One thing many of these networking sites share in common is that they feature categories for users to fill in about their interests ... what movies do you like? What activities do you enjoy? Your favorite TV show? Your favorite book? Well that’s all fine and dandy, but what they are neglecting to acknowledge is that by having you fill in just these categories, they’re ultimately only presenting half the picture. What about what movies you can’t stand? Things you absolutely dread doing? I think one can really learn a lot about a person by learning what he/she doesn’t like, and usually it’s quite an amusing read as well! I’m not trying to be negative or anything here, but really, think about it ... someone’s dislikes are just as integral a part of who they are as their interests.

So just for kicks, in case y’all have some extra time on your hands and care to get to know me a bit better, here are some things I really could do without:

Food & Drink:
1-British "cuisine"
2-1’s spoiled brat New World child, fast food. Thankfully, despite the English, America also has baked beans and jambalaya; a small saving grace amid a swamp of carcinogens, fat, processed sugar, synthetic flavourings and other yummy treats.
3-poor excuses for beer (Labatt, Molson, Coors, Bud, etc.)
4-poor excuses for chocolate (if it wasn’t made in Europe, eat it yourself, I won’t help you)
5-North America’s interpretation of "Mexican food". Mexico is not THAT far away - go on a research trip and get it right already!!!

Movies:
1-Seven. I’m not saying it was a bad movie, but was it really necessary? I still want to retch whenever I think about it.
2-Madame Tutli-Putli. It was incredibly well done, but I found it excessively dark, artsy-fartsy and self-indulgent. They totally deserved their Oscar nomination - I just personally didn’t enjoy the film, that’s all.
3-85-90% of what comes out of Hollywood these days. Especially the B movies they make us watch on the bus to Mexico. See "Music - 3".

Actors:
1-Tom Cruise - contrary to what you so adamantly believe, the whole universe does NOT revolve around you. Please, for the love of God just shut up already and put yourself out of our misery.
2-Steve Martin - you’re really not that funny. And geez, trying to accentuate your funniness by hanging out with the Monty Python guys is like trying to show everyone how sexy you are by standing next to D’Angelo.

Music (Well, I’m reluctant to call this "music". How about "insipid noise"):
1-Kenny G. - he has ruined the saxophone for generations to come
2-White "Contemporary" Christian. Two words - NED FLANDERS!
3-pretty much anything in the "Top 40" over the last 15 years - it’s about bloody time we wrestle the music industry back out of the hands of lawyers and accountants - haven’t we suffered through enough corporate diarrhea already? It was a sad, sad moment in the history of popular music the day Paris Hilton released an album. COME ON!!!
4-commercial radio. It’s annoying all over the world, in any language, in any country; a universal blight on the soundscape.

Activities I’d really rather not partake in:
1-Driving (as you all know from a previous blog)
2-Recording. Yes, I’m a musician and I hate recording. Sure I’ll do it, but it’s like something to get overwith, like a day at the office or a root canal.
3-Wearing make-up, pantyhose, heels etc. Though I have in the past and will again do it for money.
4-Shopping (I guess I really am a man trapped in a woman’s body)

Television:
1-American sitcoms (Seinfeld excepted)
2-The Learning Channel - which used to be interesting way back when, but should now be re-branded as The Mundane, Uninspired Suburban Housewives Channel (or MUSH for short).
3-American/Canadian/Australian/Czech/Swedish/Uzbekistani etc. etc. Idol

Books:
Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park - this is a very rare case in which the movie was WAY more enjoyable than the book.

Undesirable people and/or their undesirable qualities:
-Self-righteous jazz musicians (Keith, contrary to what you so adamantly believe, the whole universe does not revolve around you either)
-Self-righteousness in general
-People who don’t know or care about anything outside of their own neighbourhood
-People who take gambling too seriously
-People in streets or public gathering areas holding CLIP BOARDS. Don’t approach me! Don’t talk to me! I just want to enjoy my afternoon at the market without you trying to sell me some one-time-only spa package offer. PISS OFF!!!!!
-People who come to my HOUSE with CLIP BOARDS! They’re even worse. GO AWAY, or I’ll get the garden hose!

Miscellaneous irritants that never should have been invented/born:
-Air conditioning
-Hornets/yellowjacket wasps (give me tarantulas and scorpions any day!)
-Ugly or banal architecture
-Aspartame
-Perfume
-VLTs (add a touch of class to any establishment!)
-Casinos
-Companies who make their money solely by buying up patents and suing for infringement - can anyone say NO INTEGRITY??
-Big-screen TVs
-Planned obsolescence - I can’t even opt to spend more money to buy something made in Germany that will last more than 3 days anymore!! If we don’t want to buy cheap made-in-China crap we’ll just have to live like the Amish.
-Factory farms
-’80s "fashion"
-Wonderbread (though it is useful for plumbing - notice it didn’t even qualify for the "food" category?)
-Automated telemarketing - they call me with a recorded message, not even having the decency to waste their OWN time while they waste mine. Some nerve.
-Government sanctioned incompetence (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, come live in Quebec for a little while)
-’80s hair