Things I hate: cell phones and computer viruses

Sorry to be negative, but I have to rant.

I'm sick and tired of people and their dad blasted cell phones. I was in a restaurant today and at least 6 cell phones went off within about 20 minutes. People that were there with others -- friends, co-workers -- kept their lunch guests waiting while they yacked on the phone. I couldn't tell you none of those calls were important, but what I could overhear -- and people tend to talk louder on their cells -- there wasn't much being said that sounded serious or urgent. Two younger women a table away, instead of talking to each other, fiddled with their phones and talked about what other people were sending/texting to them.

These are the kinds of things I see and hear daily. People making a lot of noise, but saying nothing, with their phones.

I guess it's none of my business if people are rude to each other on a one-on-one level. But the overall decline of politeness, the elevation of electronic communication over face-to-face talking (even while another person is 3 feet away!) is alarming to me. I cannot stand competing with a cell phone for the attention of a person I'm eating or hanging out with. Why did you invite me to the game? Why not just take your phone and text and yack all day?

I could go on and on about drivers on their phones, but I'll keep it short. I'd rather be on the road with a bunch of drivers that have had 3 or 4 beers than a legion of people driving with one hand while they chit-chat on their phones. I honestly feel I'd be safer around the impaired drivers.

As for computer viruses, I cannot imagine anything more childish -- sociopathic in away -- than to create a computer program whose primary purpose is to wreck someone else's (many others') computer. The Conficker virus, which is set to "go live" today, has everyone terrified their computers and thus, their personal and business interests, could be irreperably damaged.

If these clowns that wrote the Conficker virus are ever caught, I am 100% serious when I say that they should do decades in prison. They have no disregard for other people and the rest of us would be best served with them behind bars.

Schwew. Now that those things are off my chest, I feel better.