“A man tells so many stories, that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal. ”
–Will Bloom
“It’s rude to talk about religion, you never know who you’re gonna offend.”
–Edward Bloom
“What I recalled of Sunday School was that the more difficult something became, the more rewarding it was in the end.”
–Edward Bloom

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
–Yoda

I need to remember that sometime.

Stand By Me is one of my all time favorite movies. I’m watching it as I write this entry.

The movie revolves around 4 boys going on a journey to find a dead kid’s body. Yet the body itself is only part of the movie. Instead the movie is a coming of age movie where the kids learn much more about themselves and life. Funny and emotional at times, the movie comes full circle.

Gordie’s character is the central character in all this. The story is told from his point of view. Anything we know about the rest of the characters is due to Gordie. Gordie is a writer. What comes across in the movie “Stand By Me” is how one demensional Gordie’s parents are. We see no character development of them. And we don’t necessarily need to. They think about one thing only. How good their dead son Denny was. Consequentally Gordie is always in the shadow of his brother. Even when he died, he still is in his shadows. He’s forever known as “Denny LaChance’s brother.” Never the writer Gordie LaChance.

In this movie the character I most identify with is Vern Tessio, the misfit of the group. They really only let Vern come along with them because he originally knew where the body was. Deep down I think the rest of the boys like Vern as a friend, but they’d never really admit to it. Vern is careful and apprehensive. He needs friends probably more than any of the other boys.

Teddy is the troubled kid. Abused by his faither, yet somehow he still looks up to him. “Storming the beach at Normandy” is good enough for Teddy to always respect his father, even though his father was put into an insane asylum for trying to burn off Teddy’s ear on the stove.
Consequently Teddy seems to be overly concerned with proving himself. In one portion of the movie he tries to dodge a train. I think he is trying to prove something. Maybe about how courageous he can be…as if he could be like his father.

Chris Chambers is the leader of the group. Probably the most developed character of the group. He was branded as a shady character due to his brother’s reputation. Deep down he cares for his friends and he worries about his reputation. Chris wants to be the good guy in all this. He wants people to like him. He stuggles to come to grips with his future. Ultimately he does stick it out and makes a better life for himself. Sadly this life isn’t long lived as we find out later on in the movie.

The movie itself isn’t best for kids. The boys smoke in it and the languge is harsh enough to receive an “R” rating. I wish Stephen King wasn’t so vulgar. If it wasn’t so vulgar, the story would have been perfect at least.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” tries to answer the question that we’ve been asking for so long. Exactly how much of a difference is one individual making here? They seem to ask it at funerals. A listing of accomplishments in order to show how much a person will be missed. I know I’ve asked it before of myself. And sometimes I’ve been so frustrated at life I have wished I had never been born.
Clarence, the novice (wing-less) angel, yet ironically… a worthy teacher to the downtrodden, shows George exactly how Beford Falls would have changed if George had never been born.

“One man’s life touches so many others, when he’s not there it leaves an awfully big hole.”
–Clarence

We do find out that George has touched a great many lives…who have touched other lives. What a difference a person makes. And sometimes I wonder if I really am making a difference. Especially when others speak negatively of me. I have to shrug it off and move on. It’s their problem. Mine is not to try to please them. Mine is to live the very best I can live. I’ll admit that I’ve failed to live up to my own and God’s expectations.
And I do feel like I am making the world a better place. Anytime the kids at church tell me that they learned something in Bible class. Or when a kid tells me they wouldn’t have come to Bible camp if I hadn’t invited them. Or when I receive those goodies kids give their Bible school teachers…. Somebody is listening and if they are listening perhaps they will make the world a better place. Part of my drive toward life is trying to make the world better. Trying to do good each and every day.
I took a college personality test for job prospects one time. The test results showed that I should be a caregiver…doctor…nurse….or a minister. Any job involving blood is just way too gross for me. So I look to the ministrial role…and think I’m not good enough to be a full fledged minister. So I try my best in a limited role, yet in somewhat of a leadership position….performing ministral duties.
Potential discouragement comes with the territory. When someone is seen as somewhat of a leader, they have a larger target on them then those who are transparent or stay in the background. I found that out this year.

“Remember George, No man is a failure who has friends.”
–Clarence

Friends keep you going. It is true about failure and friends. Just by having friendships makes you an influence on someone’s life. And that’s what makes someone accomplish positive things in life, if they choose to.

“So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over. A new one just begun.”
–John Lennon, “Happy Christmas”

Perhaps Lennon was asking the same question George Bailey was asking. Its the end of the year and what goodness have you provided to the world. Perhaps it is to take stock on what have we done.

Ok. So I usually don’t post transcripts from lame shows like Survivor. However I’ve been replaying this exchange over and over again on my Tivo. Rupert, one of the show’s contestants was one of the most brilliant personalities which really made the show. Here’s the interview at the reunion show.

