I love to complain, gripe and whine--what a great way to avoid a stomach ulcer or high blood pressure. And while I don’t have a lot of friends due to my constant sniveling, I always have myself!

My current peeves list:

"Breaking news-" it almost never is. News channels seem to be pulling this scam more and more. How will viewers know when it's real news? Or an emergency?


The use of “actor” when referring to someone who's obviously female. The proper word is actress. If more actresses would stop referring to themselves in the masculine we'd be well on our way to recovery.

I find the verbalization of nouns deeply annoying: "I'm going to mentor her." "He's pastoring the church."

So-called “professional” writers who have never read The Elements of Style (Strunk and White), don’t take the time to proofread their material and misplace quote marks. These nerf balls proliferate on writing sites, professing to be experts, then serve up slop that novice writers take to heart. Same goes for millions of Craigslist users who take no time to edit or proof the content of their ads and postings. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

Internet rumors. Before you send a mass e-mailing to everyone in your orbit and make a fool of yourself PLEASE visit Urban Legends.

Chain letters of ANY kind. Hate 'em.

Contractors and repair people who fail to show up for appointments. They should all be strung up. Or we should be allowed to charge THEM for our wasted time.

“Turtle Teller,” the geriatric who works the drive-in window at the bank. I'm sure she is someone’s beloved grandmother; I just don’t have 30 minutes to waste making a deposit.

Idle people and retirees who hit the grocery at 5 p.m. when working folks are trying to lay on supplies for dinner. Shop on Wednesday mornings, for pity’s sake. This is just another indication of our thoughtless, self-serving society.

Writers who depend on potty humor and bodily functions for material. Dave Barry’s last book, Steve Martin’s Pure Drivel and anything by George Carlin are good examples.

Lazy people who leave their Christmas lights and decorations up until Easter.

The proliferation of “entertainers” who are not entertaining and can’t carry a tune. And Oscar winning songs that are totally forgettable and unhummable.

Drivers who don't signal when they're turning. Motorists who fail to turn on their nights in fog or at night. If I hit you buddy, it's your own damn fault.

Idiots who don't buckle their babies and toddlers into safety seats; dummies who leave animals unattended in vehicles and/or don't open a window for them. Same goes for people who drag their pets to carnivals, festivals and flea markets on hot days. No one has any fun, least of all the animal.

Permissive parents who allow their preteen daughters to wear jewelry, make-up and dress like Vegas hookers. Puberty comes soon enough.

Lipstick on my chin and other faux pas. Please tell me if my makeup is misplaced, if I'm wearing only one earring or a vital body part is askew. Rosenblatt’s rule “Leave Bad Enough Alone,” does not apply here.