Sure Honey
Had coffee today with my buddies at the local coffee shop, like we've done every Sunday morning for many years. I felt sort of zoned-out, couldn't help looking around, maybe because it all seemed so odd after my two-month absence. But no, it's because now I'm always looking for obscure and unusual things to muse about. I muse therefore I am. Disclaimer: Just so I don't get sued by Descartes's heirs, let me make it abundantly clear that a guy named Descartes first said something like that many years ago.
Hence, this is the new me, the blogging Paul, looking around in a slightly bewildered state. Next time we get lunch or coffee, don't worry about me; don't take it as a sign of boredom or confusion. It's not you, it's me.
Since I was the first one there today, I bought all the coffees. The early bird may get the worm, but he also gets the Sunday morning joes.
At the coffee shop, they put up a trivia question on the board every day. If you get it right you get a discount. Once or twice over the years I've gotten into a debate with the cashier, because their answer to that day's question was not correct.
They get their Q&As from a calendar that they have hidden behind the counter.
The coffee shop employees may know beans, but they usually don't know history, so they rely on whatever their question-a-day calendar tells them. How could I-- a confused looking guy coming in for coffee--possibly know more, I'm sure they're wondering, than their question-a-day calendar? Don't ever get in a debate with someone who relies on a question-a-day calendar. You just come across like a surly know-it-all, badly in need of a cup of morning coffee.
I hate to be the one to say it, but it's not like the knowledge managers of the universe come up with those questions and answers. It's more like a postal employee with "knowledge manager" printed on his business card. I'd bet the question-a-day calendar people don't have the same accuracy/quality control department as, say, Alex Tribek gets for Jeopardy or Monopoly has for its Chance questions.
Instead of appreciating my insights and information, the cashier (no, I'm not calling them baristas) is likely to remark about aged, petulant pedants, without using those exact words.
In Florida, if you corrected the question-a-day, the cashier would just stare at you for a moment, say "sure honey," and then nod like you nod when a young child says something really childish.
Paul