Little things that annoy the hell out of you

[Skykid]

I'm sitting in McDonalds in China, and there's an enormous American guy two seats down from me, middle aged, bald with glasses, with his both feet up on the stool, and his laptop on the table. He's on the phone to someone, declaring how he just bagged a USB stick from a street vendor for only 50 Yuen (he got robbed for about 40 Yuen, essentially), and weirdly, he's blasting music including Gloria Gaynor and U2 from his laptop, over the top of the chilled Dean Martin track playing through the restaurant's own speaker system.

A perfect picture of civility, I'm thinking of pointing him to the headphone street vendor right outside, so he can get deservedly robbed a little more.

I'll try to snap a picture if I can.

[mesh control]

Why are you in a McDonald's?


Avoiding human feces on Geary St. like it's a goddamn minefield.

[burgerkingdiamond]

buying a Metal Slug II MVS cart not knowing that the whole fucking game runs at like 20 fps. What a pile of shit. Seriously, this game should be sold with a disclaimer.

(At the time I didn't know about Metal Slug X)

[null1024]

Stray cats outside my door. When I walk outside, it smells of cat shit.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Idiot neighbors who burn shit in their yard and stink up my apartment. I think the smell gets in through those spinny things on the roof.

[blackoak]

That "Discussions" on google is the only way to get non-CASHMONEY information on the internet anymore.

[gct]

I'm sitting in McDonalds in China, and there's an enormous American guy two seats down from me, middle aged, bald with glasses, with his both feet up on the stool, and his laptop on the table. He's on the phone to someone, declaring how he just bagged a USB stick from a street vendor for only 50 Yuen (he got robbed for about 40 Yuen, essentially), and weirdly, he's blasting music including Gloria Gaynor and U2 from his laptop, over the top of the chilled Dean Martin track playing through the restaurant's own speaker system.

A perfect picture of civility, I'm thinking of pointing him to the headphone street vendor right outside, so he can get deservedly robbed a little more.

I'll try to snap a picture if I can.

That's something I'd expect more from the locals, but I bet you can't top this one. I was in the McDonald's on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, so I expect it to be a bit more civilised, but there's this kid with no pants on standing on the table, and then all of a sudden he just squats down and pinches a loaf right on the table. One of the staff handed the family some paper towels without even blinking an eye, as though it's a common thing he sees every day. And it's not like the washroom was occupied or anything. Seriously, this is what happened to the population following the Cultural Revolution?

So yea, if you drop anything on the table in China, for God's sake don't pick it up and eat it. And I bet that USB stick fat man got has some kind of weird cyclic addressing that tricks the OS into thinking that it has more capacity than it actually does.

Anyway, I couldn't find a topic for it, but I was thinking about annoying things _I_ do. Whenever I'm on my motorcycle and I drive by a group of people waiting at a bus stop, I like to yell "See ya, SUCKERS!". It's only a matter of time before I get plowed by a truck right after doing that...

[Skykid]

That's something I'd expect more from the locals, but I bet you can't top this one. I was in the McDonald's on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, so I expect it to be a bit more civilised, but there's this kid with no pants on standing on the table, and then all of a sudden he just squats down and pinches a loaf right on the table. One of the staff handed the family some paper towels without even blinking an eye, as though it's a common thing he sees every day. And it's not like the washroom was occupied or anything. Seriously, this is what happened to the population following the Cultural Revolution?

LMAO, I've seen a few messed up things, but that takes the cake (or the loaf, respectively.) The worst thing I saw was a couple helping their kid - well, baby, pretty much - urinate in the corner of a very nice new shopping center, which just boggled my mind considering the number of public toilets available.

In answer to your question, a resounding yes, when you consider that the cultural revolution was responsible for degenerating the civilities of an entire population into crippling peasantry. Such behaviour is a direct result of that period. Just because the economy has improved, its too rapid to have changed the customs and habits of the people within it. Any Chinese person who tries to tell you the cultural revolution was a period of great progress is as brainwashed as the next.

God knows why daipers seem to be summarily ignored, I'm sure I saw an entire dedicated section in Wal Mart.

Why are you in a McDonald's?

It's the only place in the city where I can get a decent coffee. I never thought I'd say that about McDonalds, since it tastes like crap back home.

[drauch]

It's the only place in the city where I can get a decent coffee.

