Walter Miller's Homepage

No one can hear you scream on the internet, but no one can smell you either.

Mid-Setpember 1997 Penultimate-on-Prodigy Update

Page 5 of 7

I had to excuse myself from the flying Fecol circus for a short while. I told the Sherrif that it was now time for me to conferrence call in for the weekly staff meeting at the Netly News. He said Fine, but our family was getting the bill for the battory and the tow.

Problems on the job

I shoudnt complain abbout my job, because SOME people there are nice but CERTIAN OTHORS are hard asses. Well mabye thats a little harsch. Its just that some poeple have a pompuos attitide, thats all. Like i said, I shoudnt say anything.

I shoudnt be vague

As you know i am in counselling for emmotional problems. Mostly it is because i am a mixed up person who needs to learn to focus. Also I am strouggling with a poor self image problem and haughtiness. Anyway my counselor (both the councillers Ive had) have told me that I must not be vague and beat arround the bush, and that when I speak it shoud NOT just be for the sake of the rant, but that I shoud effectivly comunnicate my problems.

WELL THEN, heres my Danm Problen.

After the conference call, my boss said, 'Walter stay on the line, we have to talk One-on-One."

I hate when they say that becuase you dont know what its goingto be about. Do you know when your boss says that to you? Your heart beats and your throaght gets dry and your hand shakes cause you know you ass is probly in trouble. And also, once they tell you to "stay behind" after a weekly staff meeting, (even a meeting over the phone), well, you cant concontrate on the meeting any more: All your thinkin abbout is whats gonna happen in your "One on One."

Imediately when were alone on the line, I said "Im Sorry." And he said, "Why are you saying your sorry? Who said you did something wrong?"

Well geuss what. They just anounced a small "re-org" earlier in the day, and I of cource, am the last person on the staff to find this out. So, starting Octobor 1, i am going to have to go into work at a place i do NOT want to go. The Netly News is owned by Pathfinder and they have an office in Texas thats like a 4 hour drive for me. They dont like to have tellecommuters anymore who are working solely out of their house on their own, (at least not at my 'maturity level' is what I was told). So I have to go in and sit in a friggin cubical one day a week JUST LIKE MY LAST DUMB JOB. And get this: it might be increased to 2 days a week. I cannot tell you how pissed i am.

I am Told that I am "in need of leadership"

The Netly and Pathfindor people have this stupid thing called 'The Leadorship Program' or some such crap. They forced me to enroll in in it. But it is a misnomor because you do not get to lead: They lead YOU and tell you what to do. Its all abbout corporrate mentoring at the workplace.

Also I was "spoken to" as they say, for trying to expence too many personol calls, (but i had to call my stepmom in California because of emotional and romantic problems and i CANNOT help that); And also they said that they checked the Netcsape account they gave me last April and there seemed to be allot of "extranious web surfing on paid time."

I told him that "You said just a minute ago I didnt do anything wrong."

And then he said to me, "No, what I said to you a minute ago was: 'Who said you did something wrong?' Well, at that time, no one did. But RIGHT NOW I am."

The convorsation did NOT end nice.

I have to drive up there next week to set up my office and fill out forms. Plus I will get paid out of there, and also when i asked, what if i didnt WANT to particopate in the Leadership Mentorring program, he told me that I HAD to. Othorwise i was out of a job on my ass.

Sneaky bastords that they are, just as i got off the phone a fax came thruogh of these friggin forms I had to sign and then fax back to them BY THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY.

The old bastord is no help either

Granfather was acting very superior ever since me and the sherrif battled with him. In fact before, just as the sherrif left in the tow truck, the mean grizzled coot hollered out the window, "SEE YUH UP HERE FER SOME CARDS ON SUNDAY?" and the sherrif yelled back, if not a little defeated, "Sure thing, Granpy."

Yes whenevor granfather houmiliates someone he acts like a supperior species. And he didnt just make fun of me for my problems at work and call me cruel names like "WUSSY"--He was bossing me around the whole week.

YES the WHOLE WEEK

Teusday he made me surf the web for him, because in the scuffle with the Sherrif his big toenail came off somewhere in the house, (we coudnt find it). You must remmeber that his toe is the olny agile and freemoving part of his body, and THAT is what he was using to surf the web. But now he coudnt, because without the toenail his toe was sore.

He had heard that the Fox News site was good, and he barked at me to call it up on the browser. As it was loading up on the screen, Granfather impulsively said to me quite sadisticly, "IF THIS HERE SITE HAS FRAMES ON IT, YOUR GITTIN A SLAP." Well, it DID have frames and then i DID get slapped, or rathor poked by his giant monkeylike toe. (Good thing the toenail WAS missing from it, cause othorwise he woud of gauged a peice out of me like a razor edged melon ball scooper. Thats how danm sharp his nails are.)