Phone bankers have no control over who they call. They volunteer and show up. An app brings up a number, they hit ‘Call’ and the call is made. Sometimes there’s a script. Often there isn’t. When the call is done, there is a popup. It includes: DO NOT CALL. They move on. They have a bunch more to call before they have to go home, make dinner, put the kids to bed, get ready for work, or study for a test.

Our names are sold and traded by data brokers, sliced and diced along all kinds of demographic metadata. The brokers are the reason we get all these unsolicited messages or calls. There are state rules, but the brokers are out of state. There are FEC rules. They ignore it. I regularly block and spam unsolicited calls, or do END or STOP. If it’s a cause I like, I throw them some money, knowing I’ll be getting a crapton of calls and texts. It’s OK. I’m one of thousands in a database. I know it’s nothing personal.

Being a horse’s ass to a fellow citizen phone banker just gives them something to laugh about later. As an alternative, you can thank them for their effort, say no thanks not for me, and ask to be taken off the call list.

As a volunteer phone banker, we lived for people who were abusive jerks. We’d trade stories over drinks afterwards.

Phone bankers are citizens who take time out of their busy life and day, to help fellow citizens go out and vote. Maybe give them an alternative perspective.

Someone yelling abusive stuff at them was peak hilarity. Please, keep it up.

It actually goes further back to 1830s and Dagguerotypes: https://www.all-about-photo.com/photography-article/607/a-brief-history-of-nude-photography-1839-1939

Leasing a car.

I’d always bought a car and driven it into the ground. Leased an EV once. Hated the experience. Felt ripped off at the end.

Bought a used car after that. Back to normal.

I’ve worked with many people who like stability, and those who embrace change. It really depends on one’s personality.

Problem is that the world of work has changed. There are very few guarantees any more. In that case you have to decide if you want something that appears stable on the surface, but can be rug-pulled in a hurry. Or if you just accept that everything will change and adjust your expectations and life plans.

The former allows you to go deep and acquire expertise in one area. The latter gives you breadth, but may mean you won’t get deep into a single field.

This might seem a bit abstract, but it really means one needs to do a gut check when planning a career.

A third option is to just wing it and see what comes along.

Wonder if ‘just walk out’ not scaling up had anything to do with it:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/04/amazon-ends-ai-powered-store-checkout-which-needed-1000-video-reviewers/