Five Pet Peeves of the Day

1. Rebates at Best Buy
If they can lower the cost of an item, why don't they just do it instead of going to all the trouble of filling out the rebate slip, mailing it in and waiting 4-6 weeks for a check. I suppose many people either don't remember or just don't make the effort, saving the manufacture money. But one of the biggest reasons I don't shop there is because of the annoyance. And they do this a lot.

2. Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers
Time to move on folks. I would say that most of the rude drivers I've come across here in Chicago have these stickers on their cars/SUV, but since most Chicagoans voted for them it wouldn't be fair. In truth, I find the drivers of this town to be remarkably bad.

3. Brad and Angelina and baby make 3
OVERKILL, OVERKILL, OVERKILL! I mean, come on - do you really care that she's pregnant with his baby? I'm equally no fan of Jennifer Aniston, but I feel for her for having has this crap constantly thrown in her face. Memo to the Chicago Sun-Times: Normal people don't care that much.

4. Middle East peace sans Sharon
Ok, a stroke is nothing to laugh at. I know, because I had one. But to say that peace in the Middle East is now in jeopardy because the Israeli Prime Minister had one is ridiculous. It matters little to Israel who leads the way. Until the Arabs appoint a true peace partner - one who is less afraid of terrorists and more afraid of failure - there can be no peace.

5. Life sentences that aren't for life
Although I'm not Catholic, I'm still upset that a Turkish court freed Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who tried to kill the Pope back in 1981. He had originally been given a death sentence, but when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2002, it was commuted to life in prison. Well, he's still alive at age 48 and served just 25 years (and only 5 in Turkey). Maybe the Turkish lifespan is shorter that ours, but Agca was already imprisoned before for murdering a Turkish journalist.