Tag Archives: e-mails

“Jaw With John” – Filter Your Friend’s “Alternative Facts”

An older friend and I have exchanged emails since last spring. Hers have been mostly political and disparaging toward minorities. I asked her to please not send this stuff since we have opposite opinions on the subject, and I don’t plan to change my mind. I enjoy our in-person talks because they are nothing like the emails she sends, which are “forwards” somebody else has put together.

I quit reading them, but is there a way to politely stop her from disseminating nasty propaganda? I have tried fact-checking and sending corrections to her and to those on the long list of people she has sent these emails. It doesn’t work. — Fact Checker

Dear Fact Checker,

There’s this wonderful new invention called the SPAM folder! You can filter alllllllllll her messages to that folder and then you can delete them all at once and be done with it!

Listen, there are some people who don’t want “facts” they want “alternative facts” that cover up the real truth and prop up a certain ideal situation that they think they’re living in…when it is in fact denial of the actual truth. Filter her messages and be done with them.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Jaw With John” – Write or Die

For my whole life, my mother has instilled in me the importance of handwritten thank-you notes. Suddenly she is saying it’s OK to email thank-yous to some people.

I’m very confused! What is the best etiquette for me and my children regarding thank-yous?

— Thanking You, Too!

Dear Thanking:

The art of the hand-written thank-you is dying. It is still the considered the “best etiquette” to send a hand-written note or card but kids these days want things done and they want them done now. In certain situations the quick e-mail or text is appropriate and in others, the personal note is more appropriate. It really goes by a case-by-case basis. Gift from grandma – write a note. Flowers from your significant other – text them a photo with you and the flowers. Use your best judgement.

If anything, make your kids write notes to work on their penmanship! Lord knows that with the technological take over, handwriting is starting to all look like chicken scratch. Trust me, I’ve seen some shitty shitty handwriting from adults and young adults. Then they comment on my handwriting and how good it looks and I look at it and go “This? Really? This is OK.” The standard is quite low now. Which means the only place to go is up!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,