Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Sep 2015, 13:43
Post by: Retro Wolf on 24 Sep 2015, 14:23
Post by: Mandle on 24 Sep 2015, 15:19
And the "time left" always fluctuates or is completely wrong!
I always picture a talk-show host saying:
"Do we have time for the clip before the commercial break? We do? Oh wait, my producer is telling me we don't. (CLIP STARTS) Well it looks like we do...(CLIP GETS YANKED)...Apparently we don't so we'll see you back here right after these wor...(COMMERCIAL BREAK STARTS)"
Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Sep 2015, 16:32
Post by: AnasAbdin on 24 Sep 2015, 17:17
Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Sep 2015, 17:51
Post by: ManicMatt on 25 Sep 2015, 22:20
How about status downloadinh bars that say "5 hours left" and keeps changing its mind. Uh.
Post by: Mouth for war on 13 Nov 2015, 22:40
Post by: LindaBelle on 06 Jan 2016, 13:08
Post by: Adeel on 06 Jan 2016, 16:12
Post by: Stromvin on 06 Jan 2016, 17:01
Post by: Mandle on 15 Jan 2016, 14:03
WHY DO THE CARS HAVE DOORS?!
Post by: CaptainD on 15 Jan 2016, 14:45
There was a lot I liked about the movie, but it did all just feel a little too derivative.
Post by: Mandle on 15 Jan 2016, 15:15
I enjoyed the The Force Awakens (having finally got to see it), but... big finale is to destroy a weapon inside what looks like a Death Star (albeit a bigger version) - AGAIN?!?!? I mean, really? Could they not have thought of something else?
There was a lot I liked about the movie, but it did all just feel a little too derivative.
SPOILERS:
Post by: Retro Wolf on 15 Jan 2016, 17:39
Post by: Stupot on 19 Jan 2016, 08:04
I enjoyed the The Force Awakens (having finally got to see it), but... big finale is to destroy a weapon inside what looks like a Death Star (albeit a bigger version) - AGAIN?!?!? I mean, really? Could they not have thought of something else?
There was a lot I liked about the movie, but it did all just feel a little too derivative.
SPOILERS:
That said, I thought the film was cracking. I can't call myself a Star Wars fan to be honest but EpVII certainly satisfied my film going needs.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 19 Jan 2016, 18:44
[/quote]
[/quote]
)... but wasn't that what Han and Chewie were doing? Placing explosives to blow the "core"(?)
Wasn't that the blew the planet, not the tie-fighters?Post by: Retro Wolf on 20 Jan 2016, 17:46
Post by: Mouth for war on 21 Jan 2016, 10:35
Post by: Erenan on 22 Jan 2016, 18:02
Post by: selmiak on 23 Jan 2016, 02:35
Post by: Mouth for war on 26 Jan 2016, 10:02
Post by: Jack on 26 Jan 2016, 10:34
Post by: Stupot on 26 Jan 2016, 11:01
Post by: Retro Wolf on 31 Jan 2016, 11:48
Post by: miguel on 31 Jan 2016, 12:00
Post by: JamesGoblin on 03 Feb 2016, 05:05
For Jebus sake, this is 21st century!
Post by: Mandle on 04 Feb 2016, 06:20
How about when you pay for a DVD or cinema ticket, then they force you to watch a video on how piracy is evil and supports terrorism. I'm obviously not supporting piracy when I've PAID for the pissing thing!
Well, to be fair: You could potentially be watching a pirated copy of the DVD including the "No piracy" video, and theoretically the video could make you feel guilty and you might stop watching...
What I really HATE on DVDs that I have bought is the ones that will not let me skip the ads for other movies at the start and go straight to the menu. I can understand if it's a rental, but if I shelled out the money to buy the damn thing why should I be forced to watch the ads?!
Post by: Jack on 04 Feb 2016, 09:35
Well, to be fair: You could potentially be watching a pirated copy of the DVD including the "No piracy" video, and theoretically the video could make you feel guilty and you might stop watching...
No ripper would leave that video in.
I really hate DRM on games for the same reason: It treats the customer like a criminal, and most of the time ensures that the pirate gets a better product.
Steam games for instance always need to be updated after installation, if you're lucky enough to be able to even install the game from the disc you bought and not have to download the whole thing. Where I live the download for the forced updates have sometimes cost me more than the game did.
