Irksome incidents really irritate Rusty

When writing about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, I said that I didn't understand the sort of hate that would cause human beings to crash airplanes carrying human beings including themselves into buildings loaded with even more human beings.

This is hate I don't understand. To me, hate itself is the most unpleasant of words; and perhaps the most misused word in the English language. I have said, "I hate cucumbers" when what I mean is I don't care for them. We preface many assertions with "I hate it" when ... we don't really hate it.

All of this linguistic mumbo-jumbo is to introduce a topic about things I don't like. Clear-ly, I can't say, "I hate it when people say they HATE things they really don't hate." In such situations, I propose substituting hate with the more appropriate verb "irk." What follows are a few things that irk me.

Gloom and doom people irk me. With a knee-jerk reaction, they predict the very worst of possible outcomes. It's the syndrome: OH, WOE IS US, followed by predictions of dire circumstances.

An example of this irksome practice is the media response to the U.S. war against terrorism. Immediately following the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush announced that this country would wage war against the terrorists and the countries that protect them.

He warned that expunging these characters from the world would be a long, difficult and deadly process.

The vast majority of Amer-icans heartily agreed. The war started in Afghanistan, where terrorist Osama bin Laden was protected by the ruling Taliban forces.

As soon as the bombing began, some in the media commenced wringing its collective hands and the OH, WOE IS US wails began. We were told our troops would get bogged down in a land war like we did in Vietnam. After all, the Russian army got bogged down in Af-ghanistan. Media vowed that Muslims everywhere would hate us, OH, WOE IS US!

Truth be told, the OH WOE IS US naysayers were wrong. As I write this, no one has bogged down, that's for sure. The Taliban forces have been retreating so rapidly that there's no time for bogging down. The Muslims I have seen on TV being liberated from Taliban control were joyous.

Not to fear, the WOE IS US folks have moved on, and they now predict the war will spread to other nations shielding terrorists. It's going to be bloody, and we are bound to get bogged down somewhere. How irksome!

Of less volatile issues that irk me, one is when people proffer a compliment, followed by BUT. You know what I'm talking about: "He's a really nice guy, BUT his feet don't match."

That might be a bit far-fetched, BUT you know what I mean: "You have been a valuable employee, BUT we're going to have to let you go," or "I really do like you a lot, BUT I don't want to date you anymore." This irks me; if one is going to fire someone or end a relationship, whatever, do it. Don't preface the bad news with a compliment ... BUT then, what do I know?

It irks me when people don't pass along favors. For example, I was entangled in what Hades must be like, a traffic jam on East Sunshine west of 65 bypass. A black pickup in a parking lot wasn't having any luck entering traffic. Compas-sionate humanitarian that I am, I waved him in front of me.

He happily expressed his thanks and pulled in. Not more than half a block ahead, a white pickup likewise was trying to ease into traffic.

The dipstick driver in the black pickup could have returned the favor and let the white truck in, but he deliberately pulled up far enough to make it impossible for the other driver to nudge his way in.

It irked me that he didn't return the favor I had just done for him. Well, I let the white pickup in front of me. He did it with nary a wave or any sign of a thanks for the favor. Both drivers irked even a humanitarian such as I.

Something else irks me: The credit card company I do business with deluges me with telemarketing calls offering services I neither want nor need. The telemarketers pressure me to try these schemes for a month for free.

Great, but if you forget to cancel on time, it's on the bill, and you can't get rid if it. Telemarketing calls from people I don't do business with are bad enough; I shouldn't have to protect myself from those with whom I do business. It irks me, I tell you, it irks me!

(Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.)