STUPID THINGS SOMETIMES PLAGUE ME: Like, for example: Why do people with Caller ID pretend they don't know who's calling? I see this all the time. A colleague just heard his phone ring, looked at the display screen and said "Oh, this is [so-and-so] calling," then answered the phone with a faux-innocent salutation. I have a neighbor who does this, too. She lays a quizzical "hello" out there, then feigns surprise and mild delight when I identify myself. Recently I could take it no longer, and so I said, "Carolyn, you have caller ID, right?" "Yes," she says. "So you knew it was me, right?" "Right," she confirms. "So why not just say, 'Hi, Scott,' instead of this surprised act?" "I dunno," she says.

Or there's the reverse that happens: Your phone rings, you see it's so-and-so, and so you answer, "Hi, so-and so." And they act all surprised, chuckle and say something like, "Wow, how'd you know it was me?"

People, we ALL have friggin' caller ID these days. At the very least, we all have it on our cell phones. Let's quit pretending. You're making me crazy. Err. Crazier.