Every Day Quotes Week 43
Title: Every Day Quotes
Rating: K
Oct 28
The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is besides the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech.
Justice Anthony Kennedy (1936 - )
Ziva David stared at her partner as though he had grown another head. “The First Amendment is about free speech,” she reminded him, as she would a five year old. “Not guns.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I’m right,” he argued.
“‘A well-regulated militia’ is in the Second Amendment’,” she informed him.
“We should ask McGee,” Tony decided.
She laughed. “I cannot believe this. If I, as a non-American, know this, why do you not? You were born here, no? Then you should know more than me.”
“I know more movies than you,” he countered.
“It is hardly the same thing. Your Constitution or movies. I know which one will help you more.”
She was not even sure how this argument had come about. Most of Tony’s discussions followed no apparent logical line of thought, but this one had spiraled from an article about Ferrari.
How could he not know his own laws? Never mind the details of the smaller ones, as only lawyers needed to be aware of them, but this was a big one. The Constitution and the Amendments upon which his entire justice system rested. She did not expect him to be able to quote them, but at least know which way round they were.
“If guns are the Second,” Tony wondered aloud, “then which one is the right to face your accuser?”
~*~*~*~
Oct 29
Beyond happiness or unhappiness, though it is both things, love is intensity; it does not give us eternity but life, that second in which the doors of time and space open just a crack: here is there and now is always.
Octavio Paz (1914 - )
Timothy McGee darted forward and reached for the door. Abby wasn’t carrying anything, but he considered it polite to hold a door for a lady.
They had just finished listening to Ducky’s detailed theory on how Seaman Mears had managed to set fire to his apartment while attempting to open a can of beans, which involved several dozen tangents and the need for a more detailed toxicological screen. Having no real other work to do and assigned by Gibbs to assist Abby anyway, he was going to be spending his afternoon with Major Mass Spec.
The elevator had broken down after Gibbs had abused the emergency stop once too often, so everyone had been forced to use the stairs. He had followed Abby up, careful not to look up her skirt, which was shorter than usual today - he didn’t want Gibbs coming after him with a baseball bat after all.
Upon reaching the correct level, he slipped in front of her to give her a hand. She beamed at him as he tugged the door open, surprised at just how heavy it was. Was this a fire door or one to protect people against nuclear attacks?
Putting all his strength into it, he managed to lever the door open to a point where she could easily pass through.
“Thank you, Timmy,” she smiled. “There’s a reason everyone normally uses the elevator.”
~*~*~*~
Oct 30
Knowledge must come through action; you can have no test which is not fanciful, save by trial.
Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC), Trachiniae
Abby Scuito hated trials. Not because they sent criminals to prison for a long time, which was a good thing, and they gave justice to the injured parties, also a good thing, but because she had to wear a silly court suit.
She hated her monkey suit. It was a horrible shade of lilac, which a handsome, friendly JAG lawyer had once told her would make her appear more professional and thus help the case. She wore glasses that she didn’t really need for the same reason. She couldn’t wear her platform boots and had to keep her hair down to hide her spider web tattoo.
The things she did for her job…
But she also hated waiting. A court couldn’t tell her when she would be called, and so she had to leave the safe confines of her lab and sit in a tiny room for hours on end. She had learnt to bring forensic journals with her to pass the time. Sometimes she would spend the whole day in the room and have to return the next in case she was called. Other times, the defendant would plead out at the last minute, or someone would be ill, or she would testify early and be able to return to the Navy Yard.
Trials were so unpredictable, unlike science. Forensics, when practiced correctly, was exact and gave a definitive answer. Trials were complex, boring and erratic. But they were necessary and so she put up with them.
~*~*~*~
Oct 31
As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as I don't even like riding in elevators.
Bill Watterson (1958 - ), The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, 2005, Introduction
Tony DiNozzo groaned as the elevator ground to a halt. No! It couldn’t break now. Not when he was only riding it to the parking garage so he could go home. Not when he had company in the metal cage.
Though he wouldn’t turn down this particular company. Jenny shut her eyes are the elevator failed completely, probably cursing Gibbs in many languages for overusing the emergency stop. With a bit of luck, the lady Director, who was almost certainly sleeping with the Boss, would force him to stop using the cage as his office once they escaped.
