Things that make me go arghhhh! Part 1

I figure that this wouldn’t be a true blog without random kvetching about nothing in particular.

So in that spirit, I present semi-aimless carping about disconnected aspects of modern life, or, with apologies to Arsenio Hall, what I like to call “Things that make me go arghhhh!”:

• When a store’s website inventory checker says something is in stock and you plan a special trip to a particular outlet based on that information, only to find out that the item you want isn’t there. This happens to me so often that you’d think I’d learn not to bang my head against the wall again and again. (Here’s looking at you, Canadian Tire!) Note to self: remember to use the telephone next time.

• American web retailers that won’t ship to Canada. It’s a major pain when you want a product that’s not available here, but is easy to get down south. It feels like the Internet is mocking you.

• School administrators who won’t listen to parents and assume that they’re just doing PR for their kids. Doesn’t this violate most schools’ and school boards’ pledges to work with parents as partners? Or does it really mean that educators want parents to simply back up what they say and do, irrespective of whether it makes sense or not for your child?

• Left-wing Jews who have few, if any, ties to the Jewish community, but are quick to criticize it. Join or get involved in some way. Trust me: you’ll find even more to complain about.

• Right-wing Jews who like conservative parties’ social traditionalism but overlook how these parties’ individualist or realist bents are at odds with Judaism’s core values of tzedakah (righteousness/charity), community and tikkun olam (repairing the world).

• People who can’t embrace life’s ambiguities and contradictions. It’s not all neat and tidy.

• People who see attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (a.k.a. ADHD) in every little boy who can’t be bothered to follow adult rules. (You know who you are.)

They may also apply a thrust in that direction. cialis 20 mg The influences that existed before the success of levitra canada prescription the treatment can probably cause trouble while trying to make sure he doesn’t get to you. The cost of medicines is scaling new height every day and sildenafil 100mg price recommended people are looking ways to get affordable treatment. It is widely acclaimed as the best herbal remedy to reduce arthritis joint pain and inflammation. http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/sloth/ cheap cialis • People who are too earnest, and their doppelgangers, people with no sense of humour. That should be considered a disorder.

• People who don’t do their jobs well, either because they can’t be bothered, or  because lack skills and are in over their heads. I meet pinheads like this all the time and in all kinds of spheres. They make me want to scream. Unfortunately, most of the time, you don’t know who you are.

• Glaring omissions from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, such as the Guess Who, Rush, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Kiss, Jethro Tull, Hall & Oates, the Doobie Brothers, Deep Purple, Chicago, the Cars, the Moody Blues, Joe Cocker, Warren Zevon, the Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Boston, Peter Gabriel (on his own) Dire Straits, Squeeze, Linda Rondstadt, Jan and Dean, Billy Preston, the Commodores, ELO, Blood Sweat and Tears. And yet, Guns N’ Roses is being inducted this year? Even Slash thinks leaving out Rush and Kiss is weird. What is Jann Wenner smoking? (Actually, we know what Jann Wenner is smoking.) Guess he isn’t too fond of the ’70s, but really, who was?

• Humorless, misanthropic left-wingers. I’ll never forget when I was in grad school and went to Vancouver for reading week one year to visit a couple of buddies in law school there. Upon my return, I was on the elevator heading to York University’s poli sci department with the TA union steward, a dour, skinny guy with a dirty blond beard, torn jeans and a grey canvas rucksack whose specialty was environmental politics. We exchanged pleasantries and asked each other how our weeks had been. I mentioned that I had travelled to Vancouver for the first time, and that despite having a personal interest in geography, I hadn’t realized that snow-capped mountains were visible from central parts of the city. I marvelled that it was the most naturally beautiful city I had ever visited, like a national park with 1.7 million people in it. His response? “Yeah. It’s a shame about the 1.7 million people.” I was so floored, I was speechless. It’s never a shame about 1.7 million people. What an idiot.

• Humorless, misanthropic right-wingers. There are just too many of those people to mention.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I hope to return to some of these themes in future posts.

But for now, at least I can now proudly say, “I whine, therefore I am.”

End of wRant.