Petty Things That Get On Your Nerves...

[BFTD]

5 hours ago, GordonD said:

Anyone remember the 1970s game show 'The Golden Shot'? (They had a crossbow mounted on a camera, and viewers would phone in and direct the blindfolded cameraman to aim at the target by saying "Up a bit... left a bit... up a bit more... FIRE!")

Apparently one guy called in but couldn't seem to hear what they were telling him. They asked if he could hear his TV all right and he told them he couldn't, because he was in a phone box watching the programme on a set in the window of the television shop across the road!

Children's TV in the Eighties had the strange idea of getting viewers to phone in to control characters in computer games with their voices. Off the top of my head, I remember them using Xenon, Weird Dreams, and Magic Pockets, but there were probably more. Kids would supposedly say up, down, fire, or whatever and the character would somehow respond (this wasn't technology that existed back then).

We were more naive then; I don't think you could do that now without viewers realising that the delay would've been so huge that you'd have died long before you saw the game even appear on your TV at home.

[TheScarf]

23 hours ago, Rugster said:

My car has an auto hold function so when you take your foot off the brake it remains on until you touch the accelerator. When it's engaged the brake lights stay on. My laziness and convenience is more important to me than the drivers behind me. 

My previous car had this.  A simply glorious piece of engineering IMO.

[die hard doonhamer]

I got a new (to me) car last week (an SUV, because I’m an arsehole) and it has auto hold as well (although it engages the parking brake, rather than holding the foot brake on). It really is an excellent piece of engineering. 

Edited April 26 by die hard doonhamer

[scottsdad]

15 hours ago, GordonD said:

Anyone remember the 1970s game show 'The Golden Shot'? (They had a crossbow mounted on a camera, and viewers would phone in and direct the blindfolded cameraman to aim at the target by saying "Up a bit... left a bit... up a bit more... FIRE!")

Apparently one guy called in but couldn't seem to hear what they were telling him. They asked if he could hear his TV all right and he told them he couldn't, because he was in a phone box watching the programme on a set in the window of the television shop across the road!

I remember seeing Bob Monkhouse tell this story. 

Another one was that a guy was doing the aiming (left a bit..right a bit) and was miles off target. Bob stopped and asked the guy what he could see. 

Nothing, was the answer, as his TV had been repossessed the week before. He was just firing blind. 

[scottsdad]

2 minutes ago, die hard doonhamer said:

I got a new (to me) car last week (an SUV, because I’m an arsehole) and it has auto hold as well (although it engages the parking brake, rather than holding the foot brake on). It really is an excellent piece of engineering. 

Whatever you do, don't reveal the make of your new car to the P&B masses. I speak from recent experience!

[die hard doonhamer]

Just now, scottsdad said:

Whatever you do, don't reveal the make of your new car to the P&B masses. I speak from recent experience!

Seat Tarraco. Come at me, P&B. 

[Swarley]

2 hours ago, die hard doonhamer said:

Seat Tarraco. Come at me, P&B. 

They'd love to but they're stuck behind you blinded by your brake lights. 

 

 

[CityDave94]

Have you ever heard of vocal frying? I couldn't put a name to it before, now I know what its called.

Its very annoying when you hear it and I'm sure you have heard it at some point from American female celebrities or influencers. Now common everywhere for English speaking girls or woman that can do it. It's when they focus on creating a sound when they speak that sounds like a cupboard door creaking loudly, very raspy. Britney Spears as an example would impersonate a creaky door while singing. Another culprit was Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy the Vampire Slayer who's voice creaked louder than a coffin lid opened by one of her foes. Seems to be mostly a California thing. It's hugely irritating.

Someone mentioned that Sean Connery did this as James Bond, though he was neither Californian nor a girl.

[accies1874]

When a public toilet has a weak hand dryer and no option of hand towels (paper or otherwise). 

[Cosmic Joe]

29 minutes ago, CityDave94 said:

Have you ever heard of vocal frying? I couldn't put a name to it before, now I know what its called.

