Smilax

The following is a letter I'd like to send though I don't think I will. You may think, by merely posting this, that I have sent it. I don't agree. Some things are more defused the more public they become and unless you have the key you won't know who this is about.

Trussel,

I know why Smilax can't work with me. I won't leave "well-enough" alone. I challenge her in ways she'd rather ignore. So, she's black listed me, fine. I made a youthful mistake but I've done all in my power to do good. I hear the anger in my friends voices and see the fruit of her incompetence and can't help but share their anger.

As a manager myself, I look at what's going on in her shop and cringe. By not dealing with her issues your product is suffering.

1. The quality of work going up is only as good as those producing it. Smilax has terrible hiring instincts.

2.Your employee retention is terrible. You have lost some very valuable people who would've been fine staying on if some one else were in charge. (And, yes, I am one of them.)

3. The core staff is overwhelmed and over-worked. Mainly because they have to correct the mistakes made by those less than competent hires. Also,

4. When it comes to mundane tasks, like keeping a calendar, checking up on off site work or communicating things in a timely manner so people don't have to panic, it's just not happening. This makes it hard on those who are trying to get the work done on time and run their various side projects to know when they will be needed and where they should be. It also leads to abuses in the system where it would be possible for an individual to fudge their hours siphoning off funds where they don't need to go.

5. Speaking of funds the budget isn't being followed...

This is just the stuff I can see right away.

The consistent complaint I've heard against you is that you will do nothing. Evidence dose suggest that you avoid conflict. Now I don't know everything and I certainly can't say if this is justified. But if any of this makes sense or rings true doesn't that suggest to you that some action should follow? I hope you get a real manager in there soon. I hope that there can be a way for Smilax to leave gracefully. I don't see her as an asset to you.

I know there are ties stronger than logic keeping her here. To an outsider this set up is crazy. I know because I know some one who won't refer people to work for this company any more because of the shit going down in the shop. They do have a point. I don't want to send people over there myself because I know the insanity it is to work with the Smilax. I'm a reasonable peace loving person yet I've never wanted to punch some one so badly as I've wanted to punch her.

This will posse a problem starting next week as she is taking over the account I'm assigned to. In all fairness I must warn you that we can't be in the same room for too long. I will have a vary hard time being my usual helpful self when dealing with her there's just too much crap there.

Thank you,

IPN

The debouch was progressing on schedule. The crew had consumed the sake and was just getting into the vodka they had saved for just such a time as this when, of a sudden (wouldn't you know), a stranger appeared among them. He did not say a word but moved quickly below deck where he encountered one of the two sober people aboard the Grate Ship. After a brief exchange both men went to find the boatswain. Who they found brooding over a coffee drink.

"O, so yeh found me?"

"Most nat'ly done Carson." replied the stranger, "you have a trail like algae."

Carson cursed, in a generic way, "What do you want?"

"You don't know?"

"No."

"I'm calling in the last favor."

"And what would that be?"

"Joyce"

"Look, I know you're better informed than I, what in blazes are you talking about?"

"Okinawa, or rather what happened just off it? What happened to Joyce"

Carson rubbing his head, "The ship was cracked. I don't know what happened."

"You're the only survivor."

"I am?"

"Well that's what I need to know."

"Look, last I know the ship cracked just after dark. A lot can happen in the dark. I
came to half on half off wreckage. Not a soul in sight. Spent days getting ready to die but got picked up instead."

"Who picked you up?"

"It was a French ship. But the crew was Russian."

The stranger snorted. Nothing good would come of this.

___

"Would it be our dumb luck to be gentlemen born? To be second sons and bastards of lords? Thrown to the waves to build our fortune?"

"That's a good one."

"You interrupted me. Now I forgot what I wanted to say."

"Oh, sorry."

"Let's see, do you know what happened to that chart? The one depicting Xi harbor?"

"Blimey, Kellen, you haven't asked after that in years."

"Well, Jacko, I have intelligence that the Goat is to winter there."

"Arrr."

"Not that."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten she carries a man I must settle accounts with soon. Besides, she has a cargo of spice."

"I hope you mean gold and not the other kind."

The Unicorn Hunters: fear

There was how the seine was supposed to go. He starts the fight with a shove. I counter by rolling away and jumping up. He comes at me again I dodge off to one side his momentum propels him into a piece of furniture, preferably one that catches him in the gut. I can yell the Truth at him. He'll hear it. It might not stop that fight but, I hope, it'll stop the next. His power will be broken. My work will be done.

