Petty annoyances
- Stevo Darkly
- Posts: 7242
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 19:13
Petty annoyances
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.
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.
"I don't know if you can call it a stereotype when I was in a room full of people actually doing it." -- Keith S.
Re: Petty annoyances
On another forum I frequent posters frequently misuse bias in place of biased and dominate in place of dominant. Drives me mad.
Slip inside a sleeping bag.
- Pham Nuwen
- Posts: 6220
- Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 02:17
Re: Petty annoyances
Little kids following me around trying to pet my dogs. Yes. They're awesome. Now go away!


Goddamn libertarian message board. Hugh Akston
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
- Stevo Darkly
- Posts: 7242
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 19:13
Re: Petty annoyances
They are awesome! Dude, can I pet your dogs?Pham Nuwen wrote:Little kids following me around trying to pet my dogs. Yes. They're awesome. Now go away!
"I don't know if you can call it a stereotype when I was in a room full of people actually doing it." -- Keith S.
- Pham Nuwen
- Posts: 6220
- Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 02:17
Re: Petty annoyances
Stevo? Winner of the Internetz? Wishes to pet my dogs? Absolutely. Could you also autograph them?Stevo Darkly wrote:They are awesome! Dude, can I pet your dogs?Pham Nuwen wrote:Little kids following me around trying to pet my dogs. Yes. They're awesome. Now go away!
Goddamn libertarian message board. Hugh Akston
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
Re: Petty annoyances
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.
THIS SPACE FOR RENT
- lunchstealer
- Posts: 15238
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 17:25
- Location: The Local Fluff in the Local Bubble
Re: Petty annoyances
Yeah, that would irritant me.dbcooper wrote:On another forum I frequent posters frequently misuse bias in place of biased and dominate in place of dominant. Drives me mad.
"The constitution is more of a BDSM agreement with a safe word." - Sandy
"Neoliberalism. Austerity. Booga booga!!!!" - JasonL
"We can't confirm rumors that Lynndie England is in the running to be Gina Haspel's personal aide." - DAR
"Neoliberalism. Austerity. Booga booga!!!!" - JasonL
"We can't confirm rumors that Lynndie England is in the running to be Gina Haspel's personal aide." - DAR
- Pham Nuwen
- Posts: 6220
- Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 02:17
Re: Petty annoyances
That sounds like a liability concern. I'll have to kick that idea to my lawyer and see what he says.Warren wrote:get a dog that can eat a child.
Goddamn libertarian message board. Hugh Akston
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
- lunchstealer
- Posts: 15238
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 17:25
- Location: The Local Fluff in the Local Bubble
Re: Petty annoyances
It's only a liability concern if he doesn't consume the whole child.Pham Nuwen wrote:That sounds like a liability concern. I'll have to kick that idea to my lawyer and see what he says.Warren wrote:get a dog that can eat a child.
"The constitution is more of a BDSM agreement with a safe word." - Sandy
"Neoliberalism. Austerity. Booga booga!!!!" - JasonL
"We can't confirm rumors that Lynndie England is in the running to be Gina Haspel's personal aide." - DAR
"Neoliberalism. Austerity. Booga booga!!!!" - JasonL
"We can't confirm rumors that Lynndie England is in the running to be Gina Haspel's personal aide." - DAR
- Stevo Darkly
- Posts: 7242
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 19:13
Re: Petty annoyances
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."lunchstealer wrote:Yeah, that would irritant me.dbcooper wrote:On another forum I frequent posters frequently misuse bias in place of biased and dominate in place of dominant. Drives me mad.
"I don't know if you can call it a stereotype when I was in a room full of people actually doing it." -- Keith S.
- Hugh Akston
- Posts: 17011
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- Location: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles
Re: Petty annoyances
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.
