Seinfeld is a popular television comedy based on the humor of comedian Jerry Seinfeld. In an episode entitled "The Fire," Jerry's friend, George Costanza (Jason Alexander), attends a child's birthday party at an apartment at the request of his girlfriend, Robin. While a clown is providing entertainment for the kids, Robin's mother approaches him: "Excuse me—you must be George. I'm Robin's mother. ...

The film My Dog Skip is based on the childhood of American writer Willie Morris. It chronicles life lessons learned from a beloved terrier, a next-door neighbor, and the disappointments that flow out of a world at war.

Small for his age and bullied by other kids, Willie (played by Frankie Muniz) enjoys a special relationship with 18-year-old Dink Jenkins (played by Luke Wilson), who lives next door. ...

In his book When I Relax I Feel Guilty, Tim Hansel addresses our tendency toward mediocrity:

Late in his life John Steinbeck, winner of the Nobel Prize, decided to travel around the country he loved to explore it more deeply, to enjoy it more deeply, and in the process perhaps to write of his discoveries. Interestingly enough, very few people encouraged him to go. Friend after friend reminded him…it ...

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway."

—Actor John Wayne (1907–1979)

Late one evening, while attending a conference in the German city of Hamburg, I boarded a commuter train and headed for an outlying suburb. The train car was completely empty at that late hour, and I dozed sleepily as it rattled past the harbor and then through the industrial district. Some minutes into the trip, an elderly man, dressed in rags and clearly suffering from a mental disability, shuffled ...

"Bravery comes along as a gradual accumulation of discipline."

—Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon.

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man arrive at the legendary Emerald City to meet with the Wizard. The Wizard is reputed to hold the power to solve each of the travelers' problems. But to enter his presence, they must first traverse a long, dimly lit, gothic hallway. The Lion is not alone in his cowardice as they enter the large inner sanctum. They are greeted with ...

Remains of the Day explores the repressed love between the devoted English butler, Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), and the head housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), in 1930s England. The master of the house, Lord Darlington, is being influenced by the Nazis to establish rapport between themselves and the British government. Nazi representatives are periodic guests in his house.

Lord Darlington ...

In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes:

There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully.

Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the ...

He who deliberates fully before taking a step will spend his entire life on one leg.