The editors of OnMilwaukee.com are generally pretty upbeat, but once in a while they need to vent. In this latest segment of "OnMilwaukee.com rants," the editors go off on early Christmas decorations, iPhone shortcomings, restaurants closed on Sundays and more.
Feel free to add your own rants by using the Talkback feature. Go on. You'll feel better.
Turning Christmas into a summer sport -- On a sunny, 70-something-degree afternoon in early October, I strolled into the local warehouse mega discount store because I needed a pallet of paper towels, a truckload of razor blades and a rotisserie chicken (or something like that), I strolled past a decent-sized display of Halloween decorations. I glanced at the witches, tombstones, ghouls, ghosts and goblins and nothing seemed weird. Even though I was wearing shorts, the calendar said we were into the 10th month, so I figured "'tis the season."
Then I walked around the corner and -- WHAM! I was stunned to see a humongous display of Christmas decorations, ornaments, knick-knacks and other merchandise related to Kris Kringle. I turned to my much better half and said, "Can we at least get through trick or treating before we have to be immersed in that crap?"
I understand how retail works. I know it's a way of life. I'm sure that at some point this weekend, some crazy radio station in town is going to start pumping out Christmas music. But, that doesn't mean I have to like it. – Drew Olson
Basic functionality still missing from the iPhone -- Look, I love the iPhone. I stood in line the day it came out and am still amazed at what a revolutionary device this thing is. But like tons of other people, I remained stunned and disappointed that Apple has left out a few basic features that every PDA or cell phone needs to have.
First, the iPhone doesn't have a "copy and paste" tool that even my Palm Pilot in 1997 had. You'd be surprised how often that comes in handy, especially when trying to copy phone numbers or names or bits of text.
The iPhone also doesn't handle picture messaging, which is more of a big deal when someone sends you a MMS (the clumsy workaround is even more exacerbated by the lack of copy and paste). The iPhone doesn't handle voice dialing, which is amazing for a 3G phone, nor does it record video.
Finally, the tiny keyboard rotates for horizontal typing only in one application (Safari), but not in e-mail or texting. That means, that while Apple has shown it's possible, they insist on forcing users to type on the littlest version of the iPhone keyboard.
All these nitpicks could be forgiven if Apple was making some progress on fixing them, but on their forthcoming 2.2 software update, it appears they're adding podcasting tools and Google Streetview. Both cool enhancements, but lets walk before we run.
The iPhone has been out for almost a year and a half. What are you waiting for, Apple? These basic usability oversights are the only roadblocks to making the iPhone the greatest phone/PDA/minicomputer of all time. --Andy Tarnoff
Closed Sundays -- This might seem a bit nit-picky, but it has long disappointed me that two prominent and successful restaurants in my neighborhood are closed on Sundays.
Certainly, as independent restaurateurs, the owners of both Marchese’s Olive Pit, 1100 S. 1st St., and Transfer Pizzeria Café, 101 W. Mitchell St., have the right to operate their businesses any way they prefer, and that includes taking a weekly day of rest. But my question is, why Sunday? Why not Monday?
In my experience, Sunday is a popular day to dine out, and, as a friend recently told me, "People like to extend their weekends and fight the Sunday night blues by going out for dinner."
Sundays are days for working on home projects and it’s fun to reward yourself with a chef-prepared meal. I know there are plenty of other places that stay open through Sunday; it’s just a bummer that two of my favorites -- and the two closest to me -- don’t. -- Julie Lawrence
Siren song -- Since I dabble in the radio business, which is (last time I checked, anyway) supported by advertising, this might not be the wisest rant of my life, but here goes: I cannot stand any radio advertisement that uses a sound effect that sounds like an emergency siren.
This happens to me at least twice a month and I nearly have a heart attack for a few seconds while whirling around looking for ambulances and / or a place to pull over.
I want to talk to whatever idiot thought that was clever the first time, as well as anyone who keeps perpetuating it. Sadly, it's not just the ads.
My little one likes to listen to Radio Disney in the car and sometimes some of the bubble-gummy pop songs and DJ introductions have siren-like effects mixed in. Drives me nuts. -- D.O.
Library stops reserving films -- Earlier this year, the Milwaukee Public Library System stopped honoring requests for VHS and DVD transfers and holds. This really bums me out considering that 50 percent of the films and programs my kids watch come from the library. Without the library’s collection, they probably wouldn’t have seen "The Yellow Submarine," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" or the "The Muppet Movie." Sure, I can rent or purchase films, but like many American families, every penny saved is critical these days. -- Molly Snyder Edler
Disdain for debate -- Why is it so difficult to have a reasoned, adult conversation about politics / religion / economics (insert tinder box topic here) these days without someone being inflamed? The level of intolerance during the recent political season has been off the charts -- easily the worst of my lifetime. A lot of people are more than willing to rant about a subject (even though what they seem to do is regurgitate talking points pounded into their heads by media), but it doesn't seem that anyone is willing to listen. --D.O.