GTAV is the worst offender here. Every time I've wanted to drop in and play for a bit there was at least a 500MB forced update (sometimes two), which more often than not was a multiplayer map I would never see. You can't even play it without an internet connection, for no good reason. It finally screwed me over enough that I decided to install the pirated version, and you know what? I've been having a blast in GTAV lately.
Post by: Mandle on 06 Mar 2016, 22:26
From today's news:
Quote
The former President first announced last August that a deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma, which was first found in his liver, had spread to his brain. Carter initially said he thought he had only weeks to live when he first learned of the diagnosis. He left his fate "in the hands of God, whom I worship."
Carter was treated via surgery, radiation and a relatively new form of immunotherapy.
Somebody call the pope! IT'S A MIRACLE OF DIVINE INTERVENTION!!!
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Mar 2016, 10:08
And all those writers apparently thought that this was a way better and more original end than I don't know, have the hero defeat the bad guy in a fair fight? The hero openly admitting that the bad guy is evil and must be put down? Have the villain genuinely repent?
No, the antagonist pulling a gun on his rescuer while he's being rescued is way, way more clever!
Post by: Mandle on 09 Mar 2016, 17:01
It grinds my gears when movies end with the hero, being a hero, tries to save the villain, only for the villain to try to back-stab the hero immediately after
Toy Story 3 pulled it off though
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Mar 2016, 17:43
Toy Story 3 pulled it off thoughYes, a few movies did manage to do this in a good way that didn't feel like an obvious cliché. I think tropes are to movies what pig-guts are to hot dogs, and integral part for the structure, but you shouldn't constantly remind the consumer of their presence.
Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Jul 2016, 12:12
Post by: Jack on 24 Jul 2016, 12:21
I really hate it when I microwave something for many minutes, have to wait a minute for the plate to cool down enough to touch it, I sit down to eat and get a mouthful of cold food.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 24 Jul 2016, 13:27
I really hate it when I microwave something for many minutes, have to wait a minute for the plate to cool down enough to touch it, I sit down to eat and get a mouthful of cold food.
That's because: You are suppose to use a MW plate and mix/move your food half way. (roll)
And on this subject, I really hate it when ppl can't operate or understand how a MW works!
I have colleagues that will put their food on top of mine because "we can just warm it at the same time!" Ack! We can't! Others can't figure out how to turn it on "How do I start this?"... Open the MW when it's running, realizing it's occupied and then either remove my food out (and when I complain say "Oh, but it wasn't running!" Yes it was!) or just close the door again, but not press the start button so it'll continue warming my food. And then we have one with just a round button to set the timer... some just get them rotate it all the way round (60 minutes), out they're food in... take it out after a minute or two... close the door and let the thing work the next 58 minutes empty. 8-0 I swear they going to burn the house down one day!
Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Jul 2016, 13:59
Post by: Stupot on 24 Jul 2016, 14:09
Post by: Danvzare on 25 Jul 2016, 10:27
And then of course the car straight behind them doesn't want to turn, so you have to wait a bit longer for that car to pass as well. And then there's another car. And another.
In short, I wish there were traffic lights at that crossroads.
Post by: Mandle on 25 Jul 2016, 15:47
Even my wife/friends are tsk-tsking when they hear each new incident, and they just roll their eyes when I point out that people were ALWAYS looking at their phones when walking/driving: It's just that incidents/accidents involving these mundane phone abuses are not newsworthy unless the person happened to be playing Pokemon GO.
And their eyes glaze over when I say "Hey, at least Pokemon GO makes them look around at their environment a bit...Unlike Candy Crush/Angry Birds/etc etc..."
Phew...I feel so much better now with that off my chest!
Post by: SinSin on 29 Jul 2016, 17:23
Post by: Mandle on 31 Jul 2016, 15:20
My children when they don't listen for the 1000000th time Grind my gears !!
I just got back from a 5 day summer camp with kids and I soooooo hear your gear grinding syncing with mine...
My conclusion:
The current exchange rate between actual personal experience and adult-given advice is exactly at a 1 to 1000000 ratio for all new humans on planet Earth...
Post by: Mandle on 03 Aug 2016, 16:05
It really is the smack addiction...Once you've mainlined Civ 2 there is no going back...It waits for years, like a stealthy ninja monkey on your back, and then it strikes again!
Post by: selmiak on 03 Aug 2016, 20:46
Post by: Mandle on 04 Aug 2016, 00:58
Civ is such a timesink! And there is a civ6 coming out in october, so you're safe until then... somehow...