"Is a Lulztopia the best we can hope for?!?" ~Taktix®
"Inexplicably cockfighting monsters that live in your pants" ~Jadagul
"Inexplicably cockfighting monsters that live in your pants" ~Jadagul
- Pham Nuwen
- Posts: 6220
- Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 02:17
Re: Petty annoyances
Hugh Akston wrote: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.

Goddamn libertarian message board. Hugh Akston
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
Re: Petty annoyances
The webGL engine is causing epic memory problems on panorama/google earth type sites such as http://www.mapcrunch.com/galleryHugh Akston wrote: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.
Thankfully it can be turned off in about:config
Slip inside a sleeping bag.
Re: Petty annoyances
I hate the world.
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk/blog/2011/mar/24/ivows-royal-wedding-itunes-decca
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk/blog/2011/mar/24/ivows-royal-wedding-itunes-decca
There oughta be a fuckin' law.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
Slip inside a sleeping bag.
-
- Posts: 1098
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 18:45
Re: Petty annoyances
dbcooper wrote:I hate the world.
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk/blog/2011/mar/24/ivows-royal-wedding-itunes-decca
There oughta be a fuckin' law.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
I say we should declare our independence. We have to long suffered under the tyrany of the British Crown.
Last edited by Isaac Bartram on 24 Mar 2011, 22:40, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Petty annoyances
Sounds good, I'll be ruler for life of NZ, you can take Oz.
Slip inside a sleeping bag.
- lunchstealer
- Posts: 15238
- Joined: 26 Apr 2010, 17:25
- Location: The Local Fluff in the Local Bubble
Re: Petty annoyances
Cool, and I'll take that one pub.dbcooper wrote:Sounds good, I'll be ruler for life of NZ, you can take Oz.
EDIT: Though I s'pose I'd have to change my nomme-de-plume to lunchtaxer were I to take part in gov't.
"The constitution is more of a BDSM agreement with a safe word." - Sandy
"Neoliberalism. Austerity. Booga booga!!!!" - JasonL
"We can't confirm rumors that Lynndie England is in the running to be Gina Haspel's personal aide." - DAR
"Neoliberalism. Austerity. Booga booga!!!!" - JasonL
"We can't confirm rumors that Lynndie England is in the running to be Gina Haspel's personal aide." - DAR
Re: Petty annoyances
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.Stevo Darkly wrote: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]"
If Trump supporters wanted a tough guy, why did they elect such a whiny bitch? - Mo
Those who know history are doomed to deja vu. - the innominate one
Most people don't realize Stephen King downplayed the horror that is Maine. - Jennifer
Those who know history are doomed to deja vu. - the innominate one
Most people don't realize Stephen King downplayed the horror that is Maine. - Jennifer
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Re: Petty annoyances
za
Last edited by Norbert Wronkletoad on 09 Nov 2011, 13:16, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Petty annoyances
+1Warren wrote: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.
"i'd like to move toward not combusting except on special occasions like arbor day." - dhex
- Pham Nuwen
- Posts: 6220
- Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 02:17
Re: Petty annoyances
Bah! Bah to you both!Jasper wrote:+1Warren wrote: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.
*waves hand dismissively*
Goddamn libertarian message board. Hugh Akston
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
leave me to my mescaline smoothie in peace, please. dhex
- Sandy
- Posts: 9984
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- Location: In the hearts of little children, clogging their arteries.
Re: Petty annoyances
All I notice in this photo collection is how many lights are still left on.
Hindu is the cricket of religions. You can observe it for years, you can have enthusiasts try to explain it to you, and it's still baffling. - Warren
Re: Petty annoyances
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.
"Myself, despite what they say about libertarians, I think we're actually allowed to pursue options beyond futility or sucking the dicks of the powerful." -- Eric the .5b
Re: Petty annoyances
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 wrote: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.
Re: Petty annoyances
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.
"Myself, despite what they say about libertarians, I think we're actually allowed to pursue options beyond futility or sucking the dicks of the powerful." -- Eric the .5b
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