A weekly column of quotes from around the world that astound, appal, delight or perplex. We ask New Matilda subscribers to help us gather and share these unguarded snippets.
Send us your favourite, outstanding quotes from newspapers, blogs, websites, even books, and if we agree that they’re outstanding we’ll include them in the next issue.
Email the following information to us at – quotes@newmatilda.com:
– Name of person being quoted
– Name of the media outlet that quoted them (include date and page number for hardcopy media; URL and date for electronic media)
– Your name and phone number
Get your quotable quotes to us by noon (Sydney time) on Tuesday 27 December.
‘It’s pretty loud in this room, so my apologies. The bomb-sniffing dog threw up here.’
Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. Chairman and Publisher of the New York Times to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a New York Times publisher’s luncheon. (The noise was due to air-conditioning turned up high to diminish the smell). Condi’s reply? ‘Thank you for sharing that.’ The New Yorker
When you give people choice and options …it can be a situation where people say, ‘I don’t really “ this is something I may not want to do.’
President Bush explaining the US Medicare drug plan.
From the pot calling the kettle black file:
Mr Hulls’ weasel words are cold comfort to those of us who believe the Old High Court building is one of our great legal icons.’
Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock talking about his Victorian counterpart, Rob Hulls, and the future of the old High Court building in Melbourne.
Chilling words
‘In the centre of Sydney on a quiet Sunday morning, ringed by police, inside an elegant recital hall, a crowd of prosperous, white Australians was baying for border protection. When Howard finished, there was a standing ovation. He took what bushmen call a dingo’s breakfast “ a sip of water and a quick look around “ then plunged into the applauding ranks of his supporters.’
David Marr and Marian Wilkinson describing the Liberal Party election launch in the City Recital Hall, Sydney October 2001 in their book Dark Victory.
‘I have long been of the opinion that if work were such a splendid thing the rich would have kept more of it for themselves.’
Bruce Grocott, British politician
‘So if we see our mistakes as gifts, sort of serendipitous presents that we get to open and embrace, we are much more likely to be open and creative, but also to be sane.’
Kat Koppett, a trainer and consultant based in San Francisco who specialises in using improv and storytelling in business environments. Jodee Rich must have been a client.
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