Negativity. This post actually comes off quite negatively haha.

Hello all!

My apologies that I have not updated in a LONG, long time.  I have been busy with life...and stuff haha.

Good.  Now that we have that out of the way, I can continue.  I have recently, and for a long while, found myself around certain people who, no matter what the situation, can find negativity in what's going on.  Now, I understand that I am somewhat more positive thinking than your average person, and in most situations, I can tolerate a normal person's pessimism.  Tolerate.

This means that anyone with less-than-normal levels of optimism makes me want to do things that I, as a human, am not proud of.  These things aren't like 'tell them what I think' or back hand them lightly on the shoulder...these things are so bad that I can't even publish them as the risk of prosecution is just too high, and I don't ever want to be near a UK prison.  I get really angry and frustrated when someone shows no signs of positivity.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am aware that my life has been much better and easier than many, and I have my parents as well as luck to thank for that.  So I know that some people haven't seen anything in their lives aside from negativity, in which case, I understand why their immediate response to any and all situations could be negative...only then can and will I put aside my frustration.

I know that some of you are dying for some examples of different types of this kind of negativity I speak about.  To my immediate recollection, there are at least 5 different types:

Movies

I love hearing about peoples' negative experiences at the cinema because the funniest things in life are always true, and we've all had poor experiences at the cinema, whether it be the wait in line or the ridiculous number of pre-trailer garbage that is shoved down our throats when we sit down.  That's all good and understandable negativity.

The kind of pessimism I'm talking about is much more frustrating...like pull-my-hair-out frustrating (and people who know me realise that I have very short hair and would have to do this a few hairs at-a-time.  Ouchy).  These people will need a name for story sake - we'll call him an acquired name like Xander (which can be pulled off, but only by the best people).  Xander has decided that he will go see a movie on Friday, one that he has been interested in seeing for quite some time now.  Much to his confusion, though, Xander can't find anyone who wants to go with him (ummm...hint much, Xander?), so he decides to go alone.  Now, throughout the movie, everyone around him can't seem to ignore all of the *tisks* and *sighs* of disapproval coming from Xander's seat.  Once home from his supposed torturous experience, Xander decides that everyone on his Facebook feed wants to hear his thoughts on this movie - most often, a movie that everyone else seemed to have liked.  Somehow, he seems to be the only person with anything negative to say about this film.  There are many people like Xander out there, and they know who they are.  Please stop this non-sensical hatred for normal films that are fine.  If you can't provide constructive thoughts, no one wants to hear them.  "I thought the White House Down was awful"...WHY DID YOU PAY $15.00 FOR A TICKET?  I mean, you knew pretty much what you'd be getting from the title, surely you either like that type of thing or you don't, just stop, stop.  

Then you have the comments about great films that no one of any intelligence could hate (maybe it's not their cup of tea, but they can still admit its greatness), like The Dark Knight Rises, Lord of the Rings (which you will never catch me watching, but I can respect it's quality), Captain Phillips, etc.  These are films that you go to only if you want to see them (or you are a film critic - shout out to Stu!), they are not light, fluffy, anybody films.  These comments are usually SO far out there that you have to just laugh at these people...unless you're me...if you're me, you want to hurt them.  Badly.  The comments are usually about plot, screenplay, score, cinematography, costume, etc.  Things that all of these people want to pretend to know something about, but very few people actually know anything about (unless you are an expert of film or costuming - shout out to Stu again...and Brenda, Shelly, Deanna, Kirby and Hayleigh.  Yo!).  You're just making everyone want to go to movies with you less and less...you are pretty much 'un-friending' yourself!

America

Here is a subject that everyone seems to have an opinion on, it's a place toward which a lot of people seem to have an automatic negative reaction when it comes to visiting, despite most of them never having been before.  I am here to tell you that if you haven't been to America (or Canada for that matter), you want to...even if you know for sure you don't want to, you do.  This is a country with such vast differences in scenery, culture and history that you'd have to be ignorant not to want (notice I've said 'want', I would never slight someone who wasn't able to go) to see it.  I'll end this one short because if you're one who doesn't want to go, nothing is going to change your mind because you've got your head so far up yo...see, that's what happens when I get out of control...

Music

Touchy subject, music, isn't it.  This will be the shortest of them all.  Music is personal, just because you don't like an artist doesn't mean everyone else has to hate them.  There are many HUGE artists which I KNOW have little-to-no musical talent, but if you like them, have at 'er, all the power to ya.  Except Paul McCartney.  He's awful.  Everyone hate Paul.

Work

Hahahaha this is the funniest one.  This one is about all of those people (and there are TONS) who post on Sunday night "Can't wait 'til Friday!'...what?  WHAT?  You haven't even BEEN to work yet!  Surely you should be looking for new employment if you hate your job this much.  I read in the Metro, or whatever s!@#$% paper they give you on the bus, that more than 75% of UK workers are unhappy in their current professional position...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  Nobody aside from yourself is going to get you to a different job.  Get up and apply for a different job if you hate this one so much.

One other thing I hate is people who have unwarranted hatred for those who move ahead and forward within a workplace.  You have no business being angry with anyone but yourself when it comes to you not getting a certain job or being placed in a certain position.  Stop it, you're being petty.

