Seemingly trivial things that annoy you

ben@31

Im currently watching the film Star Wars 3 - Revenge of the Sith.

When Anakin joined the dark side, why did he change his name? It seems rather pointless when he could be called Darth Anakin. And how did they choose the name "Vader" ?

I get Star Wars (A new hope) was made first and he was called Darth Vader, in it. But in that case why wasnt the character called Vader Skywalker from the start, in episode 1?

That pointless name changing to suit the mixed up plot annoys me.

Does that mean he had to change all his bank cards, his passport and driving license?

CiB

joe2008 wrote:

Mobile phones. And, people who can't live without constantly checking them. I have never owned one, or used one.

I take my girls to swimming lessons and I swear that every parent there has a phone to hand, most check them more than a few times in the half-hour lesson. While some are constantly glued to them throughout, glancing up occasionally to make sure that Charlie hasn't drowned.

People who think that anyone 'checking' their phone is glued to it.

If I look at mine, it's for any reason; quick check on the football scores, a quick look at Twitter, checking if son #2 has got my message, checking if wife has responded to my message, following a group whatsapp chat with my adult siblings that's usually funnier than any comedy show ever written and keeps us in touch even though we're scattred around the country these days, keeping up with both of my now v aged but technically literate parents. Checking email now that my job's changed and it's no longer a 9-5 arrangement. Changing the podcast or whizzing past the news sport weather & traffic headlines. Phoning someone. A quick glance at the time before putting it away and having a chat with whoever's now standing next to me.

People who don't get what phones are for these days really shouldn't brag about it. 15 years ago you might not have sounded a bit odd for not getting it. They're the norm now.

ben@31

joe2008 wrote:

Mobile phones. And, people who can't live without constantly checking them. I have never owned one, or used one.

I take my girls to swimming lessons and I swear that every parent there has a phone to hand, most check them more than a few times in the half-hour lesson. While some are constantly glued to them throughout, glancing up occasionally to make sure that Charlie hasn't drowned.

I was told off for using a phone in a swimming pool by the over-reacting staff / swimming pool police. Apparently every guy with a phone is treated like a pedophile. I don't think they had the intelligence to comprehend "why would anyone be interested in any of you fat ugly mingers"

ben@31

Matthewfalle wrote:

The phrase "go to"

The "go to" wheel
The "go to" tyre
The "go to" chain lube

The only thing I "go to" is the larder when I'm hungry and Edwyn's whenever I need anything else in the world, be it whores, blow or vats of pissss.

I suppose people could use the words "favourite" or "most preferred" instead.

Maybe its people who are trying to make themselves look more cool, to make up for their boring and mediocre life, by slipping these trendy (allegedly) buzzwords into any conversation?

Matthewfalle

ben@31 wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

The phrase "go to"

The "go to" wheel
The "go to" tyre
The "go to" chain lube

The only thing I "go to" is the larder when I'm hungry and Edwyn's whenever I need anything else in the world, be it whores, blow or vats of pissss.

I suppose people could use the words "favourite" or "most preferred" instead.

Maybe its people who are trying to make themselves look more cool, to make up for their boring and mediocre life, by slipping these trendy (allegedly) buzzwords into any conversation?

Do these people irk you as much as they irk me? They sound like they do - top post that man.

tangled_metal

Phone use is the norm. Although I did find it funny when I was in a cafe with my family having a nice chat with my partner and entertaining my young son with cars when I looked around. I was in a cafe of mostly 50 to 70 year olds I reckon. Every one of them not engaging with their companions but playing with either phone's or tablets. The most amusing to me were the two oldest looking. Both were heavily engrossed in their mobiles. At one point the guy interrupted his wife (assumption) but instead of talking just waved his phone in her face to show her something.

Indeed that cafe was unusual in that we were among the youngest and together with a younger family were the only ones not looking at phones.

