Summary: In This Episode: I love watching others and recognizing signs of Uncommon Sense. I’m going to tell you about another friend of mine (who has no idea I’m going to talk about this), since it’s a great example of taking something you see with a grain of salt, and calling B.S. when it’s necessary. And then, I take on the universe.<br> <br> <a class="twitter-share-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Tweet</a><br> <a href="#transcript">Jump to Transcript</a><br> <a href="https://thisistrue.com/uncommon-sense-podcast/">How to Subscribe and List of All Episodes</a><br> Show Notes<br> <br> * The original <a href="http://www.bulmash.com/04-10-97.html">McDonald’s Job Application</a> by Greg Bulmash.<br> * The several memes (and the video) mentioned are included in place in the transcript below.<br> * And Please Do share this episode with a smart friend if you find it lives up to the promise of “Thought-Provoking Entertainment”.<br> <br> <a name="transcript"></a><br> Transcript<br> I love watching others and recognizing signs of Uncommon Sense. I’m going to tell you about another friend of mine (who has no idea I’m going to talk about this), since it’s a great example of taking something you see with a grain of salt, and calling B.S. when it’s necessary. And then, I take on the universe.<br> I’m Randy Cassingham, welcome to Uncommon Sense.<br> I have a long-time friend who was also a pioneer in online content, and even though he has had a day job for some time now, you may even know his name. He was the author of a very early online viral humor piece, and if you’ve been online for awhile you’ve likely either seen it, or one of the hundreds of adaptations made over the years — usually leaving his name on it. But yes, he’s a real person.<br> The piece is the McDonald’s Job Application, and I’ll link to the original on the Show Page. Greg Bulmash wrote it in April 1997 so yes, pioneering online content indeed. While he was updating his resume, Greg got the idea to write up a job application with typical dumb questions on it, and provided atypical dumb answers. He included his real name at the top, and posted it online. It has echoed through the Intertubes since.<br> For example you’ll find:<br> “Desired Position: Reclining. Ha ha. But seriously, whatever’s available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn’t be applying here in the first place.”<br> Or,<br> “Desired Salary: $185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that’s not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.”<br> And,<br> “Last Position Held: Target for middle-management hostility.”<br> Boy, a lot of people could identify with that! It was great stuff, resonated beautifully, and it made the name Greg Bulmash “Internet famous” as people forwarded it around … and around, and around, for many, many years. You get the idea why he’s an old friend of mine; I’ll include his photo on the Show Page too.<br> Last week Greg reposted a meme: one of those “amazing facts” sorts of things on a medical theme. I’ll include it on the Show Page too, and it’s clear it’s been around: it’s been copied so many times that it’s digitally distorted. It is, as I mentioned in the intro, a great example of Uncommon Sense, but I didn’t ask him if I could talk about it, or even ask if I could use his name, since, well, he made it world-readable! And after all, he’s used to being Internet Famous anyway, so this will be a little surprise for him.<br> It shows a tiny illustration of a 12-ounce Coke can on the left, overwhelmed by what’s on the right: 32 tall glasses of water that are even...
