"Out of it" I may be, in principle.
Such is modern technology, however, that three people have been able to issue protests to me from distant parts of the world. These are among what still remain only too frequent updates, to a "union man", about demoralising, nasty behaviour by people despatched by the powers that be at "the factory" in Paris or in other "hubs" to serve the noble cause of AFP in taking command of its various outposts.
Now - and you will have to pardon my English - I have been surprised to learn how one or two people I took for relatively decent human beings during our acquaintance on their various news desks turn, once they think themselves far from watchful eyes, into petty empire-builders, office tyrants and total pricks. I should add that recent years have seen commendable efforts by many in top management to clean up this kind of act.
 The days when unpleasant, occasionally incompetent, bureau chiefs even received "protection", via a foul equivalent of the "old boy network", against complaints from their prey appear to be almost completely behind us and buried.
Nevertheless, eventual retribution can't immediately prevent them from making life hell for the - let's hope - diminishing number of journalists, generally young and highly vulnerable "local hires", who still get bad treatment.
Hence both a warning and I hope a boost for a couple of my anonymous informants. What's in a name? No bed of roses for the victims if disclosed, but engraved in my brain, and those of like-minded colleagues, when it comes to the perpetrators of such misconduct.
 Most of the remaining bullies are men. What they do is tantamount to this (again courtesy of Francis's reach beyond that of kids, thank heavens), though those subjected to it are not always women, while those who wield the heavy hand are so obviously into no more than self-gratification. I doubt they really feel much better about it once they've let their wrath fly, but it doesn't stop them coming again.
 Sometimes the predators are not quite right in the head, though I'd never dream of imagining that anybody in management would deliberately let them go for a few years to some faraway place for the simple reason that nobody can put up with them any longer where they were. But then, remember that the personality changes are occasionally unpredictable. (Credit: 'Alex' for 'Pistou'.)
 Dealing with these loathsome inviduals is rarely as easy as any old Bob's your uncle. I remember cases where those who contended with them were women, who put up with such perverted behaviour that they became scared to speak out for fear of shaking the nest, perhaps even losing their job on trumped-up charges. But a few fellers had their lives buggered up too. Worse, even when they did have the guts to challenge the ruler of the roost, it backfired on them for a while before "something was done". In the end, though, such affairs have almost always worked out for the best, with support from unexpected quarters as well as the union people. One way or another, the retribution comes, though it's not as "cruel and unusual" as some artists might imagine.
 This might be read as a contribution to the current electoral campaign for the SNJ (French base), since there ain't much else I can actively do at present but blog. Because in the re-run of the vote, it matters less which union you vote for than the act of voting at all, after last time's unprecedented fiasco. Anyway, if some buddies saw the SNJ logo sitting in an entry with such unlikely partners, I might face instant excommunication!
1:46:09 PM link 
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Tonight it's 
Inclination:
Wildcat
postbox