Musings: Jobs we'd choose but for the opprobrium

Have you ever thought it would be cool to be a famous advertising character like the Ty-D-Bowl man -- except for the ridicule you'd receive because, um, you're the Ty-D-Bowl man? I think about that a lot: Somewhere there's a guy who may or may not have listed "Ty-D-Bowl man" on his resume. Think about it: Everywhere we turn, there are jobs that no one in their right mind would want -- but someone does it, and generally with guts and aplomb (despite the risk of being a social outcast).

Worse than being a mortician or a slaughterhouse butcher, what other jobs would you be ashamed to mention if you were on a game show?

Q. And Bill, what do you do?
A. Um... I work with meat byproducts, Bob... Actually I work in them... Knee-deep to tell the truth... I shovel pig parts into the slop grinder at the weiner factory... (begins weeping) God, I hate my job...
Q. OK, moving right along...

I was appreciating the industrial flushing strength of the toilets at one client's when it occurred to me that somebody has to design toilets to do what they do -- that is, not to glop up with streaks like those weak-ass models they installed in your home and mine. And not only to design them to work so well, but to test them... over and over and over... I wonder what they use for artificial flushing materials? I wonder who makes that crap (and designs and tests it)? Now there's a job I'd hate to have.

I'll bet diamonds to doughnuts you've never thought about stuff like this. I didn't till now either -- but see? I do. Scary, huh?