He wondered if it was a general power cut or just a problem with the elevator. If the former, he would probably be out of here within the hour. If the latter, he was screwed. He and Jenny were probably the last people in the Navy Yard. Even Gibbs had left an hour ago.
“Well,” Tony spoke, breaking the silence between them. “It could always be worse.”
One perfectly formed eyebrow rose. “How?” she inquired.
“Palmer could be with us.”
“I was thinking more of a caffeine-deprived Gibbs,” she replied.
Tony shuddered. “Now that would be horrible. What about a Caf-Pow!-deprived Abby?”
Jenny grinned. “I’d be more worried if she had her drink. Can you imagine her bouncing off the walls?”
~*~*~*~
Nov 1 - continuation of Oct 27
Not only is life a bitch, it has puppies.
Adrienne E. Gusoff
Ziva David stared at her computer screen. They all looked so adorable!
After Jenny had fallen in love with a kitten at the shelter, Ziva had decided it was time she too got a pet. But instead of a ball of fluff (that was covering all her friend’s expensive clothes in white fur), she wanted a puppy. Something that would start out cute, but she could train to attack intruders and scare Tony.
She loved dogs. They were cute, obedient and loyal. They were full of love for their owners. They were alert and could deal with any unwanted intruders. She could not quite believe she had not obtained one since coming to America before now.
“McGee,” she hissed across the squad room.
The man left his work and joined her. “What? Oh, puppies!”
“You are good with computers,” she reminded him. “I want a dog with teeth.”
He appeared confused. “They all have teeth. Maybe not some of the older dogs, but… Oh. Vicious, right.” He worked his magic on her computer and produced a list from the shelter.
“Young,” she specified. “So I can train him myself.”
McGee nodded, helpfully clicking away to shorten her list.
“Toda,” she thanked him. “Now, which one is the cutest?”
~*~*~*~
Nov 2
Never tell evil of a man, if you do not know it for certainty, and if you know it for a certainty, then ask yourself, 'Why should I tell it?'
Johann K. Lavater
“I will give you…” Tony paused for dramatic effect. “A week’s supply of Berry Mango Madness.”
Ziva threw a paperclip at him in response.
“Ms David gone off her beverages?” Tony teased. “Hmm. An extra large box of paperclips that you can threaten me with to your heart’s content.”
“You will steal them from the supply cupboard,” she pointed out impassively. “And I know about last week.”
“What about last week?” He looked confused.
“You tried to persuade the Director that I should not be allowed paperclips as I apparently constantly threaten to kill you with them, did you not?”
He gulped, recognizing the look in Ziva’s eyes. “It was just a joke,” he lied, concerned she really would kill him this time. “You don’t normally offer to kill me with office stationary.”
She thought back on all the times she had offered to kill him with her knife and agreed. “Next time, they will not find your body,” she solemnly informed him.
He nodded. “Erm, how about a new pair of running shoes? I know your size.”
“You would buy something impractical,” she pointed out.
“Come on, Zee-vah! Give me a little help here!”
She smiled. “Why should I tell you?”
~*~*~*~
Nov 3
But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
John Adams (1735 - 1826)
Sometimes, Tony DiNozzo hated his job.
He could live with working under Gibbs, and with a ninja Mossad assassin and a computer geek. He could survive Abby’s hugs and the bodies that crossed Ducky’s table in all stages of decay. He could put up with the headslaps he received when he ogled the Director’s legs. The hours he worked and the suspects he met were acceptable when he thought about the criminals he put behind bars.
But being behind bars himself was not really in his job description, official or unofficial. Even if it was just for one night, he couldn’t stand being deprived of his liberty.
As usual, it was connected to his job. Gibbs wanted him to search the house of their deceased Petty Officer. Without a key, Tony had broken in through a window. The Petty Officer’s over-vigilant neighbors had seen him entering and called the cops. Unfortunately for Tony, his information had led Gibbs on an urgent hunt for the killer and he would have to stay put until el jefe could arrive to sort everything out.
He didn’t like this at all. The walls felt like they were closing in. There was nothing to do, no space for him to distract himself with. The lights were on permanently, making it difficult to sleep (but not impossible, considering the practice he had at sleeping at work). The whole place was cold, miserable and lonely.
