Hey kids! This week I am doing 2 mini-gripes on subjects that have distressed me in the last 2 weeks. So strap yourselves in...

1) MSN Hotmail. I know what you're thinking: How can I complain about something that's of no charge to me? Well I say very easily. And here is why: Since 1999 Hotmail has redesigned itself about 3 times. The first 2 I can understand; the first time it was for ease-of-use features and uniformity purposes and the second time to integrate with the emerging MSN.com portal. This last change though, makes no sense whatsoever and the only thing it succeeds in doing is pissing me off daily. Some of the "niceties" as introduced to me by MSN's email to me (as if I couldn't see for myself already) included a sidebar that indicated all my mail folders, and highlighted bars indicating new or selected messages. Those being the only 2 operating differences. The rest of it is cosmetic and asinine, as the graphics- and content-laden pages slow down my connection and system. I'm sure the new Hotmail look was tailored for users with high speed connections such as myself, but when it bogs down all other Internet and outside application activities, the idea should probably be investigated and rethought. So fix the shit! As they say in AA, "if it ain't broke don't fix it," but Li'l Billy Gates and his Microsoft toy seem to be immune to that law of nature.

2) Other girls' boyfriends. I am probably the only one in the nation fired up about this. (God, my knee hurts.) Um, this is actually something that has bugged me for a couple of years. Now I'm not talking about every girl's boyfriend, so chill, Jason and Emily. I am talking about the ones, and you know who you are, who just don't have any respect for their girlfriends. These are the guys who will take them out in public to a place she is obviously not interested in being at, then flaunting her like a piece of meat or just being a general ass to her. As in like, shushing her or pulling her with him. Then there's the guys who love their girlfriend so much they can't help but berate them in public. That's so sweet. Hey, asses, listen up: Your girl is NOT an object; please don't treat her like one. And I also like those guys who are so eager to protect their girlfriends, that they don't let them talk to anyone. "Oh, Anthony, I love you so much I don't even want to talk to anyone else." "That's good Amy, 'cause I'm making sure you won't." What the bloody hell? Is it that important that she has no contact with the outside world? Or are you just an obnoxious, narcissistic control freak? I think it's probably #2. Here's an idea, let the girl go and enforce your control by having relations with another macho control freak of a guy. What posesses guys to do this? The whole thing is I don't know, and it bugs the hell out of me. So guys, please treat your girls with respect. It is the very least they deserve.

Labels: GOTW