction is often the relationship’s cornerstone. The premise of dating is “I’m attracted to you; therefore, let’s get to know each other.” The premise of friendship, on the other hand, is “We’re interested in the same things; let’s enjoy these common interests together.” If, after developing a friendship, romantic attraction forms, that’s an added bonus. . . .
A relationship based only on physical attraction and romantic feelings will last only as long as the feelings last. ~ Joshua Harris,#NFDB
1271:If you die, I’m dating your corpse.”
“I’m being cremated.”
“I’ll date your urn.”
“My urn already has a boyfriend. They’re really serious too.”
Cooper laughed against my neck then wrapped himself around my waist, swallowing me up with his warm embrace. “My pop has my mom’s name on his wrist,” Cooper whispered against my cheek. “Underneath, he has my name along with the lesser crap kids he got stuck with.”
“I’m in college,” I blurted out.
“Yeah, I remember you mentioning that.”
“Tattoos. Kids. Dating my corpse. Seems serious.”
Leaning back, Cooper adjusted me so I rested against his chest. “I always planned to settle down when I was an old fart like my pop. Meet some cute piece of jailbait and make a few bad seeds plus one decent kid I could trust with the family business. Instead, here I am not even done with college with a tattoo of my girl’s name on my wrist.”
“You could change your mind.”
“I won’t. You’re a keeper.”
“I could change my mind,” I said, wiggling my brows at him.
“Who would you replace me with? Seriously, look around and see what shit pickings you have to choose from. I’m the best you’ll ever do, baby.”
“You are pretty sexy. Tall too. Yeah, I can see keeping you around.”
A grinning Cooper glanced at Aaron. “I’m so whipped.”
“It’s pretty nauseating, yeah. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1272:Chaos, the eternal feminine, is also the crushing force of sexual selection. Women are choosy maters (unlike female chimps, their closest animal counterparts). Most men do not meet female human standards. It is for this reason that women on dating sites rate 85 percent of men as below average in attractiveness. It is for this reason that we all have twice as many female ancestors as male (imagine that all the women who have ever lived have averaged one child. Now imagine that half the men who have ever lived have fathered two children, if they had any, while the other half fathered none).41 It is Woman as Nature who looks at half of all men and says, “No!” For the men, that’s a direct encounter with chaos, and it occurs with devastating force every time they are turned down for a date. Human female choosiness is also why we are very different from the common ancestor we shared with our chimpanzee cousins, while the latter are very much the same. Women’s proclivity to say no, more than any other force, has shaped our evolution into the creative, industrious, upright, large-brained (competitive, aggressive, domineering) creatures that we are.42 It is Nature as Woman who says, “Well, bucko, you’re good enough for a friend, but my experience of you so far has not indicated the suitability of your genetic material for continued propagation. ~ Jordan Peterson, #NFDB
1273:Chaos, the eternal feminine, is also the crushing force of sexual selection. Women are choosy maters (unlike female chimps, their closest animal counterparts). Most men do not meet female human standards. It is for this reason that women on dating sites rate 85 percent of men as below average in attractiveness. It is for this reason that we all have twice as many female ancestors as male (imagine that all the women who have ever lived have averaged one child. Now imagine that half the men who have ever lived have fathered two children, if they had any, while the other half fathered none).41 It is Woman as Nature who looks at half of all men and says, “No!” For the men, that’s a direct encounter with chaos, and it occurs with devastating force every time they are turned down for a date. Human female choosiness is also why we are very different from the common ancestor we shared with our chimpanzee cousins, while the latter are very much the same. Women’s proclivity to say no, more than any other force, has shaped our evolution into the creative, industrious, upright, large-brained (competitive, aggressive, domineering) creatures that we are.42 It is Nature as Woman who says, “Well, bucko, you’re good enough for a friend, but my experience of you so far has not indicated the suitability of your genetic material for continued propagation. ~ Jordan B Peterson, #NFDB
1274:She let the car idle for a minute before easing it out of its tight parking spot. Heading in the same direction as Nick, she took the one-way side street toward Lake Shore Drive and caught up with him at a stop sign.
She saw him glance at his rearview mirror, spotting her behind him. A few seconds later, her cell phone rang. When she answered, his whisky-rich voice came through the car’s speakers.
“So I’ve been thinking about your question. My character has decided he doesn’t want to see other people.”
“What made you change your mind? Let me guess—the Maserati.”
He chuckled. “Our cover story is that my character has been smitten from the moment he met you. He’s not about to let another man get anywhere near you.”
“Your character sounds a little possessive. Is this something my character should be worried about?”
They came to a stop at the light that would take them onto the Drive. Nick’s voice was low, even smoother than the car’s engine. “I think your character secretly likes it. You’ve been dating boring, uptight guys for too long. You’ve been looking for something different.”
Jordan looked sharply at the SUV in front of her. “I think your character presumes too much.”
His eyes caught hers in the rearview mirror. “Does he?”
The light turned green, and they drove off in opposite directions. ~ Julie James,#NFDB
1275:through. A professor had met his wife years before at a Dresden Dolls concert, and now she was in a coma following a car crash; he sent me a necklace of hers as a keepsake. These were “real” people with “real” jobs, making society work. And there were a lot of them. I would take in all these stories, and one by one, ten, a hundred, a thousand stories later…I had to believe it. I would hold these people in my arms and I would feel the whole synchronicity of life and death and music envelop us. And one day I turned around and it had just happened without my realizing it. I believed I was real. I had just finished a gig in Perth and was driving to a fan’s house, to crash with the Australian crew, when Neil called me from New York. He said, My dad just died. What? He died. My dad just died. He was in a business meeting, something happened with his heart, and he fell over, and he’s dead. Oh my god, Neil. What could I do? I was about as physically far away from him as I could possibly be. We had only been dating for about three months, but it was long enough to have started falling in love. Do you want me to come to you right now? I’ll get the first flight out, I offered. I’ll just get on a plane and come be with you. No, darling. He sounded like a zombie. Stay there. Finish your tour. Go to Tasmania. No. I’ll come. Really. I want to. No, don’t. I’m asking you ~ Amanda Palmer, #NFDB
1276:Have you ever been swept away by a toxic lover who sucked you dry? I have. Bad men used to light me up like a Christmas tree. If I had a choice between the rebel without a cause and a nice guy in a sweater and outdoorsy shoes, you can imagine who got my phone number. Rebels and rogues are smooth (and somewhat untamed); they know the headwaiters at the best steak houses, ride fast European motorcycles, and start bar fights in your honor. In short, the rebel makes you feel really alive! It’s all fun and games until he screws your best friend or embezzles your life’s savings. You may be asking yourself how my pathetic dating track record relates to your diet. Simple. The acid—alkaline balance, which relates to the chemistry of your body’s fluids and tissues as measured by pH. The rebel/rogue = acid. The nice solid guy = alkaline. The solid guy gives you energy; he’s reliable and trustworthy. The solid guy calls you back when he says he will. He helps you clean your garage and does yoga with you. He’s even polite to your family no matter how whacked they are, and has the sexual stamina to rock your world. While the rebel can help you let your hair down, too much rebel will sap your energy. In time, a steady rebellious diet burns you out. But when we’re addicted to bad boys (junk food, fat, sugar, and booze), nice men (veggies and whole grains) seem boring. Give them a chance! ~ Kris Carr, #NFDB
1277:> First, move out of that big Manhattan loft and head upstate. You'll find a little place you can afford and start a new life. Maybe get a job teaching at a community college. Maybe meet a girl at Best Buy, start dating. She'll put up with your crazy habits. You'll put up with her musical tastes.
> I don't understand. What's going on here?
> Time will pass. You'll make it official. You'll settle down, get a starter house. Two boys. Yellow Lab. Minivan.
> That. . . That isn't me.
> Why not? It could be. You'll make art in the basement for yourself for a while. The boys'll get married. Have kids of their own. Maybe y'get divorced. Meet someone new. And yeah, you'll wonder what could have been. But less, as the years go by. "Just wasn't meant to be," you'll say. And there'll be good times along the way. Sweet memories. Until it starts to wind down. Until your body fails. Until you don't recognize the world around you. Until it's time to go.
> That. . . isn't me. It can't be.
> Why not? It's a decent life. Food, sex, running water, a roof. Not to mention love and family. Those aren't small things.
> But it's not enough.
> You kids, you're so spoiled! Y'know billions would kill for a life like that. So what if the art thing didn't work out? Is it really that important?
> It's all I have. ~ Scott McCloud,#NFDB
1278:I like Sean. He’s cute.” “I think he’s an ugly, stupid asshole.” Shelby laughed at him. “There is going to be one inconvenience,” she said. “Yeah? What’s that?” “I’m not going to be able to spend the night with you while your mother’s here.” He propped up on an elbow and looked at her. “You’re not?” She shrugged. “I’m sorry. It’s a little old-fashioned, but that’s a bit too much for me. She’s your mother. I can’t stay here any more than I can bring you to my house while my Uncle Walt is down the hall. I hope you understand.” “But Shelby, they know we’re…what we are.” “Not quite the same thing,” she said. “I’m not doing it under the same roof with them. Maybe if we actually lived together, as in set up housekeeping, changed addresses, etcetera. But no—we’re a dating couple having sex. I’m not doing that with your mother in the same house.” “If you can’t…” “Sorry. I can’t. Out of respect. That’s just it. I won’t.” “She’s staying five nights,” he said, running a hand along the hair that fell over her shoulder. “Five.” “Well, I guess you’ll be some kind of maniac by the time she leaves. Maybe I can get Mel to prescribe something so you don’t go out of your mind.” “That’s what you want?” he asked. “For us to be apart for five nights?” “No, that’s how it’s going to be, Luke. We all have our ground rules. Now I want you to relax. It’s just dinner. It’ll be fun.” “Sure,” he said. There ~ Robyn Carr, #NFDB
1279:As soon as my friends and I start dating for real, we enter an exhausting paradox – a belief that, in love, everything is not as it seems: the conviction that there is a common state of affairs whereby a man can be madly in love with you and wish to spend the rest of his life with you, but will indicate this in a variety of ways so subtle, only the truly talented and determined will discern his true desires. Like it’s The Da Vinci Code, and when a man takes you out to dinner, gets off with you, then doesn’t call for two weeks, there’s a secret challenge he’s setting you that – with enough algebra, consultation of ancient scrolls, and wailing on the phone to your female friends – you can decode and, eventually, get married, i.e., win… .You can always tell when a woman is with the wrong man, because she has so much to say about the fact that nothing’s happening.
When women find the right person, on the other hand, they just… disappear for six months, and then resurface, eyes shiny, and usually about six pounds heavier.
“So what’s he like?” you will say, waiting for the usual cloudburst of things he says and things he does and requests of analysis of what you think it means that his favorite film is Star Wars (“Trapped in adolescence – or in touch with his inner child?”).
But she will be oddly quiet.
“It’s just… good,” she will say. “I’m really happy. ~ Caitlin Moran,#NFDB
1280:Beckendorf walked up with his helmet under his arm. “She likes you, man.” “Sure,” I muttered. “She likes me for target practice.” “Nah, they always do that. A girl starts trying to kill you, you know she’s into you.” “Makes a lot of sense.” Beckendorf shrugged. “I know about these things. You ought to ask her to the fireworks.” I couldn’t tell if he was serious. Beckendorf was lead counselor for Hephaestus. He was this huge dude with a permanent scowl, muscles like a pro ballplayer, and hands calloused from working in the forges. He’d just turned eighteen and was on his way to NYU in the fall. Since he was older, I usually listened to him about stuff, but the idea of asking Annabeth to the Fourth of July fireworks down at the beach—like, the biggest dating event of the summer—made my stomach do somersaults. Then Silena Beauregard, the head counselor for Aphrodite, passed by. Beckendorf had had a not-so-secret crush on her for three years. She had long black hair and big brown eyes, and when she walked, the guys tended to watch. She said, “Good luck, Charlie.” (Nobody ever calls Beckendorf by his first name.) She flashed him a brilliant smile and went to join Annabeth on the red team. “Uh . . .” Beckendorf swallowed like he’d forgotten how to breathe. I patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks for the advice, dude. Glad you’re so wise about girls and all. Come on. Let’s get to the woods. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1281:Isis is the Egyptian mother goddess of magick, whose worship prevailed in the Greco-Roman world. Her name means “Throne”, reflected in her headdress which is shaped like a throne. Her spouse was originally Osiris, but became Serapis in the Greco-Roman myths, and her son became transformed from Horus to Harpocrates. Evidence of her worship in Britain has been found in an inscription on a jug found in Southwark (London).[369] The inscription on the jug indicates an Iseum (Isis temple) in London, but the location of this temple has yet to be determined. An altar found in Blackfriars records the restoration of a temple to Isis in the third century CE, further reinforcing evidence of her worship.[370] It has been suggested by some modern writers that the river Isis in Oxfordshire was named after this goddess, though this may in fact be a coincidence. The name of the river Isis is most probably a contraction of the name Thamesis. It is likely that "Thamesis" is a Latinisation of the Celtic river names "Taom"(Thames) and"Uis"(is), giving "Taom-Uis"meaning "The pouring out of water". An engraved onyx intaglio found at Wroxeter (Shropshire) dating to the third century CE shows Isis bearing a sistrum in her right hand.[371] Another gem from Lockleys (Hertfordshire) dating to the fourth century CE shows Isis standing between Bes and a lioness, all surrounded by a serpent ouroboros.[372] ~ David Rankine, #NFDB
1282:Your belly’s getting big,” he said one night.
“I know,” I answered, looking down. It was kind of hard to deny.
“I love it,” he said, stroking it with the palm of his hand. I recoiled a little, remembering the black bikini I’d worn on our honeymoon and how comparatively concave my belly looked then, and hoping Marlboro Man had long since put the image out of his mind.
“Hey, what are we naming this thing?” he asked, even as the “thing” fluttered and kicked in my womb.
“Oh, man…” I sighed. “I have no idea. Zachary?” I pulled it out of my wazoo.
“Eh,” he said, uninspired. “Shane?” Oh no. Here go the old movies.
“I went to my senior prom with a Shane,” I answered, remembering dark and mysterious Shane Ballard.
“Okay, scratch that,” he said. “How about…how about Ashley?” How far was he going to take this?
I remembered a movie we’d watched on our fifteenth date or so. “How about Rooster Cogburn?”
He chuckled. I loved it when he chuckled. It meant everything was okay and he wasn’t worried or stressed or preoccupied. It meant we were dating and sitting on his old porch and my parents weren’t divorcing. It meant my belly button wasn’t bulbous and deformed. His chuckles were like a drug to me. I tried to elicit them daily.
“What if it’s a girl?” I said.
“Oh, it’s a boy,” he said with confidence. “I’m positive.”
I didn’t respond. How could I argue with that? ~ Ree Drummond,#NFDB
1283:I’ve always hated dating,” I said instead. “In fact, if I could bypass all that might I bestow upon you a kiss business, I would. Why can’t we all just skip to the comfortable part of relationships? Go straight to the bit where you can walk around in your undies, let farts go and blame them on the dog, and leave the door open when you’re taking a piss?”
“First of all, there is no part of a relationship that should involve that last bit, and second of all, dating is the best part. All those butterflies and excitement, the sexual tension. Wanting to skip to the comfortable bit is laziness. It means you don’t have to put in any effort to woo someone. Also, if memory serves, you’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than six months.”
“Thanks for the reminder, oh Sarah of Ye Old Wet Blanket,” I groused, but she was right. I hadn’t dated anyone for longer than six months; and even then it hadn’t really been a relationship with any meaningful or lasting impact.
“Ye Old Wet Blanket was my grandmother’s name, I’ll have you know...You’re thirty years old, practically a baby. You’ve just burned yourself out. You need to find the excitement in life again, the thrill to be had from simple things.”
“I do get a thrill from simple things,” I countered. “Didn’t I mention I fixed my tap this weekend? And I had Earl Grey tea with breakfast.”
“Oh. Stop. Too much excitement. I can’t handle it. ~ L H Cosway,#NFDB
1284:Unfortunately, I knew exactly what I was suffering from. LIPID (Last Idiot Person I Dated) syndrome: a largely undiagnosed but pervasive disease that afflicts single women. My roommates and I had come up with the term in college, to explain the baffling phenomenon of nostalgia for one’s most recent ex. No matter how absolutely awful that person had been at the time, after a few weeks, the relationship would take on a rosy tint, and wistful little phrases would begin to creep into conversation, like, “I know he cheated on me with three people at the same time, but he was such a fabulous dancer,” or “All right, so he was a raging alcoholic, but when he was sober he did such sweet things! Remember those flowers he bought for me that one time?” Inexplicable, but inevitable. A few weeks of singledom render even the most inexcusable ex charming in retrospect. Hence, LIPID syndrome. As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs. This is what comes of having a bio major as a roommate for four years. The one sure way to fight off LIPID syndrome was to distract oneself. True, the only foolproof cure is a new relationship, thus knocking the LIPID back down the dating chain into harmless obscurity, but there are other, temporary diversions. Reading a novel, watching a movie, or delving into the private lives of historical characters. With an anticipatory ~ Lauren Willig, #NFDB
1285:The inescapable and troublesome conclusion was that if there was a political entity in tenth-century Judea, it was a small tribal kingdom, and that Jerusalem was a fortified stronghold. It is possible that the tiny kingdom was ruled by a dynasty known as the House of David. An inscription discovered in Tell Dan in 1993 supports this assumption, but this kingdom of Judah was greatly inferior to the kingdom of Israel to its north, and apparently far less developed. The documents from el-Amarna, dating from the fourteenth century BCE, indicate that already there were two small city-states in the highlands of Canaan—Shechem and Jerusalem—and the Merneptah stela shows that an entity named Israel existed in northern Canaan at the end of the thirteenth century BCE. The plentiful archaeological finds unearthed in the West Bank during the 1980s reveal the material and social difference between the two mountain regions. Agriculture thrived in the fertile north, supporting dozens of settlements, whereas in the south there were only some twenty small villages in the tenth and ninth centuries BCE. The kingdom of Israel was already a stable and strong state in the ninth century, while the kingdom of Judah consolidated and grew strong only by the late eighth. There were always in Canaan two distinct, rival political entities, though they were culturally and linguistically related—variants of ancient Hebrew were spoken by the inhabitants of both. ~ Shlomo Sand, #NFDB
1286:So, how’s the dating going?” Everly asks. “Have you gotten any more POD’s?”
“What’s a POD?” I ask her, confused.
“Proof of dick,” Everly says with a nod when we all stare at her.
“Is that what it’s called now?” Sophie asks while rubbing the side of her bump with a grimace.
“Not yet,” Everly says while swirling the straw in her glass. “But I’m trying to make it catch on. It’s a little classier than ‘dick pic’, don’t you think?” She takes a sip of her iced tea and then sets the glass down, brows raised as we all stare at her. “What?”
“How exactly are you intending to make it catch on?”
“I’m so glad you asked, Chloe. The thing is, I’m married, so no one is sending me POD’s anymore,” she begins.
“Right,” I agree. “I would hope not.”
“But you, my friend, are still dating, so I thought you could—”
“No,” I interrupt. “No. Stop talking.”
“All you need to do,” she continues anyway, “is reply to the dick pics you get and say, ‘Nice POD.’ Or even, ‘Nice POD, LOL.’”
“Nope, not doing it. I am not going to encourage dick pics so you can coin a new phrase. No.”
“Okay, no problem,” she says with a shrug. She’s quiet for exactly three seconds before her mouth opens again. “How about, ‘Why are you sending me a POD?’ That way you’re still delivering the branding message, but without the encouragement.”
I stuff a forkful of pasta into my mouth, glare at Everly and shake my head no. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1287:George, who are you seeing these days?” “Well, let’s see. I’ve been dating around, you might call it. There’s a visiting professor at the college I see when she’s in town. She travels quite a lot. And a neighbor lady and I like to have dinner in the city. She writes an ‘about town’ column for the paper and we enjoy some of the best restaurants, all on her tab, but that’s not the best part about her. There’s a waitress in Tacoma I like, a music teacher out on Bainbridge Island and a professor of veterinary medicine. She’s the most trouble and I think I like her best.” Noah’s eyes were round. He swallowed. “You’re seeing five women?” “Well, on and off. Each one of them is completely irresistible in her own way.” “Don’t any of them want more of you than an occasional date? Like a serious relationship?” George sighed and looked upward. “I’m not opposed to the idea of marrying again, Noah. But, as of this moment, the only woman I’m seeing I would consider is the vet, Sharon. But she’s forty-four. I think that might be a tad risky, don’t you?” Then he grinned. “Although we do jog together on Sunday mornings. She’s keeping up very well.” Noah burst out laughing. This was what he loved about George and always had—he was so unafraid to live life. He held nothing back. “They used to call men like you rogues,” Noah said. “Not men like me,” he protested. “I care very much for these ladies. They are, each one, wonderful women. I treat them with genuine affection and respect.” Noah ~ Robyn Carr, #NFDB
1288:I turn to head outside when the boys make their way back into the house. Kel stops in the doorway and puts his hands on his hips, then looks up at me.
“Are you my sister’s boyfriend?”
I’m thrown off by his directness. I pull my jacket on and shake my head. “Um, no. Just her friend.”
“She told my mom you were taking her on a date. I thought only boyfriends took girls on dates.”
“Well,” I pause. “Sometimes boys take girls on dates to see if they want them to be their girlfriend.”
I notice Caulder standing beside me, taking in the conversation as if he’s just as curious. I wasn’t prepared to have to explain the rules of dating right now.
“So it’s like a test?” Caulder asks. “To see if you want Layken to be your girlfriend?”
I shrug and nod. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
Kel laughs. “You aren’t gonna like her. She burps a lot. And she’s bossy. And she never lets me drink coffee, so she probably won’t let you have any, either. And she has really bad taste in music and sings way too loud and leaves her bras all over the house. It’s gross.”
I laugh. “Thanks for the warning. You think it’s too late to back out now?”
Kel shakes his head, missing my sarcasm completely. “No, she’s already dressed so you have to take her now.”
I sigh, pretending to be annoyed. “Well, it’s just a few hours. Hopefully she won’t burp a lot and boss me around and steal my coffee and sing to her really bad music and leave her bra in my car.”
Or hopefully she will. ~ Colleen Hoover,#NFDB
1289:Pew Research Centre, a self-described “fact tank” based in Washington.* This found that only 69% of adult Latin Americans are now Catholics, down from 92% in 1970. Protestants now account for 19%, up from 4%. Over the same period the share of those with no religious affiliation has grown from 1% to 8%—though most of these people still believe in God. Pew’s study finds sharp variations from country to country. In four Central American countries—El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua—barely half of the population is still Catholic. Though 61% of Brazilian respondents say they are Catholic, 26% are now Protestant. In many other countries there are still firm Catholic majorities. Whatever their denomination, most Latin Americans remain deeply religious. Only Uruguay stands out as a bastion of secularism—a tradition dating back more than a century. Two things distinguish Latin American Protestantism. First, it is mainly a result of conversion (see chart). Second, two-thirds of Latin American Protestants define themselves as Pentecostal. Much more often than Catholics, they report having direct experience of the Holy Spirit, such as through exorcism or speaking in tongues. Indeed, the words “evangelical” and “Protestant” are used interchangeably in the region. Pew finds that Latin American Protestants are conservative on social and sexual issues, such as gay marriage and abortion. As Catholics become more liberal on such questions, that points to looming American-style “culture wars”. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1290:I'm so excited to meet you, Emma," she says. "Now I know why Galen won't shut up about you." Her smile seems to contradict the decades' worth of frown lines rippling from her mouth. In fact, it's so genuine and warm that I almost believe she is excited to meet me. But isn't that what all moms say when introduced to their son's girlfriend? You're not his girlfriend, stupid. Or does she think we're dating, too?
"Thanks, I think," I smile generically. "I'm sure he's told you a million times how clumsy I am." Because how else am I supposed to take that?
"A million and one, actually. Wish you'd do something different for a change," Rayna drawls without looking up.
Rayna has outstayed her welcome on my nerves. "I could teach you how to color in the lines," I shoot back. The look she gives me could sour milk.
Toraf puts his hands on her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. "I think you're doing a great job, my princess."
She wiggles out of his grasp and shoves the polish brush back into its bottle. "If you're so good at it, why don't you paint your toes? They probably stay injured all the time from you running into stuff. Am I right?"
Yeah? And? I'm about to set her straight on a few things-like how wearing a skirt and sitting Indian-style ruins the effect of pretty toes anyway-when Galen's mom puts a gentle hand on my arm and clears her throat. "Emma, I'm so glad you're feeling better," she says. "I bet dinner would just about complete your recovery, don't you? ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1291:Guess what song they picked for their first dance.”
“What song?”
“‘From This Moment On’ by Shania Twain.”
He frowns. “I never heard of that before.”
“It’s really cheesy, but they love it, apparently. Do you realize that we don’t have a song? Like, a song that’s ours.”
“Okay, then let’s pick one.”
“It doesn’t work like that. You don’t just pick your song. The song picks you. Like the Sorting Hat.”
Peter nods sagely. He finally finished reading all seven Harry Potter books and he’s always eager to prove that he gets my references. “Got it.”
“It has to just…happen. A moment. And the song transcends the moment, you know? My mom and dad’s song was ‘Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric Clapton. They danced to it at their wedding.”
“So how did it become their song, then?”
“It was the first song they ever slow danced to in college. It was at a dance, not long after they first started dating. I’ve seen pictures from that night. Daddy’s wearing a suit that was too big on him and my mom’s hair is in a French twist.”
“How about whatever song comes on next, that’s our song. It’ll be fate.”
“We can’t just make our own fate.”
“Sure we can.” Peter reaches over to turn on the radio.
“Wait! Just any radio station? What if it’s not a slow song?”
“Okay so we’ll put on Lite 101.” Peter hits the button.
“Winnie the Pooh doesn’t know what to do, got a honey jar stuck on his nose,” a woman croons.
Peter says, “What the hell?” as I say, “This can’t be our song.”
“Best out of three?” he suggests. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1292:Sean walked over to her, so close she wondered if he was going to try to shake some sense into her. “Then there’s just one more thing to do.”
“Oh, crap. What did I forget?” Considering how much time she’d spent going over everything in her mind instead of sleeping, she couldn’t imagine what it would be.
When he rested his hand at her waist for a few seconds before sliding it around to the small of her back, she felt her muscles tense and her cheeks burn.
“You can’t be doing that,” he said in the same low, husky kind of voice a man would use to tell a woman he wanted to take off her clothes.
Her mind was frozen, all of her attention on that warm pressure against her T-shirt, and it took a few seconds to form a coherent sentence. “Doing what?”
“You’re as jumpy as a virgin at a frat party.” He ran his fingers up over her spine until he reached the small bump of her bra strap, and then back down to her waist. “We’ve been dating a year and a half, and living together for a year of it, but you still blush and tense up when I touch you?”
He had a point, but there was no way to fix that before Gram got off her plane. “Maybe you’re just that good.”
It was the worst thing to say if she was trying to back him off and settle her overheating nerves. The grin he gave her would have been potent enough to get her out of her clothes if the situation was different.
“That’s a story I can get behind,” he said.
“Thought we were trying to keep the lies to a minimum.”
The grin only widened. “Who says it’s a lie? ~ Shannon Stacey,#NFDB
1293:No one in town really knows this boy, Maya. He showed up with his sister, and moved into a cabin that doesn’t even have electricity. People have been concerned about them, but he’s made it very clear that he doesn’t want anyone’s help. It bothers some people, the way they just appeared.”
My eyes rounded. “You’re right. Do you remember the night they arrived? That big flying saucer hovering over the park?”
He shook his head and pushed his chair back.
“I know you’re serious, Dad, but I’m okay. Really.”
“I just…I understand you might want to start dating more seriously, and that means dating someone from town. But if you’re going to do that…” This time he took a long drink of coffee, and the mug was still at his lips when he said, “I like Daniel. He takes care of you.”
I blinked. “Oh my God. Did you really just say that? He takes care of me?”
Dad flushed. “I didn’t mean it like--”
“Takes care of me? Did I go to sleep and wake up in the nineteenth century?” I looked down at my jeans and T-shirt. “Ack! I can’t go to school like this. Where’s my corset? My bonnet?”
Dad sighed as Mom walked in with her empty teacup.
“What did I miss?” she said.
“Dad’s trying to marry me off to Daniel.” I looked at him. “You know, if you offer him a new truck for a dowry, he might go for it.”
“Apparently, I said the wrong thing,” Dad told Mom. “Again.”
“Never hard with our daughter.” She walked over and slid my sandwich into a bag. “Leave your father alone and get going before you miss your ride. ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
1294:Look, guys, I know you mean well and you’re doing your job, but it’d be better for everyone if you all got back in your cars and drove away. Pretend like this never happened. I promise I’m not going to blow anything up and the most un-American thing I’ve ever done is root for South Korea in speed skating during the Olympics. This whole thing falls so far out of your jurisdiction it’s not even funny.” I pictured the officers cuffing Reth and reading him his rights, then trying to detain Cresseda. “Okay, it’s a little funny. But seriously. As far as you’re all concerned, I’m just a teen girl who is really far behind on planning for the dance decorating committee. And also dating an invisible boy.”
“Orders are orders,” the mustachioed man said gruffly, elbowing the men around him and startling them out of their paranormal-induced stupor. “We’re taking you in.” He walked down the steps.
I sighed. “Don’t make me call the dragon.”
He laughed, and so did most of the others, but a few looked back at Lend and the blood drained from their faces.
“Look, kid, I’m with you. I think this is all a mistake, maybe even a clerical error. We’ll figure it out at the station.”
Arianna swore, stamping her foot. “That’s it! She put her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill, earsplitting whistle. A rush of wind engulfed us as the dragon in all its serpentine glory snaked out of the trees, settling onto the ground and rearing up to stare down at all of us.
I thought I’d learn a few new words, but the men were too shocked to even swear this time. ~ Kiersten White,#NFDB
1295:Because you do not happen to be married does not make you essentially different from others. All of us are very much alike in appearance and emotional responses, in our capacity to think, to reason, to be miserable, to be happy, to love and be loved.
You are just as important as any others in the scheme of our Father in Heaven, and under His mercy no blessing to which you otherwise might be entitled will forever be withheld from you. . . .
I do not worry about you young men who have recently returned from the mission field. You know as well as I what you ought to do. It is your responsibility and opportunity, under the natural process of dating and courting, to find a wonderful companion and marry in the house of the Lord. Don’t rush it unduly and don’t delay it unduly. “Marry in haste and repent at leisure” is an old proverb that still has meaning in our time. But do not dally along in a fruitless, frustrating, and frivolous dating game that only raises hopes and brings disappointment and in some cases heartache.
Yours is the initiative in this matter. Act on it in the spirit that ought to prompt every honorable man who holds the priesthood of God. Live worthy of the companionship of a wonderful partner. Put aside any thought of selfish superiority and recognize and follow the teaching of the Church that the husband and wife walk side by side with neither one ahead nor behind.
Happy marriage is based on a foundation of equal yoking. Let virtue garnish your courtship, and absolute fidelity be the crown jewel of your marriage. ~ Gordon B Hinckley,#NFDB
1296:Go away.” I stick my elbow in his ribs and force him to step back. “Sit on the couch and keep your hands to yourself,” I instruct, then follow him to the sofa and grab my Dating and Sex for Dummies books off the coffee table and shove them into my sock drawer while he laughs. “You’re making me miss my show,” I gripe as I toss things into the suitcase.
“Your show? You sound like you’re eighty.” He glances at the TV behind me then back to me. “Murder on Mason Lane,” he says. “It was the neighbor. She was committing Medicare fraud using the victim’s deceased wife’s information. He caught on so she killed him.”
I gasp. “You spoiler! You spoiling spoiler who spoils!” Then I shrug. “This is a new episode. You don’t even know that. It’s the daughter. She killed him. I’ve had her pegged since the first commercial break.”
“You’re cute.”
“Just you wait,” I tell him, very satisfied with myself. I’m really good at guessing whodunnit.
“Sorry, you murder nerd, I worked on this case two years ago. It’s the neighbor.”
“Really?” I drop my makeup bag into the suitcase and check to see if he’s teasing me.
“I swear. I’ll tell you all the good shit the show left out once we’re on the plane.”
I survey Boyd with interest. I do have a lot of questions. “I thought you were in cyber crimes, not murder.”
“Murder isn’t a department,” he replies, shaking his head at me.
“You know what I mean.”
“Most crimes have a cyber component to them these days. There’s always a cyber trail.”
Shit, that’s hot. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1297:There are some secrets that women should always keep secret. Disgusting habits, how many sex partners they’ve had, and most importantly the fact that they’re skilled in espionage. Lainey Rostov, Russian surveillance spy, trained at gathering information about Navy SEALs and reporting back intelligence is coming out to play. It wasn’t easy moving to Virginia Beach with the goal of finding, dating, and then extracting information from a Navy SEAL. Actually it was quite a bit more difficult than that—I had to weave myself into the community, befriend SEAL girlfriends and wives, I had to blend in. You’d be surprised the amount of details men are willing to give out while drinking at a bar and better yet, in between the sheets. I’d fathom a guess that I’m a million times better at espionage than my male counterparts. I have more parts to use to my benefit. Does Cody know? Of course he knows. He called me out right at the get-go. I think that’s why I fell so hard for him. Intelligence looks divine on that man with such brawn. I glance over at him with his freshly fucked hair and mussed clothing and smile. He winks at me while he continues his phone conversation. He’s just as deranged as I was...am. A match made in fucked up heaven. What happens when a spy falls in love with her target? My fucking life. This is what happens. And Vadim wants to screw with me again. I don’t think so. I don’t think so. I wink back, lick my lips, and calculate just how dangerous this territory will be. Desperate times call for desperate measures. No matter what the cost. No one is taking him from me again. ~ Rachel Robinson, #NFDB
1298:Nice shack," I tell him.
"Trade you."
"Any day."
"Really? You like it?" He seems genuinely pleased.
"What's not to like?"
He stands back and studies it as if for the first time. He nods. "Huh. Good to know."
We climb the three steps on the porch, but I grab his arm as he reaches for the door handle. The contact sends heat through my body, roasting me to the core. "Wait."
He pauses mid-motion and stares at my hand. "What? Is something wrong? You're not changing your mind are you?"
"No. I just...have to tell you something."
"What?"
I forced a nervous laugh. "Well, the good news is, you don't have to worry about me rejecting you anymore."
He shakes his head. "That is good news. But you say it like it's not."
I take a deep breath. Where is a good lightning bolt when you need one? Because even if I take a hundred deep breaths, this will still be humiliating...
"Emma?"
"I told my mom we were dating," I blurt. There. Doesn't that feel better? Nope. Nope, it doesn't.
While his smile surprises me, it mostly mesmerizes me beyond rational thought. "Are you kidding?" he says.
I shake my head. "It's the only thing she would believe. So now...now you have to pretend that we're dating if you come to my house. But don't worry, you don't ever have to go over there again. And in a few days, I'll pretend that we broke up."
He laughs. "No, you won't. I told her the same thing."
"Shut. Up."
"Why? What'd I say?"
"No, I mean, did you really tell her that? Why would you do that?"
He shrugs. "Same reason you did. She wouldn't take no for an answer. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1299:A blast of music echoing down the corridors was his only reply. Alec and Raphael both winced. Raphael glanced up at him.
“This is the worst party I’ve ever been to,” he said. “And I hate parties. People keep asking me whether I have extra superpowers, and I tell them they are thinking of Simon, whom I dislike.”
“That’s a little harsh,” said Alec.
“You have to be harsh with fledglings or they do not learn,” said Raphael sternly. “Besides, his jokes are stupid.”
“They’re not all gold,” Alec admitted.
“How do you know him?” Raphael snapped his fingers. “Wait, I remember. He’s friends with your annoying blond parabatai, right?”
He was, though Simon would probably be surprised to hear it. Alec was very familiar with how Jace behaved when he wanted to be your friend. He didn’t act friendly, which would have been too easy. Instead he just spent a lot of time in your presence until you got used to him being there, which he was clearly now doing with regard to Simon. When Jace and Alec were little, Jace had done a lot of hostile hanging around him, hoping to be noticed and loved. Alec honestly preferred it to awkward getting-to-know-you conversations.
“Right. Plus, Simon is sort of dating my sister, Isabelle,” said Alec.
“That can’t be,” said Raphael. “Isabelle can do better.”
“Er, do you know my sister?” Alec asked.
“She threatened me with a candelabra once, but we don’t really chat,” said Raphael. “Which means we have my ideal relationship.” He gave Alec a cold glare. “It’s the relationship I wish I had with all Shadowhunters.”
Alec was about to give up and walk away. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1300:Hagar and Ishmael Depart 8So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. A Slave of a Wife Becomes a Mother! (Gen. 21:9–11) Sarai’s condition of childlessness caused her to give her female servant to Abram for procreation (Gen. 16:1–3). It is obvious from Sarai’s words, “perhaps I shall obtain children by her” (16:2), that she saw herself as the one who would be providing any eventual son from this union, even though the servant Hagar would be the mother of the child. Ancient marriage contracts obligated wives to provide a son for the married couple. Contracts dating from the mid-2nd millennium have been discovered in the city of Nuzi which specify that if a wife bore no male child she had the obligation to provide a child via a female servant. If a child was thus born to a servant, the child would be considered the child of the wife in regards to the contract. Thus, even a barren wife could fulfill her marital contract. Abram’s reluctance to send Hagar away, when Sarai became jealous of her (Gen. 21:9–11), reflects another aspect of the Nuzi tablets. Servants who provided such children were not supposed to be sent away, but rather treated favorably. So it was that it took the voice of God to convince Abram to listen to Sarai’s desire (21:12). ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1301:One of the best conversations I ever had with Betsy happened when I asked why she thought I was good for her. I’d been wondering about it for a long time but I’d never brought it up. I could count the ways she was good for me, but had no idea why I was good for her. We were walking Lucy up near the Capitol when I asked. She laughed for a second. “Are you serious?” she asked. “You really don’t know?” “I don’t think I know,” I said. I’m glad I finally asked the question. Betsy’s answer changed me. She helped me believe I wasn’t just good for people, I was great for them. She said I had a way of not getting rattled when things were tense and that brought peace to her life. She said I loved adventure and without me her life wouldn’t be half as exciting. She said ever since we’d started dating she’d stopped doubting whether she was beautiful because I told her she was beautiful every day. She went on and on and talked about all the ways I was making her a better person. Not long after that conversation I found I enjoyed getting together with people a great deal more. Whereas before I’d endure having to get coffee with people, I began to enjoy sharing a bit of our stories. I realized that one of the reasons I’d been so isolated was because I’d subconsciously believed I wasn’t all that good for people. It’s true what I’m saying. If our identity gets broken, it affects our ability to connect. And I wonder if we’re not all a lot better for each other than we previously thought. I know we’re not perfect, but I wonder how many people are withholding the love they could provide because they secretly believe they have fatal flaws. ~ Donald Miller, #NFDB
1302:Who’s the guy?”
“What guy?”
“The guy you’re dating.”
That’s when I see him. Peter Kavinsky, walking down the hallway. Like magic. Beautiful, dark-haired Peter. He deserves background music, he looks so good. “Peter. Kavinsky. Peter Kavinsky!” The bell rings, and I sail past Josh. “I’ve gotta go! Talk later, Josh!”
“Wait!” he calls out.
I run up to Peter and launch myself into his arms like a shot out of a cannon. I’ve got my arms around his neck and my legs hooked around his waist, and I don’t even know how my body knows how, because I’ve for sure never touched a boy like this in my life. It’s like we’re in a movie and the music is swelling and waves are crashing around us. Except for the fact that Peter’s expression is registering pure shock and disbelief and maybe a drop of amusement, because Peter likes to be amused. Raising his eyebrows, he says, “Lara Jean? What the--?”
I don’t answer. I just kiss him.
My first thought is: I have muscle memory of his lips.
My second thought is: I hope Josh is watching. He has to be watching or it’s all for nothing.
My heart is beating so fast I forget to be afraid of doing it wrong. Because for about three seconds, he’s kissing me back. Peter Kavinsky, the boy of every girl’s dreams, is kissing me back.
I haven’t kissed that many boys before. Peter Kavinsky, John Ambrose McClaren, Allie Feldman’s cousin with the weird eye, and now Peter again.
I open my eyes and Peter’s staring at me with that same expression on his face. Very sincerely I say, “Thank you.” He replies, “You’re welcome,” and I hop out of his arms and sprint off in the opposite direction. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1303:Too often, however, these passing modes of relief proved insufficient. Among the all-too-scanty literary documents as yet unearthed, two dialogues on suicide significantly remain, one Egyptian and one Mesopotamian. In each case a member of the privileged classes, with every luxury and sensual gratification open to him, finds his life intolerable. His facile dreams are unsalted by reality. The Egyptian debate between a man and his soul dates from the period following the disintegration of the Pyramid Age, and betrays the desperation of an upper-class person who had lost faith in the ritualistic exaltation of death as the ultimate fulfillment of life, which rationalized the irrationalities of high Egyptian society. But the Mesopotamian dialogue between a rich master and his slave, dating from the first Millenium B.C., is even more significant: for the principal finds that no piling up of wealth, power, or sexual pleasure produces a meaningful life. Another seventh-century B.C. 'Dialogue About Human Misery' expands the theme: the fact that it has been called a Babylonian Ecclesiastes indicates the depth of its pessimism-the bitterness of power unrelieved by love, the emptiness of wealth condemned to enjoy only the goods that money can buy.
If this is what the favored few could expect, in justification of thousands of years of arduous collective effort and sacrifice, it is obvious that the cult of power, from the beginning, was based upon a gross fallacy. Ultimately the end product proved as life-defeating for the master classes as the mechanism itself was for the disinherited and socially dismembered workers and slaves. ~ Lewis Mumford,#NFDB
1304:Nietzsche’s words that relate to this with respect to masks and the processes of life. He speaks of three stages in the life of the spirit incarnate in each of us. Three transformations of the spirit, he calls it. The first is that of the camel which gets down on its knees and asks, “Put a load on me.” That’s the period of these dear little children. This is the just-born life that has come in and is receiving the imprint of the society. The primary mask. “Put a load on me. Teach me what I must know to live in this society.” Once heavily loaded, the camel struggles to its feet and goes out into the desert — into the desert of the realization of its own individual nature. This must follow the reception of the culture good. It must not precede it. First is humility, and obedience, and the reception of the primary mask. Then comes the turning inward, which happens automatically in adolescence, to find your own inward life. Nietzsche calls this the transformation of the camel into a lion. Then the lion attacks a dragon; and the dragon’s name is Thou Shalt. The dragon is the concretization of all those imprints that the society has put upon you. The function of the lion is to kill the dragon Thou Shalt. On every scale is a “Thou Shalt,” some of them dating from 2000 b.c., others from this morning’s newspaper. And, when the dragon Thou Shalt has been killed — that is to say, when you have made the transition from simple obedience to authority over your own life — the third transformation is to that of being a child moving spontaneously out of the energy of its own center. Nietzsche calls it a wheel rolling out of its own center. ~ Joseph Campbell, #NFDB
1305:If I’d felt insensitive earlier, it wasn’t long before I was feeling downright callous. Everyone kept telling me they’d heard what had happened and how horrible it must have been. But inside, I was still buzzing, my pulse racing, as giddy as the time Serena and I sneaked champagne at her cousin’s wedding.
Rafe didn’t make it easy, either. During first period, he found an excuse to walk past my desk and drop off a note. It read, “Not dating classmates means you’ve missed out on an important part of fifth grade. Time to catch up.” Below that, he’d drawn a heart with our initials in it. I’d laughed, added “2 be + 2-gether = 4-ever” and passed it back.
And so it went, all morning, the page getting filled up with doodles as it went back and forth. It was completely fifth grade and completely silly and I loved it, because he wasn’t afraid to be silly. It was like kissing him first--I could do whatever I wanted, and not have to worry what he’d think of me.
Five minutes before lunch, he dropped off another note marked “Open at the bell,” then excused himself to use the washroom…and didn’t return. When the bell went, I unfolded it to find a rough sketch of the school, with a dotted line from our class to an X by the principal’s office.
I stuffed the note in my pocket and took off. At the office, I found an X in marker on the floor beside the trash can. I moved it and found another note. Another dotted line, this one leading outside to another X. That one ended just inside the forest, where I found a third note under a pebble…It was blank.
I looked up.
Rafe’s laugh floated down from the trees. “Can’t fool you, huh? ~ Kelley Armstrong,#NFDB
1306:next to me, and both him and Kennedy had their arms around my shoulders. “Is he still not banging you?” I stared at Grady, and his complete inability to filter his words. When I saw how serious he was I burst out laughing, and didn’t stop until I had tears running down my cheeks. When I’d calmed down, they were both looking at me as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had, but for once I was able to laugh through my worry. “She’s completely lost it,” Kennedy said over my head. “Or maybe she just realized the insanity of whatever scenario she’d conjured up in her head,” replied Grady. “She can hear you,” I told them. “Good,” retorted Grady. “Because I know for a fact your man won’t go near that Hobbit again, and I have it on good authority that he never even had sex with her while they were dating.” My head shot up. “What?” He nodded his head triumphantly. “He didn’t touch her, Jade. Not once.” My whole body sagged, but I couldn’t understand why that knowledge made me feel so relieved. “You see?” Kennedy touched my arm. “You’re feeling insecure for no reason, Jade. I’m sure Reid is just taking his time, and making sure he does things right this time around.” Well,” snorted Grady, “Either that or he’s worried about poking your baby in the face with his dick.” “Oh my God,” I laughed, covering my face with my hands. “You are so not allowed near my child with that foul mouth.” “Please,” – Grady threw his head back dramatically – “That kid is going to walk out of that cooch spitting fire like her mamma, and that’s all on you. Pretty sure she’s going to be able to teach me a thing or two.” Kennedy laughed beside me. “Your baby is going to be born into ~ Hilary Storm, #NFDB
1307:Come over early tomorrow morning,” Marlboro Man asked over the phone one night. “We’re gathering cattle, and I want you to meet my mom and dad.”
“Oh, okay,” I agreed, wondering to myself why we couldn’t just remain in our own isolated, romantic world. And the truth was, I wasn’t ready to meet his parents yet. I still hadn’t successfully divorced myself from California J’s dear, dear folks. They’d been so wonderful to me during my years of dating their son and had become the California version of my parents, my home away from home. I hated that our relationship couldn’t continue despite, oh, the minor detail of my breaking up with their son. And already? Another set of parents? I wasn’t ready.
“What time do you want me there?” I asked. I’d do anything for Marlboro Man.
“Can you be here around five?” he asked.
“In the evening…right?” I responded, hopeful.
He chuckled. Oh, no. This was going to turn out badly for me. “Um…no,” he said. “That would be five A.M.”
I sighed. To arrive at his ranch at 5:00 A.M. would mean my rising by 4:00 A.M.--before 4:00 A.M. if I wanted to shower and make myself presentable. This meant it would still be dark outside, which was completely offensive and unacceptable. There’s no way. I’d have to tell him no.
“Okay--no problem!” I responded. I clutched my stomach in pain.
Chuckling again, he teased, “I can come pick you up if you need me to. Then you can sleep all the way back to the ranch.”
“Are you kidding?” I replied. “I’m usually up by four anyway. That’s when I usually do my running, as you well know.”
“Uh…huh,” he said. “Gotcha.” Another chuckle. Lifeblood to my soul. ~ Ree Drummond,#NFDB
1308:Anita,” Jason said. I looked at him and J.J. “You okay?” I shrugged. “I think this is the most complicated BDSM scene I’ve tried without Jean-Claude or Asher involved. It’s like we have all this talent and potential, but no one is in charge.” That was all true. It wasn’t exactly what was spooking me, but it was still part of the truth. It also meant that they’d probably quit asking me what was wrong. “I cannot be with Asher,” Jade said. I shook my head. “I wasn’t suggesting it, just not sure who’s directing everything.” “We’ve made love with Nathaniel in bed with us before,” she said, her voice soft, low, and strangely musical. Her voice didn’t always sound that way, but it often did when she was trying to persuade, or I guess manipulate me. I’d asked her if she’d had theater training, but she didn’t seem to know what I meant, so I’d let it go. I let a lot of things go with Jade, even I knew that, but when she puzzled me enough I stepped back rather than pushing. I wasn’t sure if I was growing up, or she was winning. “You’re in charge, Anita,” Domino said, “so be in charge. What do you want to do?” In my head I thought, Leave. Maybe it showed on my face, because he said, “Do what you enjoy and Jade will follow your lead.” Jade nodded. “Really?” I asked her. “Truly,” she said. “Okay, I know what I want to do.” “I will follow where you lead,” she said. I knew it was both the truth and a lie. She’d follow me for a while, until she decided she didn’t want to, or she got too uncomfortable, then she’d do whatever the hell she wanted to do and somehow it would be my fault, again. I was starting to seriously sympathize with the men who were dating me. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
1309:And there is one thing that I really, really like to have company for. Watching TV. I'm not particularly needy in relationships, I actually demand a fair amount of space. But I really like to be in bed with another human being and watch TV. That's as intimate and reassuring and tender as it gets for me. I find dating exhausting and uninteresting, and I really would like to skip over the hours of conversation that you need just to get up to speed on each other's lives, and the stories I've told a million times. I just want to get to the watching TV in bed. If you're on a date with me, you can be certain that this is what I'm evaluating you for—how good is it going to be, cuddling with you in bed and watching Damages
I'm also looking to see if you have clean teeth. For me, anything less than very clean teeth is fucking disgusting. Here's what I would like to do: I would like to get into bed with a DVD of Damages and have a line of men cue up at my door. I would station a dental hygienist at the front of the line who would examine the men's teeth. Upon passing inspection, she(I've never met a male hygienist, and neither have you) would send them back to my bedroom, one at time, in intervals of ten minutes, during which I would cuddle with the man and watch Damages. Leaving nothing to chance, using some sort of medical telemetry, I would have a clinician take basic readings of my heart rate and brain waves, and create a comparison chart to illustrate which candidate was the most soothing presence for me. After reviewing all the data from what will now be known in diagnostic manuals throughout the world as the Silverman-Damages-Nuzzle-Test, I will make my selection. ~ Sarah Silverman,#NFDB
1310:A person’s average or typical level of happiness is that person’s “affective style.” (“Affect” refers to the felt or experienced part of emotion.) Your affective style reflects the everyday balance of power between your approach system and your withdrawal system, and this balance can be read right from your forehead. It has long been known from studies of brainwaves that most people show an asymmetry: more activity either in the right frontal cortex or in the left frontal cortex. In the late 1980s, Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin discovered that these asymmetries correlated with a person’s general tendencies to experience positive and negative emotions. People showing more of a certain kind of brainwave coming through the left side of the forehead reported feeling more happiness in their daily lives and less fear, anxiety, and shame than people exhibiting higher activity on the right side. Later research showed that these cortical “lefties” are less subject to depression and recover more quickly from negative experiences.29 The difference between cortical righties and lefties can be seen even in infants: Ten-month-old babies showing more activity on the right side are more likely to cry when separated briefly from their mothers.30 And this difference in infancy appears to reflect an aspect of personality that is stable, for most people, all the way through adulthood. 31 Babies who show a lot more activity on the right side of the forehead become toddlers who are more anxious about novel situations; as teenagers, they are more likely to be fearful about dating and social activities; and, finally, as adults, they are more likely to need psychotherapy to loosen up. ~ Jonathan Haidt, #NFDB
1311:So why was tonight not so good?” he asked, desperate to shut himself the fuck up.
“My father. And then…well, I got stood up.”
Rehv frowned so hard he actually felt a slight sting between his eyes. “For a date?”
“Yeah.”
He hated the idea of her out with another male. And yet envied the motherfucker, whoever he was.
“What an ass. I’m sorry, but what an ass.”
Ehlena laughed, and he loved everything about the sound, especially the way his body warmed a little more in response.
Man, to hell with a hot shower. That soft, quiet chuckle was what he needed.
“Are you smiling,” he said softly.
“Yeah. I mean, I guess. How did you know?”
“Was just hoping you were.”
“Well, you can be kind of charming.”
Quickly, as if to cover up the compliment, she said, “The date wasn’t a big deal or anything. I didn’t know him that well. It was just coffee.”
“But you ended the night on the phone with me. Which is so much better.”
She laughed again. “Well, I won’t ever know what it’s like to go out with him.”
“You won’t?”
“I just…well, I thought about it, and I don’t think dating is a good idea for me right now.”
His surge of triumph was sacked when she tacked on, “With anyone.”
“Hm.”
“Hm? What does hm mean?”
“It means I have your phone number.”
“Ah, yes, you do—” Her voice caught as he shifted around. “Wait, are you…in bed?”
“Yeah. And before you go any farther, you don’t want to know.”
“I don’t want to know what?”
“How much I’m not wearing.”
“Er…” As she hesitated, he knew she was smiling again. And probably blushing. “I so won’t ask.”
“Wise of you. It’s just me and the sheets—oops, did I just spill that?”
“Yes. Yes, you did.”
-Rehv & Ehlena ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
1312:Bianca, Since you keep running away from me at school, and, if I remember correctly, the sound of my voice causes you to have suicidal thoughts, I decided a letter might be the best way to tell you how I feel. Just hear me out. I’m not going to deny that you were right. Everything you said the other day was true. But my fear of being alone is not the reason I’m pursuing you. I know how cynical you are, and you’re probably going to come up with some snarky reply when you read this, but the truth is, I’m chasing you because I really think I am falling in love with you. You are the first girl who has ever seen right through me. You’re the only girl who has ever called me on my bullshit. You put me in my place, but, at the same time, you understand me better than anyone ever has. You are the only person brave enough to criticize me. Maybe the only person who looks close enough to find my faults—and, clearly, you’ve found many. I called my parents. They’re coming home this weekend to talk to Amy and me. I was afraid to do this at first, but you inspired me. Without you, I never could have done that. I think about you much more than any self-respecting man would like to admit, and I’m insanely jealous of Tucker—something I never thought I’d say. Moving on after you is impossible. No other girl can keep me on my toes the way you can. No one else makes me WANT to embarrass myself by writing sappy letters like this one. Only you. But I know that I’m right, too. I know you’re in love with me, even if you are dating Tucker. You can lie to yourself if you want, but reality is going to catch up with you. I’ll be waiting when it does… whether you like it or not. Love, Wesley p.s.: I know you’re rolling your eyes right now, but I don’t care. Honestly, it’s always been kind of a turn-on. ~ Kody Keplinger, #NFDB
1313:I'm going to throw some suggestions at you now in rapid succession, assuming you are a father of one or more boys. Here we go: If you speak disparagingly of the opposite sex, or if you refer to females as sex objects, those attitudes will translate directly into dating and marital relationships later on. Remember that your goal is to prepare a boy to lead a family when he's grown and to show him how to earn the respect of those he serves. Tell him it is great to laugh and have fun with his friends, but advise him not to
be "goofy." Guys who are goofy are not respected, and people, especially girls and women, do not follow boys and men whom they disrespect. Also, tell your son that he is never to hit a girl under any circumstances. Remind him that she is not as strong as he is and that she is deserving of his respect. Not only should he not hurt her, but he should protect her if she is threatened. When he is strolling along with a girl on the street, he should walk on the outside, nearer the cars. That is symbolic of his responsibility to take care of her. When he is on a date, he should pay for her food and entertainment. Also (and this is simply my opinion), girls should not call boys on the telephone-at least not until a committed relationship has developed. Guys must be the initiators, planning the dates and asking for the girl's company. Teach your son to open doors for girls and to help them with their coats or their chairs in a restaurant. When a guy goes to her house to pick up his date, tell him to get out of the car and knock on the door. Never honk. Teach him to stand, in formal situations, when a woman leaves the room or a table or when she returns. This is a way of showing respect for her. If he treats her like a lady, she will treat him like a man. It's a great plan. ~ James C Dobson,#NFDB
1314:Nope.' He grabs my hand and places it over his heart. 'I already know the truth. We’re dating.' His eyebrows waggle. 'Exclusively.'
'Gross.'
'Do you want to wear my letterman’s jacket?'
'I’m going to vomit.'
'“Should I buy you a corsage?'
'Seriously. Gagging.'
'Okay, no corsage.' He laughs. 'Just the matching tattoos, then?'
'Seriously.' I fight the urge to stomp my foot. 'Let it go, Parker. Let it go.'
'Hey, Elsa, don’t quote Frozen to me unless you’re prepared to listen to the entire soundtrack in my car on the way to Seaport.' I stare up at him. 'I’m not sure whether I should be disturbed or turned on by the fact that you know all the words to Let It Go.'
He grins. 'Definitely turned on.'
'Downloaded in your iTunes library, no doubt.' I shake my head. 'This is nearly as disturbing as the time I learned the song A Whole New World from Aladdin is a metaphor for mind-blowing sex.'
'I’m sorry, what?'
'I can open your eyes? Lead you wonder by wonder? Over, sideways, and under?' I snort. 'Come on. That’s basically soft-core porn.'
'Thank you, Zoe, for ruining a beloved Disney classic for me.'
'Anytime.'
'For the record…' He trails off.
I wince, anticipating the worst. 'What?'
'I’ll take you on my magic carpet ride any time you
want, snookums.'
'Pass.'
'So, that’s a no on rubbing my lamp then?'
'You know, I think I’ll just find my own way to Nate’s…' I turn and start walking to the elevator.
'Oh, come on.' Parker twines his fingers with mine and pushes the call button, humming under his breath. 'I’m a genie in a bottle, baby, gotta rub—' 'AH!' I stare at him in horror as the elevator arrives. 'So help me god if you start singing vintage Christina Aguilera lyrics right now, I will murder you with my bare hands. ~ Julie Johnson,#NFDB
1315:I cannot agree with the gentleman in the magenta coat that Potter’s Pond is only a wretched little hamlet. But it is certainly a very remote and secluded village; so that it seems quite outlandish, like a village of a hundred years ago. The spinsters are really spinsters — damn it, you could almost imagine you saw them spin. The ladies are not just ladies. They are gentlewomen; and their chemist is not a chemist, but an apothecary; pronounced potecary. They do just admit the existence of an ordinary doctor like myself to assist the apothecary. But I am considered rather a juvenile innovation, because I am only fifty-seven years old and have only been in the county for twenty-eight years. The solicitor looks as if he had known it for twenty-eight thousand years. Then there is the old Admiral, who is just like a Dickens illustration; with a house full of cutlasses and cuttle-fish and equipped with a telescope.’ ‘I suppose,’ said Father Brown, ‘there are always a certain number of Admirals washed up on the shore. But I never understood why they get stranded so far inland.’ ‘Certainly no dead-alive place in the depths of the country is complete without one of these little creatures,’ said the doctor. ‘And then, of course, there is the proper sort of clergyman; Tory and High Church in a dusty fashion dating from Archbishop Laud; more of an old woman than any of the old women. He’s a white-haired studious old bird, more easily shocked than the spinsters. Indeed, the gentlewomen, though Puritan in their principles, are sometimes pretty plain in their speech; as the real Puritans were. Once or twice I have known old Miss Carstairs-Carew use expressions as lively as anything in the Bible. The dear old clergyman is assiduous in reading the Bible; but I almost fancy he shuts his eyes when he comes to those words. ~ G K Chesterton, #NFDB
1316:I know you can't see it now, but this is a good thing, man,” I say. “You have your freedom back. You're young, good looking, have a great job – just think about how much pussy you're going to get.” “I don't want pussy,” he moans. “I want Stephanie back.” I groan inwardly. Stephanie is a terrible human being. I haven't liked her since they first started dating back when we were all going to Stanford together. She was always too pretentious and condescending for my liking. Always looked down on people and seemed to think that she was better than everyone else. No, Stephanie and I never got on well at all. I know that it’s always bugged Trey, but some people just don't click. I never went out of my way to be an asshole to her – at least, not usually. But, I was never overly-friendly to her either. I have a hard time making nice with somebody I despise. Truthfully, I want to do fucking cartwheels and throw a party now that she's out of Trey's life. I genuinely think he'll be better off without her. And that he'll find a much better woman. I pour out another shot – a smaller amount this time – and Trey pounds it down, slamming his shot glass onto the bar again. “I really thought she was the one, man,” he says, sniffing loudly. “Yeah, well, I don't want to be an asshole,” I say, “but you usually aren't going to find the ‘one’ down on her knees sucking some other guy off in your house.” I feel bad for slapping Trey with such a hard dose of reality, but he needs it. Stephanie is about as close to the one for him as I am. I tried telling him that back in college. I've always suspected she had a side piece, but I couldn't ever prove it. And mentioning it to Trey was as useful as talking to a brick wall about it. All he ever saw in Stephanie was the good. Or at least, what he perceived to be good. But really, there is ~ R R Banks, #NFDB
1317:So I know I am right not to settle, but it doesn't make me feel better as my friends pair off and I stay home on Friday night with a bottle of wine and make myself an extravagant meal and tell myself, This is perfect, as if I'm the one dating me. As I go to endless rounds of parties and bar nights, perfumed and sprayed and hopeful, rotating myself around the room like some dubious dessert. I go on dates with men who are nice and good-looking and smart - perfect-on-paper men who make me feel like I'm in a foreign land, trying to explain myself, trying to make myself known. Because isn't that the point of every relationship: to be known by someone else, to be understood? He gets me. She gets me. Isn't that the simple magic phrase?
So you suffer through the night with the perfect-on-paper man - the stutter of jokes misunderstood, the witty remarks lobbed and missed. Or maybe he understands that you've made a witty remark but, unsure of what to do with it, he holds it in his hand like some bit of conversational phlegm he will wipe away later. You spend another hour trying to find each other, to recognise each other, and you drink a little too much and try a little too hard. And you go home to a cold bed and think, That was fine. And your life is a long line of fine.
And then you run into Nick Dunne on Seventh Avenue as you're buying diced cantaloupe, and pow, you are known, you are recognised, the both of you. You both find the exact same things worth remembering. (Just one olive, though). You have the same rhythm. Click. You just know each other. All of a sudden you see reading in bed and waffles on Sunday and laughing at nothing and his mouth on yours. And it's so far beyond fine that you know you can never go back to fine. That fast. You think: Oh, here is the rest of my life. It's finally arrived. ~ Gillian Flynn,#NFDB
1318:We should break up,” she says. “I’m a disaster. I’ll fuck everything up. I always fuck it up.” Her voice is distressed and she looks like she’s on her way to hyperventilating. “And you’ll leave. Everyone leaves. And I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You can’t break up with me. We’re not dating,” I reply calmly and cross over to her, taking her hand so she’ll stop twisting the hell out of her hair.
“Oh.” She exhales in an audible puff as she tilts her head back to look at me. She swallows. “I can’t?”
“Nope.”
“Then what are we doing? Why are you so nice to me? You’re always so freaking nice to me, Boyd. And attentive. And good in bed. And—”
“We’re just Chloe-and-Boyding.” I cut her off before she gets any more worked up.
“Chloe-and-Boyding?”
“Yes,” I say then brush my lips along the shell of her ear. “Trust me, Chloe.” I give her a gentle push back, because I’m not above distracting her with sex. Not one bit. I lie on the bed beside her and pull her to me. “And you can’t go when there are so many fucks I haven’t given you yet, Chloe. I’d like to give you all the fucks.”
“All the fucks?” The tension eases from her body and her eyes flare, but in excitement instead of panic.
“All of them. The bossy fuck.” I slip my hand under the hem of her shirt and lift it up and over her head. “The rough fuck.” She lifts her hips as I grip the waistband of her leggings and tug. “The shower fuck.” She sucks in a breath at that and swallows. “So many fucks, Chloe.” I brush my lips against her ear. “The dirty talk fuck. The ass play fuck,” I whisper. “Do you want to miss any of those?”
“No.” She shakes her head and flexes her hips against me, already looking to move this forward. “I want all the fucks.”
“Good. Then we’re on the same page. Take off your bra. ~ Jana Aston,#NFDB
1319:Forget it, we can do it another time.” I turn around to go back into my parents’ room, but Mom catches my hand. She knows I may never feel ready to do this, that I may keep finding excuses to push this off until long after my dad is gone, and then maybe I’ll go to his grave and come out. But the time has to be now so I can feel as comfortable in my home as I am chilling with Collin. “Mark,” Mom says again. His eyes are still on the TV. I take a deep breath. “Dad, I hope you’re cool with this, but I sort of, kind of am dating someone and . . .” I can already see him getting confused, like I’m challenging him to solve an algebraic equation with no pen, paper, or calculator. “And that someone is my friend Collin.” Only then does Dad turn toward us. His face immediately goes from confused to furious. You would think the Yankees not only lost the game but also decided to give up and retire the team forever. He points his cigarette at Mom. “This is all your doing. You have to be the one to tell him he’s wrong.” He’s talking about me like I’m not even in the room. “Mark, we always said we would love our kids no matter what, and—” “Empty fucking promise, Elsie. Make him cut it out or get him out of here.” “If there’s something about homosexuality you don’t understand, you can talk to your son about it in a kind way,” Mom says, maintaining a steady tone that’s both fearless for me and respectful toward Dad. We all know what he’s capable of. “If you want to ignore it or need time, we can give that to you, but Aaron isn’t going anywhere.” Dad places his cigarette in the ashtray and then kicks over the hamper he was resting his feet on. We back up. I don’t often wish this, but I really, really wish Eric were here right now in case this gets as ugly as I think it might. He points his finger at me. “I’ll fucking throw him out myself. ~ Adam Silvera, #NFDB
1320:You saved the world," annabeth said.
"We saved the world."
"And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody."
"You don't sound disappointed," I noticed.
Annabeth shrugged. "Oh, I don't care."
"Uh-huh."
She raised an eyebrow. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"
"You'd probably kick my butt."
"You know I'd kick your butt."
I brushed the cake off my hands. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable . . . Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."
Annabeth kept her eyes on the horizon. "Yeah?"
"Then up on Olympus," I said, "when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking—"
"Oh, you so wanted to."
"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought—I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because
things could always get better. And I was thinking . . ." My throat felt really dry.
"Anyone in particular?" Annabeth asked, her voice soft.
I looked over and saw that she was trying not to smile.
"You're laughing at me," I complained.
"I am not!"
"You are so not making this easy."
Then she laughed for real, and she put her hands around my neck. "I am never, ever going to make things easy for
you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."
When she kissed me, I had the feeling my brain was melting right through my body. I could've stayed that way forever, except a voice behind us growled, "Well, it's about time!"
Suddenly the pavilion was filled with torchlight and campers. Clarisse led the way as the eavesdroppers charged and hoisted us both onto their shoulders.
"Oh, come on!" I complained. "Is there no privacy?"
"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.
"The canoe lake!" Connor Stoll shouted. and they dumped us in the water. ~ Rick Riordan,#NFDB
1321:I'm sorry," she whispers.
"You're sorry? You've been dating Toph for the last month,and you're sorry?"
"It just happened.I meant to tell you, I wanted to tell you-"
"But you lost control over your mouth? Because it's easy,Bridge. Talking is easy. Look at me! I'm talking right-"
"You know it wasn't that easy! I didn't mean for it to happen,it just did-"
"Oh,you didn't mean to wreck my life? It just 'happened'?"
Bridge stands up from behind her drums. It's impossible,but she's taller than me now. "What do you mean,wreck your life?"
"Don't play dumb,you know exactly what I mean. How could you do this to me?"
"Do what? It's not like you were dating!"
I scream in frustration. "We certainly won't be now!"
She sneers. "It's kind of hard to date someone who's not interested in you."
"LIAR!"
"What,you ditch us for Paris and expect us to put our lives on hold for you?"
My jaw drops. "I didn't ditch you. They sent me away."
"Ooo,yeah.To Paris.Meanwhile,I'm stuck here in Shitlanta, Georgia, at the same shitty school,doing shitty babysitting jobs-"
"If babysitting my brother is so shitty, why do you do it?"
"I didn't meant-"
"Because you want to turn him against me, too? Well.Congratulations, Bridge. It worked. My brother loves you and hates me. So you're welcome to move in when I leave again,because that's what you want, right? My life?"
She shakes with fury. "Go to hell."
"Take my life.You can have it. Just watch out for the part where my BEST FRIEND SCREWS ME OVER!" I knock over a cymbal stand,and the brass hits the stage with an earsplitting crash that reverberates through the bowling alley. Matt calls my name.Has he been calling it this entire time? He grabs my arm and leads me around the electrical cords and plugs and onto the floor and away,away,away.
Everyone in the bowling alley is staring at me. ~ Stephanie Perkins,#NFDB
1322:I know you’ve had some bad luck recently, but there’s this guy, he plays for New York, they’re looking at trading him—”
“Buck, I don’t want to date another hockey player.” I set down my controller so I can shovel more of the sundae into my mouth, uncaring of the suffering that will follow this frozen dairy heaven.
“Not all of us are dogs, Violet. Randall’s a great guy.”
“His name is Randall. How awesome can he be?”
Buck mows down a group of people playing road hockey. “He goes by Randy.”
“Even better. His name is another word for horny. Sounds perfect for me.” I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry.
It’s not Randall’s fault his parents named him in relation to horniness. I can’t even entertain the idea of dating anyone else right now. Besides, I could never get serious with a hockey player again, or a dude named Randy. I’d make thrusting motions every time I said his name. It’d be awkward.
“Wait a minute. Didn’t Alex get suspended for kicking the shit out of some guy named Randy?” I’m almost positive this is the case.
“That was Randolph Cockburn. This is Randy Balls.”
“Are you serious?” What’s with these guys with terrible last names?
“Yeah, why?” Buck, my perverted stepbrother, doesn’t connect the outlandishly pornographic last name with the first name.
“Randy Balls?” I burst out laughing. “You want to set me up with a guy named Randy Balls? Can you even imagine what would happen if we got married? My last name would be Balls. Violet Balls!”
“Huh.” He makes a scrunchy face. “That wouldn’t be so good, would it? ’Specially if you hyphenated. Hall-Balls.”
I continue to laugh until I start crying, which turns into hysterical, desperate sobs. I don’t want to end up as Violet Balls. I wanted to be Violet Waters—it sounds so romantic—and Alex ruined it all.
My life sucks Randy’s balls. ~ Helena Hunting,#NFDB
1323:I’m getting dissed way too much lately.”
“Probably because you date defense attorneys who think a good wardrobe makes up for that lack-of-brains thing.”
“I turned on my chair. “Oh, you know her?”
“No, I’ve heard half the mean in the twelfth ward to, though”
“Hiss,” I said. “Meow.”
She gave me a rueful smile as she lit another cigarette. “Cat’s got to have claws to make it a fight. What I hear, all she’s got is a nice briefcase, great hair, and tits she’s still making monthly payments on.” Her smile widened and she crinkled her face at me. “Okay, pooky?”
“How’s Someone?” I said.
Her smile faded and she reached into her bag. “Let’s get back to David Wetterau and Karen–”
“I hear his name’s Trey,” I said. “You’re dating a guy named Trey, Ange.”
“How’d you–”
“We’re detectives, remember? Same way you know I was dating Vanessa.”
“Vanessa,” she said as if her mouth were filled with onions.
“Trey,” I said.
“Shut up.” She fumbles with her bag.
I drank some Beck’s. “You’re questioning my street cred and you’re sleeping with a guy named Trey.”
“I don’t sleep with him anymore.”
“Well, I don’t sleep with her anymore.”
“Congratulations.”
“Back at you.”
There was a dead silence between us for a minute as Angie pulled several sheets of thermal fax paper from her bag and smoothed them on the bar. I drank some more Beck’s, fingered the cardboard coaster, felt a grin fighting to break across my face. I glanced at Angie, The corners of her mouth twitched, too.
“Don’t look at me,” she said.
“Why not?”
“I’m telling you–” She lost the battle and closed her eyes as the smile broke across her ceeks.
Mine followed about a half second later.
“I don’t know why I’m smiling,” Angie said.
“Me, either.”
“Prick.”
“Bitch.”
She laughed and turned on her chair, drink in hand. “Miss me?”
Like you can’t imagine.
“Not a bit,” I said. ~ Dennis Lehane,#NFDB
1324:Everett and his mom broke up with me,thank you very much."
"You shouldn't have made out with him in his mother's scrapbooking room," Liz said sagely.
"We're seventeen,"I snapped, "and Everett and I had been dating for two months when that happened.What were we supposed to do,eat dinner with his family and keep our hands on the table where everyone could see them?I mean, you and Davis are Mr. and Mrs. Polite Reserve, and even you were macking in the hot tub an hour ago." I picked up a pink fuzzy pillow that had fallen from he bed and threw it at Liz.
"You were?" Chloe gushed. "You what? Hello,I need the details of Liz and Davis."
"Hayden!" Liz squealed, ducking behind Chloe. "I'm not saying you shouldn't have made out with Everett.I'm saying you shouldn't have done it in his mother's scrapbooking room.Location, location,location.You might have disorganized her supplies.Some people are very particular about their chipboard getting mixed up with their cardstock."
I closed my eyes,inhaled through my nose,and felt my lungs fill with air. My blood spread the life-giving oxygen throughout my body.
"Watch out,"Chloe whispered to Liz. "She's doing yoga."
My eyes snapped open.So much for controlling my temper. "Why the hell didn't you tell me Nick's mother left before I went into the sauna with him?" I hollered at Chloe.
"We didn't know he was here!" Liz came to Chloe's defense. "And if we'd warned you about him before he got here," Chloe explained, "You would have known he was coming.We didn't want you to leave.The two of you are surprisingly hard to throw together,let me tell you."
"I'm not buying it," I informed Chloe. "You were distracted.You had your mind on taking inventory."
Liz giggled,turned red, and fell back to the pillows.
"Taking inventory requires enormous concentration!" Chloe said with a straight face,but she was blushing,too. ~ Jennifer Echols,#NFDB
1325:Povera Kendra!” Elisa says, and then switches into English. “Poor Kendra! She must be very sad today. It is very much a shame. She feels stupid, yes? Molto sciocca. Of course, she knows that she is not the first girl. Luigi, he has another stupid foreign girl two years ago. She cries a lot too when she finds out that he has a wife--”
Paige stands up, shoving her chair back with a scrape along the floor.
“I’m not staying here to listen to this,” she says. “I’ve got better things to do. Like going to pee.”
“Yes,” I agree, standing up too. “I think I might go for a wee too. Good idea, Paige.”
Elisa isn’t as disconcerted by our deliberate vulgarity as we hoped. She’s homed in on the weak link in our chain, and now she leans in to focus on Kelly, whose face is still damp.
“And you, Kellee?” she asks sweetly. “What will you do--cry some more?”
“Shut up,” I snap, as Kelly does indeed heave a sob at this. But I’m eclipsed by Paige, who loathes Elisa at least as much as I do, and clearly needs a truly satisfactory outlet for her fury at what’s happened to Kendra.
“You,” she says to Elisa, rounding the table with the whirling-dervish fury of a tornado in wedge heels, “you stay away from us, you hear? All of us. I’ve totally had it with you sticking your nose in the air and thinking you’re better than us just because you’re practically anorexic! You’re only dating Luca--if you even are--because Violet turned him down! If you say a word to any of us that isn’t just hello or goodbye or pass the salt at dinner, so help me, I’ll haul off and smash your skinny ass through the nearest window, don’t think I won’t! Right in front of your mama, too!”
I think I’m sort of in love with Paige at that moment. Of course, if you asked me, I would totally say that violence is wrong and people shouldn’t menace other people, and that I’d be very sorry to see Elisa go flying through a french window. ~ Lauren Henderson,#NFDB
1326:It’s okay. There’s no one to contact or worry.” “No one?” Leigh asked and she could hear the frown in her voice. Valerie shook her head. “I was an only child. My grandparents died one after another of heart attacks and cancer as I was growing up and my parents died three years ago in a car accident. There’s just myself and an aunt who moved to Texas thirty years ago. I’ve only seen her twice since then. At her parents’ funerals.” She shrugged. “Other than Christmas cards, we don’t stay in touch.” “Oh,” Leigh said softly and fell silent. “What about friends?” Anders asked, and Valerie nearly jumped out of her skin. Both at his sudden joining of the conversation and because of his chest brushing her back as he reached around her to set a small Petsmart bag on the counter. “Waste pick-up bags,” he murmured by her ear, his fingers drifting lightly over her bare upper arm as his hand withdrew. “Since Lucian was here to keep you safe, I popped out and picked them up for you.” Valerie stared blankly at the bag, aware that shivers were running down her spine and goose bumps were popping up on her skin where his breath and fingers had passed. She had to wonder how she could be staring at something so unsexy and be so turned on at the same time. A muffled laugh drew Valerie’s confused gaze to Leigh and the other woman grinned at her as she said, “That was sweet of you, Anders.” “Yes, it was,” Valerie said and then paused to clear her throat when it came out froggy. “Thank you.” “Mind you,” Leigh added. “Red roses might have been sweeter than red doggie pooh bags.” “I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” Anders responded. Valerie flushed and turned back to the pancakes. What Leigh was suggesting would have been appropriate if they were dating or something, but they weren’t, and she did appreciate his running out to get her the bags. She didn’t want to repay Leigh for allowing her into her home by leaving little Roxy gifts all over their yard . . . And what did his response mean exactly? ~ Lynsay Sands, #NFDB
1327:Boyfriend/Girlfriend-Centered This may be the easiest trap of all to fall into. I mean, who hasn’t been centered on a boyfriend or girlfriend at one point? Let’s pretend Brady centers his life on his girlfriend, Tasha. Now, watch the instability it creates in Brady. TASHA’S ACTIONS BRADY’S REACTIONS Makes a rude comment: “My day is ruined.” Flirts with Brady’s best friend: “I’ve been betrayed. I hate my friend.” “I think we should date other people”: “My life is over. You don’t love me anymore.” The ironic thing is that the more you center your life on someone, the more unattractive you become to that person. How’s that? Well, first of all, if you’re centered on someone, you’re no longer hard to get. Second, it’s irritating when someone builds their entire emotional life around you. Since their security comes from you and not from within themselves, they always need to have those sickening “where do we stand” talks. if who I am is what I have and what I have is lost, then who am I? ANONYMOUS When I began dating my wife, one of the things that attracted me most was that she didn’t center her life on me. I’ll never forget the time she turned me down (with a smile and no apology) for a very important date. I loved it! She was her own person and had her own inner strength. Her moods were independent of mine. You can usually tell when a couple becomes centered on each other because they are forever breaking up and getting back together. Although their relationship has deteriorated, their emotional lives and identities are so intertwined that they can never fully let go of each other. Believe me, you’ll be a better boyfriend or girlfriend if you’re not centered on your partner. Independence is more attractive than dependence. Besides, centering your life on another doesn’t show that you love them, only that you’re dependent on them. Have as many girlfriends or boyfriends as you’d like, just don’t get obsessed with or centered on them, because, although there are exceptions, these relationships are usually about as stable as a yo-yo. ~ Sean Covey, #NFDB
1328:So let’s talk a little about April May’s theory of tiered fame. Tier 1: Popularity You are a big deal in your high school or neighborhood. You have a peculiar vehicle that people around town recognize, you are a pastor at a medium-to-large church, you were once the star of the high school football team. Tier 2: Notoriety You are recognized and/or well-known within certain circles. Maybe you’re a preeminent lepidopterist whom all the other lepidopterists idolize. Or you could be the mayor or meteorologist in a medium-sized city. You might be one of the 1.1 million living people who has a Wikipedia page. Tier 3: Working-Class Fame A lot of people know who you are and they are distributed around the world. There’s a good chance that a stranger will approach you to say hi at the grocery store. You are a professional sports player, musician, author, actor, television host, or internet personality. You might still have to hustle to make a living, but your fame is your job. You’ll probably trend on Twitter if you die. Tier 4: True Fame You get recognized by fans enough that it is a legitimate burden. People take pictures of you without your permission, and no one would scoff if you called yourself a celebrity. When you start dating someone, you wouldn’t be surprised to read about it in magazines. You are a performer, politician, host, or actor whom the majority of people in your country would recognize. Your humanity is so degraded that people are legitimately surprised when they find out that you’re “just like them” because, sometimes, you buy food. You never have to worry about money again, but you do need a gate with an intercom on your driveway. Tier 5: Divinity You are known by every person in your world, and you are such a big deal that they no longer consider you a person. Your story is much larger than can be contained within any human lifetime, and your memory will continue long after your earthly form wastes away. You are a founding father of a nation, a creator of a religion, an emperor, or an idea. You are not currently alive. ~ Hank Green, #NFDB
1329:The whole time I pretend I have mental telepathy. And with my mind only, I’ll say — or think? — to the target, 'Don’t do it. Don’t go to that job you hate. Do something you love today. Ride a roller
coaster. Swim in the ocean naked. Go to the airport and get on the next flight to anywhere just for the fun of it. Maybe stop a spinning globe with your finger and then plan a trip to that very spot; even if it’s in the middle of the ocean you can go by boat. Eat some type of ethnic food you’ve never even
heard of. Stop a stranger and ask her to explain her greatest fears and her secret hopes and aspirations in detail and then tell her you care because she is a human being. Sit down on the sidewalk and make pictures with colorful chalk. Close your eyes and try to see the world with your nose—allow smells
to be your vision. Catch up on your sleep. Call an old friend you haven’t seen in years. Roll up your pant legs and walk into the sea. See a foreign film. Feed squirrels. Do anything! Something! Because you start a revolution one decision at a time, with each breath you take. Just don’t go back to thatmiserable place you go every day. Show me it’s possible to be an adult and also be happy. Please. This is a free country. You don’t have to keep doing this if you don’t want to. You can do anything you want. Be anyone you want. That’s what they tell us at school, but if you keep getting on that train and going to the place you hate I’m going to start thinking the people at school are liars like the Nazis who told the Jews they were just being relocated to work factories. Don’t do that to us. Tell us the truth. If adulthood is working some death-camp job you hate for the rest of your life, divorcing your secretly criminal husband, being disappointed in your son, being stressed and miserable, and dating a poser and pretending he’s a hero when he’s really a lousy person and anyone can tell that just by shaking his slimy hand — if it doesn’t get any better, I need to know right now. Just tell me. Spare me from some awful fucking fate. Please. ~ Matthew Quick,#NFDB
1330:When I stopped viewing girls as potential girlfriends and started treating them as sisters in Christ, I discovered the richness of true friendship. When I stopped worrying about who I was going to marry and began to trust God’s timing, I uncovered the incredible potential of serving God as a single. . . .
I believe the time has come for Christians, male and female, to own up to the mess we’ve left behind in our selfish pursuit of short-term romance. Dating may seem an innocent game, but as I see it, we are sinning against each other. What excuse will we have when God asks us to account for our actions and attitudes in relationships? If God sees a sparrow fall (Matthew 10:29), do you think He could possibly overlook the broken hearts and scarred emotions we cause in relationships based on selfishness?
Everyone around us may be playing the dating game. But at the end of our lives, we won’t answer to everyone. We’ll answer to God. . . .
Long before Seventeen magazine ever gave teenagers tips on dating, people did things very differently.
At the turn of the twentieth century, a guy and girl became romantically involved only if they planned to marry. If a young man spent time at a girl’s home, family and friends assumed that he intended to propose to her. But shifting attitudes in culture and the arrival of the automobile brought radical changes. The new “rules” allowed people to indulge in all the thrills of romantic love without having any intention of marriage. Author Beth Bailey documents these changes in a book whose title, From Front Porch to Backseat, says everything about the difference in society’s attitude when dating became the norm. Love and romance became things people could enjoy solely for their recreational value.
Though much has changed since the 1920s, the tendency of dating relationships to move toward intimacy without commitment remains very much the same. . . .
Many of the attitudes and practices of today’s dating relationships conflict with the lifestyle of smart love God wants us to live. ~ Joshua Harris,#NFDB
1331:Why are you mad at me?”
He didn’t look at her. “I’m not mad.”
“You’re not happy.”
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “That was no practice kiss.”
“I know it wasn’t. I was trying to give us a reason not to talk about it.”
“Oh. So you don’t think we should talk about it?”
“I thought guys hated talking things out.”
He drummed his fingers on the wheel. “I just don’t want you getting any ideas, that’s all.”
Getting any ideas? Emma was speechless for a moment, unable to believe he’d actually said that. “Since I was walking away from you when you spun me around and kissed me, I’d say you’re the one getting ideas.”
“Of course I’m getting ideas. You’re hot and I’m not dead. But I know enough not to confuse lust with anything else.”
She snorted and looked out her window. “Oh, yes, Sean Kowalski. Your amazing kisses have made all rational thought fly out of my besotted brain. If only you could fill me with your magic penis, I know we’d fall madly in love and live happily ever after.”
The truck jerked and she glanced over to find him glaring at her. “Don’t ever say that again.”
“What? The ‘madly in love’ or the ‘happily ever after’?”
“My penis isn’t magic.” His tone was grumpy, but then he smiled at the windshield. “It does tricks, though.”
“The only trick your penis needs to know for the next three and a half weeks is down boy.” How the hell had she gotten herself into this conversation? “To get back to the point, if you think I have any interest in a real relationship with a guy who thinks he’s a better driver than me just because I have breasts, you’re insane.”
“It’s not because you have breasts. Women don’t drive as well because they lack a magic penis.”
She turned toward the passenger door, letting him know with her body language she had no interest in talking to him anymore. “Why didn’t I tell Gram I was dating Bob from the post office?”
He laughed at her. “You’ve met the Kowalskis. You were doomed the minute you said the name out loud.”
Doomed, she thought, glaring at the passing scenery. That was a good word for it. ~ Shannon Stacey,#NFDB
1332:Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl.
Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much – no one loves chili dogs that much! And the Cool Girls are even more pathetic: They’re not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they’re pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. Oh, and if you’re not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version – maybe he’s a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he’s a hipster artist, so Cool Girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every fucking thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain. (How do you know you’re not Cool Girl? Because he says things like: “I like strong women.” If he says that to you, he will at some point fuck someone else. Because “I like strong women” is code for “I hate strong women.”) ~ Gillian Flynn,#NFDB
1333:Hey, Large,” Gabe says, flicking me with his towel. “Where you been all day?”
“I’ve been around.” I look over at Peter, but he won’t meet my eyes. “I saw you guys on the slopes.”
Darrell says, “Then why didn’t you holler at us? I wanted to show off my ollies for you.”
Teasingly I say, “Well, I called Peter’s name, but I guess he didn’t hear me.”
Peter finally looks me in the eyes. “Nope. I didn’t hear you.” His voice is cold and indifferent and so un-Peterlike, the smile fades from my face.
Gabe and Darrell exchange looks like oooh and Gabe says to Peter, “We’re gonna head out to the hot tub,” and they trot off.
Peter and I are left standing in the lobby, neither of us saying anything. I finally ask, “Are you mad at me or something?”
“Why would I be mad?”
And then it’s back to quiet again.
I say, “You know, you’re the one who talked me into coming on this trip. The least you could do is talk to me.”
“The least you could do was sit next to me on the bus!” he bursts out.
My mouth hangs open. “Are you really that mad that I didn’t sit next to you on the bus?”
Peter lets out an impatient breath of air. “Lara Jean, when you’re dating someone, there are just…certain things you do, okay? Like sit next to each other on a school trip. That’s pretty much expected.”
“I just don’t see what the big deal is,” I say. How can he be this mad over such a tiny thing?
“Forget it.” He turns like he’s going to leave, and I grab his sweatshirt sleeve. I don’t want to be in a fight with him; I just want it to be fun and light the way it always is with us. I want him to at least still be my friend. Especially now that we’re at the end.
I say, “Come on, don’t be mad. I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal. I swear I’ll sit next to you on the way home, okay?”
He purses his lips. “But do you get why I was pissed?”
I nod back. “Mm-hmm.”
“All right then, you should know that you missed out on mocha sugar donuts.”
My mouth falls open. “How’d you get those? I thought the shop didn’t open that early!”
“I went out and got them last night specifically for the bus ride,” Peter says. “For you and me. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1334:the Cool Girl. Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl. Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much – no one loves chili dogs that much! And the Cool Girls are even more pathetic: They’re not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they’re pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. Oh, and if you’re not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version – maybe he’s a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he’s a hipster artist, so Cool Girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every fucking thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain. (How do you know you’re not Cool Girl? Because he says things like: ‘I like strong women.’ If he says that to you, he will at some point fuck someone else. Because ‘I like strong women’ is code for ‘I hate strong women.’) ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1335:the Cool Girl. Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don��t mind, I’m the Cool Girl. Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much – no one loves chili dogs that much! And the Cool Girls are even more pathetic: They’re not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they’re pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. Oh, and if you’re not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version – maybe he’s a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he’s a hipster artist, so Cool Girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every fucking thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain. (How do you know you’re not Cool Girl? Because he says things like: ‘I like strong women.’ If he says that to you, he will at some point fuck someone else. Because ‘I like strong women’ is code for ‘I hate strong women.’) ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1336:According to Culture Shock:
A Guide to Customs and Etiquette
of Filipinos, when my husband says yes,
he could also mean one of the following:
a.) I don't know.
b.) If you say so.
c.) If it will please you.
d.) I hope I have said yes unenthusiastically enough
for you to realize I mean no.
You can imagine the confusion
surrounding our movie dates, the laundry,
who will take out the garbage
and when. I remind him
I'm an American, that all has yeses sound alike to me.
I tell him here in America we have shrinks
who can help him to be less of a people-pleaser.
We have two-year-olds who love to scream 'No!'
when they don't get their way. I tell him,
in America we have a popular book,
When I Say No I Feel Guilty.
'Should I get you a copy?' I ask.
He says yes, but I think he means
'If it will please you,' i.e. 'I won't read it.'
'I'm trying,' I tell him, 'but you have to try too.'
'Yes,' he says, then makes tampo,
a sulking that the book Culture Shock describes as
'subliminal hostility . . . withdrawal of customary cheerfulness
in the presence of the one who has displeased' him.
The book says it's up to me to make things all right,
'to restore goodwill, not by talking the problem out,
but by showing concern about the wounded person's
well-being.' Forget it, I think, even though I know
if I'm not nice, tampo can quickly escalate into nagdadabog-foot stomping, grumbling, the slamming
of doors. Instead of talking to my husband, I storm off
to talk to my porcelain Kwan Yin,
the Chinese goddess of mercy
that I bought on Canal Street years before
my husband and I started dating.
24
'The real Kwan Yin is in Manila,'
he tells me. 'She's called Nuestra Señora de Guia.
Her Asian features prove Christianity
was in the Philippines before the Spanish arrived.'
My husband's telling me this
tells me he's sorry. Kwan Yin seems to wink,
congratulating me--my short prayer worked.
'Will you love me forever?' I ask,
then study his lips, wondering if I'll be able to decipher
what he means by his yes.
~ Denise Duhamel,#NFDB
1337:Recipe for March Wassail Drinking wassail is an ancient tradition. Dating back to Saxon times, the word itself comes from the greeting “wæs hæl”, roughly translated as “be you healthy”. In the counties of southern England renowned for cider production, drinking wassail originated as a bit of sympathetic magic to protect and encourage the apple trees to bear fruit. While wassail and other punches were very popular during Regency times, by the later part of the 19th-century, they had been largely supplanted by wines and other spirits. The Marches, however, care much more for their own pleasure than for what is fashionable. They serve their wassail the old-fashioned way, out of an enormous wooden bowl mounted in silver with a roasted apple garnish. Their wassail is, as tradition dictates, served quite hot and is deceptively alcoholic. Proceed with caution. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Core a dozen small apples. (You will only need ten for the wassail, but leftover roasted apples are delicious with cream, yogurt, or ice cream.) Loosely spoon brown sugar into each apple place in a casserole dish with a small amount of water. Bake until tender, approximately 45 minutes. Meanwhile, gently warm 2 pints hard cider. (This is not available in the juice aisle of the grocery store. It is wonderfully alcoholic and tastes deeply of apples. You can find bottled varieties at wine and liquor stores, but the very best is fermented by apple farmers for their own use. Find one and befriend him. The Marches get their cider at the source from the Home Farm at Bellmont Abbey.) To the warming cider, add four cinnamon sticks, crushed with a mortar and pestle, and four pinches ground cloves. (In a bind, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon may be substituted for the sticks.) Grate in fresh ginger and fresh nutmeg to taste. Lord March’s secret ingredient is a cup of his very best port, added just in time to heat through. When the apples are plump and bursting from their skins, remove them from the oven. Put one into a heatproof punch glass and ladle the wassail over. The March family recipe calls for a garnish of a fresh cinnamon stick for each glass. This recipe will serve six Marches or ten ordinary folk. ~ Deanna Raybourn, #NFDB
1338:One night, when Violet’s parents had gone out, he teased her about it, whispering against her throat, “I should probably be dating girls my own age now that you’ll be over-the-hill.” Jay was stretched out on Violet’s bed as she curled against him.
Violet laughed, rising to the bait. “Fine,” she challenged, pulling away and leaning up on her elbow. “I’m sure there are plenty of men my own age who would be willing to finish what you’ve started.”
Jay stiffened, and Violet realized that she’d struck a nerve. “What is it?”
He shook his head, and Violet thought he might say, “Nothing,” so when he answered, his words caught her off guard. “Is there someone else, Vi?”
Violet frowned, baffled by the unfamiliar jealousy she saw on his face. She wondered what in the world he meant as she reached down and smoothed a strand of hair from his forehead. “What are you talking about, Jay?”
His eyes met hers. “I saw you with that guy at the movies, Vi. Who was he?”
Violet closed her eyes. She wasn’t ready yet. She didn’t want to tell him about the FBI, about Sara and Rafe or what she’d learned about Mike’s mother. She wondered briefly if he knew about Mike’s mom-if his friend had ever confided in him. But somehow she doubted it. Jay wasn’t like her; he didn’t keep secrets.
“It’s not like that,” she explained, hoping that would be enough.
Jay got up and went to the window, pushing the curtain aside. Every muscle in his body was rigid. “Like what, Vi? What’s going on? Something’s been bothering you lately. Why can’t you tell me?”
He was right. She owed it to him to at least try. “I don’t know how to explain, but I just feel like everything’s changed between us-“
“Of course it’s changed, Violet, what’d you expect?”
Violet tried to ignore the bitterness in his voice, telling herself she had no right to be hurt. “It used to be that I would never keep secrets from you. You were my best friend. But now that we’re dating, it’s just…different. I feel like I have to watc what I say, or you get all worried. Sometimes I just want you to be the old Jay again, so I can talk to you.” Violet crept up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his back. ~ Kimberly Derting,#NFDB
1339:Hey.’ Annabeth slid next to me on the bench. ‘Happy birthday.’ She was holding a huge misshapen cupcake with blue icing. I stared at her. ‘What?’ ‘It’s August eighteenth,’ she said. ‘Your birthday, right?’ I was stunned. It hadn’t even occurred to me, but she was right. I had turned sixteen this morning – the same morning I’d made the choice to give Luke the knife. The prophecy had come true right on schedule, and I hadn’t even thought about the fact that it was my birthday. ‘Make a wish,’ she said. ‘Did you bake this yourself?’ I asked. ‘Tyson helped.’ ‘That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick,’ I said. ‘With extra-blue cement.’ Annabeth laughed. I thought for a second then blew out the candle. We cut it in half and shared, eating with our fingers. Annabeth sat next to me and we watched the ocean. Crickets and monsters were making noise in the woods, but otherwise it was quiet. ‘You saved the world,’ she said. ‘We saved the world.’ ‘And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won’t be dating anybody.’ ‘You don’t sound disappointed,’ I noticed. Annabeth shrugged. ‘Oh, I don’t care.’ ‘Uh-huh.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?’ ‘You’d probably kick my butt.’ ‘You know I’d kick your butt.’ I brushed the cake off my hands. ‘When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable … Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal.’ Annabeth kept her eyes on the horizon. ‘Yeah?’ ‘Then up on Olympus,’ I said, ‘when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking –’ ‘Oh, you so wanted to.’ ‘Well, maybe a little. But I didn’t, because I thought – I didn’t want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking …’ My throat felt really dry. ‘Anyone in particular?’ Annabeth asked, her voice soft. I looked over and saw that she was trying not to smile. ‘You’re laughing at me,’ I complained. ‘I am not!’ ‘You are so not making this easy.’ Then she laughed for real, and she put her hands around my neck. ‘I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it.’ When she kissed me, I had the feeling my brain was melting right through my body. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1340:About four months into it, we were shooting hoops in my dad’s driveway when Chip stopped in his tracks, held me in his arms, looked into my eyes under the starry sky, and said, “I love you.”
And I looked at him and said, “Thank you.”
“Thank you?” Chip said.
I know I should have said, “I love you too,” but this whole thing had been such a whirlwind, and I was just trying to process it all. No guy had ever told me he loved me before, and here Chip was saying it after what seemed like such a short period of time.
Chip got angry. He grabbed his basketball from under my arm and went storming off with it like a four-year-old.
I really thought, What in the world is with this girl? I just told her I loved her, and that’s all she can say? It’s not like I just went around saying that to people all the time. So saying it was a big deal for me too. But now I was stomping down the driveway going, Okay, that’s it. Am I dating an emotionless cyborg or something? I’m going home.
Chip took off in his big, white Chevy truck with the Z71 stickers on the side, even squealing his tires a bit as he drove off, and it really sank in what a big deal that must have been for him. I felt bad--so bad that I actually got up the courage to call him later that night. I explained myself, and he said he understood, and by the end of the phone call we were right back to being ourselves.
Two weeks later, when Chip said, “I love you” again, I responded, “I love you too.” There was no hesitation. I knew I loved him, and I knew it was okay to say so.
I’m not sure why I ever gave him a second chance when he showed up ninety minutes late for our first date or why I gave him another second chance when he didn’t call me for two months after that. And I’m not sure why he gave me a second chance after I blew that romantic moment in the driveway. But I’m very glad I did, and I’m very glad he did too--because sometimes second chances lead to great things.
All of my doubts, all of the things I thought I wanted out of a relationship, and many of the things I thought I wanted out of life itself turned out to be just plain wrong. Instead? That voice from our first date turned out to be the thing that was absolutely right. ~ Joanna Gaines,#NFDB
1341:Your mom probably wouldn't be too happy if you're dating someone who quit school."
I laugh. "Nope, don't think so. But I do think she likes you."
"Why do you say that?" he says, cocking his head at me.
"When I called her, she told me to tell you good morning. And then she told me you were 'a keeper.'" She also said he was hot, which is a ten and a half on the creep-o-meter.
"She won't think that when I start failing out of all my classes. I've missed too much school to give a convincing performance in that aspect."
"Maybe you and I could do an exchange," I say, cringing at how many different ways that could sound.
"You mean besides swapping spit?"
I'm hyperaware of the tickle in my stomach, but I say, "Gross! Did Rachel teach you that?"
He nods, still grinning. "I laughed for days."
"Anyway, since you're helping me try to change, I could help you with your schoolwork. You know, tutor you. We're in all the same classes together, and I could really use the volunteer hours for my college application."
His smile disappears as if I had slapped him. "Galen, is something wrong?"
He unclenches his jaw. "No."
"It was just a suggestion. I don't have to tutor you. I mean, we'll already be spending all day together in school and then practicing at night. You'll probably get sick of me." I toss in a soft laugh to keep it chit-chatty, but my innards feel as though they're cartwheeling.
"Not likely."
Our eyes lock. Searching his expression, my breath catches as the setting sun makes his hair shine almost purple. But it's the way each dying ray draws out silver flecks in his eyes that makes me look away-and accidentally glance at his mouth.
He leans in. I raise my chin, meeting his gaze. The sunset probably deepens the heat on my cheeks to a strawberry red, but he might not notice since he can't seem to decide if he wants to look at my eyes or my mouth. I can smell the salt on his skin, feel the warmth of his breath. He's so close, the wind wafts the same strand of my hair onto both our cheeks.
So when he eases away, it's me who feels slapped. He uproots the hand he buried in the sand beside me. "It's getting dark. I should take you home," he says. "We can do this again-I mean, we can practice again-tomorrow after school. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1342:She was looking at him steadily; he however, found it difficult to look back at her; it was like gazing into a brilliant light.
Nice view, he said feebly, pointing toward with window.
She ignored this. He could not blame her.
I couldn't think what to get you, she said.
You didn't have to get me anything.
She disregarded this too.
I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you.
He chanced a glance at her. She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy. He had sometimes thought that having six brothers must have toughened her up.
She took a step closer to him.
So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing.
I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.
There's the silver lining I've been looking for, she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion better than firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet-smelling hair-
The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart.
Oh, said Ron pointedly. Sorry.
Ron! Hermione was just behind him, slight out of breath. There was a strained silence, then Ginny had said in a flat little voice,
Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry.
Ron's ears were scarlet; Hermione looked nervous. Harry wanted to slam the door in their faces, but it felt as though a cold draft had entered the room when the door opened, and his shining moment had popped like a soap bubble. All the reasons for ending his relationship with Ginny, for staying well away from her, seemed to have slunk inside the room with Ron, and all happy forgetfulness was gone.
He looked at Ginny, wanting to say something, though he hardly knew what, but she had turned her back on him. He thought that she might have succumbed, for once, to tears. He could not do anything to comfort her in front of Ron.
I'll see you later, he said, and followed the other two out of the bedroom. ~ J K Rowling,#NFDB
1343:Wanna hear something funny?”
“What?”
“I think I started liking you.”
I go completely still. Then I pull my hand away from his, and I start to gather my hair into a ponytail, and then I remember I don’t have a hair tie. My heart is thudding in my chest and it’s hard to think all of a sudden. “Stop teasing.”
“I’m not teasing. Why do you think I kissed you that day at McClaren’s house back in seventh grade? It’s why I went along with this thing in the first place. I’ve always thought you were cute.”
My face feels hot. “In a quirky way.”
Peter grins his perfect grin. “So? I guess I must like quirky, then.”
Then he leads his head closer to mine, and I blurt out, “But aren’t you still in love with Genevieve?”
Peter frowns.
“Why are you always bringing up Gen? I’m trying to talk about us, and all you want to do is talk about her. Yeah, Gen and I have history. I’m always going to care about her.” He shrugs. “But now…I like you.”
People are walking in and out of the lodge; a guy from school walks by and claps Peter on the shoulder. “What up,” Peter says. When he’s gone, Peter says to me, “So what do you say?” He’s looking at me expectantly. He’s expecting me to say yes.
I want to say yes, but I don’t want to be with a boy whose heart belongs to somebody else. Just once, I want to be somebody’s first choice. “You might think you like me, but you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t still like her.”
Peter shakes his head. “What Gen and I have is completely separate from you and me,” he says.
“How can that be true when from the very first minute, this has been about Genevieve?”
“That’s not fair,” he objects. “When we started this thing, you liked Sanderson.”
“Not anymore.” I swallow hard. “But you still love Genevieve.”
Frustrated, Peter backs away from me and runs his hands through his hair. “God, what makes you such an expert on love? You’ve liked five guys in your life. One was gay, one lives in Indiana or Montana or some place, McClaren moved away before anything could actually happen, one was dating your sister. And then there’s me. Hmm, what do we all have in common? What’s the common denominator?”
I feel all the blood rush to my face. “That’s not fair.”
Peter leans in close and says, “You only like guys you don’t have a shot with, because you’re scared. What are you so scared of? ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1344:Operating from the idea that a relationship (or anything else) will somehow complete you, save you, or make your life magically take off is a surefire way to keep yourself unhappy and unhitched.
Ironically, quite the opposite is true. What you really need to understand is that nothing outside of you can ever produce a lasting sense of completeness, security, or success. There’s no man, relationship, job, amount of money, house, car, or anything else that can produce an ongoing sense of happiness, satisfaction, security, and fulfillment in you.
Some women get confused by the word save. In this context, what it refers to is the mistaken idea that a relationship will rid you of feelings of emptiness, loneliness, insecurity, or fear that are inherent to every human being. That finding someone to be with will somehow “save” you from yourself. We all need to wake up and recognize that those feelings are a natural part of the human experience. They’re not meaningful. They only confirm the fact that we are alive and have a pulse. The real question is, what will you invest in: your insecurity or your irresistibility? The choice is yours.
Once you get that you are complete and whole right now, it’s like flipping a switch that will make you more attractive, authentic, and relaxed in any dating situation—instantly. All of the desperate, needy, and clingy vibes that drive men insane will vanish because you’ve stopped trying to use a relationship to fix yourself. The fact is, you are totally capable of experiencing happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment right now. All you have to do is start living your life like you count. Like you matter. Like what you do in each moment makes a difference in the world. Because it really does.
That means stop putting off your dreams, waiting for someday, or delaying taking action on those things you know you want for yourself because somewhere deep inside you’re hoping that Prince Charming will come along to make it all better. You know what I’m talking about. The tendency to hold back from investing in your career, your health, your home, your finances, or your family because you’re single and you figure those things will all get handled once you land “the one.”
Psst. Here’s a secret: holding back in your life is what’s keeping him away.
Don’t wait until you find someone. You are someone. ~ Marie Forleo,#NFDB
1345:Remember when I said I was a bit scattered? It wasn’t just when it came to jobs. I had a slew of strange ex-boyfriends, too. There was George, who liked to wear my underwear . . . everyday. Not just to prance around in—he wore them under his Levi’s at work. As a construction worker. That didn’t go over well with his co-workers once they found out. He works at Jamba Juice now. I don’t think anyone cares about what kind of underwear he wears at Jamba Juice.
Then there was Curtis. He had an irrational fear of El Caminos. Yes, the car. He just hated them so much that he became really fearful of seeing one. He’d say, “I don’t understand, is it a car or a truck?” The confusion would bring him to tears. When we were walking on the street together, I had to lead him like a blind person because he didn’t want to open his eyes and spot an El Camino. If he did, it would completely ruin his day. He would cry out, “There’s another one. Why, God?” And then he would have to blink seven times and say four Hail Marys facing in a southerly direction. I don’t know what happened to Curtis. He’s probably in his house playing video games and collecting disability.
After Curtis came Randall, who will never be forgotten. He was an expert sign spinner. You know those people who stand on the corner spinning signs? Randall had made a career of it. He was proud and protective of his title as best spinner in LA. I met him when he was spinning signs for Jesus Christ Bail Bonds on Fifth Street. He was skillfully flipping a giant arrow that said, “Let God Free You!” and his enthusiasm struck me. I smiled at him from the turn lane. He set the sign down, waved me over, and asked for my phone number. We started dating immediately. He called himself an Arrow Advertising executive when people would ask what he did for a living. He could spin, kick, and toss that sign like it weighed nothing. But when he’d put his bright-red Beats by Dre headphones on, he could break, krump, jerk, turf, float, pop, lock, crip-walk, and b-boy around that six-foot arrow like nobody’s business. He was the best around and I really liked him, but he dumped me for Alicia, who worked at Liberty Tax in the same strip mall. She would stand on the opposite corner, wearing a Statue of Liberty outfit, and dance to the National Anthem. They were destined for each other.
After Randall was Paul. Ugh, Paul. That, I will admit, was completely my fault. ~ Renee Carlino,#NFDB
1346:Maybe I was just flattering myself, thinking I'd be worth some sort of risk. Not that I'd wish that on anyone!" he clarified. "I don't mean that. It just...I don't know. Don't you all see everything I'm risking?"
"Umm, no. You're here with your family to give you advice, and we all live around your schedule. Everything about your life stays the same, and ours changed overnight. What in the world could you possibly be risking?"
Maxon looked shocked.
"America, I might have my family, but imagine how embarrassing it is to have your parents watch as you attempt to date for the first time. And not just your parents-the whole country! Worse than that, it's not even a normal style of dating.
"And living around my schedule? When I'm not with you all, I'm organizing troops, making laws, perfecting budgets...and all on my own these days, while my father watches me stumble in my own stupidity because I have none of his experience. And then, when I inevitably do things in a way he wouldn't, he goes and corrects my mistakes. And while I'm trying to do all this work, you-the girls, I mean-are all I can think about. I'm excited and terrified by the lot of you!"
He was using his hands more than I'd ever seen, whipping them in the air and running them through his hair.
"And you think my life isn't changing? What do you think my chances might be of finding a soul mate in the group of you? I'll be lucky if I can just find someone who'll be able to stand me for the rest of our lives. What if I've already sent her home because I was relying on some sort of spark I didn't feel? What if she's waiting to leave me at the first sign of adversity? What if I don't find anyone at all? What do I do then, America?"
His speech had started out angered and impassioned, but by the end his questions weren't rhetorical anymore. He really wanted to know: What was he going to do if no one here was even close to being someone he could love? Though that didn't even seem to be his main concern; he was more worried that no one would love him.
"Actually, Maxon, I think you will find your soul mate here. Honestly."
"Really?" His voice charged with hope at my prediction.
"Absolutely." I put a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to be comforted by that touch alone. I wondered how often people simply touched him. "If your life is as upside down as you say it is, then she has to be here somewhere. In my experience, true love is usually the most inconvenient kind. ~ Kiera Cass,#NFDB
1347:Every entry, whether revised or reviewed, goes through multiple editing passes. The definer starts the job, then it’s passed to a copy editor who cleans up the definer’s work, then to a bunch of specialty editors: cross-reference editors, who make sure the definer hasn’t used any word in the entry that isn’t entered in that dictionary; etymologists, to review or write the word history; dating editors, who research and add the dates of first written use; pronunciation editors, who handle all the pronunciations in the book. Then eventually it’s back to a copy editor (usually a different one from the first round, just to be safe), who will make any additional changes to the entry that cross-reference turned up, then to the final reader, who is, as the name suggests, the last person who can make editorial changes to the entry, and then off to the proofreader (who ends up, again, being a different editor from the definer and the two previous copy editors). After the proofreaders are done slogging through two thousand pages of four-point type, the production editors send it off to the printer or the data preparation folks, and then we get another set of dictionary pages (called page proofs) to proofread. This process happens continuously as we work through a dictionary, so a definer may be working on batches in C, cross-reference might be in W, etymology in T, dating and pronunciation in the second half of S, copy editors in P (first pass) and Q and R (second pass), while the final reader is closing out batches in N and O, proofreaders are working on M, and production has given the second set of page proofs to another set of proofreaders for the letter L. We all stagger our way through the alphabet until the last batch, which is inevitably somewhere near G, is closed. By the time a word is put in print either on the page or online, it’s generally been seen by a minimum of ten editors. Now consider that when it came to writing the Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, we had a staff of about twenty editors working on it: twenty editors to review about 220,000 existing definitions, write about 10,000 new definitions, and make over 100,000 editorial changes (typos, new dates, revisions) for the new edition. Now remember that the 110,000-odd changes made were each reviewed about a dozen times and by a minimum of ten editors. The time given to us to complete the revision of the Tenth Edition into the Eleventh Edition so production could begin on the new book? Eighteen months. ~ Kory Stamper, #NFDB
1348:Do you want to hold her?” Qhuinn asked.
Xcor recoiled as if someone had inquired whether he’d like a hot poker in his hands. Then he recovered, shaking his head as he made a manly show of scrubbing his tears away like they were permanent marker on his cheeks. “I don’t think I’m quite ready for that. She looks…so delicate.”
“She’s strong, though. She’s got her mahmen’s blood in her, too.” Qhuinn looked at Blay. “And she’s got good parents. They both do. We’re in this together, people, three fathers and one mom, two kids. Bam!”
Xcor’s voice got low. “A father…?” He laughed softly. “I went from having no family, to having a mate, a brother, and now…”
Qhuinn nodded. “A son and a daughter. As long as you are Layla’s hellren, you are their father, too.”
Xcor’s smile was transformative, so wide that it stretched his face into something she had never seen. “A son and a daughter.”
“That’s right,” Layla whispered with joy.
But then instantly that expression on his face was gone, his lips thinning out and his brows dropping down like he was ready to go on the attack. “She is never dating. I don’t care who he is—”
“Right!” Qhuinn put his palm out for a high five. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
“Now, hold on,” Blay interjected as they clapped hands. “She has every right to live her life as she chooses.”
“Yes, come on,” Layla added. “This double-standard stuff is ridiculous. She’s going to be allowed…”
As the argument started up, she and Blay fell in beside each other, and Qhuinn and Xcor lined up shoulder to shoulder, their massive forearms crossed over their chests.
“I’m good with a gun,” Xcor said like that was the end of things.
“And I can handle the shovel,” Qhuinn tacked on. “They’ll never find the body.”
The two of them pounded knuckles and looked so dead serious that Layla had to roll her eyes. But then she was smiling. “You know something?” she said to the three of them. “I really believe…that it’s all going to be okay. We’re going to work it out, together, because that’s what families do.” As she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed her male, she said, “Love has a way of fixing everything…even your daughter starting to date.”
“Which is not going to happen,” Xcor countered. “Ever.”
“My man,” Qhuinn said, backing him up. “I knew I liked you—”
“Oh, for the love,” Layla muttered as the debate resumed, and Blay started laughing and Qhuinn and Xcor continued bonding.
-Qhuinn, Xcor, Layla, & Blay ~ J R Ward,#NFDB
1349:The ones who are not soul-mated – the ones who have settled – are even more dismissive of my singleness: It’s not that hard to find someone to marry, they say. No relationship is perfect, they say – they, who make do with dutiful sex and gassy bedtime rituals, who settle for TV as conversation, who believe that husbandly capitulation – yes, honey, okay, honey – is the same as concord. He’s doing what you tell him to do because he doesn’t care enough to argue, I think. Your petty demands simply make him feel superior, or resentful, and someday he will fuck his pretty, young coworker who asks nothing of him, and you will actually be shocked.
Give me a man with a little fight in him, a man who calls me on my bullshit. (But who also kind of likes my bullshit.) And yet: Don’t land me in one of those relationships where we’re always pecking at each other, disguising insults as jokes, rolling our eyes and ‘playfully’ scrapping in front of our friends, hoping to lure them to our side of an argument they could not care less about. Those awful if only relationships: This marriage would be great if only… and you sense the if only list is a lot longer than either of them realizes.
So I know I am right not to settle, but it doesn’t make me feel better as my friends pair off and I stay home on Friday night with a bottle of wine and make myself an extravagant meal and tell myself, This is perfect, as if I’m the one dating me. As I go to endless rounds of parties and bar nights, perfumed and sprayed and hopeful, rotating myself around the room like some dubious dessert. I go on dates with men who are nice and good-looking and smart – perfect-on-paper men who make me feel like I’m in a foreign land, trying to explain myself, trying to make myself known. Because isn’t that the point of every relationship: to be known by someone else, to be understood? He gets me. She gets me. Isn’t that the simple magic phrase?
So you suffer through the night with the perfect-on-paper man – the stutter of jokes misunderstood, the witty remarks lobbed and missed. Or maybe he understands that you’ve made a witty remark but, unsure of what to do with it, he holds it in his hand like some bit of conversational phlegm he will wipe away later. You spend another hour trying to find each other, to recognise each other, and you drink a little too much and try a little too hard. And you go home to a cold bed and think, That was fine. And your life is a long line of fine. ~ Gillian Flynn,#NFDB
1350:For a moment we just sit there silently, our heads tipped back as we stare at the sky. A minute passes, maybe two. And then Ryder’s hand grazes mine before settling on the ground, our pinkies touching.
I suck in a breath, my entire body going rigid. I’m wondering if he realizes it, if he even knows he’s touching me, when just like that, he draws away.
Ryder clears his throat. “So…I hear you’re going out with Patrick on Friday.”
“And?” I ask. That brief connection that we’d shared is suddenly gone--poof, just like that.
“And what?” he answers with a shrug.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ve got an opinion on this--one you’re just dying to share.” Because Ryder has an opinion on everything.
“Well, it’s just that Patrick…” He shakes his head. “Never mind. Forget I brought it up.”
“No, go on. It’s just that Patrick what?”
“Seriously, Jemma. It’s none of my business.”
“C’mon, Ryder, get it out of your system. What? Patrick is looking to get a piece? Is using me? Is planning on standing me up?” I can’t help myself; the words just tumble out.
“I was going to say that I think he really likes you,” he says, his voice flat.
I bite back my retort, forcing myself to take a deep, calming breath instead. That was not what I had expected him to say--not at all--and it takes me completely by surprise. Patrick really likes me? I’m not sure how I feel about that--not sure I want it to be true.
“What do you mean, he really likes me?” I ask stupidly.
“Just what I said. It’s pretty simple stuff, Jemma. He likes you. I think he always has.”
“And you know this how?”
He levels a stare at me. “Trust me on this, okay? He’s got problems, sure, but he’s a decent guy. Don’t break his heart.”
I scramble to my feet. “I agreed to go out with him--once. And I’m probably going to cancel, anyway, because after today’s news, I’m really not in the mood. But the last thing I need is dating advice from you.”
“How come every conversation we have ends like this--with you going off on me? You didn’t use to be like this. What happened?”
He’s right, and I hate myself for it--hate the way he makes me feel inside, as if I’m not good enough. I mean, let’s face it--I know I’m nothing special. I’m not beauty-pageant perfect like Morgan, or fashion-model gorgeous like Lucy. Unlike Ryder and Nan, I don’t have state-championship trophies lining my walls. My singing voice is only so-so, I can’t draw or play a musical instrument, and if the school plays are any indicator, I can’t act for shit, either. ~ Kristi Cook,#NFDB
1351:Galen slides into his desk, unsettled by the way the sturdy blond boy talking to Emma casually rests his arm on the back of her seat.
"Good morning," Galen says, leaning over to wrap his arms around her, nearly pulling her from the chair. He even rests his cheek against hers for good measure. "Good morning...er, Mark, isn't it?" he says, careful to keep his voice pleasant. Still, he glances meaningfully at the masculine arm still lining the back of Emma's seat, almost touching her.
To his credit-and safety-Mark eases the offending limb back to his own desk, offering Emma a lazy smile full of strikingly white teeth. "You and Forza, huh? Did you clear that with his groupies?"
She laughs and gently pries Galen's arms off her. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the eruption of pink spreading like spilled paint over her face. She's not used to dating him yet. Until about ten minutes ago, he wasn't used to it either. Now though, with the way Mark eyes her like a tasty shellfish, playing the role of Emma's boyfriend feels all too natural.
The bell rings, saving Emma from a reply and saving Mark thousands of dollars in hospital bills. Emma shoots Galen a withering look, which he deflects with that he hopes is an enchanting grin. He measures his success by the way her blush deepens but stops short when he notices the dark circles under her eyes.
She didn't sleep last night. Not that he thought she would. She'd been quiet on the flight home from Destin two nights ago. He didn't pressure her to talk about it with him, mostly because he didn't know what to say once the conversation got started. So many times, he's started to assure her that he doesn't see her as an abomination, but it seems wrong to say it out loud. Like he's willfully disagreeing with the law. But how could those delicious-looking lips and those huge violet eyes be considered an abomination?
What's even crazier is that not only does he not consider her an abomination, the fact that she could be a Half-Breed ignited a hope in him he's got no right to feel: Grom would never mate with a half human. At least, Galen doesn't think he would.
He glances at Emma, whose silky eyelids don't even flutter in her state of light sleep. When he clears his throat, she startles. "Thank you," she mouths to him as she picks her pencil back up, using the eraser to trace the lines in her textbook as she reads. He acknowledges with a nod. He doesn't want to leave her like this, anxious and tense and out of place in her own beautiful skin. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1352:This is weird for me, too, you know. It’s like, ever since I got that letter…” He hesitates. “Forget it.”
“Just say it,” I say.
“Ever since I got that letter, things have been messed up between us. It’s not fair. You got to say everything you wanted to say, and I’m the one who has to rearrange the way I think about you; I have to make sense of it in my head. You totally blindsided me, and then you just shut me out. You start dating Kavinsky, you stop being my friend.” He exhales. “Ever since I got your letter…I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
Whatever I was expecting him to say, it wasn’t that. It definitely wasn’t that. “Josh…”
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but just let me say what I need to say, okay?”
I nod.
“I hate that you’re with Kavinsky. I hate it. He’s not good enough for you. I’m sorry to say it, but he’s just not. In my opinion, no guy will ever be good enough for you. Least of all me.” Josh ducks his head, and then suddenly he looks up at me and says, “There was this one time, I guess it was a couple of summers ago. We were walking home from somebody’s house--I think it was Mike’s.”
It was hot, around dusk. I was mad because Mike’s older brother Jimmy had said he’d give us a ride home, and then he went somewhere and didn’t come back, so we had to walk. I was wearing espadrilles and my feet were hurting something terrible. Josh kept telling me to keep up with him.
Quietly he says, “It was just me and you. You had on that tan suede shirt you used to wear, with the straps, and it showed your belly button.”
“My Pocahontas-meets-seventies-Cher-style shirt.” Oh, how I loved that shirt.
“I almost kissed you that day. I thought about it. It was this weird impulse I had. I just wanted to see what it would be like.”
My heart stops. “And then?”
“And then I don’t know. I guess I forgot about it.”
I let out a sigh. “I’m sorry you got that letter. You were never supposed to see that. It wasn’t meant for you to ever read. It was just for me.”
“Maybe it was fate. Maybe this was all supposed to happen just like this, because…because it was always gonna be you and me.”
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “No, it wasn’t.” And I realize it’s true.
This is the moment I realize I don’t love him, that I haven’t for a while. That maybe I never did. Because he’s right there for the taking: I could kiss him again; I could make him mine. But I don’t want him. I want someone else. It feels strange to have spent so much time wishing for something, for someone, and then one day, suddenly, to just stop. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1353:This is weird for me, too, you know. It’s like, ever since I got that letter…” He hesitates. “Forget it.”
“Just say it,” I say.
���Ever since I got that letter, things have been messed up between us. It’s not fair. You got to say everything you wanted to say, and I’m the one who has to rearrange the way I think about you; I have to make sense of it in my head. You totally blindsided me, and then you just shut me out. You start dating Kavinsky, you stop being my friend.” He exhales. “Ever since I got your letter…I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
Whatever I was expecting him to say, it wasn’t that. It definitely wasn’t that. “Josh…”
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but just let me say what I need to say, okay?”
I nod.
“I hate that you’re with Kavinsky. I hate it. He’s not good enough for you. I’m sorry to say it, but he’s just not. In my opinion, no guy will ever be good enough for you. Least of all me.” Josh ducks his head, and then suddenly he looks up at me and says, “There was this one time, I guess it was a couple of summers ago. We were walking home from somebody’s house--I think it was Mike’s.”
It was hot, around dusk. I was mad because Mike’s older brother Jimmy had said he’d give us a ride home, and then he went somewhere and didn’t come back, so we had to walk. I was wearing espadrilles and my feet were hurting something terrible. Josh kept telling me to keep up with him.
Quietly he says, “It was just me and you. You had on that tan suede shirt you used to wear, with the straps, and it showed your belly button.”
“My Pocahontas-meets-seventies-Cher-style shirt.” Oh, how I loved that shirt.
“I almost kissed you that day. I thought about it. It was this weird impulse I had. I just wanted to see what it would be like.”
My heart stops. “And then?”
“And then I don’t know. I guess I forgot about it.”
I let out a sigh. “I’m sorry you got that letter. You were never supposed to see that. It wasn’t meant for you to ever read. It was just for me.”
“Maybe it was fate. Maybe this was all supposed to happen just like this, because…because it was always gonna be you and me.”
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “No, it wasn’t.” And I realize it’s true.
This is the moment I realize I don’t love him, that I haven’t for a while. That maybe I never did. Because he’s right there for the taking: I could kiss him again; I could make him mine. But I don’t want him. I want someone else. It feels strange to have spent so much time wishing for something, for someone, and then one day, suddenly, to just stop. ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1354:Let us pause for a moment and consider the structure of the atom as we know it now. Every atom is made from three kinds of elementary particles: protons, which have a positive electrical charge; electrons, which have a negative electrical charge; and neutrons, which have no charge. Protons and neutrons are packed into the nucleus, while electrons spin around outside. The number of protons is what gives an atom its chemical identity. An atom with one proton is an atom of hydrogen, one with two protons is helium, with three protons is lithium, and so on up the scale. Each time you add a proton you get a new element. (Because the number of protons in an atom is always balanced by an equal number of electrons, you will sometimes see it written that it is the number of electrons that defines an element; it comes to the same thing. The way it was explained to me is that protons give an atom its identity, electrons its personality.) Neutrons don't influence an atom's identity, but they do add to its mass. The number of neutrons is generally about the same as the number of protons, but they can vary up and down slightly. Add a neutron or two and you get an isotope. The terms you hear in reference to dating techniques in archeology refer to isotopes—carbon-14, for instance, which is an atom of carbon with six protons and eight neutrons (the fourteen being the sum of the two). Neutrons and protons occupy the atom's nucleus. The nucleus of an atom is tiny—only one millionth of a billionth of the full volume of the atom—but fantastically dense, since it contains virtually all the atom's mass. As Cropper has put it, if an atom were expanded to the size of a cathedral, the nucleus would be only about the size of a fly—but a fly many thousands of times heavier than the cathedral. It was this spaciousness—this resounding, unexpected roominess—that had Rutherford scratching his head in 1910. It is still a fairly astounding notion to consider that atoms are mostly empty space, and that the solidity we experience all around us is an illusion. When two objects come together in the real world—billiard balls are most often used for illustration—they don't actually strike each other. “Rather,” as Timothy Ferris explains, “the negatively charged fields of the two balls repel each other . . . were it not for their electrical charges they could, like galaxies, pass right through each other unscathed.” When you sit in a chair, you are not actually sitting there, but levitating above it at a height of one angstrom (a hundred millionth of a centimeter), your electrons and its electrons implacably opposed to any closer intimacy. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
1355:When Warren was a little boy fingerprinting nuns and collecting bottle caps, he had no knowledge of what he would someday become. Yet as he rode his bike through Spring Valley, flinging papers day after day, and raced through the halls of The Westchester, pulse pounding, trying to make his deliveries on time, if you had asked him if he wanted to be the richest man on earth—with his whole heart, he would have said, Yes.
That passion had led him to study a universe of thousands of stocks. It made him burrow into libraries and basements for records nobody else troubled to get. He sat up nights studying hundreds of thousands of numbers that would glaze anyone else’s eyes. He read every word of several newspapers each morning and sucked down the Wall Street Journal like his morning Pepsi, then Coke. He dropped in on companies, spending hours talking about barrels with the woman who ran an outpost of Greif Bros. Cooperage or auto insurance with Lorimer Davidson. He read magazines like the Progressive Grocer to learn how to stock a meat department. He stuffed the backseat of his car with Moody’s Manuals and ledgers on his honeymoon. He spent months reading old newspapers dating back a century to learn the cycles of business, the history of Wall Street, the history of capitalism, the history of the modern corporation. He followed the world of politics intensely and recognized how it affected business. He analyzed economic statistics until he had a deep understanding of what they signified. Since childhood, he had read every biography he could find of people he admired, looking for the lessons he could learn from their lives. He attached himself to everyone who could help him and coattailed anyone he could find who was smart. He ruled out paying attention to almost anything but business—art, literature, science, travel, architecture—so that he could focus on his passion. He defined a circle of competence to avoid making mistakes. To limit risk he never used any significant amount of debt. He never stopped thinking about business: what made a good business, what made a bad business, how they competed, what made customers loyal to one versus another. He had an unusual way of turning problems around in his head, which gave him insights nobody else had. He developed a network of people who—for the sake of his friendship as well as his sagacity—not only helped him but also stayed out of his way when he wanted them to. In hard times or easy, he never stopped thinking about ways to make money. And all of this energy and intensity became the motor that powered his innate intelligence, temperament, and skills. ~ Alice Schroeder,#NFDB
1356:She pressed her hands against my chest and tried to push me away. "I can't think straight when you 're this close."
I backed her up against the wall. "I don't like the thoughts running through your head. I plan on staying here until you look me in the eye and tell me you 're mine."
"This isn't going to work. It never would have."
"Bullshit. We belong together." Echo sniffed and the sound tore at me. I softened my voice. "Look at me, baby. I know you love me. Three nights ago you were willing to offer everything to me. There is no way you can walk away from us."
"God Noah..." Her voice broke. "I'm a mess."
A mess? "You 're beautiful."
"I'm a mental mess. In two months you 're going to face some judge and convince him that you are the best person to raise your brothers. I'm a liability."
"Not true. My brothers will love you and you 'll love them. You are not a liability."
"But how will the judge see me? Are you really willing too take that risk? [...] What happens if the judge find out about me? What if he discovers what a mess you 're dating?"
Breathing became a painful chore. Her lips turned down while her warm fingers caressed my cheek. That touch typically brought me to knees, but now it cut me open.
"Did you know that when you stop being stubborn and accept i may be right on something, your eyes widen a little and you tilt your head to the side?" she asked.
I forced my head straight and narrowed my eyes. "I love you."
She flashed her glorious smile and then it became the saddest smile in the world. "You love your brothers more. I'm okay with that. In fact, it's one of the things i love about you. You were right the other day. I do want to be a part of a family. But i'd never forgive myself if i was the reason you didn't get yours."
To my horror, tears pricked my eyes and my throat swelled shut. "No, you 're not pulling this sacrificial bullshit on me. I love you and you love me and we 're supposed to be together."
Echo pressed her body to mine and her fingers clung to my hair. Water glistened in her eyes. "I love you enough to never make you choose."
She pushed off her toes toward me, guiding my head down, and gently kissed my lips. No. This wouldn't be goudbye. I'd fill her up and make her realize she'd always be empty without me.
I made Echo mine. My hands claimed her hair, her back. My lips claimed her mouth, her tongue. Her body shook against mine and i tasted salty wetness on her skin. She forced her lips away and i latched tighter to her. "No, baby, no," i whispered into her hair.
She pushed her palms against my chest, then became a blur as she ran past. "I'm sorry. ~ Katie McGarry,#NFDB
1357:School went exactly as Violet thought it would: weird. It wasn’t her best, and it wasn’t her worst, day ever. It was just weird.
Jay was true to his word, deciding not to hold anything back. And it started the second they got out of the car, when he claimed her hand and refused to let go, even when Violet tugged and pulled to try to get it away from him. He ignored her mute protests and held on tight, smiling more to himself than to her, and paraded her right into the school like that.
Not that they’d never held hands before, because they had. But this was entirely different, and Jay was hell-bent on making sure that everyone knew it. And just in case anyone wondered what the hand-holding actually meant, he made sure to clear things up for them by planting a big, albeit very satisfying, kiss on her lips, right in the middle of the hallway. Violet didn’t try to pull away from that; in fact, she was dismayed to find herself leaning into him, craving more, and not caring—at least at that moment—who might see them together.
Unfortunately that person turned out to be Chelsea. Chelsea, of all people, along with Claire, who happened to walk up at very inopportune instant.
“Well, well, well,” Chelsea said in an oh-so-innocent voice. “Look what we have here, Claire-bear. It’s old Jay and Violet.” The unconcealed smile was embedded deep in her voice. “Only, and correct me if I’m wrong, this looks a little more than friendly, don’t you think?”
“I never kiss my friends like that,” Claire replied, blank-faced and serious, oblivious to sarcasm.
Jay’s answer was to pull Violet closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. Violet cringed.
Chelsea cocked her head at Claire. “I was just trying to make a point.”
Claire looked confused. “What point?”
“Seriously, Claire? That Violet and Jay are dating now.” She glanced away from poor confused Claire and flashed a gloating look to the couple in front of her. “It’s about time, by the way. I think everyone will thank you for putting us all out of our misery. I, for one, was completely fed up with watching you two lovesick puppies pining over each other. Seriously, it was disgusting.”
She grabbed Claire by the sleeve of her snug, body-hugging hoodie and led her down the hallway, toward their first-period class. Violet watched in stunned silence, processing everything that Chelsea had said to them, as Claire bounded along in Chelsea’s commanding wake.
Jay decided that it was his turn to gloat. “You pined for me?” he asked, stupid grin and all.
Violet hit him in the arm. “Shut up!” She shook her head. “I’m pretty sure she was talking about you anyway. ~ Kimberly Derting,#NFDB
1358:Zach: Are you close with your brother? He’s partially to blame for the wrong number thing, isn’t he?
* * *
Me: Kind of. Yeah, we’re close. My mom worked at the hospital so it was usually just us two fending for ourselves.
