In-active Blogs

Do you know what I hate?

Hi all,

Firstly, I apologise for my inactivity here and thanks for every one's comments on this. And to those like ariadneK, Ph.D. and El Charolastra and the many others who have contacted me privately, I'm so sorry if I appear in active but I don't like frivolous posting. Please don't despair, I'm doing some research for my next post. It involves how a number of people who worked in the same office died, one by one and many other co-workers have been struck down by a serious medical condition and it would seem nothing much has been done about this. Yes, some investigations were carried out by the relevant authorities but these have resulted in no real conclusions or outcomes! Are they a whitewash? It's all very interesting to me, really it is and I'm going to stick my neck out and will invite you for your opinions about this very perplexing and horrible situation. Hope to be back soon.

Jana

Sheriff's clamp on dodgers

On June 18, I posted about the Denver Boot. Coincidently on that same day tough new wheel-clamping laws came into force in Victoria on 18th August, and so now Sheriff's officers patrol car parks across the state on the look out for drivers with unpaid fines for traffic offences, parking tickets, public transport fare evasion and other offences. Officers now carry Eftpos machines so fine dodgers can pay their dues on the spot.

Fine dodgers were given warnings over the last month that their cars would be clamped if they did not pay up. The Government sees wheel clamping as one way to get the money owed. Sheriff's officers are now able to check if a driver has unpaid fines through registration details and the new laws give officers the power to keep wheel clamps on cars until fines are paid. Furthermore, defaulters also face driver's licence and motor vehicle registration suspension, payments deducted directly from your wages and even sale of property.

Does this happen in your part of the world?

The Devil Dog

You won't believe this follow-on post from the Sunday, February 19, 2006 post titled, They Just Terrify Me. While out walking on the afternoon of Thursday, July 27, in Mill Park, a northern suburb

of Melbourne, 82 year-old, Antonio Olalla was attacked by a battle-scared pit bull terrier as it killed Mitch, one of his two small Maltese terriers. The pit bull mauled Mr Olalla's arms and hands as he tried to save Mitch. The Herald Sun reports that a neighbour saved Mr Olalla's life by beating the dog with a stick during the savage attack. But what's really scary about this particular dog attack is what followed...... The dog left Mr Olalla bleeding and followed his scent to his home, walked through an open door and attacked Mr Olalla's 81-year old wife, Maria. Mrs Olalla heard the dog and thought it was either Mitch or Bianca, their small Maltese terriers but when she turned around she saw the savage pit bull. The dog cornered Mrs Olalla in her kitchen however she managed to escape and ran into a neighbours house. Can you visualise that? It would make a great movie scene! I can hear that Jaws type music!

It seems that there isn't a day that goes past without hearing or reading about a dog attack somewhere. Early in July a Staffordshire cross bit off the ear of a 5-year old girl in an attack in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Then, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, July 10, 2006, the second dog attack on a child in three weeks occurred when a two-year-old toddler was

