Random thing you loathe right now.

Parallax Abstraction wrote:

Bank: "You are too high risk."

That's just BankSpeak for: we think we can make more money off you in the long run by making you use your credit card more.

BlackBerries. I see people janking with these things every time I get on the subway. Some people even have little holsters for them, like they're old West six-shooters ready to communicate a desperado to death at the drop of a hat.

Other times they are prop pieces for a really lame pick-up / I'm-so-rich interpersonal event (oh, my job is super important, just let me halfheartedly pay attention to what you're saying while I send this hilarious Dick in a Box video to all of my loafer-wearing friends).

The best part is that many companies provide 'free' BlackBerries to employees, and almost everybody sees this as a fringe benefit like a gas fund or gratuities card or something. Nobody seems to understand that they are receiving a complimentary electronic shackle so they can be called to account at any (formerly free) time by their micro-managing superiors.

Anyway, none of these complaints are new, but they are resurfacing as I'm being forced to write things about the BlackBerry Bold this week. It's sitting in front of me, blinking impudently.

Renal physiology small-groups. It's bad enough that precious hours of my all-too-brief life are being spent studying the damned kidneys, but you make me sit through two hours of excruciatingly slow group-style learning when I could learn twice as much in half the time just by reading? We really need a surgeon track at my school that lets us skip the ethics, compassion, and cooperative group-learning activities.

Novocain wrote:

Here's one: I've been boycotting this supermarket named Shur Save. I hate the intentional misspelling.

There's a ... you know, I don't know what they sell, exactly. The name of the store is "Cozzy Coverings". I cringe every time I see it.

Coldstream wrote:

Renal physiology small-groups. It's bad enough that precious hours of my all-too-brief life are being spent studying the damned kidneys, but you make me sit through two hours of excruciatingly slow group-style learning when I could learn twice as much in half the time just by reading? We really need a surgeon track at my school that lets us skip the ethics, compassion, and cooperative group-learning activities. :P

I'd rather not be operated on by a surgeon with no ethics or compassion. But that's just me!

Disclaimer: not saying that you are (or will be) like that, just in general

Bluetooth earpieces! They have a valid use in automobiles etc, but to wear them all the freaking time?!

News flash to the bluetools doing this: It's not a fashion statement, unless your fashion is an ongoing Lt. Uhura cosplay. Pull the darn thing out of your ear and stop pretending you're so incredibly important that everyone needs to be able to speak to you on the telephone (hands free) right flipping now!

This from the perspective of a father with a sick boy who was stuck waiting in line to buy medicine behind a rude idiot who was too busy fumbling with his earpiece to speak with the cashier and complete his transaction. Our city was on the verge of seeing its first rectal bluetooth installation.

Lexmark, whose Vista drivers lock up the Print Spooler at best.

Random drivers who think it's funny to honk, buzz or even actually try to run over commuting cyclists (i.e. me).

Conversely, stupid cyclists who think they don't have to follow the same rules as cars, and run lights, go to the front at stop signs, don't signal for turns, etc., and just generally being asses and setting the drivers out there against the rest of us who actually try.

Supervisors.

IE 6 can go eat a giant donkey dick, please. Ugh.

Clemenstation wrote:

BlackBerries. I see people janking with these things every time I get on the subway. Some people even have little holsters for them, like they're old West six-shooters ready to communicate a desperado to death at the drop of a hat.

Other times they are prop pieces for a really lame pick-up / I'm-so-rich interpersonal event (oh, my job is super important, just let me halfheartedly pay attention to what you're saying while I send this hilarious Dick in a Box video to all of my loafer-wearing friends).

The best part is that many companies provide 'free' BlackBerries to employees, and almost everybody sees this as a fringe benefit like a gas fund or gratuities card or something. Nobody seems to understand that they are receiving a complimentary electronic shackle so they can be called to account at any (formerly free) time by their micro-managing superiors.

Anyway, none of these complaints are new, but they are resurfacing as I'm being forced to write things about the BlackBerry Bold this week. It's sitting in front of me, blinking impudently.

Heh, I see where you're coming from, but I live by my BlackBerry (currently a Bold), especially for keeping track of appointments on those days when I have 5 meetings/events. I mainly use it to keep in close contact with my secretary, which means that I *don't* have to be in the office all the damn time. She can just put an appointment on my calendar, and I know right away what time I need to be wherever the hell I'm going. I do make an effort not to be fooling with it when I'm talking to someone, but that's just basic cell phone etiquette.

As for things I loathe right now: freaking {ableist slur} COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO DON'T CHECK THEIR EMAIL. Here's why: we had a group of students going to study this summer in a small town in France. We got notice just a few weeks prior to the departure date that the host institution was canceling the program due to financial difficulties. Many of the students had already bought air fare. So, I performed several minor miracles and set up a new and completely awesome program for them, which included 3 hours tuition at a university and three weeks rent in a double apartment with nice kitchen for 900 euros....in Paris. I haven't seen any other program anywhere in France this summer that comes even close to being that cheap. The thing is, we had very little time to make this happen; the rooms had to be reserved within 4 days, and because 2 students didn't check their email for almost a week we didn't have enough confirmed participants to make it a go (we just barely had the minimum number to start with), and no one was able to do it. I was very annoyed, because I put a lot of effort into it, solely for their benefit--neither I nor my institution get anything out of them doing it this way. But because my messages didn't come in the form of Facebook updates, they didn't read them until it was too late.

