So I'm asleep this morning right? Like I normally am after a closing shift at work and going to bed at 1:30am. Anyway, I am sleeping (as can be noted by the little Zzzz's above my head) when suddenly my phone goes off. (Which I have on vibrate, and sounds like a REALLY angry wasp when it goes off.) So here it is around 9am (which I think means like 8:55), and I am happily laying there between fully asleep and fully awake when the "mad wasp" strikes. I try to clear out as much "groggy" from my voice as I can as I answer the phone. (Of course ready to deny that I wasn't asleep and "no, no, It's ok that you didn't wake me up, I've been up for hours".) It went somehting like this:

"Hello?" (At this point I am thinking, I don't have to work this morning do I? Someone didn't get horribly sick did they? Do I have to go in?)
"Hello is Ben there?"
"Speaking"
"Hello Ben this is _______ (fill in the blank nameless phone drone) and I am calling on behalf of the Microsoft play test, and we were wondering if you had some time to answer some questions to see if you qualified for an upcomming play test."

Now, first off, people calling at dinner time doesn't bother me. I just put the phone on mute, and don't answer. Or if I DO answer then I have a little bit of enjoyment hanging up on the phone drone. However, calling in the MORNING is a whole other can of worms. Granted I can ignore you, but I can't get back to sleep after the "angry wasp" goes off. This all could have ended quite poorly had I not qualified for the "case study" and been able to go. But as it is, I will go to the play test and then I will get a bit of free software, and then I will sell that free software on eBay, and then I will have a little extra cash. It's pretty much like consulting. They pay me in software which, after I sell it, comes out to the tune of about 150 dollars an hour, to give my advice on some game. Thus making the world a better place. (Or so I imagine.)

~B.