A bit of a Friday rant...

I know, I know, it's a dirty job but SOMEONE'S got to do it, right? Right. Well, is it too much to ask for telemarketers and debt collectors that don't drool on themselves or wear helmets for their own protection? Honestly, how many times have you gotten a voice mail from one of these people who, after your pre-recorded message has been played for their benefit, start in with "Hello? Hello?" !?!?!? What part of the automated "beep" sound lead you to believe that saying "hello" would get you anywhere but the looney bin? Let's face it, even if I were to give the caller the benefit of the doubt in assuming he or she had reached an answering machine instead of a voice mail in which case begging for attention after the beep just might result in a human answering the call, NOBODY uses answering machines anymore!

Or, how about the companies that outsource their telemarketing to India or elsewhere? That's another issue altogether- cheap labor- helping underdeveloped nations- I get it, really I do, BUT, would you mind teaching them English first? Am I asking for the moon here? Its annoying enough to get out of work for the day, turn on your phone, and have your ONLY voicemail of the day (yeah, Im a loser, what?) be a call from someone whose message you cannot even comprehend. I feel for them, I really do. They're just trying to put pants on their 36 brothers and sisters. How about if Sprint hires the unemployed people in the USA first, huh? Then maybe I would understand your message before I deleted it!

My personal favorites are the people who are driven into a life of hiding behind a telephone in a cubicle somewhere in North Carolina because they are too shy and unassured to face people in person. The poor dears whisper inaudibly into the receiver, so that when I play the message back, I can hear ringing phones and their co-workers' ordering meatball sandwiches for lunch in the background! For them, I say a silent prayer that God will clear up their acne, and coax them into a job where they at least see the light of day and shake a hand or two. Then, I DELETE the message. Mission NOT accomplished. Try again.