Stinkfoot

It really peeves me when people take off their shoes in public, especially when they then put their (often smelly, often dirty) feet up on chairs where others will later sit.

At home, I almost never wear shoes. But that's my own private area and I can do what is most comfortable for me. But in public, I keep my shoes on. And I wish others would do the same, so I can avoid breathing in their yucky odors.

--Curly

What the Hell is Wrong with People?

People sometimes claim that anti-Semitism is a thing of the past. The recent tragedy at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should remind us all that this is not the case. Today it seems politically acceptable, if not quite politically correct, to criticize Jews (and while I think it is fine to discuss and criticize Israel's policies, many don't seem to understand that it is in fact anti-Semitic to make anti-Jewish remarks, and that all Jews, whether Israeli or not, do not necessarily agree with Israel's governemnt. Duh!). And I think it is only one small step from nasty remarks and harsh criticism to violence.

I grew up in the 1980s and faced plenty of anti-Semitism then. In recent years, too, I've had to deal with many ignorant or cruel comments. And I'm not the only one. Clearly, this is still a problem. The Holocaust, in a sense, is not a thing of the past.

I realize I am rambling a bit in this post, but what I want to say is that we must combat anti-Semitism through education and we must also deal with deranged people and not let them continue to threaten people's well-being and peace-of-mind.

--Saddened Curly

A Trove of E-mail Peeves

Curly and I are both attuned to the many peeves associated with e-mail. Here's a great post from a publishing professional on the subject, complete with a lengthy comment thread in which readers post about the e-mail traits that most annoy them, too. A feast!

--Prunella Peeve

Feeling Lucky

I certainly don't suffer from triskaidekaphobia, but many people seem to. I can't understand why so many buildings don't have 13th floors or hotels have room numbers such as 113, 213, 313, and so forth. They might call a floor the 14th, but that doesn't change that it actually is the 13th. And room 414 is most likely the 13th in a row, not the 14th. Why are people so superstitious? And why can't they realize that changing the name of something doesn't change what it really is?

--Curly

The Family That Pees Together...

I have no children, as is obvious from some of my posts, but certain child-related things peeve me nonetheless. I wonder why there are no "family toilets" in public places. Mothers can bring their sons and daughters into the women's bathroom with them, but it is frowned upon if fathers bring their daughters into the men's bathroom. Somehow it is acceptable for little boys to see the women's room, but not for little girls to see the men's room.

The only option is the handicapped facility, if indeed one exists. What is a single father or a father (or other male relative/friend) to do if he is out with a little girl who needs help in the bathroom? Why not have family-friendly restrooms, where families can have privacy and space to do what they need to?

-Curly

Baby Craze

This post may sound sort of judgmental and I apologize in advance for that. It’s just kind of frustrating to have so many female friends who get degrees from Ivy League or Seven Sisters universities, who talk about wanting to have careers, who try to crack the glass ceilings in their various fields, only to give it all up and stay home with their children.

Of course raising children is important work. I guess I just feel sort of disappointed that so many talented, educated women who could have a real influence on the world still see their main roles as being in the home. Couldn’t they share the child-rearing with their partners? Couldn’t companies be more child-friendly? Does something really change for women so they want nothing but to be mommies? Why does it seem that even in this day and age we are still living in a man’s world?

--Curly