The rudest email I have ever seen... from a (work) "friend"!

[PoisonIvy]

I am thinking that perhaps she is feeling like the only time people contact her is when they want something. Personally, when I read this I thought, if they are friends, he should have seperated his wishes for a happy new year from his questions about possible job opportunities. It could easily be viewed as "you were only wishing me a happy new year as a way to ask me about work, not because you genuinely cared about me having a happy new year."

ETA: I am not saying that was his intention, but that perhaps (in her bad mood?) she viewed it that way.

That is a good point.  I hadn't thought of that.

[NEDESAPIO]

(I'm in a really bad mood right now, sorry if I'm rude.)"

Phrases like this one should be struck out of the lexicon.  If you're in a bad mood when you get an e-mail, WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE IN A BETTER MOOD before replying to the e-mail.

[DottyG]

I am thinking that perhaps she is feeling like the only time people contact her is when they want something. Personally, when I read this I thought, if they are friends, he should have seperated his wishes for a happy new year from his questions about possible job opportunities. It could easily be viewed as "you were only wishing me a happy new year as a way to ask me about work, not because you genuinely cared about me having a happy new year."

ETA: I am not saying that was his intention, but that perhaps (in her bad mood?) she viewed it that way.

Can I say that I agree with you.  That's how it read to me as well - that he was only contacting her and pretending to wish her a happy new year as a "foot in the door."

Like you say, perhaps not the true intent.  But, it does come across that way when you read it.  It very may well have with her, too.

[ccnumber4]

(I'm in a really bad mood right now, sorry if I'm rude.)"

Phrases like this one should be struck out of the lexicon.  If you're in a bad mood when you get an e-mail, WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE IN A BETTER MOOD before replying to the e-mail.

I completely agree with this.  It seems like she is using his email as an excuse to act on her bad mood. 

Sounds like she had a cruddy day and is taking it out on him, by her own admission. 

Also, if I received this email, I would be irritated, too.  I would feel like a naughty toddler being scolded by an adult.  The whole thing just rubs me the wrong way.  Justified or not, she could have found a more tactful way of communicating her wishes:  "Hey, there.  Happy New Year to you, too!.  Nope, no work that I am aware of, but rest assured I will let you know when / if something comes up."

See?  Not so hard. 

[Hawkwatcher]

This is why I like to wait a couple of hours before responding to email if I am in a bad mood so I do not say anything I regret.  It does not always work but I think that it is a good strategy.

[LJM]

This is why I like to wait a couple of hours before responding to email if I am in a bad mood so I do not say anything I regret.  It does not always work but I think that it is a good strategy.

One of the downsides of e-mail is that previously, one often had no choice but to wait until the next morning to send an angry letter-- many a letter that was previously torn up without being sent after a good nights sleep now makes it to it's destination at the speed of light.