badly hurt when attacked by a large Japanese Akita, a powerful, solid, well-proportioned and distinctive looking dog (the image above is of an Akita). Police said that the dog had escaped from a house 100m away. The toddler was seriously injured by the dog on Wallworth Road, Horsley Park and was taken to Liverpool Hospital and then transferred to Children's Hospital at Westmead, where he was checked for internal injuries. Then there's the report in The Age of an 11-year old boy hospitalised after being mauled by two dogs in far north Queensland. The police reported that the young boy was walking with a group of children in the Cairns suburb of White Rock when the attack occurred. The dogs' owner opened the gate to a yard and the two dogs, one a bull terrier-blue Heeler cross and the other a Staffordshire bull terrier-blue healer cross, rushed out towards the children and attacked the young boy who suffered cuts to his head and neck. The boy was taken to Cairns Base Hospital. Laws in the Australian state of New South Wales restrict certain breeds of dogs but there are calls to review the laws and the list of restricted dogs. According to a August 15, 2006 report in the Herald Sun, while in the state of Victoria there are 470 pit bull terriers registered (not many when you think about it), there are some 5,500 other deadly pit bulls and pit bull crosses not listed! Despite the fact that by law, pit bulls have to be desexed, housed in child-proof and escape-proof back yard enclosures, and be muzzled and leashed at all times in public, vicious pit bull attacks continue to occur. Why? Councils have the power to seize and destroy any unregistered pit bulls however, the problem according to Dr Graeme Smith, the General Manager of Lost Dogs' Home, is that many owners were using a loophole in the legislation to avoid detection. While by law, pit bull terriers have to be desexed, housed in child-proof and escape-proof back yard enclosures, and leashed and muzzled at all times in public, he said that to avoid having to comply with the tough law covering pure-bred pit bulls, many owners simply registered their vicious pit bulls as cross-breeds. Dr Smith urged the Government to introduce legislation to ensure owners of pit bull crosses were also listed as restricted breeds. The Herald Sun report quotes Dr Smith as saying that "if you have got a pit bull terrier, it's bad news, but if you have a pit bull crossed with a bull mastiff or a rottie, it is an even nastier mix. They are dangerous." In the August 15, 2006 Herald Sun article, there's a report of how 9-year-old Liam Spiteri's face was mauled by a savage dog wrongly identified as a Labrador/Staffodshire terrier cross when it was actually an American pit bull terrier on a leash, but not muzzled!!! The young boy is now recovering in the Royal Children's Hospital after cosmetic facial surgery and faces further facial surgery in coming months. Imagine now what his attitude to dogs will be. More Recent Attacks: I decided to do a quick search of stories related to vicious dog attacks over the last 30 days. Here is just a snippet of what I found: "Metro Boy Recovering From Pit Bull Attack," channeloklahoma.com, August 14, 2006 "Man dies at Truman Lake," The Kansas City Star, Sunday, August 13, 2006 "Boy hospitalized after pit bull attack," Spokane and Eastern Washington News, kxly.com, Friday, August 11, 2006 "Boy mauled by two dogs; loses ear," The Associated Press, Friday, August 11, 2006 "Owner traumatized by pit bull attack," The Tri-City News, August 9, 2006 "Anna family destroys dog after girl bitten," thesouthern.com, Southern Illinois, Wednesday, August 9, 2006 "Dog Bite Victim Pleads For Pit Bull Ban," TheKansasCityChannel.com, August 9, 2006 "Dog that took tot from mom to be put down," The London Free Press, Wednesday, August 9, 2006 "Neighbor saves young girl being attacked by pit bull in South Bend," SouthBendTribune.com, August 8, 2006 "Pit bull bites arm of police officer," Lawrence Journal World, Tuesday, August 1, 2006 "81-Year-Old Dies After Attack By Pit Bulls," Local 6 News, July 31, 2006 "Neighbors Save Elderly Man From Vicious Dog Attack," wftv.com, July 28, 2006 "Police: Pit bull kills 71-year-old woman in Kansas City, Kansas," Kansas City Star, Friday, July 28, 2006 "Dog bite highlights continued problem," News-Leader.com, Wednesday, July 19, 2006 "10-Year-Old Lubbock Boy Recovering From Pit Bull Attack," NewsChannel, Lubbock, Texas, July 17, 2006 "Deadly Pit Bull Attack," Central Florida News 13, July 28, 2006 "Lexington woman mauled by pit bulls," News-Record.com, Greensboro, North Carolina, Thursday, July 27, 2006 "Woman is in serious condition after pit bulls attack," The Dispatch Online, July 27. 2006 Some Questions: These reports on dog attacks continue to raise the question as to who is at fault here? Is it the dogs? Is it the dog owners? Or, is it the people or the actions of those being attacked? (see: Which is the greater problem, pit bulls or their owners? What would you do if you were walking your little pet dog and it was attacked by a vicious dog? What would you do if you were attacked by a savage dog? Sources: Image of an Akita, Brad Adams Image of pit bull, Bless the Bullys Finally: If you know an irresponsible pit bull owner then please send them or direct them to this link: Irresponsible Pit Bull Owners Desperate to end this post on a positive, I found this recent article: "Dog saves teenager from attacker," BBC News, Wednesday, 16 August 2006

Dying for a Pee!

