Daily Dose of Optimism

How to Handle a Layoff

Getting laid off is never easy. The least you can do it handle it with aplomb, as does Johnny O'Connor, war hero of the silver screen, in this scene. - Ed

 

Some Friendly Advice for Jeff Skilling

To Jeff Skilling: When you appeal your guilty verdict in the Enron trial, try hiring Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer instead of Daniel Petrocelli. - Ed

 

Weekend DDO: Pinky The Cat

 

Weekend Viewing: Glengarry Glen Ross

In the first ever DDO video clip, I've posted a short excerpt from one of the great business movies of all time, Glengarry Glen Ross.

Best known for the "ABC: Always Be Closing" scene with Alec Baldwin (a scene that was copied and modified for Boiler Room) Glengarry Glen Ross looks at real estate salesmen in high pressure situations, and the questionable tactics employed out of greed and desperation.

One of my favorite scenes from the movie (among many) is this clip of Al Pacino as the smooth talking Ricky Roma, selling a piece of property to Jonathan Pryce, as the timid James Link.

If you haven't seen the movie the whole way through, rent it today, or just go ahead and buy it on Amazon. You won't be disappointed. - Ed

Please note: if you are offended by crude language, don't watch this clip.

The complete opening phrase is cut off in this clip. Here's the text:

"All train compartments smell vaguely of sh*t. It gets so you don't mind it. That's the worst thing I can confess. You know how long it took me to get there? A long time."

Video enabled by a cool new blog tool, Videoegg.

My favorite quotes, which basically occur in sequence:

Ricky Roma: "Great meals fade in reflection. Everything else gains. You know why? 'Cause it's only food. Just shit we put in us." [...]

"The great f*cks you may have had, what do remember about them? I don't know. For me, I'm saying what it is, it's probably not the orgasm. Some broad's forearm on your neck, something her eyes did, there was this sound she made. Or it's me and the, uh, I'm telling you; I'm in bed the next day; she brought me cafe au lait, gives me a cigarette. My balls feel like con-crete." [...]

"What I'm saying, what is our life? It's looking forward or it's looking back. That's it. That's our life. Where's the moment? And what is it that we're afraid of? Loss. What else?  The bank closes, we get sick, my wife died on a plane, the stock market collapsed. What of these happen? None of 'em; we worry anyway, why?"