How to Win Friends?

Years and years ago I read, How to Win Friends and Influence People. All these years I have tried to remember that people like the sound of their own names, but always wondered why, when faced with certain situations, I could never recall how to use some of the other techniques.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity and to top it off like a cherry on a sundae, I remembered at the moment it was happening. I was in the print studio and I was busy registering paper for a print run. (this is an artists studio I have access to and the paper is mine i.e. I paid for the paper) I had the paper I was still to add tabs to in a pile on a table next to the place I was actually taping on said tabs. Another artist comes in and begins making small talk. At this point I am the only one in the studio that has numerous working tables. While she is talking she picks up a newspaper, which was lying nearby, and casually opens it (while she is talking to me) on top of my stack of pristine rag paper!

I am shocked, but I keep my cool. I reach over to the stack and kindly say, “I am sorry, but is my stack in the way of your newspaper?” The book told me that she would then be apologetic and quickly remove the offending paper. Did she do this? No, she just as casually says to me, “No its fine.” I actually moved my paper!

Oh boy. What a let down. Next time it might be, “Excuse me, but that is my clean paper there that you are inconsiderately putting that filthy newspaper on top of. Take it off, right now.” (Or, if I am premenstrual it might be something completely different.)

Plastic, Lovely Plastic

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about plastic.

For example, recently there has been a move to stop using plastic water bottles and baby bottles because of Bisphenol A.

Years ago, I used to store my rice in large plastic airtight containers, but I noticed that over time the rice would begin to have a chemical odor and become inedible. I stopped using them and began to buy large glass containers for food storage (I am also on the lookout for large tins these days).

What about all the other foods that come in plastic. Condiments like ketchup, mayo and mustardy squeeze bottles, peanut butter, and single serving cheese and pb cracker snacks. Are these foods subjected to heat in order to preserve and seal them? Boil in bag dinners or worse yet, microwave bag dinners (mmm yummy) are supposed to provide convenience, but if we’re not supposed to microwave food with plastic wrap touching the food, how are those kinds any safer?

Does not in any way seem logical.