But of course it didn't go that way at all. It was craftily done. He went for me in one of those places where no one listens when you scream. How he got me there? Well, that's embarrassing to remember. Any way, there wasn't any furniture. I had been warned this could happen but hadn't believed it. He had counted on that. I did cry out. But after the initial shock I switched to growling. I don't think he'd ever been growled at before. He was used to screaming. I fought as though it would be my last living act. At all cost I would stop him. I had to stop him.

An amazing thing happened when he was getting the better of me. Seemingly, from no where two women in motorcycle boots took him down. I think one clocked him in the head with her helmet. The other had her phone out recording everything. You know they're angels? The one with the phone gave it to me and told me to give it to the police. They couldn't identify the women on the video. As soon as they knew the police were there they left. I don't know why.

This Could be It

Now this is an interesting sensation. He registered this thought carefully as with caution he eased into his second favorite chair. He wasn't in paradise yet so this couldn't be his first favorite. The thing he felt and was analyzing just now was a stinging bruise, that would never turn anything more dramatic than yellow. This had been delivered to his left forearm by a tall skinny guy in a hurry. Accidentally, we must assume, as he had never met the guy before nor would he know him again.

This punch in the arm came at a fortunate time. It got him to think of something other than Maggie. To remember that he wasn't in paradise and he should look around him more. The baroness of the clutter surrounding him surprised him. "When did I get all this junk?" he wondered aloud. But the piles of news papers and magazines only sat still not daring to answer because really he already knew.

His new obsession would be diet and exercise. He would meet a hot young thing at the gym. Quit smoking, finally. Move to L.A., why not? It made little difference. An electronic thing went off in his pocket. He groaned. No one ever called just to say, hi. He had an impulse to slam the phone into the wall. But checked it remembering that this one was expensive and it wasn't fair to shoot the messenger, even if it was an annoying brainless little thing. He would not do well around small dogs. This thought pleased him. The phone went off again. Who was calling him? He didn't recognize the number.

Something new occurred to him then. This could be it. The call that would change his life.

"Hello?"
"Hello, have I reached the office of Dr. Johnson?" piped back a frail voice.
"Oh. No."

UftPM

The reputed influence of Cougar Bait is finally manifesting, *fin-a-llly!* and I am surrounded by weak kneed women. The other day I suffered through a Viking/Cougar Bait double whammy. It was kind of disgusting.

Sadly, Little Bear has been very sick. We wish her the best.

UftPM

Pretty doesn’t give you a free pass on the Plotless Monster.

Mother Bear’s prediction before leaving ship; completely shattered. Cougar Bait is a dud. Until now Turbo had no reason to complain but Cougar Bait’s lack of professionalism has torqued him. This will lead to an interesting dynamic shift. Cougar Bait is the least prepared of ANYONE who has ever crewed this ship (including that sucky temp). During his third attempt he was screwing up pass codes and positioning so bad I even noticed and I don’t pay attention to the action, can’t see anything anyway.

In my analysis a lot of this lack of preparation stems from the fact that this guy is completely whipped. He has no passion. His wife scares him. This is sad. Marriage should be a partnership not a bondage. There should be no master, no boss. Also, people like Mother Bear who have “fallen for the face” created a sort of monster by not challenging him to have a passion for what he’s doing. After all who wouldn’t hire him he’s so (eye roll) gorgeous (*gag me with a spoon*). I need to clarify something; the above statement isn’t his opinion it’s actually Mother Bear and someone else’s opinion.

To be charitable, this is a Monster. No one is safe. Yes, there has been some improvement. Right, and we’ve been spoiled with the kinds of people who have been coming in.

Things will be completely different tomorrow. Tomorrow we won’t notice how bad Cougar Bait is because we will be dealing with some new thing that looks even worse. Brace yourself kids, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Ominous, I know. But take heart, I’m still with you.

UftPM

"This guy's done the second act before, right?" (summary of tonight's excitement)

Testa gave me a little insight into how she views herself today. This is welcomed information. Now I just have to figure out what yellow means.

There is a God out there. I know this because of the schedule change that's under way. If the owners of the ship don't mind running it four times instead of five I'll be the last to complain.

On bin Ladin

"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" Ezekiel 18:23

So, they killed another terrorist, shot him, whatever. Big deal. It doesn't solve anything. Now you can take some comfort in knowing an "icon of evil" is dead. He wasn't ever the real threat, was he? What he represents still exists, it lives on. What are you going to do about that?

I apologies for not participating in the patriotic jig. See, I've never agreed with the invasions and this news, though welcome, is far from comforting. I feel no relief. This is only a victory for narrow interest. This is not a victory for Love.