I've tried Civ 3 & 4 but, even though they looked better, I always found the gameplay of 2 to be much better. It just seems they were adding stuff that made the game more complicated but didn't really add anything much of worth to the gameplay (like those stupid leaders and armies...urgh)... So yeah, I've always gone back to 2.
I will be interested to take a look at 6 though...see where they've gone with it...
Post by: Danvzare on 04 Aug 2016, 10:30
Civ is such a timesink! And there is a civ6 coming out in october, so you're safe until then... somehow...Wait, another one already? 8-0
Didn't they release civ5 only a few years ago?
Post by: Mouth for war on 04 Aug 2016, 10:39
Post by: Snarky on 12 Aug 2016, 18:21
Post by: Andail on 12 Aug 2016, 19:25
It's extremely hard designing a good A.I for games like Civ, because you have to kind of compensate for the player being able to constantly save and load. That's why they're given rule-changing advantages (like how they can suddenly produce 15 tanks the round after you declare, when previously they had none). For this reason, it'd be better not to give the player any savegames at all; then they'd be forced to play carefully and think through all diplomatic actions.
Post by: Mouth for war on 12 Aug 2016, 19:41
Post by: straydogstrut on 12 Aug 2016, 20:35
People who step of the escalator and then decide to stand still, despite the fact there is a MOVING STAIRCASE FULL OF PEOPLE COMING UP BEHING YOU, OLD FARTS!That's why in London you stand on the right, walk on the left. I thought it was silly when I first moved here; now I realise it's such a time saver.
What grinds my gears is when people use the extra s after an apostrophe on words ending in s when showing possession. I know there's more than one opinion on its use, including whether to use it after only common nouns or proper nouns, so some of you will disagree with me, but when your primary school teacher crosses out your entire homework for using apostrophes everywhere that leaves a mark..
For me it will always be Bridget Jones' Diary
Post by: Adeel on 12 Aug 2016, 23:42
For me it will always be Bridget Jones' Diary
Post by: Gurok on 13 Aug 2016, 06:01
Post by: Danvzare on 13 Aug 2016, 11:18
Ok, this is starting to sound a bit like someone with a lisp now.
Post by: selmiak on 13 Aug 2016, 13:03
Ok, this is starting to sound a bit like someone with a lisp now.
Post by: Blondbraid on 14 Aug 2016, 17:26
"And what about the starving children in Africa?", or something similar.
Say a restaurant serves you an under-cooked, inedible meal and expect you to pay for it.
"The starving children in Africa would be very happy for that food, you know."
Your favorite TV-show or movie gets replaced by an awful reboot?
Why nag about that when there are starving children in Africa?
You can barely survive on your wage and are struggling to make ends meet?
It's still more than the kids starving to death in Africa have.
If you actually ask these people to actually donate something to charity, or even just name one country in Africa however, it's not really that important or urgent anymore. (wrong)
Post by: Mandle on 15 Aug 2016, 02:28
Don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan?
:-D
Post by: CaesarCub on 15 Aug 2016, 16:37
"Shame on you! Meanwhile there are children in Africa that go to bed barefoot"
Post by: Blondbraid on 15 Aug 2016, 17:21
Blondbraid...
Don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan?
:-D
A personal favorite of mine was a friend's father that (loosely translated) used to say:Yeah, the "Others have it worse" argument is an old one, and it isn't limited to African kids. Some old people also invoke the "You don't understand how much worse it was when I was your age!" card.
"Shame on you! Meanwhile there are children in Africa that go to bed barefoot"
However, I once saw a pretty hilarious rebuttal to that:
Kid: I don't like this bread!
Grumpy old person: When I was your age, I would have been happy to get such bread.
Kid: This bread was probably fresh back then.
Post by: Danvzare on 15 Aug 2016, 17:30
Some old people also invoke the "You don't understand how much worse it was when I was your age!" card.
That reminds me of something that grinds my gears. Everyone thinks that everyone older than them is dumber because they're old and aren't in touch with what's new, and everyone thinks that everyone younger than them is dumb, because they're young and never experienced these things that you take for granted, back when they were new.
And as a result, we've got everyone saying how things were better in their day, and perpetuating myths that our ancestors were dumb for thinking the world was flat.
People who are younger than you aren't dumb. People who are older than you aren't dumb. You aren't dumb. Things just change!
Post by: CaesarCub on 15 Aug 2016, 19:12
"Shame on you! Meanwhile there are children in Africa that go to bed barefoot"
Yeah, the "Others have it worse" argument is an old one, and it isn't limited to African kids. Some old people also invoke the "You don't understand how much worse it was when I was your age!" card.
