“Thank you for calling Chicken Delight”

About four decades ago, after my first job, washing cans and bottles in apaint and petrochemical factory - yes they recycled in 1965 - I got hired as general help at a Chicken Delight franchise that was owned by Manny Hamburger whose lifetime dream was to open a burger joint called "Hamburgers by Hamburger". The "general help" gig had the following duties: answering the phone with the "thank you for calling" greeting, burning the hairs off chicken wings with a blowtorch and deliveries.

One snowy night, we got an order to take out to the farthest limits of our delivery area, Bloomington, I think, the boondock suburbs of Twin Cities, where the stadium was later built. Driving in snow is no picnic, but what comes to my mind about this one delivery was the fact that when I reached the door and was about to ring the bell, I heard a voice that could have been from The Exorcist, growling about something indistinct but that could have been "you don't give a damn about what I say" but with more profanity and a mean, mean tone. I pushed the button and an absolutely ravishing young woman came to the door with a beautiful smile. She greeted me warmly, gave me $20 for an $11 order and bid me goodbye in a way that broke my heart, so much I had fallen in "luv" (lust+love) in the 45 seconds or so that had transpired. As soon as she closed the door, as I turned away, theat graveyard voice said "You gave him too much, you ....."

Who were these people and where are they today? Was it just a lousy night with extenuating circumstances, a lot job, a death in the family or was this the husband, brother, father or even mother or sister from Hell?

When I got back to CD, I started making the cole slaw in a big rectangular tub like a sink. My rubber gloved hands were deep into the cabbagy mixture when the phone rang. Once, (start removing a rubber glove), twice, (the other glove off) third time "Thank you for calling Chicken Delight!". I took the order or whatever and not a minute later, the manager Gary, rushed over to me. Gary had told me earlier, "I'm telling you, the clothes make the man!" Coming from a short, fat and ugly guy with no charm, he may have been right about that. Anyway, he came over to tell me that we were supposed to answer the phone "no later than the second ring". After the soul wrenching love of the previous hour, it all came to me in a flash.

You can't let anyone verbally disrespect you. Not your chicken shit boss, not your family, no one. I threw my apron and gloves into the tub of half made cole slaw and told Gary he could both answer the phone and make the slaw, I was outta there. I think my next job may have been on stage at the Vincent Van Go-Go. (seriously)

Disappointed. Saddened.
I just received an email from the stepfather of a dear friend. I've been
in contact with this guy casually, never met him, but we've exchanged a
few mails from time to time, including a few stupid jokes as newbies are
wont to send out. (Why? Because it's there?) Today I got a nasty Obama
family smear attempt forwarded to a long visible CC list of people. This
is so wrong on so many levels I have to talk about it.
 
First, what to do?

Tell him? Tell my friend? No, I'll tell you and it
may save someone else from having this saddening experience. I can't see
confronting him as good nor do I want to put my friend in the middle.
 
On CC'ed forwarded emails with all addresses visible

One word: DON'T. Please do not send my email
to a bunch of people I don't know, especially political or religious
stuff that may be the opposite of my own opinions. THINK about why this
is a bad idea. Would you send me a negative review of a wine you know I
love just to piss me off? No one would do that. Why would someone think
it's reasonable to do it for religious or political reasons? In fact,
why would you send a negative anything to anyone?
 
Be positive! Make the world better, not bitter.
 
On the US president. RESPECT the fact that we had an election with
results that are certainly more clear than the last two. RESPECT the
fact that whatever you may think about the current administration, I may
have voted for them as is my right. Rights are not for the eye of the
beholder you know, we all have them, at the time of this writing.
 
Wine people would never think of applying these tactics to their
friends, or for that matter even their enemies. If you want to drink
White Zin, I wouldn't waste my time sending you silly things about it.
It's your decision.
 
Disgruntled voters, please get over yourselves.

There are elections  every four years. Get ready for the next one, do what you can to win,
that's what the system is there for. Please don't insult my intelligence
by sending blatant mud-slinging messages to me about the current
administration. I would never, ever, under any circumstances send you
such messages or poke you in any way about this. I am always ready to
talk, in person, about any of these things. Emails are like bombs you
throw over a wall, they don't encourage discussions. Uncool, uncouth, rude.

Proselytism  (wikipedia definition)

One word, STOP. When people come up to me on the street
about their religious beliefs, my first response is a smile, a gentle
shaking of the head (no) and a "no thanks". LEAVE IT THAT. Why are you
poking at this, saying "but it will only take a minute, I just have a
question"? This is dishonest, like an MLM party where you're invited to
share some thought about "good eating" and get there to find it's a sell
me to sell you party.
 
I had a violent reaction to someone a few years ago regarding social
networking , which I saw at the time as a bunch of people giving
conferences about social media and selling each other lessons on how to
sell people social media. I was wrong then, but look what's happened.
 
"Social media" has become inundated with MLM like schemes, people
Tweeting about getting 22,000 followers in just two days for $199.
 
Wow I feel better and covered several life experiences at the same time.
I'll just forward subsequent emails from this person to
http://spamcop.net and be done with it.