Guest rant: Curse of the comments.

Yay! Another guest rant! Sorry for the long absence... but I'm back, and with a somewhat controversial one.

Ok, here is a rant for your rant blog:

Why is it that so many of the "BIG" bloggers like to get their panties in a ruffle over comments readers leave? Half the time, it doesn't even seem like the comment left was a big deal. This leads me to believe that either their egos are way inflated and therefore they're hypersensitive, OR, they're using it as an excuse for more self-promotion and blogging material. Like, really? Someone left a possibly-shitty comment on your blog? Now you have to tell the entire world, Facebook, Twitter and your more civilized readers all about it? Naturally this is followed by a bunch of ass-kisser-readers jumping to the defense on a totally lame faux-assault. Last I checked, that's what the "delete comment" feature is for!

End rant.

So, what do you think? Is this a pet peeve of yours, too? I'm torn, because some of the comments are actually offensive, but I do read certain bloggers who have a tendency to overreact.

Hang up your phone, lady!

This morning I was driving to work on PCH and this woman almost swerved into me.

She was talking on her cell phone.

Not surprising.

Then she actually had the audacity to gesture at ME as if I had been at fault. For her being distracted and almost hitting my (still sort of) new car.

Eventually, we got to the portion of PCH near the CA Incline in Santa Monica where motorcycle cops are known to hide out to nab people exceeding the 45 mph limit. Which is a ridiculously dumb limit, anyway, since the only time it's actually dangerous to go faster there are too many cars out to drive more than 30 mph, but that's a story for another day.

The hide-a-cops that hang out there will pull you over for ANYTHING, even things that cops normally might not pull you over for. Going over 50 mph, making an illegal u-turn, not wearing your seat belt, swerving a little too harshly, having a tail light out. Just about anything you can think of.

So, I maintained my speed at a respectable 48 mph.

This woman, who had fallen a few cars behind, quickly caught up to the rest of us since we'd all slowed down a bit, and then slammed on her brakes when she realized where she was.

She obviously drove the road often enough to know about the hide-a-cops.

But the best part?

She stayed on her cell phone the ENTIRE time.

Which, last time I checked, is illegal in CA.

Why even bother slowing down if you're still doing something you can get pulled over for?

I shake my fist at you, bad driver on your cell phone lady! And I just might hate you a little bit, too.

Yes, this pretty much sums it up.

Thanks for the link, Shosh!

Another grammar irritation.

I have come to the conclusion that I absolutely HATE when people capitalize things unnecessarily. No, I'm not talking about things like how I just capitalized "hate." I'm talking about this: "Come share your Special Memories with us." Really? Why in a million years would you think that "special" and "memories" needed to be capitalized?

Now, I can give a little wiggle room to people who speak English as a second language. There are certain words in different languages that are appropriate to capitalize. But it drives me nuts to see it - especially in print ads, etc.

Seriously, people? Why???

A borrowed one on email forwards.

My good friend Chris posted this blog today about receiving email forwards and I had to post it up here! He even shakes his fist at the end!

"I got an e-mail forward today from one of my fiancee's relatives that reminded me why I hate them so much. This e-mail violated both of my pet peeves -

1) Those ones where you "sign a petition" and pass it on to everyone in your address book don't work because...everyone has different address books! Person #12 in my address book doesn't know person #3, or even know if they signed it. So now there are multiple versions of one thing. The only way these e-mail "petition" things could conceivably work is to send it to one person at a time.

2) Research, research, RESEARCH. Guess what - if you're checking your e-mail, you're already on the internet. Do your research before telling me there's a movie about gay Jesus coming out, that cellphones will soon be assaulted by telemarketers or that the word 'picnic' is offensive to African-Americans. Google found all three of those results in about 5 seconds each.

I shake my fist at you, internet forwards!"

Hehe. Chris, you rock.

Don't be a texting whore.

I read this post over on Confessions of a Cohabitant today, and it made me think of a friend of mine who is constantly texting. All the time. Hundreds, possibly even thousands, of text messages a day. Her phone is constantly within reach, and at the longest, she'll go five minutes without texting. It's a problem.

In a bar for a friend's birthday? Texting. In a movie theater? Texting. At work? Texting. Driving? Texting.

It bugs the crap out of me.

Because she is NEVER 100% there. Not paying attention. Distracted. And it makes you feel like she doesn't really give a shit about hanging out with you. That there's always somewhere else she'd rather be.

It makes me wish that "unlimited texting" plans were never created. Maybe if it cost $45-60/day she would cut it the fuck out.

Social networking.

I have a love/hate relationship with social networks. I love them because I get to connect with people I don't talk to all the time. I hate them because they often create a false sense of familiarity that really irritates me.

I get it. We're "friends." But that doesn't mean you can ask extremely personal questions. It doesn't mean that you should assume that I want to hang out with you.

I'm sorry. That sounds harsh.

But it's true. If I want to hang out with you, I will cultivate a relationship. I will take the time to listen to you, see how you're doing. To call. To email. To converse. I will not invite myself to things, or put pressure on you to take time out of your busy schedule to pay attention to me.

If it's impolite to do it in person, why is it ok to do it online?

Quit poking your nose in!

I hate when people send useless emails about things that have no concern to them.

You're copied on that email because the person who sent it is a lazy ass who didn't want to spend an extra 0:30 seconds trying to figure out who to go to, and sent it to everyone he could think of instead.

Obviously, that promo is being scheduled. Obviously, it's not being delivered and then sitting around. If you weren't responsible for it in the past, what makes you think that you suddenly have to waste valuable time annoying the crap out of me for something that has nothing to do with you?