The thing about this is that most people go to bed barefoot, but it does look like a classic "you don't know how good you have it" phrase.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 15 Aug 2016, 21:21
Post by: Mandle on 16 Aug 2016, 01:25
Blondbraid...
Don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan?
:-D
Actually...I was just quoting Weird Al...
I guess I should have added "Eat It!"...
(Selfie-quote FTW!)
Post by: Stupot on 17 Aug 2016, 16:07
It was funny when it was just a meme and a way of reminding ourselves to maybe not take certain problems so seriously when we should be thankful for our privileges. But now you can't express any kind of frustration without someone going 'first world problems, first world problems'
What's worse is that we now say it ourselves, almost apologetically. "Grrr, the internet's packed in and I can't watch Better Call Saul... I know, first world problems and all that, silly me, ha ha"
No. Don't apologise. You worked hard to afford your broadband and Netflix. Damn right you should be able to say "grrr" when you can't watch Better Call Saul.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 17 Aug 2016, 17:16
Post by: Snarky on 17 Aug 2016, 23:46
Along the same lines, the whole 'First world problems' thing is starting to get old.
Annoyed at Internet meme. #FWP
Post by: Mandle on 17 Aug 2016, 23:59
Annoyed at Internet meme. #FWP
(laugh)
Post by: Danvzare on 18 Aug 2016, 10:54
Post by: Mouth for war on 19 Aug 2016, 13:20
Post by: Mandle on 19 Aug 2016, 15:21
Post by: Cassiebsg on 19 Aug 2016, 17:16
Post by: Adeel on 19 Aug 2016, 19:08
I hate it when people act childish and start deleting their posts! >:(
It grinds my gears (and makes me quite sad) when age forgets how youth thinks!
Post by: Cassiebsg on 19 Aug 2016, 20:38
Deleting ones post is like a 3 year old making a fit or a child saying "if I can't have that, so can't you!" (my 4 year old says it all the time!). So yeah, it's childish act.
Post by: [delete} on 22 Aug 2016, 00:23
[tramples on LEGO sets (https://s10.postimg.io/7uutni3rd/amy_vales2.png)]
Post by: Cassiebsg on 22 Aug 2016, 18:53
Post by: Mandle on 24 Aug 2016, 14:53
I go back to try and complete an AGS project from months ago and I fix all the problems, only to break everything, and then I have to revert to an earlier version where things worked pretty much, and then have to remember how I "fixed" everything, and then I break several things, and then...
I realise that all my gear grinding is totally my own fault for not being more organised in the first place...
Post by: CaptainD on 24 Aug 2016, 14:57
Post by: Cassiebsg on 24 Aug 2016, 16:57
I hate it when I'm really close to the completion of a big project, really REALLY REALLY close, almost there, close enough to touch it, and then somehow... I'm not quite as nearly there as I thought I was. >:( 8-0
+1 I feel your pain. (roll)
Post by: Danvzare on 24 Aug 2016, 18:48
IT GRINDS MY GEARS WHEN:Wow, I've definitely been there.
I go back to try and complete an AGS project from months ago and I fix all the problems, only to break everything, and then I have to revert to an earlier version where things worked pretty much, and then have to remember how I "fixed" everything, and then I break several things, and then...
I realise that all my gear grinding is totally my own fault for not being more organised in the first place...
Thankfully I've got a good memory, and can usually recall what I fixed and how I fixed everything. But there's always that niggling doubt in the back of my mind that I've forgotten something, and there's a rare bug just lurking about.
Post by: Adeel on 24 Aug 2016, 19:10
IT GRINDS MY GEARS WHEN:
I go back to try and complete an AGS project from months ago and I fix all the problems, only to break everything, and then I have to revert to an earlier version where things worked pretty much, and then have to remember how I "fixed" everything, and then I break several things, and then...
I realise that all my gear grinding is totally my own fault for not being more organised in the first place...
This is why you should always comment. Whatever you do and as soon as you do, comment out everything. Explicitly state why and how you did something. Do this even if you're working alone. You'll only thank yourself later for doing this. Spending extra 5 minutes on commenting earlier will save you, say, 20 minutes of "reverting & remembering" later.
Post by: Crimson Wizard on 24 Aug 2016, 19:27
IT GRINDS MY GEARS WHEN:Wow, I've definitely been there.
