BooOooOlivia's Bitin' List 2025
I am Aggrieved.
Happy Halloween! Let’s celebrate with something I haven’t done in a hot sec: An airing of grievances.
These are a variety of things, topics, concepts and people — some trivial, some major — that have caused me to be aggrieved at some point in 2025 thus far. Please, feel free to share your own grievances in the comments, in replies to this newsletter or in this survey.
In no particular order, BooOooOlivia’s Bitin’ List 2025 is as follows:
People who willingly drive Kia Souls.
Society’s ongoing collective lack of spatial awareness.
Construction on River Road in Louisville.
Actually, make that all ongoing road construction in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
The decision to restrict the state Capitol Annex’s snack stand’s ability to make and serve fried bologna sandwiches.
Anyone who couldn’t find the humor in filing a legislative resolution requesting to restore the snack stand’s ability to make and serve said sandwiches.
Straight men who make liking movies their entire personality.
People tied to campaigns who don’t add me to their mailing lists.
People tied to campaigns who promise to add me to their mailing lists, and then fail to do so. (I’m at olivia.krauth@gmail.com and ok@oliviakrauth.com)
Louisville’s “Gucci Goodwill” for its outrageous pricing and lackluster customer experience.
Actually, all of the Kentucky Goodwills within an hour of me. The prices. No.
The office supply store in Louisville that messed up my business cards three times last year. I remain aggrieved.
When people’s headlights are far too bright.
People who come up to me to chat and assume I know exactly who they are. (Unfortunately, I typically do not.)
Myself for recently dropping a full box of Raisinets on the floor.
The lack of seating and workspaces in the Kentucky State Capitol for anyone other than a handful of reporters. (Makes my job real difficult, y’all.)
Anyone tied to the reason why a one-month supply of my ADHD meds are now over $3,300. Yes, a month.
Pens other than the Pilot G-2 extra fine in black ink.
Prices at Michael’s, the craft store.
McDonald’s running out of large cups with Monopoly playing pieces before Monopoly was over.
Anyone and everyone responsible for the mass decision to simply remove price tags from all items, causing shoppers to sign up for an app to (maybe) figure out the price of something and/or hoping for the best at the register.
In a similar vein, why is Target charging me $40 for a sweater that will absolutely shrink beyond repair after the first wash?
Also, my combo washer-dryer that I have yet to successfully use in the four years I’ve lived in this apartment.
The decision to get rid of the snack stand in the Capitol basement. (Not to be confused with the snack stand in the Capitol Annex basement.)
Those who have co-opted any ounce of my personality, wit, social media strategy, font choices and/or journalistic approach since I left reporting full-time, but have not supported me or TGP in the last two years.
All of the towels I’ve purchased in the last year, for being a perpetual source of lint regardless of how expensive they were or how many times I wash them.
Hypocrites (yes, like me when I canceled a recent newsletter due to spooky season only to drop this newsletter seconds before trick or treating begins).
Return policies that are “within 30 days” instead of just saying within the next month.
I could go on, but I have to prepare for all of the trick-or-treaters I’m not going to get.
Cheers! (Oh and don’t forget paid subscriptions are still 15% off! The deal ends Monday, so sign up now!)
—BooOooOlivia.