For everyone who has been harassed day and night by those dorks at head office: you are not alone. Being head of Nato's International Security Assistance Force and commander of US armed forces in Afghanistan wasn't enough to save General Stanley McChrystal from micro-management by Blackberry, the curse of the modern workplace.
In that respect, being a decorated four-star general and US Special Forces ninja who can kill with bare hands appears to be little different to being assistant to the regional manager, Newbury Business Park branch.
From the Rolling Stone article that has caused one or two controversies for McChrystal – with the White House pointedly refusing to rule out firing him – there's this insight into the pain the blinking red light of Blackberry can bring to the high and mighty:
At one point on his trip to Paris, McChrystal checks his Blackberry. "Oh, not another email from Holbrooke," he groans. "I don't even want to open it." He clicks on the message and reads the salutation out loud, then stuffs the Blackberry back in his pocket, not bothering to conceal his annoyance.
"Make sure you don't get any of that on your leg," an aide jokes, referring to the email.
(Not quite sure what that means, "Make sure you don't get any of that on your leg" ... shit, maybe? Bile? Who knows.) Anyway, we've all been there, even if it's more often Garry from Accounts in Croydon about the 2009 fourth quarter numbers, rather than Richard Holbrooke calling you three types of asshole. But the effect is much the same.
After today's events, it looks as if the only Blackberrying that Stanley McChrystal will be doing now is composing his final "out of office" auto-reply.
Also, Rolling Stone reports that McChrystal's favourite drink is Bud Light Lime. That's grounds for dismissal right there.
