Looking for a punch in the nose? The only thing more annoying than a bad deal is a bad deal-maker.(Real Deal; difficult people to work with)

I LIKE MOST OF THE PEOPLE I DEAL WITH. Sometimes things start off rocky, but usually I can build a good relationship. This isn't about those people.

Instead, this month, I vent about those "others" out there who should be medicated, strapped to a gurney and whisked from the bargaining table. Dear Reader, I hope you don't recognize yourself below:

1. The liar: You spend a lot of time haggling when you practice law for 20 years. By now, nothing should surprise me. But it does. When somebody tells me a big lie, my jaw drops and my soul fills with wonder. Some lie deliberately. Some can't tell the difference. Whatever the reason, the liar brings a touch of evil in and erodes whatever faith we have left in humanity. I could quote Dante. Instead, to all you liars out there, I say: May your spouses deceive you and your children betray you.

2. The whiner: "Aw, come on, come on, come on ..." My dog uses this tactic. I have to admit--she is often successful. But this is not dignified for anything that walks upright and has opposable thumbs. Luckily, one can retrain this breed of opponent using store-bought kibble and a rolled-up newspaper.

3. The manipulator: I often represent studios when they hire stars for their movies. One such luminary demanded a huge loan as an advance against his (already highly inflated) fee. When I explained ...