The guys that stand on the sidewalk with business signs

How much do these guys get paid? Before having a professional job, I just assumed that these people weren’t needed for the moment in their stores, restaurants, etc, so they’re managers sent them out to wave signs during slow afternoons. Now that I’ve been working for awhile and have actually talked to some of our city zoning people about signage, I know that sign laws are so strict in a lot of places that this is one of the few ways businesses can get signs out there; they have very limited options for placing signage on buildings, sidewalks, etc.

Is this a job people like doing? Is it satisfying? Do they get paid more than minimum wage? I mean, they have to stand out on the street, breathing car exhaust, having nothing to do, dealing with elements? Would it be condescending of me to walk up to one of these guys and just ask him? I really don’t want to be offensive. I’m curious.

Global Warming’s a Myth. So is Evolution, & The Earth’s only 6,000 years old

Photo courtesy of lamazone

Yesterday, a “friend” told me that she doesn’t believe in global warming, not that she doesn’t believe humans are the cause, but rather that the world is not warming at all and is instead getting colder. I couldn’t believe it. I started laughing. I mean, I didn’t want to be rude, but I was shocked that someone that seemed reasonably bright could think something like that. She actually said that she thinks American Democrats invented global warming just to have something to talk about. Yeah, and Al Gore invented the internet!

She kept saying things like, “Well, I believe that this is natural,” and I would say, “Exactly, you believe, but you don’t know.” To which her response was, “But, you don’t know either.” Is it just me or, when there is some sort of problem in life and it’s possible that you are the cause, is it not prudent to try and curb your negative impact regardless of whether or not you know that you are actually the root of the problem? I mean, did I not just read this morning that arctic polar bears have resorted to cannibalism due to reduce hunting grounds and that it will soon be normal for the arctic ice sheet to be completely melted during the summers?

I swear. . . next, she’ll tell me that evolution was dreamed up by people, who just felt unloved by their mothers, and that the Earth was created only 6,000 years ago by the good wishes of some invisible ZZ Top-looking space daddy, who magically impregnated a virgin, who birthed a son, who was his own father, and that he did all that simply because he loves all his children and wants them to have the chance to live forever in his fluffy cloud paradise. If that happens, I won’t hesitate to send her the official God FAQ.