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when it just doesn't happen. You go, you stand or sit, you hold it, you stroke it, you shake it, you curse it, you think about waterfalls, rain or whatever but it just doesn't happen! It's very embarrassing when someone is standing on either or both sides of you, or anywhere near you, whether they're really there or just in my imagination.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, this type of social anxiety disorder is known as paruresis, or pee shy, shy kidney, bashful or shy bladder syndrome, or dysuria. It's a type of social anxiety disorder, that can affect both men and women, in which the sufferer finds it difficult or impossible to urinate in the (real or imaginary) presence of others, such as in a public restroom. It also applies Also, for people who have difficulty under the stress of time pressure, when being observed, when others are close by and might hear them, or when traveling on moving vehicles such as trains or planes.

Many people experience isolated transient manifestations of urinary difficulty in particularly undesirable situations, and this is sometimes described as stage fright. However, that is to be distinguished from paruresis.

Paruresis goes beyond simple shyness, embarrassment or desire for privacy in that it is much more severe and may cause unnecessary inconvenience, because the inability to urinate, although psychological in origin, is physical in its effect, and not under the control of the sufferer. Severe cases of this disorder can have highly restricting effects on a person's life. Severe sufferers may not be willing to travel far from their home. Others cannot urinate even in their own home if someone else can be heard to be there.

Actual treatments for the condition include:

• cognitive behavior therapy,
• training with biofeedback,
• anti-anxiety medications,
• using a catheter, although this is alleviating the symptoms rather than effecting a cure, and
• reducing the level of privacy at which the condition triggers by indulging in graduated exposure therapy. This last can be achieved by sufferers working together at organised events known as workshops.

If you're a pee shy sufferer then the following organisations may be of interest as they are dedicated to helping men and women for whom urinating in the presence or vicinity of other people, is difficult or impossible, and dealing with the problems this brings about:

• International Paruresis Association
• European Paruresis Association
• UK Paruresis Trust
• Paruresis Association of Australia

These associations aim to break the silence about Paruresis, and provide a Forum for advice and discussion as well as support. Their websites provide a resource for people who suffer from this debilitating condition.

Last but by no means least, you might find Freedom from Paruresis and Panic, a personal account of, Max, a 43 year-old panic disorder and bashful bladder syndrome sufferer, helpful.

The hate, sent in by Colin, Kent

The Denver Boot

Do you know what I hate? Being booted. In the previous post we talked about parking meter fines and now it's been reported that in Melbourne, Australia drivers that don't pay their fines could find their car wheels clamped. Armed with clamps, teams of Sheriff's officers will prowl the streets and car parks on the lookout for serial fine dodgers. They will check car registration details looking for drivers with unpaid fines for such offences as traffic offences, parking tickets and public transport fare evasion and clamp offender's vehicles, then wait for the drivers to return. They will carry Eftpos machines so defaulters can pay on the spot to have their cars released. Driving licences and car registrations will also be suspended. The report said that 1 out of 5, that's 20% of Victorians don't pay their outstanding matters when they fall due and that these sanctions are directed at them....why that's staggering stats and so I guess the State has invested in lots of wheel clamps and wheel clamping will be widespread. Fine dodgers' vehicles could be clamped anywhere! Some Questions: What do you think about this type of law for the collection of unpaid fines? Is this a draconian, heavy handed Government approach? Has or does this hard-line approach to the collection of unpaid fines happen in your part of the world? A quick search shows that drivers will face clamping for past offences in London, The Times, November 17, 2005 Has your car ever been booted? As it was invented in Denver, Colorado one of the first cities to use them, the wheel clamp, at least in the United States came to be known as the Denver boot, or simply "boot". In France the colloquial name of the wheel clamp or Denver boot is the "sabot de Denver". Credits: The Hate: Dennis H, Melbourne, Australia Denver Boot pix: Michael, Chicago