Its very annoying when you hear it and I'm sure you have heard it at some point from American female celebrities or influencers. Now common everywhere for English speaking girls or woman that can do it. It's when they focus on creating a sound when they speak that sounds like a cupboard door creaking loudly, very raspy. Britney Spears as an example would impersonate a creaky door while singing. Another culprit was Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy the Vampire Slayer who's voice creaked louder than a coffin lid opened by one of her foes. Seems to be mostly a California thing. It's hugely irritating.

Someone mentioned that Sean Connery did this as James Bond, though he was neither Californian nor a girl.

Not just restricted to women.

[BFTD]

24 minutes ago, CityDave94 said:

Have you ever heard of vocal frying? I couldn't put a name to it before, now I know what its called.

Its very annoying when you hear it and I'm sure you have heard it at some point from American female celebrities or influencers. Now common everywhere for English speaking girls or woman that can do it. It's when they focus on creating a sound when they speak that sounds like a cupboard door creaking loudly, very raspy. Britney Spears as an example would impersonate a creaky door while singing. Another culprit was Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy the Vampire Slayer who's voice creaked louder than a coffin lid opened by one of her foes. Seems to be mostly a California thing. It's hugely irritating.

Someone mentioned that Sean Connery did this as James Bond, though he was neither Californian nor a girl.

Yeah, it was a big non-news news story a few years back - the Kardashians were getting the blame at the time but, as you say, it's been around for a while. I think it's the Californian Valley Girl thing.

I saw a video a while back about how it used to be the thing men did who were trying to be effortlessly masculine (Connery, as you say, who picked it up from Ian Fleming himself, and it was almost ubiquitous with men who wanted to give the impression of being in charge without having to give a damn). Nobody appears to have given a shit about it then, but it's only when women started doing the same thing that it made people really annoyed by their perceived couldn't-care-less attitude. There's definitely a double standard at play.

Frankly, if I was as wealthy as the Kardashians without having to do any kind of actual work, I'd go beyond lazy vocal affectations and just pay someone else to speak on my behalf.

[vikingTON]

NHS GP practices. Today is the second time this week and what feels like the 17th time this year that the GP practice has called and left a voicemail that contains... err, no worthwhile information other than to 'contact the practice'. Cue ominous music. 

Then you set time aside during working hours to call back and wait on hold as the automated message runs through all 800 variants of trying to palm you off elsewhere. 

Then you get through, confirm all your details with the receptionist, who then discloses from Fort Knox... a completely routine update about a appointment/prescription that would have taken 0.04 seconds to fire off by email - with an option to respond at your own time too. 

The term 'Byzantine' doesn't work because theirs was the height of organisational skill in a world of dungheap barbarians. The NHS is run according to the whims of stupid boomers who have had 25 years to learn how a computer works but demand that everything still revolves around their ignorance. 

Edited April 26 by vikingTON

[CityDave94]

22 minutes ago, BFTD said:

Yeah, it was a big non-news news story a few years back - the Kardashians were getting the blame at the time but, as you say, it's been around for a while. I think it's the Californian Valley Girl thing.

I saw a video a while back about how it used to be the thing men did who were trying to be effortlessly masculine (Connery, as you say, who picked it up from Ian Fleming himself, and it was almost ubiquitous with men who wanted to give the impression of being in charge without having to give a damn). Nobody appears to have given a shit about it then, but it's only when women started doing the same thing that it made people really annoyed by their perceived couldn't-care-less attitude. There's definitely a double standard at play.

Frankly, if I was as wealthy as the Kardashians without having to do any kind of actual work, I'd go beyond lazy vocal affectations and just pay someone else to speak on my behalf.

Another annoying speach habit is the over use of adding the word 'like' in a conversation at every opportunity. In Scotland where as the word 'f**kin' ' used to be popular and and often used in a sentence every two or three words has now almost been completely replaced by the word 'like' ' which is equally as annoying. Again I've heard Californians do this adding even more irritation to the way they speak.