Fuck off, people. Do your jobs, and stay out of mine!

I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU!

Best. Bumper sticker. EVER.

You have to follow through.

I dislike it when people complain and complain and complain about things, and then never take action to change them. I will listen to you endlessly - but don't get mad at me when I tell you things are never going to change unless you follow through with some kind of action!

Don't like how your life is going? Find a way to change it!

Don't like the behavior of your employee? Tell them, and then make sure they fix it.

Don't want your child running wild all over the place? Discipline them, and follow it through.

I know it's much easier to give advice than to take it. I do. And there are times where my own behavior annoys the hell out of me for not making changes. But in the end, you're never going to be happy with a situation if you're not willing to do SOMETHING to make it better.

Did you not take English classes?

I hate that people feel that it's ok to have incorrect spelling and grammar if they are writing on the Internet! My sister is particularly guilty of this, but I run into it everywhere - including places that should know better. Now, I know that I don't have perfect grammar ALL the time, and there are many occasions where my spell check catches a few words. Typing quickly, or being in a rush, can often lead to spelling and grammar mistakes. But seriously, people? Get with it. Because someday, your lack of grammar skills is going to catch up for you.

Biggest offender:
"I" instead of "me" when describing a photo. Ex: "This is Sarah and I at the zoo." NO. It's "Sarah and ME." You wouldn't say "This is I at the zoo," so what drives you to write "I"???

1st runner up:
"Your" instead of "you're." Ex: "Your beautiful." Your beautiful what?? It's YOU ARE beautiful! Get it right!

2nd runner up:
"There," "their," and "they're." Suggestion: Take the extra two seconds it takes to make sure you're using the correct version, so that you don't look like a complete and moronic asshole.

I shake my fist at bad grammar!

Listen to my words.

I can't stand when people (1) don't pay attention to what you're saying, and (2) are complete boneheads.

Part of what I do for my company is ordering acquired films that we air from the production studios. We had another film come up that we wanted to air in two weeks, so I went through my normal channels and ordered it. This is the 6th film in the last three years that I have had to order from this woman, let's call her Angie. Yesterday, I emailed Angie with our formal request for the film. This morning, we went back and forth with emails. I'm just going to cut and paste our emails below...

Me: Hi Angie, Here is our formal order for the film (title). The DigiBeta can please be delivered to (my address). Please let me know if there are any issues."

Angie: Can you please forward me me you technical specs? (<-- yes, that is incorrect grammar in there... and she's asking for the same document I've sent her FIVE times before.)

Me: Here you go! Thanks.

Angie: Hi, I need your tech. SPECS. (<-- THAT'S WHAT I JUST SENT YOU, LADY!)

Me: This is the same document (updated more recently) as I have sent you for (other movie), (other movie), etc. Please let me know specifically what you are looking for if this document does not cover it. We will be taking care of formatting the film, as well as the closed captioning.

Angie: Hi, Please forward me the Specs file. Lab, cannot locate. (<-- WTF???? I consider this seriously rude because I literally forwarded it to her two emails ago.)

Me: Sorry for any miscommunication, it's the file I just sent you. It is titled Programming Specs, and it has the rundown of our deliverables. I have attached it again for your convenience.

Angie: (title) - is due to ship out tomorrow.


I want points for not saying, "YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENT, YOU FLIPPING MORON."

Snip, snip, snip.

Who needs to clip their fingernails this frequently??? Do your fingernails grow at some super speed? Maybe I'm just sensitive because I hate the noise that nail clipping creates, but come on. This is the second time this week! And last week, that was another occurance. If you're that obsessive about nail care, could you please do it at home?

Thanks for using your blinker, a-hole.

One of my biggest pet peeves about driving is those people out there who feel that they are above using their blinker. The "my car is better than yours, and you wouldn't dare hit me anyway" people. I come into contact with these types of people a lot living in the Oak Park/Westlake area, and they seriously make me want to lose my shit.

Listen up, people. You're a shitty driver if you don't use your blinker. I can forgive people who occasionally forget. Even people who look extremely distracted by children. But you? Being on your stupid little bluetooth thing does not excuse you. Neither does taking a swig from your $8 bottle of water.

Weaving in and out of traffic without your blinker is even worse. What could you possibly be thinking? Where do you expect to get? If you haven't noticed, we're sitting in traffic, and your manic switching of lanes without your blinker is not helping anything.

I have much more to say on this topic, but I can't concentrate on being cranky right now because I'm watching Juno on DVD and it's making me happy.

Seriously, that's gross.

Seriously disgusting. Our microwave at work, with some kind of meat sauce so caked on that I couldn't scrape it off with a napkin. This is not ok. I don't understand why it's so hard to take the extra second to clean up after yourself. You're not THAT busy, and you're not THAT important.

Not in the office!

Here's a tip for all you office 9-5ers out there:

If you want to eat fish for lunch, COOK IT ELSEWHERE. It is NOT cool to go into an office building that has no windows that open, and recycled air, and stink up the entire place with your re-heated fish. I don't care what kind of fish it it. I don't care if it is healthy for you. Neither of these things keep it from smelling horribly. The bottom line is that you are torturing people with the stinky, disgusting smell of your food.

Because here's the thing. You heat up your food, and then take it outside, or take it to your office. We sit out here. In the open. No office doors to block exterior smells. And your fish? That shit lingers. I could go to lunch, pass a skunk and a garbage landfill, and still come back to an office that smells worse than the bottom of a trash can at the marina.