He would thank whoever got him out of here, even if it was the Probie.
Rating: K
Oct 28
The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is besides the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech.
Justice Anthony Kennedy (1936 - )
Ziva David stared at her partner as though he had grown another head. “The First Amendment is about free speech,” she reminded him, as she would a five year old. “Not guns.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I’m right,” he argued.
“‘A well-regulated militia’ is in the Second Amendment’,” she informed him.
“We should ask McGee,” Tony decided.
She laughed. “I cannot believe this. If I, as a non-American, know this, why do you not? You were born here, no? Then you should know more than me.”
“I know more movies than you,” he countered.
“It is hardly the same thing. Your Constitution or movies. I know which one will help you more.”
She was not even sure how this argument had come about. Most of Tony’s discussions followed no apparent logical line of thought, but this one had spiraled from an article about Ferrari.
How could he not know his own laws? Never mind the details of the smaller ones, as only lawyers needed to be aware of them, but this was a big one. The Constitution and the Amendments upon which his entire justice system rested. She did not expect him to be able to quote them, but at least know which way round they were.
“If guns are the Second,” Tony wondered aloud, “then which one is the right to face your accuser?”
~*~*~*~
Oct 29
Beyond happiness or unhappiness, though it is both things, love is intensity; it does not give us eternity but life, that second in which the doors of time and space open just a crack: here is there and now is always.
Octavio Paz (1914 - )
Timothy McGee darted forward and reached for the door. Abby wasn’t carrying anything, but he considered it polite to hold a door for a lady.
They had just finished listening to Ducky’s detailed theory on how Seaman Mears had managed to set fire to his apartment while attempting to open a can of beans, which involved several dozen tangents and the need for a more detailed toxicological screen. Having no real other work to do and assigned by Gibbs to assist Abby anyway, he was going to be spending his afternoon with Major Mass Spec.
The elevator had broken down after Gibbs had abused the emergency stop once too often, so everyone had been forced to use the stairs. He had followed Abby up, careful not to look up her skirt, which was shorter than usual today - he didn’t want Gibbs coming after him with a baseball bat after all.
Upon reaching the correct level, he slipped in front of her to give her a hand. She beamed at him as he tugged the door open, surprised at just how heavy it was. Was this a fire door or one to protect people against nuclear attacks?
Putting all his strength into it, he managed to lever the door open to a point where she could easily pass through.
“Thank you, Timmy,” she smiled. “There’s a reason everyone normally uses the elevator.”
~*~*~*~
Oct 30
Knowledge must come through action; you can have no test which is not fanciful, save by trial.
Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC), Trachiniae
Abby Scuito hated trials. Not because they sent criminals to prison for a long time, which was a good thing, and they gave justice to the injured parties, also a good thing, but because she had to wear a silly court suit.
She hated her monkey suit. It was a horrible shade of lilac, which a handsome, friendly JAG lawyer had once told her would make her appear more professional and thus help the case. She wore glasses that she didn’t really need for the same reason. She couldn’t wear her platform boots and had to keep her hair down to hide her spider web tattoo.
The things she did for her job…
But she also hated waiting. A court couldn’t tell her when she would be called, and so she had to leave the safe confines of her lab and sit in a tiny room for hours on end. She had learnt to bring forensic journals with her to pass the time. Sometimes she would spend the whole day in the room and have to return the next in case she was called. Other times, the defendant would plead out at the last minute, or someone would be ill, or she would testify early and be able to return to the Navy Yard.
Trials were so unpredictable, unlike science. Forensics, when practiced correctly, was exact and gave a definitive answer. Trials were complex, boring and erratic. But they were necessary and so she put up with them.
~*~*~*~
Oct 31
As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as I don't even like riding in elevators.
Bill Watterson (1958 - ), The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, 2005, Introduction
Tony DiNozzo groaned as the elevator ground to a halt. No! It couldn’t break now. Not when he was only riding it to the parking garage so he could go home. Not when he had company in the metal cage.
Though he wouldn’t turn down this particular company. Jenny shut her eyes are the elevator failed completely, probably cursing Gibbs in many languages for overusing the emergency stop. With a bit of luck, the lady Director, who was almost certainly sleeping with the Boss, would force him to stop using the cage as his office once they escaped.
