Monday, September 06, 2010

POLITICIANS VOICES AS COLLECTORS ITEMS

Collector item voices are likely going to be coming to my house soon. Maybe yours, too. I'm anticipating my answering machine is going to begin having a real work-out after Labor day, continuing until the November elections. The device has only now cooled down, recuperated, after being bombarded by automatically dialed calls with recorded messages left on my machine before the Primary Elections earlier this year. I think about all the money candidates and other well-known public figures expend recording these messages, then calling my phone number.

Do candidates know that when I play back any message on my answering machine that the split second I recognize it's one of those automatically dialed pre-recorded messages, which I can usually determine no later than after the 2nd or 3rd word, I hit the delete button? The voices I've deleted have included former U.S. Presidents, Congressional Senators and Representatives and other public figures from more local level offices, also a few celebrities. Maybe I should have saved them like people do who collect autographs. Perhaps my recordings would be collectors items with monetary value for future generations.

I've listened to part of some messages in the past and find they're full of all the vague grandiose goals that are always promised. Seldom do they define how they hope to accomplish these goals that the incumbent and the office holder before him or her also said they would achieve and didn't. I get frustrated listening to them and want to respond with comments like, "Give me some facts. Tell me how you attempt to make these needed progressive changes."

Another type recorded message to which I'm subjected is as repugnant and repelling to me as what I see in snail mail flyers, brochures, letters and television ads which are increasing now. They're often negatively full of attack mis-truths, distortions and omissions. Thank heavens the senders don't have my email address but I would simply treat any such emails as spam.

6 comments:

  1. Oh, I couldn't agree with you more JoAnn. I HATE those political pain-in-the-butt calls. I do the same as you....DELETE, DELETE.

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  2. One of the reasons we no longer have a traditional land line phone. Cells are all we use now.

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  3. I am grateful I don't get any of these "political phone calls---recorded or otherwise...I think it is more than horrific!

    As to your question about Sylvia Sidney...I remember her very very well and in my view she was one of the GREAT actresses of Stage and Screen, having had a long career in both. I never met her--I'm happy for you that you did.

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  4. FWIW we had to keep a phone land line when my husband was living as that sort of connection was necessary for him to provide periodic checks on his Pacemaker to the hospital.

    I, too, have a cell phone but have chosen to retain the land line with Verizon which is also the provider of my Internet connection. Also, should an emergency 911 call need to be made the land line call goes directly to local authorities where the location of the call's source is immediately identifiable. Cell phone emergency calls in many U.S. areas are first routed elsewhere, then to the local authorities plus the cell call's source does not appear. This potentially delays dispatching the emergency workers if the caller has been unable to speak or give their location.

    Valuable minutes to obtain emergency care can be lost with emergency cell phone calls until such time as these response differences are resolved everywhere in the U.S. I read recently there is a gradual increase in the length of time for emergency responses in many places for various reasons, including economic financial cutbacks, so a land line phone seems like a worthwhile investment, other benefits, too.

    I use land line for all work/business calls and like the answering machine for that purpose. I rarely give out my cell phone number which is reserved primarily for family, select friends, which we use for talking and texting.

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  5. I too delete the recorded political calls. I'm not looking forward to the election. Neither party has any answers to the monumental problems. I think that's why attack ads are so prevalent. TV ads is where most of the money is spent. What a poor way to 'educate?' us.

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  6. I also detest the robo calls during the election season. I hang up when they start their tack. It seems to be a waste of money because we all hate these type calls. It is a real turn off.

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