That is so depressing.

[Skykid]

It's the only place in the city where I can get a decent coffee.

That is so depressing.

No shit, but it's not as depressing as trying to find a single good cup of coffee in Korea: for some reason they seem unable to make a cup that doesn't taste like acid despite having coffee shops in alarming abundance. The irony is too much.
The McDonalds thing is in this kind of internal boutique and area called McCafe, which I've never seen before. Regardless, it's worth going back for.

[moh]

That's something I'd expect more from the locals, but I bet you can't top this one. I was in the McDonald's on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, so I expect it to be a bit more civilised, but there's this kid with no pants on standing on the table, and then all of a sudden he just squats down and pinches a loaf right on the table. One of the staff handed the family some paper towels without even blinking an eye, as though it's a common thing he sees every day. And it's not like the washroom was occupied or anything. Seriously, this is what happened to the population following the Cultural Revolution?

dear god, that blows my mind..I know its hard to understand other cultures, but this genuinely confuses me

[neorichieb1971]

People who pretend to understand your conversation piece. Only to find out 5 minutes later that they are too dumb to understand 5% of it. All that nodding, agreeing and fake "yeah" stuff.

I'd be much happier if they just stared at me with that distant glare. At least I could politely shut up and move on to something else.

[moh]

Looking up a few N64 and nes games on ebay to fill in my collection and realizing that prices are fucking ridiculous. I mean, even since last year, prices have soared. When is this shit gonna stop?

[drauch]

Looking up a few N64 and nes games on ebay to fill in my collection and realizing that prices are fucking ridiculous. I mean, even since last year, prices have soared. When is this shit gonna stop?

Yeah man, I know the feeling. I feel like I bitch about it quite enough, but damn...it's depressing.

Skykid: Yeah, my friend's girlfriend is over there right now. If I recall correctly, I think she mentioned the same thing about the coffee being really odd.

[nZero]

That's something I'd expect more from the locals, but I bet you can't top this one. I was in the McDonald's on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, so I expect it to be a bit more civilised, but there's this kid with no pants on standing on the table, and then all of a sudden he just squats down and pinches a loaf right on the table. One of the staff handed the family some paper towels without even blinking an eye, as though it's a common thing he sees every day. And it's not like the washroom was occupied or anything. Seriously, this is what happened to the population following the Cultural Revolution?

Ha ha ha oh wow. Haven't seen anything quite like that yet, going to be touring around rural China in February though so hopefully I'll be able to bring back some good stories.

Also, glad I'm not a big coffee drinker.

[njiska]

The McDonalds thing is in this kind of internal boutique and area called McCafe, which I've never seen before. Regardless, it's worth going back for.

They've been doing the McCafe thing here in Canada for the last year or more and it's generally be perceived as a great success. Nearly everyone I speak to who is a coffee drinker (I am not) loves the stuff.

[Skykid]

Looking up a few N64 and nes games on ebay to fill in my collection and realizing that prices are fucking ridiculous. I mean, even since last year, prices have soared. When is this shit gonna stop?

I agree, this is one thing most gamers can collectively get pissed off about. I don't have many US games, and thankfully the JP marketplace (despite some mighty increases) is far more level headed. Why western releases are suddenly commanding dumb prices is because it predominantly resides on the world's gayest aftermarket: ebay.

I blame sealed game collectors. No, seriously, I do.

[neorichieb1971]

I know nobody listens to my opinion but here goes -

Ebay prices for N64 games are so high because simply put, the packaging sucked ass to begin with. If you want a boxed N64 game in pretty good condition it would have to be stored for up to 16+ years. Thats a piece of cardboard that people want in mintish condition. I don't believe bare cartridges go for that much, but I assume you want the box as well.

I have about 20 games on N64 in mintish condition (not mint mint, perhaps the odd nick here and there) and they all go for a royal price. I Recently tried to acquire the paper mario game and it commanded a ridiculous price. So I gave up.

I have a NTSC gold cart of Zelda fully packaged in box in mint condition. I think the last time I looked the slightly more undesired PAL copy was going for a high price. The NTSC versions are more sought after. So blame NCL for their cardboard and very shiny boxes, that only look good before you open them lol. I mean, you can't even get the cart out without creasing the inner flap.

