The Daily Peeve / Rant

[Radicchio]

Lainey, I've often wondered the same thing. A few years ago I was at a place that gave out numbers and you were called by your number to assure they serve people in the order they arrive. I walked into the business and started to pull out a number, only to be told by the person at the counter that she was just finishing and I didn't need to take a number. Less than a minute later a man walked in and grabbed a number. I immediately felt uneasy, as he seemed quite rushed and irritated. The person at the counter finished up and waved to me to come up to the counter. The man angrily protested, since he obviously had the next number (although couldn't have failed to notice that I was there first). The employee assured him that it was my turn, to which he replied by saying, "If she's too dumb to get a number, she shouldn't get a turn!" So in this case I didn't have to wonder---definitely deliberately rude!

Oh, and now I take a number even when they tell me not to.

[frugal-one]

Yesterday it was really windy here. We got home and had the house all open to air out. Mid afternoon the stench was revolting. The neighbor behind us had a weed spraying company do their lawn and the air was permeated with the weed killing poison stench! THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW against spraying these toxins. That is the side of the house my herbs are growing. Don't think I want to even eat them now. How disgusting. Wish people would realize the poisons they are promoting!

[JaneV2.0]

I feel your pain. When I had a condo, my next door neighbors sprayed for (non-existent) termites. As you pointed out, the stench is unbearable. I had to sleep in the farthest corner of my place, and try not to breathe much. I understand they subsequently banned that particular poison. And I think those pointless and toxic yard chemicals should be outlawed. So you have an anally tidy yard, and your crappy (pun intended) chemicals go right into the watershed. Is it worth it?

[profnot]

My rant -

Grass lawns in places with not-lush water supply, like California and many other states.

Why not plant ground cover?

There are lots of variaties which need less water and are hardy enough for repeat walking/playing on.

And you don't have to mow ground cover!

[Zoe Girl]

speeding up to pass on the right! i am ready to take license plate numbers and start complaining (except that would really be unsafe driving). it happens on the highway i take almost daily when i am going with the speed of traffic, then the person on the right gets caught in the merging on and off (which is why you go faster on the left, duh). A few times it has been really dangerous when they are going much faster.

this morning it was just an irritation. My new route to work includes a lovely boulevard that is divided with grassy areas and mature trees in the middle, there are historic homes on either side (and typical killer potholes in the road). i am going about 5-8 mph above the speed limit and someone just blows by me on the right, merges left and turns the same place i do. they got one stupid car length ahead. And it is such a pretty drive, take the stupid freeway if you want to speed.

[Float On]

speeding up to pass on the right!

I've noticed that a lot more lately and about 4 out of 5 times it's a motorcycle passing on the shoulder of the road and not bothering to use turn signals either. All this talk about how we need to watch out for motorcycles and some of them seem to push the envelope.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Have you ever noticed super market lettuce smelling perfumy? I don't mean at a high end store, but just the ordinary supermarket. Ugh don't think I'm going to eat this lettuce. Luckily I have some heads from elsewhere that smell normal for my lunch tomorrow (they look less pretty but smell like lettuce at least). And now I become some paranoid sniffing lettuce all the time.

I could rant about the problems of getting a human at the IRS (even when you go there in person!), but that's too much like a real rant and too close to the real difficulties of living in this insane asylum (I mean being that we more or less have to pay taxes, it should be possible to talk to the IRS about them - a half decent country would and probably IS run that way. But I don't live there unfortunately. Ha even a less decent country you could at least maybe bribe someone to talk to a human! ). Among existing problems with taxes, my company almost certainly misreported my income last year as now social security has that I'm earning, hmm a really pretty sum that I'm most certainly not earning (yes of course it's what they should pay me but they don't), and the social security administration gets the data from the IRS. Going to try another IRS location next time. Then the IRS drones complain they have no money as way of explanation for the horrible service, yes well your problem is with congress then, and as a non-rich non-corporate person I must pay my pound of flesh to you guys, but have close to zero say in what congress actually does. Taxation yea, but representation not so much so. Maybe they should get a checkbox on the taxes to fund them like the presidential campaigns do ...

The lettuce, I think it probably wants to go into the trash can.

[Zoe Girl]

this is a really stupid rant, actually i want to work on my judgment here but meanwhile i am going to let it out.

People who do not use the technology work provides for them. So we have 3-4 different systems of student data which is kinda crazy. However 2 of them will print sign in/out sheets, rosters, etc. i am going to our large meeting today so it has me thinking of my colleagues who have giant bags they carry everywhere. why? because they have to make lists of things like classes and kids and carry them around. one person still makes them handwritten! She is in her 20's not her 60's. i guess if i was her supervisor i would be encouraging her to learn the systems better and not spend all the time i am paying her to hand write lists of kids and then tell me how busy she is

like i said, probably none of my business

[Zoe Girl]

I could rant about the problems of getting a human at the IRS (even when you go there in person!), but that's too much like a real rant and too close to the real difficulties of living in this insane asylum (I mean being that we more or less have to pay taxes, it should be possible to talk to the IRS about them - a half decent country would and probably IS run that way. But I don't live there unfortunately..

yes, and my student loan program. i am losing valuable time because i can only sit on hold and try to navigate this so long. i am kicking myself for not doing more of what i need, and then i start trying again and just can only have everything together and ready to sit on the phone or try to get a person for so long

[SiouzQ.]

Wasn't sure where to file this one at all, and perhaps I have been watching too many episodes of Portlandia, but I think I can safely say that hipster chic has become a total caricature of itself, as evidenced by my attendance at our local indie DIY Fair....I kind of wanted to tell these 20 to 40 somethings the boat has done gone by, and the excessive tats and facial hair look kinda, umm dated...I wonder what is next on the horizon? It just seems like everyone I saw was so self-involved with their perceived "coolness." Maybe I am just an aging hippie-punk...