* * *
Me: Okay, so I shouldn’t say fending for ourselves. That makes me sound like a dick and unappreciative of all my mom did. We just spent many nights just the two of us because my mom was a hardworking single lady and she wasn’t searching for a man to put a ring on it because she. Is. Fierce.
* * *
Zach: I bet your mom is the shit.
* * *
Me: She really is. You should meet her sometime.
* * *
Me: Oh, awkward…I’m talking about meeting the family and we’re not even officially a couple.
* * *
Zach: We’re not?
* * *
Me: We are?
My phone lights up with a call from Zach.
“Are you saying we aren’t dating?” he says before I can say anything.
“We are…”
“Are you saying you’re wanting to see other people?”
“No…”
“So then we’re a couple.”
I’m quiet, unsure what to say. I’m so scared to label this, which is stupid, I know.
“Delia?”
“Yes, Zach?”
“Do you not want to be?”
I take a deep breath and push out the answer I know is right, even though my head is saying otherwise. “No. I want to be a couple.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m just…scared. I know I shouldn’t put that all on you, but you’re kind of the reason I’m scared. I like you, Zach—a lot—but what if this doesn’t work out? What if we jump in too soon?”
He sighs. “Remember when we were talking about our exes? About the lack of fireworks?”
“Yeah.”
“I swear to god, someone is going to swoop in and take my man card for this shit, but I felt them with you. When we first kissed, I knew right then you were worth jumping in with both feet and taking a risk.”
I don’t let myself overthink his words, wanting to keep my head level and clear.
“What if I’m not worth the risk?”
“We’ll never know if we don’t take it.”
“Say you’re a couple already, Dalilah!” Robbie’s voice comes loud through the speaker. “He paused the movie during an epic scene!”
“How many times have I told you that her name is Delia. Deal-ya. Get it?”
“You talk about me with Robbie?” I ask.
“Sometimes.”
“Say yes! He looks like someone kicked his goat!”
“Shut the fuck up, Robbie!”
I laugh. “If I say yes, will he stop shouting?”
“YES!” Robbie shouts again.
“I’ll take the risk, Zach, but you better be worth it.”
“You’ve seen my Harry Potter underwear—you know I’m worth it.” Then he whispers, “Wink. ~ Teagan Hunter,#NFDB
1359:In her hurry, though, she’d forgotten to grab her pajamas, which was a dilemma. She could either go out and get them and return to the bathroom to change, or she could go out there and put them on. If Sean didn’t like it, he didn’t have to watch.
After leaving the bathroom, she turned off the overhead light in the bedroom, but it didn’t do much good. The night was clear, the moon was bright, and she knew she was all too visible when she undid her jeans and shimmied them down over her hips.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Changing into my pajamas.”
“You always do that in the bathroom.” His voice was low and rough, but she noticed he didn’t look away.
“I forgot them, and there’s no point in going back in there.” She kicked off the jeans and was going to pull on the shorts before changing shirts, but then she remembered his stupid answers to the stupid questions in that game and changed her mind.
“The point is that you don’t do it in front of me.”
“Oh, did you forget? Being watched turns me on.” And she pulled her T-shirt over her head.
She had to bite down on a surprised yelp once she was free of it because suddenly Sean was standing in front of her, wearing nothing but blue boxer briefs and a scowl. “You said I had no imagination.”
“And having no imagination is so much worse than your best friend’s family thinking you’re an exhibitionist.”
“And we’re not ever going to talk about the other thing you said. Ever.”
He was crowding her personal space, so she put her hands on his chest to push him back, but he caught her wrists. Standing there with her palms pressed against his naked skin, she could feel his heart beating at a quickened pace that matched her own and she knew she had two choices. Walk away or end up in bed with him.
She leaned her body a little closer and splayed her fingers across his chest. “Which thing aren’t we talking about? The fast-food-joint bathroom or—”
“Don’t push me too far, Emma. It’s been a long time for me.”
“How long?”
“Too damn long.” He lifted her hands from his chest, but didn’t let go of her wrists. “And I never even got to scope out the dating situation here before you showed up at my door with this half-assed scheme.”
“And since we… You haven’t…”
“The last thing I need is to get caught cheating on a woman I can’t tell anybody I’m not really in a relationship with.” His gaze dropped from her face to her lacy white bra and he sighed. “You’re killing me.”
“Lying awake on the couch every night, wondering what it would be like to slide into bed with you has been killing me for two weeks.”
“Yeah.” He let go of her wrists and slid his hands up the back of her neck and into her hair. “I’ve thought about that, too. A lot. Pretty much constantly, actually. ~ Shannon Stacey,#NFDB
1360:Farah looked freaked out until Tawny hugged her and the tension faded from her face. A minute later, the table cloth lifted and Bailey appeared with beer bottles in her hands. “I figured you’d need booze to deal with the boredom of hiding.”
“I can’t drink,” Farah said. “I’m off the pill and trying to get knocked up.”
“I am knocked up. I also don’t like that brand of beer.”
Handing the beers to Tawny, Bailey nodded. “Be back in a sec.” A minute later, Bailey returned with two cans of Coke for Farah and me.
“So what are we talking about?” Bailey asked.
“Men needing to protect their women,” I explained.
“Lame. Talk about something I can join in on. What’s your sister like? Is she hotter than me?”
“Yes.”
“I hate her and you should tell her to watch out. If I see her, that pretty face is dead meat.”
Grinning, I cuddled up with her as the table shook from fighting bodies knocking against it.
“You’re having a baby?” she asked, wrapping her arms around me. “Everyone is getting married or having babies.”
“Raven isn’t,” I said as Farah peeked out from under the table cloth to check on Cooper. She smiled and returned to her spot. “Judd and Aaron have stripped Mac down and are shoving him out the door.”
Tawny laughed. “Judd finally got to punish Mac for letting me touch his arm months ago. Good for him.”
Laughing, I leaned my head against Bailey. “Raven has bad taste in men. Going out with her will be great for you. If Raven likes someone, you’ll know he’s a loser. So she’ll distract all the shitty guys from you.”
“Huh. And she’s hot, so she’ll draw guys to us. I think she might be my new best friend,” Bailey said, taking a swig. ‘Don’t be jealous. I just need a man because all of the kissing and fucking and marrying and baby making you guys keep doing. I can’t be the only one alone and Vaughn doesn’t count because he’ll be dead in a few months and shouldn’t be dating anyway.”
We all frowned at Bailey who shrugged. “Those Devils fuck are going to kill him or he’ll try to kill them and get killed. Why do you think they call him Dead Man Walking?”
“You’re bumming me out,” I told her while finishing my soda. “I wish Aaron was here.”
“As you wish,” Aaron said, leaning down. “Look at you pretty girls hiding under here.”
“We’re not hiding,” I said, crawling out. “We’re planning our attack. You know, just in case you couldn’t handle things.”
When Aaron grinned, I noticed blood on his lip. “You’re hurt.”
“You should see the other guys.”
Glancing around, I noticed Mac’s friend was propped up on the pool table and the other guys were throwing pretzels and peanuts at him. In the corner, Kirk and Jodi sat as if on their porch drinking lemonade and admiring the sunset.
“My hero,” I said, caressing the cobra.
“Are you talking to me or the tattoo?”
“Both, baby. Always both. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1361:Dating yes. But she thinks we're, uh, more than dating."
"Oh," he says, thoughtful. Then he grins. "Oh." The reason her lips are turning his favorite color is because Emma's mom thinks they've been dating and mating. The blush extends down her neck and disappears into her T-shirt. He should probably say something to make her feel more comfortable. But teasing her seems so much more fun. "Well then, the least she could do is give us some privacy-"
"Ohmysweetgoodness!" She snatches her backpack from the seat and marches around her car to the driver's side. Before she can get the door unlocked, he plucks the key from her fingers and tucks it into his jeans' pocket. She moves to retrieve it, but stops when she realizes where she's about to go fishing.
He's never seen her this red. He laughs. "Calm down, Emma. I'm just kidding. Don't leave."
"Yeah, well, it's not funny. You should have seen her this morning. She almost cried. my mom doesn't cry." She crosses her arms again but relaxes against her door.
"She cried? That's pretty insulting."
She cracks a tiny grin. "Yeah, it's an insult to me. She thinks I would...would..."
"More than date me?"
She nods.
He steps toward her and puts his hand beside her on the car, leaning in. A live current seems to shimmy up his spine. What are you doing? "But she should know that you don't even think of me like that. That it would never even cross your mind," he murmurs. She looks away, satisfying his unspoken question-it has crossed her mind. The same way it crosses his. How often? Does she feel the voltage between them, too? Who cares, idiot? She belongs to Grom. Or are you going to let a few sparks keep you from uniting the kingdoms?
He pulls back, clenching his teeth. His pockets are the only safe place for his hands at the moment. "Why don't I meet her then? You think that would make her feel better?"
"Um." She swipes her hair to the other side of her face. Her expression falls somewhere between shock and expectation. And she had every right to expect it-he's been entertaining the idea of kissing her for over two weeks now. She fidgets the door handle. "Yeah, it might. She won't let me go anywhere-especially with you-if she doesn't meet you first."
"Should I be afraid?"
She sighs. "Normally I would say no. But after this morning..." She shrugs.
"How about I follow you to your house so you can drop off your car? Then she can interrogate me. When she sees how charming I am, she'll let you ride to the beach with me."
She rolls her eyes. "Just don't be too charming. If you're too smooth, she'll never believe-just don't overdue it, okay?"
"This is getting complicated," he says, unlocking her car.
"Just remember, this is your idea and your fault. Now would be the time to back out."
He chuckles and opens the door for her. "Don't lose me on the road. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1362:So…,” I began. Was it just a high school thing? Or worse, I imagined, is it just that I’m not and never will be a country girl? Is it that country girls have some wild sense of abandon that I wasn’t born with? A reckless side, a fun, adventurous side that makes them worthy of riding next to boys in pickups? Am I untouchable? Am I too prim? Too proper? I’m not! I’m really not! I’m fun and adventurous. Reckless, too! I have a pair of jeans: Anne Kleins! And I want to be Middle Seat Worthy. Please, Marlboro Man…please. I’ve never wanted anything this much. “So, um…why don’t you do it anymore?” I asked.
“Bucket seats,” Marlboro Man answered, his hand still resting on my leg.
Made sense. I settled in and relaxed a bit.
But I had another question I’d been mulling over.
“Mind if I ask you another question?” I said.
“Go ahead,” he replied.
I cleared my throat and sat up straight in my seat. “How come…how come it took you so long to call me?” I couldn’t help but grin. It was one of the most direct questions I’d ever asked him.
He looked in my direction, then back toward the road.
“You don’t have to tell me,” I said. And he didn’t. But I’d wondered more than a handful of times, and as long as he was coming clean about bucket seats and other important matters, I thought it would be a good time to ask him why four months had passed between the first night we’d met in the smoky bar and the night he’d finally called to invite me to dinner. I remembered being knocked over by his magnetism that night during Christmas vacation. What had he thought of me? Had he forgotten me instantly, then remembered me in a flash that April night after my brother’s wedding? Or had he intentionally waited four months to call? Was it some kind of country boy protocol I didn’t know about?
I was a girl. I simply had to know.
“I was…,” he began. “Well, I was dating someone else.”
I’ll kill her with my bare hands. “Oh,” I said in return. It was all I could muster.
“Plus, I was running a herd of cows in Nebraska and having to drive up there every week,” he continued. “I just wasn’t here enough to break things off with her in the right way…and I didn’t want to call you and ask you out until that was all resolved.”
I repeated myself. “Oh.” What was her name? She’s dead to me.
“I liked you, though,” he said, flashing me a smile. “I thought about you.”
I couldn’t help but smile back. “You did?” I asked quietly, still wondering what the girl’s name was. I wouldn’t rest till I knew.
“I did,” he said sweetly, stroking my leg with his hand. “You were different.”
I stopped short of interrogating him further, of asking him to specify what he meant by “different.” And it didn’t take much imagination to figure it out. As he drove me around his familiar homeland, it was obvious what he would have considered “different” about me.
I didn’t know anything about the country. ~ Ree Drummond,#NFDB
1363:Sex With A Famous Poet
I had sex with a famous poet last night
and when I rolled over and found myself beside him I shuddered
because I was married to someone else,
because I wasn't supposed to have been drinking,
because I was in fancy hotel room
I didn't recognize. I would have told you
right off this was a dream, but recently
a friend told me, write about a dream,
lose a reader and I didn't want to lose you
right away. I wanted you to hear
that I didn't even like the poet in the dream, that he has
four kids, the youngest one my age, and I find him
rather unattractive, that I only met him once,
that is, in real life, and that was in a large group
in which I barely spoke up. He disgusted me
with his disparaging remarks about women.
He even used the word 'Jap'
which I took as a direct insult to my husband who's Asian.
When we were first dating, I told him
'You were talking in your sleep last night
and I listened, just to make sure you didn't
call out anyone else's name.' My future-husband said
that he couldn't be held responsible for his subconscious,
which worried me, which made me think his dreams
were full of blond vixens in rabbit-fur bikinis.
but he said no, he dreamt mostly about boulders
and the ocean and volcanoes, dangerous weather
he witnessed but could do nothing to stop.
And I said, 'I dream only of you,'
which was romantic and silly and untrue.
But I never thought I'd dream of another man-my husband and I hadn't even had a fight,
my head tucked sweetly in his armpit, my arm
around his belly, which lifted up and down
all night, gently like water in a lake.
If I passed that famous poet on the street,
he would walk by, famous in his sunglasses
and blazer with the suede patches at the elbows,
without so much as a glance in my direction.
19
I know you're probably curious about who the poet is,
so I should tell you the clues I've left aren't
accurate, that I've disguised his identity,
that you shouldn't guess I bet it's him...
because you'll never guess correctly
and even if you do, I won't tell you that you have.
I wouldn't want to embarrass a stranger
who is, after all, probably a nice person,
who was probably just having a bad day when I met him,
who is probably growing a little tired of his fame-which my husband and I perceive as enormous,
but how much fame can an American poet
really have, let's say, compared to a rock star
or film director of equal talent? Not that much,
and the famous poet knows it, knows that he's not
truly given his due. Knows that many
of these young poets tugging on his sleeve
are only pretending to have read all his books.
But he smiles anyway, tries to be helpful.
I mean, this poet has to have some redeeming qualities, right?
For instance, he writes a mean iambic.
Otherwise, what was I doing in his arms.
~ Denise Duhamel,#NFDB
1364:Hey, Dylan,” I said, holding my orange ball. “You got rid of the Mohawk.”
Lark and Raven’s stepbrother ran his hand over his bald head and sighed. “Yeah, I’d been thinking about going the business man route for a while. Kept going back and forth about cutting it. A few weeks ago, I got drunk at Lark’s place. The sisters were nice enough to shave my head while I was passed out.”
Nearby, Raven laughed so hard she had trouble distracting Vaughn who was still trying to win the game. Dylan glared at her then shrugged. “Gonna let it grow out and play the average Joe shit.”
“Good luck with that,” I said, glancing at the bathroom and hoping Bailey would appear. When she didn’t, I walked to an open lane and rolled the ball. It took out a single pin which was one more than I expected.
A lane away Raven struggled to win against Vaughn. She bent over one direction. When her ass didn’t do it, she bent forward and adjusted her tits. A distracted Vaughn missed his strike with a single pin remaining. Before I could hear him complain and her celebrate, Cooper and Tucker appeared next to me.
“I liked the way you handled that fucker,” Tucker said, arms crossed tightly. “You always know how to deal with these losers while looking like a Boy Scout. A good skill to have.”
Ignoring them, I rolled the second ball and managed to take out three pins. A new record for me.
“What’s with the silent shit?” Tucker asked.
Sighing, I looked at them and frowned. “I want to be with Bailey. We just started dating, but here I am jumping through hoops for you two. You do this shit with every guy?”
“Most are losers,” Cooper said. “Most never do the second date thing. They bang then hang. If they’re lucky, she never mentions it to us and we don’t kick anyone’s ass. You’re the first boyfriend type she’s had.”
“Our family needs good people,” added Tucker.
Cooper shifted his stance and shook his head at his brother. “He doesn’t want that life. Nick wants to be a teacher.”
“Why?”
“Who cares?” Cooper said. “It’s what he wants. Sounds like a nice safe life for our little sister, don’t you think?”
Tucker’s expression froze and his dopey brain took awhile to put things together. By the time he figured it out, I’d rolled a gutter ball, Bailey returned, and Vaughn declared his wife a cheater.
“It’s only fair!” Raven cried as Vaughn threw her over his shoulder and spun her around. “You’re a better bowler and I want to win. Cheating was the only card I could play.”
“Making me think some fucker was looking at your ass was low, Raven.”
“So is naming our first born son Maverick. You’re just looking for trouble with a name like that.”
Vaughn lowered her to her feet then grinned. “My boys will be nothing but trouble. They’ll own this town and chase pretty girls like Scarlet and Lily.”
“Hey, keep your pervy kid away from my daughter!” Tucker hollered, looking pissed.
Cooper grabbed his brother and they wrestled onto the ground. By the end of pounding each other, they were both laughing. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1365:A flash of lightning ghosts into the room, and when it leaves again, my eyes follow it back out to sea. In the window's reflection, I glimpse a figure standing behind me. I don't need to turn around to see who creates such a big outline-or who makes my whole body turn into a goose-bump farm.
"How do you feel?" he says.
"Better," I say to his reflection.
He hops over the back of the couch and grabs my chin, turning my head side to side, up and down, all around, watching for my reaction. "I just did that," I tell him. "Nothing."
He nods and unhands me. "Rach-Uh, my mom called your mom and told her what happened. I guess your mom called your doctor, and he said it's pretty common, but that you should rest a few more days. My mom insisted you stay the night since no one needs to be driving in this weather."
"And my mother agreed to that?"
Even in the dark, I don't miss his little grin. "My mom can be pretty persuasive," he says. "By the end of the conversation, your mom even suggested we both stay home from school tomorrow and hang out here so you can relax-since my mom will be home supervising, of course. Your mom said you wouldn't stay home if I went to school."
A flash from the storm illuminates my blush. "Because we told her we're dating."
He nods. "She said you should have stayed home today, but you threw a fit to go anyway. Honestly, I didn't realize you were so obsessed-ouch!"
I try to pinch him again, but he catches my wrist and pulls me over his lap like a child getting a spanking. "I was going to say, 'with history.'" He laughs.
"No you weren't. Let me up."
"I will." He laughs.
"Galen, you let me up right now-"
"Sorry, not ready yet."
I gasp. "Oh, no! The room is spinning again." I hold still, tense up.
Then the room does spin when he snatches me up and grabs my chin again. The look of concern etched on his face makes me feel a little guilty, but not guilty enough to keep my mouth shut. "Works every time," I tell him, giving my best ha-ha-you're-a-sucker smirk.
A snicker from the entryway cuts off what I can tell is about to be a good scolding. I've never heard Galen curse, but his glower just looks like a four-letter word waiting to come out. We both turn to see Toraf watching us with crossed arms. He is also wearing a ha-ha-you're-a-sucker smirk. "Dinner's ready, children," he says.
Yep, I definitely like Toraf. Galen rolls his eyes and extracts me from his lap. He hops up and leaves me there, and in the reflection, I see him ram his fist into Toraf's gut as he passes. Toraf grunts, but the smirk never leaves his face. He nods his head for me to follow them.
As we pass through the rooms, I try to remember the rich, sophisticated atmosphere, the marble floors, the hideous paintings, but my stomach makes sounds better suited to a dog kennel at feeding time.
"I think your stomach is making mating calls," Toraf whispers to me as we enter the kitchen. My blush debuts the same time we enter the kitchen, and it's enough to make Toraf laugh out loud. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1366:Rach-Uh, my mom says they'll help me blend in better. She says the color would just draw attention to me."
Emma snorts. "Oh, she's definitely right. Blue eyes make you look so much more average. In fact, I almost didn't notice you standing there."
"That hurts my feelings, Emma." He grins.
She giggles.
He says, "I'd consider forgiving you-if you come with me to the beach."
She sighs. "I can't go with you, Galen."
He runs a hand through his hair. "Honestly, Emma, I don't know how much more rejection I can take," he blurts out. In fact, he doesn't remember ever being rejected, except by Emma. Of course, that could be due to the fact that he's a Royal. Or maybe it's because he doesn't spend a lot of time with his kind anyway, let alone the females. Actually, he doesn't spend a lot of time with anyone except Rachel. And Rachel would give him her beating heart if he asked for it.
"I'm sorry. It's not about you this time. Well, actually, it kind of is. My mom...well, she thinks we're dating." Her cheeks-and those lips-deepen to red.
"Dating?" What is dating again? He tries to remember what Rachel told him...She said it's easy to remember because it's almost the same as...what is the rhyme for it? And then he remembers. "It's easy to remember, because dating rhymes with mating, and they're almost the same," she'd said. He blinks at Emma. "You're mom thinks we're ma-Uh, dating?"
She nods biting her lip.
For reasons he can't explain, this pleases him. He leans against the passenger door of her car. "Oh. Well. What does it matter if she thinks that?"
"I told her we weren't dating, though. Just this morning. Going to the beach with you makes me look like a liar."
He scratches the back of his neck. "I don't understand. If you told her we weren't dating, then why does she think we are?"
She relaxes against his driver-side door. "Well, this is all actually your fault, not mine."
"I'm obviously not asking the right questions-"
"The way you acted toward me when I hit my head, Galen. Some people saw that. And they told my mom. She thinks I've been hiding you from her, keeping you a secret. Because she thinks we've been...we've been..."
"Dating?" he offers. He can't understand why she'd have a difficult time discussing dating, if it means what he thinks it does-spending time with one human more than others to see if he or she would be a good mate.
The Syrena do the same, only they call it sifting-and sifting doesn't take nearly as long as dating. A Syrena can sift out a mate within a few days. He'd laughed when Rachel said some humans date for years. So indecisive. Then an echo of Toraf's voice whispers to him, calling him a hypocrite. You're twenty years old. Why haven't you sifted for a mate? But that doesn't make him indecisive. He just hasn't had time to sift and keep his responsibility watching the humans. If it weren't for that, he'd already be settled down. How can Toraf think Emma's the reason he hasn't sifted yet? Up until three weeks ago, he didn't even know she existed. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1367:Bizarre and Surprising Insights—Consumer Behavior Insight Organization Suggested Explanation7 Guys literally drool over sports cars. Male college student subjects produce measurably more saliva when presented with images of sports cars or money. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Consumer impulses are physiological cousins of hunger. If you buy diapers, you are more likely to also buy beer. A pharmacy chain found this across 90 days of evening shopping across dozens of outlets (urban myth to some, but based on reported results). Osco Drug Daddy needs a beer. Dolls and candy bars. Sixty percent of customers who buy a Barbie doll buy one of three types of candy bars. Walmart Kids come along for errands. Pop-Tarts before a hurricane. Prehurricane, Strawberry Pop-Tart sales increased about sevenfold. Walmart In preparation before an act of nature, people stock up on comfort or nonperishable foods. Staplers reveal hires. The purchase of a stapler often accompanies the purchase of paper, waste baskets, scissors, paper clips, folders, and so on. A large retailer Stapler purchases are often a part of a complete office kit for a new employee. Higher crime, more Uber rides. In San Francisco, the areas with the most prostitution, alcohol, theft, and burglary are most positively correlated with Uber trips. Uber “We hypothesized that crime should be a proxy for nonresidential population.…Uber riders are not causing more crime. Right, guys?” Mac users book more expensive hotels. Orbitz users on an Apple Mac spend up to 30 percent more than Windows users when booking a hotel reservation. Orbitz applies this insight, altering displayed options according to your operating system. Orbitz Macs are often more expensive than Windows computers, so Mac users may on average have greater financial resources. Your inclination to buy varies by time of day. For retail websites, the peak is 8:00 PM; for dating, late at night; for finance, around 1:00 PM; for travel, just after 10:00 AM. This is not the amount of website traffic, but the propensity to buy of those who are already on the website. Survey of websites The impetus to complete certain kinds of transactions is higher during certain times of day. Your e-mail address reveals your level of commitment. Customers who register for a free account with an Earthlink.com e-mail address are almost five times more likely to convert to a paid, premium-level membership than those with a Hotmail.com e-mail address. An online dating website Disclosing permanent or primary e-mail accounts reveals a longer-term intention. Banner ads affect you more than you think. Although you may feel you've learned to ignore them, people who see a merchant's banner ad are 61 percent more likely to subsequently perform a related search, and this drives a 249 percent increase in clicks on the merchant's paid textual ads in the search results. Yahoo! Advertising exerts a subconscious effect. Companies win by not prompting customers to think. Contacting actively engaged customers can backfire—direct mailing financial service customers who have already opened several accounts decreases the chances they will open more accounts (more details in Chapter 7). ~ Eric Siegel, #NFDB
1368:I need some time for the rest. I just don’t take something like marriage lightly. If I do it, I’ll mean it, and I won’t change my mind. But I think you’d do it right now for all the wrong reasons.” “Does this have anything to do with the guy you didn’t let stay last night?” he asked. “My boyfriend?” she asked, smiling. She knew it was naughty to taunt him like that; she wasn’t thinking of T.J. as a boyfriend at the moment. “It would be nice of me to tell him if things change in my personal life. But until I have matters settled…” “No, Franci, tell him matters are settled. You won’t be dating him!” “And the woman who keeps calling you?” “What woman?” he asked. “Your phone keeps picking up text messages and voice mails. That has to be a woman.” He took a deep breath. This didn’t seem like a good time to lie, just as he was trying to close a deal. “I dated this girl a few times back at Beale and I told her I wasn’t getting into a steady thing. When I went on leave, I told her we had to cool it because it wasn’t working for me, but she’s deaf. I thought when I left town for a couple of months she’d let it go, but she’s hounding me. I’m going to call her, Franci, and tell her I’m off the market. That I’m getting married. She won’t call anymore. Now, come on.” “Poor thing,” Franci said. “She might be as sick in love with you as I was.” “As you were?” he asked, a little frightened of the answer. “And I said I’m not marrying you.” “Okay, let me get this right—I suggested marriage and you said no?” “How about that? What a shocker, huh?” “Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? I thought that’s what I should do!” “Okay, you still don’t get it. We don’t want to because you’re doing what you should. Listen carefully, Sean. I want you to be absolutely sure you want to commit to a life with me and Rosie, because you don’t have to marry me to have time with your daughter. She’s your daughter—I won’t get in the way of that. Though I have to admit, the way you suggested marriage really just knocked me off my feet.” He would never admit it to anyone, but her refusal gave him an instant feeling of relief. He wasn’t ready to take it all on. But it would sure make things tidier if they could just do it the way it probably should be done. He slid close to her and, before she could protest, pulled her right up against him. “You wanna get knocked off your feet, sweetheart? Because we both know we do that to each other.” He put a big hand around the back of her neck and ran his thumb from her earlobe to the hollow of her throat. Then he kissed that spot. “I want you with me, Franci. Tonight, and from now on.” “Sean,” she said gravely, “when you rejected me four years ago, there were times I wondered if I’d lost my mind and my heart. The things we said to each other—I don’t want to risk a marriage like that. After we split and I moved to Santa Rosa, sometimes I grieved so badly I worried that I was hurting the baby with endless crying, sleepless nights, loss of appetite. I just can’t face something like that again.” He ran a knuckle across her soft cheek. “Baby, I didn’t reject you. I wanted to be with you—I just had a hang-up with marriage.” “Well, now the shoe’s on the other foot. Suck it up.” Life ~ Robyn Carr, #NFDB
1369:Bob,” she said, “offerings burned in the mortal world appear on this altar, right?” Bob frowned uncomfortably, like he wasn’t ready for a pop quiz. “Yes?” “So what happens if I burn something on the altar here?” “Uh…” “That’s all right,” Annabeth said. “You don’t know. Nobody knows, because it’s never been done.” There was a chance, she thought, just the slimmest chance that an offering burned on this altar might appear at Camp Half-Blood. Doubtful, but if it did work… “Annabeth?” Percy said again. “You’re planning something. You’ve got that I’m-planning-something look.” “I don’t have an I’m-planning-something look.” “Yeah, you totally do. Your eyebrows knit and your lips press together and—” “Do you have a pen?” she asked him. “You’re kidding, right?” He brought out Riptide. “Yes, but can you actually write with it?” “I—I don’t know,” he admitted. “Never tried.” He uncapped the pen. As usual, it sprang into a full-sized sword. Annabeth had watched him do this hundreds of times. Normally when he fought, Percy simply discarded the cap. It always appeared in his pocket later, as needed. When he touched the cap to the point of the sword, it would turn back into a ballpoint pen. “What if you touch the cap to the other end of the sword?” Annabeth said. “Like where you’d put the cap if you were actually going to write with the pen.” “Uh…” Percy looked doubtful, but he touched the cap to the hilt of the sword. Riptide shrank back into a ballpoint pen, but now the writing point was exposed. “May I?” Annabeth plucked it from his hand. She flattened the napkin against the altar and began to write. Riptide’s ink glowed Celestial bronze. “What are you doing?” Percy asked. “Sending a message,” Annabeth said. “I just hope Rachel gets it.” “Rachel?” Percy asked. “You mean our Rachel? Oracle of Delphi Rachel?” “That’s the one.” Annabeth suppressed a smile. Whenever she brought up Rachel’s name, Percy got nervous. At one point, Rachel had been interested in dating Percy. That was ancient history. Rachel and Annabeth were good friends now. But Annabeth didn’t mind making Percy a little uneasy. You had to keep your boyfriend on his toes. Annabeth finished her note and folded the napkin. On the outside, she wrote: Connor, Give this to Rachel. Not a prank. Don’t be a moron. Love, Annabeth She took a deep breath. She was asking Rachel Dare to do something ridiculously dangerous, but it was the only way she could think of to communicate with the Romans—the only way that might avoid bloodshed. “Now I just need to burn it,” she said. “Anybody got a match?” The point of Bob’s spear shot from his broom handle. It sparked against the altar and erupted in silvery fire. “Uh, thanks.” Annabeth lit the napkin and set it on the altar. She watched it crumble to ash and wondered if she was crazy. Could the smoke really make it out of Tartarus? “We should go now,” Bob advised. “Really, really go. Before we are killed.” Annabeth stared at the wall of blackness in front of them. Somewhere in there was a lady who dispensed a Death Mist that might hide them from monsters—a plan recommended by a Titan, one of their bitterest enemies. Another dose of weirdness to explode her brain. “Right,” she said. “I’m ready.” ANNABETH LITERALLY STUMBLED over the second Titan. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1370:To her surprise, Linc was waiting around the first curve on the road, listening to the radio. She could see his hand tapping a beat on the back of the other seat. Kenzie slowed her car to a stop when their windows lined up.
He rolled his down. “Hey. How’d it go?”
“No big deal. I handed the papers to his temp assistant. What the hell are you doing here?”
Linc studied her face. “I wanted to see if the beacon I put on your car was working.”
She should have known. “Is that necessary?”
“The readout is on this.” He tapped the face of his watch.
“I can’t see. And I don’t believe you.” Kenzie put her car into park, got out, and walked around.
He turned his wrist to show her. “Check it out. Your dot merged into my dot.”
“Isn’t that sweet.”
He grinned. “It’s not a problem to remove the beacon if you don’t like it.”
“No. It’s all right. You’re the only person who knows where I am most of the time now.”
That didn’t seem to have occurred to him. “Really?”
She nodded.
“So where are you off to?”
Kenzie shot him a mocking look. “You don’t have to ask, do you?”
Linc laughed. “The beacon can’t read your mind.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thank God for that. If you want to know, I was heading to the drugstore to print out some of the photos for Mrs. Corelli. Where are you going?”
“Just running errands,” he said. “Need anything from the electronics store?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’m just picking up a couple of components.”
Kenzie gave a little yelp. “Yikes--that reminds me. Yesterday my boss asked me to pick something up for him out in the boondocks. I forgot until you said that. So if my dot falls off your watch, you’ll know why.”
He smiled at her warmly as he bent his arm and rested it on the bottom of the window frame. The bicep under the flannel rounded up very nicely as he lifted a hand and chucked her gently under the chin. “Funny.”
The friendly touch was unexpectedly intimate.
In fact, it triggered a dangerous sensation of giving in. She smiled at him, feeling weak. His brown eyes were dark and warm. She felt herself blush under his steady gaze.
Linc was the real deal. Maybe she didn’t have to be so tough all the time. It was okay to be protected. More than okay.
Back when she’d had Tex at her side, she’d actually liked the feeling. Like all military working dogs, he’d been trained to maintain an invisible six-foot circle around her, and woe to anyone who crossed into it without her permission. Including guys she was dating.
“Kenzie?”
She snapped out of it. “Sorry. You knocked on my stupid spot.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
She shook her head in mock dismay. “Please don’t. Let’s touch base around four or five o’clock.”
He nodded and turned the key in the ignition. “Works for me.” His gaze stayed on her a moment longer. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Thanks.” She glanced back at the gray monolith a little distance behind them and her mouth tightened. But when her green gaze met Linc’s brown eyes, she managed a quick smile.
He raised his left hand in a quick good-bye wave and eased his car ahead of hers, rolling up the window again. She watched him go, then got back into hers and drove on, turning off on the road to the firing range. ~ Janet Dailey,#NFDB
1371:Mom,” Vaughn said. “I’m sure Sidney doesn’t want to be interrogated about her personal life.”
Deep down, Sidney knew that Vaughn—who’d obviously deduced that she’d been burned in the past—was only trying to be polite. But that was the problem, she didn’t want him to be polite, as if she needed to be shielded from such questions. That wasn’t any better than the damn “Poor Sidney” head-tilt.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind answering.” She turned to Kathleen. “I was seeing someone in New York, but that relationship ended shortly before I moved to Chicago.”
“So now that you’re single again, what kind of man are you looking for? Vaughn?” Kathleen pointed. “Could you pass the creamer?”
He did so, then turned to look once again at Sidney. His lips curved at the corners, the barest hint of a smile. He was daring her, she knew, waiting for her to back away from his mother’s questions.
She never had been very good at resisting his dares.
“Actually, I have a list of things I’m looking for.” Sidney took a sip of her coffee.
Vaughn raised an eyebrow. “You have a list?”
“Yep.”
“Of course you do.”
Isabelle looked over, surprised. “You never told me about this.”
“What kind of list?” Kathleen asked interestedly.
“It’s a test, really,” Sidney said. “A list of characteristics that indicate whether a man is ready for a serious relationship. It helps weed out the commitment-phobic guys, the womanizers, and any other bad apples, so a woman can focus on the candidates with more long-term potential.”
Vaughn rolled his eyes. “And now I’ve heard it all.”
“Where did you find this list?” Simon asked. “Is this something all women know about?”
“Why? Worried you won’t pass muster?” Isabelle winked at him.
“I did some research,” Sidney said. “Pulled it together after reading several articles online.”
“Lists, tests, research, online dating, speed dating—I can’t keep up with all these things you kids are doing,” Adam said, from the head of the table. “Whatever happened to the days when you’d see a girl at a restaurant or a coffee shop and just walk over and say hello?”
Vaughn turned to Sidney, his smile devilish. “Yes, whatever happened to those days, Sidney?”
She threw him a look. Don’t be cute. “You know what they say—it’s a jungle out there. Nowadays a woman has to make quick decisions about whether a man is up to par.” She shook her head mock reluctantly. “Sadly, some guys just won’t make the cut.”
“But all it takes is one,” Isabelle said, with a loving smile at her fiancé.
Simon slid his hand across the table, covering hers affectionately. “The right one.”
Until he nails his personal trainer. Sidney took another sip of her coffee, holding back the cynical comment. She didn’t want to spoil Isabelle and Simon’s idyllic all-you-need-is-love glow.
Vaughn cocked his head, looking at the happy couple. “Aw, aren’t you two just so . . . cheesy.”
Kathleen shushed him. “Don’t tease your brother.”
“What? Any moment, I’m expecting birds and little woodland animals to come in here and start singing songs about true love, they’re so adorable.”
Sidney laughed out loud. Quickly, she bit her lip to cover. ~ Julie James,#NFDB
1372:I’m not sure how the ponies happened, though I have an inkling: “Can I get you anything?” I’ll say, getting up from a dinner table, “Coffee, tea, a pony?” People rarely laugh at this, especially if they’ve heard it before. “This party’s ‘sposed to be fun,” a friend will say. “Really? Will there be pony rides?” It’s a nervous tic and a cheap joke, cheapened further by the frequency with which I use it. For that same reason, it’s hard to weed it out of my speech – most of the time I don’t even realize I’m saying it. There are little elements in a person’s life, minor fibers that become unintentionally tangled with your personality. Sometimes it’s a patent phrase, sometimes it’s a perfume, sometimes it’s a wristwatch. For me, it is the constant referencing of ponies.
I don’t even like ponies. If I made one of my throwaway equine requests and someone produced an actual pony, Juan-Valdez-style, I would run very fast in the other direction. During a few summers at camp, I rode a chronically dehydrated pony named Brandy who would jolt down without notice to lick the grass outside the corral and I would careen forward, my helmet tipping to cover my eyes. I do, however, like ponies on the abstract. Who doesn’t? It’s like those movies with the animated insects. Sure, the baby cockroach seems cute with CGI eyelashes, but how would you feel about fifty of her real-life counterparts living in your oven? And that’s precisely the manner in which the ponies clomped their way into my regular speech: abstractly. “I have something for you,” a guy will say on our first date. “Is it a pony?” No. It’s usually a movie ticket or his cell phone number. But on our second date, if I ask again, I’m pretty sure I’m getting a pony.
And thus the Pony drawer came to be. It’s uncomfortable to admit, but almost every guy I have ever dated has unwittingly made a contribution to the stable. The retro pony from the ‘50s was from the most thoughtful guy I have ever known. The one with the glitter horseshoes was from a boy who would later turn out to be straight somehow, not gay. The one with the rainbow haunches was from a librarian, whom I broke up with because I felt the chemistry just wasn’t right, and the one with the price tag stuck on the back was given to me by a narcissist who was so impressed with his gift he forgot to remover the sticker. Each one of them marks the beginning of a new relationship. I don’t mean to hint. It’s not a hint, actually, it’s a flat out demand: I. Want. A. Pony. I think what happens is that young relationships are eager to build up a romantic repertoire of private jokes, especially in the city where there’s not always a great “how we met” story behind every great love affair. People meet at bars, through mutual friends, on dating sites, or because they work in the same industry. Just once a coworker of mine, asked me out between two stops on the N train. We were holding the same pole and he said, “I know this sounds completely insane, bean sprout, but would you like to go to a very public place with me and have a drink or something...?” I looked into his seemingly non-psycho-killing, rent-paying, Sunday Times-subscribing eyes and said, “Sure, why the hell not?” He never bought me a pony. But he didn’t have to, if you know what I mean. ~ Sloane Crosley,#NFDB
1373:Dear Rebecca— You may have picked up on my growing disappointment with you this afternoon as our first meeting progressed. I have to say that though you seem quite personable in your electronic communications, in person your behavior is a little lacking in some of the traits that would let you get from a first to a second date with regularity. If Lovability had a rating system, I would award you 2.5 out of 5 stars; however, if it used a scale that only allowed for integral values, I would unfortunately be forced to round down to two. Here are some suggestions for what you could do to improve the initial impression you make. I am speaking here as a veteran of the online dating scene in LA, which is MUCH more intense than New Jersey’s—there, you are competing with aspiring actors and actresses, and a professionally produced headshot and a warm demeanor are the bare minimum necessary to get in the game. By the end of my first year in LA my askback rate (the rate at which my first dates with women led to second dates) was a remarkable 68%. So I know what I’m talking about. I hope you take this constructive criticism in the manner in which it is intended. 1. Vary your responses to inquiries. When our conversation began, you seemed quite cheerful and animated, but as it progressed you became much less so. I asked you a series of questions that were intended to give you opportunities to reveal more about yourself, but you offered only binary answers, and then, troublingly, no answers at all. If you want your date to go well, you need to display more interest. 2. Direct the flow of conversation. Dialogue is collaborative! One consequence of your reticence was that I was forced to propose all of the topics of discussion, both before and after the transition to more personal subjects. If you contribute topics of your own then it will make you appear more engaged: you should aim to bring up one new subject for every one introduced by your date. 3. Take control of the path of the date. If you want the initial meeting to extend beyond the planned drinks, there are many ways you can go about doing this. You can directly say, for instance, “So I wasn’t thinking about this when you showed up, but…do you have any plans for dinner? I’m starving, and I could really go for some pad thai.” Or you can make a vaguer, more general statement such as “After this, I’m up for whatever,” or “Hey, I don’t really want to go home yet, Bradley: I’m having a lot of fun.” Again, this comes down to a general lack of engagement on your part. Without your feedback I was left to offer a game of Scrabble, which was not the best way to end the meeting. 4. Don’t lie about your ability in Scrabble. I won’t go into an analysis of your strategic and tactical errors here, in the interest of brevity, but your amateurish playing style was quite evident. Now, despite my reservations as expressed above, I really do feel that we had some chemistry. So I would like to give things another chance. Would you respond to this message within the next three days, with a suggestion of a place you’d like us to visit together, or an activity that you believe we would both enjoy? I would be forced to construe a delay of more than three days as an unfortunate sign of indifference. I hope to hear from you soon. Best, Bradley ~ Dexter Palmer, #NFDB
1374:Why don’t you have a girlfriend, Matt?” I ask. And I really want to know, because it’s unfathomable to me that he’s single. He’s handsome, and he’s so kind. He shakes a finger at me. “There’s a story there,” he says. I settle into the sofa a little deeper and turn so that my feet are pointed toward him, my legs extended. My toes almost touch his thigh. But then he lifts my feet and slides under them, scooting closer to me. “I was in love with a girl. For a long time.” “What happened to her?” I ask. He starts to tickle across my toes, and then his fingertips drag down the top of my foot. It’s a gentle sweep, and it feels so good that I don’t want him to stop. His fingers play absently as he starts to talk. “When I got the diagnosis,” he says, “she couldn’t deal with it.” “Cancer?” I ask. He nods. His fingers drag up and down my shin, and he slides around to stroke the back of my knee. I don’t stop him when his hand slides beneath my skirt, although I do tense up. He smiles when he finds the top of my thigh-highs, and he unclips the little fastener that attaches them to my garters. He repeats the action on the other side, his hands teasing the sensitive skin of my inner thigh as he frees the stocking and rolls it down. He pulls it all the way over my foot, and does the same with the other side. I am suddenly really glad I shaved my legs this morning. I wiggle my toes at him, and he starts to stroke me again. I don’t ever want him to stop. “This okay?” he asks. But he’s not looking at my face. He’s looking at my legs. “Yeah,” I breathe. “Keep talking. You got diagnosed…” “I got diagnosed, and the prognosis wasn’t good. I went through chemo and got a little better. But then I needed a second round. Things didn’t look good, and we were flat broke. I couldn’t work at the tattoo parlor anymore because my immune system was too weak, so I had no money coming in. I was poor and sick, and she didn’t love me enough to walk the path with me.” He shrugs, but I can tell he’s serious. “She cheated with my best friend.” He shrugs again. “And that’s the end of that sad story.” “You still love her?” I ask. I don’t breathe, waiting for his answer. He shakes his head and looks up. “I did love her for a long time. And I haven’t been looking for a relationship. I haven’t dated anyone since her. But I’m not in love with her anymore. I know that now.” “Why now?” I ask. He looks directly into my eyes and says, “Because I met you, and I feel really hopeful that you’ll want to go after something real with me. I know we just met and all, but I was serious about making you fall in love with me.” He laughs. “Then you hit me in the nose tonight, and I knew it was meant to be.” “What?” I have no idea what he’s talking about. “When my brother Logan met Emily, she punched him in the face. And when Pete and Reagan first started dating, she hit him in the nose.” He reaches up and touches his nose gently. “So, when you hit me tonight, I just knew it was meant to be.” He grins. “I hope you feel the same way, because I really want to see where this thing is going to go.” “So the women your brothers fell in love with, they committed bodily harm to them and that’s how you guys knew it was real?” “We kind of have a rule. If a woman punches you in the face, you have to marry her.” He laughs. “I didn’t punch you.” “Same difference,” he says. “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. ~ Tammy Falkner, #NFDB
1375:That night at the Brooklyn party, I was playing the girl who was in style, the girl a man like Nick wants: the Cool Girl. Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl. Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men—friends, coworkers, strangers—giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much—no one loves chili dogs that much! And the Cool Girls are even more pathetic: They’re not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they’re pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. Oh, and if you’re not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version—maybe he’s a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he’s a hipster artist, so Cool Girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every fucking thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain. (How do you know you’re not Cool Girl? Because he says things like: “I like strong women.” If he says that to you, he will at some point fuck someone else. Because “I like strong women” is code for “I hate strong women.”) I waited patiently—years—for the pendulum to swing the other way, for men to start reading Jane Austen, learn how to knit, pretend to love cosmos, organize scrapbook parties, and make out with each other while we leer. And then we’d say, Yeah, he’s a Cool Guy. But it never happened. Instead, women across the nation colluded in our degradation! Pretty soon Cool Girl became the standard girl. Men believed she existed—she wasn’t just a dreamgirl one in a million. Every girl was supposed to be this girl, and if you weren’t, then there was something wrong with you. But it’s tempting to be Cool Girl. For someone like me, who likes to win, it’s tempting to want to be the girl every guy wants. When I met Nick, I knew immediately that was what he wanted, and for him, I guess I was willing to try. I will accept my portion of blame. The thing is, I was crazy about him at first. I found him perversely exotic, a good ole Missouri boy. He was so damn nice to be around. He teased things out in me that I didn’t know existed: a lightness, a humor, an ease. It was as if he hollowed me out and filled me with feathers. He helped me be Cool ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1376:I'm going to throw some suggestions at you now in rapid succession, assuming you are a father of one or more boys. Here we go: If you speak disparagingly of the opposite sex, or if you refer to females as sex objects, those attitudes will translate directly into dating and marital relationships later on. Remember that your goal is to prepare a boy to lead a family when he's grown and to show him how to earn the respect of those he serves. Tell him it is great to laugh and have fun with his friends, but advise him not to
be "goofy." Guys who are goofy are not respected, and people, especially girls and women, do not follow boys and men whom they disrespect. Also, tell your son that he is never to hit a girl under any circumstances. Remind him that she is not as strong as he is and that she is deserving of his respect. Not only should he not hurt her, but he should protect her if she is threatened. When he is strolling along with a girl on the street, he should walk on the outside, nearer the cars. That is symbolic of his responsibility to take care of her. When he is on a date, he should pay for her food and entertainment. Also (and this is simply my opinion), girls should not call boys on the telephone-at least not until a committed relationship has developed. Guys must be the initiators, planning the dates and asking for the girl's company. Teach your son to open doors for girls and to help them with their coats or their chairs in a restaurant. When a guy goes to her house to pick up his date, tell him to get out of the car and knock on the door. Never honk. Teach him to stand, in formal situations, when a woman leaves the room or a table or when she returns. This is a way of showing respect for her. If he treats her like a lady, she will treat him like a man. It's a great plan.
