From:IBRadeck<IBRadeck@aol.com>Date:Sat,28Mar19981
'tteacholddogs...'stuff!Andactually,it'skindanicet
mmythemercantiler,thatlowdownwheeler-dealer,he'sco
ttomention,judges,courtreporters,triallawyers,bail
e'sdonenowrong.-------------------------------*Ded
keepusentertained.Yet,deepwithinourhearts,weallawa
terofhissoldiers......tippedblackbootinmybelly,the
dbetterreconsider;sincemanyclientswerejobless,anyp
Justplainjimmy*I.B.RadIhumofourhero,unsung,unrecor
anewbeginning.INTHEASYLUMI.B.RadLikepetulantblackb
ntributingtoourGNPsohe'sdonenowrong.Finallyapprehe
stregards,I.B.RadTheChainI.B.RadOddly,Inevernotice
ubmissionHelloTedWarnell,Thesubjectmattercoveredin
quitousgloomgraduallymergingwithanengulfingblackne
.Andclearly,thechainmoved,forifyoufocusedonalinksi
emadeupparables,fablestosateourcuriosity,toallevia
sanadventurecapitalist,acommoditiestrader,who-onth
nded,ourjimmy'sapatronofpenal-industrialartswherep
newIwasprettygoodandthoughI'vefrequentlytossedsome
er?!"Then,IreadBrathwaite's"Discoverer,"relatingCo
shighlycircumscribed,thoughseeminglysecure,familia
h,youbegantoseeitcreepingoutward,towardtheblacknes
s.Butwherewasthischaindrawingus?Throughaneverdeepe
t,andseveralmorticians-nottomention,selfrighteousp
.....beachesstretchedbeforehimcoldandclear......Bu
tawaykeptrepairandinsurancesectorsbusymostofMay.ji
tuatedbyoneofthoseluminouswhorlsandstaredlongenoug
teourfears.Andasfewvoluntarilyrelinquishedourship'
r,wecraftedamusementstopassthetime,todistractus,to
ugs.Asforreadersbemoaninghisneighborhood'sruinyou'
edly,ourentrepreneur'sdonemoreforthenationaleconom
ewilywheeler-dealer,jimmy'scontributingtoourGNPsoh
n-Thefirst3linesweremodifiedfromtheinitialline'sof
astrikingimagetoheightenapoem'sunity,I'veoftenthou
byaprescientnative:"Columbusfromhisafter-deckwatch
rdsourshore."andwell,likethepopularsayinggoes,you'
oskimapoemandwondercouldIhavewrittenthat?!For,yous
onemanband,aheroofhistime.**Nowaninmateappealer,th
ulanceparamedics,hospitalstaff,halfhislocalprecinc
ititssummons,thatirresistiblepullimpellingustotake
eurmastermindedahit,contributingtwoshootingdeathsw
tdidhisvisionfashion,ashewatchedtheshore,theslaugh
e.Crabssnappedtheirclawsandscatteredashewalkedtowa
ibliographer,andhistoryprofessor.GeeserisingI.B.Ra
ded,knownbyhisnickname,"justplainjimmy"Now,jimmywa
SB's"CrispusAttucksMcKoy."**AsthewittyRomansputit,
ftenI'dthoughtofslippingaway,ofstealinganExitPodto
renevertoogoodoroldtolearnanewtrick-forgetthat'can
TheReadingRoomseemstobechanging.Ilikeit!Hereisasub
isabilitystaff.jimmythemercantiler,thatlowdownwhee
icatedtothegreatAmericanversesatirist,SterlingBrow
missionyoumightconsiderfor1998.Noneofitemsincluded
havepreviouslybeenpublishedonWEB-exceptformyownsit
ler-dealer,he'scontributingtoourGNPsohe'sdonenowro
oliticians-whileoncomingcarstotaledduringjimmy'sge
ythanAlanGreenspanandallhiscockyclan!Then,insteado
funfeelingderision,jimmyshouldreceiveastandingovat
Pecunianonolet[Moneyhasnoodor.]PrettyGood*I.B.RadK
edstars,absorbedinwater;meltinliquidamberdrifting.
ardBrathwaite,damnfineJamaicanpoet,critic,editor,b
oughknowingthemlunaticnooneislistening-notapprehen
elevel-couldsellhornstothedevil,thoughjimmydealtdr
ght:"Whenitcomestodoingmything,who'swrittingitbett
dTwogeeserisingfromanemptylake;suchatinyripple,yet
imagining?Toourimpendingdoom?Clearly,nooneknew;sow
estore"bolsteredareabusinesses,providingworkforamb
ion,befetedwithverseandwine,causejimmy'saneconomic
pleasingphrasetoprovidethatextrabitofpuchorshelved
whipsuncurleddesire?......Thenhewassplashingsilenc
ss,thatcongealingshadowthatkeptusinits'thrall.Howo
eturned.OthersI'dspokenwithhadalsowitnessedthisapp
ningvacuity,adnauseam?Tosomecovetedemanationbeyond
hileinjuringscores.Soaccordingly,jimmy's"mindingth
iffsandscoresoflessercallings.So,yousee,singlehand
ee,withme,thefunisn'tinhavingpreparedafirstratepoe
irdscawingillomens,raucouspoetsdeclaim,"Repent!"th
e."TheChain"isabitofadepartureforme.Illustrationsf
orTheChainand"Justplainjimmy"canbefoundonmysite.Be
extendingfromourstarcraft.Itstretchedthroughtheubi
followthechain;yet,ofcountlessearlierflights,noner
ysurpassedbyresultingemploymentofsocialworkersandd
ng.Then,whencompetitorsmuscledin,ourslickentrepren
moreveninbeing"better"-thejoyisinthechallenge!*Edw
dthatthickchain,muchlikethoseanchoringoceanliners,
roductivitylosscausedbytakingmethandcrackwasgreatl
lumbusexploringanunchartedCaribbeanisland,narrated
9:13:37ESTTo:ted.warnell@bbs.logicnet.comSubject:S
anExitPod,tofollowthosewholeftbefore...Towhere?...
arition;thoughouryoungeststaffseemnottohavenoticed
resentlyhe'ssupplyingworkfornumerousprisonstaff-no
dingwe'remerelyhalfcrazy.              I.B.Rad/PbN

IN THE ASYLUM  

Like petulant blackbirds  
cawing ill omens,  
raucous poets declaim,  
"Repent!"  
though knowing them lunatic  
no one is listening --  
not apprehending  
we're merely half  crazy.  
          
I.B. Rad