UPDATE: Check bottom of page.
If you find them as annoying as me, follow the steps:
ALT + F2
mateconf-editor
Go to desktop - mate - interface
Look for enable_animations and uncheck.
Done.
Update Jan 2014
Mateconf-editor has been replaced.
sudo apt-get install dconf-tools
dconf-tools
Update July 2015
Open terminal
sudo dconf-editor
Org/mate/desktop/interface and uncheck enable_animations.
and
org/mate/marco/general and check reduced_resources.
and
org/mate/marco/general and check reduced_resources.