More goodies! The movies are birthday presents from Prairie’s mom (we’ll have to let her know what she got me), the book I’ve had on preorder for months. Our plan is to find time to watch the Jurassic Park trilogy before seeing Jurassic World. No real reason for the Pirates series other than that we enjoy them. And Stephenson is probably my favorite current SF author. Good thing this quarter is almost over!

Violence Never Solves Anything?

Anyone who clings to the historically untrue and thoroughly immoral doctrine that violence never settles anything I would advise to conjure up the ghosts of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington and let them debate it. The ghost of Hitler could referee and the jury might well be the Dodo, the Great Auk, and the Passenger Pigeon. Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and their freedoms.

— Robert Heinlein

The current post-Christmas state of my “to read” bookcase. Even in the midst of working on a master’s degree, somehow I can’t stop picking up more books.