“I portray a very strong and independent person. But in my head I’m that fat little terrified kid that was picked on in school all his life.”
“I never give up. I never surrender. I never admit defeat.”
–Rupert
Jeff Probst: Rupert, where does that enthusiasm for all aspects of life come from? Because on one hand you’re this little fat kid that gets picked on, yet you’re living so large?
Rupert: I could not tell you. I am so happy for everything that I got and everything that I can do and now all this?
Jeff Probst: But in life in general. When we met you for the show you had that approach to life that was full of gusto.
Rupert: With nothing, even having nothing and living the way we live. I’ve been appreciative with everything I’ve had, Everything I’ve ever gotten. You just gotta take it. You gotta appreciate everything you’ve got and be happy. And I love it.
Jeff Probst: What was the reaction back home? Week by week your popularity started to snowball.
Rupert: I couldn’t believe how people are taking me. I never thought that it would be such a wonderful experience.
Jeff Probst: I think one of the things about Rupert that appealed to alot of people was that you were sorta an every guy. It wasn’t like you were an hollywood leading man type of any of those things. But you went out there and did the daily grind and you had this attitude. And then we find out as the show goes on is that your self esteem isn’t all that it appears to be. And there were the times that Burton and Shawn were picking on you.
Does this reaction do anything for you?
Rupert: When I was done with my little stint at 27 days and I had 12 days on the jury, I realized that I didn’t have to be that scared little kid anymore. I realized that I didn’t need to go back to the people that didn’t appreciate me as much. My safety zone was opening up a little wider. I could accept people taking me as ok. This was a great journey.
Jeff Probst: By the way. Can we get a shot of your wife because life has blessed you in alot of ways my friend. I don’t know how you ended up with Laura.
Rupert: [Laughing] She saw through this surface. I’ve always been that scary guy to keep people away from me. She saw through it.
Jeff Probst: Are you that same scary guy now or are you more open in that way too?
Rupert: I am alot more open now. I can smile alot more and look people in the eye more instead of looking down. I’m alot better. I’m alot better inside and out.

“An entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy [junk] we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very [ticked] off.”
–Tyler Durden
“On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.”
–Narrator
“It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. ”
–Tyler Durden
“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time. ”
–Narrator
“.. the things you used to own, now they own you. ”
–Narrator

I don’t know what it is, but I cannot stand Entertainment Tonight. Comes on right after Letterman and if I’m not paying attention I end up watching it, instead of Nightline. On tonight’s ET: Regis babysits Kelly Ripa’s kids. Ugh. Anything with Regis and babysitting I can do without.
Nightline, on the other hand, is much better. Informative. Sorta a intellectual 20/20 before 20/20 was dumbed down just like every other TV news magazine since 60 Minutes. Nightline spend an entire 30 minutes on a subject without trying to squeeze in 2 or 3 stories like some television news magazines do these days. Plus they don’t spend an extra 2 minutes telling you what’s coming up next before going to a commerical. “What’s up next” is just a filler segment because some shows (ET) have no substance and have to find something to do with their show.
So when it’s 11:30PM, I switch to Nightline if I’m paying attention. I wish I could tell Tivo to change the channel anytime ET comes on.

