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Movie Quotes – Day 355

It was all over – I was dead. What would it be? The guillotine? Hanging? The chair? The rack? The Chinese water torture? Hmmph. Mere child’s play compared to what surely awaited me. — A Christmas Story

The anticipation is the worse than the punishment.  There is a time for on-the-spot correction and there is a time for waiting.  To me, waiting to find out what’s going to happen when I mess up is horrible.

Movie Quotes – Day 354

Frightened? Child, you’re talking to a man who’s laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe… I was petrified. — The Wizard of Oz

There’s no shame in admitting you’re afraid.  Bad things happen, and worse things are always possible.  The shame comes from turning tail and running away, or worse, cowering.  If you’re threatened and your only response is to roll over and expose your soft underbelly, you deserve whatever happens to you.

Musings

  • DaddyBear is not allowed to describe technology problems in scatological terms.
  • DaddyBear is not allowed to update his résumé to describe his current job as “Senior Fire Watcher”.
  • Dear OnlineBigBoxVendor- It’s Christmas.  Slapping a shipping label on a box, which has a picture of my present to the family on it, then having somebody drop it on my porch is not cool.
  • Today was the last day of school for the kids before Christmas.  It’s the day we send in gifts to the teachers, just to let them know that we appreciate them spending a few hours a day with our hellions.
  • My market research shows that it takes 15 people to click on the link to my on-sale book to get one person to buy it.
    • To those of you who have left a review, thank you very much.
  • I’m actually quite impressed with the method we’ve used to keep our Christmas tree from falling over.  It involves lumber, bolts, firewood, and water.
    • I have fence staples, duct tape, and 550 cord on standby.  I’m going to keep that mother up, so help me.
  • This morning, after taking Boo to school, I lay down on the couch to get a little more sleep.  I queued up the Bastogne episode of “Band of Brothers” to watch while I dropped off.  That was quickly vetoed by Irish Woman, who told me to watch something more “happy.”  I followed her instructions and watched a documentary about a Viking mass grave that was found in England.
  • Girlie Bear asked me if she could borrow my copy of “Brave New World” to reread over Christmas.  In this case, I was the one telling someone else to do something a little more “happy”.  Instead, she’s rereading “Monster Hunter International.”

Book Review – Wisdom from my Internet

Michael Z. Williamson, author of the Freehold science fiction series and artisan of many sharp, pointy things, has aggregated his one-line snippets of jokes, life advice, and all-around good ideas into “Wisdom from my Internet.”  If you read his blog, The Sacred Cow Slaughterhouse, or follow Williamson on FaceBook, a lot of this material will seem familiar, but it’s great to have it all in one place.

Wisdom is very similar in content and structure to George Carlin’s “Napalm and Silly Putty,*” and that’s a good thing.  Williamson has a dry, sarcastic wit that rarely fails to kick over my giggle box, and reading Wisdom last night while trying to not wake up the Irish Woman was difficult.

Wisdom is a book written by an adult, for adults, so I won’t be sharing this one with Girlie Bear.  Williamson isn’t afraid of any subject, and if there aren’t at least a few times where you say “Now wait a damn minute” as you’re reading it, you need to get out more.  No group, subject, or joke is out-of-bounds, so you will take a punch or two while you laugh at seeing them dished out.

This was a quick read, but an enjoyable one.  It’s definitely worth the cost of admission.

*This was my companion on the flights to and from Ireland during our honeymoon.  The look on the Aer Lingus flight attendant when she saw the title was priceless.

Everything Must Go!

Well, actually, I only have this one thing, but it’s a pretty good thing.  And it must go! Somewhere.  Preferably on your e-reader.

So, in order to make this easier on everyone,  “Tales of the Minivandians” is on sale now through the 26th.  Yes, for the low, low price of $1.99, you can get a good e-book to wile away those boring, empty days just before Christmas.  Hey, it’s not like you have anything else to do.  Download the book, get yourself a little holiday cheer on the rocks, and settle in for a few hours of buckles being swashed, tales being told, and axes being swung.

Movie Quotes – Day 353

Strong survival instinct. I admire that in a woman. — Pitch Black

We have to have strong women, because strong women raise strong children.  Our future, no matter how much fathers and dads try, rests squarely on the shoulders of mothers. A woman who does not believe that she needs to fight for her own life will raise children with the same failing.  We need to raise our daughters to value themselves, for no-one else will.

Today’s Earworm

This one goes out to Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures, who need to grow a pair.

Language alert on this one.

Movie Quotes – Day 352

Gentlemen of the court, there are times that I’m ashamed to be a member of the human race and this is one such occasion. — Paths of Glory

Ethics are difficult things to have.  They demand that you stand up for what is right, not what is easy.  An ethical person will feel shame at the failings of others, because they know that things can be better.  Holding true to your personal code of conduct will expose you to ridicule and even hatred at times.  The temptation to relax your standards is strong, but the cost of doing so is your reputation and self-respect.

Movie Quotes – Day 351

Hey, I started out mopping the floor just like you guys. But now… now I’m washing lettuce. Soon I’ll be on fries; then the grill. In a year or two, I’ll make assistant manager, and that’s when the big bucks start rolling in. — Coming To America

Hard work pays off.  There is never shame in honest labor.  The pay may suck, the conditions may be worse, but working hard will improve life.   You only stay at the bottom if you refuse to find a way to climb.

Movie Quotes – Day 350

I didn’t start shooting at anyone that didn’t start shooting at me first. — Magnum Force

As we take on the responsibility to protect ourselves, we must take care to not go looking for trouble.  We are not soldiers, nor are we police.  We are ordinary citizens taking care of ourselves and those close to us, no more.  We should not seek out danger, nor should we seek revenge.