This didn't annoy me so much as amused me. I get told to put my phone away a lot in the past so it's become less important to check it out now. It seems to be marking me out as the exception now.

dodgy

Garry H wrote:

People who make a big point about not owning a mobile phone.

How do you tell if someone doesn't own a TV?

Don't worry, they'll tell you.

bendertherobot

Unfilled coffee cups in film and on TV.

Matthewfalle

bendertherobot wrote:

Unfilled coffee cups in film and on TV.

Perhaps people have just finished the beverage that was previously contained therein.

Otherwise the post would be "untouched filled coffee cups in films and on tv"

dinyull

CiB wrote:

joe2008 wrote:

Mobile phones. And, people who can't live without constantly checking them. I have never owned one, or used one.

I take my girls to swimming lessons and I swear that every parent there has a phone to hand, most check them more than a few times in the half-hour lesson. While some are constantly glued to them throughout, glancing up occasionally to make sure that Charlie hasn't drowned.

People who think that anyone 'checking' their phone is glued to it.

If I look at mine, it's for any reason; quick check on the football scores, a quick look at Twitter, checking if son #2 has got my message, checking if wife has responded to my message, following a group whatsapp chat with my adult siblings that's usually funnier than any comedy show ever written and keeps us in touch even though we're scattred around the country these days, keeping up with both of my now v aged but technically literate parents. Checking email now that my job's changed and it's no longer a 9-5 arrangement. Changing the podcast or whizzing past the news sport weather & traffic headlines. Phoning someone. A quick glance at the time before putting it away and having a chat with whoever's now standing next to me.

People who don't get what phones are for these days really shouldn't brag about it. 15 years ago you might not have sounded a bit odd for not getting it. They're the norm now.

Love it when people whinge and moan about mobile phone use, saying we're not as social as we were before.

Before you'd see a tide of peeps reading newspapers or books etc - basically all the sh*t people are doing on a phone now.

joe2008

CiB wrote:

joe2008 wrote:

Mobile phones. And, people who can't live without constantly checking them. I have never owned one, or used one.

I take my girls to swimming lessons and I swear that every parent there has a phone to hand, most check them more than a few times in the half-hour lesson. While some are constantly glued to them throughout, glancing up occasionally to make sure that Charlie hasn't drowned.

People who think that anyone 'checking' their phone is glued to it.

If I look at mine, it's for any reason; quick check on the football scores, a quick look at Twitter, checking if son #2 has got my message, checking if wife has responded to my message, following a group whatsapp chat with my adult siblings that's usually funnier than any comedy show ever written and keeps us in touch even though we're scattred around the country these days, keeping up with both of my now v aged but technically literate parents. Checking email now that my job's changed and it's no longer a 9-5 arrangement. Changing the podcast or whizzing past the news sport weather & traffic headlines. Phoning someone. A quick glance at the time before putting it away and having a chat with whoever's now standing next to me.

People who don't get what phones are for these days really shouldn't brag about it. 15 years ago you might not have sounded a bit odd for not getting it. They're the norm now.

People who get irritated when you mention mobile phone use.

You're right, I don't 'get it', if it's now 'normal' to be more interested in your fecking phone than in your child's swimming lesson then I'm grateful to be 'a bit odd'.

type:epyt

ben@31 wrote:

Im currently watching the film Star Wars 3 - Revenge of the Sith.

When Anakin joined the dark side, why did he change his name? It seems rather pointless when he could be called Darth Anakin. And how did they choose the name "Vader" ?

I get Star Wars (A new hope) was made first and he was called Darth Vader, in it. But in that case why wasnt the character called Vader Skywalker from the start, in episode 1?

That pointless name changing to suit the mixed up plot annoys me.

Does that mean he had to change all his bank cards, his passport and driving license?

All the Sith lords are called 'Darth Somevaryingdegreeofmenacingsoundingname' ... None of them are based on their birth names ... Or is it just really, really handy that all the bad guys be born to parents with 'baddie' surnames, like Maul, Plagueis, Sideous, Tyranus etc. ... Although a google does come up with Darth Millenial, which should be in the '... cheer you up' thread ...

