Tag: money

Odd Answers to Government Surveys

~ NormalNobody ~ 2 Comments

I kind of like the company I work for.  It’s perfect for a person doing what I need to do.  Boring, tedious, but they make it fun.  I do government surveys: health, political, or sometimes for a college or other non-profit.

So, while these survey’s are on telephones (and most people hang up on me), I’m not telemarketing.  I’m doing work for legit. causes.   Things that will possibly make this place better.  SO FILL IT OUT PEOPLE, THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! (You’d be surprised at how many people curse me out).

I love doing political surveys (we don’t call within our state, because we may bias the survey, so we have no stake in the issue).  They give me a good, overall, mindset of people.  Plus, of all the survey’s we do, those are the ones that allow us to have a say in their government.

And I get hung up more on by those, then anybody.  And then I hear complaints, “Well, if anyone ever asked me, I would tell them to do this….”  Well, we are calling, and you are hanging up on us.

Anyway, the high folks give the funniest answers.  Usually, they give the answer to the question you asked 4 questions ago, not to the question you are on now.  The drunks just talk.  Talk and talk.  And you have to guide them back to the survey, as much as you want to hear all about how much the question reminds them of some story as to why they think that way.

But hey, they are answering the questions, (and thus, influencing politics) and I am really patient.

Then…. the weirdos….

I divide this into three kinds.

1- The perverted:

Somehow they confuse a government survey with a sex line or dating service.

2- The “Oh my god I can’t believe s/he just said that” guy/girl:

These people have answers that are so out there, (for those of you that get this reference: Think “Deliverance”), they are either messing with you, or you really wonder if Deliverance still exists.

3- HUH?

More on these in a minute.

So, the perverted.  That needs no examples.  You can imagine them on your own.

So, the guy I chose to represent the (2) “Did s/he just say that????” category comes to us from a state I won’t reveal, on a subject and reason I will not share with you.

On a topic about education, I person told told me s/he thought one of the problems wrong with schools was, “the fact we don’t beat the kids enough.” Because, sure, nothing fixes a problem by just beating everybody into making it better.  😕

Amazingly, I’m able to keep a calm tone.  I record their answers as they say them.  Because, s/he’s the only one that hasn’t hung up on me in two hours, and s/he’s taking the survey.  It’s his/her right, and your’s.  And… yet YOU have probably just yelled at me and hung up.

Anyway, I record their answers, as they give them, whether I think they are wrong or just stupid, I put it down w/o influence.  Because I think it is their opinion, and they have a right to express it without judgement when asked.  Technically, just because I may not agree, doesn’t make it less valid.  Facts and opinions are two different ballgames.

Then there is (3).  The “Mother Ship has landed people”.  The one’s I promised you.

I’m going to give you two examples in this.  Because this one person gets the cake for a refusal to take the survey.    I think s/he was messing with me, or possibly “on” something, (sigh) at least I’d hope it’s one of those two.

When asked if s/he would like to participate, the answer was, “No, I’m not home right now.  I’m a figment of your imagination.” and hung up.

Now, I’m really patient.  Those are normal.  People find interesting ways not to participate.  And even the perverts and the foot-in-mouth diseased Americans, with patience, and anonymity, you learn to bounce it off you and get through the survey.  Even if it takes a little longer.  Because… they…. are….. taking…. it…..

Did I mention that these survey’s are important, and yet you are hanging up on us?? And THESE people are answering!!!

So, okay.  This example is from a health survey.  I think I can say that without trouble.  And just to stop having to type “his/her” and “s/he”, we are going to assume this is a male.  That does not mean he was, and it doesn’t mean he wasn’t.

That was the first time my indifference waivered.  This guy was one of those people you knew were completely serious, and the more you spoke to him, the more you realized that even Mother Ship rejected him.  The more I tried to keep him on the survey, the more “creative liberty” he took in his interpretation and ideas.  He never crossed the line, and it wasn’t my patience faltering.   I just couldn’t do anything with him.  I tried.  But, I had to let him go.  When asked an insurance question he told me (paraphrasing) his insurance is of the godly kind, where none is needed.  “Because God is my insurance,”  Yeah, okay, time for you go to go now.  I politely stepped out, as his answers were so obscure at this point I couldn’t.  But, later on, when I got home, I thought… well…. he has a point.

NO NO NO… STAY with me here.

There is a Buddist saying that says “There is a fine line between pure enlightenment and mental retardation.”  (C/P one of the 200 names from Google search here)  So, the statement, “God is my insurance.”  Genius or insane? I think it is a valid point, comes from a very obscure reasoning, but, the point is valid.

Okay, throw god out of your head for this.  WHATEVER “this” is, (God, Jesus, nature, energy, Allah, Buddha, health, unity, science, laws, circle of life, whatever you Scientology people do (some alien guy, right?) and whatever other form/name/power/label you want to put here that I didn’t mention) it is a form of insurance.

Okay, too genius to answer on a basic level, and too….. whatever he was dealing with that made him, “off”…… to realize at some point “god” and “money” don’t collide when it comes to the science you have available to save your life.

But maybe ignorance IS bliss.  Maybe not knowing any better, and the knowledge of nothing but peace from the idea of, essentially, something makes us alive, and something makes us dead.  Money can reverse the suffering, for a time.

Of course, it will lead to unnecessary problems of diseases, and needless, needless suffering that doesn’t NEED to happen.  (We used to rely on only God.  That was when the Black Plague was around).  And, money force doctors to put the bottom line over human life.  Because the oath is noble.  The mortgage, kids, student loans, and kid’s college fund doesn’t give a s*** about your oath, and, in this economy, you HAVE a job.

