

“The next suitable person you’re in light conversation with, you stop suddenly in the middle of the conversation and look at the person closely and say, “What’s wrong?” You say it in a concerned way. He’ll say, “What do you mean?” You say, “Something’s wrong. I can tell. What is it?” And he’ll look stunned and say, “How did you know?” He doesn’t realize something’s always wrong, with everybody. Often more than one thing. He doesn’t know everybody’s always going around all the time with something wrong and believing they’re exerting great willpower and control to keep other people, for whom they think nothing’s ever wrong, from seeing it. This is the way of people. Suddenly ask what’s wrong and whether they open up and spill their guts or deny it and pretend you’re off, they’ll think you’re perceptive and understanding. They’ll either be grateful, or they’ll be frightened and avoid you from then on. Both reactions have their uses, as we’ll get to. You can play it either way. This works over 90 percent of the time.”
― The Pale King
― The Pale King

“This acute, “a selfdissolving contradiction,” Marx had very precisely seen and foreseen that “it establishes a monopoly in certain spheres and thereby requires state interference.” This contradiction “reproduces a new financial aristocracy” (how much Marx was right!), no matter it will call itself Communist Party of Soviet Union or DuPont Financial Circle. It reproduces “a new variety of parasites . . . , a whole system of swindling and cheating by means of corporation promotion, stock issuance, and stock speculation.”
― Socialism Is Dead! Long Live Socialism!: The Marx Code-Socialism with a Human Face
― Socialism Is Dead! Long Live Socialism!: The Marx Code-Socialism with a Human Face

“Gossip is like thread wound over a spindle of truth, changing its shape.”
― Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master
― Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master

“Dionisio arose reluctantly from his bed, went to the window to see what kind of day it was, and went to the telephone to call the police.”
― Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord
― Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord

“The receiving radio operator immediately said, “Please tell Sunray Delta Six that Sunray Six is being located and informed immediately. Expect his answer very soon!” A short time later, Harry Smith was summoned to the HQ Delta Company radio. He went to it and was told, “Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Townsend is waiting to speak to you.”
― A Gracious Enemy
― A Gracious Enemy
Jamel’s 2024 Year in Books
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