has no idea what she's doing in college

Is it bad that I wish I could be as scathing as this guy? His Most Annoying People of 2004 has me in stitches, even though I don't necessarily agree with him on all of them, and think he's being excessively harsh on a lot of them. See, that's my problem. Always so boringly moderate.

Although here's something with which I can definitely take exception:
From McSweeney's Recommends:

Southern Comfort
Says Believer webmaster Max Fenton: "A bottle of Southern Comfort, some ice, some friends- you've got yourself a party."

Says me: Oh no you didn't!

Let me count the ways that Southern Comfort is your worst nightmare:

1) It tastes like cough syrup on its best day.
2) It cannot be mixed with anything (and for you good ole boys [because I know there are so many of you perusing this blog], yes, I've had an Alabama Slammer, and yes, my original statement still holds).
3) It is the drink of choice used to lure under-age girls into getting hazy and vulnerable (well, at least, before the days of roofies, I guess).
4) Too much of this stuff will give you a hangover that neither Jack nor Jim can rival.

Yes, I drank too much So Co in college. No, I am not a recovering alcoholic!

Anyway, (rant)I had to have what at work we would refer to as a "difficult conversation" with a relative yesterday, and it sucked up one side and down the other. It's weird, when there's such an age difference between us. For so long, I treated this cousin of mine like a child. Like aw, how cute that she can't write an essay for college or she doesn't know what she wants to do after she graduates, how adorable. But yesterday, she asked me to write a cover letter for her. An effing cover letter, people! Most hilarious part? She said she'd been "researching how to write one all day at B&N." Should one really require four hours of research to figure out how to write a cover letter? So, that was it. I had to cut the chord, go cold turkey, and tell her that she needed to grow up. Amazingly, I managed to suppress the urge to read her the riot act about the fact that, at her age, I found a profession and a job all on my lonesome without any family guidance. Because that would have come off sounding like an old, bitter curmudgeon who thought she was an overindulged brat. But let me tell you, I was thinking it. And for that, I feel conflicted. I mean, maybe it's my own fault, because I spoiled her just as much as any other member of my family did. We held her hand through it all, so should I really be surprised that she now carries herself as though she's entitled to be treated like a princess? (/rant)

Sigh. Fact is, it seems reflective of a larger issue, which is this lackadaisical approach some women take when it comes to thinking about a career and a direction for their lives. I'm not trying to indict all of womenkind, so please note that this is not a sweeping generalization. And I'm also not passing judgement on women who choose to value having a family and raising children above a career (more power to them, I think that's harder than anything I'll ever do with my life!). What I don't understand is this- if you aren't married, shouldn't you at least be thinking about a career? Not necessarily a high-powered one, either, I'm not asking you to gun for the CEO position, but at least some career of some kind. Just because you've decided you'd rather eventually get married and have kids, does that give you license to just tread water aimlessly until then? I do not understand! It breaks my brain when I meet women like this, especially because some of them are intelligent, but just have no motivation to apply that intelligence in any kind of a productive fashion. I mean, shouldn't you have some of your own personal motivation? Isn't there something you can do with your life that is productive that also makes you happy???

Clearly, I'm not in the holiday spirit just now...