Facebook

This one actually makes me laugh.  All these Facebook users who put those status posts up about Facebook not being allowed to use their photos and stuff.  First of all, if you're putting this 'legally binding' (which it's not, by the way) post on your wall stating that you don't allow Facebook to use your stuff, you're probably so boring that they wouldn't want your stuff.  Second, if Facebook wants your details, they'll just take them, they're a billion dollar corporation, they'll have no problem with you taking them to court, because in the end, they'll either ride it out for so long that you'll drown in debt, or they'll pay you $1000 settlement and they'll make millions from whatever it is they're doing with your stuff.

Another thing which I find to be incredibly funny is when people get all hot and bothered when Facebook changes something of appearance or utility.  Once again, first of all, it probably looks and works better than it did before or they wouldn't bother spending millions doing it.  Second, it's a free f#$%@!* service.  FREE.  This means, as a member, you have ABSOLUTELY no say in any changes Faceook makes with their website.  Just leave and get a MySpace account or whatever other 3rd rate social network there is out there nowadays.  OH, get a Twitter account.  Haha I only say that because I don't get Twitter, but I'm sure it's good.




Well, thanks for tuning in to another rant, I'll try and make sure these are closer together in the future. Pace Uscita!

Pet peeve #4

People who believe they have ESP when it comes to product releases...

This is probably going to be a short one, but I just over-heard a conversation the other day and it stirred up very negative thoughts toward this person.  I was sitting in a restaurant when I heard someone say 'Why don't you just wait until May when the new iPhone 5 is coming out?'...ummm what?  Did I miss something?  Was there a secret unveiling that I wasn't aware of?  I don't understand how someone could believe, much less reveal, with any kind of decisiveness, the release date of a product that hasn't been unveiled (or even officially referenced to...Apple hasn't even said [officially] they're making an iPhone 5, let alone a release date).  The other thing is, if you're going to lie, why not make it believable?  Apple's earliest release date for the iPhone is June 24, why would you say May?  It's not just Apple, it's really any product that someone states a definitive release date for, when the company hasn't said anything to back their claim.  Oh, and movies too, like people saying Matt Damon is signed up for another Bourne movie...no he's not!  Well anyway, that was my quick rant for this evening, I'll see you all next time!

Thank you for tuning in to the fourth instalment of 'What everyone is thinking, but will not say...'  This has been Master Sinclair coming to you from his bedroom in Edinburgh ;)

Pet peeve #3

People who cannot anticipate the flow of human traffic...

You've seen it, you've loathed it...I really don't feel as though I need to explain any further...but I will!  Have you ever been walking through a busy sidewalk and not run into any bottlenecks or 'snags'?!  I sure have!  There is nothing better, am I right?  Okay, I guess there are a few things that arouse me more ;) but not many!  As much as we ALL love walking uninterrupted through the 'street', we can't always be so lucky.  Picture this, you're walking down the sidewalk when all of a sudden, the man walking towards you walks directly into you...confusing, right?!  Yah, that's what I'm talking about.  It may be one of the MOST frustrating things in the entire world...more so than mass-famine!  That may have been a little over-kill, but you get the point, frustrating!

So I was walking down Prince's Street today (for those of you who do not know Prince's Street, it's EASILY 25-30 feet wide with walking space), and this woman comes walking towards me, so I move to my right, and subsequently, she moves to her right to pass gracefully...you would assume this would be the path of least resistance, but no, what does she do?  She then proceeds to jet back to her left and tries to pass me on my right.  Now obviously it's too late to reach all the way back inside my brain for the appropriate reflex, so what happens next, you ask?  Nothing...I stop.  Dead in my tracks...she stops dead, so now we're both standing there like a couple of idiots on the busiest sidewalk in the world!  The funniest part of this story is that she thought I was at fault...WHAT?!?!  No.  It is common sidewalk etiquette to observe and anticipate the future movements of others on the walk, as I did, she was walking straight, I made a forecast of the situation...in fact, the same judgement ANYONE would have made in that scenario!  It was just really annoying that she thought it was my fault...I'M not the one who changed paths without adequate notice to the requisite radius of people affected by my movements...no...I'm pretty sure that was YOU!!!

Well, as you can imagine, that would be more than enough frustration in said category for the day, but no, it happened once again.  I was on my way back home from downtown, and the sidewalks on the branching streets are nowhere near the width of Prince's Street.  So I'm walking, listening to my Eric Whitacre on full-blast when all of a sudden, the man in-front of me walking in the same direction, just stops.  For no reason, he just...stops.  And you know, that would usually be enough for me to lose it, but wait, there's more...he just stood there for a good 15 seconds (and if you're thinking 'well that's not too long', you're right, if you're baking a cake, and you are 15 seconds late taking it out of the oven, it's not long in the slightest.  BUT, when you are on an extremely crowded sidewalk, 15 seconds goes by at it's own leisurely pace!) until the not-unattractive girl behind me says 'Hey, what's going on?' to me, thinking that I'm the one plugging traffic.  Don't worry though, I turned around, pointed at the guy and said 'I think he died...' and she burst into laughter (that's how long we were standing there.  Long enough for her to get frustrated enough to say something, still leaving time for me to break out my expeditious wit)!  As you can see, if it weren't for the little blonde behind me, I may have died from frustration!  The other part that may have made it worse was the fact that he just kinda looked annoying...does that make sense?  Have you ever just looked at someone and decided, in preparation, that they were an annoying person?  I have, and he was one of them, let me tell you!

