These Things I Could Do Without

• Cars that drive themselves. This caves in to our collective ADD by making it easier not to pay attention.

• People who wait in line for the next version of any new technology that will soon flood the market and every asshole who wants one will have one (assuming they can afford it).

• Lights that never go off on any device that you can plug into an electrical outlet. Let's burn some money!

• People who talk on the phone while talking to retail workers. I once saw a woman on her cell phone grunt and point to the muffins she wanted instead of, shall we say, using her words.

• Corporate jargon--I don't "reach out" to people. I text, call, email them. In short, I contact them.

• Public liars. Our nation's history is full of them, and the guard rails are down and have been since Reagan's Federal Communications Commission dumped the fairness doctrine in the 1980's.

• "It is what it is." I confess to saying this occasionally. "We're fucked!" seems more appropriate.

• FOMO. You ain't missing out on shit, unless it's a hangover from the big party you could not attend.

• Hatemongering of any kind. I don't even like to use the word hate, especially when it comes to people. Hatred eats us from the inside out. Do not let the billionaires and their well paid flunkies who control our media and thus much of the flow of information entice you to hate other human beings. Hating people goes against any religion or philosophy worth its salt.

• The president pardoning Pete Rose. That's a baseball issue. End of story.