The Achilles Heel of the Americas was the lack of cultural confidence typical of new settlers.
quote by Arthur Erickson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
Achilles Had A Little Heel After Mary Had A Little Lamb
Achilles had a little heel,
its skin was white as snow;
and everywhere Achilles went
its twin was sure to go.
His mother dipped him in the Styx
held by that little heel
henceforth Achillles bones soon picks -
scarce kept an even keel.
Greeks followed him to war one day;
quite playing by his rules;
he made the Trojans weep and pray,
to see selves seem such fools.
Of yore before fair Carthage shore
was met by Myrmidons
he tore Telephus, left wound sore -
or so say Oxford dons.
His troops were ordered to withdraw
withal though Troy destroyers
were winning war till Nestor saw
some sought Appollo's lawyers.
They sat in Council, Calchas claimed
his child from Agamemnon,
Chryseis kidnapped but King [t]aimed
Briseis, Achilles' leman.
Achilles' anger far and wide
was famed - a fatal flaw -
eternal legends since abide
of home_ru[i]ns galore.
It's G[r]eek to me how he could fling
his wrath from coast to coast,
fair Amazons his arms could bring
to grief, reefed Hades' host.
Patroculus his armour wore
successfully in song,
till Hector tore him to cold slaw,
Haephestus' trappings done.
One day an arrow turned him out,
transfixing sole so near,
soul lingered restlessly about
till Pluto did appear.
'Why'd Thetis love Achilles so? '
schoolchildren eager cry;
'Why, mothers love their lambs, you know, '
trained teachers must reply!
poem by Jonathan Robin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Started Something I Couldnt Finish
The lanes were silent
There was nothing, no one, nothing around for miles
I doused our friendly venture
With a hard-faced
Three-word gesture
I started something
I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
...and now Im not too sure
I grabbed you by the guilded beams
Uh, thats what tradition means
And I doused another venture
With a gesture
That was ... absolutely vile
I started something
I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
...and now Im not too sure
I grabbed you by the guilded beams
Uh, thats what tradition means
And now eighteen months hard labour
Seems ... fair enough
I started something
And I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now Im not too sure
I started something
I started something
Typical me, typical me
Typical me, typical me
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now Im not too sure
Ok stephen ? ...do that again ?
song performed by by Smiths
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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True heart saw fun whole
Achilles without the heel
two parts for one goal
haiku by Jonathan Robin (13 April 2005)
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Domain Name Server (DNS) is the Achilles heel of the Web. The important thing is that it's managed responsibly.
quote by Tim Berners Lee
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In The World Of Achilles
the world of achilles
trembles
when a blade
of grass
hits accidentally
his famous
heel.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Gravel in Our Eye
When we look not with our eyes
convince oneself of the impossible
typical gravel turns into motorways
without tyres we saw ourselves as cars
eyes glazed paved speed of reckoning
just as rubber tearing at bitumen
convinced we will get to there [that isn't here]
at trips end we find ourselves a typical mob
typical gravel looks like typical gravel
as we stoop out of the beat-up ute
our eye catches the side-mirror
stymied by our shoes that crunch
making familiar sounds on typical gravel
`
poem by Frederick Kesner
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Achilles’ heel - Clerihew
Paris’ arrow through Achilles’ heel
Made him squeal.
And forced him to kneel
Even though he phal for meal.
poem by Khadim Hussain
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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For Redemption
Mercy is an option-
unredeeming in
my attire of pain.
Lashed by bitter
storms of accusations
my honesty is
poor protection.
My armour
I thought-
never knowing
it would show
my Achilles Heel.
Opening myself
in all my
rawness-
in all my
lack of beauty-
in all that
I have ever been-
My honesty
is my undoing.
(Hasn't it always been?)
Mercy is an option.
Not one I'd choose
though.
I'll wait.
And Hope.
Because I know
it's my honesty
that will stand
guard-
When the demons
of doubt
are vanquished.
As they must be.
As they will be.
For,
Though pain be its gift,
Love never fails.
1 July, '07
poem by Usha Pisharody
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The typical journalist's typical lead for the typical Canadian story nowadays is along this line: that Canadians are hard at work trying to gain a reputation as a nation of rapid social change.
quote by Stockwell Day
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our dependence on foreign energy sources is our Achilles heel, not just in the realm of diplomacy, but in terms of our future as the world's economic leader.
quote by Judy Biggert
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.
quote by Vince Lombardi
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our workers comp debt is the Achilles heel of our state's economy, and I firmly believe that in order to create more good jobs in West Virginia this system must be fixed and it must be fixed now. We cannot afford to wait even one more minute.