Clemenstation wrote:

BlackBerries. I see people janking with these things every time I get on the subway. Some people even have little holsters for them, like they're old West six-shooters ready to communicate a desperado to death at the drop of a hat.

Other times they are prop pieces for a really lame pick-up / I'm-so-rich interpersonal event (oh, my job is super important, just let me halfheartedly pay attention to what you're saying while I send this hilarious Dick in a Box video to all of my loafer-wearing friends).

The best part is that many companies provide 'free' BlackBerries to employees, and almost everybody sees this as a fringe benefit like a gas fund or gratuities card or something. Nobody seems to understand that they are receiving a complimentary electronic shackle so they can be called to account at any (formerly free) time by their micro-managing superiors.

Anyway, none of these complaints are new, but they are resurfacing as I'm being forced to write things about the BlackBerry Bold this week. It's sitting in front of me, blinking impudently.

Oh man I love my Blackberry, I really do. And it does start conversations sometimes =D And you can stay on the windows msn thing chatting all day while you're in the bathroom and stuff

I'll be sure to read your BB Bold Review!

I wouldn't mind the Windows key if it worked more like the Mac's command key. That is, if it were a modifier key that could be repurposed within programs rather than, as someone mentioned, taking you out of a game and to the desktop.

buzzvang wrote:

Lexmark, whose Vista drivers lock up the Print Spooler at best.

I hate printers. All of them. I'm a little bit miffed that I now have one at home. So much of my job in tech. support is fixing people's locked-up printer queues or pulling little ribbons of paper out of the printer itself.

Conference calls. We had a conference call to prepare for the conference call.

Then my manager tells the potential partner company that we're "slated for 3 developers" when he damn well knows we only have 2, we're going to have only 2 for the foreseeable future, and he's the one who laid off developer #3 in January.

Also, I do not loathe this thread.

adam.greenbrier wrote:

I hate printers. All of them. I'm a little bit miffed that I now have one at home. So much of my job in tech. support is fixing people's locked-up printer queues or pulling little ribbons of paper out of the printer itself.

Our software is printing software. I absolutely hate printers too.

Contractors who think 2-3 days are equal to 2 weeks. He's not going to be doing any work in/on my house. He'd probably get 2-3 inches confused with 2-3 feet and I'd end up doing 2-3 years for homicide.

Chumpy_McChump wrote:
Novocain wrote:

Here's one: I've been boycotting this supermarket named Shur Save. I hate the intentional misspelling.

There's a ... you know, I don't know what they sell, exactly. The name of the store is "Cozzy Coverings". I cringe every time I see it.

I used to live near a store called Shar Kare. I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. The store itself was bizarre, too. It started out as a combination grocery/pet supply store, then half of it turned into a hardware store which primarily sold lawn mowers and beach towels with bald eagles on them.

RedJen wrote:

Contractors who think 2-3 days are equal to 2 weeks.

Classic. "It should only take 2-3 days.*cough*fromwhenwestartthejob,possiblyinamonthorso*cough*"

My kitty is dying.

ColdForged wrote:

My kitty is dying.

Sadly, so is one of mine. My sympathy to you....

ColdForged wrote:

My kitty is dying.

The inhumanely small amount of vacation time that american companies think it's OK to give their employees.

I'm rapidly approaching burnout point, as evidenced by the fact that I'm outrageously excited for the coming 3 day weekend. Bring on August when I'll have my first vacation in 18 months...

AustinLiz wrote:

Not being able allowed to sleep last night by my 16-month-old son even remotely close to a bed because of my senior year finals as an undergrad.

Updated for the college world.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Conference calls.

Yes, I concur. Conference calls are the biggest cluster f*ck in the corporate world. No one knows how to use the damn conf call function on their desk phone with 1000 buttons on it. How many time have you heard, 'If I hang up on you, I'll call you back,' then followed by a bunch of button pushing, then 'Hello? Hello? Are you there?' then followed by a bunch of expletives.

Blue Puma wrote:
ColdForged wrote:

My kitty is dying.

Sadly, so is one of mine. My sympathy to you....

Same to you, bud.

Blue Puma wrote:
ColdForged wrote:

My kitty is dying.

Sadly, so is one of mine. My sympathy to you....

My sympathies to both of you. That's so hard.

adam.greenbrier wrote:

My sympathies to both of you. That's so hard.

Agreed. Even though our cat is a little sh*tbag I am not looking forward to that day. Hopefully it is many many years off yet

The possibility of my company potentially moving my office from Reading to the Welsh border (which for me would totally suck due to the remoteness from all the things in my life that are important), but not actually saying either way, just repeatedly saying "there's a consultation process going on". AARGH.

AustinLiz wrote:

Wouldn't you rather have the friend speech via email rather than have to look at her while she's saying it?

Nah, I'd rather have it in person, or not at all. Just say: I'm not interested. Don't make the lame pretense of the friend thing. 'Cuz really, no one every means it.

FSeven wrote:

No matter how much I shake it and dance, the last two drops always end up in my pants.

AMEN!

Jonman wrote:

The inhumanely small amount of vacation time that american companies think it's OK to give their employees.

I'm rapidly approaching burnout point, as evidenced by the fact that I'm outrageously excited for the coming 3 day weekend. Bring on August when I'll have my first vacation in 18 months...

This +1.

When you have to plan to use sick days as vacation days, you don't get near enough vacation. I'm hoping by the time I have kids, that I have gotten in at a job that at least gives me 3-4 weeks instead of the normal 2.