STUPIDITY RUNS AMOK

After much thought and consideration, I have decided to dedicate today's entry to stupidity everywhere, no matter what form it takes. This particular brand of stupidity is likely to be a running theme: my job.

This afternoon I was told by my boss that one of our staff was departing. This was not cause for concern, nor a sad occasion as this particular person is supremely incompetent when it comes to her job duties. This person - let's call her Incompetent - also happens to report to me...kinda (that's a story for another day).

I should preface the remainder of my story with the fact that my place of business runs itself like a ship that knows it's heading for an iceberg; there is urgency, but also a constant palpable sense of doom.

So Bossy decides that I should leave the comfort and luxury of my cube and sit at Incompetent's station once she departs to "get a better sense of how things work" in her world. I can honestly say that I have had a better sense of what she is supposed to do since before I joined the staff. My bellybutton lint can perform better at her job. When I demurred, Bossy decides that challenging me is the way to go.

At this point I should also point out that Bossy's boss, Crazy, who is quite likely bipolar, manic, deranged or some permutation of those three, likely put the idea of my moving to Incompetent's workstation, which also happens to be the reception area of the Titanic. Dealing with Crazy is like juggling live grenades; you never know when one of them is going to blow up in your face.

As a middle manager, I wondered how appropriate it would be for me to assume the role of a receptionist. Bossy explained that I was not being demoted, but rather I was being "offered an opportunity to learn," which is code for "here is a pig that I've sprayed with perfume - enjoy!"

When we each realized that the other was not going to budge, Bossy tells me that perhaps we ought not speak about this any longer since we were both in "moods," which of course means that he's run out of psychobabble and needs to regroup in order to sell me on this "opportunity." Also, calling a gay man "moody" is a lot like telling a woman that her PMS is getting in the way - it's just not terribly appropriate.

Tomorrow is sure to be a delight.