[CTRL] Going Postal (With Style!)
-Caveat Lector- from http://www.theonion.com/onion3535/disgruntled_ninja.htm DISGRUNTLED NINJA SILENTLY KILLS 12 CO-WORKERS [Image] Above: A 1996 photo of Azuma Copier employees, including Tenchumaru (center). SKOKIE, IL--Toshiro Tenchumaru, a 34-year-old ninja and longtime employee at Azuma Copier Corporation in Skokie, stealthily took the lives of 12 co-workers Monday after suffering what investigators theorize was "a breakdown due to job-related stress." The disgruntled ninja was later captured by police while attempting to flee on foot across telephone lines. Tenchumaru, who, according to office manager Diane Ellsworth, had been "unusually quiet lately, even for him," was reportedly deeply upset about his worklife. Following a 9 a.m. staff meeting in which management discussed the possibility of eliminating Tenchumaru's position as Special Secretary For Nocturnal Liquidation, the ninja rose, gave a shallow bow and returned to his shadowy cubicle. Ellsworth said that shortly thereafter, she and other employees could hear what sounded like a Shinto death-consecration ceremony, as well as "sharpening sounds," coming from Tenchumaru's cubicle. The first deaths are believed to have occurred just minutes later. "After the meeting, I was having lunch in the company cafeteria with Eric [Miller], James [von Lustbader] and Frank [Clavell]," office comptroller Timothy Marzano said. "I looked down for a moment to take a bite of my sandwich, and when I looked up, Frank's head had been cut off and placed on his tray, Eric had been sliced in half so neatly that his hair was still in place, and there was blood dripping from the ceiling directly above James' chair." Von Lustbader's dismembered body was later found inside the ceiling. Sales supervisor Irene Young, whose cubicle was directly across from Tenchumaru's and who on several occasions had questioned the wisdom of having an office ninja, was the next victim, killed instantly when a single thrust from a razor-sharp _ninjato-katana_ sword pierced her cubicle wall, sheared through her computer monitor, and plunged through her heart. Tenchumaru then snapped the neck of associate marketing coordinator Donald Brodhagen, shredded the body of office manager Meg Whalen with 18 throwing stars, and used his Butterfly Soul Razor technique to stop the heart of office intern Ian Dallas long enough to drive the intern's nose through his brain with a single punch. After killing Dallas, Tenchumaru ran along the tops of cubicles to reach the office of senior sales supervisor Leonard Haller, who was hit with eight arrows from Tenchumaru's _saisumimen_, a whisper-quiet recurved bow of ancient design and unparalleled craftsmanship. "Tenchumaru's first arrow severed Haller's vocal cords, silencing him without hitting any of the major arteries or veins in the neck and without penetrating deeply enough to touch the spinal column," Skokie Police Department ballistics expert Ken Draper said. "An arrow was then fired into each of the seven _henzoitoichi_, or major nerve clusters, of Haller's body. Though the hits themselves were not fatal, the excruciating pain killed Haller within 10 seconds." Four more Azuma employees were later found dead, two of them eviscerated, one garrotted and one impaled upon cunningly folded quarterly report folders. Forensics experts said none of the bodies seemed to indicate that the victims were aware of the ninja's presence at the moment of death. Tenchumaru was relatively new to America, having been transferred from the Azuma Ninja Clan's mountain headquarters in Japan's Hokkaido Prefecture to Skokie in December 1998. Following the brutal slaying of his Grandmaster at the hands of a rival school, Tenchumaru requested permission to perform the Ritual of Blood Revenge, but was transferred to the Skokie office instead. Co-workers said that despite Tenchumaru's quiet demeanor, he would occasionally voice dissatisfaction with his work environment. "He didn't say much. Half the time, I didn't even know he was around," payroll secretary Georgette Billups said. "But when he did talk, it was usually to complain about how hard it was to get a decent cup of tea around the office, or how he shouldn't have to listen to Tim [Marzano] because he wasn't a _daimyo_ warlord, and how the copy machine lacked the beauty and _shibumi_ of hand-brushed calligraphy. But I honestly didn't think it would come to this. I mean, he was basically a shy guy." Tenchumaru has issued a statement through his lawyer asking that he be allowed to perform ritual _seppuku_ suicide in his cell. He also requested that Senjuro Akechi, master of _Myojinsoga_-style swordsmanship and CEO of Azumacorp East, be his second in the ceremony. Copyright (c) 1999 Onion, Inc., All rights reserved. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal (With Style!)