Your Time Has Expired

Do you know what I really, really hate? Parking meters! I just hate them and I know it's only a lousy couple of bucks but I hate having to feed them. However, what really ruffles my feathers something out of the ordinary and makes me so angry is when I drive into town, park the car rush into a store or to some appointment, rush out to get back to the car and I see RED, that TIME EXCPIRED message across the meter. "Gotya." Arghhhhhh!!!! But then what really makes me grrrrrr is what I fear most, that dreaded parking infringement notice stuck onto the windscreen. "Make My Day!" I curse. I mean every now and then you just can't help it when you're a few minutes late but sure enough those darn parking officers will be near your meter when it expires!!! Arghhhhhh!!!!!
	What all cities should do is introduce what they did on the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise in Queensland, Australia. There, good Samaritan meter maids patrol the streets and feed expired parking meters to save mere mortal and hapless shoppers a potential parking fine. So, rather than come out and explode at the site of a parking fine stuck on your windscreen, you see a good samaritan Meter Maid feeding your parking meter.
Interesting Reads: High-Tech Parking Meters Rake in Coins, SFGate.com, September 5, 2005 Meter Maids, Some History, MeterMaids.com Gold Coast meter maids in chain protest, Sydney Morning Herald, July 1, 2005 The ultimate parking meter, Autoblog, December 24, 2005 History of Parking Meters, Watch the Parking Meters, Wired News, September 4, 2005 Yes there's A Website Devoted to Parking Meters, City Lets You Pay Parking Meters With Cell Phones, ABC News, June 16, 2005 Smart Parking Meters: Technology That Sucks, Gizmodo, December 21, 2005 Houston thinking about using WiFi parking meters for citywide wireless network, engadget A novel new way to fill the parking meter, webwombat.com.au Credits: The Hate: Jean-Marc, Toronto, Canada Expired Parking Meter pix: Ryan Vinson, Clarksville, TN, United States Meter Maids pix: The Gold Coast Bike Week Site

Treading Water

Do you know what I hate? I hate treading water. After reading the post about dog attacks I thought I'd share this fear with you. When we were young my parents used to always take us kids to the beach and we'd really enjoy swimming and getting tossed and splashed by the surf. In fact, once in, we never ever wanted to get out of the water. However, ever since I saw Jaws, I just can't find the strength to get into the water. The thought of a shark just terrifies me and I can't explain the fear that it brings on to me. The worse thing about all this, is that I grew up and live in one of the nicest places on earth, along the Great Ocean Road, at Lavers Hill, Australia. And I have to add, there've been many shark attacks along the Australian coastline. Sent in by Kylie.....Lavers Hill, Australia Thanks for sending in your fear Kylie and yes I'm sure that many will share this with you but again while sharks are very terrifying and while there have been a number of shark attacks, like the earlier post about vicious dogs is there another side to this story? Sharks are beautiful animals and have survived for a long, long time. I really do appreciate their beauty..... but for some reason, it's just when they're above water as shown in the following awesome photographs kindly supplied by Wade, diver and diving instructor, of ScubaCulture, that they terrify me. And by the way, if you're game and want to get a close up view simply click on the photos.

They are truly amazing shots of the Great White shark taken near Dyer Island and as Wade of ScubaCulture says "I think these shots are pretty awesome, really get a feel for the amazing power these beautiful animals have." If you'd like to see more great photographs of these beautiful under water creatures taken during shark dives along the coast of South Africa and including dives with the Tiger Sharks then visit ScubaCulture. If you're a serious adventure seeker or after the thrill of a lifetime, then you might like to think about diving amongst these giants of the water. Just head down to places like Aliwal Shoal, regarded as being one of the top 10 dive sites in the world, or Protea Banks, known as being one of the best places in the world to dive with sharks.

I lost my nuts!

Do you know what I hate? I just hate it when I loose things. But, what's worse is when you do loose something somewhere in public, perhaps in the back seat of a cab, and it just never turns up again.......Now I'm a dentist and this happened to me very recently when after a night out with my wife I lost my nut, my Coco de Mer (meaning coconuts of the sea). Maybe you can help me, and besides, there's a reward out for my nut. Now thanks to wikipedia here's a picture of what my nut looks like and if you're game then click the image to enlarge.