I go back to try and complete an AGS project from months ago and I fix all the problems, only to break everything, and then I have to revert to an earlier version where things worked pretty much, and then have to remember how I "fixed" everything, and then I break several things, and then...
I realise that all my gear grinding is totally my own fault for not being more organised in the first place...
Thankfully I've got a good memory, and can usually recall what I fixed and how I fixed everything. But there's always that niggling doubt in the back of my mind that I've forgotten something, and there's a rare bug just lurking about.
Two words: VERSION CONTROL (https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-About-Version-Controll).
I mean, come on, people are using these for decades now.
An example of my AGS module's demo game under the source control: https://bitbucket.org/ivan-mogilko/ags-script-demos/commits/all
An example of how your script changes look under source control: https://bitbucket.org/ivan-mogilko/ags-script-demos/commits/a53ee0fbdb827c7380a61af82cb9cf4d0141477e
(yes, it would certainly benefit from comments too, but I was too lazy that day :))
Post by: Mandle on 24 Aug 2016, 23:45
Cheers for that as well CW...I'll check it out...
Post by: Mouth for war on 25 Aug 2016, 11:13
Post by: Mandle on 25 Aug 2016, 12:47
When a game you looked forward to for a long time ends up sucking. Money spent on crap. That really grinds my gears. :-D
No Man's Sky?
Post by: CaptainD on 25 Aug 2016, 12:49
When a game you looked forward to for a long time ends up
... not getting released.
Post by: NickyNyce on 25 Aug 2016, 13:02
Repeat this process every 2 weeks.
Post by: Mouth for war on 25 Aug 2016, 13:31
Post by: Blondbraid on 29 Aug 2016, 17:05
(http://www.fanboy-confidential.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/anatomy.jpg)
(http://www.fanboy-confidential.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/faces.eg_.jpg)
Post by: Mandle on 29 Aug 2016, 18:09
It grinds my gears knowing that there are countless unemployed but talented artists out there, yet Rob Liefield somehow got rich and famous drawing things like this:
While I'll admit that some of that stuff is pretty horrible (I cannot at all parse how that Captain America picture is supposed to even...) : The dude probably delivers the material on time to meet the schedule(s) of the comic(s) he is working on and might not even be liking a lot of his finished works...
But in a fast commercial market like comics: An artist who can meet deadlines is more valuable than one who MUST correct their work to perfection before submitting it...
Sure...he will never be a legendary artist (Da Vinci couldn't work on anything to completion to meet his own satisfaction for shit)...But he is a working artist who gets his stuff out there...That deserves a bit of respect...
That being said: Yeah, it grinds my gears also that a lot of more talented artists can probably do the same, but just don't have the same connections...
They just have to work on getting them...It's a painful fact of the world we live in...
Post by: Danvzare on 29 Aug 2016, 18:39
I can't remember his name, but there's one guy who traces all of his work. He constantly traces his own work, which was usually traced from porn films. No joke.
I can't for the life of me remember his name though. ???
Post by: Blondbraid on 29 Aug 2016, 19:02
There are comic artists out there that are much worse.Gerg Land by any chance? (roll)
I can't remember his name, but there's one guy who traces all of his work. He constantly traces his own work, which was usually traced from porn films. No joke.
I can't for the life of me remember his name though. ???
(http://www.craveonline.com/images/stories/2011/2012/August/Comics/land628.jpg)
Post by: Danvzare on 29 Aug 2016, 21:43
Gerg Land by any chance? (roll)Based on those images, it looks like it. (nod)
I remember reading a huge argument between two people, about how one thought it was acceptable and the other didn't.
It was an entertaining read.
Post by: nihilyst on 31 Aug 2016, 15:43
Post by: Mandle on 01 Sep 2016, 01:22
Seriously?! What's with all the unwanted and unfunny "humour" in this "science" piece?!
Is CNN accepting articles from high 16-year-olds now?!
(And, yeah, I know CNN is a crap news channel. I only go there for news because they have the resources to get breaking news stories up fast.)
Post by: Retro Wolf on 01 Sep 2016, 20:46
Post by: NickyNyce on 01 Sep 2016, 21:22
This one really takes the cake. Instead of saying shame on this girl for the things she's saying, they make her out to be some promoter of peace.
Post by: Mouth for war on 02 Sep 2016, 00:01
What grinds my gears is crap like this CNN article. (http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/31/europe/seti-signal-hd-164595-not-alien-civilization/index.html)I was actually surprised that he didn't add (Not Kardashian) when it said Kardashev scale :D
Seriously?! What's with all the unwanted and unfunny "humour" in this "science" piece?!