It’s been a while since I last posted. So to keep everything interesting, here’ s some more Wonder Years Quotes which I’ve compiled.
Episode: “Pilot”
“A suburban junior high school cafeteria is like a microcosm of the world. The goal is to protect yourself. And safety comes in groups. You have your cool kids. You have your smart kids. You have your greasers. And in those days of course you had your hippies. In effect in junior high school who you are, is defined less by who you are than by who’s the person sitting next to you. A sobering thought.”
“It was the first kiss for both of us. We never really talked about it afterwards. But I think about the events of that day again and again and somehow I think Winnie does too whenever some blowhard talks about the anonymity of the suburbs or the mindlessness of the TV generation. Because we know that inside of each one of those identical boxes with its Dodge parked out front and its white bread on the table and its TV set glowing blue in the falling dusk there were people with stories. There were families bound together in the pain and struggle of love. There were moments that made us cry with laughter. And there were moments like that one of sorrow and wonder.”
Episode: “Swingers”
“Brian Cooper was the first person I ever knew who wasn’t old who died. I guess we all have that moment when we realize that someone who is basically a kid can cease to exist. And we’re never the same after that.”
“Like women all over America, my mother confronted tragedy and death with cold ham and Jello salad.”
“Maybe we both realized that growing up doesn’t always have to be a straight line, but a series of advances and retreats. Maybe we just felt like swinging. But whatever it was Winnie and I made and unspoken pact that day to stay kids for a little while longer.”
Episode: “Our Miss White”
“It was a strange and passionate time. Some of our dreams dissolved into thin air. They almost seem comical now. But some of our dreams are lasting and real.”
Episode: “Whose Woods These Are”
Maybe every human soul deals with loss and grief in its own way. Some curse the darkness. Some play hide and seek. That night Paul and Winnie and I found something we almost lost. We found our spirit. The spirit of children. The bond of memory. And the next day they tore down Harper’s Woods.
Episode: “How I’m Spending My Summer Vacation”
“The Last Day of School: It was kind of a solemn moment. 8 months of relentless education were finally erupting in a blast of summer madness.”
Episode: “Square Dance”
“Some people pass through your life and you never think about them again. Some you think about and wonder what ever happened to them. Some you wonder if they ever wonder what happened to you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do.”
“In 7th grade, who you are is what other 7th graders say you are. The funny thing is it’s hard to remember the names of kids you spent so much time trying to impress.”
Episode: “Math Class”
“The transition from Summer to Fall is a tricky one. Like astronauts returning from space, we had to re-enter the atmosphere of school carefully, so that the sudden change in pressure wouldn’t kill us.”
Episode: “Moving”
“There was a time when the world was enormous…Spanning the vast, almost infinite boundaries of your neighborhood. The place where you grew up. Where you didn’t think twice about playing on someone else’s lawn. And the street was your territory .that occasionally got invaded by a passing car. It was where you didn’t get called home until after it was dark. And all the people, and all the houses that surrounded you were as familiar as the things in your own room. And you knew they would never change.”
“Thirteen is a crazy age. You’re too young to vote, and too old not to be in love. You live in a house someone else owns…But your dreams are already somewhere else.
You face the future armed with nothing but the money you’ve earned from mowing lawns, and a nine-dollar ring with a purple stone. And you hope against hope…that’ll be enough.”
Episode: “Journey”
“After all if growing up is war, then those friends who grew up with you deserve a special respect. The ones who stuck by you shoulder to shoulder in a time when nothing is certain when all life lay ahead and every road led home.”

“Here’s some things that drive me nuts.
In the www dot com things. It’s not a dot at all. It’s a period. That’s wrong.
The Big Ten – the athletic conference – the Big Ten, there are 11 teams in the Big Ten. That’s wrong. Why don’t they call it the Big Eleven? They don’t. It’s the Big Ten. Well explain the fact that you’ve got one left over at the awards banquet.”
–David Letterman 9/29/03

Since the Family Channel has stopped showing the Wonder Years, I’ve decided to post the WY quotes which I’ve accumulated over the past few months. These excerpts are the Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul type of uplifting quotes. You just can’t get these same type of quotes from any other TV show.
Wonder Years Quotes:

Episode: “Private Butthead”:
�Love is never simple. Not for fathers and sons. We spend our lives full of hope and expectations. And most of the time we are bound to fail. But that afternoon as I watched my father sheltering his son against a future that was so unsure, all I knew was they didn�t want to let each other down anymore.�
Episode: �Hero�
�I guess magic doesn�t last forever not matter how much you wish it would. Destiny can turn on a dime and cut like a knife.�
�Some heroes pass through your life and disappear in a flash. You get over it. But the good ones. The real ones. The ones who count�.stay with you for the long haul. The thing is after all these years I couldn�t tell you the score of the game. What I remember is sitting in that diner, up late being young. Drinking coffee with the only real hero I ever knew. My Dad, Jack Arnold. Number 1.�
Episode: �Carnal Knowledge�
�If there�s one thing every kid needs growing up, it�s a best friend. Someone you trust. Someone who trusts you. Someone you measure yourself against. You go through everything together. Important things. Stupid things. Things that matter. Things that don�t.�
Episode: �Homecoming�
�They say men are children. But sometimes children are men. Maybe that�s where the confusion lies. All I knew was, that night the world seemed suddenly very big. And I felt very small.�
�1972 was a crazy time. Kids played football, drove cars, went to school, celebrated life. While soldiers, heroes, their brothers struggled to find their way home from war. And young boys watched and grew wiser in their dreams.�
Episode: �The Test�
�If there�s one thing every kid learns growing up, it�s that life is a series of risks. It�s a cause and effect relationship. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Still, with the proper guidance we learn to deal with the risks. Pretty soon we set out into the world, sure in our options, confident in our choices.�
�Like some kind of biblical curse, the SATs had descended on our class, reducing even the most intelligent among us to a state of flop sweats.�
Episode: �Math Class�
�There are times in life when you think you�re lost. When every turn you take seems wrong. Then just for a moment, you see a light. And so I began that long climb into the light. Only this time I wasn�t alone.�
Episode: �The Pimple�
�I was 13 years old. Being self conscious was a full time job.�
Episode: �Math Class Squared�
Kevin: So what�s wrong with a �B� ?
Paul: A �B� is like kissing your sister.