Make a concerted effort to teach sexual abstinence to your teenagers, just as you teach them to abstain from drug and alcohol usage and other harmful behavior. Of course you can do it! Young people are fully capable of understanding that irresponsible sex is not in their best interest and that it leads to disease, unwanted pregnancy, rejection, etc. In many cases today, no one is sharing this truth with teenagers. Parents are embarrassed to talk about sex, and, it disturbs me to say, churches are often unwilling to address the issue. That creates a vacuum into which liberal sex counselors have intruded to say, "We know you're going to have sex anyway, so why not do it right?" What a damning message that is. It is why herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases are spreading exponentially through the population and why unwanted pregnancies stalk school campuses. Despite these terrible social consequences, very little support is provided even for young people who are desperately looking for a valid reason to say no. They're told that "safe sex" is fine if they just use the right equipment. You as a father must counterbalance those messages at home. Tell your sons that there is no safety-no place to hide-when one lives in contradiction to the laws of God! Remind them repeatedly and emphatically of the biblical teaching about sexual immorality-and why someone who violates those laws not only hurts himself, but also wounds the girl and cheats the man she will eventually marry. Tell them not to take anything that doesn't belong to them-especially the moral purity of a woman. ~ James C Dobson,#NFDB
1377:Tuesday and Wednesday flew by. Dylan from 5B came over on Thursday. I didn’t smoke any pot, but I let him hotbox my apartment so I was even more completely stoned than I was the time before, except this time my eyebrows remained intact. We watched three episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and laughed our asses off. Dylan was actually pretty cute. He was tall and skinny and pale with buzzed hair, but he had these really blue eyes. That night he helped me carry my laundry to the basement.
“Hey Kate, you wanna go to the skate park with me tomorrow night?”
“I can’t, I have a date with a lesbian.”
His eyes shot open. “Oh, cool.”
“It’s not what you think.”
He smiled and shrugged. “It’s your business. Aren’t you still dating that douche wad in 9A?”
“Stephen? No, he dumped me last week. He’s dating someone else already.”
“His loss.” He said it so quickly and nonchalantly that I almost believed him.
We got to the basement door. Dylan pushed it open and walked in but paused in front of me. I leaned around his body and saw Stephen making out with a different girl than he had been with earlier that week. At first I didn’t recognize her, and then I saw her token pink scrunchie bobbing above her head. It was the bimbo from the sixth floor. Every time I saw her she was with a different guy.
Stephen turned and spotted me. “Kate, I thought you did your laundry on Mondays?” I contemplated sharing my thoughts on women in their thirties who still wear colorful hair pretties, but I chose to take the high road. Anyway, one or both of them would undoubtedly have a venereal disease by the end of the week, and that was my silver lining.
“Don’t talk to me, Stephen.” I coughed and mumbled, “Pencil dick” at the same time. Dylan stayed near the door. Everyone in the room watched me as I emptied my laundry bag into a washer. I added soap, stuck some quarters in, closed the lid, and turned to walk out. Just as I reached the opening, Dylan pushed me against the doorjamb and kissed me like he had just come back from war. I let him put on a full show until he moved his hand up and cupped my breast. I very discreetly said, “Uh-uh” through our mouths, and he pulled his hand away and slowed the kiss. When we pulled apart, I turned toward Stephen and the bimbo and shot them an ear-splitting smile.
“Hey, Steve”—I’d never called him Steve—“Will you text me when the washer is done? I’ll be busy in my apartment for a while.”
He nodded, still looking stunned.
I grabbed Dylan’s hand and pulled him into the elevator. Once the doors were closed, we both burst into laughter.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said.
“I wanted to. That asshole had it coming.”
“Well, thank you. You live with your mom, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Please don’t tell her about this. I can’t imagine what she would think of me.”
“I’m not that much younger than you, Kate.” He jabbed me in the arm playfully and smirked. “You need to lighten up. Anyway, my mom would be cool with it.”
“Well, I hope I didn’t give you the wrong idea.”
“Nah. We’re buddies, I get it. I’m kind of in love with that Ashley chick from the fourth floor. I just have to wait until next month when she turns eighteen, you know?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
I laughed. “You two would make a cute couple.” If only it were that simple. ~ Renee Carlino,#NFDB
1378:How did you find me?"
"I've followed you for a long time." He must have mistaken the look on my face for alarm or fear, and said, "Not literally. I just mean I never lost track."
But it wasn't fear, or anything like that. It was an instant of realization I'd have a lot in the coming days: I'd been thinking of him as coming back from the dead, but the fact was he'd been there all along. He'd been alive when I cried in my room over him being gone. He'd been alive when I started a new school without him, the day I made my first friend a Jones Hall, the time I ran into Ethan at the library. Cameron Quick and I had existed simultaneously on the planet during all of those moments. It didn't seem possible that we could have been leading separate lives, not after everything we'd been through together.
"...then I looked you up online," he was saying, "and found your mom's wedding announcement from before you changed your name. I didn't even need to do that. It's easy to find someone you never lost."
I struggled to understand what he was saying. "You mean...you could have written to me, or seen me, sooner?"
"I wanted to. Almost did, a bunch of times."
"Why didn't you? I wish you had." And I did, I wished it so much, imagined how it would have been to know all those years that he was there, thinking of me.
"Things seemed different for you," he said, matter-of-fact. "Better. I could tell that from the bits of information I found...like an interview with the parents who were putting their kids in your school when it first started. Or an article about that essay contest you won a couple years ago."
"You knew about that?"
He nodded. "That one had a picture. I could see just from looking at you that you had a good thing going. Didn't need me coming along and messing it up."
"Don't say that," I said quickly. Then: "You were never part of what I wanted to forget."
"Nice of you to say, but I know it's not true."
I knew what he was thinking, could see that he'd been carrying around the same burden all those years as me.
"You didn't do anything wrong." It was getting cold on the porch, and late, and the looming topic scared me. I got up. "Let's go in. I can make coffee or hot chocolate or something?"
"I have to go."
"No! Already?" I didn't want to let him out of my sight.
"Don't worry," he said. "Just have to go to work. I'll be around."
"Give me your number. I'll call you."
"I don't have a phone right now."
"Find me at school," I said, "or anytime. Eat lunch with us tomorrow." He didn't answer. "Really," I continued, "you should meet my friends and stuff."
"You have a boyfriend," he finally said. "I saw you guys holding hands."
I nodded. "Ethan."
"For how long?"
"Three months, almost." I couldn't picture Cameron Quick dating anyone, though he must have at some point. If I'd found Ethan, I was sure Cameron had some Ashley or Becca or Caitlin along the way. I didn't ask. "He's nice," I added. "He's..." I don't know what I'd planned to say, but whatever it was it seemed insignificant so I finished that sentence with a shrug.
"You lost your lisp."
And about twenty-five pounds, I thought. "I guess speech therapy worked for both of us."
He smiled. "I always liked that, you know. Your lisp. It was...you." He started down the porch steps. "See you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah," I said, unable to take my eyes off of him. "Tomorrow. ~ Sara Zarr,#NFDB
1379:This is the definition of peace.
The definition is interrupted by Toraf's ringtone. Why did Rachel get Toraf a phone? Does she hate me? Fumbling behind him in the sand, Galen puts a hand on it right before it stops ringing. He waits five seconds and...Yep, he's calling again.
"Hello?" he whispers.
"Galen, it's Toraf."
Galen snorts. "You think?"
"Rayna's ready to leave. Where are you?"
Galen sighs. “We’re on the beach. Emma’s still sleeping. We’ll walk back in a few minutes.” Emma braved her mom’s wrath by skipping curfew again last night to be with him. Grom’s mating ceremony is tomorrow, and Galen and Rayna’s attendance is required. He’ll have to leave her in Toraf’s care until he gets back.
“Sorry, Highness. I told you, Rayna’s ready to go. You have about two minutes of privacy. She’s heading your way. “The phone disconnects.
Galen leans down and sweeps his lips over her sweet neck. “Emma,” he whispers.
She sighs. “I heard him,” she groans drowsily. “You should tell Toraf that he doesn’t have to yell into the phone. And if he keeps doing it, I’m going to accidentally break it.”
Galen grins. “He’ll get the hang of it soon. He’s not a complete idiot.”
At this, Emma opens one eye.
He shrugs. “Well, three quarters maybe. But not a complete one.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” she says, sitting up and stretching.
“You know I do. But I think this mating ceremony will be interesting enough without introducing my Half-Breed girlfriend, don’t you think?”
Emma laughs and pulls her hair to one side, draping it over her shoulder. “This is our first time away from each other. You know, as a couple. We’ve only been really dating for two weeks now. What will I do without you?”
He pulls her to him, leaning her back against his chest. “Well, I’m hoping that this time when I come back, it won’t be to the sight of you kissing Toraf.”
The snickers beside them let them know their two minutes of privacy are up. “Yeah. Or someone’s gonna die,” Rayna says cordially.
Galen helps Emma up and swats the leftover sand out of her sundress. He takes her hands into his. “Could I please just ask one thing without you getting all mad about it?”
She scowls. “Let me guess. You don’t want me to get in the water while you’re gone.”
“But I’m not ordering you to stay out of it. I’m asking, no begging, very politely, and with all my heart for you not to get in. It’s your choice. But it would make me the happiest man-fish on the coast if you wouldn’t.” They sense the stalker almost daily now. That and the fact that Dr. Milligan blew his theory about Emma’s dad being a Half-Breed out of the water makes Galen more nervous than he can say. It means they still don’t have any answers about who could know about Emma. Or why they keep hanging around.
Emma rewards him with a breathtaking smile. “I won’t. Because you asked.”
Toraf was right. I just had to ask. He shakes his head. “Now I can sleep tonight.”
“That makes one of us. Don’t stay gone too long. Or Mark will sit by me at lunch.”
He grimaces. “I’ll hurry.” He leans down to kiss her. Behind them, he hears Rayna’s initial splash.
“She’s leaving without you,” Emma whispers on his lips.
“She could have left hours ago and I’d still catch her. Good-bye, angelfish. Be good.” He places a forceful kiss on her forehead, then gets a running start and dives in.
And he misses her already. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1380:Archaeologists who want to establish the date of a particular site have a number of techniques they can use. If they find organic material, say the bones of an animal, they can use radiocarbon dating. If they find the remains of wooden structures, a post or lintel say, they can use dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating. If they find a firepit they can use archaeomagnetic dating.
Radiocarbon dating works because, when alive, an organism takes in carbon from the air or through the food chain; carbon contains small amounts of the radioactive isotope carbon-14, which decays into nonradioactive standard carbon at a constant rate; when the organism dies it ceases to ingest carbon, so the proportion of carbon-14 in its remains steadily decays. Measuring the relative amount of carbon-14 content therefore establishes a fairly accurate date for the specimen.
Dendrochronology works because tree rings vary in width season by season according to the rainfall received, and so trees that grow in a given climatic region and historical period show similar ring-width patterns. Comparing the ring pattern to a known and dated local ring pattern establishes exactly the years in which the wood in the structure was growing.
Archaeomagnetic dating works because the earth's magnetic field changes direction over time gradually in a known way. Clays or other materials in a firepit, when fired and cooled, retain a weak magnetism that aligns with the earth's field, and this establishes a rough date for the firepit's last use.
There are still other techniques: potassium-argon dating, thermoluminescence dating, hydration dating, fission-track dating. But what I want the reader to notice is that each of these relies on some particular set of natural effects.
That a technology relies on some effect is general. A technology is always based on some phenomenon or truism of nature that can be exploited and used to a purpose. I say "always" for the simple reason that a technology that exploited nothing could achieve nothing. This is the third of the three principles I am putting forward, and it is just as important to my argument as the other two, combination and recursiveness. This principle says that if you examine any technology you find always at its center some effect that it uses. Oil refining is based on the phenomenon that different components or fractions of vaporized crude oil condense at different temperatures. A lowly hammer depends on the phenomenon of transmission of momentum (in this case from a moving object-the hammer-to a stationary one-the nail).
Often the effect is obvious. But sometimes it is hard to see, particularly when we are very familiar with the technology. What phenomenon does a truck use? A truck does not seem to be based on any particular law of nature. Nevertheless it does use a phenomenon-or, I should say, two. A truck is in essence a platform that is self-powered and can be moved easily. Central to its self-powering is the phenomenon that certain chemical substances (diesel fuel, say) yield energy when burned; and central to its ease of motion is the "phenomenon" that objects that roll do so with extremely low friction compared with ones that slide (which is used of course in the wheels and bearings). This last "phenomenon" is hardly a law of nature; it is merely a usable-and humble-natural effect. Still it is a powerful one and is exploited everywhere wheels or rolling parts are used. ~ W Brian Arthur,#NFDB
1381:I’m at my locker; the door is jammed, and I’m trying to yank it open. I finally get the door loose and there’s Josh, standing right there.
“Lara Jean…” He has this shell-shocked, confused expression on his face. “I’ve been trying to talk to you since last night. I came by, and nobody could find you…” He holds out my letter. “I don’t understand. What is this?”
“I don’t know…,” I hear myself say. My voice feels far away. It’s like I’m floating above myself, watching it all unfold.
“I mean, it’s from you, right?”
“Oh, wow.” I take a deep breath and accept the letter. I fight the urge to tear it up. “Where did you even get this?”
“It got sent to me in the mail.” Josh jams his hands into his pockets. “When did you write this?”
“Like, a long time ago,” I say. I let out a fake little laugh. “I don’t even remember when. It might have been middle school.” Good job, Lara Jean. Keep it up.
Slowly he says, “Right…but you mention going to the movies with Margot and Mike and Ben that time. That was a couple of years ago.”
I bite my bottom lip. “Right. I mean, it was kind of a long time ago. In the grand scheme of things.” I can feel tears coming on so close that if I break concentration even for a second, if I waver, I will cry and that will make everything worse, if such a thing is possible. I must be cool and breezy and nonchalant now. Tears would ruin that.
Josh is staring at me so hard I have to look away. “So then…Do you…or did you have feelings for me or…?”
“I mean, yes, sure, I did have a crush on you at one point, before you and Margot ever started dating. A million years ago.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything? Because, Lara Jean…God. I don’t know.” His eyes are on me, and they’re confused, but there’s something else, too. “This is crazy. I feel kind of blindsided.”
The way he’s looking at me now, I’m suddenly in a time warp back to a summer day when I was fourteen and he was fifteen, and we were walking home from somewhere. He was looking at me so intently I was sure he was going to try to kiss me. I got nervous, so I picked a fight with him and he never looked at me like that again.
Until this moment.
Don’t. Just please, don’t.
Whatever he’s thinking, whatever he wants to say, I don’t want to hear it. I will do anything, literally anything, not to hear it.
Before he can, I say, “I’m dating someone.”
Josh’s jaw goes slack. “What?”
What?
“Yup. I’m dating someone, someone I really really like, so please don’t worry about this.” I wave the letter like it’s just paper, trash, like once upon a time I didn’t literally pour my heart onto this page. I stuff it into my bag. “I was really confused when I wrote this; I don’t even know how it got sent out. Honestly, it’s not worth talking about. So please, please don’t say anything to Margot about it.”
He nods, but that’s not good enough. I need a verbal commitment. I need to hear the words come out of his mouth. So I add, “Do you swear? On your life?” If Margot was to ever find out…I would want to die.
“All right, I swear. I mean, we haven’t even spoken since she left.”
I let out a huge breath. “Great. Thanks.” I’m about to walk away, but then Josh stops me.
“Who’s the guy?”
“What guy?”
“The guy you’re dating.”
That’s when I see him. Peter Kavinsky, walking down the hallway. Like magic. Beautiful, dark-haired Peter. He deserves background music, he looks so good. “Peter. Kavinsky. Peter Kavinsky! ~ Jenny Han,#NFDB
1382:Each purpose, each mission, is meant to be fully lived to the point where it becomes empty, boring, and useless. Then it should be discarded. This is a sign of growth, but you may mistake it for a sign of failure. For instance, you may take on a business project, work at it for several years, and then suddenly find yourself totally disinterested. You know that if you stayed with it for another few years you would reap much greater financial reward than if you left the project now. But the project no longer calls you. You no longer feel interested in the project. You have developed skills over the last few years working on the project, but it hasn’t yet come to fruition. You may wonder, now that you have the skills, should you stick with it and bring the project to fruition, even though the work feels empty to you? Well, maybe you should stick with it. Maybe you are bailing out too soon, afraid of success or failure, or just too lazy to persevere. This is one possibility. Ask your close men friends if they feel you are simply losing steam, wimping out, or afraid to bring your project to completion. If they feel you are bailing out too soon, stick with it. However, there is also the possibility that you have completed your karma in this area. It is possible that this was one layer of purpose, which you have now fulfilled, on the way to another layer of purpose, closer to your deepest purpose. Among the signs of fulfilling or completing a layer of purpose are these: 1. You suddenly have no interest whatsoever in a project or mission that, just previously, motivated you highly. 2. You feel surprisingly free of any regrets whatsoever, for starting the project or for ending it. 3. Even though you may not have the slightest idea of what you are going to do next, you feel clear, unconfused, and, especially, unburdened. 4. You feel an increase in energy at the prospect of ceasing your involvement with the project. 5. The project seems almost silly, like collecting shoelaces or wallpapering your house with gas station receipts. Sure, you could do it, but why would you want to? If you experience these signs, it is probably time to stop working on this project. You must end your involvement impeccably, however, making sure there are no loose ends and that you do not burden anybody’s life by stopping your involvement. This might take some time, but it is important that this layer of your purpose ends cleanly and does not create any new karma, or obligation, that will burden you or others in the future. The next layer of your unfolding purpose may make itself clear immediately. More often, however, it does not. After completing one layer of purpose, you might not know what to do with your life. You know that the old project is over for you, but you are not sure of what is next. At this point, you must wait for a vision. There is no way to rush this process. You may need to get an intermediary job to hold you over until the next layer of purpose makes itself clear. Or, perhaps you have enough money to simply wait. But in any case, it is important to open yourself to a vision of what is next. You stay open to a vision of your deeper purpose by not filling your time with distractions. Don’t watch TV or play computer games. Don’t go out drinking beer with your friends every night or start dating a bunch of women. Simply wait. You may wish to go on a retreat in a remote area and be by yourself. Whatever it is you decide to do, consciously keep yourself open and available to receiving a vision of what is next. It will come. ~ David Deida, #NFDB
1383:Nice hammer,” Harlow said from behind me.
“Hey,” I said, glancing around casually to see if Winnie was with her. “Nice shiner.”
“You should see the other chick,” she muttered. “Can we talk?”
Setting down my hammer, I followed her away from the other guys. Harlow seemed tense and I worried something was wrong with Winnie.
“This is awkward and I feel weird coming here like this,” she said, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears. “Are you dating anyone?”
My breath caught. A fear rose up in my chest at the thought of Harlow wanting to date me. What would that mean for me and Winnie? The look in Harlow’s eyes calmed my terror. I might as well have been a brick wall based on the lack of attraction she showed.
“No.”
“Some girl was hugging you outside a restaurant. Wasn’t that a date?”
Frowning, I scratched at my jaw where I forgot to shave that morning. “That was a girl from high school. She might have been into me, but we went out as friends. I’m not dating anyone.”
“Winnie saw you with that girl and she got really upset. I know she’s not ready to have a boyfriend, but she wants you. Do you want her?”
Playing it cool might be the stud move, but I didn’t want to be a player. I wanted Winnie. Besides, for the second time in twenty four hours, someone close to Winnie wanted to play matchmaker. “Yes.”
Harlow nodded. “She’s messed up. You know that, right?”
“I know she’s fragile, yeah.”
“Winnie has a lot of phobias. Not stupid shit for attention, but real chronic problems that won’t go away because you’re hot. She’s been in therapy for years and gotten stronger, but she’ll never be okay.”
“I understand.”
Harlow bit her lip then nodded again. “Do you want to take her out to dinner tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Harlow smiled. “You better be chattier than that on the date or else no one will say anything. Winnie likely won’t say anything all night, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to. She just takes a long time to warm up to people.”
I wasn’t sure what Harlow saw on my face, but she grinned. “She really wants to warm up to you, Dylan. Don’t fuck it up, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.”
When Harlow narrowed her eyes, I was pretty sure she might hit me. “I appreciate the way you tried to save us that day. You showed balls and I respect that. With that said, you better be taking this seriously, understand?”
Leaning closer, I stared right into those suspicious eyes. “No one makes me feel like Winnie. If she needs to take it slow, we’ll go slow. If she wants to rush into it, we’ll rush. If she needs me to stand on my fucking head and sing the National Anthem, I’ll do it. So yes, I’m taking this very seriously,” I said, running a hand where short dark stubble took the place of my mohawk. “I told Winnie I would wait and I meant it. What you think is me being passive is just patience.”
“Okay,” Harlow said softly. “You know when I came to Ellsberg, I was pretty messed up. My family was dead and I was in this new place with strangers. Winnie took care of me. She became my sister and best friend. I love her like she’s blood. Nothing personal, but if you hurt her, I’ll have to kill you.”
“Fair enough,” I said, grinning.
“Smile all you want, buddy, but I’ve got moves.”
Harlow faked a punch, but I didn’t flinch. My mind was already focused on tomorrow. I hadn’t talked to Winnie since the day Nick’s dad showed up. I hadn’t seen her close up in weeks. I needed to be close to her even if she couldn’t do more than hide behind her hair all night. ~ Bijou Hunter,#NFDB
1384:You're trying to kiss Emma?" Rayna says, incredulous. "But you haven't even sifted yet, Galen."
"Sifted?" Emma asks.
Toraf laughs. "Princess, why don't we go for a swim? You know that storm probably dredged up all sorts of things for your collection." Galen nods a silent thank you to Toraf as he ushers his sister into the living room. For once, he's thankful for Rayna's hoard of human relics. He almost had to drag her to shore by her fin to get past all the old shipwrecks along this coast.
"We'll split up, cover more ground," Rayna's saying as they leave.
Galen feels Emma looking at him, but he doesn't acknowledge her. Instead, he watches the beach as Toraf and Rayna disappear in the waves, hand in hand. Galen shakes his head. No one should feel sorry for Toraf. He knows just exactly what he's doing. Something Galen wishes he could say of himself.
Emma puts a hand on his arm-she won't be ignored. "What is that? Sifted?"
Finally he turns, meets her gaze. "It's like dating to humans. Only, it goes a lot faster. And it has more of a purpose than humans sometimes do when they date."
"What purpose?"
"Sifting is our way of choosing a life mate. When a male turns eighteen, he usually starts sifting to find himself a companion. For a female whose company he will enjoy and ho will be suitable for producing offspring."
"Oh," she says, thoughtful. "And...you haven't sifted yet?"
He shakes his head, painfully aware of her hand still on his arm. She must realize it at the same time, because she snatches it away. "Why not?" she says, clearing her throat. "Are you not old enough to sift?"
"I'm old enough," he says softly.
"How old are you, exactly?"
"Twenty." He doesn't mean to lean closer to her-or does he?
"Is that normal? That you haven't sifted yet?"
He shakes his head. "It's pretty much standard for males to be mated by the time they turn nineteen. But my responsibilities as ambassador would take me away from my mate too much. It wouldn't be fair to her."
"Oh, right. Keeping a watch on the humans," she says quickly. "You're right. That wouldn't be fair, would it?"
He expects another debate. For her to point out, as she did last night, that if there were more ambassadors, he wouldn't have to shoulder the responsibility alone-and she would be right. But she doesn't debate. In fact, she drops the subject altogether.
Backing away from him, she seems intent on widening the space he'd closed between them. She fixes her expression into nonchalance. "Well, are you ready to help me turn into a fish?" she says, as if they'd been talking about this the whole time.
He blinks. "That's it?"
"What?"
"No more questions about sifting? No lectures about appointing more ambassadors?"
"It's not my business," she says with an indifferent shrug. "Why should I care whether or not you mate? And it's not like I'll be sifting-or sifted. After you teach me to sprout a fin, we'll be going our separate ways. Besides, you wouldn't care if I dated any humans, right?" With that, she leaves him there staring after her, mouth hanging open. At the door, she calls over her shoulder, "I'll meet you on the beach in fifteen minutes. I just have to call my mom and check in and change into my swimsuit." She flips her hair to the side before disappearing up the stairs.
He turns to Rachel, who's hand-drying a pan to death, eyebrows reaching for her hairline. He shrugs to her in askance, mouth still ajar. She sighs. "Sweet pea, what did you expect?"
"Something other than that. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1385:The Frays had never been a religiously observant family, but Clary loved Fifth Avenue at Christmas time. The air smelled like sweet roasted chestnuts, and the window displays sparkled with silver and blue, green and red. This year there were fat round crystal snowflakes attached to each lamppost, sending back the winter sunlight in shafts of gold. Not to mention the huge tree at Rockefeller Center. It threw its shadow across them as she and Simon draped themselves over the gate at the side of the skating rink, watching tourists fall down as they tried to navigate the ice.
Clary had a hot chocolate wrapped in her hands, the warmth spreading through her body. She felt almost normal—this, coming to Fifth to see the window displays and the tree, had been a winter tradition for her and Simon for as long as she could remember.
“Feels like old times, doesn’t it?” he said, echoing her thoughts as he propped his chin on his folded arms.
She chanced a sideways look at him. He was wearing a black topcoat and scarf that emphasized the winter pallor of his skin. His eyes were shadowed, indicating that he hadn’t fed on blood recently. He looked like what he was—a hungry, tired vampire.
Well, she thought. Almost like old times. “More people to buy presents for,” she said. “Plus, the always traumatic what-to-buy-someone-for-the-first-Christmas-after-you’ve-started-dating question.”
“What to get the Shadowhunter who has everything,” Simon said with a grin.
“Jace mostly likes weapons,” Clary sighed. “He likes books, but they have a huge library at the Institute. He likes classical music …” She brightened. Simon was a musician; even though his band was terrible, and was always changing their name—currently they were Lethal Soufflé—he did have training. “What would you give someone who likes to play the piano?”
“A piano.”
“Simon.”
“A really huge metronome that could also double as a weapon?”
Clary sighed, exasperated.
“Sheet music. Rachmaninoff is tough stuff, but he likes a challenge.”
“Now you’re talking. I’m going to see if there’s a music store around here.” Clary, done with her hot chocolate, tossed the cup into a nearby trash can and pulled her phone out. “What about you? What are you giving Isabelle?”
“I have absolutely no idea,” Simon said. They had started heading toward the avenue, where a steady stream of pedestrians gawking at the windows clogged the streets.
“Oh, come on. Isabelle’s easy.”
“That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about.” Simon’s brows drew together. “I think. I’m not sure. We haven’t discussed it. The relationship, I mean.”
“You really have to DTR, Simon.”
“What?”
“Define the relationship. What it is, where it’s going. Are you boyfriend and girlfriend, just having fun, ‘it’s complicated,’ or what? When’s she going to tell her parents? Are you allowed to see other people?”
Simon blanched. “What? Seriously?”
“Seriously. In the meantime—perfume!” Clary grabbed Simon by the back of his coat and hauled him into a cosmetics store that had once been a bank. It was massive on the inside, with rows of gleaming bottles everywhere. “And something unusual,” she said, heading for the fragrance area. “Isabelle isn’t going to want to smell like everyone else. She’s going to want to smell like figs, or vetiver, or—”
“Figs? Figs have a smell?” Simon looked horrified; Clary was about to laugh at him when her phone buzzed. It was her mother.
where are you? It’s an emergency. ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1386:It was discussed and decided that fear would be perpetuated globally in order that focus would stay on the negative rather than allow for soul expression to positively emerge. As people became more fearful and compliant, capacity for free thought and soul expression would diminish. There is a distinct inability to exert soul expression under mind control, and evolution of the human spirit would diminish along with freedom of thought when bombarded with constant negative terrors. Whether Bush and Cheney deliberately planned to raise a collective fear over collective conscious love is doubtful. They did not think, speak, or act in those terms. Instead, they knew that information control gave them power over people, and they were hell-bent to perpetuate it at all costs. Cheney, Bush, and other global elite ushering in the New World Order totally believed in the plan mapped out by artificial intelligence. They were allowing technology to dictate global control. “Life is like a video game,” Bush once told me at the rural multi-million dollar Lampe, Missouri CIA mind control training camp complex designed for Black Ops Special Forces where torture and virtual reality technologies were used. “Since I have access to the technological source of the plans, I dictate the rules of the game.” The rules of the game demanded instantaneous response with no time to consciously think and critically analyze. Constant conscious disruption of thought through television’s burst of light flashes, harmonics, and subconscious subliminals diminished continuity of conscious thought anyway, creating a deficit of attention that could easily be refocused into video game format. DARPA’s artificial intelligence was reliant on secrecy, and a terrifying cover for reality was chosen to divert people from the simple truth. Since people perceive aliens as being physical like them, it was decided that the technological reality could be disguised according to preconceptions. Through generations of genetic encoding dating back to the beginning of man, serpents incite an innate autogenic response system in humans to “freeze” in terror. George Bush was excited at the prospects of diverting people from truth by fear through perpetuating lizard-like serpent alien misconceptions. “People fear what they don’t know anyway. By compounding that fear with autogenic fear response, they won’t want to look into Pandora’s Box.” Through deliberate generation of fear; suppression of facts under the 1947 National Security Act; Bush’s stint as CIA director during Ford’s Administration; the Warren Commission’s whitewash of the Kennedy Assassination; secrecy artificially ensured by mind control particularly concerning DARPA, HAARP, Roswell, Montauk, etc; and with people’s fluidity of conscious thought rapidly diminishing; the secret government embraced the proverbial ‘absolute power that corrupts absolutely.’ According to New World Order plans being discussed at the Grove, plans for reducing the earth’s population was a high priority. Mass genocide of so-called “undesirables” through the proliferation of AIDS4 was high on Bush’s agenda. “We’ll annihilate the niggers at their source, beginning in South and East Africa and Haiti5.” Having heard Bush say those words is by far one of the most torturous things I ever endured. Equally as torturous to my being were the discussions on genetic engineering, human cloning, and depletion of earth’s natural resources for profit. Cheney remarked that no one would be able to think to stop technology’s plan. “I’ll destroy the planet first,” Bush had vowed. ~ Cathy O Brien, #NFDB
1387:Nights On Planet Earth
Heaven was originally precisely that: the starry sky, dating back to the earliest
Egyptian texts, which include magic spells that enable the soul to be sewn in the
body of the great mother, Nut, literally 'night,' like the seed of a plant, which is
also a jewel and a star. The Greek Elysian fields derive from the same celestial
topography: the Egyptian 'Field of Rushes,' the eastern stars at dawn where the
soul goes to be purified. That there is another, mirror world, a world of light, and
that this world is simply the sky—and a step further, the breath of the sky, the
weather, the very air—is a formative belief of great antiquity that has continued
to the present day with the godhead becoming brightness itself: dios/theos
(Greek); deus/divine/diana (Latin); devas (Sanskrit); daha (Arabic); day
(English).
—Susan Brind Morrow, Wolves and Honey
Gravel paths on hillsides amid moon-drawn vineyards,
click of pearls upon a polished nightstand
soft as rainwater, self-minded stars, oboe music
distant as the grinding of icebergs against the hull
of the self and the soul in the darkness
chanting to the ecstatic chance of existence.
Deep is the water and long is the moonlight
inscribing addresses in quicksilver ink,
building the staircase a lover forever pauses upon.
Deep is the darkness and long is the night,
solid the water and liquid the light. How strange
that they arrive at all, nights on planet earth.
Sometimes, not often but repeatedly, the past invades my dreams in the form of
a familiar neighborhood I can no longer locate,
a warren of streets lined with dark cafés and unforgettable bars, a place where I
can sing by heart every song on every jukebox,
a city that feels the way the skin of an octopus looks pulse-changing from color
to color, laminar and fluid and electric,
a city of shadow-draped churches, of busses on dim avenues, or riverlights, or
canyonlands, but always a city, and wonderful, and lost.
Sometimes it resembles Amsterdam, students from the ballet school like fanciful
15
gazelles shooting pool in pink tights and soft, shapeless sweaters,
or Madrid at 4AM, arguing the 18th Brumaire with angry Marxists, or Manhattan
when the snowfall crowns every trash-can king of its Bowery stoop,
or Chicago, or Dublin, or some ideal city of the imagination, as in a movie you
can neither remember entirely nor completely forget,
barracuda-faced men drinking sake like yakuza in a Harukami novel, women
sipping champagne or arrack, the rattle of beaded curtains in the back,
the necklaces of Christmas lights reflected in raindrops on windows, the taste of
peanuts and their shells crushed to powder underfoot,
always real, always elusive, always a city, and wonderful, and lost. All night I
wander alone, searching in vain for the irretrievable.
In
In
In
In
In
In
In
In
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
night
night
night
night
night
night
night
night
will
will
will
will
will
will
will
will
drink from a cup of ashes and yellow paint.
gossip with the clouds and grow strong.
cross rooftops to watch the sea tremble in a dream.
assemble my army of golden carpenter ants.
walk the towpath among satellites and cosmic dust.
cry to the roots of potted plants in empty offices.
gather the feathers of pigeons in a honey jar.
become an infant before your flag.
~ Campbell McGrath,#NFDB
1388:Well,” I said, trying to keep my tone light as I walked over to put my arms around his neck, though I had to stand on my toes to do so. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? You told me something about yourself that I didn’t know before-that you didn’t, er, care for your family, except for your mother. But that didn’t make me hate you…it made me love you a bit more, because now I know we have even more in common.”
He stared down at him, a wary look in his eyes. “If you knew the truth,” he said, “you wouldn’t be saying that. You’d be running.”
“Where would I go?” I asked, with a laugh I hoped didn’t sound as nervous to him as it did to me. “You bolted all the doors, remember? Now, since you shared something I didn’t know about you, may I share something you don’t know about me?”
Those dark eyebrows rose as he pulled me close. “I can’t even begin to imagine what this could be.”
“It’s just,” I said, “that I’m a little worried about rushing into this consort thing…especially the cohabitation part.”
“Cohabitation?” he echoed. He was clearly unfamiliar with the word.
“Cohabitation means living together,” I explained, feeling my cheeks heat up. “Like married people.”
“You said last night that these days no one your age thinks of getting married,” he said, holding me even closer and suddenly looking much more eager to stick around for the conversation, even though I heard the marina horn blow again. “And that your father would never approve it. But if you’ve changed your mind, I’m sure I could convince Mr. Smith to perform the ceremony-“
“No,” I said hastily. Of course Mr. Smith was somehow authorized to marry people in the state of Florida. Why not? I decided not to think about that right now, or how John had come across this piece of information. “That isn’t what I meant. My mom would kill me if I got married before I graduated from high school.”
Not, of course, that my mom was going to know about any of this. Which was probably just as well, since her head would explode at the idea of my moving in with a guy before I’d even applied to college, let alone at the fact that I most likely wasn’t going to college. Not that there was any school that would have accepted me with my grades, not to mention my disciplinary record.
“What I meant was that maybe we should take it more slowly,” I explained. “The past couple years, while all my friends were going out with boys, I was home, trying to figure out how this necklace you gave me worked. I wasn’t exactly dating.”
“Pierce,” he said. He wore a slightly quizzical expression on his face. “Is this the thing you think I didn’t know about you? Because for one thing, I do know it, and for another, I don’t understand why you think I’d have a problem with it.”
I’d forgotten he’d been born in the eighteen hundreds, when the only time proper ladies and gentlemen ever spent together before they were married was at heavily chaperoned balls…and that for most of the past two centuries, he’d been hanging out in a cemetery.
Did he even know that these days, a lot of people hooked up on first dates, or that the average age at which girls-and boys as well-lost their virginity in the United States was seventeen…my age?
Apparently not.
“What I’m trying to say,” I said, my cheeks burning brighter, “is that I’m not very experienced with men. So this morning when I woke up and found you in bed beside me, while it was really, super nice-don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it very much-it kind of freaked me out. Because I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of thing yet.” Or maybe the problem was that I wasn’t prepared for how ready I was… ~ Meg Cabot,#NFDB
1389:We both know Dad was my parental trash can, the fatherly receptacle on whom I dumped my emotions. Does she think because she offered me a blanket and chocolate-covered whatever that I'll just hand over the keys to my inner diary? Uh, no.
"I know you're eighteen now," she huffs. "I get it, okay? But you don't know everything. And you know what? I don't like secrets."
My head spins. The first day of the Rest of My Normal Life is not turning out as planned. I shake my head. "I guess I still don't understand what you're asking me."
She stomps her foot. "How long have you been dating him, Emma? How long have you and Galen been an item?"
Ohmysweetgoodness. "I'm not dating Galen," I whisper. "Why would you even think that?"
"Why would I think that? Maybe you should ask Mrs. Strickland. She's the one who told me how intimate you looked standing there in the hall. And she said Galen was beside himself when you wouldn't wake up. That he kept squeezing your hand."
Intimate? I let my backpack slide off my shoulder and onto the floor before I plot to the table and sit down. The room feels like a giant merry-go-round.
I am...embarrassed? No. Embarrassed is when you spill ketchup on your crotch and it leaves a red stain in a suspicious area.
Mortified? No. Mortified is when you experiment with tanning lotion and forget to put some on your feet, so it looks like you're wearing socks with your flip-flops and sundress.
Bewildered? Yep. That's it. Bewildered that after I screamed at him-oh yes, now I remember I screamed at him-he picked up my limp body, carried me all the way to the office, and stayed with me until help arrived. Oh, and he held my hand and sat beside me, too.
I cradle my face in my hands, imagining how close I came to going to school without knowing this. How close I came to walking up to Galen, telling him to take his tingles and shove them where every girl's thoughts have been since he got there. I groan into my laced fingers. "I can never face him again," I say to no one in particular.
Unfortunately, Mom thinks I'm talking to her. "Why? Did he break up with you?" She sits down next to me and pulls my hands from my face. "Is it because you wouldn't sleep with him?"
"Mom!" I screech. "No!"
She snatches her hand away. "You mean you did sleep with him?" Her lips quiver. This can't be happening.
"Mom, I told you, we're not dating!" Shouting is a dumb idea. My heartbeat ripples through my temples.
"You're not even dating him and you slept with him?" She's wringing her hands. Tears puddle in her eyes.
One Mississippi...two Mississippi...Is she freaking serious?...Three Mississippi...four Mississippi...Because I swear I'm about to move out... Five Mississippi...six Mississippi...I might as well sleep with him if I'm going to be accused of it anyway... Seven Mississippi...eight Mississippi...Ohmysweetgoodness, did I really just think that?...Nine Mississippi...ten Mississippi...Talk to your mother-now.
I keep my voice polite when I say, "Mom, I haven't slept with Galen, unless you count laying on the nurse's bed unconscious beside him. And we are not dating. We have never dated. Which is why he wouldn't need to break up with me. Have I missed anything?"
"What were you arguing about in the hall, then?"
"I actually don't remember. All I remember is being mad at him. Trust me, I'll find out. But right now, I'm late for school." I ease out of the chair and over to my backpack on the floor. Bending over is even stupider than shouting. I wish my head would just go ahead and fall off already. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1390:Footsteps from the stairwell startle him out of the past. He turns around as Emma's mother takes the last step into the dining area, Emma right behind her.
Mrs. McIntosh glides over and puts her arm around him. The smile on her face is genuine, but Emma's smile is more like a straight line. And she's blushing.
"Galen, it's very nice to meet you," she says, ushering him into the kitchen. "Emma tells me you're taking her to the beach behind your house today. To swim?"
"Yes, ma'am." Her transformation makes him wary.
She smiles. "Well, good luck with getting her in the water. Since I'm a little pressed for time, I can't follow you over there, so I just need to see your driver's license while Emma runs outside to get your plate number."
Emma rolls her eyes as she shuffles through a drawer and pulls out a pen and paper. She slams the door behind her when she leaves, which shakes the dishes on the wall.
Galen nods, pulls out his wallet, and hands over the fake license. Mrs. McIntosh studies it and rummages through her purse until she produces a pen-which she uses to write on her hand. “Just need your license number in case we ever have any problems. But we’re not going to have any problems, are we, Galen? Because you’ll always have my daughter-my only daughter-home on time, isn’t that right?”
He nods, then swallows. She holds out his license. When he accepts it, she grabs his wrist, pulling him close. She glances at the garage door and back to him. “Tell me right now, Galen Forza. Are you or are you not dating my daughter?”
Great. She still doesn’t believe Emma. If she won’t believe them anyway, why keep trying to convince her? If she thinks they’re dating, the time he intends to spend with Emma will seem normal. But if they spend time together and tell her they’re not dating, she’ll be nothing but suspicious. Possibly even spy on them-which is less than ideal.
So, dating Emma is the only way to make sure she mates with Grom. Things just get better and better. “Yes,” he says. “We’re definitely dating.”
She narrows her eyes. “Why would she tell me you’re not?”
He shrugs. “Maybe she’s ashamed of me.”
To his surprise, she chuckles. “I seriously doubt that, Galen Forza.” Her humor is short lived. She grabs a fistful of his T-shirt. “Are you sleeping with her?”
Sleeping…Didn’t Rachel say sleeping and mating are the same thing? Dating and mating are similar. But sleeping and mating are the same exact same. He shakes his head. “No, ma’am.”
She raises a no-nonsense brow. “Why not? What’s wrong with my daughter?”
