Stuff you hate (aka: the new f. you thread)

[Eric Fishlegs]

Iphone ads.  Except the one with the grandpa, that's ok I guess.

The grandpa one is cool and sweet. The rest are badly acted in a bizarre way that makes me think it's the director's fault.

[robertc]

If I was the Grandpa I'd feel more proud of the fact that I figured out how to use an iphone.

[Andy]

I hate everything.

[Sarah]

Now my feelings are hurt.

[crumbum]

The fact that our elderly neighbor constantly - like every day - hassles us about the state of our front lawn. We didn't water it enough for a while so a patch at one edge, maybe five feet long by a foot wide, is dried up and yellow. I guess she finds it embarrassing to live next to such squalor.

And yet her back yard is literally one continuous six-foot high pile of junk covered in tarps, hoarder-style, which we get to stare at every time we want to relax outside or have friends over for a barbeque.

[Sarah]

You can always take comfort in the fact that she is crazy and probably miserable.

[Steve of Bloomington]

General discussion of lawns and other domestic trivia bugs me. I ran into a guy from my neighborhood in the Fitness Center at work, and I think he spent 10 minutes talking about how the lawn at the house nobody currently lives in had grown out of control until finally somebody mowed it. I live 2 houses down, and missed all of this drama somehow. Largely due to not caring.

[Bryan]

Lawn care obsession is a frightening and confusing thing. The only issue in that general ballpark I can bring myself to care about is pesticide use (surprise: I'm against it). But apparently lots and lots of people spend a lot of energy thinking about and judging others' lawn care regimens.

I guess having a ship-shape lawn is just a general signifier of respectability in the 'burbs/countryside? Is that all there is to it? If so, why do people get so mad about that stuff?

Is it property values? And if so, is a neighbour's brown or overgrown lawn really going to affect the value of your house?

I just spent a few days in rural Ontario, and marvelled at the vast lawns that were all perfectly manicured. The time they must spend...

[fonpr]

Lawn care obsession is a frightening and confusing thing. The only issue in that general ballpark I can bring myself to care about is pesticide use (surprise: I'm against it). But apparently lots and lots of people spend a lot of energy thinking about and judging others' lawn care regimens.

I guess having a ship-shape lawn is just a general signifier of respectability in the 'burbs/countryside? Is that all there is to it? If so, why do people get so mad about that stuff?

Is it property values? And if so, is a neighbour's brown or overgrown lawn really going to affect the value of your house?

I just spent a few days in rural Ontario, and marvelled at the vast lawns that were all perfectly manicured. The time they must spend...

"Look at me, I can control the environment for a blink of a eye in the the face of all of eternity."

Personally, I root for the grass that pushes up through the sidewalk!

[mike_b]

If/when I get a house, I am reclaiming the lawn as prairie. Anyone who doesn't like living next to a bunch of wildflowers and crazy grasses can SUCK IT!!!!!!!!!!

[Sarah]

Precisely how I feel.  And when solicitous souls offer to mow my lawn for me, I turn 'em down.

[Andy]

I hate when you guys try to justify your laziness by writing it off as quirkiness.

[Sarah]

Oh lordy.  I am the laziest person in the world.  Quirk ain't got nothing to do with my neglected yard or my befurred house.   

[mahgeetah]

If/when I get a house, I am reclaiming the lawn as prairie. Anyone who doesn't like living next to a bunch of wildflowers and crazy grasses can SUCK IT!!!!!!!!!!

I would do that, except there are already little snakes out there. If I let the grass go, I can only imagine the snakes would get bigger and soon it would be Anaconda 4: Terror in the Hudson Valley.

Not to mention that I got a riding mower, and city boy that I am, I still get a kick of riding that thing around. Hooray mowing!

[Steve of Bloomington]

Quirk is hard work. I do understand keeping the grass down for tick avoiding reasons. But if, for example, a small animal dies in the back yard and maggots start consuming it, I am inclined to let nature take its course.