The Coco de Mer is sometimes referred to as a Double Coconut or Coco Fresse or Seychelles nut and as you will read here, the Coco de Mer palm produces the largest seed in the world and is endemic to only two of the 115 Seychelle Islands (the islands of Praslin and Curieuses). What's really interesting is that the plants have separate sexes and thus there are male trees and female trees. These large seeds may weigh up to 50 pounds and have historically been found floating in the Indian Ocean, being known to explorers long before the parent plants were discovered. They were originally named only from floating seeds; erroneously thought to have originated in the Maldive Islands, they were assigned the scientific name "maldivica". In days of old it was rarely found washed ashore on the coast of India and viewed as the female counterpart to the shankara stones on Hindu alters. It was also used as a medicine and as an aphrodisiac. Today, the seed is so valuable and coveted by so many that it's chances of being allowed to fall into water and drift away have to be extremely small! Sent in by SM, Melbourne, Australia

Misleading Labelling

Do you know what I hate?

Now nothing can be further than the truth but I just hate it when you buy something from the supermarket that is labelled as good healthy food and might even boast a National Heart Foundation big red tick of endorsement but when you read the fine print on the packaging in more detail, you see that sure they may be FAT REDUCED but to compensate for the flavour they are overloaded with sugar or sugar derivatives.

From the National Heart Foundation's speal on their Red Tick program, "the Tick is the Heart Foundation's guide to help people make healthier food choices quickly and easily. It also encourages food manufacturers to develop or modify food products that support the Heart Foundation's Guidelines for Tick Approval.

Tick approved products represent a healthier choice within a particular food category. In general, Tick approved foods are relatively lower in saturated fat, sodium and where appropriate, kilojoules. Some are also higher in fibre.

All foods in the Tick program, without exception, must meet the Heart Foundation's Guidelines for Tick Approval. Food companies must have their products independently chemically analysed, and meet the nutrient criteria before they can use the Tick on their products. Random testing is also undertaken to ensure ongoing compliance with the strict nutrient criteria."

Now all this sounds really good doesn't it! But is the Red Tick program all that it's made out to be? Stay tuned.

Sent in by Marian Stockdale from Box Hill, Australia

They Just Terrify Me!

Do you know what I hate?

"I hate dogs....they terrify me!" wrote Kay Richardson from London.

Of course, not all dogs are dangerous. Most don’t bite anyone. But still, lots do and with the many serious dog attack cases, even recently, some breeds (eg Pit Bulls, Rottweilers) can be very terrifying indeed so I think that many will share your hate Kay....

Dog Attacks

Toddler injured in dog attack, The Australian, February 03, 2006

Scarred girl's plea over dog attack, Dan McMullan, ManchesterOnline, Friday, 3rd February 2006

Dog attack victim gets world's first face transplant, The Guardian , Thursday December 1, 2005

W A R N I N G !!!!!

The next section of this post shows some very explicit photographs surrounding a fatal dog attack in Nicaragua. At first I hesitated about showing these very explicit images but in the end I felt that it was in the public interest that this message be told straight. Vicious dog attacks are now a serious problem in our communities and there's no need to beat around the bush. These images depict the realities surrounding such attacks. This story has to be told as there has to be an answer to this problem. I'm sick and tired of hearing about fatal dog attacks year after year and nothing much really happens; something needs to be done about this problem and Kay's vent prodded me here. Having said this, if seeing explicit dog attack images will or is likely to harm or upset you in any way whatsoever, then I strongly suggest that you continue on and read the remaining part of this story. It's your call! To read and view the whole story simply click here.

Nicaragua Asks For Full Investigation Into Dog Attack, InsideCostsRica.com, Saturday, 12 November, 2005

The following two photos showing the remains of the Nicaraguan man attacked by two rottweilers were published on the front page of the daily Spanish language newspaper Diario Extra, reminding people of the mortal danger of a rottweiler attack (source: InsideCostsRica.com).

