Is it normal to have only 12 hours for my first week of work (part time)? (Fast food)?

If your employer can keep employee hours down below full time, he or she does not have to give benefits to the part time staff nor pay them above minimum wage... Putting you on standby keeps you waiting by the phone rather than out looking for another job. If you do go out to look for a better job but don't find such yet miss his call to report to the job so that you lose said position, you are "screwed".... You probably haven't done anything however, the company you work for sucks and your employer is a creep... Hope you can find a better job that also gives you some respect.

Not necessarily. If it's a retail job, they might just be trying to get them trained and give them a little experience before the holiday season.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.