Well, you clicked it, so I offer no more apologies for what I write below. If you would like to add your gripes to this page, I'm happy to start a separate section for your gripes. I will decide if they warrant being posted, but otherwise, let fly! I will not be posting tasteless language, or other content that I feel is out of line with the tone of this site.

Here's the preliminary list of topics, and there will be more to come.

1. Women
2. Smoking and smokers
3. Idiot drivers
4. Authority figures
5. Politics
6. Laws
7. Taxes

First off, let me make clear that I don't have a problem with a person just because of her gender. I work with women in my profession daily, and have gained a good appreciation for the strengths that women bring to life. Having said that, allow me to put forth some comments that apply to women in the context of relationships and dating.

1. Women have an amazing ability to make decisions based on nothing but feeling. Of course, from a man's point of view, that is idiocy, as any man knows feelings won't help fix a car, build a house, or anything else "real" in this world. I am certainly not about to downplay the importance of feelings and emotions, but just as I, being male, have had to learn to use emotions to balance my painfully logical thinking, so women too should learn to include logic in their thinking. It may not be necessary for women to actually originate the logic themselves, as long as they listen to the logical advice of the men around them.
2. Women, take heed: It is neither necessary nor appreciated that you use your ability to toy with men. Any of you men who have had to ride the rollercoaster of a relationship with an unstable woman will shout with glee at the above sentence. I don't speak for all men, I know, but I deeply dispise, or to put it more strongly, HATE, the games that I find women playing with me. I often hear the refrain sung by women that "men don't respect women." Well, let me set this straight. I, and many men like myself, used to respect women. After the emotional beatings we have gotten, and the unscrupulous behaviors we've dealt with from the women we cared for, it is difficult for us to behave as though we respect you women.
   More to come on this subject...

Again let me start with a caveat: I am a nurse, and deal with the end-product of a life of smoking daily. Therefore, my perspective is very harsh, and as a non-smoker, many of you who hide behind your "addiction" will accuse me of not knowing what I'm talking about. So be it. That in no way diminishes my views.

1. News Flash: Cigarette smoke (not to mention other kinds of tobacco smoke) stinks! Furthermore, it doesn't at all go with food! So for all you whiney little smoker people out there who witch and moan about how difficult it is to find a place to smoke, get a life! I don't flatulate in your face, don't smoke in mine.
2. The road, of which we all share ownership, is just that, a road. It is not your personal ashtray, so please, keep your butts to yourself. The same goes for parking lots, sidewalks, and anywhere else not designated as a waste recepticle.If you love smoking so much, why don't you just develop a taste for the butts too? That way, the rest of us won't have to deal with them...By the way, does anybody out there know how long it takes for a cigarette butt to disintegrate?
3. There was a day when you could honestly say "I didn't know it would hurt me." That day is so long past that it is no longer a valid excuse. Even your beloved tobacco company admits that it kills. Do you not care?? Then there's "I'm only hurting myself..." There's a load of crap. Have you ever stood by the bedside of someone dying of cancer, or emphysema, or heart disease, and watched those who love the person cry? Then keep watching: Chances are the children of the dying person go out and smoke, to deal with the pain of watching their parent die. Where did they learn to do that? From you!
4. Smoking parents are child abusers. I know that'll get some of you going. I ask you this: Does your child have a choice of getting away from your smoke? Does your child sit in a car where you are studiously sucking on your little white coffin nail, with the window cracked while you carefully blow your carcinogenic fumes out? Your child is learning alot about life, and you are responsible. "Mommy, why can't I do that?" Haven't you ever heard that children learn more from example than from verbal instruction? Or do you really care?
5. Who is paying for your habit? Let's see...you purchase the cigarettes. Your insurance pays for your illnesses. That is, assuming you have insurance. When it runs out, who pays for it? I do. My tax dollars are paying for your treatment, and I'm a little disgusted with you for it. I don't mind at all helping to pay for naturally occurring illnesses that aren't the result of lifestyle choices, but smoking is not a natural cause!

I imagine that after this tirade, you'll not have too many questions about how I see smoking, but in case you do, feel free to let me know.

Nothing gets my goat like someone on the road who is exhibiting signs of DWHUA (Driving With Head Up [butt]). Here are some examples of such IDIOTIC behavior:

1. Inability to comprehend how to use an on-ramp or off-ramp. These are also known as Acceleration and Deceleration lanes. Now, how do they work? They make sure none of these people who drive have to deal with rolling roadblocks, ie., cars traveling at less than the posted speed limit. The ultimate trangression of this? Stopping to look at traffic on the on-ramp. The incessant horn noise and wild waving and shouting and signing may very well be me behind you.
2. Left-lane hogs. You know them when you see them...they make you pass on the right side of the interstate. Usually they're to ingrossed in something else to care about the line of 25 cars behind them chomping at the bit to drive up and ram their back bumper until they are jolted to reality...
3. Cigarette butts flying out of car windows. Refer to above. This gripe also applies to the throwing of bottles and any other trash out of your car window. My road remains NOT YOUR TRASH CAN, and I don't appreciate you littering it.
4. Inappropriate use of a turn signal. For some reason that escapes me, a significant portion of drivers here in the South insist on using their own turn signal if the car in front of them is turning. Here's the problem. I'm 2 cars back from the turning vehicle. The cars between myself and the turning vehicle are also dutifully flashing their left turn signal. So I consider it safe to pass on the ample right shoulder. About half-way through this pass, car number 1 has his chance and turns. Now car number 2 starts driving straight ahead, right where I need to be returning to the lane. It turns out that the idiot in car 2 never meant to turn. Now I'm jamming my gas pedal to the floor to make sure I get in safely! Please don't be the idiot in car number 2.

I'm sure there'll be more additions to this list, too. Stay tuned...