Ladies and Gentlemen:

As you have undoubtedly gathered by now, Mr. Wonderful's #1 Groupie can sometimes be irresponsible. Should she continue in that manner, Groupie #1 might very well become Groupie #2 (at best). To make a long story short, Groupie #1 left for the French Riviera immediately after last week's selection committee deliberations, with the promise that she would return well in advance of this week's deliberations. But just yesterday we received a FexEx overnight letter from her. I will make no final judgment about Groupie #1 until she returns, but I did feel it appropriate to scan her letter directly to this message board so that you can see what the selection committee is up against. Her letter:

                                        HOTEL LE BEAUVAILON

Mon Cher M. Merveilleux,

Well, I'm here. But not where you think I am. I am somewhere between Cannes and the Italian border. Please do not think ill of me, Wondie, but among those on my flight to the Aeroport Nice Cote D'Azur was a very pleasant man: the lead vocalist with the house orchestra that plays at the Hotel Le Beauvailon where I was supposed to be staying. I say "supposed" to be staying because, Jean Paul, offered to show me around the countryside. The Hotel Le Beauvailion is as beautiful belle epoque palace as I have ever seen, but I just couldn't refuse Jean Paul's offer. Jean Paul cancelled my reservations here. The hotel management was very unhappy about such a late cancellation, but I did manage to grab a handfull of their hotel stationary as we were rudely escorted out of the lobby and through the door to the taxi stand. But we have had a whirlwind week. Three days ago we drove to the Principaut de Monaco. Jean Paul knows all of the fine restaurants here. Last night we dined at Maxim's de Monte Carlo. Good, but not quite as good as the Grantinee de Coquilles St. Jacques where we went three nights ago. Jean Paul knows all of the waiters and he can order in French. I wonder of Miss Information's two friends, Mal 'n Vict can order off of a menu written in French. Wondie, I know you will not be happy when I tell you this, but I have been remiss this week in keeping up with all of the good postings on the message board. It is possible that Jean Paul knows my weakness for fine French wine, or perhaps it is that I have been gambling too much in Monaco. Jean Paul says he might be able to get me a small part in a movie he says is a certainty to make the Cannes Film Festival in the future. What a nice man, this Jean Paul.  But I digress. Jean Paul is waiting for me right now, so let me make two brief comments about this week's postings. I liked a posting by Jean Moulin, but the contents of that posing escapes me. It must have been a good one, however, if our Jean Moulin's thinking about freedom parallels that of the famous French Resistance fighter who went by the same name over here during the World War II era. I also liked Jameela Lares' translation of NO QUARTER! into Latin: Absit missione! But I will leave this week's  final decision to the other committee members.

See you at the airport next week, big daddy. Please don't be mad at me.

Sincerely,

Ventilateur #1

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Now, faithful posters and other viewers, the committee is ready to announce this week's le Citation de la Semaine award. For the first time in the history of the award, the committee voted to honor one poster with all three of the top awards. Yes, one poster wins the WIN, PLACE, and SHOW positions. That poster is Stephen Judd whose posting, in the judgment of the committee, is among the most powerful ones ever to be seen on the message board. Stephen Judd wrote:

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"It really doesn't matter what work situation you are in -- farm, factory, office, university. They are all "real" -- just different. They are all populated by good people and bad people. The difference is that the bad, lazy worker not only not only is usually discovered and punished, but he/she usually doesn't have a lot of control over the actions of others.

On the other hand, bad bosses (bosses who are lazy, cruel, stupid, or greedy among other things) can cause a lot of harm to a lot of people. They have the power. They have the authority. And they usually have lots of great adjectives from the people who only know them as community leaders or friends: things like "upstanding," "god-fearing," and such. That is why it is so difficult for workers to win . . . .

I am amazed that in America we can see the tyrant in King George III but somehow are blind to the tyrants who affect our everyday lives. I didn't sign on to teach young people to sacrifice their American right to think for themselves . . . and to stand up for things they believe to be right.

And let me demolish another myth: I'll bet most of the faculty at USM:

* were not born with silver spoons in our mouths

* are the first or second generation of family to go to college

* have worked low paying jobs over extended periods of time

* know what it is to sweat

* remember where we came from

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Contratulations, Stephen Judd. Well said. Mr. Wonderful hopes to have the pleasure of meeting you one of these days.