That is unexpected. He suspects this woman can sense a lie like Toraf can track Rayna. All she’s looking for is honesty, but the real truth would just get him arrested. I’m crazy about your daughter-I’m just saving her for my brother. So he seasons his answer with the frankness she seems to crave. “There’s nothing wrong with your daughter, Mrs. McIntosh. I said we’re not sleeping together. I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”
She inhales sharply and releases him. Clearing her throat, she smoothes out his wrinkled shirt with her hand, then pats his chest. “Good answer, Galen. Good answer.”
Emma flings open the garage door and stops short. “Mom, what are you doing?”
Mrs. McIntosh steps away and stalks to the counter. “Galen and I were just chitchatting. What took you so long?”
Galen guesses her ability to sense a lie probably has something to do with her ability to tell one. Emma shoots him a quizzical look, but he returns a casual shrug. Her mother grabs a set of keys from a hook by the refrigerator and nudges her daughter out of the way, but not before snatching the paper out of her hand. ~ Anna Banks,#NFDB
1391:Are you falling asleep before midnight?" Cassie leaned over the edge of the couch to look at Jack. He was stretched out on the floor, his head resting against a pillow near the center of the couch, his eyes closed. She was now wide awake and headache free. He wasn't in so good a shape. "The new year is eighteen minutes away."
"Come kiss me awake in seventeen minutes."
She blinked at that lazy suggestion, gave a quick grin, and dropped Benji on his chest.
He opened one eye to look up at her as he settled his hand lightly on the kitten. "That's a no?"
She smiled. She was looking forward to dating him, but she was smart enough to know he'd value more what he had to work at.
He sighed. "That was a no. How much longer am I going to be on the fence with you?"
"Is that a rhetorical question or do you want an answer?" If this was the right relationship God had for her future, time taken now would improve it, not hurt it. She was ready to admit she was tired of being alone.
He scratched Benji under the chin and the kitten curled up on his chest and batted a paw at his hand. "Rhetorical. I'd hate to get my hopes up."
She leaned her chin against her hand, looking down at him. "I like you, Jack."
"You just figured that out?"
"I'll like you more when you catch my mouse."
"The only way we are going to catch T.J. is to turn this place into a cheese factory and help her get so fat and slow that she can no longer run and hide."
Or you could move your left hand about three inches to the right right and catch her."
Jack opened one eye and glanced toward his left. The white mouse was sitting motionless beside the plate he had set down earlier. "Let her have the cheeseburger. You put mustard on it."
"You're horrible."
He smiled. "I'm serious."
"So am I."
Jack leaned over, caught Cassie's foot, and tumbled her to the floor. "Oops."
"That wasn't fair. You scared my mouse."
Jack set the kitten on the floor. "Benji, go get her mouse."
The kitten took off after it.
"You're teaching her to be a mouser."
"Working on it. Come here. You owe me a kiss for the new year."
"Do I?" She reached over to the bowl of chocolates on the table and unwrapped a kiss. She popped the chocolate kiss into his mouth. "I called your bluff."
He smiled and rubbed his hand across her forearm braced against his chest. "That will last me until next year."
She glanced at the muted television. "That's two minutes away."
"Two minutes to put this year behind us." He slid one arm behind his head, adjusting the pillow.
She patted his chest with her hand. "That shouldn't take long." She felt him laugh. "It ended up being a very good year," she offered.
"Next year will be even better."
"Really? Promise?"
"Absolutely." He reached behind her ear and a gold coin reappeared. "What do you think? Heads you say yes when I ask you out, tails you say no?"
She grinned at the idea. "Are you cheating again?" She took the coin. "This one isn't edible," she realized, disappointed. And then she turned it over. "A real two-headed coin?"
"A rare find." He smiled. "Like you."
"That sounds like a bit of honey."
"I'm good at being mushy."
"Oh, really?"
He glanced over her shoulder. "Turn up the TV. There's the countdown."
She grabbed for the remote and hit the wrong button. The TV came on full volume just as the fireworks went off. Benji went racing past them spooked by the noise to dive under the collar of the jacket Jack had tossed on the floor. The white mouse scurried to run into the jacket sleeve.
"Tell me I didn't see what I think I just did."
"I won't tell you," Jack agreed, amused. He watched the jacket move and raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to rescue the kitten or the mouse? ~ Dee Henderson,#NFDB
1392:I put my hand on his forearm, I don't know why I do this, and it's not exactly natural, although it's not unnatural, except that I really want to touch his skin. It's smooth and tan just a little bit and feels like summer, like something familiar and warm and good, like my skin did on the first days aboard 'Fishful Thinking' before it salted and burned and peeled.
'We broke up three years after that.'
I sit back in my chair and give a sly smile. Relationships are complex and sometimes you can't really explain them to an outside party.
'I can't believe I just told you that'
'YES! YOU! ARE! LIVING! YOUR! FULL! LIFE!'
A third time. I am not imagining it.
'There you are.'
This time my heart does skip a beat. I look down at his arm, and we are still touching, and he has made no attempt to retract his arm or retreat. All my surroundings, the red formica table top, the pink yogurt, the blue sky, the green vegetables in the market, they all come alive in vibrant technicolor as the sun peers from behind a cloud. I am living my full life.
'Honesty in all things,' Byron adds, lifting his cup of yogurt for a toast of sorts.
I pull my hand away from him and the instant my hand is back by his side, I miss the warmth of his arm, the warmth of him. Honesty in all things. I should put my hand back, that's where it wants to be, that's Lily's lesson to me. Be present in the moment, give spontaneous affection. I'm suddenly aware I haven't spoken in a bit.
'Did you know that an octopus has three hearts?'
As soon as it comes out of my mouth, I realize I sound like that kid from 'Jerry McGuire.' 'Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?' I hope my question comes off almost a fraction as endearing.
'No,' Byron says with a glint in his eye that reads as curiosity, at least I hope that it does, but even if it doesn't I'm too into the inertia of the trivia to stop it.
'It's true, one heart called the systemic heart that functions much like the left side of the human heart, distributing blood throughout the heart, then two smaller branchial heart with gills that act like the right side of our hearts to pump the blood back.'
'What made you think of that?'
I smile. It may be entirely inappropriate first date conversation, but at least it doesn't bore me in the telling. I look up at the winsome August sky, marred only by the contrails of a passing jet, and a vaguely dachshund shaped cloud above the horizon. I don't believe in fate. I don't believe in love at first site. I don't believe in angels. I don't believe in heaven and that our loved ones are looking down on us, but the sun is so warm and the breeze is so cool and the company is so perfect and the whole afternoon so intoxicating, ti's hard not to hear Lily's voice dancing in the gentle wind, 'one! month! is Long! Enough TO! BE! SAD!'
...
'I recently lost someone close to me....I don't know, I feel her here today with us, you, me, her, three hearts, like an octopus,' I shrug.
If I were him, I would run. What a ridiculously creepy thing to say. I would run and I would not stop until I was home in my bed with a gallon of ice cream deleting my profile from every dating site I belonged to. Maybe it's because it's not rehearsed, maybe it's because it's as weird a thing to say as it is genuine, maybe it's because this is finally the man for me.
Byron stands and offers me his hand, 'Let's take a walk and you can tell me about her.'
The gentle untying of a shoe lace.
It takes me a minute to decide if I can do this, and I decide that I can, and I throw our yogurt dishes away, and I put my hand in his, and it's soft and warm, and instead of awkward fumbling, our hands clasp together like magnets and metal, like we've been hand-in-hand all along, and we are touching again.
... ~ Steven Rowley,#NFDB
1393:Before she could say anything more, Sabella swung around at the sound of Noah’s Harley purring to life behind the garage.
God. He was dressed in snug jeans and riding chaps. A snug dark T-shirt covered his upper body, conformed to it. And he was riding her way.
“Is there anything sexier than a man in riding chaps riding a Harley?” Kira asked behind her. “It makes a woman simply want to melt.”
And Sabella was melting. She watched as he pulled around the side of the garage then took the gravel road that led to the back of the house. The sound of the Harley purred closer, throbbing, building the excitement inside her.
“I think it’s time for me to leave,” Kira said with a light laugh. “Don’t bother to see me out.”
Sabella didn’t. She listened as the Harley drew into the graveled lot behind the house and moved to the back door. She opened it, stepping out on the back deck as he swung his legs over the cycle and strode toward her.
That long-legged lean walk. It made her mouth water. Made her heart throb in her throat as hunger began to race through her.
“The spa treated you well,” he announced as he paused at the bottom of the steps and stared back at her. “Feel like messing your hair up and going out this evening? We could have dinner in town. Ride around a little bit.”
She hadn’t ridden on a motorcycle since she was a teenager. She glanced at the cycle, then back to Noah.
“I’d need to change clothes.”
His gaze flickered over her short jeans skirt, her T-shirt.
“That would be a damned shame too,” he stated. “I have to say, Ms. Malone, you have some beautiful legs there.”
No one had ever been as charming as Nathan. She remembered when they were dating, how he would just show up, out of the blue, driving that monster pickup of his and grinning like a rogue when he picked her up. He’d been the epitome of a bad boy, and he had been all hers. He was still all hers.
“Bare legs and motorcycles don’t exactly go together,” she pointed out.
He nodded soberly, though his eyes had a wicked glint to them. “This is a fact, beautiful. And pretty legs like that, we wouldn’t want to risk.”
She leaned against the porch post and stared back at him. “I have a pickup, you know.” She propped one hand on her hip and stared back at him.
“Really?” Was that avarice she saw glinting in his eyes, or for just the slightest second, pure, unadulterated joy at the mention of that damned pickup?
He looked around. “I haven’t seen a pickup.”
“It’s in the garage,” she told him carelessly. “A big black monster with bench seats. Four-by-four gas-guzzling alpha-male steel and chrome.”
He grinned. He was so proud of that damned pickup.
“Where did something so little come up with a truck that big?” he teased her then.
She shrugged. “It belonged to my husband. Now, it belongs to me.” That last statement had his gaze sharpening.
“You drive it?”
“All the time,” she lied, tormenting him. “I don’t have to worry about pinging it now that my husband is gone. He didn’t like pings.”
Did he swallow tighter?
“It’s pinged then?”
She snorted. “Not hardly. Do you want to drive the monster or question me about it? Or I could change into jeans and we could ride your cycle. Which is it?”
Which was it? Noah stared back at her, barely able to contain his shock that she had kept the pickup. He knew for a fact there were times the payments on the house and garage had gone unpaid—his “death” benefits hadn’t been nearly enough—almost risking her loss of both during those first months of his “death.” Knowing she had held on to that damned truck filled him with more pleasure than he could express. Knowing she was going to let someone who wasn’t her husband drive it filled him with horror.
The contradictor feelings clashed inside him, and he promised himself he was going to spank her for this. ~ Lora Leigh,#NFDB
1394:Well, I know you don’t want to talk about it anymore, but I signed you up for that computer match thingy.”
Why is it that so many people over the age of sixty refer to everything on the Internet as some sort of “computer thing”?
Helen was trying to contain her laughter. “Laura, do you mean Match.com?”
My father was groaning audibly now.
“Yes, that’s it. Charles helped me put up her profile.”
“Oh my god, Mother. Are you kidding me?”
Helen jumped out of her seat and started running toward the computer in my dad’s home office, which was right off the dining room.
“Get out of there, Helen,” my dad yelled, but she ignored him.
I chased after her, but she stuck her arm out, blocking me from the monitor. “No, I have to see it!” she shouted.
“Stop it, girls,” my mother chided.
“Move, bitch.” We were very mature for our age.
“This is the best day of my life. Your mommy made a Match profile for you!”
“Actually, Chuck made it,” my mother yelled from across the hall.
Oh shit.
Helen typed my name in quickly. My prom picture from nine years ago popped up on the screen. My brother had cropped Steve Dilbeck out of the photo the best he could, but you could still see Steve’s arms wrapped around my purple chiffon–clad waist. “You’re joking. You’re fucking joking.”
“Language, Charlotte!” my dad yelled.
“Mom,” I cried, “he used my prom photo! What is wrong with him?” I still had braces at eighteen. I had to wear them for seven years because my orthodontist said I had the worst teeth he had ever seen. You know how sharks have rows of teeth? Yeah, that was me. I blame my mother and the extended breastfeeding for that one, too. My brother, Chuck the Fuck, used to tease me, saying it was leftovers of the dead Siamese twin I had absorbed in utero. My brother’s an ass, so it’s pretty awesome that he set up this handy dating profile for me. In case you hadn’t noticed, our names are Charlotte and Charles. Just more parental torture. Would it be dramatic to call that child abuse?
Underneath my prom photo, I read the profile details while Helen laughed so hard she couldn’t breath.
My name is Charlotte and I am an average twenty-seven year-old. If you looked up the word mediocre in the dictionary you would see a picture of me—more recent than this nine-year-old photo, of course, because at least back then I hadn’t inked my face like an imbecile.
Did I forget to mention that I have a tiny star tattooed under my left eye? Yes, I’d been drunk at the time. It was a momentary lapse of judgment. It would actually be cute if it was a little bigger, but it’s so small that most people think it’s a piece of food or a freckle. I cover it up with makeup.
I like junk food and watching reality TV. My best friend and I like to drink Champagne because it makes us feel sophisticated, then we like to have a farting contest afterward. I’ve had twelve boyfriends in the last five years so I’m looking for a lifer. It’s not a coincidence that I used the same term as the one for prisoners ineligible for parole.
“Chuck the Fuck,” Helen squeaked through giggles.
I turned and glared at her. “He still doesn’t know that you watched him jerk off like a pedophile when he was fourteen.”
“He’s only three years younger than us.”
“Four. And I will tell him. I’ll unleash Chuck the Fuck on you if you don’t quit.”
My breasts are small and my butt is big and I have a moderately hairy upper lip. I also don’t floss, clean my retainer, or use mouthwash with any regularity.
“God, my brother is so obsessed with oral hygiene!”
“That’s what stood out to you? He said you have a mustache.” Helen grinned.
“Girls, get out of there and come clear the table,” my dad yelled.
“What do you think the password is?”
“Try ‘Fatbutt,’ ” I said.
“Yep, that worked. Okay, I’ll change your profile while you clear the table. ~ Renee Carlino,#NFDB
1395:I.
How well I know what I mean to do
When the long dark autumn-evenings come:
And where, my soul, is thy pleasant hue?
With the music of all thy voices, dumb
In life's November too!
II.
I shall be found by the fire, suppose,
O'er a great wise book as beseemeth age,
While the shutters flap as the cross-wind blows
And I turn the page, and I turn the page,
Not verse now, only prose!
III.
Till the young ones whisper, finger on lip,
``There he is at it, deep in Greek:
``Now then, or never, out we slip
``To cut from the hazels by the creek
``A mainmast for our ship!''
IV.
I shall be at it indeed, my friends:
Greek puts already on either side
Such a branch-work forth as soon extends
To a vista opening far and wide,
And I pass out where it ends.
V.
The outside-frame, like your hazel-trees:
But the inside-archway widens fast,
And a rarer sort succeeds to these,
And we slope to Italy at last
And youth, by green degrees.
VI.
I follow wherever I am led,
Knowing so well the leader's hand:
Oh woman-country, wooed not wed,
Loved all the more by earth's male-lands,
Laid to their hearts instead!
VII.
Look at the ruined chapel again
Half-way up in the Alpine gorge!
Is that a tower, I point you plain,
Or is it a mill, or an iron-forge
Breaks solitude in vain?
VIII.
A turn, and we stand in the heart of things:
The woods are round us, heaped and dim;
From slab to slab how it slips and springs,
The thread of water single and slim,
Through the ravage some torrent brings!
IX.
Does it feed the little lake below?
That speck of white just on its marge
Is Pella; see, in the evening-glow,
How sharp the silver spear-heads charge
When Alp meets heaven in snow!
X.
On our other side is the straight-up rock;
And a path is kept 'twixt the gorge and it
By boulder-stones where lichens mock
The marks on a moth, and small ferns fit
Their teeth to the polished block.
XI.
Oh the sense of the yellow mountain-flowers ,
And thorny balls, each three in one,
The chestnuts throw on our path in showers!
For the drop of the woodland fruit's begun,
These early November hours,
XII.
That crimson the creeper's leaf across
Like a splash of blood, intense, abrupt,
O'er a shield else gold from rim to boss,
And lay it for show on the fairy-cupped
Elf-needled mat of moss,
XIII.
By the rose-flesh mushrooms, undivulged
Last evening-nay, in to-day's first dew
Yon sudden coral nipple bulged,
Where a freaked fawn-coloured flaky crew
Of toadstools peep indulged.
XIV.
And yonder, at foot of the fronting ridge
That takes the turn to a range beyond,
Is the chapel reached by the one-arched bridge
Where the water is stopped in a stagnant pond
Danced over by the midge.
XV.
The chapel and bridge are of stone alike,
Blackish-grey and mostly wet;
Cut hemp-stalks steep in the narrow dyke.
See here again, how the lichens fret
And the roots of the ivy strike!
XVI.
Poor little place, where its one priest comes
On a festa-day, if he comes at all,
To the dozen folk from their scattered homes,
Gathered within that precinct small
By the dozen ways one roams-
XVII.
To drop from the charcoal-burners ' huts,
Or climb from the hemp-dressers' low shed,
Leave the grange where the woodman stores his nuts,
Or the wattled cote where the fowlers spread
Their gear on the rock's bare juts.
XVIII.
It has some pretension too, this front,
With its bit of fresco half-moon-wise
Set over the porch, Art's early wont:
'Tis John in the Desert, I surmise,
But has borne the weather's brunt-
XIX.
Not from the fault of the builder, though,
For a pent-house properly projects
Where three carved beams make a certain show,
Dating-good thought of our architect's-
'Five, six, nine, he lets you know.
XX.
And all day long a bird sings there,
And a stray sheep drinks at the pond at times;
The place is silent and aware;
It has had its scenes, its joys and crimes,
But that is its own affair.
XXI.
My perfect wife, my Leonor,
Oh heart, my own, oh eyes, mine too,
Whom else could I dare look backward for,
With whom beside should I dare pursue
The path grey heads abhor?
XXII.
For it leads to a crag's sheer edge with them;
Youth, flowery all the way, there stops-
Not they; age threatens and they contemn,
Till they reach the gulf wherein youth drops,
One inch from life's safe hem!
XXIII.
With me, youth led I will speak now,
No longer watch you as you sit
Reading by fire-light, that great brow
And the spirit-small hand propping it,
Mutely, my heart knows how-
XXIV.
When, if I think but deep enough,
You are wont to answer, prompt as rhyme;
And you, too, find without rebuff
Response your soul seeks many a time
Piercing its fine flesh-stuff.
XXV.
My own, confirm me! If I tread
This path back, is it not in pride
To think how little I dreamed it led
To an age so blest that, by its side,
Youth seems the waste instead?
XXVI.
My own, see where the years conduct!
At first, 'twas something our two souls
Should mix as mists do; each is sucked
In each now: on, the new stream rolls,
Whatever rocks obstruct.
XXVII.
Think, when our one soul understands
The great Word which makes all things new,
When earth breaks up and heaven expands,
How will the change strike me and you
ln the house not made with hands?
XXVIII.
Oh I must feel your brain prompt mine,
Your heart anticipate my heart,
You must be just before, in fine,
See and make me see, for your part,
New depths of the divine!
XXIX.
But who could have expected this
When we two drew together first
Just for the obvious human bliss,
To satisfy life's daily thirst
With a thing men seldom miss?
XXX.
Come back with me to the first of all,
Let us lean and love it over again,
Let us now forget and now recall,
Break the rosary in a pearly rain,
And gather what we let fall!
XXXI.
What did I say?-that a small bird sings
All day long, save when a brown pair
Of hawks from the wood float with wide wings
Strained to a bell: 'gainst noon-day glare
You count the streaks and rings.
XXXII.
But at afternoon or almost eve
'Tis better; then the silence grows
To that degree, you half believe
It must get rid of what it knows,
Its bosom does so heave.
XXXIII.
Hither we walked then, side by side,
Arm in arm and cheek to cheek,
And still I questioned or replied,
While my heart, convulsed to really speak,
Lay choking in its pride.
XXXIV.
Silent the crumbling bridge we cross,
And pity and praise the chapel sweet,
And care about the fresco's loss,
And wish for our souls a like retreat,
And wonder at the moss.
XXXV.
Stoop and kneel on the settle under,
Look through the window's grated square:
Nothing to see! For fear of plunder,
The cross is down and the altar bare,
As if thieves don't fear thunder.
XXXVI.
We stoop and look in through the grate,
See the little porch and rustic door,
Read duly the dead builder's date;
Then cross the bridge that we crossed before,
Take the path again-but wait!
XXXVII.
Oh moment, one and infinite!
The water slips o'er stock and stone;
The West is tender, hardly bright:
How grey at once is the evening grown-
One star, its chrysolite!
XXXVIII.
We two stood there with never a third,
But each by each, as each knew well:
The sights we saw and the sounds we heard,
The lights and the shades made up a spell
Till the trouble grew and stirred.
XXXIX.
Oh, the little more, and how much it is!
And the little less, and what worlds away!
How a sound shall quicken content to bliss,
Or a breath suspend the blood's best play,
And life be a proof of this!
XL.
Had she willed it, still had stood the screen
So slight, so sure, 'twixt my love and her:
I could fix her face with a guard between,
And find her soul as when friends confer,
Friends-lovers that might have been.
XLI.
For my heart had a touch of the woodland-time,
Wanting to sleep now over its best.
Shake the whole tree in the summer-prime,
But bring to the Iast leaf no such test!
``Hold the last fast!'' runs the rhyme.
XLII.
For a chance to make your little much,
To gain a lover and lose a friend,
Venture the tree and a myriad such,
When nothing you mar but the year can mend:
But a last leaf-fear to touch!
XLIII.
Yet should it unfasten itself and fall
Eddying down till it find your face
At some slight wind-best chance of all!
Be your heart henceforth its dwelling-place
You trembled to forestall!
XLIV.
Worth how well, those dark grey eyes,
That hair so dark and dear, how worth
That a man should strive and agonize,
And taste a veriest hell on earth
For the hope of such a prize!
XIIV.
You might have turned and tried a man,
Set him a space to weary and wear,
And prove which suited more your plan,
His best of hope or his worst despair,
Yet end as he began.
XLVI.
But you spared me this, like the heart you are,
And filled my empty heart at a word.
If two lives join, there is oft a scar,
They are one and one, with a shadowy third;
One near one is too far.
XLVII.
A moment after, and hands unseen
Were hanging the night around us fast
But we knew that a bar was broken between
Life and life: we were mixed at last
In spite of the mortal screen.
XLVIII.
The forests had done it; there they stood;
We caught for a moment the powers at play:
They had mingled us so, for once and good,
Their work was done-we might go or stay,
They relapsed to their ancient mood.
XLIX.
How the world is made for each of us!
How all we perceive and know in it
Tends to some moment's product thus,
When a soul declares itself-to wit,
By its fruit, the thing it does
L.
Be hate that fruit or love that fruit,
It forwards the general deed of man,
And each of the Many helps to recruit
The life of the race by a general plan;
Each living his own, to boot.
LI.
I am named and known by that moment's feat;
There took my station and degree;
So grew my own small life complete,
As nature obtained her best of me-
One born to love you, sweet!
LII.
And to watch you sink by the fire-side now
Back again, as you mutely sit
Musing by fire-light, that great brow
And the spirit-small hand propping it,
Yonder, my heart knows how!
LIII.
So, earth has gained by one man the more,
And the gain of earth must be heaven's gain too;
And the whole is well worth thinking o'er
When autumn comes: which I mean to do
One day, as I said before.
~ Robert Browning, By The Fire-Side
,#NFDB
1396:To E. Fitzgerald: Tiresias
OLD FITZ, who from your suburb grange,
Where once I tarried for a while,
Glance at the wheeling orb of change,
And greet it with a kindly smile;
Whom yet I see as there you sit
Beneath your sheltering garden-tree,
And watch your doves about you flit,
And plant on shoulder, hand, and knee,
Or on your head their rosy feet,
As if they knew your diet spares
Whatever moved in that full sheet
Let down to Peter at his prayers;
Who live on milk and meal and grass;
And once for ten long weeks I tried
Your table of Pythagoras,
- And seem'd at first "a thing enskied,"
As Shakespeare has it, airy-light
To float above the ways of men,
Then fell from that half-spiritual height
Chill'd, till I tasted flesh again
One night when earth was winter-b]ack,
And all the heavens flash'd in frost;
And on me, half-asleep, came back
That wholesome heat the blood had lost,
And set me climbing icy capes
And glaciers, over which there roll'd
To meet me long-arm'd vines with grapes
Of Eshcol hugeness- for the cold
Without, and warmth within me, wrought
To mould the dream; but none can say
That Lenten fare makes Lenten thought
Who reads your golden Eastern lay,
Than which I know no version done
In English more divinely well;
A planet equal to the sun
Which cast it, that large infidel
Your Omar, and your Omar drew
Full-handed plaudits from our best
In modern letters, and from two,
857
Old friends outvaluing all the rest,
Two voices heard on earth no more;
But we old friends are still alive,
And I am nearing seventy-four,
While you have touch'd at seventy-five,
And so I send a birthday line
Of greeting; and my son, who dipt
In some forgotten book of mine
With sallow scraps of manuscript,
And dating many a year ago,
Has hit on this, which you will take,
My Fitz, and welcome, as I know,
Less for its own than for the sake
Of one recalling gracious times,
When, in our younger London days,
You found some merit in my rhymes,
And I more pleasure in your praise.
TIRESIAS
I WISH I were as in the years of old
While yet the blessed daylight made itself
Ruddy thro' both the roofs of sight, and woke
These eyes, now dull, but then so keen to seek
The meanings ambush'd under all they saw,
The flight of birds, the flame of sacrifice,
What omens may foreshadow fate to man
And woman, and the secret of the Gods.
My son, the Gods, despite of human prayer,
Are slower to forgive than human kings.
The great God Ares burns in anger still
Against the guiltless heirs of him from Tyre
Our Cadmus, out of whom thou art, who found
Beside the springs of Dirce, smote, and still'd
Thro' all its folds the multitudinous beast
The dragon, which our trembling fathers call'd
The God's own son.
A tale, that told to me,
When but thine age, by age as winter-white
As mine is now, amazed, but made me yearn
For larger glimpses of that more than man
858
Which rolls the heavens, and lifts and lays the deep,
Yet loves and hates with mortal hates and loves,
And moves unseen among the ways of men.
Then, in my wanderings all the lands that lie
Subjected to the Heliconian ridge
Have heard this footstep fall, altho' my wont
Was more to scale the highest of the heights
With some strange hope to see the nearer God.
One naked peak‹the sister of the Sun
Would climb from out the dark, and linger there
To silver all the valleys with her shafts‹
There once, but long ago, five-fold thy term
Of years, I lay; the winds were dead for heatThe noonday crag made the hand burn; and sick
For shadow‹not one bush was near‹I rose
Following a torrent till its myriad falls
Found silence in the hollows underneath.
There in a secret olive-glade I saw
Pallas Athene climbing from the bath
In anger; yet one glittering foot disturb'd
The lucid well; one snowy knee was prest
Against the margin flowers; a dreadful light
Came from her golden hair, her golden helm
And all her golden armor on the grass,
And from her virgin breast, and virgin eyes
Remaining fixt on mine, till mine grew dark
For ever, and I heard a voice that said
"Henceforth be blind, for thou hast seen too much,
And speak the truth that no man may believe."
Son, in the hidden world of sight that lives
Behind this darkness, I behold her still
Beyond all work of those who carve the stone
Beyond all dreams of Godlike womanhood,
Ineffable beauty, out of whom, at a glance
And as it were, perforce, upon me flash'd
The power of prophesying‹but to me
No power so chain'd and coupled with the curse
Of blindness and their unbelief who heard
And heard not, when I spake of famine, plague
Shrine-shattering earthquake, fire, flood, thunderbolt,
859
And angers of the Gods for evil done
And expiation lack'd‹no power on Fate
Theirs, or mine own! for when the crowd would roar
For blood, for war, whose issue was their doom,
To cast wise words among the multitude
Was fiinging fruit to lions; nor, in hours
Of civil outbreak, when I knew the twain
Would each waste each, and bring on both the yoke
Of stronger states, was mine the voice to curb
The madness of our cities and their kings.
Who ever turn'd upon his heel to hear
My warning that the tyranny of one
Was prelude to the tyranny of all?
My counsel that the tyranny of all
Led backward to the tyranny of one?
This power hath work'd no good to aught that lives
And these blind hands were useless in their wars.
O. therefore, that the unfulfill'd desire,
The grief for ever born from griefs to be
The boundless yearning of the prophet's heart‹
Could that stand forth, and like a statue, rear'd
To some great citizen, wim all praise from all
Who past it, saying, "That was he!"
In vain!
Virtue must shape itself im deed, and those
Whom weakness or necessity have cramp'd
Withm themselves, immerging, each, his urn
In his own well, draws solace as he may.
Menceceus, thou hast eyes, and I can hear
Too plainly what full tides of onset sap
Our seven high gates, and what a weight of war
Rides on those ringing axlesl jingle of bits,
Shouts, arrows, tramp of the horn-footed horse
That grind the glebe to powder! Stony showers
Of that ear-stunning hail of Ares crash
Along the sounding walls. Above, below
Shock after shock, the song-built towers and gates
Reel, bruised and butted with the shuddering
War-thunder of iron rams; and from within
The city comes a murmur void of joy,
Lest she be taken captive‹maidens, wives,
And mothers with their babblers of the dawn,
860
And oldest age in shadow from the night,
Falling about their shrines before their Gods,
And wailing, "Save us."
And they wail to thee!
These eyeless eyes, that cannot see thine own,
See this, that only in thy virtue lies
The saving of our Thebes; for, yesternight,
To me, the great God Ares, whose one bliss
Is war and human sacrifice‹himself
Blood-red from battle, spear and helmet tipt
With stormy light as on a mast at sea,
Stood out before a darkness, crying, "Thebes,
Thy Thebes shall fall and perish, for I loathe
The seed of Cadmus‹yet if one of these
By his own hand‹if one of these‹"
My son, No sound is breathed so potent to coerce,
And to conciliate, as their names who dare
For that sweet mother land which gave them birth
Nobly to do, nobly to die. Their names,
Graven on memorial columns, are a song
Heard in the future; few, but more than wall
And rampart, their examples reach a hand
Far thro' all years, and everywhere they meet
And kindle generous purpose, and the strength
To mould it into action pure as theirs.
Fairer thy fate than mine, if life's best end
Be to end well! and thou refusing this,
Unvenerable will thy memory be
While men shall move the lips; but if thou dare‹
Thou, one of these, the race of Cadmus‹then
No stone is fitted in yon marble girth
Whose echo shall not tongue thy glorious doom,
Nor in this pavement but shall ring thy name
To every hoof that clangs it, and the springs
Of Dirce laving yonder battle-plain,
Heard from the roofs by night, will murmur thee
To thine own Thebes, while Thebes thro' thee shall stand
Firm-based with all her Gods.
The Dragon's cave
Half hid, they tell me, now in flowing vines‹
Where once he dwelt and whence he roll'd himself
861
At dead of night‹thou knowest, and that smooth rock
Before it, altar-fashion'd, where of late
The woman-breasted Sphinx, with wings drawn back
Folded her lion paws, and look'd to Thebes.
There blanch the bones of whom she slew, and these
Mixt with her own, because the fierce beast found
A wiser than herself, and dash'd herself
Dead in her rage; but thou art wise enough
Tho' young, to love thy wiser, blunt the curse
Of Pallas, bear, and tho' I speak the truth
Believe I speak it, let thine own hand strike
Thy youthful pulses into rest and quench
The red God's anger, fearing not to plunge
Thy torch of life in darkness, rather thou
Rejoicing that the sun, the moon, the stars
Send no such light upon the ways of men
As one great deed.
Thither, my son, and there
Thou, that hast never known the embrace of love
Offer thy maiden life.
This useless hand!
I felt one warm tear fall upon it. Gone!
He will achieve his greatness.
But for me I would that I were gather'd to my rest,
And mingled with the famous kings of old
On whom about their ocean-islets flash
The faces of the Gods‹the wise man's word
Here trampled by the populace underfoot
There crown'd with worship and these eyes will find
The men I knew, and watch the chariot whirl
About the goal again, and hunters race
The shadowy lion, and the warrior-kings
In height and prowess more than human, strive
Again for glory, while the golden lyre
Is ever sounding in heroic ears
Heroic hymns, and every way the vales
Wind, clouded with the grateful incense-fume
Of those who mix all odor to the Gods
On one far height in one far-shining fire.
-------------------------
862
"One height and one far-shining fire!"
And while I fancied that my friend
For this brief idyll would require
A less diffuse and opulent end,
And would defend his judgment well,
If I should deem it over nice‹
The tolling of his funeral bell
Broke on my Pagan Paradise,
And mixt the dream of classic times,
And all the phantoms of the dream,
With present grief, and made the rhymes,
That miss'd his living welcome, seem
Like would-be guests an hour too late,
Who down the highway moving on
With easy laughter find the gate
Is bolted, and the master gone.
Gone onto darkness, that full light
Of friendship! past, in sleep, away
By night, into the deeper night!
The deeper night? A clearer day
Than our poor twilight dawn on earth‹
If night, what barren toil to be!
What life, so maim'd by night, were worth
Our living out? Not mine to me
Remembering all the golden hours
Now silent, and so many dead,
And him the last; and laying flowers,
This wreath, above his honor'd head,
And praying that, when I from hence
Shall fade with him into the unknown,
My close of earth's experience
May prove as peaceful as his own.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson,#NFDB
8 Integral Yoga
7 Fiction
5 Occultism
4 Psychology
1 Poetry
1 Integral Theory
1 Christianity
7 H P Lovecraft
7 Carl Jung
6 The Mother
5 Satprem
3 Sri Aurobindo
2 Jorge Luis Borges
7 Lovecraft - Poems
3 Aion
2 The Secret Doctrine
2 The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
2 Mysterium Coniunctionis
2 Agenda Vol 08
0 1960-07-18 - triple time vision, Questions and Answers is like circling around the Garden, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Of course, were dating all these old Questions and Answers, but not everyone pays attention to dates. How can those old ones be mixed with the present things which are on an altogether different plane?
There is an experience in which one is entirely outside of time that is, ahead, behind, above, below, all these things are one and the same. And at the very moment the identification takes place, there is no longer any past, present or future. And really, its the only way to know.
0 1962-01-09, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But following that, and because of the overwork, an old thing I thought I had cured has come back. It was originally brought on by overwork when I was going to the Playground and resting only two hours out of twenty-four, which wasnt enougha sort of ulcer formed between my nose and throat. Its an old complaint, dating from the removal of adenoids in my childhood; the operation left a kind of small cavity, which was nothing in itself, except that occasionally it would give me a cold. But as a result of overwork it came back in the form of an ulcer, and gave me artificial colds; it was so sour and corrosive, a terrible irritation in the throat and nose. It got much worse when I was giving classes at the Playground, and once I showed it to the doctor. Why, you have an ulcer! he said. A big fuss. He offered to treat me. No thanks! I said. Dont worry, it will pass. And I began my own yogic treatment. It was over in a week and for three years there was no further sign of it. Recently (the last two or three months) I had felt it trying to come back, for exactly the same reason of overwork. And with that little adventure the other day, it did come backit gave me one of those stupid colds: sneezing, coughing. Its not quite over yet. But its nothing, it just gives me an excuse (laughing) to tell people I am still not quite well!
I am resting.
0 1966-10-22, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But since the beginning of this century and up till now, the change that has taken place on the earthin the realms of thought, activities, products, inventionsis fantastic! Its so fantastic that things dating from the beginning of the century appear antiquated, as if they were almost two hundred years old. Its strange.
Things are clearly moving fast.
0 1967-03-25, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(The disciple reads out to Mother an "old" conversation dating from ... two weeks ago.)
Its gone. As soon as its said, its gone and away. When things are read back to me, I dont remember what I said, it comes like something new.
0 1967-11-Prayers of the Consciousness of the Cells, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(We publish here the second series of the "Prayers of the Consciousness of the Cells", dating from after 1959, as Mother gave them to the disciple in 1970, collected under this title.)
July, 1965
1.03 - To Layman Ishii, #Beating the Cloth Drum Letters of Zen Master Hakuin, #unset, #Zen
This letter, dating from Hakuin's forty-ninth year, is addressed to his friend and student Ishii Gentoku
(1671-1751), a physician who resided in Hina village, six miles west of the Hara post station.
--
2. Dead otter (shi-katsudatsu) Zen, according to a glossary of Zen terms dating from shortly after
Hakuin's time, refers to quietist practices employed in the St school's silent illumination Zen. The
1.05 - Christ, A Symbol of the Self, #Aion, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
writings dating from about a.d. 150. The unknown author un-
derstands good and evil as the right and left hand of God, and
1.06 - The Sign of the Fishes, #Aion, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
of the inscription make the acrostic Ichthys. dating is uncertain (3rd~5th cent.).
Cf. Doelger, I, pp. i2ff.
1.07 - Savitri, #Twelve Years With Sri Aurobindo, #Nirodbaran, #Integral Yoga
So far the account of the procedure which was followed for working on the three Books seems approximately correct. We have been considerably helped by some dates mentioned before in the account. But in what follows about the rest of the epic, I am afraid that the report cannot claim as much exactness owing to my lapse of memory. I can sum up the position obtained at this stage by quoting Sri Aurobindo's letter to Amal in 1946. After investigating all the documents available, we have come to the following conclusions about the rest of the Books. Book IV, The Book of Birth and Quest, is fairly revised by Sri Aurobindo. Several versions before the end of 1938 have been worked upon these versions are expansions of much older drafts, one of them possibly dating back to Baroda. The revised version was later corrected and amplified with my help as scribe and has been divided into four Cantos. In re-doing Book V, The Book of Love, Sri Aurobindo took up, at a certain point, an earlier version than that of 1936. There are quite a number of versions with various titles before 1936. Here too, originally there were no different Cantos. There are three old versions of The Book of Fate of equal length. They were called Canto II, and fairly short. One of these versions was expanded into enormous length and developed into two Cantos, the very last touches given almost during the final month of Sri Aurobindo's life. An instance of the expansion is the passage "O singer of the ultimate ecstasy... will is Fate." There was no Book of Yoga in the original scheme of the poem. One old version called Book III, Death, has been changed into The Book of Yoga. It was enormously expanded and named Canto I. All the rest of the six Cantos were totally new and dictated. They were all at first divided into Cantos with different titles. Apparently all these Cantos except the first one are entirely new. I could get no trace of any old versions from which they could have been developed. I am now amazed to see that so many lines could have been dictated day after day, like The Book of Everlasting Day. The Book of Death contains three old versions all called Canto III; the final version is constructed from one of these and from another version some lines are taken to be inserted into The Book of Eternal Night, Canto IV, Night, of the early version served as the basis of The Book of Eternal Night. It was revised, lines were added and split into two Cantos. Then in the typescript further revisions took place. Canto I, first called The Passage into the Void of Night, was changed into Towards the Black Void. Book X, The Book of the Double Twilight, called only Twilight, Canto V in the earlier versions of which there are four or five, had no division into Cantos. From these early versions a fair number of lines have been taken and woven into a larger version. The old lines are now not always in their original form. Book XI had three old drafts. One which was larger than the other two has been used for the final version and was enormously expanded; even whole passages running into hundreds of lines have been added, as I have mentioned before. About The Epilogue, except for a few additions, it almost reproduces the single old version.
Now we can go into the detailed working procedure of all these later Books. I had to take now a more and more prominent part as scribe, for after the completion of the fourth Book, The Book of Birth and Quest, from 1944 or so, Sri Aurobindo's eyesight began to grow dim and he didn't want to strain his eyes by going through all the old manuscripts with their faint, small handwriting. So I was asked to bring out these old versions from the drawer; I now had access to all the manuscripts. Most of them were in loose sheets of notebook size written on one side. Unfortunately no dates were given to suggest when they were written. I was asked to read aloud Book by Book before him, but I don't remember by what method we proceeded. Did we give a general reading to all the Books before we started with the actual working on them individually? Or did we go about systematically finishing one Book after another? Perhaps the latter. Taking this procedure to be probable, I was asked when there were more than one version of a Book, to read them, sometimes all, sometimes one or two and selecting out of them the best one, he indicated the lines to be marked in the margin for inclusion; sometimes lines or passages were taken from other versions too. As I have shown, and as Sri Aurobindo's dictated letter has already hinted, all these Books were either thoroughly revised or almost entirely rewritten.
1.07 - The Prophecies of Nostradamus, #Aion, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
it coincides in a remarkable way with the new system of dating,
the revolutionary calendar, which began with September 22,
1.10 - The Secret of the Veda, #Vedic and Philological Studies, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
But the ritualistic interpretation of the Rigveda does not stand on the authority of Sayana alone. It is justified by Shankaracharyas rigid division of karmakanda and jnanakanda and by a long tradition dating back to the propaganda of Buddha which found in the Vedic hymns a great system of ceremonial or effective sacrifice and little or nothing more. Even the Brahmanas in their great mass & minuteness seem to bear unwavering testimony to the pure ritualism of the Veda. But the Brahmanas are in their nature rubrics of directions to the priests for the right performance of the outward Vedic sacrifice,that system of symbolic & effective offerings to the gods of Soma-wine, clarified butter or consecrated animals in which the complex religion of the Veda embodied itself for material worship,rubrics accompanied by speculative explanations of old ill-understood details & the popular myths & traditions that had sprung up from obscure allusions in the hymns. Whatever we may think of the Brahmanas, they merely affirm the side of outward ritualism which had grown in a huge & cumbrous mass round the first simple rites of the Vedic Rishis; they do not exclude the existence of deeper meanings & higher purposes in the ancient Scripture. Not only so, but they practically affirm them by including in the Aranyakas compositions of a wholly different spirit & purpose, the Upanishads, compositions professedly intended to bring out the spiritual gist and drift of the earlier Veda. It is clear therefore that to the knowledge or belief of the men of those times the Vedas had a double aspect, an aspect of outward and effective ritual, believed also to be symbolical,for the Brahmanas are continually striving to find a mystic symbolism in the most obvious details of the sacrifice, and an aspect of highest & divine truth hidden behind these symbols. The Upanishads themselves have always been known as Vedanta. This word is nowadays often used & spoken of as if it meant the end of Veda, in the sense that here historically the religious development commenced in the Rigveda culminated; but obviously it means the culmination of Veda in a very different sense, the ultimate and highest knowledge & fulfilment towards which the practices & strivings of the Vedic Rishis mounted, extricated from the voluminous mass of the Vedic poems and presented according to the inner realisation of great Rishis like Yajnavalkya & Janaka in a more modern style and language. It is used much in the sense in which Madhuchchhandas, son of Viswamitra, says of Indra, Ath te antamnm vidyma sumatnm, Then may we know something of thy ultimate right thinkings, meaning obviously not the latest, but the supreme truths, the ultimate realisations. Undoubtedly, this was what the authors of the Upanishads themselves saw in their work, statements of supreme truth of Veda, truth therefore contained in the ancient mantras. In this belief they appeal always to Vedic authority and quote the language of Veda either to justify their own statements of thought or to express that thought itself in the old solemn and sacred language. And with regard to this there are spoken these Riks.
