The Mountain Design Group
June 12, 2009
Magan & Husley Attn: Eugene Richards 217 Stone Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Dear Mr. Richards,
Jason O’Connell has been employed with The Mountain Design Group for approximately one year as a freelance account executive. His responsibilities included creating and managing existing accounts, and his standing in the company is very high. Mr. O’Connell is a driven and talented young man and I give him my highest recommendation. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at 218-634-7895, or at barbarad560@aol.com.
Sincerely Yours,
Barbara Daccord,
Creative Director
from: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
to: Barbara Daccord < >
date: June 15, 2009 at 9:57 AM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Dear Ms Daccord,
I work for the HR department at Magan & Husley where an employee of yours, Jason O’Connell, has recently applied. There seems to be some confusion. I tried to contact you and when I called your phone number it was a gas station, and all the e-mails I send to you come forwarded back to me. I still seek some information about your employee Jason O’Connell. If you could give me a call back at 908-707-0284, or e-mail me at I would highly appreciate it.
Best Regards,
Eugene Richards
from: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
to: Barbara Daccord < >
date: June 17, 2009 at 11:32 AM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Dear Miss Daccord,
I’ve recently looked up your company’s website and it doesn’t seem to exist. I also called the Lambertown Municipal Office to see if a “Mountain Design Group” is registered and they say they haven’t heard of you. If you could clear up these matters I would highly appreciate it. Once again my phone number is 908-707-0284, and my e-mail is .
Best Regards,
Eugene Richards
The River Design Group
June 21, 2009
Magan & Husley Attn: Eugene Richards 217 Stone Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Dear Mr. Richards,
I apologize profusely for the misunderstanding. My secretary must’ve mailed you the wrong stationary. We haven’t been The Mountain Design Group for nearly two years. And our office is in Lambertville, NJ, not Lambertown. I’m so sorry for the confusion. Once again, Jason O’Connell, who by the way, was a Fulbright scholar (check out his bio at JO’Connell/FulbrightScholars.org), receives my highest recommendation for employment in your company and if there’s anything I can do to clear matters in the future feel free to contact me.
Sincerely Yours,
Barbara Daccord
Creative Director
from: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
to: Barbara Daccord < >
date: June 24, 2009 at 2:57 PM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Sorry Barbara, the new contact info doesn’t work either. Eugene
from: Barbara Daccord <>
to: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
date: June 24, 2009 at 3:43 PM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Dear Mr. Richards,
I can’t believe we’re having so much trouble. I assure you I don’t have these issues in my business dealings. I’ve been calling your office as well and the secretary keeps putting me on hold, and then eventually, someone hangs up on me. It’s happened several times and I tell you this is all very disheartening. Perhaps from here on in we will communicate via email? Whichever works the best for you.
Best Regards,
Barbara Daccord
Creative Director, The River Design Group
from: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
to: Barbara Daccord < >
date: June 25, 2009 at 9:17 AM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Miss Daccord,
It is not Magan & Husley’s practice to accept a recommendation, particularly one regarding a Fulbright Scholar, via email. We always speak to the former employer at least once. I understand this seems old-fashioned, but Magan & Husley was founded in 1849 and we prefer to keep to the same rules as our fore fathers.
Honestly Barbara, I have yet to meet a candidate that meets our requirements. Jason’s CV and cover letter were the most impressive, and we’d love to meet with him if we could get past this preliminary step, which is, speaking directly with you. It would be wonderful if you could make that happen.
Best Regards,
Eugene Richards
from: Barbara Daccord <>
to: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
date: June 25, 2009 at 4:32 PM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Dear Mr. Richards,
Unfortunately and fortunately I have recently found out I am pregnant with twins. My husband and I are rejoicing in this, but I won’t be able to come out to New Brunswick anytime soon. In fact, I am limiting my involvement with The River Design Group as well. I will now be a consultant for them working from my home. I take motherhood very seriously, as does Jason, with his work. Once again, I wish you the best luck in finding the right applicant for your company, whether it be Jason, or someone else less qualified.
Best Regards,
Barbara Daccord, Consultant
The River Design Group
from: Jason O’Connell <Jason.O’Connell@gmail.com>
to: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
date: June 26, 2009 at 10:38 AM
subject: Sales Position, Jason O’Connell
Dear Mr. Richards,
Barbara Daccord has notified me of your interest in my services. She would also like to apologize for her inability to see you in person. She is a dedicated businesswoman, but also, she feels she must do what is best for her family. I hope you understand.