Is CNN accepting articles from high 16-year-olds now?!
(And, yeah, I know CNN is a crap news channel. I only go there for news because they have the resources to get breaking news stories up fast.)
Post by: Mandle on 02 Sep 2016, 00:19
I was actually surprised that he didn't add (Not Kardashian) when it said Kardashev scale :D
You are SO right...Damn, the dude must have been off his game that day! :-D
He was probably shoved hot pizza in his mouth (I mean...WTF even was that joke?! And why did he think it worthy to become a running gag?! I suspect he actually had just burnt his mouth with hot pizza and pulled a Brick ("I love lamp") on us...More to the point I suppose is why are there even any gags, bad or good, running or otherwise...In a friggin' science piece that is not even about a slightly humourous topic?!)
And NickyNyce: I watched the relevant parts of that video and that is just simply despicable of CNN. I know their agenda to paint the police in a bad light and incite riots, because obviously riots sell news...But I thought it was just more slanted and not outright "Wag The Dog" type BS...
Anyways: I go to CNN only for the straight up facts, like a volcano errupted somewhere, and skip all the slanted political commentary. And that's because, like I mentioned before: CNN is fastest to break stories and show footage.
Post by: Mouth for war on 02 Sep 2016, 00:27
Post by: Stupot on 02 Sep 2016, 00:38
Is CNN accepting articles from high 16-year-olds now?!
According to his profile he "has been a writer, producer, field reporter and blogger for CNN since 2005." It doesn't say "failed stand-up" which I guess he edited out using his editing prowess.
Post by: Mandle on 02 Sep 2016, 01:24
Jokes has no place in science!!!! :D haha no but I agree, it was hard to take that serious.
I wasn't meaning that science should be taken 100% seriously. I meant more that it's just such a weird choice to try and make this particular article into a comedy piece: Where's the comedic value in the underlying story? Is it that the scientists maybe got the origin of the signal wrong? That's the only thin premise for making it jokey that I can see, but his jokes aren't even about that!!! It's more like he was high and just making random connections and references for no reason...
And Stupot+: If this dude ever did a stand-up show I would SO want to see it just for the sheer awkwardness!!! That would be awesome!
Post by: Stupot on 02 Sep 2016, 01:34
Post by: Mandle on 02 Sep 2016, 03:56
It's a bit like most of our first attempts at an AGS game where we think we need to put a funny gag in every interaction.
EXACTLY!!! A very good example indeed!!!
I still remember the worst from my first game:
If you tried using the fish on the sun the character said: "No, that could cause nuclear fish-sun and I've heard that's very dangerous!"
And I was so proud of that gag at the time: Now I just think about it and gag...
Post by: Slasher on 02 Sep 2016, 06:40
People who wear a big hat but produce nothing or very little (laugh)
In fact, anyone who wears a big hat but fails to deliver the goods (laugh)
People who promote very high-end yet end up with nothing (laugh)
When people don't take it as important/seriously as you (laugh)
Post by: Jack on 02 Sep 2016, 11:32
I mean it's not important that they and others like them are providing nothing more than a PR service (https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/07/24/wikileaks-emails-pro-clinton-cnn-political-commentator-pre-checked-op-ed-with-dnc/), or have no journalistic skill or integrity (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/18/image-syrian-boy-desert-un-refugees-tweet).
But this. 8-0
It grinds my gears that the mainstream media don't produce quality content like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6gEQLTHev0) for their wars any more.
Post by: Danvzare on 02 Sep 2016, 12:24
If you tried using the fish on the sun the character said: "No, that could cause nuclear fish-sun and I've heard that's very dangerous!":-\ I don't get it.
As for what grinds my gears. Well, like all of you. The abysmal nature of how the news is reported, and that it's always doom and gloom. Then again, I never look at the news anyway, so what does it matter to me.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 02 Sep 2016, 12:55
I think it's a funny joke, one of those so bad it's good jokes. (laugh)
Post by: Danvzare on 02 Sep 2016, 14:55
Ever heard of Nuclear Fission Danvzare?OH! 8-0
I think it's a funny joke, one of those so bad it's good jokes. (laugh)
Now I get it!
I'ts a pun. I can't believe I didn't notice that. (laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 02 Sep 2016, 15:45
I think it's a funny joke, one of those so bad it's good jokes. (laugh)
Hahaha...thanks for that...The game is FULL of them if anyone wants to cringe a little more: Just look at everything, interact with everything, and use everything on everything!