In what light did these ancient thinkers understand the Vedic gods? As material Nature Powers called only to give worldly wealth to their worshippers? Certainly, the Vedic gods are in the Vedanta also accredited with material functions. In the Kena Upanishad Agnis power & glory is to burn, Vayus to seize & bear away. But these are not their only functions. In the same Upanishad, in the same apologue, told as a Vedantic parable, Indra, Agni & Vayu, especially Indra, are declared to be the greatest of the gods because they came nearest into contact with the Brahman. Indra, although unable to recognise the Brahman directly, learned of his identity from Uma daughter of the snowy mountains. Certainly, the sense of the parable is not that Dawn told the Sky who Brahman was or that material Sky, Fire & Wind are best able to come into contact with the Supreme Existence. It is clear & it is recognised by all the commentators, that in the Upanishads the gods are masters not only of material functions in the outer physical world but also of mental, vital and physical functions in the intelligent living creature. This will be directly evident from the passage describing the creation of the gods by the One & Supreme Being in the Aitareya Upanishad & the subsequent movement by which they enter in the body of man and take up the control of his activities. In the same Upanishad it is even hinted that Indra is in his secret being the Eternal Lord himself, for Idandra is his secret name; nor should we forget that this piece of mysticism is founded on the hymns of the Veda itself which speak of the secret names of the gods. Shankaracharya recognised this truth so perfectly that he uses the gods and the senses as equivalent terms in his great commentary. Finally in the Isha Upanishad,itself a part of the White Yajur Veda and a work, as I have shown elsewhere, full of the most lofty & deep Vedantic truth, in which the eternal problems of human existence are briefly proposed and masterfully solved,we find Surya and Agni prayed to & invoked with as much solemnity & reverence as in the Rigveda and indeed in language borrowed from the Rigveda, not as the material Sun and material Fire, but as the master of divine God-revealing knowledge & the master of divine purifying force of knowledge, and not to drive away the terrors of night from a trembling savage nor to burn the offered cake & the dripping ghee in a barbarian ritual, but to reveal the ultimate truth to the eyes of the Seer and to raise the immortal part in us that lives before & after the body is ashes to the supreme felicity of the perfected & sinless soul. Even subsequently we have seen that the Gita speaks of the Vedas as having the supreme for their subject of knowledge, and if later thinkers put it aside as karmakanda, yet they too, though drawing chiefly on the Upanishads, appealed occasionally to the texts of the hymns as authorities for the Brahmavidya. This could not have been if they were merely a ritual hymnology. We see therefore that the real Hindu tradition contains nothing excluding the interpretation which I put upon the Rigveda. On one side the current notion, caused by the immense overgrowth of ritualism in the millennium previous to the Christian era and the violence of the subsequent revolt against it, has been fixed in our minds by Buddhistic ideas as a result of the most formidable & damaging attack which the ancient Vedic religion had ever to endure. On the other side, the Vedantic sense of Veda is supported by the highest authorities we have, the Gita & the Upanishads, & evidenced even by the tradition that seems to deny or at least belittle it. True orthodoxy therefore demands not that we should regard the Veda as a ritualist hymn book, but that we should seek in it for the substance or at least the foundation of that sublime Brahmavidya which is formally placed before us in the Upanishads, regarding it as the revelation of the deepest truth of the world & man revealed to illuminated Seers by the Eternal Ruler of the Universe.
1.49 - Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals, #The Golden Bough, #James George Frazer, #Occultism
religious rite. Doubtless this was a very ancient ceremony, dating
from a time when both the pig and the mouse were venerated as
1960 01 05, #On Thoughts And Aphorisms, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It should be noted that for the most part the dates in this section are those of the written questions. The Mother sometimes answered long after the question was submitted to her, without dating her reply. Some of the questions and answers towards the end of this section were oral.
13They told me, These things are hallucinations. I inquired what was a hallucination and found that it meant a subjective or psychical experience which corresponds to no objective or no physical reality. Then I sat and wondered at the miracles of the human reason.
1f.lovecraft - Cool Air, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
The place was a four-story mansion of brownstone, dating apparently
from the late forties, and fitted with woodwork and marble whose
1f.lovecraft - He, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
well-furnished, and panelled library dating from the first quarter of
the eighteenth century, with splendid doorway pediments, a delightful
1f.lovecraft - Old Bugs, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
without warning the storm burst. Evil habits, dating from a first drink
taken years before in woodland seclusion, made themselves manifest in
1f.lovecraft - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
dating. Plainly, a part of the latter-day programme had been a sedulous
imitation of the old wizards writing, which Charles seemed to have
1f.lovecraft - The Horror at Red Hook, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
dating from the first quarter to the middle of the nineteenth century,
and some of the obscurer alleys and byways have that alluring antique
1f.lovecraft - The Mound, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
long-headed skulls except in ancient Pueblo deposits dating back 2500
years or more; yet this mans long-headedness was so pronounced that I
1f.lovecraft - The Shunned House, #Lovecraft - Poems, #unset, #Zen
great unkempt yard dating from a time when the region was partly open
country. It does not appear that he ever wrote or spoke of it, nor is
1.rb - By The Fire-Side, #Browning - Poems, #Robert Browning, #Poetry
dating-good thought of our architect's-
'Five, six, nine, he lets you know.
2.02 - THE EXPANSION OF LIFE, #The Phenomenon of Man, #Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, #Christianity
placental group, the insectivores and the rodents both dating
from the end of the Secondary era.
2.03 - THE ENIGMA OF BOLOGNA, #Mysterium Coniunctionis, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
[90] Another parallel, but dating from late antiquity, is mentioned by Maier. It is one of the Platonic Riddles and runs: A man that was not a man, seeing yet not seeing, in a tree that was not a tree, smote but did not smite with a stone that was not a stone a bird that was not a bird, sitting yet not sitting.237 The solution is: A one-eyed eunuch grazed with a pumice-stone a bat hanging from a bush.238 This joke was, of course, too obvious to lend itself to alchemical evaluation. Similarly, the Epigram of the Hermaphrodite was not, so far as I know, taken up by the alchemists, though it might have been a more suitable subject for exegesis. This kind of jest probably underlies the Aelia inscription. The seriousness with which the alchemists took it, however, is justified not only because there is something serious in every joke, but because paradox is the natural medium for expressing transconscious facts. Hindu philosophy, which likewise struggled to formulate transcendental concepts, often comes very near to the paradoxes so beloved of the alchemists, as the following example shows: I am not a man, neither am I a god, a goblin, a Brahmin, a warrior, a merchant, a shudra, nor disciple of a Brahmin, nor householder, nor hermit of the forest, nor yet mendicant pilgrim: Awakener to Myself is my name.239
[91] Another source that needs seriously considering is mentioned by Richard White of Basingstoke.240 He maintains that Aelia Laelia is Niobe transformed, and he supports this interpretation by referring to an epigram attri buted to Agathias Scholasticus, a Byzantine historian:241
2.05 - Habit 3 Put First Things First, #The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, #Stephen Covey, #unset
Everything went according to schedule until it came to Carol. They had been dating for a long period of time, and he had finally come to the conclusion that a continued relationship would not work out. So, congruent with his efficiency mode, he had scheduled a 10- to 15-minute telephone call to tell her.
But the news was very traumatic to her. One-and-a-half hours later, he was still deeply involved in a very intense conversation with her. Even then, the one visit was not enough. The situation was a very frustrating experience for them both.
3.02 - The Psychology of Rebirth, #The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
this sort, dating back to the Stone Age, were widely diffused, as
may be seen from numerous other traces that can be found else-
4.04 - THE REGENERATION OF THE KING, #Mysterium Coniunctionis, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
This verse confirms the decrepit condition of the king, who apart from his original defect, or because of it, is also suffering from senile debility. It was a bold stroke for a canon to identify the king with the Ancient of Days from Daniel 7 : 9: I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garments were white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. There can be no doubt that Ripley the alchemist was here speculating over the head of Ripley the cleric to hit upon an idea that in the Middle Ages must have seemed like blasphemy: the identification of the transformative substance with God. To our way of thinking this kind of allegory or symbolization is the height of absurdity and unintelligibility. It was even hard for the Middle Ages to swallow.79 But where it met with acceptance, as in philosophical alchemy, it does much to explain the hymnlike or at any rate highly emotional language of some of the treatises. We have here, in fact, a new religious declaration: God is not only in the unspotted body of Christ and continually present in the consecrated Host butand this is the novel and significant thinghe is also hidden in the cheap, despised, common-or-garden substance, even in the uncleanness of this world, in filth.80 He is to be found only through the art, indeed he is its true object and is capable of progressive transformationDeo adjuvante. This strange theologem did not, of course, mean that for the alchemists God was nothing but a substance that could be obtained by chemical transformationfar from it. Such an aberration was reserved rather for those moderns who put matter or energy in the place of God. The alchemists, so far as they were still pagans, had a more mystical conception of God dating from late antiquity, which, as in the case of Zosimos, could be described as Gnostic; or if they were Christians, their Christianity had a noticeable admixture of hea thenish magical ideas about demons and divine powers and an anima mundi inherent or imprisoned in physical nature. The anima mundi was conceived as that part of God which formed the quintessence and real substance of Physis, and which was to Godto use an apt expression of Isidore81as the accrescent soul (
, grown-on) was to the divine soul of man. This accrescent soul was a second soul that grew through the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms up to man, pervading the whole of nature, and to it the natural forms were attached like appendages (
5 - The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales, #The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, #Carl Jung, #Psychology
hinham concludebantur"). A codex dating apparently from the
eleventh century says: "At the end of the mass, instead of the
BOOK II. -- PART III. ADDENDA. SCIENCE AND THE SECRET DOCTRINE CONTRASTED, #The Secret Doctrine, #H P Blavatsky, #Theosophy
the latter towards the North-West, were certainly of an Atlantean origin -- dating back hundreds of
thousands of years before the Neolithic Period in Europe, -- but they had so diverged from the parent
--
Were they aboriginal, or the outcome of some immigration dating back into the unknown past? The
latter is the only tenable hypothesis, as all scientists agree in eliminating Europe from the category of
BOOK II. -- PART II. THE ARCHAIC SYMBOLISM OF THE WORLD-RELIGIONS, #The Secret Doctrine, #H P Blavatsky, #Theosophy
the Book of Hermes -- every one of these dating no further back than two or three centuries B.C."
Ewald came down still harder on Chwolsohn, and finally M. Renan. In the "Revue Germanique,"**
Book of Imaginary Beings (text), #unset, #Arthur C Clarke, #Fiction
head. dating from the Middle Ages, it becomes a four-legged
cock with a crown, yellow feathers, wide thorny wings, and
--
another, dating earlier, he is placed close to the South Pole,
below the constellations of the antipodes. The Etruscans had
--
which has been attri buted to Lactantius, and an AngloSaxon imitation of it dating from the eighth century. Ter
tulius, St Ambrose, and Cyrillus of Jerusalem have used the
Diamond Sutra 1, #unset, #Arthur C Clarke, #Fiction
Once: According to the system established by Chih-yi (530- 597) for ordering the Buddhas sutras, from the time of his Enlightenment the Buddhas teachings progressed through five periods: the Avatamsaka period of interpenetration of unity and multiplicity, which lasted three weeks and which comprised the teaching of the Avatamsaka Sutra; the Agama period of mental analysis, which lasted twelve years; the Vaipulya period of harmony and balance, which lasted eight years; the Prajna period of radical wisdom, which lasted twenty-two years and which included this and other perfection of wisdom sutras; and the Saddharma period of the full lotus, which lasted eight years and which concluded with the Lotus and Nirvana sutras. Since the Buddhas Enlightenment is said to have occurred in 432 B.C., this sutra would have been spoken around 400 B.C. (Note: I have followed Hajime Nakamuras dating of the Buddha, which is based on sources of the Northern tradition rather than the Southern tradition of Sri Lanka.)
Buddhist scholars, however, consider such an attri bution dubious and insist that, given the nature of this teaching, the scriptures of the prajna period could not have been composed much earlier than a century or two before the Christian Era when the first signs of Mahayana Buddhism appeared in India.
Talks With Sri Aurobindo 2, #Talks With Sri Aurobindo, #unset, #Zen
we may quote a sonnet of his dating to the same period as these Talks (18
October 1939 thru 7 February 1940 )
The Act of Creation text, #The Act of Creation, #Arthur Koestler, #Psychology
lonius of Perga, dating from the fourth century B.C., gave the ellipse
to Kepler who built on it a new astronomy and to Guarini, who
--
exceptions to the rule, relief figures dating as far back as 2400 B.c., u
which show foreshortening and dynamic motion; if there had been a
--
ings dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, which show
that even artists reputed for their meticulousness can be indifferent or
--
paintings dating back to the thirteenth century, under a coating of
chalk on the church walls. The restoration of the paintings was en-
Valery as Symbol, #Labyrinths, #Jorge Luis Borges, #Poetry
discrepancies that have exasperated the critics; hence the custom of dating
his poems in places where he had never been; hence the fact that, on one
--- Overview of noun dating
The noun dating has 1 sense (no senses from tagged texts)
1. dating, geological dating ::: (use of chemical analysis to estimate the age of geological specimens)
--- Overview of verb date
The verb date has 5 senses (first 3 from tagged texts)
1. (1) date ::: (go on a date with; "Tonight she is dating a former high school sweetheart")
2. (1) date, date stamp ::: (stamp with a date; "The package is dated November 24")
3. (1) date ::: (assign a date to; determine the (probable) date of; "Scientists often cannot date precisely archeological or prehistorical findings")
4. go steady, go out, date, see ::: (date regularly; have a steady relationship with; "Did you know that she is seeing an older man?"; "He is dating his former wife again!")
5. date ::: (provide with a dateline; mark with a date; "She wrote the letter on Monday but she dated it Saturday so as not to reveal that she procrastinated")
--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun dating
1 sense of dating
Sense 1
dating, geological dating
=> chemical analysis, qualitative analysis
=> analysis
=> investigation, investigating
=> work
=> activity
=> act, deed, human action, human activity
=> event
=> psychological feature
=> abstraction, abstract entity
=> entity
--- Hyponyms of noun dating
1 sense of dating
Sense 1
dating, geological dating
=> potassium-argon dating
=> radiocarbon dating, carbon dating, carbon-14 dating
=> rubidium-strontium dating
--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun dating
1 sense of dating
Sense 1
dating, geological dating
=> chemical analysis, qualitative analysis
--- Coordinate Terms (sisters) of noun dating
1 sense of dating
Sense 1
dating, geological dating
-> chemical analysis, qualitative analysis
=> urinalysis, uranalysis
=> scatology
=> polarography
=> quantitative analysis, quantitative chemical analysis
=> spectroscopy, spectrometry, spectroscopic analysis, spectrum analysis, spectrographic analysis
=> dialysis
=> dating, geological dating
=> thermogravimetry
--- Grep of noun dating
carbon-14 dating
carbon dating
dating
geological dating
misdating
potassium-argon dating
radioactive dating
radiocarbon dating
rubidium-strontium dating
updating
Wikipedia - Absolute dating
Wikipedia - Adam4Adam -- Online dating website for men
Wikipedia - Age of Earth -- Scientific dating of the age of the Earth
Wikipedia - Alex Bayliss -- British archaeologist, Head of Scientific Dating at Historic England
Wikipedia - Amino acid dating
Wikipedia - Anno Lucis -- Dating system used in Freemasonry
Wikipedia - Archaeomagnetic dating
Wikipedia - Ashley Madison -- Canadian online dating service
Wikipedia - Badoo -- Dating-focused social networking service
Wikipedia - Beachy Head Lady -- The skeleton of a woman from Roman Sussex, dating to the 3rd century
Wikipedia - Before Present -- Calendar based on 1950 CE (around when radiocarbon dating was developed and nuclear weapons testing artificially altered the proportion of carbon isotopes)
Wikipedia - Boyfriend Dungeon -- Dungeon crawler-dating sim indie game
Wikipedia - Bride & Prejudice (TV series) -- Australian reality dating television show
Wikipedia - Bumble (app) -- Social and dating app
Wikipedia - Caloosahatchee Formation -- Geologic formation in Florida. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period.
Wikipedia - Carbon-14 dating
Wikipedia - Carbon dating the Dead Sea Scrolls
Wikipedia - Carbon dating
Wikipedia - Casual dating
Wikipedia - Category:All Wikipedia articles in need of updating
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from April 2016
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from August 2016
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from August 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from December 2011
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from December 2015
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from December 2018
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from December 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from February 2013
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from February 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from February 2021
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2017
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2018
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2019
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2021
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from July 2012
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from July 2015
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from July 2017
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from July 2019
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from July 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from June 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from March 2015
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from March 2017
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from March 2018
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from March 2021
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2012
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2017
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2019
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2012
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2013
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2015
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2016
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2018
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2019
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from October 2013
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from October 2016
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from October 2018
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating from October 2019
Wikipedia - Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating
Wikipedia - Chalcolithic Temple of Ein Gedi -- Public building in modern-day Israel, dating from about 3500 BCE
Wikipedia - Chronological dating
Wikipedia - Coffee Meets Bagel -- Dating app
Wikipedia - College and university dating -- Dating in college and university settings
Wikipedia - Comparison of online dating services -- Wikimedia list article
Wikipedia - Comparison of online dating websites
Wikipedia - Computer dating
Wikipedia - Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph -- Early electrical telegraph system dating from the 1830s
Wikipedia - Copyleft -- Practice of mandating free use in all derivatives of a work
Wikipedia - Courtship Dating -- 2008 single by Crystal Castles
Wikipedia - Crazy Blind Date -- Dating service
Wikipedia - Data assimilation -- Technique for updating numerical model with observed data
Wikipedia - Dating Amber -- 2020 film
Wikipedia - Dating Around -- American reality dating television series
Wikipedia - Dating creation
Wikipedia - Dating game show -- television game shows
Wikipedia - Dating Hamlet -- 2002 novel by Lisa Fiedler
Wikipedia - Dating methodologies in archaeology
Wikipedia - Dating sim
Wikipedia - Dating the Bible -- Commonly accepted dates or ranges of dates for composition of the Hebrew Bible, the Deuterocanonical books and the New Testament
Wikipedia - Dating -- Process of interacting and meeting other people on the prospect of establishing a romantic relationship
Wikipedia - Dating with the Parents -- Chinese companion dating show hosted by Meng Fei and Zhang Chunye
Wikipedia - Dendrochronology -- Method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree rings
Wikipedia - Dispute between a man and his Ba -- Ancient Egyptian text dating to the Middle Kingdom about a man deeply unhappy with his life, who has a dialogue between with his ba (soul)
Wikipedia - Draft:Boom Messenger -- Pakistan geosocial networking and online dating application
Wikipedia - Draft:Dating Around: Brazil -- American reality dating television series
Wikipedia - Draft:HookupGuru -- Casual dating and live webcam review site
Wikipedia - Draft:Jigglr -- Geosocial networking and online dating application
Wikipedia - Draft:Ship (app) -- Dating app
Wikipedia - Dual dating
Wikipedia - Dynamic software updating
Wikipedia - Enclosure -- Legal process in England of consolidating (enclosing) small landholdings into larger farms
Wikipedia - English Renaissance -- Cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th century to the early 17th century
Wikipedia - Eponym dating system
Wikipedia - Facebook Dating -- Digital dating product
Wikipedia - Fisher's ghost -- Popular Australian ghost story dating to the early 19th century
Wikipedia - Fluorine absorption dating
Wikipedia - Fort Thompson Formation -- Geologic formation in Florida. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period
Wikipedia - French Renaissance -- Cultural and artistic movement in France dating from the 15th century to the early 17th century
Wikipedia - Gebel el-Arak Knife -- Ivory and flint knife dating from Egyptian prehistory
Wikipedia - Gilling sword -- An Anglo-Saxon sword, dating from the late 9th to early 10th centuries AD
Wikipedia - Going steady -- Teenage dating pattern
Wikipedia - Gundestrup cauldron -- Silver cauldron from Denmark dating to 200 BC to 300 AD
Wikipedia - GuySpy -- Online dating application
Wikipedia - Hardcoded (video game) -- Adult dating simulator visual novel game
Wikipedia - Hatoful Boyfriend -- Otome visual novel/dating sim
Wikipedia - Helium dating -- Radiometric dating method
Wikipedia - Hereford Mappa Mundi -- Map of the known world dating from c.1300
Wikipedia - Hinge (app) -- American online dating app
Wikipedia - House Party (video game) -- 2017 3D comedy adventure dating sim by Eek! Games
Wikipedia - I Love You, Colonel Sanders! -- Dating sim game
Wikipedia - Incremental dating
Wikipedia - Iron Gates Mesolithic -- Mesolithic archaeological culture, dating to between 11,000 and 3,500 years BCE, in the Iron Gates region of the Danube River, in modern Romania and Serbia
Wikipedia - Jack'd -- Chat and dating app
Wikipedia - JDate -- Online dating application targeted at Jewish singles
Wikipedia - JK business -- Japanese compensated dating of adolescent girls
Wikipedia - Joan Ball -- Computer dating pioneer
Wikipedia - JSwipe -- Online dating application targeted at Jewish singles
Wikipedia - Julien Blanc -- Swiss dating coach turned self-help guru
Wikipedia - K-Ar dating -- Radiometric dating method
Wikipedia - Labor of Love (TV series) -- American dating game show
Wikipedia - Lavender's Blue -- English folk song and nursery rhyme dating to the 17th century
Wikipedia - Levantine mansions of M-DM-0zmir -- Thirty stately residences in M-DM-0zmir, Turkey, dating principally from the 19th century
Wikipedia - List of PAN dating software -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - LMLK seal -- Hebrew seals stamped on the handles of large storage jars dating from reign of King Hezekiah (circa 700 BC)
Wikipedia - Love Island (2005 TV series) -- Former British reality dating series
Wikipedia - Love Island (American TV series) -- UK dating reality series
Wikipedia - Love Island Australia -- Australian dating reality series
Wikipedia - Love Island Sweden -- Swedish dating reality series
Wikipedia - Luminescence dating -- Form of dating how long ago mineral grains had been last exposed to sunlight or heating
Wikipedia - Maaseh Merkabah -- A Hebrew-language Jewish mystical text dating from the Gaonic period
Wikipedia - Marine reservoir effect -- Phenomenon affecting radiocarbon dating
Wikipedia - Match Group -- Internet dating group
Wikipedia - Matchmaker (game show) -- 1987 television dating show
Wikipedia - Meetic -- French online dating service
Wikipedia - Moravian Church -- Protestant Christian denomination dating back to the 15th century
Wikipedia - Muscle memory -- Form of procedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition
Wikipedia - Newstead Helmet -- Iron Roman cavalry helmet dating to 80-100 AD, discovered in Scotland
Wikipedia - Next Generation 9-1-1 -- Initiative aimed at updating 9-1-1 service infrastructure
Wikipedia - Nitrogen dating
Wikipedia - Obsidian hydration dating
Wikipedia - OkCupid -- American online dating service launched in 2004
Wikipedia - Okeechobee Group -- Geologic group in Florida. The group preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period.
Wikipedia - Online dating service -- Service for providing personal, romantic, or sexual relationships with people over the Internet
Wikipedia - Operation Match -- The first computer dating service in the United States
Wikipedia - Optically stimulated luminescence -- Method of measuring radiation doses, often used in mineral dating
Wikipedia - Orkhon inscriptions -- Gokturk inscriptions dating to the 8th century
Wikipedia - People Media -- Niche online dating service
Wikipedia - Periodization of pre-Columbian Peru -- System for dating cultural periods in the Andean Region
Wikipedia - Persepolis Administrative Archives -- Clay administrative archives found in Persepolis dating to the Achaemenid Persian Empire
Wikipedia - PlanetRomeo -- Social network, instant messaging and dating community
Wikipedia - POF (dating website) -- Canadian online dating service
Wikipedia - Prince Charming (German TV series) -- German reality dating show
Wikipedia - Promontory fort -- Fortification, usually dating from the Iron Age
Wikipedia - Radiocarbon dating samples -- Handling of samples used in radiocarbon dating techniques
Wikipedia - Radiocarbon dating
Wikipedia - Radiocarbon (journal) -- Academic journal about radiocarbon dating
Wikipedia - Radiometric dating -- Technique used to date materials such as rocks or carbon
Wikipedia - Recon (app) -- Dating app
Wikipedia - Relative dating
Wikipedia - Rhenium-osmium dating -- Radiometric dating method using rhenium-187 and osmium-187
Wikipedia - Ridge Road (Western New York) -- Major road dating before the 19th century
Wikipedia - Righter (app) -- Conservative dating app
Wikipedia - Rock of Love with Bret Michaels -- American reality television dating game show
Wikipedia - Rubidium-strontium dating -- Radiometric dating technique for rocks and minerals based on the quantities of specific isotopes of rubidium (M-bM-^AM-8M-bM-^AM-7Rb) and strontium (M-bM-^AM-8M-bM-^AM-7Sr, M-bM-^AM-8M-bM-^AM-6Sr)
Wikipedia - Scruff (app) -- Online dating application
Wikipedia - Sedating
Wikipedia - Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus -- Old Latin inscription dating to 186 BC
Wikipedia - Speed-Dating -- 2010 film by Joseph A. Elmore Jr.
Wikipedia - Speed dating -- Matchmaking event where people meet potential partners for a short period of time
Wikipedia - Teen dating violence -- Abuse by one partner against another within a dating relationship among adolescents
Wikipedia - The Dating Game
Wikipedia - The League (app) -- Social and dating mobile application
Wikipedia - Thermoluminescence dating
Wikipedia - Timeline of United States inventions (1946-1991) -- Inventions by native-born or naturalized citizens of the U.S. dating from 1946-1991
Wikipedia - Tinder (app) -- American geosocial networking and online dating application
Wikipedia - Unaccommodating -- 2020 song by American rapper Eminem
Wikipedia - Uranium-lead dating -- Type of radiometric dating
Wikipedia - Uranium-thorium dating -- Radiometric dating method
Wikipedia - Uranium-uranium dating -- Radiometric dating technique using uranium-234 and uranium-238
Wikipedia - Vole clock -- Archaeological dating method
Wikipedia - Vredefort crater -- The largest verified impact crater on earth, dating from the Paleoproterozoic Era
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10321.The_Guy_I_m_Not_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/107195.I_Kissed_Dating_Goodbye
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10783094-dating-a-cougar
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10835683-dating-dr-notorious
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11155771-dating-a-saint
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1125502.Dating_the_Greek_Gods
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11384159-she-s-dating-a-rock-star-vol-1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11632790-how-i-got-my-girl-back-a-nerd-s-guide-to-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119056.Dating_the_Divorced_Man
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11927528-dating-a-metro-man
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12486107-sex-dating-and-relating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12486823-medidating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12519110-dating-a-widower
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12892835-dispatches-from-the-dating-front-lines
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1310439.Dating_Dead_Men
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13391033-maggie-lane-s-online-dating-debacles
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13477921-the-girls-guide-to-dating-zombies
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13527339-dating-a-stripper-is-a-recipe-for-perspective
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600620-erotic-sex-stories-of-a-serial-internet-dating-lover
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600628-clive-worth-s-internet-dating-seduction-guide
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1413207.Dating_Amy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15712152-dating-diapers-denial
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15803692-dating-a-silver-fox
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15866324-dating-dracula-jr
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15954546-not-quite-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16061685-the-party-boy-s-guide-to-dating-a-geek
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16106510-the-truths-about-dating-and-mating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16173096-the-widow-s-guide-to-sex-and-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16305801-allergic-girl-guide-to-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17189403-not-quite-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17206401-dating-delaney
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17558527-a-pug-s-guide-to-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17568806.The_Geek_s_Guide_to_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17568806-the-geek-s-guide-to-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17592275-the-awesome-girl-s-guide-to-dating-extraordinary-men
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177403.Waiting_and_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17888730-dating-chase-walker
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18085531-drinking-and-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18405281-dating-the-long-way-around-in-which-tony-stark-builds-himself-some-frie
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18526406-dating-for-the-one-in-3-easy-steps
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19201615-the-geek-s-guide-to-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19306146-soulphisticated-lady-dating-diaries
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199275.Stop_Dating_the_Church_
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20553552-online-dating-disasters
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20815780-simplified-dating---the-guide-to-mastering-dating-quickly
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2090989.A_Serial_Shagger_s_Guide_To_Internet_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21841703-dating-cary-grant
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21855313-deeper-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21893566-dating-down
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22093791-the-ultimate-dating-guide-for-widowers
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2247131.Love_Dating_And_Other_Insanities_Relationships_Without_Regret
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22550398-the-dangers-of-dating-a-rebound-vampire
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22550398.The_Dangers_of_Dating_a_Rebound_Vampire__Half_Moon_Hollow___3_
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23126227-the-dating-game
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23259050-dating-sarah-cooper
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232671.The_Dating_Game
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232674.Dating_Games
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23341795.Her_Purrfect_Match__Paranormal_Dating_Agency___3_
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23503124-edating-the-old-school-way
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23509999-the-dating-dilemma
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23573898-dating-trouble
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23845904-wired-for-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24879589-master-dating-and-relationships
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2490033.The_Dating_Deal
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24984127-dating-chase-walker
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25219814-dating-a-hero
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25392733-dating-the-guy-upstairs
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/257376.Dating_Your_Mom
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26795739-21-traps-you-need-to-avoid-in-dating-relationships
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27135548-rules-for-dating-my-daughter
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27212678-dating-an-alien-pop-star
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/284138.Dead_End_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28691301-the-billionaire-dating-game
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30339280-dating-sarah-cooper
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30339280-dating-sarah-cooper\
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30413700-incriminating-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30642708-booty-camp-dating-service
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31675.Jane_Austen_s_Guide_to_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620304-dating-you-hating-you
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32674310-single-mama-dating-drama
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33530165-the-curious-history-of-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33552474-dating-the-undead
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33803270-speed-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3389671-jessica-s-guide-to-dating-on-the-dark-side
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3389671-jessica-s-guide-to-dating-on-the-dark-side?ac=1&from_search=true
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3389671.Jessica_s_Guide_to_Dating_on_the_Dark_Side__Jessica___1_
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33920171-21-traps-you-need-to-avoid-in-dating-relationships
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34209578-dating-the-undead
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34454739-dating-ish
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/345149.Boundaries_in_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34642984-the-secret-guide-to-dating-monsters
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34754076-the-honest-book-of-international-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34962717-eight-simple-rules-for-dating-a-dragon
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35288121-dating-the-billionaire
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35839089-dating-radar
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36046552-the-girl-who-was-always-single---a-short-horror-story-for-the-dating-app
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36308607-dating-the-actor
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38086189-the-dating-debate
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38343056-the-art-of-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38634415-wired-for-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39944217-josh-and-hazel-s-guide-to-not-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40000829-dating-sucks
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40189670.Josh_and_Hazel_s_Guide_to_Not_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40189670-josh-and-hazel-s-guide-to-not-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40528386-on-the-dating-of-moroni-8-9
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4115298-internet-dating-king-s-diaries
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41884303-dating-games
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41998719-the-dating-dare
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42199290-the-secret-to-dating-your-best-friend-s-sister
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42632760-the-trouble-with-dating-sue
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43115375-oh-my-my-crazy-online-dating-experiences
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43610743-the-dating-arrangement
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43813762-fake-dating-the-prince
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43894305-the-dating-proposal
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43901654-the-abcs-of-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45457187-the-dating-proposal
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4927624-updating-how-to-get-a-man-or-woman-who-once-seemed-out-of-your-league
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4973310-divorced-desperate-and-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/516347.Dating_Without_Novocaine
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/543838.Dating_is_Murder
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/562915.Insider_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56398.The_Dating_Cure
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/564426.Geometrical_and_Statistical_Methods_of_Analysis_of_Star_Configurations_Dating_Ptolemy_s_Almagest
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/591457.Redating_the_New_Testament
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60219.Sex_Lies_and_Online_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/652351.Dating_Can_Be_Murder
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7058185-the-oracle-of-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/716664.When_Can_I_Start_Dating_
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/746648.MTV_s_Singled_Out_s_Guide_to_Dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8038242-dating-mr-december
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8510414-speed-dating-with-the-dead
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/883076.Dating_Can_Be_Deadly
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/960005.Dating_Up
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9638208-the-truth-about-dating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9905680-dating-delilah
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/995085.I_Kissed_Dating_Goodbye_Study_Guide
https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Forum:Problem_updating_sensor_page
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Abraham#Traditional_dating
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Dating_the_Bible
Kheper - radiometric_dating -- 30
Integral World - Zombie Dating, Are Brain States Equal to Mental States? A reflection on the Hard Problem of Consciousness, David Lane
selforum - kants secular enlightenment updating of
https://circumsolatious.blogspot.com/2011/03/updating-assumptions-and-widening.html
Psychology Wiki - Human_sex_differences#Online_dating
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Analysis/DatingCatwoman
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/DatingTheEnemy
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ShesDatingTheGangster
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Laconic/DatingSim
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheFiniteLifeOfADatingSimHeroine
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AgentsDating
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompensatedDating
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DatingCatwoman
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DatingDoSiDo
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DatingServiceDisaster
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DatingSim
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DatingTropes
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DatingWhatDaddyHates
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DoppelgangerDating
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IntimidatingRevenueService
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NewspaperDating
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpeedDating
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/MetMySisterOnADatingSite
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Quotes/DatingSim
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/TheDatingGame
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/SwooningOverStansAGrunkleDatingSimulator
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VisualNovel/ChopChopFruitSaladMysteryJamDokiDokiDatingSimTHingy
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/DatingATeamMagmaGrunt
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/TheDatingGuy
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TrappedInADatingSimTheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobsAlzer
The Powerpuff Girls (1998 - 2005) - The Powerpuff Girls, created by Craig McCracken, was originally conceived as the Whoopass Girls in McCracken's college animation project dating from 1992. In 1995, what would later become a full animated series was only a short featured in the Cartoon Network original series "What a Cartoon!" with d...
Singled out (1995 - 1997) - Singled Out is an American dating game show created by Burt Wheeler & Sharon Sussman which originally ran on MTV from 1995 to 1998. Each episode featured a group of 50 singles competing for a date with one main contestant.
WCW Thursday Thunder (1998 - 2001) - WCW attempted an expansion with Thursday Thunder to try and make more money by accomodating their rather large roster of wrestlers. Fans didn't have to wait a week for their story continuation, they only had to wait 4 days. Truth be told the existence of Thunder can be widely credited for the subseq...
Little Shop (1991 - 1991) - Inspired by the hit 1986 musical comedy "Little Shop of Horrors". Seymour and Audrey are teenagers and Mr. Mushnik is Audrey's father. Audrey II's lust for blood was replaced with a love for rap for the show. The story usually dealt with teen issues (dating, peer pressure, poularity, etc.)
The New Treasure Hunt (1973 - 1982) - "The New Treasure Hunt" was a revival of the classic 1950s Jan Murray-hosted game show, this time produced by Chuck Barris ("The Newlywed Game," "The Dating Game"). Hosted by Geoff Edwards, this show offered a lucky female contestant the opportunity to win valuable prizes contained within mystery bo...
The Newlywed Game (1966 - 2013) - The Newlywed Game is an American television dating game show that pits newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know or do not know each other. The program, originally created by Robert "Nick" Nicholson and E. Roger Muir(cred...
Blind Date (1985 - 2003) - Blind Date was a British dating game show produced by ITV contractor London Weekend Television. Although unscreened pilots were made with comic Duncan Norvelle as presenter, it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black and ran from 1985 - 2003 and aired on Saturday nights. At its peak, it attracted 14 mi...
Coupling (UK) (2000 - 2004) - This British sitcom written by Steven Moffat, centers on the dating, sexual adventures. and mishaps of 6 friends in their early 30s.
Sentimental Graffiti (1998 - Current) - is the name of a dating simulation series by NEC Interchannel. An anime television series based on the series was later produced, titled Sentimental Journey.Three Japanese radio dramas based on the series, titled Sentimental Night, Kaettekita Sentimental Night, and Only Sentimental Night 2 were prod...
Tokimeki Memorial Only Love (2006 - 2007) - a Japanese anime series produced by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., based on Konami's popular Tokimeki Memorial dating simulation series, specifically Tokimeki Memorial Online. It premiered October 3, 2006 across Japan on TV Tokyo. The anime series ended its run on March 27, 2007 with 25 epi...
Meine Liebe (2004 - 2006) - Gin'y Mokushiroku Meine Liebe ( , abbreviated to Meine Liebe, which is German for My Love) is a series of dating sims by Konami for the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2.Meine Liebe has been adapted into an anime series produced in 2004 by the studio Bee Train, which was broadcast acros...
Best Student Council (2005 - Current) - an anime television series produced by Konami and J.C.Staff which originally aired on TV Tokyo from April to September 2005. A PS2 dating sim game of the same name based on the anime was also made by Konami. The development staff includes composer Yoko Shimomura of Street Fighter II and Kingdom Hear...
Dirty Pair Flash (1994 - 1996) - Kei and Yuri were originally junior auxiliary agents in the Worlds Works and Welfare Agency (W.W.W.A. or 3WA for short) when the two were paired together under the codename "Lovely Angels." Kei was coming off her fourth probation for something she had done, and Yuri's dating exploits were common kno...
Phred on Your Head Show (1999 - 2002) - Phred on Your Head Show was the first Noggin original series, predating better-known Noggin productions like "Oobi" (which premiered one year later, in 2000). It stars a green character named Phred who looks similar to a pickle (but often reminds others that he is not a pickle).
The Dating Game (1965 - 1999) - The Dating Game is an ABC television show that first aired on December 20, 1965 and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it continued in syndication for another year (19731974) as The New Dating...
8 Simple Rules (2002 - 2005) - 8 Simple Rules was a sitcom running on ABC from 2002-2005. The sitcom revolved around the lives of sports writer Paul Hennessy and his wife, nurse Cate Hennessy as well as their awkward children. The whole series was based off the book "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" which is what th...
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series (1983 - Current) - Coverage of the National Hot Rod Association Drag Racing series that has spawned multiple networks since 1983. NHRA events have been broadcast on television, with such efforts dating back as far as 1983. By the 1990s, events were split between ESPN, NBC, and The Nashville Network. TNN also broadcast...
Bzzz! (1996 - 1998) - 1 Man and 1 Woman compete to try to find their dream date without getting Buzzed on this classic 90s-style dating game show.
Office Space(1999) - Peter Gibbons is a typical corporate everyman that hates his job and his life. He works for Innotech updating computer software for the new millennium amongst a sea of cubicles. He eats lunch at the same restaurant everyday, drives a mid-size car and lives in a duplex with walls so thin that he ca...
The Toxic Avenger(1984) - Lovely Tromaville, land of hazardous waste and nerdy janitors. Nerdy until they leap from second story windows and land in a drum of toxic waste. (They go together, they just don't GO together - remember back to your high school dating scene, you'll understand.) And so Melvin became the Toxic Aveng...
The Blob(1988) - A Remake of a horror classic years before that became "the thing to do". This Blob is more voracious than the original 1958 creeping ooze. In the original film The Blob was only intimidating because of it's expansion in size. In this film, you can actually see it digest people.
Hagar the Horrible(1989) - Hagar returns home from a two-year war and encounters a tragedy: his two children, Honey and Hamlet, are each facing their own problems. Honey is dating Lute, a lutist from the wrong side of the fjord, and Hamlet flunks out of the Viking Academy to study poetry. Hagar works to rectify these issues a...
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown(1987) - Charles Bronson, weary and comatose, is trotted out again as the cocked crusader Paul Kersey in Death Wish 4: The Crackdown. Director Michael Winner has jumped ship for this installment, replaced by J. Lee Thompson (who has seen better days). Kersey is back in L.A. and dating attractive reporter Kar...
The Naked Gun 2: The Smell of Fear(1991) - It's been 3 years since the events of the first "Naked Gun". Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is still investigating cases in his own special way, but he and former girlfriend Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley) have broken up. Spencer is now dating a big business man named Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet...
Addicted To Love(1997) - Maggie (Meg Ryan) and Sam (Matthew Broderick) are each dealing with the result of respective break-ups. The result? Their ex-loves are now dating each other. Maggie and Sam decide to wreck that relationship, each for their own reasons, but things don't go according to plan. Believe it or not, that's...
Moonstruck(1987) - Loretta Castorini (Cher) is a young widow who is ready to enter the dating scene again. A rivalry for her affections develops between two men: Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) and his brother, a baker named Ronny (Nicolas Cage). In the meantime, Loretta's parents Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) and Rose (Ol...
Perfect(1985) - Adam (John Travolta) is a reporter for "Rolling Stone" magazine. He's currently working on two stories...One of them is a piece on dating at gyms, while the other is an interview with a man selling state secrets to foreign countries. He falls in love with an aerobics instructor named Jessie (Jamie L...
I, Madman(1989) - Virginia (Jenny Wright, PINK FLOYD: THE WALL, NEAR DARK) is an avid reader, aspiring actress and used-bookstore employee who's dating a cop (Clayton Rohner, JUST ONE OF THE GUYS, APRIL FOOLS DAY, "G vs E"). When Virginia discovers the old writings of unknown author Malcolm Brand, she locates his bo...
Lotto Land(1995) - The lives of four hardworking people living in modern Brooklyn provide the basis of this upbeat drama. Hank is the only high school graduate on his basketball team; he works for Flo in a neighborhood liquor store and is dating Joy, Flo's step daughter. Joy and Hank are 18-year old virgins who are gi...
Watching the Detectives(2007) - A film freak has turned his life upside down when he starts dating a real-life femme fatale in this comedy. Neil is a dyed-in-the-wool movie fan who runs a video store, "Gumshoe Video", specializing in classic film noir and offbeat cult items. Neil spends nearly every evening on the couch, soaking u...
Love Jones(1997) - Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Moseley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friend, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Dari...
A New Life(1988) - After 26 years of marriage, abrasive workaholic Steve and his wife Jackie are getting a divorce. Now that they've parted, they find themselves in middle age and thrusted into the dating world. With the help of his best friend & fellow Wall Street trader, Mel, Steve gets set up on blind dates with li...
The Manhattan Project(1986) - A teen and his girlfriend make an atomic bomb with plutonium stolen from a scientist dating his mother.
The Black Godfather(1974) - J.J., a rising star in the black crime scene, is in the process of consolidating his power over the neighborhood. One of the only remaining obstacles is the white heroin cartel that is understandably reluctant to abandon such a lucrative market. Tensions rise between the two rivals, and people on bo...
The Break Up(2006) - Gary Grobowski and Brooke Meyers meet at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game and begin dating, eventually buying a condominium together. Gary works as a tour guide in a family business with his brothers, Lupus and Dennis. Brooke manages an art gallery owned by eccentric artist Marilyn Dean. The...
Dating the Enemy(1996) - A couple who have an argument one night while at a party on a boat in Sydney wake up the next day to find themselves in each other's bodies. They then have to deal with what has happened.
Broken(2006) - After dating a wonderful man, Hope comes back home, sees her daughter Jennifer and goes to sleep. She wakes-up in the woods with a psychopath, fighting to survive for more than forty days and asking information about her daughter to the stranger.
Aladdin (1986)(1986) - Updating of the old "Aladdin" Arabian Nights tale, as a teenager in modern-day Miami finds a magic lantern and out pops a genie, who's been asleep for 200 years and in his gratitude grants the boy several wishes.
Minions(2015) - In this prequel to the "Despicable Me" series we see what the Minions, creatures dating from prehistoric times and evolving just to serve supervillains, were doing before being recruited by Gru. Minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a supervillain who, alongside her inven...
