Petty annoyances

[Stevo Darkly]

I thought for sure that we had a thread devoted to merely irritating things that were not awful or shitty, but just annoying, and not related to work or anything else specific.

But I can't find it, so I started a new one.

Current petty annoyance:

Robo-calls that were designed by people who don't realize that answering machines and voicemail have been invented. Consequently, they begin their robo-spiel during the answering greeting, before the "leave your message" beep, and I find truncated messages like these on my machine:

"--er line. For more information, call our service department. [clunk]"

"-- six oh five three two. Remember, it is urgent that you call us about this important matter. [clunk]"

(Fortunately, these calls are almost never actually urgent or important.)

For a special bonus, there are those robo-calls that apparently are designed to call you to see if the line gets picked up, and if it is, then they connect you to a live person -- but no one appears to have anticipated the possibility that the call might be picked up by my answering machine instead of me. So I get messages on my machine like this:

"--ing now! Please stay on the line while we connect you with a representative! [clunk] [brief "hold" music] [clunk] "Hello, Mr. Stephen Darkly? Hello? Helloooo? Hello? [clunk]"

It's not the calls themselves that are irritating, so much as the institutionalized, uncorrected stupidity that they represent.

[dbcooper]

On another forum I frequent posters frequently misuse bias in place of biased and dominate in place of dominant. Drives me mad.

[Pham Nuwen]

Little kids following me around trying to pet my dogs. Yes. They're awesome. Now go away!

[Stevo Darkly]

Little kids following me around trying to pet my dogs. Yes. They're awesome. Now go away!

They are awesome! Dude, can I pet your dogs?

[Pham Nuwen]

Little kids following me around trying to pet my dogs. Yes. They're awesome. Now go away!

They are awesome! Dude, can I pet your dogs?

Stevo? Winner of the Internetz? Wishes to pet my dogs? Absolutely. Could you also autograph them?

[Warren]

You call those dogs? By taking those animals into a public place, you are actively inviting small children to come pet them. If you don't like children petting your dog, get a dog that can eat a child.

[lunchstealer]

On another forum I frequent posters frequently misuse bias in place of biased and dominate in place of dominant. Drives me mad.

Yeah, that would irritant me.

[Pham Nuwen]

get a dog that can eat a child.

That sounds like a liability concern. I'll have to kick that idea to my lawyer and see what he says.

[lunchstealer]

get a dog that can eat a child.

That sounds like a liability concern. I'll have to kick that idea to my lawyer and see what he says.

It's only a liability concern if he doesn't consume the whole child.

[Stevo Darkly]

On another forum I frequent posters frequently misuse bias in place of biased and dominate in place of dominant. Drives me mad.

Yeah, that would irritant me.

What's really irritate is when you read a message from some allegedly "experience dominate male" looking for a "submit female" for "some kinks funned and gamed."

[Hugh Akston]

Firefox 4 is fine so far except that they put the "open link in new tab" command in the right place, right at the top of the right-click menu. This would be fine, except that Firefox 3 had that command in the wrong place, under "open link in new window." Now I have to retrain my brain.

[Pham Nuwen]

Firefox 4 is fine so far except that they put the "open link in new tab" command in the right place, right at the top of the right-click menu. This would be fine, except that Firefox 3 had that command in the wrong place, under "open link in new window." Now I have to retrain my brain.

[dbcooper]

Firefox 4 is fine so far except that they put the "open link in new tab" command in the right place, right at the top of the right-click menu. This would be fine, except that Firefox 3 had that command in the wrong place, under "open link in new window." Now I have to retrain my brain.

The webGL engine is causing epic memory problems on panorama/google earth type sites such as http://www.mapcrunch.com/gallery

Thankfully it can be turned off in about:config

[dbcooper]

I hate the world.

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk/blog/2011/mar/24/ivows-royal-wedding-itunes-decca

iVows: Royal wedding will be released on iTunes

Classical label Decca to make recording of royal couple's marriage vows, which could top download charts

There oughta be a fuckin' law.

[Isaac Bartram]

I hate the world.

http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk/blog/2011/mar/24/ivows-royal-wedding-itunes-decca

iVows: Royal wedding will be released on iTunes

Classical label Decca to make recording of royal couple's marriage vows, which could top download charts

There oughta be a fuckin' law.

I say we should declare our independence. We have to long suffered under the tyrany of the British Crown.

[dbcooper]

Sounds good, I'll be ruler for life of NZ, you can take Oz.

[lunchstealer]

Sounds good, I'll be ruler for life of NZ, you can take Oz.

Cool, and I'll take that one pub.

EDIT: Though I s'pose I'd have to change my nomme-de-plume to lunchtaxer were I to take part in gov't.

[Aresen]

Current petty annoyance:

Robo-calls that were designed by people who don't realize that answering machines and voicemail have been invented. Consequently, they begin their robo-spiel during the answering greeting, before the "leave your message" beep, and I find truncated messages like these on my machine:

"--er line. For more information, call our service department. [clunk]"

"-- six oh five three two. Remember, it is urgent that you call us about this important matter. [clunk]"

Got one of those 'Start when a live person answers robocalls myself the other day. The thing that totally pissed me off was that it wouldn't let me disconnect, so I held on long enough to get a live person. Turns out they were based in Cancun. They said they could only get me out of their automatic dialer if I gave them my number. Not an effing chance, amigo.

[Norbert Wronkletoad]

za

[Jasper]

You call those dogs? By taking those animals into a public place, you are actively inviting small children to come pet them. If you don't like children petting your dog, get a dog that can eat a child.

+1

[Pham Nuwen]

You call those dogs? By taking those animals into a public place, you are actively inviting small children to come pet them. If you don't like children petting your dog, get a dog that can eat a child.

+1

Bah! Bah to you both!

*waves hand dismissively*

[Sandy]

All I notice in this photo collection is how many lights are still left on.

[Jennifer]

Regarding Earth Hour, I'm sympathetic to the whole "Let's reduce waste and save the earth" kind of thing, but hate all symbolic gestures because people think making the gesture equals actually doing something. On the other hand, given that these are many of the same people who banned lightbulbs and dish detergent that actually works without your having to add trisodium phosphate to it, it's good for them to be distracted by meaningless symbolic gestures rather than continue pushing through their horrible legislation.

[JasonL]

Regarding Earth Hour, I'm sympathetic to the whole "Let's reduce waste and save the earth" kind of thing, but hate all symbolic gestures because people think making the gesture equals actually doing something. On the other hand, given that these are many of the same people who banned lightbulbs and dish detergent that actually works without your having to add trisodium phosphate to it, it's good for them to be distracted by meaningless symbolic gestures rather than continue pushing through their horrible legislation.

The irony of the whole thing is if you extend earth hour to say a week, nobody in america would be a green activist ever again.

[Jennifer]

Earth Hour is the equivalent of me saying "My God, I need to reduce my sugar intake," so when I had my usual two spoonfuls of sugar to my morning coffee I remove ONE sparkling white grain from the spoon first. Because I'm the kinda gal who Cares Enough To Make A Difference.