For the last 2 or 3 weeks I have noticed a massive rash of stupidity in the environments in which I have immersed myself. The biggest factor to this stupidity is the inability of others to use common sense and logic, but there are other issues such as selfishness that come into play.

When you're doing anything, use your brain and think. Make sure that the decisions you're making actually make sense in the realm of reality, and that they help more people than just yourself. In fact, if option A helps more people than option B, option A is clearly the better candidate.

Now, that having been said, STOP BEING STUPID!

This concludes this episode of Quick Rant(tm).

This is a topic I wanted to rant about a couple of months ago, but got severely distracted and forgot all about. It has to do with bathroom etiquette.

Where I work, we have pretty nice restrooms. They offer a nice level of privacy for when you are doing your deed, and they have very nice wash-up areas. But it seems the quality of this setting doesn't differ from that of a run-down truck stop in the middle of nowhere. But what indicators make me think this? Let me hit them one by one.

First, I'd like to point to the janitorial staff. For a crew that's on site daily, all day, you'd think that keeping the paper goods stocked properly would be a small task that could be done at either end of the workday. Apparently that's too much to expect. You see, each "stall" of the mens room holds 2 full rolls of toilet paper. Yet every time I walk in there, I see that there are an additional 2 to 3 rolls stacked on the back of the toilet. Let's not forget that sink area either. The paper towel dispenser is pretty good sized and would probably hold a sufficient amount of towels by itself. However, there is invariably a couple more packs of fresh paper towel laid on the countertop next to the sink, where it does nothing but absorb the water that splashes out of the sinks when they are used. This is a very frustrating thing to witness and would not be tolerated by my standards.

Hanging on to the topic of paper goods, let's talk about what people do with the toilet paper and paper towels. No, I don't mean their intended uses; I'm talking about how they always seem to end up on the floor. It doesn't matter that there are 2 very accessible trash cans within close proximity of the sink and door. Heck, there is almost always a pile of spent paper towels on the floor directly next to the trash can. In the stalls, it seems there is always at least one length of (hopefully) unused toilet paper laying on the floor. Do people not understand the concept of reaching to the floor to pick up what they have so horribly misplaced? It's not that hard, folks.

Have you ever worked somewhere and had to share a workstation with other people? I mean, that keyboard, mouse, and telephone you use on a daily basis has to be used by someone else when you're not there, right? How would you feel if I told you that only 3 of the 5 visitors to the restroom at the office wash their hands between reliving themselves and exiting the bathroom? This is a very loose figure, because it's only observed for the couple of minutes I'm in the restroom each visit. We can easily amplify the intensity of this issue by noting that the offenders are typically those who interact directly with customers or groups of workers in the office. Simply gross.

Another seemingly trivial issue that plagues even the most sophisticated restroom facilities is the concept of flushing the toilet. I could understand and partially appreciate the reluctance if the facility were that of a nasty truck stop, but not when it's a clean and mostly well-kept corporate restroom as we have. Even if placing your hand on the lever to flush the fixture does wrench your stomach, consider using that thing attached to the end of your leg: your foot. The levers are generally low enough that you can easily raise your foot to gently press it downward and trigger the flow of water. Otherwise, your nasty mess that you just got rid of is left for everyone else who enters the restroom after you. Would you like for someone else to leave you such a present? I think not.

What do you feel should be done with those dirty hands once you have dealt with your bodily functions and handled items that others who have done the same have? That's right, wash your hands! There should be no further discussion here, just do it!

Oh, and let's hit one more point while we're at it: Turn the water off when you're done. You do remember those public service announcements we all saw growing up, telling us to turn the water off when we were done, right? Even when it is city water that you don't have to pay for, you should still use the same amount of respect you would expect at your house, should one of your co-workers use your restroom. If you turned it on, turn it off. Simple.

I mean, come on now: We are all old enough to be considered mature adults, right? Why not act the part?!

Anyone who wishes to discuss something with me from this point forward will be required to do so while applying tact to the conversation. Failure to comply will likely result in me calling out your ability to converse in a grown up, civil manner, a rather angry response from me, a kick in the shin, or all of the above.

Well, now it's going beyond the doorstep.

Since I moved in here, I would occasionally notice a beat up vehicle (Ford Escape I think -- it's too far gone to tell) downstairs. This vehicle never had a parking tag, and would always be parked under the covered parking (which is assigned). I thought it was rather bold of them, and was just waiting for the day that they parked in my spot.

I got home from work today around 4:00, as usual, and tried to park in my own space. The thing that made it difficult though was this pile of crap double-parked in my spot and the downstairs neighbor's spot. I knew I'd be leaving again in a bit to get groceries, so I didn't sweat it.

