Every Day Quotes Week 49
Title: Every Day Quotes
Rating: K
Dec 9
Knowledge is power.
(Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est)
Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), Meditationes Sacræ. De Hæresibus. (1597)
Abby Scuito knew how valuable knowledge was. It could easily be the difference between life and death. Modern science and medicine kept people alive for longer in better conditions. Surely an example of knowledge at its best.
It made a difference in other ways too. Most of the time, knowledge was the difference between flipping burgers or working in an office, whether students wanted to acknowledge it or not. Certain jobs were barred to those who didn’t have specific knowledge, and with good reason. Abby didn’t want a doctor treating her who couldn’t read her chart or write a prescription.
But knowledge was powerful in the right hands. She could use science and knowledge to catch a criminal, whether a killer or a hacker or a thief or a mugger. She could prove it could only have been one particular person who had committed the offence. She could use her knowledge to convict a person beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Knowledge was not a one-size-fits-all. Ziva used a different knowledge when she killed someone, her extensive knowledge of human anatomy and weapons. It was just as powerful as Abby’s science, except the Goth was fairly sure she couldn’t defend herself very well with a test tube.
Abby Scuito was aware how valuable knowledge was. But she was also aware it was openly available to anyone. And that was the beauty of it.
~*~*~*~
Dec 10
We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.
Peter Drucker (1909 - 2005)
Ducky loved learning. It was a skill he had picked up in his youth, however much today’s youth argued that learning was not a skill at all. He knew better; they clearly had yet to learn anything.
Learning was fascinating. Every time he learnt about a new topic, he discovered how much more there was that he did not know. It excited him, urged him to delve further into the depths of knowledge. It was impossible for one person to ever learn everything - there was so much out there. And as it constantly changed, due to new discoveries or simple alterations in the flow of life, it could never be learnt in a single lifetime.
Despite that thought, he made an effort to learn something new every day. Whether it was the effects of a particular poison (which Ziva was always happy to discuss with him), something from popular culture, a new word he had not come across before, the brief history of a country or culture, or a recipe, he made sure he took the time to learn one new thing. Most days, he managed far more than one, but occasionally he needed the mental push.
Today, he had decided to learn the major constellations in the night sky. Perhaps Jethro was the person to ask for assistance on this.
~*~*~*~
Dec 11
A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.
James A. Garfield (1831 - 1881)
Tony DiNozzo glanced around the squad room, wanting to be sure the coast was clear before he risked his life. With no sign of his teammates, he decided it was better to get this over and done with.
He darted across the gap between his and Ziva’s desks, pulled open a drawer and began to frantically search through it. It was here. It had to be here. Unless she had put it back in another drawer…
Satisfied it was not in the first drawer, he began to ransack the second. Still not in there. Maybe the third -
“What are you doing?”
Drat. McGee had appeared and would quite happily tell his ninja chick if he wasn’t careful.
“I need to borrow Ziva’s toothbrush,” Tony hissed. “Keep the noise down and look out for her, would you?”
“Why do you need to borrow it?” The Probie was pedantic. “You have your own in your desk.”
“I did,” Tony replied, continuing to search. “Until it sort of fell to pieces.”
“Really?” McGee clearly didn’t believe him.
“It’s been held together with tape for the last three months,” Tony pointed out. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” Ziva joined in as Tony triumphantly pulled the purple toothbrush out from its hiding place. “How do you feel about losing a hand?”
~*~*~*~
Dec 12
If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Leroy Jethro Gibbs stared at the piece of paper in front of him. “Nope,” he decided. “Not a clue.”
His partner in crime, or more accurately his ex-partner, scowled and took the paper back from him. “It can’t be that difficult,” she argued. “Oh.”
He shot Jenny a brief glare at her lack of faith in his skills, but quickly forgot his annoyance and returned to the task at hand.
His team had been forced to attend a communications seminar the previous day. Naturally, with his unofficial permission, they had messed around a good bit. But he had overheard Tony whispering something about them to Ziva, and he wanted to be sure of what exactly it was. With a bit of luck, DiNozzo the Idiot had written some of his thoughts down.
Deciphering his chicken-scratch handwriting was proving to be a problem. Gibbs was somewhat used to it, which was why he insisted Tony type his reports up. However this random scribble of supposed notes was worse than usual.