8 Simple Rules ::: 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter (original tit ::: TV-PG | 30min | Comedy, Drama | TV Series (20022005) -- The Hennessy clan -- mother Cate, daughters Bridget and Kerry, and son Rory -- look to one another for guidance and support after the death of Paul, the family patriarch. Cate's parents lend a hand. Creator:
Accident (1967) ::: 6.9/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 45min | Drama | 5 July 1967 (Canada) -- At Oxford, Austrian student Anna von Graz (Jacqueline Sassard) is dating fellow student William (Michael York), whom she plans to marry, but she ends up sleeping with two unhappily married Oxford professors instead. Director: Joseph Losey Writers:
Alex Strangelove (2018) ::: 6.3/10 -- TV-MA | 1h 39min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 8 June 2018 (USA) -- Alex, high school class president, nerd and a straight A student, has been dating Claire a long time. They decide to sleep together but then he meets a gay guy and he's confused. Director: Craig Johnson Writer:
Burning Love ::: TV-14 | 23min | Comedy, Romance | TV Series (20122013) -- A parody of reality dating shows in the vein of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette". Stars: Michael Ian Black, June Diane Raphael, Ken Marino | See full cast &
Casual ::: TV-MA | 25min | Comedy, Drama | TV Series (20152018) -- A comedy series about a bachelor brother and his newly divorced sister living under one roof again. Together, they coach each other through the crazy world of dating while raising her teenage daughter. Creator:
Clueless (1995) ::: 6.8/10 -- PG-13 | 1h 37min | Comedy, Romance | 19 July 1995 (USA) -- Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Director: Amy Heckerling Writer:
Dating Amber (2020) ::: 7.0/10 -- 1h 32min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 10 November 2020 (USA) -- Two school friends decide to start a pretend straight relationship in an effort to fit in. Director: David Freyne Writer: David Freyne
How to Fall in Love (2012) ::: 6.4/10 -- TV-G | 1h 24min | Comedy, Romance | TV Movie 21 July 2012 -- An accountant, who never quite grew out of his awkward teenage years, finds himself with a dating coach - she happens to be his high school crush as well. Thanks to his coach, he gets a ... S Director: Mark Griffiths Writer: Bart Fisher Stars:
I May Destroy You ::: TV-MA | 30min | Drama | TV Series (2020 ) -- The question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation. Creator:
It Boy (2013) ::: 6.4/10 -- 20 ans d'cart (original title) -- It Boy Poster Alice works for "Rebelle" magazine, where she needs to let her hair down to get a promotion. When Balthazar returns a lost USB to Alice, the appearance of dating someone half her age helps her. Does it get real? Director: David Moreau Writers: Amro Hamzawi (original idea), Amro Hamzawi (scenario and dialogue) | 4
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006) ::: 7.2/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 27min | Crime, Drama | TV Movie 30 April 2006 -- A body's found on the shore of a lake. Police Chief Jesse Stone starts an investigation. It turns out to be a pregnant high school student. There's also a case of a persistent wife beater. Jesse starts seeing a shrink and dating. Director: Robert Harmon Writers: Robert B. Parker (novel), J.T. Allen (teleplay) | 2 more credits
Long Weekend (1978) ::: 6.6/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 37min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller | 29 March 1979 (USA) -- When a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood. Director: Colin Eggleston Writer: Everett De Roche (original screenplay)
Love Jones (1997) ::: 7.5/10 -- R | 1h 44min | Drama, Romance | 14 March 1997 (USA) -- Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "... S Director: Theodore Witcher Writer:
Manhattan (1979) ::: 7.9/10 -- R | 1h 36min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 25 April 1979 (USA) -- The life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress. Director: Woody Allen Writers:
Match Point (2005) ::: 7.6/10 -- R | 2h 4min | Drama, Romance, Thriller | 20 January 2006 (USA) -- At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law. Director: Woody Allen Writer:
Nappily Ever After (2018) ::: 6.4/10 -- TV-MA | 1h 38min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 21 September 2018 (USA) -- Violet Jones tired of waiting for her longtime boyfriend to propose, breaks up with him. But old feelings, and heaps of jealousy, no doubt, arise when he promptly begins dating another woman. Director: Haifaa Al-Mansour Writers:
Play It Again, Sam (1972) ::: 7.6/10 -- PG | 1h 25min | Comedy, Romance | 5 May 1972 (USA) -- A neurotic film critic obsessed with the movie Casablanca (1942) attempts to get over his wife leaving him by dating again with the help of a married couple and his illusory idol, Humphrey Bogart. Director: Herbert Ross Writers: Woody Allen (based on the play by), Woody Allen (screenplay) Stars:
Pretty in Pink (1986) ::: 6.8/10 -- PG-13 | 1h 37min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 28 February 1986 (USA) -- A poor girl must choose between the affections of dating her childhood sweetheart or a rich but sensitive playboy. Director: Howard Deutch Writer: John Hughes
Rescue Me ::: TV-MA | 42min | Comedy, Drama | TV Series (20042011) -- Tommy Gavin deals with the fears of his job as a firefighter and seeing his ex-wife dating other men. Creators: Denis Leary, Peter Tolan
Rules of Engagement ::: TV-PG | 22min | Comedy, Romance | TV Series (20072013) -- Two couples and their single friend, all at different stages in their relationships, deal with the complications of dating, commitment, and marriage. Creator:
The Edge of Seventeen (2016) ::: 7.3/10 -- R | 1h 44min | Comedy, Drama | 18 November 2016 (USA) -- High-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother. Director: Kelly Fremon Craig Writer: Kelly Fremon Craig
The Unicorn ::: TV-PG | 22min | Comedy, Drama, Family | TV Series (2019 ) -- A widower is eager to move on from the most difficult year of his life, only to realize he's utterly unprepared to raise his two daughters on his own and equally unprepared for the dating world where he's suddenly a hot commodity. Creators:
Undateable ::: TV-14 | 22min | Comedy | TV Series (20142016) -- A womanizer helps his sister, a bar owning roomie and his 3 friends with well needed dating advice. Creator: Adam Sztykiel
Undateable ::: TV-14 | 22min | Comedy | TV Series (2014-2016) Episode Guide 36 episodes Undateable Poster -- A womanizer helps his sister, a bar owning roomie and his 3 friends with well needed dating advice. Creator: Adam Sztykiel
UnREAL ::: TV-MA | 42min | Drama | TV Series (20152018) -- A behind-the-scenes look at the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program. Creators: Marti Noxon, Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
Up for Love (2016) ::: 6.3/10 -- Un homme la hauteur (original title) -- Up for Love Poster -- A lawyer dating a dashing, wealthy architect four and a half feet tall gets ribbed by her family, employees and jealous ex about his stature. Director: Laurent Tirard Writers:
https://1in1600.fandom.com/wiki/Dating_System
https://cxg.fandom.com/wiki/Who's_the_Cool_Girl_Josh_Is_Dating?
https://dnd4.fandom.com/wiki/Intimidating_Reminder
https://dnd4.fandom.com/wiki/Intimidating_visage
https://dreamdaddy.fandom.com/wiki/Dream_Daddy:_A_Dad_Dating_Simulator
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Intimidating_Presence
https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls_Wiki:Be_bold_in_updating_pages
https://gravityfalls.fandom.com/wiki/Mabel's_Guide_to_Dating
https://konfabulator.fandom.com/wiki/Validating_a_Color_Code
https://konfabulator.fandom.com/wiki/Validating_an_Email_Address
https://konfabulator.fandom.com/wiki/Validating_a_URL
https://kpopp.fandom.com/wiki/Dating_Simulator_(GTA_IV_Style!)
https://kpopp.fandom.com/wiki/KPopp_Does_Dating_Simulators
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Dating
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Memory_Alpha:Be_bold_in_updating_pages
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Quantum_dating
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Quantum_dating
https://monster-prom.fandom.com/wiki/FAKE_DATING
https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/One_Piece_Wiki:Updating_Crew
https://onepunchman.fandom.com/wiki/One-Punch_Man_Wiki:Updating_Team
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wookieepedia:Be_bold_in_updating_pages
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/+_(dating_system)
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Expiry_Dating_(audio_story)
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Predating_the_Predators_(short_story)
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/UNIT_Dating_(audio_story)
https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/UNIT_dating_controversy
https://wowwiki-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Intimidating_Shout
https://wowwiki-archive.fandom.com/wiki/WoWWiki:Be_bold_in_updating_pages
https://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/fandom-helps-people-build-relationships-through-shared-passions
Azumanga Daioh -- -- J.C.Staff -- 26 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Slice of Life Comedy School -- Azumanga Daioh Azumanga Daioh -- Chiyo Mihama begins her high school career as one of the strangest students in her freshman class—a tiny, 10-year-old academic prodigy with a fondness for plush dolls and homemade cooking. But her homeroom teacher, Yukari Tanizaki, is the kind of person who would hijack a student's bike to avoid being late, so "strange" is a relative word. -- -- There certainly isn't a shortage of peculiar girls in Yukari-sensei's homeroom class. Accompanying Chiyo are students like Tomo Takino, an energetic tomboy with more enthusiasm than brains; Koyomi Mizuhara, Tomo's best friend whose temper has a fuse shorter than Chiyo; and Sakaki, a tall, athletic beauty whose intimidating looks hide a gentle personality and a painful obsession with cats. In addition, transfer student Ayumu Kasuga, a girl with her head stuck in the clouds, fits right in with the rest of the girls—and she has a few interesting theories about Chiyo's pigtails! -- -- Together, this lovable group of girls experience the ups and downs of school life, their many adventures filled with constant laughter, surreal absurdity, and occasionally even touching commentary on the bittersweet, temporal nature of high school. -- -- 268,177 7.97
Azumanga Daioh -- -- J.C.Staff -- 26 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Slice of Life Comedy School -- Azumanga Daioh Azumanga Daioh -- Chiyo Mihama begins her high school career as one of the strangest students in her freshman class—a tiny, 10-year-old academic prodigy with a fondness for plush dolls and homemade cooking. But her homeroom teacher, Yukari Tanizaki, is the kind of person who would hijack a student's bike to avoid being late, so "strange" is a relative word. -- -- There certainly isn't a shortage of peculiar girls in Yukari-sensei's homeroom class. Accompanying Chiyo are students like Tomo Takino, an energetic tomboy with more enthusiasm than brains; Koyomi Mizuhara, Tomo's best friend whose temper has a fuse shorter than Chiyo; and Sakaki, a tall, athletic beauty whose intimidating looks hide a gentle personality and a painful obsession with cats. In addition, transfer student Ayumu Kasuga, a girl with her head stuck in the clouds, fits right in with the rest of the girls—and she has a few interesting theories about Chiyo's pigtails! -- -- Together, this lovable group of girls experience the ups and downs of school life, their many adventures filled with constant laughter, surreal absurdity, and occasionally even touching commentary on the bittersweet, temporal nature of high school. -- -- -- Licensor: -- ADV Films, Sentai Filmworks -- 268,177 7.97
Bakemono no Ko -- -- Studio Chizu -- 1 ep -- Original -- Adventure Supernatural -- Bakemono no Ko Bakemono no Ko -- Two souls, living very different lives, wander alone and isolated in their respective worlds. For nine-year-old Ren, the last person who treated him with any form of kindness has been killed and he is shunned by what is left of his family. With no parents, no real family, and no place to go, Ren escapes into the confusing streets and alleyways of Shibuya. Through the twists and turns of the alleys, Ren stumbles into the intimidating Kumatetsu, who leads him to the beast realm of Shibuten. -- -- For Kumatetsu, the boy represents a chance for him to become a candidate to replace the Lord of the realm once he retires. While nearly unmatched in combat, Kumatetsu's chilly persona leaves him with no disciples to teach and no way to prove he is worthy of becoming the Lord's successor. -- -- While the two share different goals, they agree to help each other in order to reach them. Kumatetsu searches for recognition; Ren, now known as Kyuuta, searches for the home he never had. As the years pass by, it starts to become apparent that the two are helping each other in more ways than they had originally thought. Perhaps there has always been less of a difference between them, a boy and a beast, than either of the two ever realized. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- Movie - Jul 11, 2015 -- 320,389 8.31
Bokura ga Ita -- -- Artland -- 26 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Drama Romance Shoujo -- Bokura ga Ita Bokura ga Ita -- Going into her first year of high school, Nanami Takahashi is filled with the hope of making many new friends. After meeting the shy Yuri Yamamoto, she hears about a popular boy in their class: Yano Motoharu. Yuri cares little for Yano because of his past relationship with her older sister Nana, and at first, Nanami doesn't like his attitude either. However, Nanami soon begins to warm up to Yano and takes a liking to him. The two spend more of their time together and eventually decide to start dating. But their love is not without challenges; Yano has trouble opening up to Nanami, since his first girlfriend, Nana, died in a car accident the year before, and she had been with one of her ex-boyfriends at the time. -- -- Finding themselves living in the shadow of Yano's relationship with Nana, Nanami and Yano struggle to keep their relationship afloat amid misunderstandings and heartache with the certainty of their love for each other. -- -- 200,437 7.30
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai -- -- AIC Build -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Ecchi Slice of Life Comedy Harem Romance School -- Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai -- When Kodaka Hasegawa finds out that he will be transferring to a new school, he is determined to make a positive impression, and maybe even some friends. However, Kodaka discovers he is out of luck when he immediately gets labeled as a violent delinquent due to his blond hair and intimidating expression. Although a month has passed, Kodaka is still alone thanks to his notorious reputation. However, his life begins to change when he finds fellow loner Yozora Mikazuki talking to her imaginary friend in an empty classroom. -- -- After sharing stories of their lonely high school life, Kodaka and Yozora decide to overcome the difficulties of making friends together by starting the Neighbor's Club. Created for people who don't have friends, daily activities involve learning social skills and how to fit in, which will hopefully allow them to make friends. Joined by the eroge-loving Sena Kashiwazaki, and other eccentric outcasts, Kodaka may finally have managed to find people he can call friends, in this club filled with hilarious oddballs. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 660,581 7.25
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel -- -- Kyoto Animation -- 1 ep -- Light novel -- Comedy Drama Romance School Slice of Life -- Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel -- Although Yuuta Togashi and Rikka Takanashi have just started dating, they do not know how to progress their young relationship. Due to both of them being shy, neither of them are capable of making the first move. Rikka decides to ask her class representative Shinka Nibutani for some love advice, and she advises Rikka get closer to Yuuta during the Christmas season. Following the suggestion of Yuuta's friend, Makoto Isshiki, they hold a Christmas party at Sanae Dekomori’s place. -- -- During the party, Yuuta notices Rikka has gone missing and searches for her. When he finds Rikka, he notices that she is acting strange and quickly figures out that she and Sanae are both drunk! How will this Christmas party turn out for the budding couple? -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- Special - Jun 19, 2013 -- 172,953 7.51
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel -- -- Kyoto Animation -- 1 ep -- Light novel -- Comedy Drama Romance School Slice of Life -- Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel -- Although Yuuta Togashi and Rikka Takanashi have just started dating, they do not know how to progress their young relationship. Due to both of them being shy, neither of them are capable of making the first move. Rikka decides to ask her class representative Shinka Nibutani for some love advice, and she advises Rikka get closer to Yuuta during the Christmas season. Following the suggestion of Yuuta's friend, Makoto Isshiki, they hold a Christmas party at Sanae Dekomori’s place. -- -- During the party, Yuuta notices Rikka has gone missing and searches for her. When he finds Rikka, he notices that she is acting strange and quickly figures out that she and Sanae are both drunk! How will this Christmas party turn out for the budding couple? -- -- Special - Jun 19, 2013 -- 172,953 7.51
Cike Wu Liuqi -- -- - -- 10 eps -- Original -- Action Mystery Comedy Super Power Drama Romance Martial Arts -- Cike Wu Liuqi Cike Wu Liuqi -- To the casual eye, the amnesiac bounty hunter Wu Liuqi looks quite intimidating. With his deadly telekinetic scissor techniques and his ability to seamlessly transform into anything, one would not expect his modest demeanor. In fact, Wu is quite terrible at his job. Often times the freelancer can be found botching an assassination or targeting the wrong person. While his failures could be due to his subpar skills, it usually boils down to him being a normal kid, with a heart unsuited for his line of work. -- -- Accompanied by his feathered friend Dai Bo, Wu is on a simple quest to regain his memories. Although his inconspicuous day job as a hairdresser and his after-hours occupation are simply a means for him to repay debt, his various ventures seem to intertwine with his pursuit to recover his lost past. -- -- ONA - Apr 25, 2018 -- 23,321 7.91
Date A Live -- -- AIC PLUS+ -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Sci-Fi Harem Comedy Romance Mecha School -- Date A Live Date A Live -- Thirty years ago, the Eurasian continent was devastated by a supermassive "spatial quake"—a phenomenon involving space vibrations of unknown origin—resulting in the deaths of over 150 million people. Since then, these quakes have been plaguing the world intermittently, albeit on a lighter scale. -- -- Shidou Itsuka is a seemingly average high school student who lives with his younger sister, Kotori. When an imminent spatial quake threatens the safety of Tengu City, he rushes to save her, only to be caught in the resulting eruption. He discovers a mysterious girl at its source, who is revealed to be a "Spirit," an otherworldly entity whose appearance triggers a spatial quake. Soon after, he becomes embroiled in a skirmish between the girl and the Anti-Spirit Team, a ruthless strike force with the goal of annihilating Spirits. -- -- However, there is a third party that believes in saving the spirits: "Ratatoskr," which surprisingly is commanded by Shidou's little sister! Kotori forcibly recruits Shidou after the clash, presenting to him an alternative method of dealing with the danger posed by the Spirits—make them fall in love with him. Now, the fate of the world rests on his dating prowess, as he seeks out Spirits in order to charm them. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 762,164 7.20
Date A Live II -- -- Production IMS -- 10 eps -- Light novel -- Comedy Harem Mecha Romance School Sci-Fi -- Date A Live II Date A Live II -- Spirits are otherworldly entities with immense power, capable of creating spatial quakes whenever they appear. One way of dealing with them is through brute force and killing them... or making them fall in love and sealing their powers. -- -- Having sealed three Spirits, Shidou Itsuka continues his mission with Ratatoskr in locating more spirits and dating them, to ensure the world's safety from further destruction. However, this time around, their problems will not be limited to Spirits as a more imposing threat seems to have noticed their activities. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 472,190 7.22
Dirty Pair Flash -- -- Sunrise -- 6 eps -- Light novel -- Action Adventure Police Comedy Sci-Fi -- Dirty Pair Flash Dirty Pair Flash -- Kei and Yuri were originally junior auxiliary agents in the Worlds Works and Welfare Agency (W.W.W.A. or 3WA for short) when the two were paired together under the codename "Lovely Angels." Kei was coming off her fourth probation for something she had done, and Yuri's dating exploits were common knowledge, not to mention the two had an instant dislike for each other when they met. -- -- At first, Kei and Yuri refused to work with each other, and Kei even resigned from the 3WA. Afterwards, the two continued to work together, although they earned their nickname, "the Dirty Pair" because of all the collateral damage the two (unintentionally) cause in the completion of their cases. And even though the two now get along with one another, they continue to bicker and complain to each other. -- -- Although it is often said that these are younger versions of the original Lovely Angels Kei and Yuri, in truth this series is an alternate universe telling of Dirty Pair, set in the years 2248-49. -- -- (Source: Wikipedia) -- -- Licensor: -- ADV Films, Nozomi Entertainment -- OVA - Jan 21, 1994 -- 7,309 6.65
Dream C Club Pure Songs Clips -- -- Project No.9 -- 6 eps -- Game -- Game Music -- Dream C Club Pure Songs Clips Dream C Club Pure Songs Clips -- A two-volume DVD/CD collection of character songs and music videos of Xbox 360 dating simulation game Dream C Club. The clips recreate the heroines of the game with two-dimensional graphics. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- Music - Nov 10, 2010 -- 615 5.46
Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road -- -- Madhouse -- 1 ep -- Manga -- Comedy Shounen Sports -- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road -- The challenger has become the champion as Ippo Makunouchi now wears the featherweight championship belt of Japan. -- Some time has passed since Ippo's victory, and he has found his friends and coach as supportive as ever; his crush, Kumi Mashiba, seems to enjoy spending time with him as well. Things are looking bright for the new champion, but just as he once set his sights on becoming the best, his first challenger poses an intimidating threat. -- -- Kazuki Sanada works as a doctor at the same hospital as Kumi and fights strategically. Known for integrating his knowledge of the human body into his fights, Sanada is a fearsome contender—however, more unnerving than his physical ability, he has garnered the support of the nurses. Despite being the champion, Ippo feels the pressure as he must face the daunting challenge, retain his belt, and win over the girl he loves. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Discotek Media, Geneon Entertainment USA -- Special - Apr 18, 2003 -- 100,589 8.28
Hatsukoi Monster -- -- Studio Deen -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance School Shoujo -- Hatsukoi Monster Hatsukoi Monster -- Freshman Kaho Nikaidou is from an influential family, and as such, no one has ever said anything even remotely mean to her, for fear of incurring her household's wrath. Wishing to be around people who will not treat her as special because of her background, she leaves home to live at a dormitory for her new school year. Shortly after arriving, Kaho accidentally wanders into traffic and is saved by a tall, handsome stranger. When she asks for his name, he tells her she is weird and walks away. Having finally met the only person to ever say an unkind word to her, Kaho falls head over heels for her savior. -- -- After meeting her rescuer yet again and discovering that his name is Kanade Takahashi, she confesses her love to him. Kanade says he would like for them to be a couple, but that Kaho may not want to date him after she finds out his secret. To her shock, Kaho discovers the startling truth: Kanade is a fifth grader! -- -- Deciding that she can't date a fifth grader, Kaho intends to break up with him. But as she spends more time with Kanade, she begins to care for him even more and continues dating him. Hatsukoi Monster follows Kaho's first steps into love with Kanade, her immature, yet kind, fifth grade boyfriend. -- -- 89,172 5.58
Hello World -- -- Graphinica -- 1 ep -- Original -- Sci-Fi Drama Romance -- Hello World Hello World -- The year is 2027, and the city of Kyoto has undergone tremendous technological advancement. Within the city lives Naomi Katagaki, a socially awkward and introverted boy with a love for books, and Ruri Ichigyou, a girl with a cold personality who is often blunt with people, but shares his love for reading. Despite having similar interests, Naomi is afraid to approach Ruri due to her unfriendly nature. -- -- One day, as Naomi goes out for a walk, a crimson aurora pierces through the sky for a brief moment before vanishing. Shortly after, he sees a three-legged crow and a mysterious hooded man who reveals himself to be Naomi from 10 years in the future, explaining that he has come to change an imminent tragic event that happens to Ruri shortly after they start dating. Initially taking his words with a grain of salt, present-day Naomi follows his future self's instructions and starts getting closer to Ruri, determined to save her. -- -- Hello World focuses on the present Naomi alongside himself from 10 years into the future. With the help of his future self, Naomi begins his preparations to save Ruri. Will he be able to change the future? -- -- Movie - Sep 20, 2019 -- 121,677 7.58
Junjou Romantica 3 -- -- Studio Deen -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Drama Romance Shounen Ai -- Junjou Romantica 3 Junjou Romantica 3 -- After living together for three years, Misaki Takahashi and Akihiko "Usagi" Usami's relationship has been progressing smoothly. However, all great relationships have problems, and theirs is just beginning. With a new rival on the horizon, Usagi worries about Misaki's feelings towards him. -- -- Meanwhile, Ryuuichirou Isaka has always loved to intrude on Misaki and Usagi's love life, but his own love life hasn't been all smooth sailing—Isaka and his secretary Kaoru Asahina have been dating for a few years; however, Asahina prefers to keep their professional and private lives separate, often leading to troubled waters between them. -- -- As for Nowaki Kusama and Hiroki Kamijou, now that their careers are finally taking off, they hardly see each other anymore. With the time they spend together lessening, doubts and insecurities threaten to creep in between them. On the other hand, the 17-year age gap between Shinobu Takatsuki and You Miyagi has been a constant barrier in their relationship, but as they learn more about each other, their self-consciousness continues to fade. -- -- The beloved couples of Junjou Romantica, Junjou Egoist, and Junjou Terrorist are back again, this time with a new addition: Junjou Mistake! -- -- 96,777 7.73
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai -- -- Manglobe -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Harem Romance Shounen Supernatural -- Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai -- Keima Katsuragi, known online as the legendary "God of Conquest," can conquer any girl's heart—in dating sim games, at least. In reality, he opts for the two-dimensional world of gaming over real life because he is an unhealthily obsessed otaku of galge games (a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive girls). -- -- When he arrogantly accepts an anonymous offer to prove his supremacy at dating sim games, Keima is misled into aiding a naïve and impish demon from hell named Elucia "Elsie" de Lute Ima with her mission: retrieving runaway evil spirits who have escaped from hell and scattered themselves throughout the human world. Keima discovers that the only way to capture these spirits is to conquer what he hates the most: the unpredictable hearts of three-dimensional girls! Shackled to Elsie via a deadly collar, Keima now has his title of "God of Conquest" put to the ultimate test as he is forced to navigate through the hearts of a multitude of real-life girls. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 523,631 7.72
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II -- -- Manglobe -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Harem Romance Shounen Supernatural -- Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II -- Keima Katsuragi, the "God of Conquest," returns to his quest of expelling runaway spirits that have possessed the hearts of women. Still stuck in his contract with the demon Elsie, he must continue to utilize the knowledge he has gained from mastering multitudes of dating simulators and chase out the phantoms that reside within by capturing the hearts of that which he hates most: three-dimensional girls. -- -- However, the God of Conquest has his work cut out for him. From exorcising karate practitioners and student teachers to the arrival of Elsie's best friend from Hell, he is up against a wide array of girls that will test his wit and may even take him by surprise. Though he would much rather stick to the world of 2D, he is trapped in lousy reality, and so Keima must trudge forward in his conquest of love. -- -- 332,746 7.93
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II -- -- Manglobe -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Harem Romance Shounen Supernatural -- Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II -- Keima Katsuragi, the "God of Conquest," returns to his quest of expelling runaway spirits that have possessed the hearts of women. Still stuck in his contract with the demon Elsie, he must continue to utilize the knowledge he has gained from mastering multitudes of dating simulators and chase out the phantoms that reside within by capturing the hearts of that which he hates most: three-dimensional girls. -- -- However, the God of Conquest has his work cut out for him. From exorcising karate practitioners and student teachers to the arrival of Elsie's best friend from Hell, he is up against a wide array of girls that will test his wit and may even take him by surprise. Though he would much rather stick to the world of 2D, he is trapped in lousy reality, and so Keima must trudge forward in his conquest of love. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 332,746 7.93
Kämpfer -- -- Nomad -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Action Comedy Ecchi Romance School Shoujo Ai Super Power -- Kämpfer Kämpfer -- Waking up transformed into a beautiful girl might be the stuff of some guys' fantasies, but when the suddenly effeminatized Natsuru is informed by a stuffed tiger that he's now a Kampfer, a mystical fighter who has to fight other Kampfers in female form, his life becomes a living nightmare! -- -- Putting aside the obvious "plumbing" issues, Natsuru's best childhood friend turns out to swing the other way and SHE has a crush on his new female body. Not complex enough? Natsuru's school has separate sections for boys and girls, so he and she are now double enrolled. The rumor-mill has it that he's dating herself. And there are other Kampfers attending the school who want to take her out, and he's not sure which ones mean "on a date" and which ones mean "permanently." Oh, and did we mention that some Kampfers use swords and guns?! Hormones, fists, and other body parts will fly as the daring, new gender-bender defender must become a contender or die! -- -- (Source: Sentai Filmworks) -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- TV - Oct 2, 2009 -- 241,501 6.44
Mitsudomoe -- -- Bridge -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Comedy School Slice of Life -- Mitsudomoe Mitsudomoe -- The 11-year-old Marui triplets could not be any more different. The oldest one, Mitsuba, is sadistic and kind of mature for her age. The middle one, Futaba, is perverted and very athletic and has the strength of a full-grown man. The youngest one, Hitoha, is generally very quiet and gentle but when push comes to shove, she might just be the strongest, the most perverted and the most sadistic out of the three. -- -- The three are all in the same class, led by the newly graduated teacher Yabe Satoshi. He usually gets pushed around by the girls and, on occasion, abused but the triplets also try to lead him and the new school nurse, the clumsy Kuriyama Aiko, together. However, Yabe had no intention of dating Aiko and the methods the triplets use to accomplish their goal are highly unorthodox... -- TV - Jul 3, 2010 -- 92,595 7.58
Nisekoi -- -- Shaft -- 20 eps -- Manga -- Harem Comedy Romance School Shounen -- Nisekoi Nisekoi -- Raku Ichijou, a first-year student at Bonyari High School, is the sole heir to an intimidating yakuza family. Ten years ago, Raku made a promise to his childhood friend. Now, all he has to go on is a pendant with a lock, which can only be unlocked with the key which the girl took with her when they parted. -- -- Now, years later, Raku has grown into a typical teenager, and all he wants is to remain as uninvolved in his yakuza background as possible while spending his school days alongside his middle school crush Kosaki Onodera. However, when the American Bee Hive Gang invades his family's turf, Raku's idyllic romantic dreams are sent for a toss as he is dragged into a frustrating conflict: Raku is to pretend that he is in a romantic relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the beautiful daughter of the Bee Hive's chief, so as to reduce the friction between the two groups. Unfortunately, reality could not be farther from this whopping lie—Raku and Chitoge fall in hate at first sight, as the girl is convinced he is a pathetic pushover, and in Raku's eyes, Chitoge is about as attractive as a savage gorilla. -- -- Nisekoi follows the daily antics of this mismatched couple who have been forced to get along for the sake of maintaining the city's peace. With many more girls popping up his life, all involved with Raku's past somehow, his search for the girl who holds his heart and his promise leads him in more unexpected directions than he expects. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- 895,558 7.63
Ore Monogatari!! -- -- Madhouse -- 24 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance Shoujo -- Ore Monogatari!! Ore Monogatari!! -- With his muscular build and tall stature, Takeo Gouda is not exactly your average high school freshman. However, behind his intimidating appearance hides a heart of gold, and he is considered a hero by the boys for his courage and chivalry. Unfortunately, these traits do not help much with his love life. As if his looks are not enough to scare the opposite sex away, Takeo's cool and handsome best friend and constant companion Makoto Sunakawa easily steals the hearts of the female students—including every girl Takeo has ever liked. -- -- When Takeo gallantly saves cute and angelic Rinko Yamato from being molested, he falls in love with her instantly, but suspects that she might be interested in Sunakawa. With his own love for Yamato continuing to bloom, Takeo unselfishly decides to act as her cupid, even as he yearns for his own love story. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 502,304 7.94
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu - Memory Snow -- -- White Fox -- 1 ep -- Light novel -- Drama Fantasy -- Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu - Memory Snow Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu - Memory Snow -- Subaru Natsuki finally gets to take a breather, but he does not waste any time as he prepares for a date with his beloved Emilia. He scouts the nearby village for the right dating spot, and with the help of the village children, he finds a wonderful location. With that, he is well prepared for his date! -- -- Unfortunately for Subaru, cold weather suddenly sweeps across Roswaal's mansion on his important day, leaving him with no choice but to postpone the date. Overnight, it becomes even colder and unbearable. Subaru must get to the bottom of this because, at this rate, his date will be the least of his worries. -- -- Movie - Oct 6, 2018 -- 206,473 7.55
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Fine -- -- CloverWorks -- 1 ep -- Light novel -- Harem Comedy Romance Ecchi School -- Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Fine Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Fine -- With the second Winter Comiket just around the corner, Blessing Software has been vigorously producing its new game, "How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend." Despite Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri Spencer Sawamura leaving the circle, Megumi Katou and Tomoya Aki are hopeful that, by sticking to Tomoya's original vision for the game, their upcoming creation will exceed Blessing Software's previous installment. -- -- With the addition of new members Iori and Izumi Hashima, development ensues—but not without its share of setbacks. Things rarely go as planned in the dating sim industry, with numerous obstacles forcing Tomoya to decide between helping his friends or completing the game. -- -- Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Fine draws the series to a close as Tomoya selects his final route, both within his personal life and Blessing Software. -- -- Movie - Oct 26, 2019 -- 98,836 8.47
Saishuu Heiki Kanojo -- -- Gonzo -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Drama Military Romance School Sci-Fi -- Saishuu Heiki Kanojo Saishuu Heiki Kanojo -- Chise is an ordinary schoolgirl: small, frail, and not particularly intelligent. Her greatest joy is her budding romance with her classmate and childhood friend, Shuuji. They both live in a small military town in Hokkaido, where high schoolers have few concerns other than who is dating whom and complaining about the steep climb up "Hell Hill" every day before school. -- -- One day, Shuuji and his friends make a trip to Sapporo to buy gifts for their girlfriends. A massive air raid on Sapporo that day kills thousands, including one of Shuuji's friends, and signals the beginning of a war. Fleeing from the carnage, Shuuji spots Chise, though now she has steel wings and a massive gun where her right arm should be. Against her will, she has been transformed into the ultimate cyborg weapon, capable of leveling entire cities. -- -- As the war rages closer and closer to their hometown, Chise and Shuuji's relationship is strained by her transformation, and they are left to wonder whether she is even still human. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks, VIZ Media -- TV - Jul 2, 2002 -- 84,240 7.17
Saishuu Heiki Kanojo -- -- Gonzo -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Drama Military Romance School Sci-Fi -- Saishuu Heiki Kanojo Saishuu Heiki Kanojo -- Chise is an ordinary schoolgirl: small, frail, and not particularly intelligent. Her greatest joy is her budding romance with her classmate and childhood friend, Shuuji. They both live in a small military town in Hokkaido, where high schoolers have few concerns other than who is dating whom and complaining about the steep climb up "Hell Hill" every day before school. -- -- One day, Shuuji and his friends make a trip to Sapporo to buy gifts for their girlfriends. A massive air raid on Sapporo that day kills thousands, including one of Shuuji's friends, and signals the beginning of a war. Fleeing from the carnage, Shuuji spots Chise, though now she has steel wings and a massive gun where her right arm should be. Against her will, she has been transformed into the ultimate cyborg weapon, capable of leveling entire cities. -- -- As the war rages closer and closer to their hometown, Chise and Shuuji's relationship is strained by her transformation, and they are left to wonder whether she is even still human. -- -- TV - Jul 2, 2002 -- 84,240 7.17
School Rumble Ni Gakki -- -- Studio Comet -- 26 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance School Shounen -- School Rumble Ni Gakki School Rumble Ni Gakki -- Continuing right where season 1 left off: Harima still likes Tenma but still runs into obstacles everytime he tries to confess his love to her. To complicate the situation, Class 2-D challenges class 2-C once again and there's a rumor floating around that Harima and Yakumo are dating as the school prepares for the cultural festival. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- TV - Apr 3, 2006 -- 137,802 8.03
School Rumble Ni Gakki -- -- Studio Comet -- 26 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance School Shounen -- School Rumble Ni Gakki School Rumble Ni Gakki -- Continuing right where season 1 left off: Harima still likes Tenma but still runs into obstacles everytime he tries to confess his love to her. To complicate the situation, Class 2-D challenges class 2-C once again and there's a rumor floating around that Harima and Yakumo are dating as the school prepares for the cultural festival. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- TV - Apr 3, 2006 -- 137,802 8.03
Sukitte Ii na yo. -- -- Zexcs -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Drama Romance School Shoujo -- Sukitte Ii na yo. Sukitte Ii na yo. -- Friends will only let you down—that is the sad truth Mei Tachibana lives with, ever since she was wrongfully blamed for the death of a class pet by her so-called friends in grade school. Since then, she stays away from people in order to avoid ever being hurt again. However, Mei's life begins to change drastically when a misunderstanding in high school causes her to encounter popular student Yamato Kurosawa. -- -- Yamato finds her intriguing and insists on being her friend, even though Mei wants nothing to do with him. But when a dangerous situation ends with Yamato kissing Mei to save her from the unwanted attention of a stalker, Mei begins to develop feelings for him. On the heels of her discovery that their feelings are mutual, they start dating and she gains not only a boyfriend, but friends as well. Mei, however, finds it very hard to adapt to this new lifestyle, especially in expressing her true feelings towards Yamato. -- -- Throughout misunderstandings of their new relationship, each other, and the attentions of other girls, Mei and Yamato slowly grow closer and learn the true meaning of those three little words: "I love you." -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 500,874 7.47
Toradora! -- -- J.C.Staff -- 25 eps -- Light novel -- Slice of Life Comedy Romance School -- Toradora! Toradora! -- Ryuuji Takasu is a gentle high school student with a love for housework; but in contrast to his kind nature, he has an intimidating face that often gets him labeled as a delinquent. On the other hand is Taiga Aisaka, a small, doll-like student, who is anything but a cute and fragile girl. Equipped with a wooden katana and feisty personality, Taiga is known throughout the school as the "Palmtop Tiger." -- -- One day, an embarrassing mistake causes the two students to cross paths. Ryuuji discovers that Taiga actually has a sweet side: she has a crush on the popular vice president, Yuusaku Kitamura, who happens to be his best friend. But things only get crazier when Ryuuji reveals that he has a crush on Minori Kushieda—Taiga's best friend! -- -- Toradora! is a romantic comedy that follows this odd duo as they embark on a quest to help each other with their respective crushes, forming an unlikely alliance in the process. -- -- -- Licensor: -- NIS America, Inc. -- 1,655,221 8.21
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! -- -- SILVER LINK. -- 12 eps -- Web manga -- Slice of Life Comedy School -- Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! -- After living 50 simulated high school lives and dating over 100 virtual boys, Tomoko Kuroki believes that she is ready to conquer her first year of high school. Little does she know that she is much less prepared than she would like to think. In reality, Tomoko is an introverted and awkward young girl, and she herself is the only one who doesn't realize it! With the help of her best friend, Yuu Naruse, and the support and love of her brother Tomoki, Tomoko attempts to brave the new world of high school life. -- -- Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! chronicles the life of a socially awkward and relatively friendless high school otaku as she attempts to overcome her personal barriers in order to live a fulfilling life. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 527,392 7.03
Working!! -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 13 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Comedy Romance Seinen Slice of Life -- Working!! Working!! -- Due to his love for small, cute things, Souta Takanashi cannot turn childlike Popura Taneshima down when she recruits him to work for Wagnaria, a family restaurant located in Hokkaido. Takanashi takes particular joy in doting on the older Popura, which only fuels her complex over how young she looks. He also quickly learns he must stay on his toes once he meets the rest of his colleagues, including the katana-wielding floor chief Yachiyo Todoroki, the intimidating head chef Jun Satou, the dangerously well-informed and subtly sadistic sous chef Hiroomi Souma, the adamantly lazy manager Kyouko Shirafuji, and the waitress Mahiru Inami who has a "painful" fear of men. -- -- Powered by an eccentric cast, Working!! is a unique workplace comedy that follows the never-dull happenings within the walls of Wagnaria as Takanashi and his co-workers' quirky personalities combine to create non-stop antics, shenanigans, and hilarity. -- -- -- Licensor: -- NIS America, Inc. -- TV - Apr 4, 2010 -- 365,992 7.69
Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 11 eps -- Web manga -- Comedy Romance Slice of Life -- Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii -- Having slept through all four of her alarms, the energetic Narumi Momose finds herself running late for her first day of work at a new office. As she races to catch her train, she makes a promise to herself that none of her coworkers will find out about her dark secret: that she is an otaku and a fujoshi. Her plan goes instantly awry, though, when she runs into Hirotaka Nifuji, an old friend from middle school. Although she tries to keep her secret by inviting him out for drinks after work, her cover is blown when he casually asks her whether or not she will be attending the upcoming Summer Comiket. Luckily for her, the only witnesses—Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura—are otaku as well. -- -- Later that night, the pair go out for drinks so that they can catch up after all the years apart. After Narumi complains about her previous boyfriend breaking up with her because he refused to date a fujoshi, Hirotaka suggests that she try dating a fellow otaku, specifically himself. He makes a solemn promise to always be there for her, to support her, and to help her farm for rare drops in Monster Hunter. Blown away by the proposal, Narumi agrees immediately. Thus the two otaku start dating, and their adorably awkward romance begins. -- -- 584,085 7.96
Yama no Susume: Kabe tte Kowakunai no? -- -- 8bit -- 1 ep -- Manga -- Comedy Slice of Life -- Yama no Susume: Kabe tte Kowakunai no? Yama no Susume: Kabe tte Kowakunai no? -- Aoi Yukimura and her friends decide to take on a new challenge: indoor rock climbing! However, the sight of the wall flusters Aoi, who frets over its height and complexity. Fortunately, Kaede Saitou is there to explain the rules of indoor climbing, inspiring the girls to give it a try themselves. Though the wall may seem intimidating and insurmountable, Aoi finds that with a little help from her friends, she may be able to overcome this challenge. -- -- Special - May 24, 2013 -- 17,182 6.74
Zetsuen no Tempest -- -- Bones -- 24 eps -- Manga -- Action Mystery Psychological Drama Magic Fantasy Shounen -- Zetsuen no Tempest Zetsuen no Tempest -- Yoshino Takigawa, an ordinary teenager, is secretly dating his best friend Mahiro's younger sister. But when his girlfriend Aika mysteriously dies, Mahiro disappears, vowing to find the one responsible and make them pay for murdering his beloved sister. Yoshino continues his life as usual and has not heard from Mahiro in a month—until he is confronted by a strange girl who holds him at gunpoint, and his best friend arrives in the nick of time to save him. -- -- Yoshino learns that Mahiro has enlisted the help of a witch named Hakaze Kusaribe to find Aika's killer and of the existence of an entity known as the "Tree of Exodus." The witch's brother selfishly desires to make use of its power, in spite of the impending peril to the world. However, Hakaze is banished to a deserted island, and it is now up to Yoshino and Mahiro to help her save the world, while inching ever closer to the truth behind Aika's death. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- 494,569 7.98
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/AUR_Trusted_User_Guidelines#Accessing_and_Updating_the_Repository
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Reporting_Bug_Guidelines#Updating_the_bug_report_when_a_new_version_of_the_related_software_is_out
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nascent_Words_2013,_elucidating_woalith,_Subh
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bangdatingdaanjf.JPG
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dating_Planetary_Core_Formation.png
Absolute dating
Adult dating website
Ang Dating Daan
Antedating
Antedating (lexicography)
Archaeomagnetic dating
Argonargon dating
Blind Dating
Bluedating
Carbon dating the Dead Sea Scrolls
Casual dating
Category:Wikipedia articles in need of updating
Celebs Go Dating
Chinese Dating with the Parents
Chronological dating
College and university dating
Comparison of online dating services
Dating
Dating Agency: Cyrano
Dating Alternatib
Dating coach
Dating creation
Dating Do's and Don'ts
Dating Game Killer (film)
Dating game show
Dating in the Dark
Dating in the Dark (American TV series)
Dating in the Dark Australia
Dating in the Dark (British TV series)
Dating Naked
Dating sim
Dating system
Dating the Bible
Dating the Enemy
Dating violence
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Dual dating
Dynamic software updating
Electron spin resonance dating
Eponym dating system
Ex-treme Dating
Fission track dating
Fluorine absorption dating
Group dating
Hafniumtungsten dating
Helium dating
Her (dating app)
Holly & Fearne Go Dating
I Kissed Dating Goodbye
Incremental dating
Inner Circle (dating site)
Internet Dating Superstuds
Ioniumthorium dating
Is Dating Your Sister
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
KAr dating
KCa dating
Leadlead dating
Liquidating distribution
Luminescence dating
Lutetiumhafnium dating
Nitrogen dating
Obsidian hydration dating
Online dating application
Online dating service
Options backdating
Oxidizable carbon ratio dating
Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase
POF (dating website)
Polyamory: Married & Dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating in Hawaii
Radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin
Radiometric dating
Rebound (dating)
Rehydroxylation dating
Relative dating
Rheniumosmium dating
RocknRollDating
Rubidiumstrontium dating
Rules of Dating
S'More (dating app)
Samariumneodymium dating
Secret dating
Self-consolidating concrete
Sequence dating
She's Dating the Gangster
Speed dating
Speed-dating
Surface exposure dating
Teen dating violence
The Dating Game
The Dating Guy
The Right Stuff (dating web site)
Thermoluminescence dating
Timeline of online dating services
Uraniumlead dating
Uraniumthorium dating
Uraniumuranium dating
We Are Dating Now
convenience portal:
recent: Section Maps - index table - favoritesSavitri --Savitri extended toc Savitri Section Map --1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
authors -- Crowley - Peterson - Borges - Wilber - Teresa -Aurobindo -Ramakrishna - Maharshi -Mother
places -- Garden - Inf. Art Gallery - Inf. Building - Inf. Library - Labyrinth - Library - School -Temple - Tower - Tower of MEM
powers -- Aspiration - Beauty - Concentration - Effort - Faith - Force - Grace - inspiration -Presence - Purity - Sincerity - surrender
difficulties -- cowardice - depres. - distract. - distress - dryness - evil - fear - forget - habits - impulse - incapacity - irritation - lost - mistakes - obscur. - problem - resist - sadness - self-deception - shame - sin - suffering
practices -- Lucid Dreaming - meditation - project - programming - Prayer - read Savitri - studysubjects -- CS - Cybernetics - Game Dev - Integral Theory - Integral Yoga - Kabbalah - Language - Philosophy - Poetry - Zen
6.01 books -- KC - ABA - Null -Savitri - SA O TAOC -SICP - The Gospel of SRK - TIC - The Library of Babel -TLD -TSOY - TTYODAS - TSZ - WOTM II
8 unsorted / add here -- Always - Everyday - Verbs