Pet Peeves

Post by **peter** » Sat Sep 20, 2014 10:41 am

Happened to me in a Motorway service station the other day. 15 empty cubicles and the guy wants to crap sitting next to me. You try and complete your business staring down at some clowns foot sticking under the partition! Golden rule - always use the 'Disabled Toilet'; bigger, cleaner, and away from jerks like this!

Post by **michaelm** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:07 pm

peter wrote:Golden rule - always use the 'Disabled Toilet'; bigger, cleaner, and away from jerks like this!

Every time if I can! I hate public bathrooms for doing my sitting business at the best of times, but if I have to, I always check the disabled stall first.

Post by **aliantha** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:19 pm

sgt.null wrote:ali - I wouldn't say so much antisocial as uninterested in small talk. if they had something engaging to discuss, I'd be all for it. say comic books or doctor who.

a lot of people seem strangely drawn to interrupt someone while they are reading. anyone else notice that?

Oh gods, yes.

We have slightly different ideas about what makes an engaging discussion, Sarge.

But I agree with you about being uninterested in small talk. And as I understand it, that's actually a hallmark of being an introvert.

Post by **Orlion** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:27 pm

aliantha wrote:
sgt.null wrote:ali - I wouldn't say so much antisocial as uninterested in small talk. if they had something engaging to discuss, I'd be all for it. say comic books or doctor who.

a lot of people seem strangely drawn to interrupt someone while they are reading. anyone else notice that?
Oh gods, yes.

We have slightly different ideas about what makes an engaging discussion, Sarge. But I agree with you about being uninterested in small talk. And as I understand it, that's actually a hallmark of being an introvert.

I just hate how everything I'm reading/doing must be for some class in school... and I must be mad for enjoying it.

Post by **sgt.null** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 2:41 am

aliantha wrote:
sgt.null wrote:ali - I wouldn't say so much antisocial as uninterested in small talk. if they had something engaging to discuss, I'd be all for it. say comic books or doctor who.

a lot of people seem strangely drawn to interrupt someone while they are reading. anyone else notice that?
Oh gods, yes.

We have slightly different ideas about what makes an engaging discussion, Sarge. But I agree with you about being uninterested in small talk. And as I understand it, that's actually a hallmark of being an introvert.

what else is there but comic books and doctor who?

Post by **peter** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:20 am

How far do you and Dr Who go back Sarge? I'm right in there at the beginning up untill about Peter Davidson and then lost it. haven't seen the new ones at all; they look a bit to CGI for me, but that might be unfair. [I still think it's WAY time for a Dr Who full length film though using all the best that modern sfx can muster, so no consistency there

]. And the Dr Who theme tune is IMHO one of the best pieces of music ever written!

Post by **michaelm** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:37 pm

I started watching Dr Who just about when Jon Pertwee started, and stopped when Tom Baker was replaced by Peter Davidson.

I have seen some of the newer ones, but the only Doctor that I think was really good was David Tennant. Most of the others have seemed odd choices and haven't really interested me.

The current version of the theme tune is not as good as the original though. Wasn't a good idea to re-record it.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 1:02 pm

The theme tune changes every couple of seasons now. Just variations on the same thing.

Post by **michaelm** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 1:37 pm

I'm Murrin wrote:The theme tune changes every couple of seasons now. Just variations on the same thing.

None of them have matched the processed audio and tape spliced version that Delia Derbyshire created though. Incredible piece of audio engineering for its time, and it's stood the test of time too.

Post by **MsMary** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 5:28 pm

sgt.null wrote:what else is there but comic books and doctor who?

Well, there's Torchwood. The Sarah Jane Adventures. K-9 and friends.

And then there's Blake's 7.

(Not a Whovian program, but good watching all the same.)

michaelm wrote:I started watching Dr Who just about when Jon Pertwee started, and stopped when Tom Baker was replaced by Peter Davidson.

I have seen some of the newer ones, but the only Doctor that I think was really good was David Tennant. Most of the others have seemed odd choices and haven't really interested me.

The current version of the theme tune is not as good as the original though. Wasn't a good idea to re-record it.

His name is DAVISON. There's no "D" in there.

Post by **michaelm** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:10 pm

MsMary wrote:
michaelm wrote:I started watching Dr Who just about when Jon Pertwee started, and stopped when Tom Baker was replaced by Peter Davidson.

His name is DAVISON. There's no "D" in there.

Oops! That's me told!

All I remember was that he was the one who probably made me want to watch it less, although I seem to recall that the Tom Baker storylines were getting a little boring towards the end of his watch.

Post by **Sorus** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 8:46 pm

MsMary wrote:
sgt.null wrote:what else is there but comic books and doctor who?
Well, there's Torchwood. The Sarah Jane Adventures. K-9 and friends.