 

[CityDave94]

53 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

When a public toilet has a weak hand dryer and no option of hand towels (paper or otherwise). 

That's probably health and safety. Someone could probably (with emphisis of probably) hurt themselves by using a hand dryer inappropriately. There is alway potential for a f**king idiot to do harm to themselves and blame the Shopping Center for having too powerful a drier. So its reduced down to a safe level. The paper issue is to stop wee b*****ds from flooding the toilet cubicles. So the choice is either flapping your arms from side to side doing an impression of a brain damaged penguin or find someone with long hair.

Its terrible that vacuum cleaners are not as powerful as they used to be either, is this health and safety again? Back in the day a good vacuum cleaner was strong enough to lift the carpet as you cleaned. I can't imagine anything other than some stupid EU regulation over power usage. Not that anyone has been stupid enough to complain after ending up in hospital due to not using a vacuum cleaner in a way it was never built for.

[BFTD]

24 minutes ago, CityDave94 said:

Another annoying speach habit is the over use of adding the word 'like' in a conversation at every opportunity. In Scotland where as the word 'f**kin' ' used to be popular and and often used in a sentence every two or three words has now almost been completely replaced by the word 'like' ' which is equally as annoying. Again I've heard Californians do this adding even more irritation to the way they speak.

I accidentally picked that up after spending some time in the Southwest and, like, I've been secretly hoping someone would kill me for it ever since.

I, like, like how the American stereotype of Californians seemed to be more about how they're mentally handicapped and obsessed with traffic.

 

[Zetterlund]

9 minutes ago, CityDave94 said:

That's probably health and safety. Someone could probably (with emphisis of probably) hurt themselves by using a hand dryer inappropriately. There is alway potential for a f**king idiot to do harm to themselves and blame the Shopping Center for having too powerful a drier. So its reduced down to a safe level. The paper issue is to stop wee b*****ds from flooding the toilet cubicles. So the choice is either flapping your arms from side to side doing an impression of a brain damaged penguin or find someone with long hair.

Its terrible that vacuum cleaners are not as powerful as they used to be either, is this health and safety again? Back in the day a good vacuum cleaner was strong enough to lift the carpet as you cleaned. I can't imagine anything other than some stupid EU regulation over power usage. Not that anyone has been stupid enough to complain after ending up in hospital due to not using a vacuum cleaner in a way it was never built for.

 

[Leith Green]

The inability to find a working Air and Water machine near me.

Its no like I live in the sticks, but the one at Cameron Toll Sainsburys was (last time I was in) goosed, and the one at my local BP in Causewayside needs actual coins (despite the jetwash needing a card FOR FUCKS SAKE) !

I mean, water and air used to be a basic requirement for a fuel station.

Am I supposed to just drive around like a divvy til I find one?????

FFS !!!!

[Florentine_Pogen]

46 minutes ago, Leith Green said:

The inability to find a working Air and Water machine near me.

Its no like I live in the sticks, but the one at Cameron Toll Sainsburys was (last time I was in) goosed, and the one at my local BP in Causewayside needs actual coins (despite the jetwash needing a card FOR FUCKS SAKE) !

I mean, water and air used to be a basic requirement for a fuel station.

Am I supposed to just drive around like a divvy til I find one?????

FFS !!!!

Barclay Church garage. It's right on your doorstep.

[Leith Green]

8 minutes ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

Barclay Church garage. It's right on your doorstep.

Thats a great shout, totally forgot about that one - will pop in later...............question is, does it need coins or a card !!

[DiegoDiego]

12 hours ago, BFTD said:

Nobody appears to have given a shit about it then, but it's only when women started doing the same thing that it made people really annoyed by their perceived couldn't-care-less attitude. There's definitely a double standard at play.

Is it not just as likely that people didn't give a shit about it back then because the media didn't waste time covering inane stuff like that back then?

I think it's more likely a reflection on the utter degradation of the BBC and it's ilk than it is gender attitudes.