Two Sure Ways To Fail

"Two sure ways to fail: Think and never do, or do and never think." - Zig Ziglar

Sling Blade

I watched the DVD "Sling Blade."

Synopsis

Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton), now a grown man, is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of 12 for the murder of his mother and her lover. He returns to his childhood town and although being mentally handicapped, gets a job fixing small motors at a local repair shop. Karl befriends a young boy, Frank (Lucas Black), and is soon invited by Frank's mother, Linda, to move into the family's garage. As a strong relationship develops between Karl and Frank, a confrontation builds with Linda's abusive and sometimes violent boyfriend Doyle (Dwight Yoakam).

A Broken Heart

"A broken heart is what makes life so wonderful five years later." - Phyllis Battelle

Shawshank Redemption

I watched the DVD "The Shawshank Redemption."

Synopsis

Wrongly accused of a double homicide he didn't commit, a banker named Andy Duframe (Tim Robbins) is sent to Shawshank Prison for life. In prison he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman) who is able to smuggle things from the outside. He asks Red for a rockhammer (saying he liked geology). He later asks for a poster. After he befriends the guards by giving them financial advice, the warden (Bob Gunton) takes an interest in him. Andy builds a prison library and helps the warden do shady financial scams. One day a newcomer named Tommy (Gil Bellows) tells Andy that in prison he talked to an inmate Ernie (Joseph Ragno) who said he killed a banker's wife and her boyfriend but that it was framed on Andy. Andy tells the warden who is skeptical. The Warden then has Tommy shot. Andy doesn't want to help the warden with his scam anymore but the warden blackmails him into further help by threatening to destroy the library. One morning, Andy is gone. The guards search his cell and eventually find that he dug his way out of the wall with the hammer and hidden the hole with the poster. This feat took Andy nearly 20 years. Andy then takes the money accumulated from the scam(a bankers salary for 20 years) and leaves town. The police attempt to arrest the warden who commits suicide. Red passes his parole board and reunites with Andy in a Pacific coastal Town.

Plan

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Always Do What Interests You

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."
— Katharine Hepburn

High Profile

I finished reading "High Profile" by Robert B. Parker

ABOUT THE BOOK

The murder of a notorious public figure places Paradise, Massachusetts, police chief Jesse Stone in the harsh glare of the media spotlight.When the body of controversial talk-show host Walton Weeks is discovered hanging from a tree on the outskirts of Paradise, police chief Jesse Stone finds himself at the center of a highly public case, forcing him to deal with small-minded local officials and national media scrutiny. When another dead body-that of a young woman is discovered just a few days later, the pressure becomes almost unbearable. Two victims in less than a week should provide a host of clues, but all Jesse runs into are dead ends. But what may be the most disturbing aspect of these murders is the fact that no one seems to care not a single one of Weeks's ex-wives, not the family of the girl. And when the medical examiner reveals a heartbreaking link between the two departed souls, the mystery only deepens. Despite Weeks's reputation and the girl's tender age, Jesse is hard-pressed to find legitimate suspects. Though the crimes are perhaps the most gruesome Jesse has ever witnessed, it is the malevolence behind them that makes them all the more frightening. Forced to delve into a world of stormy relationships, Jesse soon comes to realize that knowing whom he can trust is indeed a matter of life and death.

You Have Succeeded In Life

"You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.” - Vernon Howard

Get Shorty

I watched the DVD "Get Shorty" the prequel to "Be Cool" that I just watched. I'm a big fan of Elmore Leonard and it's good to see his books in movies. Chili Palmer is cool.

Synopsis

Chili Palmer (John Travolta), a Miami mobster, loan-sharks for Ray Bones (Dennis Farina), a violent thug with a big chip on his shoulder. Ray sends Chili to Vegas after a bad debt, and a casino boss enlists Chili to find an even bigger deadbeat: Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), Hollywood player and producer of low-budget horror films. In Tinseltown, Chili meets Harry, as well as his scream- queen leading lady, Karen Flores (Rene Russo); Harry's drug-dealing financier, Bo Catlett; and Karen's ex, Martin Weir (Danny DeVito) (aka "Shorty"), a big star with an ego to match. Chili finds his Mafioso skills lend themselves quite nicely to what he's always really wanted to do: producing movies.

Count Your Blessings

"It is vital that people "count their blessings" to appreciate what they possess without having to undergo its actual loss." - Abraham Maslow

Worrying

"Worrying about something that may never happen is like paying interest on money you may never borrow." - Unknown

Your Work

"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." - Henry J. Kaiser

The Recruit

I watched the DVD "The Recruit."

Synopsis

New CIA recruit James Clayton (Colin Farrell) is a top prospect and his intelligence and unconventional attitude attract the attention of veteran CIA agent Walter Burke (Al Pacino). The veteran takes Clayton under his wing, teaching him the ropes and the rules of the game. Soon, he gives the rookie a special assignment to root out a mole within their ranks. But Clayton soon realizes that he can trust no one and that nothing is as it seems.

Hope Arouses

"Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible." - William Sloane Coffin, Jr.

