It's all Pandora's fault.

I recently studied Greek mythology with my students. Here is a translation of one source's version of all of the "bad stuff" that Pandora released from her infamous box to plague humanity forevermore...You have to read it all the way to the end...it's hilarious. In fact I suggest you read it aloud to someone, it's even funnier!

"Old age, hard labor, sickness, vices, anger, envy, covetousness, jealousy, sarcasm, cynicism, violence, intolerance, injustice, infidelity, famine, drought, pestilence, war, religious persecution, apartheid, taxes, pollution, inflation, unemployment, fascism, racism, sexism, terrorism, communism, nepotism, cubism, patriotism, nihilism, totalitarianism, plagiarism, vandalism, tourism, dogma and schizophrenia, kleptomania, claustrophobia, xenophobia and hypochondria, insomnia and megalomania, narrow-mindedness and lack of conscience, egoism and swindling, corruption and censoring, gluttony and pornography, delinquency and vulgarity, bureaucracy and complacency, obesity and acne, diplomatic immunity and traffic jams, electoral campaigns and urban development, modern architecture, fast food, elevator music, amusement parks, organized crime, advertising, alcoholism and drugs, sodium monoglutamate, nicotine and nuclear energy, data processing, fanaticism, insanity and rain, metal garbage cans and many, many other things."