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Things I Hate Right Now - While Staying Positive

I know, it's only January 4th and the year of positivity is in its infant stage, so why the anger?  It's not anger, it's just a little venting, while putting a positive spin on things.  You'll see.

30 Rock and Parks & Recreation - Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are probably the two best things to come from SNL in the last 15 years, but their shows are moronic.  They grabbed my attention with their smart comedy, but these shows are asinine and fall somewhere in the realm of poop jokes and old people falling down.  I must admit, I've limited my viewing to under three episodes each, but these are arguably two of the dumbest shows on TV.  On a positive note, we have New Girl and Up All Night to make us laugh.  Modern Family and Raising Hope are funny, but not enough to keep me watching.

Michelle Bachmann - Finally bug-eyed crazy lady married to a homophobic gay man is dropping out of the race.  She epitomizes the craziness of bible thumpers and right wing loons alike.  She never had a chance, especially when she started by saying God actually spoke to her and told her to run while she was doing bong hits in college (I made up the bong hits part).  On a positive note, she handled all the abuse with a level of class I actually came to admire.  Scary for me to admit this.

New York Jets Fans - the most biased group of fans I've ever come in contact with.  They have actually convinced themselves that Sanchez is a good quarterback and that they are better off not making the playoffs than to make it and lose.  One friend argued with me in such a fashion, I almost had to call his friends to make sure he hadn't climbed a tower.  His arguments were so ludicrous and his facts so skewed it was hard to not just sit back and make fun of him.  It was like watching Herman Cain campaign.  On a positive note, they are Peyton Manning away from being a Superbowl team.  I'm dead serious.

People Who Discuss Reality TV - I have many friends, acquaintances and people I run into who are obsessed with these shows.  They write on Twitter and Facebook.  They talk about it on the phone and in bars.  They meet for lunch and speak about nothing but the night before and it's juicy details.  What troubles me is that they have lost sight of the fact that these shows aren't mindless escapes like sitcoms or television dramas, they are mindless escapes for people whose lives have devolved so much that seeing people dumber than themselves brings them happiness.  Seeing dumb people talk about dumb people is one thing, but seeing smart people talk about dumb people is just plain sad.  On a positive note, I have a remote and can change the channel, just remember, it doesn't work in person, so don't be surprised if I ask you to STFU.

The Whole ASPCA Barrage - Sarah McLachlan's ASPCA commercials, the endless Facebook posts and people constantly putting picture after picture of their pets online.  I love animals, don't get me wrong, but I have a problem with the message.  For 60 cents a day I can take care of a cat?  For the same amount of money, I can feed a family of five by donating to City Harvest.  I love cats, but a starving child loses out every time someone donates their estate to Fluffy.  It's pathetic.  I know people suck, but kids need the right to grow up healthy enough to suck.  Donate to those charities.

People Who Praise Restaurants Whose Food Sucks - I get it. You got the nicest table, you know the owner and the waiter gave you a hand job under the table because your Philly cheese steak had meat and cheese on it and you specifically mentioned you are a Vegan.  Oh, you went on Thursday before 5pm and the prime rib was 2-for-1.  Lovely, you got glorified roast beef half price.  Congrats, this does not make it a good restaurant.  A good restaurant has good food, not a mountain of mediocre food. I went to a good restaurant a few weeks ago and appetizer and lunch left me feeling like I ate, but I could eat some more in a bit.  I wasn't bloated and wasn't stuffed and the food left flavors on my palette that can not be described.  Most people who tell me to try a place I ignore, because for the most part, people haven't been trained to eat.  They eat what they know and sadly, most people can not cook very well.  Sure, I get it. A grilled cheese with tomato and bacon in a dive sometimes hits the spot more than venison stew, but it doesn't necessarily make it a great dining experience.  If I'm out to eat, I want something I probably can't make at home, so telling me they have the "best" penne a la vodka isn't impressing me.  If you tell me they have a lamb shank with a special knife for the marrow or duck confit with pumpkin  risotto, I'm all ears, but telling me the eggplant parm was out of this world is wasting my time.  Sorry, I'm a food snob, so don't tell me about the standard fare or the county fair for that matter.  On a positive note, so far in the past week, I've had roasted duck, lamb chops, the lightest raviolis without any sauce hampering it and the most delicious clam dip.  Simple, but decadent.

I'm sure more things are bothering me, but I'm keeping it positive this year.  Can't wait for football this weekend and my next great meal.  My favorite new show Prime Suspect has almost run it's course, but at least it gave me a TV drama worth staying home for.  It's been years since one has been on.

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