Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just wanted to say to the world, “Bite me!”? Usually when that happens you can’t think of a good line. Let me help you out here with some great lines you may want to remember and tuck into your mind-pocket for when the time is right.
How about Cher’s line in “Moonstruck”?
Or what about the great Jack Nicholson line from “A Few Good Men”?
Then there is the great Robert De Niro
And if you are really stuck in trying to get your message across, this line from “Cool Hand Luke” is a good one to remember.
For giggles with a straight face, “I’ll have what she’s having.” No, it doesn’t pertain to me but I love the lady observer’s line.
Or for that uptight person in your life (not MY husband), there is Carol’s comback to Shrevie in “Diner.”
So, it’s been a “Bite me!” week. Hope I’ve helped you out here. I feel much better!
—cher
Tags: Few Good Men, great comeback lines, I'll have what she's having, Jack Nicholson, Moonstruck, Robert De Niro, Shrevie and Carol in Diner, What we have here is failure to communicate
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“Let the games begin” was the rallying cry made four days ago by top U.S. and South Korean military commanders, as the two nations engaged in high publicized, joint military exercises along Korea’s east coast. Although the exercises were touted as routine military drills, the message sent to North Korea was clear and unambiguous; the United States is ready, willing and able to counter any acts of aggression initiated by Pyongyang. An equally clear message was delivered to South Korea concerning the United States government’s resolve to support them should North Korea launch an attack. There is little doubt among politicians in the U.S. and South Korea that it was time to let Pyongyang know that further acts of aggression (similar to the torpedoing of the Cheonan) will not be tolerated. However, there is plenty of doubt that the joint military exercises will have any impact at all on North Korea’s plans to further develop nuclear weapons capabilities.
In a sense, the United States and South Korea have engaged in the same kind of “saber rattling” as North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il. In fact, North Korea initially made threats they would intervene militarily if the U.S. and South Korean conducted the joint exercises off the east coast. Like most threats from Kim Jung Il, his words have proven to be empty rhetoric. It is yet to be seen whether or not U.S. and South Korean forces would actually retaliate if another minor (or even major) provocation occurred, or whether, in fact, the U.S. is doing some saber rattling of its own.
Lying slightly below the surface of simmering hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, are the Chinese and American spheres of influence. The Chinese support of North Korea, both economically and politically, is not likely to waver as long as Kim Jung Il refrains from taking actions that would be counter to Chinese interests. Time and time again, the Chinese have blocked severe U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea, including a resolution blaming them for the torpedo attack on the Cheonan. Consequently, Kim Jung Il will not make a serious military move, including the use of nuclear weapons, without the consent and approval of the Chinese. Likewise, the South Korean military will not make a serious military move against the North Koreans (even a retaliatory strike) without the approval of the U.S.
The joint military exercises among the U.S. and South Koreans amount to nothing more than another shot over the bow in the “war of words” going on in East Asia. Most likely, the rapidly growing economic relationship between the U.S. and China will help to ensure that a military conflict in Korea doesn’t ruin the chances of continued economic prosperity for both countries. In the meantime, China will not alienate North Korea with sanctions or words of reproof; they will simply keep the North Koreans isolated, hungry, and dependent.
Rich
Tags: China and US relations, Kim Jong-il, korean peninsula, military exercises, North Korea, united nations security council
Robert E. Lee once wrote, “The real honest man is honest from conviction of what is right.” I have been grappling with the issue of honesty these last several years, both from a business perspective and personally. On more than one occasion I have heard people say, “This country is going to hell in a hand basket.” It is an old canard, but when I hear that phrase, I have to wonder why we seem to have lost that proverbial moral compass. In my mind the answer is a lack of honesty, a word closely aligned with integrity.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines honesty as “the capacity or condition of being honest; integrity; trustworthiness; not lying, cheating or taking unfair advantage.” In our daily endeavors, however, lying has become mainstream. I am not going to delve into the political realm on this because that is merely a reflection of our own character and what we have become conditioned to accept as the norm.
Within our business settings and in our personal lives, a lack of honesty is a complete detriment to our growth as individuals and can have devastating repercussions. In one of the businesses I have owned, for example, I nearly lost much of my financial investment because those in whom I had placed my trust, sold goods “out the back door.” I had an antique shop which was open 12 hours a day; six days a week. There was no way I could possibly be in the shop all those hours. I had to value estates that were being sold, and then hold the sale, orchestrated with security and attending personnel who worked for me so that eyes were everywhere. I had to hunt for antiques, and attend auctions. Somewhere in between, I needed to refinish any antique furniture I had purchased in order to pay my employees, pay taxes, advertise and make a profit in a highly competitive market.
So while I was running hither and yon taking care of business, I hired a sales person to run the shop. All they had to do was sell items in the shop, keep all receipts and act in a friendly but professional manner, as they were a representative of my business. My reputation was on the line, so the latter was extremely important. When one is in business, reputation is everything.
The day came when I realized that I had been cheated and lied to by an employee whom I had hired because we had been friends for a number of years. I trusted her with my shop and with my reputation. But she had sold valuable merchandise “out the back door,” which meant there was no receipt and no paper trail of any transaction. She had kept all the money from the sale giving customers ‘deals’ if they paid in cash. By the time I realized that my trust in her had been violated and that she had not been honest with me, a business in which I had invested my heart, not to mention my money, nearly closed. I terminated her employment and that of several others. Her dishonesty cost not only me, but innocent by-standers.
“In innocence there is no strength against evil,” wrote author Ursula K. Lee Guin. I had innocently placed my trust in a friend who nearly ruined my business and completely ruined our friendship. It was an evil deed. To say that I was chagrined or disheartened does not convey that wrenching feeling of betrayal I felt. That was the most devastating of all. And it all comes down to one word: honesty, a most elusive character trait.
—cher
Tags: financial investments in business, honesty as a character trait, honesty definition, honesty in business, integrity in business