The article in InsideCostsRica.com describes the Rottweiler as having a massive, powerful body and a muzzle with a scissors bite.....it has a calm and reliable temperament and trainable, courageous, and devoted to their owner and family.....they are strong fighters that seem immune to pain.....they can be aggressive with other dogs and should be kept on leashes in public places.....when the Rottweiler is consistently brought up and trained, it will be a good playmate for children.....friends and relatives of the family are normally enthusiastically welcomed. Strangers can get no further than the sidewalk.

Rottweiler

Toddler dies after pet dog attack, BBC News, Tuesday, 12 July, 2005

Mother Expresses Guilt Over Dog Attack, KRON 4, June 5, 2005

Dog attack victim needs 5m of stitches, The New Zealand Herald, February 17, 2004

In Connecticut, Two Versions of a Police Dog's Attack on a Woman, Stacey Stowe, New York Times, November 17, 2003

Woman dies after dog attack, Theresa Gutierrez, abc7chicago.com, January 12, 2003

Other Information

The following are also interesting reads in this subject area:

Dog Bite Law, Kenneth M. Phillips

Topics covered include:

• What to do immediately after the attack
• Legal rights of a dog bite victim, and
• The process of resolving dog bite claims

How to Defend Yourself Against a Dog Attack, Adam Katz

Is there another side to this story?

Why are dogs such as the American Pit Bull terrier so overwhelming popular? I've read that pit bulls are one of the most popular family dogs in the United States today. Are we blaming the dogs when the problem is really the negligence of the owners?...Is it true perhaps that behind every dog attack is an irresponsible or negligent owner? There have been many children attacked by their pet dogs. Is this because irresponsible owners don't teach their children how to properly interact with dogs or leave their children unsupervised with them? Are attacking dogs

the result of irresponsible owners that train their dogs to fight and encourage aggressive behavior? Is it the irresponsible owners that let their dogs roam the streets freely or keep their dogs continually chained up and being deprived of necessary socialization, their dogs go on an attacking rampage when they eventually break lose? Perhaps there are answers here on this video about the American Pit Bull (just love the music)

The Pit Bull Rescue Central website is a virtual shelter and resource for owners and caretakers of American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and pit bull mixes. Their video on Operation Save A Pet, is about the 100,000+ pets locked in homes and abandoned on the streets of New Orleans, without food and without water after the people fled huricane Katrina.

In my reply to Kay's vent I opened by saying that "of course, not all dogs are dangerous....most don’t bite anyone". I wanted to close on something a bit lighter so here is my type of dog. Small in size, with great personality and temperament. By the way, the dog's name is Bella and the way he sits there watching you work on the computer you'd think he was a Bill Gates devotee.

	Veikko from Finland kindly wrote in to say that not all big dogs are vicious. Here Veikko is shown with his 52kg Alaskan Malamute which he describes as being big but friendly and always likes children. Click on the picture to better appreciate how big Veikko's Alaskan Malamute is.

Tokyo is Beautiful But.....

Do you know what I hate?

One: "Yokonarabimushi"

Two: "Tomaribaba"

Three: "Kakikomijousha" - added later

Both of the above are (somewhat unkind since deeply exasparated) Japanese slang terms for sidewalk nuisances in Tokyo, producing, whether you believe it or not, as much or more aggravation as lane hoggers do in other places.

The first translating as "horizontally lined up beetles" refers to junior high or high school students, usually but not always girls, strolling along at a sedentary pace chatting, while blocking anyone who wishes to proceed at a faster pace from passing.

The second refers to middle aged or elderly pairs or triplets of females suddenly stopping dead on the sidewalk for whatever arcane conclave they feel is necessary at the moment, causing everybody following in their wake to bump into them, then complain about that - and complain even more if they are pointed out that they caused the inconvenience - to themselves as well as other - by those unlucky followers.

Oh yes, and there is a number three, too: Those INFERNAL people, mostly male, that have to dash down the stairs or along a platform to jump-squeeze themselves through the closing doors of an about to depart train or subway, usually at rush time, hustling everybody in their way.

Ah, the joys of Tokyo living!!!

