Listen to me, you are never to return here. Your are to stay away and tell no humans about this place. Or I will track you down, and suck every ounce of blood from you body, until you look like a deflated whoopee cushion! — Hotel Transylvania

There’s nothing wrong with being completely forthright about your intentions.  If they don’t have to wonder about what you’re going to do, then you can move onto things that are important.

If they’re more advanced than us, they should be nearer the creator for that reason. No real attempt has been made to communicate with them, you know? — War of the Worlds

Technological and societal advancement does not mean moral advancement.  Neither does living in ignorance and squalor.  What makes someone a better person is how they act toward others, not what they have or what they know.  A primitive who treats someone as a guest and cares for them is just as good as an astronaut who does the same.

Well, that Spirit ain’t worth spit without a little exercise. — Pale Rider

Faith without works is impotent.  Works without faith gain little.  You have to have both.  If you climb up on a hot rock and regard the universe with detachment, at best, you help only yourself.  If you immerse yourself fully in the suffering of the world, you lose the perspective to see the beauty of creation around you.

Listen, stupe. The first week I was in this joint, somebody stole my Red Cross package, my blanket, and my left shoe. Well, since then I’ve wised up. This ain’t no Salvation Army – this is everybody for himself, dog eat dog. — Stalag 17

Gaining trust is a hard thing.  Regaining betrayed trust is almost impossible.  “Forgive and forget” is a nice sentiment, but once you cross someone, you should have no expectation that past transgressions will not be considered, no matter how much others may have forgiven you.

WRONG. Your ears you keep and I’ll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, “Dear God! What is that thing,” will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever. — The Princess Bride

Shame is a powerful weapon.  Shame at the range will correct your safety habits in moments.  Shame will force an adult to work three jobs to feed their child rather than take welfare.  Shame will keep a bad actor from re-offending.  Shame will motivate you to improve, because the person you need approval from the most is yourself.

It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. — The Godfather

There’s a lot of talk about Bloomberg and other anti-gun personalities lately, and usually it’s negative.  There is a lot of speculation about the motivations of those who wish to strip our rights from us.  Sometimes there is name calling, and there is usually mocking.

While calling out this bag of tools has a place in our bag of tools, it’s something that should be used wisely and sparingly.  We have to argue the facts, not the personalities.  We must base our victories on a bedrock of precedent and logic, because if we build it on the sand of ad hominem attacks, our cause will collapse when they leave the stage.

I can’t lie to you about your chances, but… you have my sympathies. — Alien

It’s not a kindness to sugar coat things.  People need to hear the truth, no matter how ugly.  They may not appreciate it.  Heck, they may react violently to it, but soft-pedaling the way things are will bring only strife later on.  Be gentle, but always be honest.

Oops, thought I posted this yesterday.

I have been and always shall be your friend. — Star Trek II:   The Wrath of Khan

Friends are hard to come by.  Friendly acquaintances, fellow travelers, and temporary companions are easy and common.  But people you will help without asking, support with no obligation, and give hell to with a smile are rare.  When you can find them, count yourself lucky and then do nothing that betrays the trust it takes to call someone ‘friend’.

Sarah: That’s not fair!
Jareth: You say that so often, I wonder what your basis for comparison is?

— Labrynth

This has become one of Boo’s favorite retorts when told to either do something he doesn’t want to do or to stop doing something.  A belief that life is fair is fitting to a boy of six.  It’s less endearing in a teenager, and it’s shameful in an adult.

Life is not fair, because it’s not meant to be.  Some will be born rich, some poor.  Some will be naturally talented, while others will have to study and practice.  And yes, some will have advantage over others.  Bad things happen to good people, while they seem to rarely happen to those who richly deserve it.

When faced with this, you can either cry and rail against it, or you can overcome it.  Expecting things to go your way because it’s your turn, or it’s due to you, means that you will be spending a long time waiting.

I don’t pretend to be a man of the people. But I do try to be a man for the people. — Gladiator

In a lot of western-style democracies, there seems to be a trend for politicians to not come off as patricians.  There is a cultural myth that any foundling from the streets can rise up to be President or Prime Minister.  While that may be technically true, and it does happen on very rare occasions, such as with President Clinton, those who have power were usually born into it, or at least close to it.  I’m not saying that the children of the rich or even upper middle class shouldn’t have the same shot as the child of the poor or lower middle-class.  What I am saying is that it seems to be a reality that the children of the more well off tend to have a better chance due to where they start.

Assuming that no legal roadblocks to the ascension of someone from the lower socio-economic ranks to power exist, is this a bad thing?  So long as those who either hold the reins of power or want to grasp them listen to the will of the citizenry, does it matter if they come from the projects or the mansion?  What matters to me is that I know what their positions are, that they hold those positions unless shown good contradictory evidence, and that they can honestly articulate them to me.

I guess that’s why I put together those questionnaires the other day.  It occurs to me that even when trying to educate myself about the candidates for Congress this year, I’m running into clouds of rhetoric when I want mountains of information.  I’ll accept someone who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth if she tells me where she stands and I feel that I can trust her to not steal or cheat, at least not too much.  I may disagree with her, and I may oppose her, but I can respect her, if only she is honest and at least trying to do what her constituency wants.