In fact, next time around I’m not going to vote for ANY incumbent.  They have done such a poor job of running our nation that they don’t deserve to be re-elected, not a single one of them!  It doesn’t matter what “brand” of politician they are, either.  Be they republican, democrat, independant, etc.  They all need to go.

Will you join me in the new job search to elect new people who will run our country?

So my youngest daughter and her boyfriend were in need of a second car because they were no longer able to make their schedules work with only the one car they had. My wife heard of a family at her synagogue who had a decent car that they wanted to get rid of, in fact, they wanted to give it away. So the first thing that goes through one’s mind is that it is a piece of junk, right? Well, this car is a mid to late ’80s Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera and only has about 30,000 original miles on it! It’s the perfect car for someone who needs something reliable to get around town, to work and to school.

After they got the car home, my daughter’s boyfriend was exploring around to see what he could find in the trunk that might be of use. He found an emergency kit and when he opened it up, not only did he find the standard items that could be helpful like bandaids and salve, but he found $100 in cash. He showed my daughter and they both had no other thoughts than to return it to the owner of the car who had given it to them!

That makes me proud. Either of them could have talked the other into keeping it and nobody would be any the wiser. With the cost of gasoline these days and having near minimum wage part time jobs, that would have been a couple of tank fulls of good times, but they did the right thing and returned the money to the person who gave them the car.

The ex-owners of the car were flabbergasted. In fact they were so impressed, they brought down $20 to the synagogue where my wife works and gave her instructions to give it to the kids as a reward for being so honest. But you know what? It’s very nice of them to share some of the money, but it wasn’t necessary or expected on the kids’ parts.

My wife and I are just more than pleased to know that we have managed to successfully bring up our kids. And my daughters, both of them — one having chosen a boyfriend and one having chosen a husband, have chosen mates who mirror their own values. That is the kind of thing that makes parents proud.

Speaker Box: “Can I help you?”

Me: “Yes, I’d like to know if you have a McMuffin with sausage but NO egg?”

Speaker Box: “Would you like anything else?”

Me: “No, I’m not ordering, I’m asking a question. Do you have a McMuffin with sausage but NO egg?”

Speaker Box: “Would you like anything else?”

Me: “I’m not placing an order! I want to know if you have McMuffin sandwiches with sausage but NO egg! This is a question that needs a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer and if you do have them, I’d like to know how much they cost.”

Speaker Box: <Long pause> “Yes. Would you like anything else?”

Let me add that the electronic message board that is used to verify one’s order was not functioning correctly because it did not display what she had apparently put down as “my order.”

At first I thought I was living in “Dude, Where’s My Car?” when they were placing the order for Chinese food at the drive-up where the speaker box says “And then?….” after each thing that is ordered, but then I started to get disgusted. The person taking my order was obviously a non-English speaker and was trained to speak a few phrases, but as far as engagement in an actual conversation — something that actually went beyond the scripted order/response, it was hopeless. So, I left without ordering.

Don’t get me wrong! I don’t have a problem with non-English speakers who are trying to learn the language, but when it comes to placing those people in positions where they actually have to interact with the public is not only stupid, it’s insulting. What could a manager who would place a non-English speaker into a position requiring that they be able to converse with the English speaking public be thinking? Maybe that’s the clue right there; they’re not thinking. It obviously isn’t good for business. And with today’s unemployment rate, I can’t see how someone who speaks English and who is hungry for a job who maybe just recently lost their unemployment benefits wouldn’t be readily available to earn some money.

Get smart, Corporate America. If you want my business at the drive up window, you’ll hire people who can speak English and carry on at least a rudimentary conversation with me! To do otherwise is insulting and will drive me away like it has done with McDonalds in Mill Valley and Terra Linda, CA.