Panthere

PS: Despite the above, Tokyo is a glorious place to live in, and if you ever start a "The things I love" blog I shall be happy to post those, too. :)

Sent in by Panthere..... Tokyo

Lane Hoggers

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when people just sit there in the overtaking lane which causes those in a hurry to zig-zag in and out from one lane to another in order to get past these lane hoggers. The need to zig-zag in and out of lanes, especially when driving at the higher speeds permitted on freeways and the open highways can cause serious accidents. Come on guys, move over and drive on the right (no pun intended) side of the road.

Sent in by Hog Hunter..... Bendigo, Australia

Truck Blockades

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when driving on a freeway and you come across trucks spread side-by-side across all lanes and you can't get through. Here's a shot taken today in Melbourne on the Western Ring Road. Both trucks doing 100kph and not one of us cars could get through. This highway is notorous for this kind of blockade. Come on guys, move over and let us little folks get through.

Sent in by David E..... Port Melbourne, Australia

Losing an hour of my Life!

Do you know what I hate? Well if you're like me you'll hate it when you rush and get to the station early enough so that you won't miss your train only to end up waiting at the station for sometimes more than 20 minutes because the train is running late. And then there are cancellations and you have to wait for an hour or so for the next train, grrrrrrrr! So you end up being late for work, school, your appointment with a specialist, or whatever! By the time a train arrives it's like the football game has just ended as the platform is jam-packed with angry people all, like you, determined to get onto the next train, no matter what!

After a long day at work and then hours in a night class at uni, I don't want to be standing on the platform on cold freezing night, freezing my t..s off and losing an hour of my life thank you Connex. And this doesn't only happen at night. Delays and cancellations also happen throughout the day and when it does the impace is worse as the times between trains is generally much longer meaning much longer waits during cancellations.

I just see red when this happens because I hate being messed around by poor service and overcrowded trains, trams or buses. It's just not good enough!!! It's bl..dy ridiculous! I hate it, grrrrrrr!! Come on Mr Transport Minister, Peter Batchelor fix this mess up!

Sent in by Mary J...., Melbourne, Australia.

Only recently it was reported that more than a 1000 metropolitan trains were cancelled in January! "January was a poor month for Connex and service delivery declined compared with the previous month," the company said in its statement.

Airport and Airline Security

Do you know what I hate? I just hate it when you get caught up in airport security. Sometimes I just think that security and customs staff just like to go through a female's bag! Yes I know it's important but how ridiculous is this. Recently I was about to board a Thai Airways International Airlines flight from Bangkok to Sydney and the airport security at Bangkok gave me the third degree and after going right through my hand luggage, refused to allow me to board with nail clippers. "You've got to be joking," I said. Nope, no go! They would not allow me to board with these 4cm long personal nail clippers. The ridiculous thing about this is that when I finally cooled down after boarding, was relaxed and seated, and then when my meal was served, guess what?

Now how stupid is that, a steel knife and fork both 20cm long! I don't care what anyone says but when compared to the knife and fork, there is no way that my nail clippers were a threat or could be considered as a dangerous weapon. I was steaming, let me tell you. And besdies, why as recent as November/December 2005 are steel knives and forks being served on international flights? Perhaps Thai Air may have an answer!

Injections

Nice to see that there's been some interesting activity here whilst I've been away on a summer holiday. I can relate to many of the posts, especially the long waits. But what I particularly hate about the dentist are the.....

injections.......grrrrrrr! Yes, I do have to admit, I'm a real sook when it comes to oral injections, any injections for that matter. I'm a needle phobe from way back! I also feel terrible when I get up off the dentist's chair.....I feel like I'm just coming out of a deep sleep; my vision is blurred and........

it feels like the room is moving past me. It's really awful.

If you are a needle phobe then these sites might be of interest:

1. Pain and Anxiety control therapies for Needle Phobes
2. The Needle Phobia Information Site
3. Welcome to the Needle Phobia Page

Answering Questions While Gagging

Do you know what I hate? I also hate it when you're lying back in the dental chair and, with fingers and God only knows what other dental appliances are in your mouth, gasping to breath and struggling hard not to gag.....

the owner of those fingers asks you a question that you have not hope in hell of answering even half intelligently! Come on guys let's be sensible here else you're going to lose one or two fingers.

The Waiting Room #2

Do you know what I hate? Well talking about the dentist, I hate it even more when, after having been waiting in the waiting room for what seems hours, they then ask you into one of the surgery rooms, get you seated on the dentist chair and then, thinking that your waiting has come to an end and that you'll soon be out of there, you end up waiting for another 20 minutes if not more, lying back looking at......

the chair's boom arm, the ceiling and the fluorescent lights....uuuuuugh! I guess they think that by moving you from one waiting place to another, you won't feel as bad and angry. They just can't admit how badly behind schedule they are, so what should only be a couple of hours all round at the dentist ends up costing you more than half a day! Of course the same thing happens at the doctor and so on.

What they should do is put a flat screen TV on the ceiling so at least you can watch televsion while lyingthere waiting and even through the treatment; now's there's a business idea!

Waiting and Waiting

	Do you know what I hate? I hate it when I make an appointment at say the doctor or the dentist and I rush around madly to get there on time only to end up......sitting in the waiting room for what seems hours. I reckon that sign on the door should read DENTIST please WAIT
Submitted by John Stefan, Melbourne, Australia

The Great Party

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when you go to a great party and the next morning you're driving past the sex clinic and you see that all the guys in the queue are the guys you met at last night's party.

Messing Up at Dinner

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when you go out to a restaurant for a business lunch or dinner and end up messing your shirt or tie. Even the smallest of spots on a white shirt is not a pretty sight.

SPAM

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when you keep getting an unsolicited email (SPAM) that doesn't have an unsubscribe option, telephone number or postal address etc and when you try simply replying by hitting your email program's Reply button, your message bounces back. In the old days when you received an unsolicited fax message (the old days hey!), you could easily send a politely worded fax back asking the sender to please stop sending me their unsolicited messages and wasting trees. However, if they

continued to send me their SPAM I'd tape the end of my fax to its head forming a circular page and send them my request once again. Wish there was some way of doing this to unsolicited emails!

Just One Moment Please!!!

Do you know what I hate? You ring someone like your ISP, Credit Card company, Bank or the Tax Office to complain about something and you're put on hold for what seems hours and you repeatedly hear a recorded message along the lines, "Our lines are busy at the moment but please wait as your call is important to us....." What's worse you're on your mobile or after waiting for a while you're somehow cut off and have to re-start your call. Grrrrrrrrr!

"Pizazz" but Crappy Business Cards

Do you know what I hate? Crappy bnusiness cards! Aren't some cards amazing these days? So many are of high quality and lots of design thought, with great colour and graphics, often printed on expensive paper, with raised letters, embossed and even foil stamped, but heck, what are business cards really for? Yes they need to portray an exciting image of you and/or your business but heck what I really hate is when I'm handed a business card and one day I need to contact that person only to find that while his/her name is prominently printed right up front and centre in easily readable large bold letters on some "fancy" card, even with almost 20/20 vision, either because of the "too smart design" or small fine print (usually the latter), I just can't read the darn telephone number or email address!!!

Early Morning Clothes Dryers!

Do you know what I hate? When you're in your apartment trying to sleep-in after a late night, but especially on a weekend or Public Holiday, and you're woken up by the grinding and continuous rotating sound of someone's clothes dryer, belting it out from a neighbouring apartment and into the light-well that all apartments share. Even with your bedroom window closed you can still hear the grinding and screaching of a worn belt that badly needs replacing. Grrrrrrr!

Dead Links

Do you know what I hate? I hate it when I find something really interesting on the Net and there's a Link there for the full story or more details and when you select it you end up at that ubiquitous "Page cannot be found" or "HTTP 404 - File not found" error. Grrrrr! Earlier today I ended up at the Dead Link shown here and had a good laugh though - check it out.

Long Winded Messages.

Do you know what I hate? I just hate it when you ring someone you know and they're not home and their answering machine just goes on and on, wasting my time. I mean really all they need to say is, "Sorry we're unable to take your call at the moment, just leave a message. Bye." Just Keep it Short and Sweet!