A Message to Garcia notes

• Released in March, 1899
• 40 million copies sold in 37 different languages
• Made into a movie twice, once in 1916 and another in 1936
• "Take a message to Garcia" became a expression for taking initiative
• it takes place in the Spanish American War
• Garcia was a revolutionary seeking Cuban independence
• William McKinley: 25th president, assassinated six months into second term
• The tallest Mountain in North America was named after McKinley until 2015 (it is now named Denali)
• Perihelion-the point when a planet is closest to the sun (brightest)
• slipshod-careless, lackadaisical, remiss
• imbecility-incapability, feebleness, stupidity
• stenographer-a person who takes dictation in shorthand
• missive-a letter, especially a long or official one
• arete-excellence in greek
• excellence of any kind
• moral virtue
• fulfillment of purpose or function
• but mostly...
• the act of living up to ones full potencial
• only applies to humans
• highest human potential is knowledge, all other human traits is derived from this
• the highest human knowledge is knowledge about knowledge

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