Areas of Unrest

QOTD: "We do not know who discovered water, but it was certainly not the fish." - Anonymous

Reading: Sparkle Hayter, Naked Brunch

Listening to: the original cast recording of Applause

Decluttering accomplishments: sold another 22 used books

12 October 2003 - I Don't Understand

About 90% of the conversations around my office start with the phrase "I don't understand..." Usually this is the lead-in to some complaint about our program management. For example, "I don't understand why they would non-concur with the one thing that the undersecretary asked for" or "I don't understand why they think it's so hard to produce an annual report." And so on. Once in a while somebody will say, "I don't understand why so many conversations around here start with 'I don't understand.'" The real problem is that people seem to keep making life harder for themselves than it needs to be.

The same problem comes up in my non-work life, too. As a short list:

1. I don't understand why after arguing for 15 minutes with one patron over the cost of a bag of potato chips, the grocery clerk didn't go look at the sales sign instead of having exactly the same lengthy argument with the very next person, holding me up unnecessarily.

2. I don't understand why proclaiming that "the new neutrals" are the hottest thing in fashion should make me want to buy ugly taupe sweaters.

3. I don't understand why a telemarketer (for a charity, so the do-not-call registry is of no use) would call again and again after I've requested removal from their list. It's not like pissing me off is likely to get me to give money to them.

4. Along the same lines, I don't understand why anybody buys anything from spammers, but they must because why else would the spammers persist? I'd favor passing a law that imprisons or fines anybody who buys radio-controlled helicopters, most-wanted cars, Ahnuld for Governor t-shirts, etc..

5. I don't understand why the Fox sportscasters have to bore us by humiliating fans who got it wrong because they didn't get to see the endless replays of a play. While I'm at it, I don't understand why they can't actually talk about the game play, instead of the wardrobe a pitcher favors in his off-hours, bad plays from two decades ago, and the like.

And, oh yes, I don't understand why I can't come up with something more interesting to write about.