Bermuda Schwartz

I finished reading "Bermuda Schwartz" by Bob Morris

ABOUT THE BOOK

Zack Chasteen, a former professional football player, turned palm tree farmer, is not above bending the law to suit his purposes. Zack's girlfriend, Barbara Pickering, is headed to Bermuda to help plan her aunt's 75th birthday celebration. Zack and his best friend, Boggy, a Taino who is 'one' with the world, go along for the ride, and to transplant eight perfect palm trees in eccentric Aunt Trula's lawn. As long as Zack is in Bermuda, he decides to visit his large stash of tax-free cash, only to learn that the millions have recently plummeted to a mere $2,000. Zack zeros in on the culprit and weaves a nasty web to recover his stash. When a body (Ned) washes up on the shore outside of Aunt Trula's home, Zack joins forces with the victim's police officer sister to snare the killer of this heinous crime and that of two others, seven years earlier. The murder of Ned appears to be connected to a legendary organization that has relentlessly searched for the True Cross (that which Jesus Christ was crucified on) for centuries. Zack hooks up with Teddy Schwartz (a ship wreck salvager) who has some secrets and information he doesn't care to share. But if he doesn't, it could cost others their lives. Bob Morris' Bermuda Schwartz is smart, edgy and quirky. The characters are bigger than life and make perfect foils for Zack's snappy, dry humor. The setting makes one want to hop a plane, relax at an outside cafe and drink adult beverages with umbrellas stuck in them while listening to the pounding beat of some Bermuda music.

Good Habits

"Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones." - Tim McCarver

Vision

"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision." - Stevie Wonder

Listening

"Hearing is one of the body's five senses. But listening is an art." - Frank Tyger

Killing Johnny Fry

I finsihed reading "Killing Johnny Fry" by Walter Mosley

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Cordell Carmel catches his longtime girlfriend with another man, the act that he witnesses seems to dissolve all the boundaries he knows. In that instant, the calm existence of this middle-aged New York City man becomes something unrecognizable: he wants revenge, but also something more. Killing Johnny Fry is the story of Cordell’s dark, funny, soulful, and outrageously explicit sexual odyssey in search of a new way of life. His guide is a mysterious woman named Sisypha, who leads him deep into the erotic heart of the city. Above all, it is about a man questioning the rules we take for granted—and the powerful and sometimes disturbing connections that occur between people when these rules are removed.

Gratitude

"Gratitude is the heart's memory." - French proverb

Older

"Don't regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." - Unknown

Be Cool

I watched the DVD "Be Cool" with John Travolta.

Synopsis

In this sequel to Get Shorty, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) becomes a different kind of "hit" man - he abandons the movie industry to bring his wiseguy skills and negotiation tactics to the music business. When a friend is offed while they're at lunch, Chili takes the opportunity to visit the guy's wife, Edie (Uma Thurman), and pitch himself as her new business partner at an independent record label. With a promising young pop star-in-training as his protégé (Christina Milian), Chili has to juggle her faux-urban manager (Vince Vaughn), his gay, wannabe-actor bodyguard (The Rock), Russian mobsters, and an eloquent gangsta music producer (Cedric the Entertainer) to save the label and land a hit - and keep from getting popped himself.

A Walk On The Moon

We watched the DVD "A Walk On The Moon."

Synopsis

A bored young housewife (Diane Lane) takes a walk on the wilder side of life when she begins an affair with a free-spirited blouse salesman (Viggo Mortensen.) The consequences of her actions ripple through her marriage.

Do Things You Can't Do

"I am always doing things I can't do; that's how I get to do them." - Pablo Picasso

Life

"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well." - Josh Billings

Wisdom

"Wisdom is knowing when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech." - Unknown

Try Something You've Never Tried

"We only go around once. There's really no time to be afraid. So stop. Try something you’ve never tried. Teach it. Do it. Risk it." - Jon Blais

A Good Laugh

"A good laugh is sunshine in a house." - William Makepeace Thackeray

Reservoir Dogs

I watched the DVD "Reservoir Dogs."

Synopsis

A gang of thieves carry out an armed robbery on a diamond warehouse. The police are after them so quickly that they suspect they have a rat in their company. This film starts right after the robbery, with flashbacks to before the robbery, and to the planning of the crime. We are also introduced to the main characters in flashback mode. Plenty of fast action, and plenty of blood and gore.

It's What You Do With What You Have Left

"Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left." — Hubert Humphrey

Parachutes

"Minds, like parachutes, only work when open." - Anonymous

A Strong Positive Mental Attitude

"A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug." - Patricia Neal

Appreciation

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire

Like Water For Chocolate

I watched the DVD "Like Water For Chocolate."

Synopsis

In a forgotten Mexico Tita and Pedro fall in love, but are forbidden to marry. Mama Elena sees Tita's role as her caretaker for life - no youngest daughter has ever married and her daughter will not be the first to break tradition. Tita's heart breaks when her mother instead offers to Pedro her other daughter, and he accepts. Now they live in the same house, and Mama Elena cannot forbid their love as she did their marriage.

Every Time We Open Our Mouths

"Every time we open our mouths, men look into our minds." - Anonymous

Crash

I watched the DVD "Crash." It was an excellent movie about real people in the real world. Scary.

Synopsis

Several stories interweave during two days in Los Angeles involving a collection of inter-related characters, a police detective (Don Cheadle) with a drugged out mother and a thieving younger brother, two car thieves who are constantly theorizing on society and race, the white district attorney (Brendan Fraser) and his irritated and pampered wife (Sandra Bullock), a racist white veteran cop (Matt Dillon)(caring for a sick father at home) who disgusts his more idealistic younger partner, a successful Hollywood director and his wife who must deal with the racist cop, a Persian-immigrant father who buys a gun to protect his shop, a Hispanic locksmith and his young daughter who is afraid of bullets, and more.

A Cemetery

"A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always." - William Gladstone