Pet Peeves

[dwmckim]

That's actually what makes it all the more annoying - knowing that they're essentially being nosy not because they mean to but because they're forced to. If it's a manager doing it or i can see their manager's watching them, i'm more apt to respond negatively so they can see how it doesn't have the desired effect they're wanting and makes it worse for both parties.

If the sole reason i'm even there in the first place is to pick up my every-second-or-third-daily 50 cent hot dogs to keep me from passing out due to being the only thing i can afford to eat if dumpster diving was unsuccessful and i know for a fact that a mini inquisition will be part of the process, i will actually choose to instead go elsewhere. I'd much rather deal with the surly, mumbly pothead who could care less than have some Nosy Nancy force me to say "everything's fine, thanks" as i'm fighting back tears.

(And yes, anyone who works in such a place who happens to read this has my full permission and encouragement to copy and email it to your managers and headquarters)

That reminds me of something else that's not a pet peeve or annoying, but rather something i find unintntionally hilarious. A few years ago, register workers at Quick Trips were obviously told by management that they had to say "hello" to everyone who walked in the door. Now something like that's a nice touch if it's really genuine and the employee's doing it on their own but when it's blatently obvious they're doing it because they're forced to, it becomes sitcomy-silly - especially when they're swamped and they can't get out a sentence to the person they're dealing with - "Okay, that- HELLO - will be ten dol-HELLO-dollars and five cents-HELLO" - they seem like Pavlov dogs! And since then, other chains have since had their employees become similar robots.

In the same "department", i've noticed that sometime in the last month, Jack in the Box workers have been forced to ask "how was your service today?" (I don't know if this is all over or just the one right by me). Threw me for a loop the first time they did it, but now that i know it's coming, i'm ready with an honest answer ("slow and overpriced", "aside from your insanely price-gouged drinks, just perfect")

 

[Drtooth]

3) People/groups (religious nuts, f**ini****sts, uptight mamas, conservadoodles and whatnot) several of whom are the most vocal, who preach against anything that they claim is “corrupting society” like video games, cartoons, adult entertainment, rock and roll music, cheeseburgers, etc. and wanting to banish these things believing they have a perfect sense of "decency” and know what's good for us rolleyes: yeah right)

I hate EVERY side, left and right, that does this... from people who want to kill any trace of reality in television (who are suspiciously absent when it comes to reality television) to tofu heads that get their pants in a bunch when there's a kid's meal toy or a sugared cereal. I hate when the loudest vocal minority gets their way with everything, and starts dumbing down television so they can say "HEY! We were heard and things that offend us don't exist." There is NO Saturday morning thanks to both of these people, there's less and less interesting stuff on TV... and again, if people are so hyped up about how there's no decency in television, why do Reality Shows continue to be let on television? The vilest, immoralest stuff happens on Biggest Loser alone.

Now, I've been out of the States for a long time, but what was this I heard about the Tiger Woods fiasco that everyone (not just the media) made such a big fuss over a few years ago? All I know was that he didn't break the law or anything. But what really surprised me was the fact that all the major TV networks broke away from their regular programming schedules just to cover this silly story. Seriously, what was up with that?

I really would love to go onto my pet peeve about how suck-a-doodle-doo the news media is, but it's really the same thing... taking sides with whomever is gonna keep their tax breaks or whichever side they cow-tow to, and how the celeb gossip rag media helps cover up the icky spots that would shine through putting their friends in a bad light...

But here's the thing with Tiger Woods and celebrities. We make them heroes, we put them on a pedestal, and then when they do something human, they're the worst people ever.

Like (and you'll be shocked who's side I'm taking on this) Miley Cyrus. Now, she clearly wants to expand beyond some lame little TV show that rose her to stardom, but it's starting to hold her back. And we all know what happens in Hollywood when you're known as one thing only... look at Bela Lugosi, Adam West, even Mark Hammil (voice acting really helped the latter 2 out). You rarely saw Vincent Price do Comedy, and he's GREAT at it (as everyone who saw that TMS episode knows). Child stars get the worst end of the stick. Why shouldn't she branch out and do something else? Now, she's taking flack from disgruntled parents who made her a role model for her little kids, and her "I'm gonna steal ALL you're money and suckle at your fame" one hit wonder father.

Example 2, and even more apropos, Sport Stars. Tiger Woods especially, but there's just so many examples... we make them heroes because they can play sport (I respect athletes to the extent of they can do things I can't and they could lose it all in a career ending game injury), and then something happens and they're the worst people in history...

Micheal Phelps... he smoked pot and it was broadcast via TMZ. Now, I don't condone the use of the stuff, and I don't want to debate further on it, but A) it was recreational, not performance enhancing and B) look at half our TV shows... That 70's Show... hello? Celebs do pot or worse all the time.