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Order_of_the_Sith_Lords

bendertherobot

Matthewfalle wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Unfilled coffee cups in film and on TV.

Perhaps people have just finished the beverage that was previously contained therein.

Otherwise the post would be "untouched filled coffee cups in films and on tv"

Oh dear.

mrfpb

ben@31 wrote:

Im currently watching the film Star Wars 3 - Revenge of the Sith.

When Anakin joined the dark side, why did he change his name? It seems rather pointless when he could be called Darth Anakin. And how did they choose the name "Vader" ?

I get Star Wars (A new hope) was made first and he was called Darth Vader, in it. But in that case why wasnt the character called Vader Skywalker from the start, in episode 1?

That pointless name changing to suit the mixed up plot annoys me.

Does that mean he had to change all his bank cards, his passport and driving license?

Because in the original Star Wars, Ben Kenobi says that Darth Vader killed Anakin Skywalker. Then George Lucas changed his mind, and made them the same character in The Empire Strikes Back. So poor plot development by the producer is to blame.

tangled_metal

Perhaps Kenobi didn't really know what happened to Anakin and guessed he was killed by Darth Vader. It's just that something got cut in editing that explained that.

BTW I always thought the name change was a kind of secret identity thing. If the Jedi's knew the origins of the Sith lords then that's an advantage surely? It is kind of a secretive group afterall.

dinyull

....which brings me to:

Films/TV programmes where the writers haven't got a clue where the 'story' is headed.

I'll use Lost as a prime example. There is no way in hell ANYONE knew that would last 7 series or whatever it was and half of the sh*te that was introduced (f*cking polar bears etc) would have been made up on the spot to appease some producing f*ckwit.

Game of Thrones seems much the same.

mrfpb

Game of Thrones - five novels were written (out of a promised seven) when they started filming, but the author has not written anything since so they've more or less had to second guess everything. I've not watched any of the TV shows, but some volumes of the books seemed to be treading water plot wise, just to get the thing written while the author worked through plot gaps. I guess since he got the TV money he has less motivation to deliver the next installment.

The Dark Tower by Stephen King. He writes four volumes over twenty years - no.s 3 and 4 were decent novels, then writes three volumes in less than a year just to get it over with, and unsurprisingly all three are rubbish, with the biggest anti-climax of an ending.

At least Tolkien didn't put out the first Lord of the Rings book until the whole thing was finished.

bompington

Can I add TV programmes that just keep going on and on for series after series?

After a certain point they just turn into soaps.

Call me old-fashioned but I like a story with a beginning, middle and end: a lot of series these days are just endless padding that never actually goes anywhere.

dinyull

bompington wrote:

Can I add TV programmes that just keep going on and on for series after series?

After a certain point they just turn into soaps.

Call me old-fashioned but I like a story with a beginning, middle and end: a lot of series these days are just endless padding that never actually goes anywhere.

Think that is what happens with GoT, Lost etc. They are well received, so TV channels commission more and more until everyone is sick to death of it.

That's one of the things I loved about the Wire. Each series was centred around a new set of people, and a new story. Of course there was a longer story in there, but it never felt they had padded it with crap just to add another series.

capt_slog

joe2008 wrote:

People who get irritated when you mention mobile phone use.

You're right, I don't 'get it', if it's now 'normal' to be more interested in your ******* phone than in your child's swimming lesson then I'm grateful to be 'a bit odd'.

+1

I can't figure it out either. Most of what passes back and forth is meaningless drivel and didn't need sending, it's only sent because it's possible. Mobiles have their uses, it's just sad that this seems to be the major one.

TheBigBean

bompington wrote:

Can I add TV programmes that just keep going on and on for series after series?

After a certain point they just turn into soaps.

Call me old-fashioned but I like a story with a beginning, middle and end: a lot of series these days are just endless padding that never actually goes anywhere.

