6/28 - Short Points

In between all the action at Wimbledon:

L1: LW1 wants to know if she should tattle on her boss, a noted bully. What is this, Heathers  in middle school? Come to think of it, the boss certainly bears enough of a resemblance to H Chandler, but LW1 lacks much resemblance to Veronica.

The Prudecutor, naturally enough, assumes that everything will run according to Standard Corporate Operating Procedure. She can come up with nothing better than the standard issue Anonymous Letter, which so rarely served the purpose of the writer when devised by dear old Dame Agatha.

Why it is so important to LW1 that B1 receive some sort of disciplinary action is beyond me. If anything, the issue going unaddressed can be used to better advantage by any employee with half a brain. If B1 knows she could be disciplined and isn't, there's an off chance that she might either be encouraged into misconduct so egregious that removal would be impossible to avoid, or that she might live in such dread of the unexercised discipline that she treads lightly. Discipline B1 and she'll become defensive, which will likely bode nobody any good.

L2: LW2 at least chose wisely to write to the Prudecutor rather than Mr Savage. Had she consulted Mr S, he'd have handled her with something rather less respectful than kid gloves. But Mr S would have had far sharper words for H2 about waiting until after LW2 gave birth to reveal his relatively tame kink. But LW2 writes that she found his little hobby a major turn-off, and adds shortly afterwards that she is not at all sexually attracted to him, despite his virtues. Given the course of their 30-year marriage, a) how on earth did these developments play out in the first place between LW2 and H2 when (or if) she ever brought up the lack of attraction? and b) how often would she want sex with a husband to whom she was still attracted? Some may be concerned with the exact circumstances of his indulgences, but I shall let the point pass.

The Prudecutor, who cannot see beyond the pun provided by the situation, misses these points as well as LW2's suddenly balking now over visible toenails. If it's really appearances only that matter to LW2, she's certainly in a position to lay down the law. However, I suspect she'd be much happier divorcing H2 and outing him as far and wide as a cross-dresser as she can.

L3: LW3 reveals that she has been spending a lot of time with BFFFFF3 to help BFFFFF3 recover from the caddish treatment of XBF/BFFFFF3. Now this, if anything does from this week's fairly paltry selction, has a Lifetime Original Movie written all over it. As most of the Lifetime Original Movies have about as much variation in them as Ariadne Oliver claims for the plots of her novels, it makes no difference which one.

What the Prudecutor misses in her eagerness to label BFFFFF3 a leech is that LW3 has, at least in the probable interpretation of the poor wounded soul, led BFFFFF3 on, perhaps in a big way. They have spent a lot of time together. Presumably this is unusual. Very likely it's one of the reasons LW3 is so eager to go on holiday with H3, but obviously, being a kind and tactful woman, she has never breathed a word to BFFFFF3 that their excessive number of spa dates have begun to cause stress in LW3's marriage. Being extremely distressed, BFFFFF3 has doubtless required indulgence in a good deal of venting. She likely has also required considerable encouragement, which is likely to have taken the form of agreement with vents on the subject of the worthlessness of XBF3 in particular radiating out to cover all men in general - and, by extension, H3, of course.

LW3 is lucky this one hasn't turned into the BFFFF version of Strangers on a Train. But in any case, her duty is clear. She cannot possibly violate the Chick Code so egregiously. Just as it is entirely permissible or indeed commendable to dump plans made months previously with female friends when a woman is single should a sudden opportunity permit to receive the attentions of an eligible man (as borne out by at least episode of The Facts of Life), it is equally a married woman's duty to ditch her husband and take her jilted BFFFFF on holiday with her instead. There is no way around it.

L4: LW4 omits the most important part of the letter - Arsenal or Chelsea?

It all comes down to which is easier to replace - a good potential date or a good dentist. On recent form, I'd recommend keeping the dentist, but chacun a son gout.

Moral: "And help Ryan to walk in the way of the Lord - support City, not United."