Miss Daccord is a complex and mysterious woman, after working for her for a year I have yet to understand what makes her tick. She often left on week-long trips to Sri Lanka and Antarctica. She was a scuba and skydiving instructor, and once hangglided over nearly all of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
I would love to come in for an interview at your earliest convenience. I think Magan & Husley’s dedication to tradition would make for a great fit for my personality.
Best Regards,
Jason O’Connell
JO’Connell/FulbrightScholars.org
from: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
to: Barbara Daccord < >
date: June 26, 2009 at 12:51 PM
subject: Jason O’Connell
Barbara, why is Jason O’Connell emailing me? Why did you give him my contact information? Did I ask you to do that? No. No, I did not. It is not Magan & Husley’s policy, like I’ve said, to speak with applicants until we’ve checked their references. Now in the future, if you’re going to do something in regards to the relationship with Jason and I, don’t. Don’t do anything. You want to know why? Because there is no relationship. This is over. I can find someone else to fill that job, I assure you. And that person won’t be Jason O’Connell. Good luck with the twins. Eugene
from: Jason O’Connell <Jason.o’connell@gmail.com>
to: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
date: June 27, 2009 at 10:17 AM
subject: Barbara D’accord, a missed friend, and former supervisor of Jason O’Connell
Mr. Richards,
This is a sad day. A sad day indeed. I can’t even tell you how incapable I am of pushing the keys on my computer, or even thinking straight. Barbara was more than a mentor, she was a friend. A sweet, good-natured, funny woman who gave everything she could to her employees. You know what she did? Every Saturday she took us all down to a local soup kitchen in Trenton in her Eurostar. That’s the kind of person she was, always involved in helping people. I don’t know why she did it. She should’ve thought more about her family. I told you she was a hang glider, right? Well, she figured it was her last time to fly before she would be too pregnant and busy with the twins, so she hang glided over the four tallest peaks in the Poconos and crashed into electrical wires. They found her hours later lying on the ground with her glider burnt to a crisp. Life is so unfair Mr. Richards. Why do good people suffer?
If you’re still interested in me coming in for an interview, let me know. I’m going to take a couple of days off to recuperate, but if you’d like to meet early next week, I think I could be okay.
Best Regards,
Jason O’Connell
JO’Connell/FulbrightScholars.org
from: Eugene Richards <erichards@magan&husley.com>
to: Jason O’Connell <Jason.o’connell@gmail.com>
date: June 27, 2009 at 11:07 AM
subject:
JASON, YOU’RE A SICK FUCK. Do you know that? Do you know how demented you are? It’s one thing to falsify a resume, which at this point I’m assuming you did. And that Fulbright Scholar bullshit? Are you fucking kidding me? What are you, some computer hack? That’s what you are, aren’t you Jason? Some prepubescent fuck jacking off all day to pornhub and hacking into websites? I looked up Barbara Daccord, and she doesn’t even exist does she? Does anything exist in your life? Is your name even Jason O fucking Connell? Jesus Jason! I’m telling all of my friends in the business world, and trust me, I have plenty Jason, plenty. And I’m telling everyone about you Jason. Everyone will know your name. Don’t expect to work ever again you little shit. You messed with the wrong fucking Slav buddy.
Jason O’Connell 8 12th St. Apt 4 Manville, NJ 08835
June 30, 2009
Magan & Husley Attn: Eugene Richards 217 Stone Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Dear Mr. Richards,
Thank you so much for your consideration regarding my employment. Unfortunately though, I have established work elsewhere. I hope one day for our professional careers to cross, as I’ve enjoyed communicating with you. Magan & Husely is a top notch insurance company and I would’ve been privileged to be hired there if things were different.
Right now though it seems odd to celebrate my employment with everything that happened with Barbara. She was a mentor, but also, a great friend, and a pioneer of the Lambertville community. She will be remembered as an adventurer and a leader, someone who trailblazed graphic design into the twenty-first century. The world will suffer from the loss of her talents. If you are interested there are funeral services this Saturday at Grace Church, 603 S. Main Street, in Lambertville. The dinner afterwards is at Tellwood Manor.
Thank you again for your time and patience. I have learned so much about business, but even more about life.
Best Regards,
Jason O’Connell, Fizer Sales Division
JO’Connell/FulbrightScholars.org