-Caveat Lector- Better watch it. If Sarah Brady sees this she might think it's true and go after everybodys butter knives. Kathleen DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal . . .
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 9/7/99 1:03:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: It seems that you do attempt to portend to give people who act out their anger in a negative way, an excuse to do so, perhaps even subconsciously, wish they did have such an excuse. Even if he was provoked? It still does not justify the murders he committed. Crimes of hate are just that. There is simply, no justification. eagle 1 Apparently you have failed to read what I wrote, where I clearly stated that he had no justification for murder, unless his actions were totally controlled from outside. I also acknowledged that you may be 100% correct in your statements. I merely presented a different scenario, not necessarily correct. Why must you twist my words, clearly stated, to make them say something I never said? Incidentally IF the PO KNEW he was unstable when they let him go could they not have done so with the intent of driving him to some violent act. HAD they known of his history of mental aberration COULD they have hired him to "work on him" and then let him go KNOWING they were unleashing something destructive, IF it was some type of experiment? I don't pretend to know the answers. AND I don't condone violence in any fashion, and since my speculations are not provable at this point they are just speculation, but that is what I do, speculate. You may disagree with me, and heartily if you insist, BUT please don't put words in my mouth, I can speak for myself. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal and Beyond: Part I
-Caveat Lector- Plenty of Tax dollars Terry...all going to the wrong places...BG Aol user wrote: -Caveat Lector- In my ll-year experience with a large federal gov. agency, I agree it is not just USPS that is affected. The problem is a maniacal octopuslike Bureaucracy, made worse by a "reinvention" that has brought ills as diverse as reductions in force to early-out retirement payoffs and has done little about the primary problem, funding. There is not enough tax dollars to pay for the equipment upgrades that will work efficiencies. Nor enough tax dollars to pay for a sufficient number of workers to maintain those efficiencies. Management is not trained in management. Therefore they are bad managers. They are part of the problem but not voluntarily so (at least the ones with brains). Management just passes along ideas the Bureaucratsters believe work. The Bureaucratsters typically get their marching orders from Congress and/or think tanks and consulting groups. Incestuous. The little people suffer. Now, in the millennium, the middling people will suffer, too. Only those who don't buck the Bureaucracy will go forth and prosper. Whining Whistleblower Wannabe, Terry DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal and Beyond: Part I
-Caveat Lector- Not enough tax revenue to support all the government programs. Even assuming graft, and even assuming a too-low tax rate, which I do not, this country is too program-heavy. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal . . .
-Caveat Lector- Hello, It just so happens, I live in the town where the first notable ''postal'' incident put Edmond, Oklahoma, a suburb north of Oklahoma City, on the map in 1986. The memorial in the courtyard of the main post office here is a constant reminder of the horror on that August 20th day. The man who committed the thirteen murders was not a victim of union mismanagement, nor was he mistreated on his job, nor was he a cultural experiment. This guy was a real whacko that should have been examined long before he went "postal" on his collegues, as he had demonstrated unusual behavior on many occasions before this. Personally, I will never forget this incident, as the shots rang out... I have a post office box, and was retrieving mail in the cubicle where at least eight people were shot behind the box doors. The man who committed the murders was a known recluse, addicted to pornography, and was the soldier of fortune vigilante type, and had a fetish for unusual guns. In his home in Oklahoma City, his walls were plastered with information about semi and automatic weapons, along with militia info. Stressed? We all get stressed . . . it still gives no one the right to take another's life, muchless twelve people plus one's own life in the process. There was no governmental abuse in this particular incident. It is clearly a case of someone who went out of control because he could not deal with his own self deficiencies, and failure when he was fired from his job. Clearly a mental disorientation... nothing more, nothing less. I will remain in agreement with my local news paper who posted the following article ten years later, regarding the incident to remember those who still hurt, and forget the media blitz that does not often relay the truth of the matter. http://search.edmond.net/news/article.taf?.=getid=35980a=Remembering%20Tho se%20Who%20Still%20Hurt Published - 8-18-96 Remembering Those Who Still Hurt By CAROL HARTZOG SUN Managing Editor Editor's Note: On Tuesday, The SUN will honor those who died in the 1986 Edmond Post Office tragedy. I know that the families and friends who remain behind must face the emotional, and some physical, scars each year on Aug. 20. This is especially true on this the 10-year observance. Also, I considered the death and destruction this community has felt already since the bombing. Therefore, for these reasons, The SUN will not add to the media blitz with stories of what happened but only will pay tribute to those who died. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, September 05, 1999 8:52 PM Subject: Re: [CTRL] "Going Postal" and Beyond: Part I -Caveat Lector- I can certainly say something about the Postal Service and why there is so much violence within it. There is this because of many factors. The fact that we have a high stress job that is made worse by Unions who ineffectively protect workers rights by making deals with management that the membership neither knows about nor approves. Management's continuing lack of concern for the individual and a totalitarian style which punishes all things with discipline (the use of leave is restricted so much that you must have doctor's excuse for every absence, and you must be incapacitated for work if you use sick leave or it is a disciplinary action against you). Other leave is stingily granted and rigidly controlled. There is the constant threat of deadline and the ominous "privatization" thing always brought out of the woodwork to heighten the stress. The fact that there are so many veterans and mentally disturbed people (along with many just plain weirdoes, who are really scary) makes me think these people are hired BECAUSE they are that way and it is part of some plan to keep the workforce forever unstable and subject to random acts of violence and repression. Hey its just a thought but I have some knowledge on the matter. It could be incorporating a social or cultural experiment since the PS is everywhere and is so big, and is so diverse, that it is the population in microcosm. A perfect environment to do sociological experimentation, including. . .who knows what? DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Ho
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal . . .
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 9/6/99 5:01:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Stressed? We all get stressed . . . it still gives no one the right to take another's life, muchless twelve people plus one's own life in the process. There was no governmental abuse in this particular incident. It is clearly a case of someone who went out of control because he could not deal with his own self deficiencies, and failure when he was fired from his job. Clearly a mental disorientation... nothing more, nothing less. I will remain in agreement with my local news paper who posted the following article ten years later, regarding the incident to remember those who still hurt, and forget the media blitz that does not often relay the truth of the matter. I merely painted a picture that could explain much activity of this kind in the Postal Service. I never intended to EXCUSE the behavior, everyone must be responsible for their actions and NO ONE has the right to take anyone else's life, except in self defense. You automatically assume this is the case, and I will tell you that that is a wrong approach. Furthermore are you personally aware of the activities of this individual before, during, and after the killings? Or are you relying on media reports? What could have caused this individual to be so disturbed? Could he have been provoked? I don't know the answer to these questions but I am certainly willing to see that there is more than one simple explanation for why it happened, and for the phenomenon as a whole. I DO NOT CLAIM any special knowledge and DO NOT claim to know who, what, why, or where. I merely question and present what I do know, and extrapolate, that does not mean my speculations are true. This individual could have been a real loony and he just went off the deep end. I would prefer to look at the whole picture and note that he worked in a stressful environment, he was already unstable, he may have easily snapped if just given a little push, did someone give him a push, knowing or suspecting the outcome? Even if true it is not an excuse for this heinous (or any other) crime (unless he really was being controlled by outside parties [y] and had NO control over his actions, which I believe is possible but ultimately unproveable for the time being and thus irrelevant). DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal and Beyond: Part I
-Caveat Lector- I can certainly say something about the Postal Service and why there is so much violence within it. There is this because of many factors. The fact that we have a high stress job that is made worse by Unions who ineffectively protect workers rights by making deals with management that the membership neither knows about nor approves. Management's continuing lack of concern for the individual and a totalitarian style which punishes all things with discipline (the use of leave is restricted so much that you must have doctor's excuse for every absence, and you must be incapacitated for work if you use sick leave or it is a disciplinary action against you). Other leave is stingily granted and rigidly controlled. There is the constant threat of deadline and the ominous "privatization" thing always brought out of the woodwork to heighten the stress. The fact that there are so many veterans and mentally disturbed people (along with many just plain weirdoes, who are really scary) makes me think these people are hired BECAUSE they are that way and it is part of some plan to keep the workforce forever unstable and subject to random acts of violence and repression. Hey its just a thought but I have some knowledge on the matter. It could be incorporating a social or cultural experiment since the PS is everywhere and is so big, and is so diverse, that it is the population in microcosm. A perfect environment to do sociological experimentation, including. . .who knows what? DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Going Postal and Beyond: Part I
