Showing posts with label annoyances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label annoyances. Show all posts

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Frustrations of the Modern World


There isn't anything more frustrating than when something that usually works, stops working. Imagine, you're set to watch your favourite match on TV, or your favourite show (either the premier or the final) and your TV doesn't work.

You might take it calmly.  You might rationalize that machines sometimes break.  The key word in that sentence (for me at least) is the you.  You might, but I simply can't.  When I expect something to work, like the TV or computer, and it doesn't, I flip my lid.  I go absolutely ballistic.  Imagine a cartoon character...... you get the point.

I was all set to check something out on streaming video and it didn't work.  I haven't sworn like that in ages.  My poor cat was probably wondering why I was so worked up.  He probably hasn't heard that language since the hard drive in my last computer was so clogged that it took an hour just to do the startup routine.  I slapped that machine silly, in addition to teaching it all the expletives I knew in English, Japanese, Spanish, French and Korean.  That's right, I showed that machine who's boss.

Is it wrong to expect things to work?  Is that how disposable society has become?  When was the last time a machine made you so angry?

The problem has been fixed...without machine homicide...and it probably wasn't my machine, but something that originated at the source....but it still made me angry.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Do Not Call List


I put myself on the do not call list because I didn't want anyone to call.  What I understood was except for charities and government pollsters, I would be left to go about my business undisturbed.

This does not seem to be the case.  Since going on the do not call list, I have been bothered at least once a week (though often more) by people offering to clean my air ducts.  In fact, as it is Saturday morning, I suspect that one of these calls will happen any minute now.  I can't really express how much this bothers me...though I have tried to express it to these people on a number of times.

I know how she feels
Some of the things that I have done to register my displeasure, beyond swearing, name calling, and other acts of hostility include one of my favourites.  I answered, they asked to speak to me, then I offered to go and get the person they were referring to.  Then I waited a minute and told them to wait a little longer.  I repeated this step for about 10 minutes.  To what end?  Besides personal satisfaction, I probably kept 10 other people from being bothered that day.  Sadly I couldn't stop it from happening another day.

Do any of you have any strategies?  I'd love to hear them.