"After your death you will be what you were before your birth."

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

"Religion is the masterpiece of the art of animal training, for it trains people as to how they shall think."

"Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal."

"Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world."

"Martyrdom is the only way a man can become famous without ability."

"Reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else’s head instead of with one’s own."

Max Planck is one of the godfathers of modern physics - like Einstein. Together with Niels Bohr he worked on the breathtaking quantum theory. I am still trying to wrap my head around it’s implications.

More? Wikipedia entry

As a Kid I only knew Evel as a toy - it was not until my late thirties until I realized that he was a real person - and a madman as well.

He is certainly not the first person to make money by TRYING to do terrible stuff. I think Harry  Houdini is the first modern dare devil. But Evel pushed the media madness and marketing to new heights. Hence they toys. I see him as one of the forefathers of other acts like MTV’s Jackass or Dirty Sanchez.

He died age 69 - pretty old for someone who tried to kill himself every other week.

PS: I am sure this is the best time to sell your old Evel ware on eBay - you can make a fortune now!

PPS: Thanks to Edosan to informing me about this ad loss of another pop icon.

Since I recently complained about the lack of overall female comedy power I want to praise a great talent. She is a great writer and performer. A rare combination. And she is quite sexy without pushing the standard bimbo factors (blonde, boobs, brainless behaviour).

Get some Tina on YouTube.

Erwin Rommel was always considered one of the ‘good’ Germans of WWII. He was a brilliant tactician, loved by his soldiers and respected by his enemies. He was forced to commit suicide, because he was suspected to plot against Hitler.

Overall the German military establishment utterly failed to stop Hitler in it’s tracks. They are - with a very few exception - a classical bunch of non-thinking military figures. Just following orders!

Although it might weaken a military, but a modern country needs ‘thinking soldiers’, critical of their leaders, critical about war and the reasons for it. No fatherland, no motherland, no religion, no dogma is worth dying for.

You should put your life for a good reason on the line.

Delia Derbyshire was a rare creature: she studied math and music - and worked later in the famous BBC Radiophonic Workshop. There she created for example many sound effects for tv shows and the theme for Doctor Who. Delia had a passion for weird sounds and harmonies. I wish she would have worked during the early house and techno scene - I am sure she would have created amazing music!

More? Guardian Obituary