December 16

"They that govern the most, make least noise."

John Selden
(12/16/1584 – 11/30/1654)
English jurist

"Rossini would have been a great composer if his teacher had spanked him enough on his backside."

Ludwig van Beethoven
(12/16/1770 – 03/26/1827)
German composer (List of compositions)
(same dates as Noel Coward)

"Elinor agreed with it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition."

Jane Austen
(12/16/1775 – 07/18/1817)
English writer

"She was the prettiest, silliest, most affected, husband-hunting butterfly ever."

Mary Russell Mitford
(12/16/1787 – 01/10/1855)
English writer ("Our Village")
, on Jane Austen

"All things by immortal power,
Near and Far
Hiddenly
To each other linked are,
That thou canst not stir a flower
Without troubling of a star."

Francis Thompson
(12/16/1859 – 11/13/1907)
English writer

"It is a great advantage for a system of philosophy to be substantially true."

George Santayana
(12/16/1863 – 09/26/1952)
Spanish philosopher, writer

"An empty canvas, apparently really empty, that says nothing and is without significance. Almost dull, in fact. In reality, however, [it's] crammed with thousands of undertone tensions and [is] full of expectancy. Slightly apprehensive lest it should be outraged... It can contain anything but cannot sustain everything... An empty canvas is a living wonder—far lovelier than certain pictures."

Wassily Kandinsky
(12/16/1866 – 12/13/1944)
Russian artist
(died near his birthday)

"I see her as one great stampede of lips directed at the nearest derriere."

Sir Noel Coward
(12/16/1899 – 03/26/1973)
English writer ("Blithe Spirit") , on a sycophantic columnist
(same dates as Beethoven)

"The principle of procrastinated rape is said to be the ruling one in all the great best-sellers."

V. S. Pritchett
(12/16/1900 – 03/20/1997)
English writer ("Marching Spain")

"Women want mediocre men, and men are working hard to become as mediocre as possible."

Margaret Mead
(12/16/1901 – 11/15/1978)
US anthropologist

"It may be observed, in a general way,
that life would be better, distinctly
If more of the people with nothing to say
were able to say it succinctly."

Piet Hein
(12/16/1905 – 04/17/1996)
Danish inventor ("Grooks")

"There is hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not wave in a vacuum."

Sir Arthur C. Clarke
(12/16/1917 – 03/19/2008)
English scientist, writer ("Childhood's End")

"It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane."

Philip K. Dick
(12/16/1928 – 03/02/1982)
US writer ("Ubik")

"Hollywood is loneliness beside the swimming pool."

Liv Ullmann
(12/16/1938 – )
Norwegian actor

"Any stigma, as the old saying is, will serve to beat a dogma."

Philip Guedalla
(03/12/1889 – 12/16/1944)
English historian ("Supers and Supermen: Studies in Politics, History and Letters")

"Black women as a group have never been fools. We couldn't afford to be."

Barbara Smith
(12/16/1946 – )
US writer

"Can't do it, simply cause underneath 'em is too ugly."

Billy Gibbons
(12/16/1949 – )
US musician (ZZ Top) , on why he and Dusty Hill refused a hefty sum from Gillette to shave their beards

"Ever notice that people who believe in Creationism look really unevolved?"

Bill Hicks
(12/16/1961 – 02/26/1994)
US comic

"Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it."

W. Somerset Maugham
(01/25/1874 – 12/16/1965)
English writer ("Of Human Bondage")

"Feed the poor and get rich or feed the rich and get poor."

Colonel Harland Sanders
(09/09/1890 – 12/16/1980)
US chef

"I'll never kick dogs, I'll never hurt a child, I'll never slap a woman—three things I won't do on film."

Lee Van Cleef
(01/09/1925 – 12/16/1989)
US actor

"It is the doom of men that they forget."

Nicol Williamson
(09/14/1936 – 12/16/2011)
Scottish actor
(was married to Jill Townsend)