“Is that a G or a J?” Jenny inquired, staring so closely at the paper her nose was almost touching it.
Gibbs glanced over. “Z,” he pronounced. At her glare, he elaborated. “One of his easier letters.”
Jenny sighed and lowered the paper. “Couldn’t we just ask Ziva? Or Abby. She’s got a new program to analyze code, or so she tells me.”
Gibbs nodded in agreement. Abby could do it for them, if anyone could.
~*~*~*~
Dec 13
He hath eaten me out of house and home.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "King Henry IV Part II", Act 2 scene 1
Abby Scuito placed a bowl of steaming paella in front of Timmy and beamed. Let the fun commence!
She loved feeding people. To accept someone’s food, a bond had to be formed. One of trust and peace. She and Timmy already had a bond like that, but she was happy to keep it in mind while she fed him.
She settled down in her own seat, continuing to smile at Timmy’s eager expression. He looked like he wanted to dive straight it.
“Go on,” she encouraged him.
The Goth examined her own paella briefly. It looked delicious, which she knew it must after an hour preparing it. Her favorite dish had been altered slightly with a few tips on spices from Ziva. Hmm, that was a thought, Ziva had yet to try her new and improved dish…
Looking up at Tim, she smiled. He was wolfing his food down, as though he hadn’t eaten in days, which she knew to be untrue because they had shared lunch at a new restaurant five blocks from the Navy Yard that very afternoon. Someone else might have reminded him of his manners, but he was clearly enjoying it and she had no desire to slow him down. It was the best compliment to her cooking anyone could give her.
Before she had managed two spoonfuls of her own, Timmy’s bowl was cleared. “Do you have any more?” he asked.
~*~*~*~
Dec 14
Irony is the hygiene of the mind.
Princess Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco
Tony DiNozzo stared in vain at his desk, hoping against all hope the Director would rescind her order or a group of roaming fairies would come along and help him out.
The first didn’t have a chance. Director Shepard had been attacked by a pile of falling debris from his desk the previous day and ordered him to clear it. By clear, she had made absolutely certain he understood she meant being able to see it was actually a desk. A clean desk.
The fairies were a faint hope that someone or something would come along to sort the mess out for him. And he had to admit there was a mess. He hadn’t removed his takeout containers for the last two months, for instance. He had lost track of which files were on his desk. He even had a funny feeling he had a few cups of coffee that were meant for el jefe in its depths.
“Need a hand?” McGee offered.
Tony forced himself not to hug the Probie. It would be unseemly. “Cheers, Probie. Where do you want to start?”
“I think you should call the CDC,” McScientist suggested. “Get them to incinerate the whole thing. It would be the quickest method, not to mention the most hygienic.”
Tony scowled. Someone needed to take this more seriously. The Director had promised to tell her pet Mossad assassin the name of the person who had spilled her last Berry Mango Madness all over her desk if he didn’t get this done by the end of the day.
~*~*~*~
Dec 15
Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve.
Chinese Proverb
Ziva David strolled into the squad room on time, tossed her rucksack behind her desk, and settled in her chair for the start of a new day.
“Erm, what’s that?” came the query from her partner.
Briefly, she allowed her eyes to flutter closed. She had known this was going to happen. It was not like she was in any pain, or rather any pain she could not work through. She could still do her job better than DiNozzo and McGee combined (no one could do it better than Gibbs). She would not be a liability in the field. So where was the problem?
Of course, her team might make it into a problem that it was not if she was not careful. She was not sure they would follow her line of reasoning. And therefore she had already come up with a plan.
“What is what?” she asked Tony, despite knowing exactly what he was referring to.
“That.” Tony pointed.
“The cast on your arm,” McGee helpfully put into words. “Did you break it or something?”
“Chasing down a fellow ninja?” Tony suggested, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
“No,” she replied, returning to her now fully powered-up computer.
“No to the ninja or no to the breaking?” McGee decided to clarify.
“I have not seen any ninjas recently,” she answered. “And I have not broken my arm.”
“Why is it in a cast then?” Tony demanded.
“What cast?” she questioned.
“On your left arm,” he growled.
She looked down at her black cast. “No, I do not see a cast,” she informed him.
Tony growled, while McGee looked confused. She hid a smirk. Perhaps if it was going this well, she might be able to persuade Gibbs -
“David, explain the cast,” Gibbs ordered as he swept in out of nowhere.
