In Sunday December 5th edition of the New York Times - Business Section - there was an interview with a female CEO who said she looks for "wit" in new hires and that "they laugh all the time" in her company. What a boss! When I was in sales for USLines our V.P. in New York - call him Jim R. - had a keen mind and a quick wit - but he had a bad set of choppers - think Bugs Bunnyesque. One day he arrived at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for a luncheon engagement and the lobby was teeming with conventioneers. The ladies were arrayed behind their card tables and curious Jim went over and asked "What's going on?" They replied that it was the National Convention of Orthodontists. He said "Where were you when I needed you?" Customers loved him and the new management did also and sent him to London as V.P. for all Europe. This lofty position came with a few "perks" - a car and a driver. He inherited a vintage British saloon car which he quickly updated to a late model Bentley - and outfitted his driver with a Long Island R.R. conductor cap - kepi style. Soon this extravagance filtered back to the home office and when he came home on leave the Chairman grilled him on the issue, saying "Jim, we know about the Bentley but we can't find it in your expense account - where are you hiding it?" Jim said "Try the medical expenses - I leased it from a doctor." Big Jim left us this year at age 91 soon after breaking 100 on the golf course - I told him if he lived long enough he could shoot his age. A great guy to work for - once he gave up the martinis.!
tjs
(P.S. Read where Dec. 8 was John Lennon's 70th birthday - his widow said the two of them laughed a lot.)
Next - The Heisman Award
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