It is amazing to me that the size and weight of laptops keeps going down, but the “brick” that plugs into the power stays the same or gets bigger.  Can’t they figure that part out?  Until there are batteries in laptops that can last 8 hours, we’ll just have to lug that 5lb brick along.  Ever notice that the size and weight attributes on a laptop never include the power “brick”!

Can I pleeeze just talk to someone or hit ‘zero’ and go directly to a live person? I hate, hate, hate, hate being given twelve options to “input” on a call - worse yet, I must hear all the options repeated ( which takes three mintues) before I select a second option. Some call trees don’t allow you to talk to a live person if your account isn’t profitable enough — I know because I have worked for companies who held this policy. Of course, the reasoning behind this is to better target the ’superb’ service you will get. Did I already mention what I think when the service rep asks for my thirty-two digit account number after I’ve keyed it into the phone a moment ago?

Unless you are on the airline’s frequent flyer program, there is none left for you.  It seems everyone wants to carry on their luggage these days.  Can you blame them with all lost luggage?  My only gripe is there are some people who carry on two bags and use more than their fair share of overhead bin space.

At least that is what I was taught in driver’s ed.  This morning I had to take a two hour trip on the freeway and I was quickly reminded of why I hate driving that particular stretch of road.  It is a freeway, but it has only 2 lanes in each direction.  If it had three or more lanes, I probably wouldn’t have this gripe, but why do so many drivers just cruise in the left lane? 

It gets so annoying to catch up to a group of cars and not be able to pass anyone because the driver in the left lane is going the same speed as the driver in the right lane.  Get out of the way!  If you are not going to pass using the left lane, then don’t use it. 

Makes you wonder if some drivers have even taken driver’s ed.  Is it still offered?  In some states, all you need to do is pass the written exam and a very limited driving test.  Is this really enough?

Why do I keep getting mail addressed to “Joseph”? My name is Joe! And it is always from those charity groups asking for donations. Guess what? You want some money, get my name right.

I never knew what this was until I tried something new with my credit card.  I wanted to try paperless billing.  So I got this notice with one of my credit card statements that said to sign up for paperless billing.  Sounded like a great idea, not that I am into the Green movement, but why not.  So I go online, visit the credit card’s website and bam, in only 10 minutes I am signed up for paperless billing.

Let’s think about what I just did.  With “snail mail”, I usually get about 10 “important” pieces of mail a month.  This includes bills, statements, invitations, etc.  You know, stuff you really care about.  With email, I probably get about 10 emails an hour.  Everything from SPAM, replies, advertisements, etc.  In other words, a lot of shit.  So what happens, I mistakenly deleted my first “paperless bill” thinking it was some king of phishing scam because I forgot I had signed up for this about 30 days prior. 

After another few days, I thought, “Hmmm, where’s my credit card statement?  Why hasn’t it come in the mail?  Isn’t it due by now?”  Then I remembered I signed up for paperless billing.  “Oh shit, I better log on and check what I need to do to make the payment.”  Too late.  Apparently, I was now over due.  This was on an account in which I had the card for over 10 years and never had a late payment.  So in my attempt to “modernize” by using paperless billing, I had mistakenly caused myself to have a late payment.

Now the worse part.  Not only was the interest rate on the credit card jacked up, but it was also jacked up on my other card because it has what is called a “Universal Default” clause.  This means this other card has the right to jack up my rates if I default on any other card.  What kind of shit is that! 

So, be careful out there when making changes in how you get your bills.  I tried going the “paperless” route, but it sure didn’t work for me.  So I called the credit card company to change me back to Paper Billing and monthly statements mailed to me each month.  It is the system I have used and it works fine.  I wonder if the credit card companies developed this ploy to line their pocket books.  I bet I am not the only person this has happened to.

Ok, I talk on my cell all the time while I drive. . .call me a driver who talks or a talker who drives. My real issue is those people who can’t do both at the same time!! Yet, they always do — slowing traffic down or worse. At least they are having very important, life or death conversations right? “Uh, dude, uh. . .did you call me? Cool, yeah let’s see the 7pm movie. . .no, no not that one, I hate that actor. . .remember when we. . OH XXXX! Some guy almost hit me. . anyway, remember that party. . . . .

It gets to be that time of the afternoon when I need a little break, so I enter the address of a news website and forget I had turned up my speakers for a conference call.  Not five seconds later, a commercial for a laxative blares out of my computer.  As fast as you can say “fahrvergnugen” I turn off the speakers. 

Too late, my boss already heard it and immediately I get that look “why are you not doing your job!”.  It doesn’t matter that I finished my project and wanted a little break.  Stupid video.  And why does every video online now have to start with a commercial and on top of that, the commercial is usually louder than the video that plays afterwards.  These sites need to give us a choice somehow whether or not we want videos to auto-start or not.

And no, I am not talking about the emails you get from a mystery source. 

I am talking about emails you send to someone you know and you never hear back form them.  Did it get lost in the “e” mail?  I often wonder why someone will not answer a simple email from someone.  If I get a request for something, I will usually respond, whether I can or cannot do what I was asked with a simple reply by email or even a phone call.  Sometimes, I will not reply if I am seeing the person face to face later in the day.  But if I didn’t offend, or at least I don’t know if I offended, why would someone not reply to an email.  Maybe the “REPLY” button doesn’t work.  Mystery indeed!

What ever happened to common courtesy on the road?  Does anyone take driver education classes anymore?  I cannot believe how many rude and bad drivers there are out there.  It is so typical now to encounter the following;

• You are trying to merge onto the freeway, but there is a car in the lane you are trying to merge to.  So what happens, instead of them slowing down to allow you to merge, they speed up!  This has happened to me about three times in the last week.
• You spot someone leaving a parking spot at the mall.  You position your car to park there and turn on the turn signal.  But as the car pulls out and blocks your path, some idiot comes along and just parks in the spot.
• You come to a four-way stop at the same another car pulls up and the other driver never learned the rules such as, the first car to the intersection has the right of way or if you arrive at the same time, the car on the right has the right of way.  I am amazed mostly by the idiots that do not even stop!
• You are at a stop light and straight ahead the two lanes merge into one.  The light turns green, so you proceed.  Now, I am not racing, just driving my normal speed and so is the guy in the left lane.  And wouldn’t you know it, just as you try to merge into the lane, that idiot on the left will just speed up and try block your merging.  This wasn’t a race you idiot.
• This one is one of the worst situations.  You spot a parking space and you have to parallel park.  Now parallel parking is one of the hardest things to do.  So you pull in front, set the blinker and just as you start to reverse, the idiot behind you comes up too close to your rear bumper making impossible to go in reverse.  Then the idiot starts honking his horn.
• The other one is when you are pulling out of a parking spot and the other drivers don’t stop to allow you to pull out.  Even when a large truck is next to you making it impossible for you to see approaching traffic.

Anyone else have similar gripes?