Before I left to get groceries, I decided I had better be prepared in case that car was still in my spot. So, I wrote a note that went something like this:

I would really appreciate it if you did not park in my spot, unless you happen to have a parking tag for it. Please don't park in my spot again, or I'll be calling the leasing office and you'll likely be towed.

-- The tenant who has the right to be parking in this spot.

I took this note with me, folded in half, and walked down to my car. On the way, I noticed that the jalopy was still in my space, so I left the note under their windshield wiper. When I got back from getting groceries about an hour later, both that vehicle and the station wagon that belongs to the tenant next door were gone.

Since then, someone has come back and turned the loud music on again. It's Friday night and I'm cool with that, especially where I was watching a movie turned up a little loud. I'm just waiting for that music to continue past 10:00PM tonight though. I have to work at 7:00AM in the morning, and if I can't sleep because they've got this wild hair about it, I'm going to be a bit upset.

I'm also looking forward to tomorrow morning, when I find out my tires have been slashed, my windows busted out, or graffiti sprayed on my car. That's what insurance is for, but I will most certainly be filing a police report if that is the case... and I'll be late for work because of it.

Since I moved in on August 1st, I've been getting mail and notices for the previous tenant from creditors. This evening, I had a visit from a repossession agent, looking to take the vehicle on which this tenant defaulted.

The repo-guy told me that he was required to tell me all about this girl defaulting on the loan, what her legal obligation was, and what the penalty would be if it were not met. He also told me that the next party to visit would be a police officer, and that I would only have to show him my ID to prove I am not this other person.

Part of me wants to say that I am not showing them anything because I don't know this person and I have no idea who they are. However, the other part of me says that they're just doing their job and I should help them out. Then there's this other part of me that is scouring Google, MySpace, and Facebook for the previous tenant, trying to give them something further to work with.

Blargh.

I need opinions.

My next door neighbors seem to enjoy listening to their hispanic music at all hours of the day, which includes the times I try to sleep. They appear to have some sort of subwoofer on their stereo system, so all I really hear is the bass.

Should I:

1. Knock on their door and ask them to kindly refrain from listening to the music at a loud volume between 10pm and 8am
2. Call the leasing office and complain
3. Break out the bass guitar and rock out to my own music (the bass amp is sitting right against their wall)

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.

I just don't get it. I have been around long enough to think that I've seen it all, but this one has me quite confused.

People claim to be your friend. They claim to know you and want to see you happy. Then it comes down to the wire. You make a decision for your own life, and instantly you're the bad guy. As far as you're aware, you've done nothing wrong. This is where it gets confusing though: Everything you do offends the other person - this "friend" - and they hate you for all you're worth.

I've had more than a few cases of this as of late, and I just don't get it. I do understand that my friends have feelings and they will be sad to see me leave the area. I don't understand why they think I'm just tossing 'em to the curb and that I have no feelings towards the matter at all.

Am I sad to be leaving this area? A little.
Will I miss my friends around here? Heck yeah I will!
But am I looking forward to the new adventures? If I weren't, I wouldn't be taking them on.
Okay, okay... Am I at all nervous or scared? All of the above.
Then why am I doing it? Because I feel it is a necessary step in my life. I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and I feel I will hate myself forever if I don't at least give it a shot.

I understand that people have had suggestions to keep me around here. While I appreciate it, the suggestions that have been offered do not necessarily place me where I want to be in my career or life. It's not that I hate this area or the people here; there just isn't much more here for me.

Please, don't hate me. I've done nothing wrong.

People who drive SUVs and trucks just completely aggravate me to no end. Today, I got behind people in both types of vehicles who would dodge the slightest bump in the road, or drive really slowly over a bit of a rough patch, even though they are driving vehicles with enhanced suspension systems.

Yeah, I know. It sounds stupid and even a bit whiny, but I'm getting a bit tired of it. People seem to think that being a complete and utter jerk and treating me like less than crap is a good way to make them look good. I don't know if they think they're being funny, or if they're just too blind to see that they're being jerk-like, but it's getting rather old.

I'm not the coolest person in the world. I'm not the smartest, or most pop-savvy, but I am just as much of a person with feelings as they are.

What am I to do? Shrug it off? Dish it back at them? Call them out in front of everyone and risk looking like a cry-baby?

Here's a situation for you:

You have a married couple next door, and a married couple downstairs. They frequently argue and fight, sometimes so loud that you have to turn up the television (at 11:30PM) to keep from hearing them.

Do you:

a. Just put up with it
b. Confront them directly
c. Confront the landlord
d. Confront law enforcement personnel

It's just a hypothetical situation...

...that is going to make it hard for me to sleep tonight...