So-
Yesterday, i took my little laptop and some books with me so i could continue learning how to create a Microsoft Sharepoint Server site (don't ask... but, seriously, for me it's fun).
So at one point i end up at an Irish bar on Dupont Circle. My laptop starts to run out of power, and i look around for outlet. There's only 1! And it's at a table off to the side (and currently occupied). So i'm thinking, what the $&*#?
It's 2008! The world is a mess of electronic devices. Every person sitting in the place has at least one (if not more) devices on them that require charging (phone, pda, music player, camera, laptop, etc). How is it possible that in a modern establishment, there are not power outlets available?
After the people at the table near the outlet leave, i move over and plug in. Then, walks in a couple.
Annoyance #2: Beer choice
Ok, so you go to an Irish bar (run by an actual Irishman), and on tap there is Guinness, Harp, Smithwhicks, Heineken, and so on (not to mention the selection of imported beers in bottles).
And what does the guy order? A bottle of Miller Lite. Really? Why not just go get a sixpack of beer (with the white label that simply says "Beer") and go sit and drink it out of a paper bag in the park?
My head begins to hurt with all this 'high-level, important' thinking, so i decide to leave. But not before noticing the basketball game on one of the TV's.
Annoyance #3: Now i'm not good at sports- but everyone knows that and i'm not out to be a professional player. But these guys playing basketball. They do this all the time (in the case of college) or are paid for it (professional players).
How is it that they can miss a free-throw shot? Seriously. They should be able to do it blindfolded. I've never seen so many people miss the basket while standing there, taking their time, perfectly matched up to the basket, with no one in their way. ?????
Annoyance #4: Charity Marathons
there was a commercial on. it showed the same starving children in Africa pictures that we've all grown up seeing (the volume was off, so i don't know where the pictures were actually from). Then, it shows us. Americans. All decked out in our fancy running shoes, in a park, wearing custom-printed shirts for the marathon, using custom printed water bottles. Running. Running to save these starving children.
I am so sick of this #&$@. If you want to do something, give the money directly to one of the reputable aid organizations, go volunteer, take up some political activism... but running? I don't understand this? All the money that goes into these stupid marathons. What a waste. It was almost like a joke. To see the juxtaposition of the starving, fly-covered children next to the images of the happy and fit Americans enjoying themselves and their run through a park.
Ok- last annoyance(for the day):
Online ordering. I live in Washington, DC. Usually, when placing an order online, you need to solve a mystery as to how to fill out the city and state on the order form (remember, we're not officially a state). Sometimes if you put Washington, DC in the city form, it won't accept it. That's fine. Just put Washington. But when you get to the drop down list for the state, it could be listed as:
Washington, DC; or DC; or District of Columbia.
Not so bad. But what angers and annoys me is when none of these options are present. It happens more often than you would think! I can't subscribe to, or purchase from online places because i can't choose a "state" that matches my home address or credit card information. I tried to order and download some software for my PDA once and ran into this problem. I went so far as to call the place and they couldn't understand why it would be an issue! I told them: i have to put an address that matches the billing address of my credit card, or it will get rejected. Didn't phase them.