Loved Torchwood. My newest cat narrowly escaped being named after one of the characters.

Post by **sgt.null** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 6:28 am

Le Pétermane wrote:How far do you and Dr Who go back Sarge?

started with Tom Baker and Peter Davison. then they stopped running it on PBS in New England. picked it back up when Tennant was the Doctor. since then have seen the McGann movie, Eccleston, Tennant, Smith and now Capaldi.

have not seen the first three Doctors or Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy.

Post by **MsMary** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:02 pm

michaelm wrote:
MsMary wrote:
michaelm wrote:I started watching Dr Who just about when Jon Pertwee started, and stopped when Tom Baker was replaced by Peter Davidson.

His name is DAVISON. There's no "D" in there.
Oops! That's me told!

All I remember was that he was the one who probably made me want to watch it less, although I seem to recall that the Tom Baker storylines were getting a little boring towards the end of his watch.

You're not the only one who makes that error with Davison's name - not by a long shot - and I notice it every time. You could say it's one of my pet peeves.

Back to Doctor Who, I've watched every episode, from both classic and new Who. Well, except for the most recent episode which aired last night.

Haven't gotten to that one yet.

But I'm not at all obsessed.

Two of my favorites from the classic era are Colin Baker and Paul McGann.

Paul McGann only had the one movie and a mini-episode for the 50th anniversary, but he has done lots of audiodramas for Big Finish. As have Colin Baker, Peter Davison, and Sylvester McCoy. The audio stories are quite enjoyable, worth checking out. You could start out with some freebies to dip your toe in. Also some good freebies here. And then keep your eye peeled for their excellent sales, which is how I got sucked in.

One to three bucks a story, when they have a really good sale? How can you beat that for some good entertainment.

Post by **peter** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 12:51 pm

Whistling! Was there ever a case of noise being of less import than the silece it interupts than in this pointless and uneccesary activity. 90% of whistlers can't even approximate to the tune they are attemting to convey and the other 10% merely conjur up an ersatz appearence of happiness that is so palpably false it will crumble at the slightest poking around it's flaccid edges. Whistling is for the birds - leave it to them!

Post by **michaelm** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:47 pm

Le Pétermane wrote:Whistling! Was there ever a case of noise being of less import than the silece it interupts than in this pointless and uneccesary activity. 90% of whistlers can't even approximate to the tune they are attemting to convey and the other 10% merely conjur up an ersatz appearence of happiness that is so palpably false it will crumble at the slightest poking around it's flaccid edges. Whistling is for the birds - leave it to them!

I'll try to remember if we ever meet...

I don't do it that often but from time to time I like to whistle. I can at least whistle in tune though.

My dad used to whistle or sing for no reason at all other than he had a tune in his head and it had to get out, and for years I wished I could whistle as in tune as he did. Over time I think I got better, and now I'm pretty good at hitting the notes if I whistle along to an actual song playing.

Post by **Sorus** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:49 pm

Le Pétermane wrote:Whistling! Was there ever a case of noise being of less import than the silece it interupts than in this pointless and uneccesary activity. 90% of whistlers can't even approximate to the tune they are attemting to convey and the other 10% merely conjur up an ersatz appearence of happiness that is so palpably false it will crumble at the slightest poking around it's flaccid edges. Whistling is for the birds - leave it to them!

Whistling doesn't usually bother me, but I have this one coworker who can hit the sort of notes that only dogs should be able to hear. It's quite literally painful.

Post by **peter** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 4:25 pm

Le Pétermane wrote:Whistling! Was there ever a case of noise being of less import than the silece it interupts than in this pointless and uneccesary activity. 90% of whistlers can't even approximate to the tune they are attemting to convey and the other 10% merely conjur up an ersatz appearence of happiness that is so palpably false it will crumble at the slightest poking around it's flaccid edges. Whistling is for the birds - leave it to them!

Yeah - I was crabby yesterday

I'm not that agin' whistling. In fact, think I might jus' whistle me up a toon while I think about it......

Post by **MsMary** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:14 pm

Airline frequent flyer miles is a pet peeve of mine. Has anyone successfully used them? We tried, and ended up losing them because we didn't follow some obscure rule that was printed somewhere in small print.

Post by **aliantha** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:37 pm

I used mine to get an almost-free flight to Alaska last year on United. But you're right -- they don't make it easy.

I've pretty much given up worrying about trying to collect/redeem points/miles/whatever. If I traveled a lot anyway, it would be different. But it's like I'd have to spend more money on flights, etc., to collect the miles I need for the thing I'm after than it would cost me to just buy it outright.

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Pet Peeves