If there’s one thing I like less than other people’s telephone answering machines it’s getting muzak when I’m put on-hold. And if there’s anything I like less than muzak on hold it’s telephone operators telling me to have a nice day.

Until recently I was a dyed-in-the-wool telephone reactionary. One of the feW remaining individualists who enjoyed the silence of being on hold, aqd didn’t mind in the least if I called somebody and they weren’t home.