I wanted to reply to him, “But God gave you the way to pay, to offer people the gifts of healing.”

But I had to be indifferent on the survey.  I had to let him go.  He was suffering needlessly, and maybe one day will read this before it’s too late.

Odd answers to a survey.  And these are the people who take it.  There are more wierdo’s then actual answers.  SO STOP CURSING ME OUT AND TAKE THE STUPID SURVEY!!

It’s Impossible NOT to Pay For Candy Crush

~ NormalNobody ~ 1 Comment

At first, I never wanted to try the game.  I’m a little late coming in, I know.  But I would watch the annoying screen shots, see the commercials, and get initiated by Facebook ads every time my friends joined, leveled up, or wanted to bug me to give them some bonus for a game I didn’t have.  I got about 20 alerts from friends A DAY just to play this game.  And just watching the ads gave me a sugar high.  I refused.

Then, one day, I was bored.  I wanted to see what this was all about.  Now I’m a Candy Crush addict.  What I didn’t know at the time of joining that this “free” game is impossible to stay “free.”  I thought I could do it.  I mean, on principal, I feel if you pay for a game just once, that’s fine.  You own it, it’s yours, entirely.  But this idea just to pay for bonuses, bombs, cheats, etc… to me it’s just stupid.  I mean, sure, sometimes you have to give money to make money.  But I’m not making money, I’m matching candy.  I figured I was on to them.  I was going to play this game without ever having to spend a dime.  It was my mission.  I wasn’t going to pay a single cent.  Because I figured once I started paying, I would never stop.

I played for hours, weeks, maybe a month.  Patiently going through lives and doing every free way to earn bonuses, lives, candy, bombs, and whatever other fun shaped sugar high colors they gave me.  I never bothered a friend for anything, never paid a cent.  I made it through whole worlds.  I thought I was smarter than they were.  I found the glitch.  Patience, not payment.

Yeah, well, they designed for people like me too.  I got to some point in the game where you had to “buy” a ticket on a helicopter to take you to the next world to continue.   This was the second time I reached such a place, but the first time all I had to patiently do was wait the next day to board… I think it was a bus.  So, I turned off my game <gasp> and waited patiently for the game to reload my lives and cross over in 24 hours.

Only it didn’t.  In insisted I either pay for my ticket, or bother friends for one.  I refused to pay.  I thought about asking friends, but Candy Crush kindly reminded me that I only use Facebook for product coupons and discounts by liking pages.  And since I didn’t want to invite friends to a page solely dedicated to corporations that talked to one another offering more free discounts if they signed up as friends, according to Facebook and Candy Crush, I am friendless :/

I admit, it’s a little embarrassing that the people who make Candy Crush think I’m a cheap friendless loser.  However, they are kindly willing to exploit that friendlessness by now offering me no choice but to find SOME friend, or pay to continue to play.

Of course, I have friends who have Facebook.  It’s just not an app I find particularly useful in my life right now.  Okay, I think Facebook is down right stupid, old, and a bunch of trolls, catfish, and invites from people I don’t know and old friends that upon reconnecting… I find out all the reasons I STOPPED talking to them IN THE FIRST PLACE.  Not to mention the merit of Facebook is based on exactly how many friends you have, and since I’m not inclined to be friends with strangers who could be a myriad of any person in history besides the person they really are, I tend to only be friends with REAL people.  Meaning, people I’ve met and spoken to at points in my life.  That doesn’t give me a huge total.  Then, some one who saw that small total said, “Well, it makes you look like a catfish.  Unless you have thousands of “friends” people think it’s bogus.” So, being my own self makes me bogus.  So, Facebook went to coupons, likes, and anything else that could get me 20% off + free shipping.

Now, I could create a Candy Crush Friends Facebook page if I really wanted too.  Sure.  That’s the beauty of Facebook.  But, when calling in favors of good friends who really want to help you out, Candy Crush is really the least thing I would want to bother my friends about.  And Candy Crush bothered me all the time (see, 20 plus posts per day per friend that posts).  So, I’m a good enough friend to know that when I need a favor, I better make it good.  And my request for a ticket, candy bomb, or other sugar crusted cartoon treat, is not exactly the favor I have in mind when it comes to getting things I need in life.

Unfortunately, I think I’m addicted.  I close my eyes and see the little candy colors.  I almost cried when I had to uninstall the game because without a ticket, my Candy Crush dreams of finally seeing if there is, indeed, an end to the game were ruined.  I want to play.  I tried Candy Crush Soda, but I can’t stand it.  The little bottles are too hard to see, the concept of the game is lost.  Too much going on for a game I want to relax and think just enough through, but not strategize how the soda effects what direction the candy falls from and how it will impact the next 20 moves.  And, by the time I figure it out, I’m out of lives.  At least on Candy Crush, I had the chance to play and it was fun.

So, I’m writing this in what feels like real Sugar Crush Withdrawal.  I may need rehab, or some kind of 12 step meeting.  I have downloaded the game twice again so far just to see if it would give me another life by patiently waiting for it.

I guess it would be easier to go out and find a life.  Or just pay the .99 cents for a ticket.  But, I found in the play store, if I click “Find similar apps” there are a whole bunch of other rip offs, just like Candy Crush.  Of course, just like Candy Crush they want your money, your friends, and whatever else they can exploit to keep you paying for your addiction.  Like any drug dealer, there’s always another one down the street willing to take your life away.  But at least it can keep me playing a game, although slightly different.  It FEELS like a different Candy Crush level at least.  Hopefully I’ll get bored of this addiction, and move onto something else all together.  In the meantime, writing this has taken me away from my new addiction: Ice Crush.  I must get back to that now, I think my lives have refilled.