Parents Who Condescend to Their Children

I know parents who say not an encouraging word to their children. They always expect the worst. When the children's names are mentioned, the parents jump first to the worst conclusion. The parents ask for something, the children try to fulfill the request, the parent is disappointed and pulls a, "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself" attitude. An adult makes the same mistake, it is a natural mistake that any could have made. The parents look to their peers with a smile and their children with a frown and eye-roll.

You know, dear pessimistic parents, you receive what you expect. If you think of your children more pleasantly and with respect, maybe you will see something more than a child. Other people should not be more attentive to your children than you are.

(Note: Written in September, marked as a draft, forgotten, posted in December. Mystery of ghost blog entries: Solved. Request: Richard, finish your numbers entry!)

Inconsistent Facebook Statuses

Annoyance:
[Person's Name] is going to the mall and I am really not looking forward to it.
[Person's Name] is OMG CHRISTMAS!
[Person's Name] I want to go to the movies.

Do you see the problem?

Correction:
[Person's Name] is going to the mall and he is really not looking forward to it.
[Person's Name] is excited for Christmas OMGZ. !!
[Person's Name] wants to go to the movies.

You have to follow through. If you start out one way, that is the way you must finish. If you write a book in the third person, you don't change to the first person midway through a chapter! Unless you say, "[Character]'s thoughts went a little something like this: [Character's thoughts]", or something of the sort. Apply this rule to your facebook statuses, please! Sure, your statuses aren't as important as material in a book, but they do at least mean something - or else you wouldn't be writing them.

Something I should hate but don't:

...

Vista.

I'm sorry! I just.. haven't had any problems with it yet. Well, ok, a few problems, but I was able to get them to stop bothering me, for the most part. It's better than XP!

Sorry.. Maybe I'll hate it later.

Audience Members Who Try to Impress the Performer

You've seen them. You know them. Dear god, please tell me you're not one of them.

You know when you go to a comedy show.. The comedian is up there, doing a spiffing job, being funny, doing what he's paid for. Then some ass in the audience thinks it would be fun to yell out jokes of his own. This obnoxious audience member is secretly (or not so secretly) hoping that the comedian will be wildly impressed with his humor, and will offer to take him on the road to be a part of the comedy act. Meanwhile, the rest of the audience wants to kill Mr. Obnoxious Man, and the comedian .. well, the comedian probably wants to do so as well, but more violently.

I don't really have much more to say on the subject at the moment. But this: Do you like it when a drunk person tries to give you pointers when you're playing pool in a bar? When you're practicing the piano? When you're trying to finish a project for work or school? No, you don't. Your abilities are being inhibited by a selfish and intolerable know-it-all. And, guess what? If you are the obnoxious audience member I am speaking of, this is the situation you are creating for your hero up there on stage.

Be respectful. Please.
Thank you.