It was my first AGS game, and it has no sound effects or music as I did not know how to do those back then...
I released it about two weeks after downloading AGS. It was a student project in my school where the kids drew the characters and backgrounds in a single lesson of 3 hours and then I made it in AGS even though I had NO idea what I was doing (I even saved a variable in a character's 1% transparancy value as I didn't know about global variables and couldn't understand the right place to put a local variable)
I remember being so entranced about how I could draw walkbehinds around trees that were just paper glued onto paper in real life, and yet make it look like the character was going behind them: And that's probably the moment I became an AGS addict...
I'm still quite proud of it however despite its many, many, MANY flaws and if anyone wants to check it out:
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY FIRST BIG ADVENTURE (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1728/)
Post by: AnasAbdin on 07 Sep 2016, 18:24
What grinds my gears (in an adventure game) is when you forget to write down a randomly generated code in the beginning of a game that later near the end of the game you have to use it.
Space Quest XII
(http://i.imgur.com/NcztxrC.jpg)
Post by: Cassiebsg on 07 Sep 2016, 18:56
Post by: Snarky on 08 Sep 2016, 09:06
Post by: Danvzare on 08 Sep 2016, 13:21
People who say "The US is a republic, not a democracy." ONE DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE OTHER! THE US IS CLEARLY BOTH!I thought to be a democracy, you needed a republic? ???
Post by: Gurok on 08 Sep 2016, 14:37
The only time a republic and a democracy should preclude each other, however, is in a game of Civ 2 :P
Post by: arj0n on 08 Sep 2016, 15:06
Post by: Mandle on 08 Sep 2016, 16:09
The only time a republic and a democracy should preclude each other, however, is in a game of Civ 2 :P
ARRRGGGHHHH!!! Don't mention that awesome game or I might start wasting my time playing it again!
Even though that I have figured out that all upping the difficulty level does is give the AI opponents resource boosts and impossible abilities to regrow city levels, and replace lost troops instantly...
I mean...seriously?! I hit a level 10 city with a nuke, which should set it back to level 5, but on the next turn it's level 7, and then gains a level every turn until it's back to level 10 three turns later???!!!
AND can also manage to restock Alpine Troops every single turn??? Their economy is unbreakable!!!
Fair enough I suppose, considering that the AI is pretty stupid and wouldn't be much of a challenge otherwise: They mass their ship fleets and hover around one of my cities that is a square inland and that they can never attack...
If this otherwise perfect game could be rereleased by a fan/hacker which fixed all the AI bugs, made the opponents smarter instead of just giving them impossible buffs per difficultly level, and fixed the travesty of air units not being able to overfly enemy units without attacking them...
It could be the greatest simulation game ever made...
/Grinding my gears on a decades-old game...
Post by: Danvzare on 08 Sep 2016, 16:28
If this otherwise perfect game could be rereleased by a fan/hacker which fixed all the AI bugs, made the opponents smarter instead of just giving them impossible buffs per difficultly level, and fixed the travesty of air units not being able to overfly enemy units without attacking them...Isn't that what Freeciv is?
It could be the greatest simulation game ever made...
Post by: Blondbraid on 08 Sep 2016, 22:13
Never mind that there are several good animated films out there which tackle difficult subjects in a more mature and artful way than most live-action movies,
the notion that animated is automatically kid-friendly have most likely made innocent kids suffer as well.
I have already read about traumatized kids being dragged out of theaters showing Sausage Party (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlzAJo16eww)... 8-0
Post by: Danvzare on 09 Sep 2016, 11:16
It grinds my gears that animated movies still are considered dumb kiddie entertainment by the large masses.I can't agree with this enough!
Never mind that there are several good animated films out there which tackle difficult subjects in a more mature and artful way than most live-action movies,
the notion that animated is automatically kid-friendly have most likely made innocent kids suffer as well.
I have already read about traumatized kids being dragged out of theaters showing Sausage Party (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlzAJo16eww)... 8-0
That really grinds my gears as well. >:(
Post by: Cassiebsg on 09 Sep 2016, 19:18
I think the ppl rating looked at it and said "Cartoon movie... it's for kids!"... but they never even saw 5 minutes of it! >:(
Post by: Mandle on 09 Sep 2016, 23:14
most (if not all) parents with small children left! 8-0
Of course! The Princess Mononoke movie is way too complex for little kids to be able to follow!