He wondered if it was a general power cut or just a problem with the elevator. If the former, he would probably be out of here within the hour. If the latter, he was screwed. He and Jenny were probably the last people in the Navy Yard. Even Gibbs had left an hour ago.
“Well,” Tony spoke, breaking the silence between them. “It could always be worse.”
One perfectly formed eyebrow rose. “How?” she inquired.
“Palmer could be with us.”
“I was thinking more of a caffeine-deprived Gibbs,” she replied.
Tony shuddered. “Now that would be horrible. What about a Caf-Pow!-deprived Abby?”
Jenny grinned. “I’d be more worried if she had her drink. Can you imagine her bouncing off the walls?”
~*~*~*~
Nov 1 - continuation of Oct 27
Not only is life a bitch, it has puppies.
Adrienne E. Gusoff
Ziva David stared at her computer screen. They all looked so adorable!
After Jenny had fallen in love with a kitten at the shelter, Ziva had decided it was time she too got a pet. But instead of a ball of fluff (that was covering all her friend’s expensive clothes in white fur), she wanted a puppy. Something that would start out cute, but she could train to attack intruders and scare Tony.
She loved dogs. They were cute, obedient and loyal. They were full of love for their owners. They were alert and could deal with any unwanted intruders. She could not quite believe she had not obtained one since coming to America before now.
“McGee,” she hissed across the squad room.
The man left his work and joined her. “What? Oh, puppies!”
“You are good with computers,” she reminded him. “I want a dog with teeth.”
He appeared confused. “They all have teeth. Maybe not some of the older dogs, but… Oh. Vicious, right.” He worked his magic on her computer and produced a list from the shelter.
“Young,” she specified. “So I can train him myself.”
McGee nodded, helpfully clicking away to shorten her list.
“Toda,” she thanked him. “Now, which one is the cutest?”
~*~*~*~
Nov 2
Never tell evil of a man, if you do not know it for certainty, and if you know it for a certainty, then ask yourself, 'Why should I tell it?'
Johann K. Lavater
“I will give you…” Tony paused for dramatic effect. “A week’s supply of Berry Mango Madness.”
Ziva threw a paperclip at him in response.
“Ms David gone off her beverages?” Tony teased. “Hmm. An extra large box of paperclips that you can threaten me with to your heart’s content.”
“You will steal them from the supply cupboard,” she pointed out impassively. “And I know about last week.”
“What about last week?” He looked confused.
“You tried to persuade the Director that I should not be allowed paperclips as I apparently constantly threaten to kill you with them, did you not?”
He gulped, recognizing the look in Ziva’s eyes. “It was just a joke,” he lied, concerned she really would kill him this time. “You don’t normally offer to kill me with office stationary.”
She thought back on all the times she had offered to kill him with her knife and agreed. “Next time, they will not find your body,” she solemnly informed him.
He nodded. “Erm, how about a new pair of running shoes? I know your size.”
“You would buy something impractical,” she pointed out.
“Come on, Zee-vah! Give me a little help here!”
She smiled. “Why should I tell you?”
~*~*~*~
Nov 3
But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
John Adams (1735 - 1826)
Sometimes, Tony DiNozzo hated his job.
He could live with working under Gibbs, and with a ninja Mossad assassin and a computer geek. He could survive Abby’s hugs and the bodies that crossed Ducky’s table in all stages of decay. He could put up with the headslaps he received when he ogled the Director’s legs. The hours he worked and the suspects he met were acceptable when he thought about the criminals he put behind bars.
But being behind bars himself was not really in his job description, official or unofficial. Even if it was just for one night, he couldn’t stand being deprived of his liberty.
As usual, it was connected to his job. Gibbs wanted him to search the house of their deceased Petty Officer. Without a key, Tony had broken in through a window. The Petty Officer’s over-vigilant neighbors had seen him entering and called the cops. Unfortunately for Tony, his information had led Gibbs on an urgent hunt for the killer and he would have to stay put until el jefe could arrive to sort everything out.
He didn’t like this at all. The walls felt like they were closing in. There was nothing to do, no space for him to distract himself with. The lights were on permanently, making it difficult to sleep (but not impossible, considering the practice he had at sleeping at work). The whole place was cold, miserable and lonely.
He would thank whoever got him out of here, even if it was the Probie.