Drat.
Rating: K
Dec 9
Knowledge is power.
(Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est)
Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), Meditationes Sacræ. De Hæresibus. (1597)
Abby Scuito knew how valuable knowledge was. It could easily be the difference between life and death. Modern science and medicine kept people alive for longer in better conditions. Surely an example of knowledge at its best.
It made a difference in other ways too. Most of the time, knowledge was the difference between flipping burgers or working in an office, whether students wanted to acknowledge it or not. Certain jobs were barred to those who didn’t have specific knowledge, and with good reason. Abby didn’t want a doctor treating her who couldn’t read her chart or write a prescription.
But knowledge was powerful in the right hands. She could use science and knowledge to catch a criminal, whether a killer or a hacker or a thief or a mugger. She could prove it could only have been one particular person who had committed the offence. She could use her knowledge to convict a person beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Knowledge was not a one-size-fits-all. Ziva used a different knowledge when she killed someone, her extensive knowledge of human anatomy and weapons. It was just as powerful as Abby’s science, except the Goth was fairly sure she couldn’t defend herself very well with a test tube.
Abby Scuito was aware how valuable knowledge was. But she was also aware it was openly available to anyone. And that was the beauty of it.
~*~*~*~
Dec 10
We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.
Peter Drucker (1909 - 2005)
Ducky loved learning. It was a skill he had picked up in his youth, however much today’s youth argued that learning was not a skill at all. He knew better; they clearly had yet to learn anything.
Learning was fascinating. Every time he learnt about a new topic, he discovered how much more there was that he did not know. It excited him, urged him to delve further into the depths of knowledge. It was impossible for one person to ever learn everything - there was so much out there. And as it constantly changed, due to new discoveries or simple alterations in the flow of life, it could never be learnt in a single lifetime.
Despite that thought, he made an effort to learn something new every day. Whether it was the effects of a particular poison (which Ziva was always happy to discuss with him), something from popular culture, a new word he had not come across before, the brief history of a country or culture, or a recipe, he made sure he took the time to learn one new thing. Most days, he managed far more than one, but occasionally he needed the mental push.
Today, he had decided to learn the major constellations in the night sky. Perhaps Jethro was the person to ask for assistance on this.
~*~*~*~
Dec 11
A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.
James A. Garfield (1831 - 1881)
Tony DiNozzo glanced around the squad room, wanting to be sure the coast was clear before he risked his life. With no sign of his teammates, he decided it was better to get this over and done with.
He darted across the gap between his and Ziva’s desks, pulled open a drawer and began to frantically search through it. It was here. It had to be here. Unless she had put it back in another drawer…
Satisfied it was not in the first drawer, he began to ransack the second. Still not in there. Maybe the third -
“What are you doing?”
Drat. McGee had appeared and would quite happily tell his ninja chick if he wasn’t careful.
“I need to borrow Ziva’s toothbrush,” Tony hissed. “Keep the noise down and look out for her, would you?”
“Why do you need to borrow it?” The Probie was pedantic. “You have your own in your desk.”
“I did,” Tony replied, continuing to search. “Until it sort of fell to pieces.”
“Really?” McGee clearly didn’t believe him.
“It’s been held together with tape for the last three months,” Tony pointed out. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” Ziva joined in as Tony triumphantly pulled the purple toothbrush out from its hiding place. “How do you feel about losing a hand?”
~*~*~*~
Dec 12
If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Leroy Jethro Gibbs stared at the piece of paper in front of him. “Nope,” he decided. “Not a clue.”
His partner in crime, or more accurately his ex-partner, scowled and took the paper back from him. “It can’t be that difficult,” she argued. “Oh.”
He shot Jenny a brief glare at her lack of faith in his skills, but quickly forgot his annoyance and returned to the task at hand.
His team had been forced to attend a communications seminar the previous day. Naturally, with his unofficial permission, they had messed around a good bit. But he had overheard Tony whispering something about them to Ziva, and he wanted to be sure of what exactly it was. With a bit of luck, DiNozzo the Idiot had written some of his thoughts down.
Deciphering his chicken-scratch handwriting was proving to be a problem. Gibbs was somewhat used to it, which was why he insisted Tony type his reports up. However this random scribble of supposed notes was worse than usual.
“Is that a G or a J?” Jenny inquired, staring so closely at the paper her nose was almost touching it.