Thank you for tuning in to the third instalment of 'What everyone is thinking, but will not say...'  This has been Master Sinclair coming to you from his bedroom in Edinburgh ;)

Pet peeve #2

People who think they're doctors...to the doctor's face.

I don't know if you've ever come across something as frustrating as this in the emergency room, but if you have, you know how annoying it is.  Of the 4 times in my life (not kidding, I can totally remember every time, 1. I was young and had laryngitis.  2. I had to take Steph in because my brother whipped her in the eye with my Grandmother's wheel-chair flag.  3. One of my friends from the University was in and I went to see her.  4. I had to pass through the ER to get to a choral engagement in the atrium) that I have ever SEEN an emergency room, I don't believe it would be too far an exaggeration if I were to say that every time I was there, someone did this.  There are two ways this happens; Someone diagnoses them-self before even seeing the doctor, in which case, you wonder why they even came to the hospital at all?  I mean they had obviously read through an entire Illnesses-For-Dummies to find this diagnosis, and no-doubt read-up on any antibiotics that would be prescribed, so they must know how to make the drug from scratch at home (which brings me to another thought...tune-in to the second-last paragraph).  The other scenario happens just when the doctor calls their name, they get up and start pouring alphabet-soup from their mouth before they even say 'hi'..."I think you should run a CT and an EKG, but first, you should do an OMG because it's totally gonna be a long night LOL!"...this is also quite frustrating.

I don't think I have to explain to anyone of intelligence why this is so frustrating, but incase you are one of the few that do this, I will explain.  This man/woman has sat in a lecture hall for 6 years reading biology texts and medical journals before he/she could even touch a stethoscope...I doubt your Illnesses-For-Dummies book puts you on the same level.  But let's put that fact aside, hypothetically, say you ARE on the same level (intellectually), does that man/woman come into your office and tell you how to do your job?  Didn't think so...just because you are a seasoned Grey's Anatomy buff, or you've seen every episode of House M.D. doesn't make you qualified, or even in the position to make such a judgement.  There must be a reason you came to the hospital, and I doubt it was the food...just let the doctor figure out what's wrong with you.  The only people who should be telling the doctor what to look for are the people who KNOW (and I don't mean you have a feeling, or you read it somewhere, I mean you're actually %100 certain that this is what he/she should be looking for because you have had it in the past) it could be a factor in the diagnosis.  I'm sure doctors feel the same way I do, I mean, they can't actually dig the fact that some know-nothing (about medicine) is coming into their workplace trying to push them around, it can't be attractive to them...in all honesty, I think it is extremely unattractive!  Bottom line, don't do it.  It's annoying and frustrating.  YOU'RE the people the doctor prescribes placebos to hahaha.

Okay, on to that 'thought' you have all tuned-in for!  Referring to the comment about making medicine from scratch.  I had a thought while typing that and started to wonder if the same people do the same thing at the pharmacy?! Can't you just imagine someone leaning over the counter being like "Hey man! Can you sprinkle a little more codeine on that Vicodin® for me?! I don't think 20 is gonna cut it, why don't you put a few more capsules in there...on the house?  You know what, just let me make those, I'm probably better at it anyway!" hahaha I would honestly punch that person in the kidney!

Thank you for tuning in to the second instalment of 'What everyone is thinking, but will not say...'  This has been Master Sinclair coming to you from his bedroom in Edinburgh ;)

Pet peeve #1

People who don't understand the difference between 'til and till.

For many years, I have been one to pride myself in knowing the difference between 'til and till.  However small this error may be, it is REALLY frustrating!!!  What's more frustrating is that it has become so common that it is now starting to be accepted in professional scenarios.  When you think about how abundantly silly this is, an educated person comes to realise that you may as well confuse the words 'with' and 'toilet'...I mean, they are EQUIDISTANTLY as different as 'til and till!  


For those of you who do not know the difference, the word till is a noun or a verb, depending on the context.  As a noun, it is what we all refer to as a cash register.  As a verb, it is used in farming and irrigation jargon.  The word 'til is a preposition and a conjunction used interchangeably with the word 'until'...it means the same thing.  


Now that we've all read this, I'm sure that you've all reached for your dictionaries, as you were sure that 'till' meant 'until'.  If you have dispute with my claim, you can give my Aunty Joan a call and argue with her (she's an English teacher, so I doubt you'll get very far), but anyone who simply looks at the rule of English grammar will realise that, in order to shorten a word, one MUST place an apostrophe to make up for missing letters...and obviously, one would never add letters to a shortened word.


Thank you for tuning in to the very first instalment of 'What everyone is thinking, but will not say...'  This has been Master Sinclair coming to you from his bedroom in Edinburgh (haha that sounded creepy...).