[BIL]

I can open FC/SFC/N64 boxes without creasing them, but it takes great wrist, thumb and forefinger control. ;] The ladies love it!

"Ohhhh BIL, you really know how to work a girl's mint Akumajou Densetsu..." ^-^
"Wait until you see my 1CC." ^_~

I have a SE@LED NTSCU Paper Mario N64 with the box in perfect nick, got it from the bargain bin at a TRU back in 2003 for $10. Can't be arsed with the whole sellling up thing usually.

[neorichieb1971]

Yeah, but its worth $200 now.

If an item is collected these days. Its only a matter of time before its ebay value rises.

If people did not create tick lists, the world would be a cheaper place.

[moh]

I actually dont care about boxes at all. I'm talking about bare carts, no manual, no box. its absolute non-sense. Arcade shit is expensive because its genuinely rare, dont tell me that fucking zelda for N64 is R@RE, OMG L@@K!!!!

... i need a hug

[drauch]

Man, one time I found a bunch of N64 game boxes in my dumpster by my first apartment. A lot of Gundam models and shit, too. I managed to snag a few, but a few seemed a bit soiled. I wound up keeping them in there because I had to maintain integrity in front of my judgemental girlfriend at the time. Now I dumpster dive for ALL KINDS OF GEAR: PSX console, Turtle Beach headphones, Fallout 3 lunch box, random xbox 360 games, DVDs, swords, etc. Long live the heroic dumpster king.

[KAI]

lot of Gundam models

Where the fuck do you live? next to a Bandai factory?
People who throw game boxes should burn in hell.

[moh]

dumpster diving at a university is the SHIT!
you find all sorts of cool stuff, I've found several perfectly working computers, monitors, etc

[xbl0x180]

I'm one of those people who throws away stuff all the time: videos, CDs, books, etc. I also open stuff up all the time, so "sealed" in the description for anything is meaningless. As long as something isn't beat-to-hell, I don't mind owning it for some time (I guess this also applies to chicks...). If I'm gonna devote half my crappy lyfe to a hobby, I might as well go full-monty and enjoy the damn things! No sense in keeping something pristine in its box, only for me to die and someone else getting to enjoy it, or worse, going to someone who doesn't know what it is and chucks it in the trash. There is no such thing as a "special" anything. Everything was meant to be used. In a way, the sealed-box collectros and mentality that goes with it annoys me.

On a totally unrelated subject, but something that annoyed me a bit: Someone said to me, "I don't regret anything I did - whether it turned out good or bad." I told her that was "a cop-out answer from people who don't like to admit they were wrong when they knew better." That and the word "maybe" annoy me

[xbl0x180]

Tattoos are annoying, but only on attractive girls. Tattoos are permanent... and so is stupid

[Ed Oscuro]

I have a SE@LED NTSCU Paper Mario N64 with the box in perfect nick, got it from the bargain bin at a TRU back in 2003 for $10. Can't be arsed with the whole sellling up thing usually.

Lol, I haven't opened mine either. Got it off DigitPress years back for not a lot.

[rancor]

This new trend of "used, but mint" PCB collectors. Buying used PCBs is like buying used construction equipment - There's probably going to be some cosmetic damage, but everything will most likely be in working order. If you want a beautiful bulldozer, buy a new one.

Had my first complaint a few days ago that a PCB "smelled like someone had been smoking around it".

[moh]

This new trend of "used, but mint" PCB collectors. Buying used PCBs is like buying used construction equipment - There's probably going to be some cosmetic damage, but everything will most likely be in working order. If you want a beautiful bulldozer, buy a new one.

Had my first complaint a few days ago that a PCB "smelled like someone had been smoking around it".

mmhm, especially for pcbs.. They were not made for home use, they were made from some dumb-ass arcade operator to throw in their cab and leave in there to collect dust and grime. I usually dont care about the condition in which I buy pcbs, which might explain why my mars matrix has a hole in it But hey, it lowered the price quite a bit!

[Ex-Cyber]

Had my first complaint a few days ago that a PCB "smelled like someone had been smoking around it".

I occasionally get something like that out of brand new PCBs (albeit not arcade) by just getting them up to operating temperature. There is apparently some really nasty shit (fire retardants? inductor/transformer epoxy? terrible no-clean flux? conformal coating? fuck if I know) used in electronics manufacturing, particularly when budget outranks quality control.