Gibbs glanced over. “Z,” he pronounced. At her glare, he elaborated. “One of his easier letters.”
Jenny sighed and lowered the paper. “Couldn’t we just ask Ziva? Or Abby. She’s got a new program to analyze code, or so she tells me.”
Gibbs nodded in agreement. Abby could do it for them, if anyone could.
~*~*~*~
Dec 13
He hath eaten me out of house and home.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "King Henry IV Part II", Act 2 scene 1
Abby Scuito placed a bowl of steaming paella in front of Timmy and beamed. Let the fun commence!
She loved feeding people. To accept someone’s food, a bond had to be formed. One of trust and peace. She and Timmy already had a bond like that, but she was happy to keep it in mind while she fed him.
She settled down in her own seat, continuing to smile at Timmy’s eager expression. He looked like he wanted to dive straight it.
“Go on,” she encouraged him.
The Goth examined her own paella briefly. It looked delicious, which she knew it must after an hour preparing it. Her favorite dish had been altered slightly with a few tips on spices from Ziva. Hmm, that was a thought, Ziva had yet to try her new and improved dish…
Looking up at Tim, she smiled. He was wolfing his food down, as though he hadn’t eaten in days, which she knew to be untrue because they had shared lunch at a new restaurant five blocks from the Navy Yard that very afternoon. Someone else might have reminded him of his manners, but he was clearly enjoying it and she had no desire to slow him down. It was the best compliment to her cooking anyone could give her.
Before she had managed two spoonfuls of her own, Timmy’s bowl was cleared. “Do you have any more?” he asked.
~*~*~*~
Dec 14
Irony is the hygiene of the mind.
Princess Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco
Tony DiNozzo stared in vain at his desk, hoping against all hope the Director would rescind her order or a group of roaming fairies would come along and help him out.
The first didn’t have a chance. Director Shepard had been attacked by a pile of falling debris from his desk the previous day and ordered him to clear it. By clear, she had made absolutely certain he understood she meant being able to see it was actually a desk. A clean desk.
The fairies were a faint hope that someone or something would come along to sort the mess out for him. And he had to admit there was a mess. He hadn’t removed his takeout containers for the last two months, for instance. He had lost track of which files were on his desk. He even had a funny feeling he had a few cups of coffee that were meant for el jefe in its depths.
“Need a hand?” McGee offered.
Tony forced himself not to hug the Probie. It would be unseemly. “Cheers, Probie. Where do you want to start?”
“I think you should call the CDC,” McScientist suggested. “Get them to incinerate the whole thing. It would be the quickest method, not to mention the most hygienic.”
Tony scowled. Someone needed to take this more seriously. The Director had promised to tell her pet Mossad assassin the name of the person who had spilled her last Berry Mango Madness all over her desk if he didn’t get this done by the end of the day.
~*~*~*~
Dec 15
Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve.
Chinese Proverb
Ziva David strolled into the squad room on time, tossed her rucksack behind her desk, and settled in her chair for the start of a new day.
“Erm, what’s that?” came the query from her partner.
Briefly, she allowed her eyes to flutter closed. She had known this was going to happen. It was not like she was in any pain, or rather any pain she could not work through. She could still do her job better than DiNozzo and McGee combined (no one could do it better than Gibbs). She would not be a liability in the field. So where was the problem?
Of course, her team might make it into a problem that it was not if she was not careful. She was not sure they would follow her line of reasoning. And therefore she had already come up with a plan.
“What is what?” she asked Tony, despite knowing exactly what he was referring to.
“That.” Tony pointed.
“The cast on your arm,” McGee helpfully put into words. “Did you break it or something?”
“Chasing down a fellow ninja?” Tony suggested, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
“No,” she replied, returning to her now fully powered-up computer.
“No to the ninja or no to the breaking?” McGee decided to clarify.
“I have not seen any ninjas recently,” she answered. “And I have not broken my arm.”
“Why is it in a cast then?” Tony demanded.
“What cast?” she questioned.
“On your left arm,” he growled.
She looked down at her black cast. “No, I do not see a cast,” she informed him.
Tony growled, while McGee looked confused. She hid a smirk. Perhaps if it was going this well, she might be able to persuade Gibbs -
“David, explain the cast,” Gibbs ordered as he swept in out of nowhere.
Drat.