Pet Peeves

So, since only two people voted on my "interactive" style blog, I'm going to go with the one topic that was voted for - my Pet Peeves!!! And, Mr. PhD, I will try to add a handmade (with Paint, to be sure) cartoon for your viewing pleasure.

So - Pet Peeves. What a topic. I think of myself as a pretty easygoing person for the most part, but every once in a while I want to punch someone or something in the face for doing something stupid.

1.) Speeding up, and slowing down, when I'm trying to pass your ass on the freeway. This actually gets me pretty fired up. Car A, in the right lane, is moving too close to the speed at which I am traveling, and I'm ever so slowly nearer and nearer to Car A's back bumper. So, I flip my left turn signal, and scootch over into the passing lane. As I continue at my current speed, just about to pull free, and all of a sudden Car A has decided he doesn't want me to get in front in this little race of ours, and thus speeds up. This is the point where my face gets red, I scoff and say something like, "You litte &^%$#*(!!!". I almost get to where I can go back into the right lane, and Car A slows down. Seriously? Seriously. Pick a speed and stay there!!!

2.) Parents who let their children run wild and unchecked in public places. Now, I have yet to become a parent, and I realize "things are different when it's your own" and such. I have also worked in a retail setting since I was 17 years old, and this has never ceased to amaze me. When I was a child, and veered even a foot from my mom or dad's side, I was snapped to attention with something like, "Kathy! Stay close to me! And don't touch anything!" I hardly ever threw a temper tantrum for anything, i.e. "MommymommymommyIwantthatreallyreallyreallybad!!" "But I waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant iiiiiiiit!!!!" Then, another octave higher, "I WANT IT NOW!!!" and then begin to cry loudly and annoyingly. If I had thrown this sort of temper tantrum, which I know I did, that was the END of my day. I was never whisked out of a store or someone else's house so fast and at the moment of the arm grab by my mother, I knew that I was going to get that worst of childhood punishments - a spanking... For me, spankings coupled with the looks on my parents faces were enough to make me shut up for a month. I don't see that happening very often these days. Please don't get me wrong here - I'm not advocating beating your children - I am merely agreeing with that form of punishment. Yes, I'm in therapy, but it ain't because my parents weren't afraid to smack my butt if I were out of line. In public, I pray people will actually have some control over their children. I know now, as an adult, why my parents were so strict in restaurants, shopping malls, and visiting with relatives or friends.

3.) Religious zealots. I could write a novel on this one. *see above examples* I am not an atheist, nor am I a devil worshipper, or any other faith that causes religious extremists to cry foul. On a personal level, my faith and beliefs are deeply rooted in Christianity. I just choose not to lay them on anyone else. When I see people being judged on their religious views, I cringe. Religion is not a light thing, but I do not agree with one faith being 'the faith'. Sure, I feel sad when I hear someone is an atheist, but that's not going to make me stop talking to them, befriend them or judge them on that aspect of their life - people have good reasons to feel the way they do, and who am I to step in and tell them it's wrong? I'm not God, so it's not my place. End of story.

4.) Bill O'Reilly. Enough said.

5.) Homophobia. Racism. Sexism. Ageism. Live and let live, people. Don't be assholes.

6.) Chain emails!!!! I am NOT going to have bad luck for 3 years if I don't send this to 50 people in 4.5 minutes!!! Bill Gates is not going to hand over Microsoft to me! Just because I don't send the soldier thing to a gazillion people doesn't make me an anti-Patriot or un-American! ARGH!!!

7.) This one is for you, Unmesh:

I know, I know. If I don't watch and like this show I'm an idiot or something. Shauna, I know you love this show. And that's wonderful. This show, to me, is just another example of corporation-generated entertainment. Whatever happened to starting out in a garage band and gaining grassroots respect and fan bases? I don't want some record company to tell me who I should and should not like in the music biz. *addendum... ok, ok... I won't lie. I like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. They're hot. But they would've made it big even without the assistance of AI.*

So... those are only a few of my pet peeves. I know there are more, but I can't think of them at the moment. So, they must not be THAT important, right? ;)