Tiger Woods... yeah... why WOULDN'T a bunch of hos jump on someone that makes a lot of money? And who can resist that?

Micheal Vick... actually he DID do something terrible, but it wasn't related to sport.

and of course, being a Bostonian and having to live with Sox-steria, the whole "EEEWW! Johnny Damon was traded to a sports team we don't like, now he's EVIL!" crap. Loyalty is only measured in resistance to bigger payola.

 

[Slackbot]

When people, on seeing the fan art I do for pleasure, immediately tell me I'm doing the wrong thing, that I need to be doing art to make money, yadda yadda. EVen worse, when they imply or say outright that I waste my time with fan art and fiction because it's not bringing in cash. Hello, have you ever heard of hobbies? That's when you do things for your own pleasure. If you think that I'm wasting my time having fun drawing and writing, please tell me how much you get paid when you sit on your butt staring at the TV for hours every night.

 

[Drtooth]

1) DVDs that claim that "interactive menus" are part of the special features. There's nothing special feature-y about interactive menus! They're on all DVDs!

I forgot to add that one.... you wouldn't believe how many DVD's list "interactive menus" and don't even have them. What's worse? When they say "Full frame" is a special feature. Just don't list any if you don't have any... be honest.

When people, on seeing the fan art I do for pleasure, immediately tell me I'm doing the wrong thing, that I need to be doing art to make money, yadda yadda. EVen worse, when they imply or say outright that I waste my time with fan art and fiction because it's not bringing in cash. Hello, have you ever heard of hobbies? That's when you do things for your own pleasure. If you think that I'm wasting my time having fun drawing and writing, please tell me how much you get paid when you sit on your butt staring at the TV for hours every night.

You know, I wonder that myself. Should I bother enabling prints and doing commissions? Wouldn't I get in trouble for drawing someone else's something? Would anyone even bother buying or commissionaire-ing anything from me? Would I do something fetish related for money? I WANT money somehow, but is any of this worth considering?

 

[D'Snowth]

Oh, I forgot to mention my third pet peeve, which actually is similar to one of Oscarfan's...

Now, I honestly have never been one much for nicknames, with the exception of what I actually consider good nicknames (like Kathy giving "Jadar", and all the different variations of Snowth folks have given me over the years), but when it comes to nicknames that shorten or abbreviate my actual name, then I don't really care for it too much.

One problem is that part of it is actually my fault: back years ago when I self-inserted myself into like TWO Steve videos on YouTube, and he called me "Joe" because he has no respect for me... since then, practically every new person in my life calls me "Joe"... it's funny - I can tolerate being called "Jadar", and all these different Snowth names, but when people call me "Joe", I actually feel like a completely different person.

But, I feel like a snob when I tell people "Don't call me such-and-such", so if they want to call me "Joe", I let them call me that, even though I don't care for it.

 

[D'Snowth]

Another minor pet peeve I have lies in when people don't practice proper grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc... specifically when people misuse the apostrophe in regards to a person's name ending with the letter S.

Granted, Language Arts was one of my best subjects, and the last I remember being taught regarding the apostrophe after a person's name ending in S is that you STILL add an S AFTER the apostrophe, id does look odd, but that's how you do it, so if you have people with names like Chris, Russ, Marcus, Curtis, etc, the posessive tense of those names are still "Chris's", "Russ's", "Marcus's", "Curtis's"; the ONLY exception, as I recall from my school days is for the names of biblical or history figures, so names like Jesus or Ramses wouldn't include the additional S, like "Jesus'" or "Ramses'".

 

[CensoredAlso]

I remember being taught regarding the apostrophe after a person's name ending in S is that you STILL add an S AFTER the apostrophe, id does look odd, but that's how you do it, so if you have people with names like Chris, Russ, Marcus, Curtis, etc, the posessive tense of those names are still "Chris's", "Russ's", "Marcus's", "Curtis's"p

Sorry, but I was always taught to never add an "s" after the apostrophe if the name ended in "s."

 

[D'Snowth]

Sorry, but I was always taught to never add an "s" after the apostrophe if the name ended in "s."

Well again, the exception is supposed to only apply to biblical or historical figures, that's what they taught us.

 

[TSSD]

Well again, the exception is supposed to only apply to biblical or historical figures, that's what they taught us.

My name is Thomas, and I was always taught to not add an S after the apostrophe in my name (So, Thomas'). And I'm about 90% sure I'm not a biblical or historical figure. Yet.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well again, the exception is supposed to only apply to biblical or historical figures, that's what they taught us.

I was never taught that either and I went to a religious school.