Everyone is as God has made him, and oftentimes a great deal worse. Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)  

sanctify Definition: (verb) Render holy by means of religious rites. Synonyms: hallow, bless, consecrate Usage: Though they are comfortable with the fact that their marriage has not been sanctified in a Christian church, their parents are not. Discuss.  

Emily Carr (1871) Now considered an icon of Canadian art, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in life. She primarily painted indigenous-themed or landscape scenes, and she was relatively unknown until her work was featured […]

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire. Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)  

intoxication Definition: (noun) A temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol. Synonyms: drunkenness, inebriety, insobriety, tipsiness Usage: Kevin drank beer after beer, heedless of the hangover that would undoubtedly follow his intoxication. Discuss.  

Helen Frankenthaler (1928) A member of abstract expressionism’s second generation, Frankenthaler was greatly influenced by Jackson Pollock. Inspired by his way of working on a canvas laid on the floor rather than mounted upright, Frankenthaler developed a technique for staining […]

Friendship is constant in all other things Save in the office and affairs of love. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)  

unbridled Definition: (adjective) Not restrained or controlled. Synonyms: unchecked, uncurbed, ungoverned Usage: My own spirits were high, and I bounded along with feelings of unbridled joy and hilarity. Discuss.  

Max Born (1882) A prominent German physicist, Born taught theoretical physics at the University of Göttingen from 1921 to 1933, until Nazi policies forced him—a person of Jewish descent—to flee to England, where he continued to teach at the university […]

“My country, right or wrong,” is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, “My mother, drunk or sober.” Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936)  

oscillate Definition: (verb) Be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action. Synonyms: hover, vacillate, vibrate Usage: He continues to oscillate between accepting the prestigious promotion and retiring. Discuss.