Nothing is worse than having an itch you can never scratch! — Blade Runner

You have to accept that some things are beyond your control, that there are some wrongs that you cannot right, and that there are some goals you will not attain.  That’s a fact of life, not an excuse.  Recognizing that, though, should spur you to doing all you can.  Maybe you can’t feed every hungry person in the world, but you can make sure that those around you never go without.  You may not ever be the best shooter or the best artist or the best musician in your group, but you can still put in the hours and take what improvement you can make.  You will never rid the world of injustice, but you can stand up to it whenever you encounter it.

Knowing that you are not omnipotent or omniscient doesn’t relieve you from doing the right thing.  You just have to do the best you can with what you have.

This is my house, I have to defend it. – Home Alone

Nobody but you is going to keep what you have and what you cherish safe.  We can’t afford to put police on every block, in front of every house.  If you’re not going to secure and defend your property, your life, who is?

We don’t like what we don’t understand, in fact it scares us, and this monster is mysterious at least… — Beauty and the Beast

When we are confronted with something new or the unknown, our natural inclination is to be wary, if not fearful.   Things that are out of the ordinary can mean danger, or they can mean that something wonderful is about to happen.  Be on your guard, but also be willing to learn from the new, the novel, and the unexpected.

And a man in my position can’t afford to be made to look ridiculous. – The Godfather

One thing about being a dad is that dignity has nothing to do with it.  You can be the most badass Airborne Ranger on the planet, but when your little girl wants to have a tea party, you put on the tiara.  When your little boy wants to be Yoda for Halloween, you find a Luke Skywalker costume that fits and carry him on your back.  You will make faces and play peek-a-boo with a baby because baby smiles are the best thing in the world.

And you know what?  You’re not being ridiculous.  You’re just being a dad.  We’re the goofy parent, and we should revel in that role.

Repairman: All those kids yours mister, or is this a picnic?
Frank Gilbreth: They’re all mine and believe me, it’s no picnic!
— Cheaper by the Dozen

Having children has been the hardest, stinkiest, stickiest, most expensive thing I’ve ever done.  I’ve been yelled at, secreted upon, spit-up on, and woken at all hours of the night.  I’ve given up hobbies, put off vacations indefinitely, and changed careers because of the kids.  I’ve watched the woman I love cry over them, and occasionally I join her.

In the end, though, I can’t imagine life without those times.  With them come the little hands patting my face and tugging on my hair.  They come with gap-toothed smiles and giggles.  They come with first steps, first words, first teeth, and first bicycle rides.  They come with rediscovery of the world from the perspective of a child.  And they come with a home that’s built, not for kids, not for adults, but for all of us.

And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You’ve come to fight as free men… and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight? — Braveheart

Scotland voted today on whether or not to remain a part of the United Kingdom, and the polls showed the question too close to call.

At what point do you look at a union that has lasted for centuries and say “Enough”?  Is there a point where peaceful revolution has failed, but armed rebellion is not yet necessary?  Is there a point beyond which a government can push its people without fracturing?

I wish the people of the United Kingdom luck no matter what the vote says tonight.  No-one wants to see hatred and violence.

It’s an old habit. I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. — The Godfather

There comes a time in your life when you realize you no longer have the luxury of being stupid.  For me, it was when my first child was born.  The realization that I couldn’t be a screw-up anymore, that I had to make sure there was always food in the pantry and a roof over our heads, hit me like a ton of bricks.  Having to cover all the bases, keep the lights on, and keep all the balls in the air is not only the job of a parent, but it’s also that of an adult.

So far you’re shared me out of my clothes, my food and my house. Now, how about sharing some of my things with me. — Father Goose

My tax dollars go to support generations of people who choose to not produce enough to justify the oxygen they breathe.  My tax dollars go to pay for professors who want nothing more than to watch my way of life destroyed, and then it pays for the students that attend their universities.  My tax dollars go to pay for wars I don’t want and weapons we don’t need.  I pay to educate the unwilling.  I pay to feed the ungrateful.  I pay to employ the unskilled.

But I’m the evil one for wanting to keep what I earn so that I can support me and mine.  Well, if wanting what is mine to be mine until I voluntarily give it up makes me a selfish bastard, then I’m going to be the biggest bastard I can be.

Rowlf: Let me talk to them. Woof-woof. Woof-woof.
[guard dogs start to heel]
Rowlf: It helps to know a second language.
— The Great Muppet Caper

There has to be a way to connect with other humans.  Sometimes it’s because you speak the same language, or appreciate the same art.  Perhaps you can enjoy a meal together.  One way or another, we have to recognize our commonalities before we can start to work on our differences.  How many arguments have we had where we are speaking the same language, but no communication is happening?  How many times have we dehumanized the other side, or had them do it to us, over one facet of our humanity?

Find that common link, and suddenly communication becomes not only possible, but trivially easy.  Without it, we are just to two dogs barking at each other.

Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master.  — A Christmas Story

I’ll admit, I’m not a very good example to Boo sometimes.  He’s heard words that he shouldn’t have, and he’s heard them used in ways that would make a Marine blush.  It’s something most parents go through.  You’re still the same person you’ve always been, just now you have this little creature that’s continually on record.  And it’s amazing what can get you in trouble.  I used to listen to music with Girlie Bear and Little Bear in the car when I thought they were asleep, and then get in trouble when they’d repeat lyrics to Irish Woman.  Just goes to show that when you have kids, you’re never off the clock.