-Caveat Lector- In my ll-year experience with a large federal gov. agency, I agree it is not just USPS that is affected. The problem is a maniacal octopuslike Bureaucracy, made worse by a "reinvention" that has brought ills as diverse as reductions in force to early-out retirement payoffs and has done little about the primary problem, funding. There is not enough tax dollars to pay for the equipment upgrades that will work efficiencies. Nor enough tax dollars to pay for a sufficient number of workers to maintain those efficiencies. Management is not trained in management. Therefore they are bad managers. They are part of the problem but not voluntarily so (at least the ones with brains). Management just passes along ideas the Bureaucratsters believe work. The Bureaucratsters typically get their marching orders from Congress and/or think tanks and consulting groups. Incestuous. The little people suffer. Now, in the millennium, the middling people will suffer, too. Only those who don't buck the Bureaucracy will go forth and prosper. Whining Whistleblower Wannabe, Terry DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Going Postal and Beyond: Part I
-Caveat Lector- "Going Postal" and Beyond: Part I Dynamics Triggering Workplace Violence In the wake of the Atlanta day trading shootings, a mental health professional emailed about dealing with the aftereffects. As I was mulling over the question, I had to place cause before effect. Memories were stirred of stress and critical incident consulting work with the US Postal Service and other federal agencies and corporations. And before jumping to conclusions, some of the specific "Postal" incidents (e.g., the first two on the list) involved postal employees being robbed and attacked by non-postal aggressors: 1) a carrier on a delivery route held up at knife point, 2) a female warehouse worker raped in an employee parking lot, 3) a supervisor receiving telephone death threats (perhaps involving a jealous triangle with the boyfriend of an another employee), and 4) a postal employee, a former Green Beret, making threats in his psychiatrist's office to kill two fellow workers for being "slackers." Another critical incident intervention was with bereaved private sector staff after an employee who, under the influence of alcohol and depressed over the breakup of an unhappy relationship, wound up driving her car into a tree, killing herself instantaneously. And then there was a "blue collar" government division in a white collar world, castoff by their agency as part of a lean-and-mean restructuring. The group was relegated to the basement of a huge federal agency, drifting, marking time, not sure where and when (or if) they would permanently wash up. Not surprisingly, during this period of uncertain survival all were on edge. Racial tensions flared: some white employees pulled up KKK websites; some black employees on cassettes played speeches of Louis Farrakhan. Grievance procedures were escalating. A manager in the Diversity Office finally realized that the government was hemorrhaging money in this administrative Armageddon. Was human blood next? Three Key Hazardous Workplace Issues Some questions must be reckoned with: a) are there incidence-prone work environments?, b) is there a violence-prone personality profile? and c) the steps managers and all employees can take to reduce the numbers of violent incidents. As a means for engaging with the first issue and aspects of the other two, let me grapple with the most frequently asked question when people discover my critical incident specialist background: Why is there so much violence in the postal service?(I was a postal stress and violence prevention consultant from the early to the mid-90s.) Actually, I don't know if statistically there is more violence in the US Postal Service than in other large companies or federal agencies. Most folks don't realize that the Postal Service, apart from the Defense Department as a whole, is the largest employer in the United States (if not the world). As of a couple of years ago, there were about 800,000 postal employees. In light of the numbers, periodic incidents of violence are not that surprising. Also, because almost all US residents use and depend on the USPS, I suspect there's a greater sense of personal identity (if not perceived vulnerability) with postal shootings. Still, with these conditions and caveats in mind, what are critical factors that contribute to a hazardous, occasionally lethal, work environment for postal employees? And while focusing on a predisposition for "going postal," none should be smug. A number of these dynamics exist in a myriad of work settings. Top Ten Postal Pressure Points 1. Fishbowl Pressure. To insure the protection and privacy of the mail, many postal employees are frequently being watched through above the workfloor viewing stations, two-way mirrors, etc. Not surprisingly, this kind of surveillance can induce its own brand of suspiciousness. Initially, in my rounds as a stress consultant, people were reluctant to talk with me. They assumed I was a postal inspector or a narcotics agent. 2. Mail Mania. You have to be in "the belly of the beast," that is, on the workfloor of a huge Postal Processing and Distribution Plant, to appreciate the fact that the mail and handling the mail NEVER STOPS! It's a 24-7 operation and the time- and task-driven nature of the business inevitably creates stress. Not surprisingly, for some folks, such as yours truly, the midnight shift is a never-ending nightmare. Believe me, holding testy 3am management-supervisor meetings, dealing with racial tension or helping to defuse a volatile manager, supervisor or employee took a toll. I developed high blood pressure. Perhaps one night a week from 9pm-6am precluded ever adapting. But I think some people are just biorhythmically out of kilter working when the sun don't shine. And I believe the data overall indicates greater numbers of medical problems and even somewhat shorter life spans from years toiling on the "graveyard shift." Is there a message here? 3.
