B. U. G. S.

I got comments from the long, long article – pamphlet actually — below by StevenP.

I THINK I saw that, as of today, some of his corrections had been “sprung” from our complicated machinery here by which the new Akizmet system figures out what is spam. I understand that a REAL Peter is now a co-author with Steven P.

So if you read the long piece, you can find some supplementary work in the comments.

I hope StevenP, SysOp, and the rest of you can realize how grateful I am for all this.

Bill Clinton was once quoted by his friends the media as saying, “I need some ADULTS in my staff!” I know exactly why he ended up in that position. Micromanagers don’t GET adults.

In fact, Clinton’s reason that he could not get adults was the same reason it never occurred to him that he had to do anything but lie. Even a psychopath has one limitation on his lying: his MEMORY. But Clinton had a superhuman memory. He could remember exactly what he had said to each person and I am sure he ENJOYED that game because he was so good at it.

Because of his no less than superhuman memory, Clinton was the ultimate liar and the ultimate micromanager. I am exactly the reverse. Most bosses are somewhere in the middle.

Clinton had no compunction about lying, and he ENJOYED it because of his great memory. I find lying almost impossible. In my disability report this is referred to as “an excess of offensive concerns” — meaning I am, by psychiatrists’ standards, overly concerned about hurting other people’s feelings. And my disability report also goes into my almost nonexistence memory for immediate details or names.

Clinton learned to use his disabilities, and I learned to use mine. As I said, most bosses are in the middle. But if you are in places like Capitol Hill, and you are like me, the very best people fall all over each other wanting to work under you. This is good management theory, but I am astounded how well it WORKS.

But screw the modesty. I have to be a genius to be able to do this. From what I have said so far, it sounds like this “management style” consists of just handing things over to subordinates and going home. But I am essential. In fact, I am working now only because I am the ONLY one who can do what I do.

There are two images of the Boss. One is the spineless type and the other is the Fearless Leader. Ashbrook (NOT ASHCROFT) was my ideal boss. He was always available. He took full responsibility. He assigned me, and listened when I said it should be handled by someone else. But HE made the decision. More than half the time, he replied that I should handle it, and he was right. I was scared, but HE was the Boss.

I used John exactly as he used me: As a precious resource to get the job done. I could write a constituent reply on many subjects off the top of my head that took the case worker hours to work out. John ordered me to stop doing that. At about 2 AM one morning John came back from the District and came into the office. He took one look at me and said,

“Dammit, Bob, you’ll work better if you’re ALIVE! Get the hell out of here and take tomorrow off!” He made me promise not to work at home the next day. I didn’t have my first nervous breakdown until I worked for another boss.

I used John for decisions HE had to make. The bottom line was that I wasn’t working FOR him. We were working for the same CAUSE. He never even bothered to talk to me abut it when I screwed up. He knew I’d punished myself plenty.

I get SysOps. I get Steven P. I get Mark and Brain and Pain and the rest, and Clinton said out loud he couldn’t find ONE of you.

So when I make statements abut how tired I am, or how I can’t find things, I am NOT wallowing in your sympathy. Sympathy has NOTHING to do with it. I am telling you the shortcomings of the man you have to work WITH.

If you think I have any reason to feel sorry for myself, just look at the group BEHIND me!