People who don't seem to know that you can take a right turn at a red light.

Commercials that are twice as loud, as the tv show you're watching!

Ben:  "We've laid in a gala reception for your fair-haired boys tonight.  All of Twin Peaks' best and brightest."

Jerry: "We're holding it in a phone booth?"

 How interesting you would write this just as I was going to talk about my pet peeve from yesterday!  There I was stopped at an intersection preparing to turn right on a red light.  It's Los Angeles and it's Friday and it's around 3:00 pm when all the kids have been released from the nearby schools.  The oncoming traffic from the left is zooming past in three lanes of traffic going west.  I wait for a green light.  But the green light also signals the WALK sign and swarms of junior high school kids begin to cross.  They don't walk from point A to point B however.  They walk sloooooowly back and forth, jibber-jabbering, texting, first one way, then seeing someone they know and heading back to give a big hug to another.  It's like tracking a hummingbird flight.  They're coming from both sides of the street now too and the light is almost ready to turn back to red.  They are oblivious to any vehicles.  I think I'm finally clear and edge into the crosswalk to finally negoitiate my right turn when some little twirp, who has already crossed, hops off the curb darting in front of my car.  He bangs on my front fender -- the international signal for Ratzo Rizzo's "Hey, I'm walkin' here!" -- and then spits at my car.  I'm usually very mellow in traffic. 

But the spittle and the fact that this hive of malfunctioning units just didn't have a clue about how to "look both ways" before crossing got me riled enough to roll down my window and shout an obscenity at him.  A few seconds later I felt a little diminished by the outburst and thought about how crappy I'd have felt if I hit him.  How I probably would have visited him in the hospital and wished him a full recovery.  But then I thought... I can't bring myself to that point of concern. Sometimes I really question the once brilliant notion of universal public education.

So, my pet peeve.  Large groups of teenagers oblivious to traffic whose parents never taught them how to cross the street.  Whenever I read about a kid getting hit by a car outside a school, I understand just how easily that can happen.  You're an idiot, babe, it's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

Susan the Temporarily Short Tempered

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Aw Susan, excuse me but I found that story funny. I could picture the scene with you and I can't help wondering what epithet you used on the jerk : ) You should have hauwked a lugie at him.

I get impatient when the  driver ahead of me with white hair is turtleing along slowing me down, and then I remember that the pokey driver is probably just 9 or 10 years older than I am !

Ben:  "We've laid in a gala reception for your fair-haired boys tonight.  All of Twin Peaks' best and brightest."

Jerry: "We're holding it in a phone booth?"

Yes, driving is a pet peevish zone.  I follow the general rule of thumb never to walk or drive in front of or behind the very young or the very old. 

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

The little bitch
Is awfully sorry
The little bitch
Drinks you up

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

I'm all for that bumper sticker.

Adding Happy People and Pregnant People to my list.

The little bitch
Is awfully sorry
The little bitch
Drinks you up

Working two doors down from a faux Irish bar today.

Said faux Irish bars facade which is intended, apparently, to make it look quaint and 'Irish' but in effect only serves as a roost for the local pigeon population who cover that quarter of the sidewalk in a new layer of crap every morning.  The crap is sort of greenish though so I guess is goes with the theme.

Speaking of annoying architectural affectations; the EMP and the Main Seattle Library.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

Ben:  "We've laid in a gala reception for your fair-haired boys tonight.  All of Twin Peaks' best and brightest."

Jerry: "We're holding it in a phone booth?"

GRRRRRRRR.....

"REDBEAR!"

"Yes Master?"

"Have you been practicing your compassion?"

"...yes master."

"Really?"

"I'm trying master."

"Well try harder."

"It's difficult master."

"That's why they call it a struggle nitwit, you're supposed to sweat.*"

(That was adapted from Tsai Chih Chungs most excellent  Zen Speaks, one of his eastern philosophy comic books (Brian Bruya translator) which are highly recommended.  The last line was ripped off borrowed from the Blue Scholars, a Seattle Hip Hop duo who are also highly recommended.)

Rant On;

So we got a letter from the city yesterday telling us how, due to a state supreme court ruling, we a going to be getting a rebate for the charges that the city tacked on to water bills to pay for some thing or another when they weren't supposed to.  On the back side of the letter there is a notice that the city council approved a 10+% service charge for the water bill to offset the costs of having to pay us a rebate.  I have little doubt that, in the end, the total cost of the service fee will be more than the rebate and that there is the potential for an endless cycle of rebates and service fees.

So, my pet peeve?  At the moment stupid, asinine bureaucracies. 

Rant Off.

Thank you.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

I've come to wonder about 'suck' as a pejorative.  I've actually been pretty found of everyone I've ever know to suck and those I've suspected of sucking have, by and large, been fairly inoffensive.  Sure some of them have been jerks and assholes but not above the general level of jerkisness and assholery displayed by the baseline human population.

It has, in fact, been those folks who are the most adamant that they do not suck that have displayed the worst aspects of human nature in the greatest concentration.  They are so adamant, to the point of threatening physical violence, about the fact that they don't suck and about the generally negative nature of those who do that these days I have to keep myself from giggling while I think (but don't say (well, most of the time)) 'Someone is repressing.'

Anyway, my pet peeve?   Uh, people who prattle on endlessly about off topic things on the internet.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

It's only falsely flirting if that's your intention. If someone can't tell the difference between friendly conversation and eye contact from flirting, blame wishful thinking.

lol    

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper