Constellation Orion, partly encircled by Barnard’s Loop, appears upside down (on the left) when seen from the southern hemisphere.
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky.
On the far right, near the top, are the two Magellanic Clouds, satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.
Jules Travernier painting was inspired during the year he spent crossing America, sketching the scenes he encountered while lost in his thoughts.
I will have no man in my boat,” said Starbuck, “who is not afraid of a whale.” By this, he seemed to mean, not only that the most reliable and useful courage was that which arises from the fair estimation of the encountered peril, but that an utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward.
Chapter 26, Knights and Squires – Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Hunger is the first element of self-discipline.
If you can control what you eat & drink, you can control everything else.
Perception of time will eventually condense into an infinite now. Until then, observe the rush of random thoughts as they travel downstream.
Half of those who die in combat enter Valhalla, while the other half are chosen to reside in Fólkvangr.
Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.
Aristotle
Start your day at 4:00 AM. You’re up any way, why do you to need to stay in bed? Sit up and meditate. Say the word “thought” over an over again trying to visualize what it looks like. If that makes you sleepy, go back to bed.
“Ignorance has been our king. Since the death of empire, he sits unchallenged on the throne of Man. His dynasty is age-old. His right to rule is now considered legitimate. Past sages have affirmed it. They did nothing to unseat him.
“Tomorrow, a new prince shall rule. Men of understanding, men of science shall stand behind his throne, and the universe will come to know his might. His name is Truth. His empire shall encompass the Earth. And the mastery of Man over the Earth shall be renewed. A century from now, men will fly through the air in mechanical birds. Metal carriages will race along roads of man-made stone. There will be buildings of thirty stories, ships that go under the sea, machines to perform all works.
“And how will this come to pass?”
He paused and lowered his voice. “In the same way all change comes to pass, I fear. And I am sorry it is so. It will come to pass by violence and upheaval, by flame and by fury, for no change comes calmly over the world.”
A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (1959)