quote by Joe Manchin III
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Typical Situation
Ten fingers counting we have each nine planets
Around the sun repeat
Eight ball the last if you triumphant be seven oceans - pummel
The shores of the sea
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices, hey yeah
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices ell
Everybodys happy everybodys free
Keep the big door open, everyonell come around
Whyre you different, why are you that way
If you dont get in line well lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
Six senses feeling five around a sense of self
Four season turn on n turn off
I can see three corners from this corner
Twos a perfect number
But one, well
Everybodys happy everybodys free
Well keep the big door open, everyonell come around
Why are you different, why you that way
If you dont get in line well lock you away,
Aow everybodys happy everybodys free
Well keep the big door open, everyonell come around
Why are you different, why are you that way
If you dont get in line well lock you away(-way fades out)
It all comes down to nothing (hey ___hey__hey)
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices, hey yaa
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices
We cant do a thing about it
Too many choices, hey yaa
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices yeah
Everybodys happy everybodys free
Well keep the big door open, everyonell come around
Why are you different, why you that way
If you dont get in line well lock you away,
Aow everybodys happy everybodys free
Well keep the big door open, everyonell come around
Why are you different, why are you that way
If you dont get in line well lock you away
(aoowwwaaaah) (solo throughout)
It all comes down to nothing
It all comes down to nothing
It all comes aaw everybodys happy everybodys free
Well keep the big door open, everyonell come around
Why are you different, why you that way
If you dont get in line well lock you away
It all comes down to nothing (hey ___hey__hey)
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices, hey yeah
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices
We cant do a thing about it
Too many choices, hey yeah
Its a typical situation in these typical times
Too many choices
song performed by by Dave Matthews Band
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Achilles Heel
When you were young some years ago
your old man told you
don't you set yourself on fire, listen
the point of all is what you do not
what you are talking about
no matter what you've been going through.
Don't give a damn, all those bridges you've crossed
still trying to catch the rainbow.
You'll spread your wings to rise up high,
only need the wind to blow
and after all you will know where to go.
Fight, you got to be a fighter,
don't show your Achilles heel
life will turn out lighter,
six feet water under your keel.
song performed by by Zed Yago
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I was not typical. Whatever typical or normal is, I was somehow separated and different.
quote by John C. Hawkes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Confession
I have a negative freedom,
Isolating and weakening me very much.
I got hurt many times,
But the most important wounds
Were at my heel and my soul.
I broke my collar-bone of soul
In wrestling with my love for life
And I feel my heel like Achilles, when
I think of my freedom.
Maybe some gigantic forces are beyond my control.
Today, because of my old injuries,
I can’t go on with my life.
I was told that my soul was mildly sprained,
But the soul injury was much more serious than I was told.
So, I’m abandoned, living with my pain.
I'm a modern person, being so well rooted
In the complexity of social forces.
My speech is always passively
And, without some form of universal care,
I’ll never be able to go on this way.
I need to survive this battle,
My own battle.
My world has collapsed.
Do I really need freedom? Don't make me laugh.
Although, I began to think of my positive freedom
And the self-determination it entails.
I’m anchored in what I am
Because of my right heel
And my left wing of soul.
They doesn’t let me hope.
I spend my time doing whatever I have to do to survive.
I pray for something real to come and save me.
Outside of that, I’m stuck where I am.
Does anyone know a reputable job,
Where I can make some money?
It was raining last night and I had
An amazing dream.
I was running in a new kind of life.
God, I miss that so much.
poem by Marieta Maglas
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Confidence
(words & music by tepper - bennett)
When everyone thought the world was flat
Columbus said its round
He went down in history
And america was found
cause
He had confidence
A little thing called confidence
Theres no job too immense when youve got
Confidence
With a c and an o and an n and an f
And an I and a d and an ence
Put em all together and what have you got
Confidence
Youll be surprised what you can do
If you will only try
Remember the tortoise and the hare
Who had that famous race
The speedy hare wound up nowhere
And slow poke took first place
cause
He had confidence
A little thing called confidence
Theres no job too immense when youve got
Confidence
Youll be surprised what you can do
If you will only try
How do you know that you cant ride a rainbow in the sky
Youll be surprised what you can do
If you will only try
All you need is confidence
A little thing called confidence
Theres no job too immense when youve got
Confidence
With a c and an o and an n and an f
And an I and a d and an ence
Put em all together and what have you got
Confidence
Confi ..... confi .... confidence
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Underlying the whole scheme of civilization is the confidence men have in each other, confidence in their integrity, confidence in their honesty, confidence in their future.
quote by Bourke Cockran
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I knew that collaborating on songwriting would be difficult for a lot of people, because I was known very much, for my independence and the fact that I wrote these quirky songs that were not typical structure, not typical sound - you know, really original stuff.
The White Triangular Iron Grills Fronting The Burnt House
the safety you planned
did not work out
outside the danger
did not come
between the two worlds
separated by iron grills
you thought that nothing
evil comes your way
you have not anticipated
that the monster was inside
it spurted the gas
and the flint caught it
and the tongue of fire
came out licking everything
you own burning everything
you stored for the future
dreams and all
and fantasies and hopes
now everything is gone
what is left is the charred bone
a broken Achilles' heel
smothered face
and a twisted view
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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