[CTRL] Going Postal--Again!
-Caveat Lector- from: http://www.zolatimes.com/V3.1/pageone.html A HREF="http://www.zolatimes.com/V3.1/pageone.html"Laissez Faire City Times - Volume 3 Issue 1/A The Laissez Faire City Times January 4, 1999 - Volume 3, Issue 1 Editor Chief: Emile Zola - Going Postal--Again! by Don L. Tiggre On January 10, 1999, the United States Postal Service will do it again: torque up the prices on their most-heavily-relied-upon services. The press release from the post office gives the impression the USPS bends over backwards to show how reasonable and necessary the increases are, but ignores the fact that if there ever had been a reasonable claim offered why governments should run postal services, that claim's last remnant of credibility died with the advent of electronic data transmission. The post office's press release says: "First Class letters weighing one ounce will go up one penny, to 33 cents, while postage for the second ounce will go down a penny to 22 cents, keeping the price of a two-ounce letter at 55 cents. The cost of mailing a three-ounce letter will actually be reduced a penny, to 77 cents from 78." But the First Class one-ounce letter is the USPS cash cow, so the penny reduction in three-ounce letter postage is little more than throwing the dog a bone, after all the meat has been chewed off. The rate for the popular two-pound Priority Mail envelope will increase 20 cents to $3.20 and the half-pound Express Mail overnight delivery rate will go up a dollar, to $11.75. The release adds: "The average increase across all classes of mail is 2.9 percent-the lowest rate increase ever." Perhaps so, but it's still an increase, and the government does not allow competition to determine if the prices are reasonable in the first place, let alone whether or not they need to increase. Consider the tone of the excuse to post office offers for jacking up its prices: "The new rates also include new product features, such as bulk insurance and package discounts. Another feature, delivery confirmation for Priority Mail and Parcel Post shipments, will be available in late spring 1999.. The rate increase is just enough to fund further Postal Service investments in buildings, vehicles, and equipment and to ensure that mail service continues to improve." Clearly sensitive to angry reactions among postal patrons, the post office tells us that the money will be used to pay for expenditures which competitive businesses bear all the time--just to stay in the market place. Faced with stiff competition, many businesses make such improvements in plant, equipment, and increased services, while reducing prices. Besides, if, as they claim, they really need cash to cover operating expenses, why don't they just use the funds currently spent on expensive advertisements like their Olympic sponsorships? They are a monopoly providing a service that is in great demand; they'll get their business without wasting money on advertising. The inescapable truth for post office officials in this country, as well as others, is that as long as they enjoy a government-enforced monopoly, there is no way to evaluate their services. There is no way to know if the prices are fair, since there is no freedom for the prices to fluctuate in a competitive market place. There is no way to know--but every reason to doubt--whether price increases are actually necessary to cover the costs of doing business, because coercively enforced monopolies are essentially not businesses. So, as we start a new year and approach a new millennium, wading deeper into the Information Age, it is time to ask again why postal monopolies still exist. Morally, of course, nothing has changed since Lysander Spooner's day. The existence of any state-run enterprise, let alone a state-run monopoly, does violence to honest business people and abuses the supposedly sanctioned powers of just government. That aside, the practical objections to postal monopolies are as valid as ever. Here in the U.S., the postal service claims to be more business-like. They describe themselves as a "quasi-governmental" agency and say they are nothing like the old post office which received direct government subsidies, pre-1970. They say that since they have to make all their money serving the people who step up to the counter or leave mail in a mail box, they are much more customer-oriented. It says so, right there in their manuals. However, as anyone who lives in the U.S. can testify, going to the post office is anything but like going to a real business. The appearance of mission statements, five-minute guarantees and rhetoric about heeding three "voices" (the customer's, the employee's, and that of the business) has not really made the USPS customer- oriented. For example, a recently mailed book package was returned tattered and torn. The book was intact, so the customer didn't complain. Then a second book was returned, and the package looked like it had been through a war
