“I think it’s just elegant to have an imagination. I just have no imagination at all. I have lots of other things, but I have no imagination.” — The Seven Year Itch Yes, O Dearly Beloved, it’s that time of year again. Time to dust off the circuit boards of the dedicated Google Analytics server farm for this two bit opinion emporium and determine which of my 37 beautiful children attracted the most attention from you delightful readers, spambots, and web crawlers in the Year of Our L...| The Epicurean Dealmaker
The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that permits him to move within himself. Without this quality, even occasional greatness will destroy a man. — Frank Herbert, Dune I have used the preceding epigraph before, as some of you Delightful Readers may recall. It is a versatile a...| The Epicurean Dealmaker
“I am old, Gandalf. I don’t look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed! Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can’t be right. I need a change, or something.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings When I launched this blog seven and three-quarters years ago, O Dearly Beloved, my first post incorporated the following mission statement: I have started this ...| The Epicurean Dealmaker
Adolphe-William Bouguereau, The Birth of Venus, 1879 Mildred:“That Ted Forrester’s nice-looking, isn’t he? Veda likes him.” Monte:“Who wouldn’t? He has a million dollars.” — Mildred Pierce (1945) Wall Street has a problem. Kevin Roose, who wrote the definitive bildungsroman/sob story of early-2010s twenty-somethings on Wall Street, nails it. Finance is no longer the first choice of ambitious, high-achieving college graduates. Technology is:Hyperdriven, multitalented young peop...| The Epicurean Dealmaker
Messenger:“I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.” Beatrice:“No; an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil?” Messenger:“He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.” Beatrice:“O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick,...| The Epicurean Dealmaker
Korbin Dallas:“We need to find the leader. Mangalores won’t fight without the leader.” Mangalore Leader:“One more shot, we start killing hostages.” Korbin Dallas:“That’s the leader.” Mangalore Leader:“Send someone to negotiate.” Security Chief:[to Dallas] “I I I I I’ve never negotiated I…” Korbin Dallas:“Mind if I… try?” Security Chief:“No, no, sure, sure. Sure. [to Mangalores] We’re sending somebody in to negotiate!” Korbin Dallas:[walks into room, sho...| The Epicurean Dealmaker