I don't see the point of ending a series on a cliffhanger. It ruins the story, and I will have forgotten about the cliffhanger long before a new series is commissioned, and sometimes, of course, a new series never happens, so the story is never finished.

In this regard books are better.

If something is popular, ask the author for another story.

joe2008

People who bag their dogs shit and then leave the shit-full plastic bag on a wall, or hanging from a tree.

pinno

Matthewfalle wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Unfilled coffee cups in film and on TV.

Perhaps people have just finished the beverage that was previously contained therein.

Otherwise the post would be "untouched filled coffee cups in films and on tv"

It's the same with on set suitcases. Obviously empty.

pinno

joe2008 wrote:

People who bag their dogs shoot and then leave the shit-full plastic bag on a wall, or hanging from a tree.

I would really really like to rub their noses in it.

rjsterry

Was out for a walk with the family in Alice Holt yesterday. On a trail specifically aimed at children there was a fresh steaming pile less than 100 yards from a dog bin and a sign reminding people that there's "no such thing as the dog poo fairy". Just their noses would not be sufficient.

LimitedGarry

Game of Thrones - GRRM is writing the books and only the books. Different people are writing the TV series. GRRM did disclose to someone how he intends to develop the plots and even end the whole thing. The show does not follow the books 100% (hasn't since the beginning). Given all the circumstances, there was absolutely no reason for HBO to not continue pushing the series forwards past the books, since they know what is supposed to happen from GRRM. Imagine if they had to wait - tow years, three, five... All the characters would get older. For the young ones, it could mean they'd be unrecognisable. Some would not be available for shooting, either busy with other projects, ill or dead, so a whole lot of them would need to be replaced. It would be a freaking mess.
As for the book, my bet is on him hitting a dilemma and ending up rewriting sections or the whole thing several times. Yes, given the TV income, it's safe to assume he took the "being true" option instead of the "being on time" one. Surprisingly to some, writing a book is not always a linear process.

Stephen King - I fully realise that I may offend some people, but I've never found King's books to be great. I did enjoy quite a few of his short stories, but his books would usually bore me for some reason. Non-engaging is how I would describe it. Could never bring myself to care about the story or characters.
Ironically, I do like lots of stories which are inspired by him.

Phones - Our "phones" are now quite good at doing things which required a pricey computer only about 15 years ago. In many ways, they surpass those machines. They're actually much more personal computers than they are phones these days.
To suggest to some people to stop using it in the way they're using it is like suggesting to someone else to stop using the internet, which in turn may be like asking someone entirely different to stop watching TV.
Yes, cases where people walk into traffic or get hurt because they were paying more attention to their phone than to their surroundings are ridiculous, but checking your phone several times in 30 minutes is not really something I'd point out as excessive use. In fact, for many people, not keeping up with their accounts for longer than 30 minutes means they'll have to sit down and sort through a whole lot of stuff.
In turn, I keep wondering why some people buy a smartphone if all they need is to send text and make calls. It's like buying a laptop to use as a calculator.

Matthewfalle

Pinno wrote:

joe2008 wrote:

People who bag their dogs shoot and then leave the shit-full plastic bag on a wall, or hanging from a tree.

I would really really like to rub their noses in it.

This x billion.

I tend to spend more time picking up other people's dogshit when walking das hund than I do looking for pretty ladies to bump into.

Why are people so lazy/stupid?

pinno

They don't think.

"'Most people would rather die than think and many of them do!'".
B Russell.

Do you think the pretty ladies are endeared to you picking up other people's dog sh1t?

Matthewfalle

Pinno wrote:

They don't think.

"'Most people would rather die than think and many of them do!'".
B Russell.

Do you think the pretty ladies are endeared to you picking up other people's dog sh1t?

Yes because it makes me look environmentally conscious and like I actually care about other people.

Pross

Trains where seat reservations are shown by the tiny electronics screen rather than an obvious ticket and muppets who insist on moving you from 'their' seat when none of the surrounding seats are occupied or reserved.