In much the same way, that Saving Private Ryan parody scene in Sausage Party would be totally wasted on them!
These are clearly NOT movies for kids!
Post by: Cassiebsg on 09 Sep 2016, 23:59
Post by: dactylopus on 10 Sep 2016, 02:32
In case you haven't seen the movie... the first few minutes, involves a battle with swords... and lot's of arms, legs, heads and other body parts being sliced and flying through the air... including the blood. :-\ Am pretty sure if they had seen it, they would have realized that kids needed to be a bit older for this.
Love that sequence. Wish I had seen that in cartoons as a child.
Post by: Mandle on 10 Sep 2016, 02:37
In case you haven't seen the movie... the first few minutes, involves a battle with swords... and lot's of arms, legs, heads and other body parts being sliced and flying through the air... including the blood. :-\ Am pretty sure if they had seen it, they would have realized that kids needed to be a bit older for this.
I've seen it about 6-7 times...I know you meant the violence...I was just being droll...
Post by: Danvzare on 10 Sep 2016, 09:52
I could barely follow the film (not because it was subtitled, I could read very well), so yeah, like Mandle says, way too complex of a plot for kids.
I think the ppl rating looked at it and said "Cartoon movie... it's for kids!"... but they never even saw 5 minutes of it! >:(That annoys me so much. I mean, no one would look at South Park and say that!
And if you look at some really old cartoons, like the original Felix the Cat shorts, they're more adult themed than even South Park!
Post by: Blondbraid on 10 Sep 2016, 11:32
And if you look at some really old cartoons, like the original Felix the Cat shorts, they're more adult themed than even South Park!Yes, I do feel that cartoons were indeed much, much darker before, because the cinemas often used to show short cartoons before
the feature-length movie back in the day, and many of them were geared towards adults.
One of the darkest movies I've seen was a wartime propaganda film titled Education for death (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l14WDZCnz-w), made by none other than Walt Disney.
And people today say Frozen is "dark" because the protagonists parents die off-screen and another character lies about being a nice guy. (roll)
Post by: Jack on 11 Sep 2016, 12:40
It grinds my gears that: Things which take so long to build are so easy to ruin.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 12 Sep 2016, 11:24
Post by: Adeel on 12 Sep 2016, 13:03
I get a bit annoyed at myself when I hear certain songs so awfully terrible (not even a so bad it's good song), and it sticks in your head and you catch yourself singing it!
Let it go! Let it go! Let it go! :=
Post by: Mandle on 12 Sep 2016, 14:08
I get a bit annoyed at myself when I hear certain songs so awfully terrible (not even a so bad it's good song), and it sticks in your head and you catch yourself singing it!
Let it go! Let it go! Let it go! :=
I'm not sure though if "Let It Go" fits the description of a terrible song...I would say it's one of Disney's best (The Lion King still rules supreme for the songs though in my book)
Post by: Blondbraid on 12 Sep 2016, 15:44
I didn't know this until recently, but this change was probably brought on by the motion picture production code (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code), which was instituted by hollywood on 1930. This resulted in a collection of "pre-code" films which addressed race relations, drug use and sexuality with a freedom we have been slowly re-acquiring in recent decades.I've read about the Hayes Code before, though I doubt that it's solely to blame since it applied to cartoons and live-action alike.
I'd say this also has a lot to do with media technology as well, since the introduction of daytime TV created a huge demand for family-friendly content, and the loosened restrictions of recent times goes hand in hand with internet becoming big and many people being able to share content without relying on studios and tv-companys.
And speaking of cartoons, while I have to admit that I liked "Let it go", it grinds my gears that I still see stupid Frozen merchandise pushed in my face everywhere. People simply refuse to let it go!I get a bit annoyed at myself when I hear certain songs so awfully terrible (not even a so bad it's good song), and it sticks in your head and you catch yourself singing it!
Let it go! Let it go! Let it go! :=
I'm not sure though if "Let It Go" fits the description of a terrible song...I would say it's one of Disney's best (The Lion King still rules supreme for the songs though in my book)
It's not even a good movie! It has plotholes the size of China, the song the trolls sing is so awful it's even worse than vogon poetry and the animators didn't even bother to give the female characters different character models:
(http://66.media.tumblr.com/4763d808a457ab814b9631d02c4fc477/tumblr_inline_nri4px1Wlb1t9txgy_500.jpg)
Post by: Danvzare on 13 Sep 2016, 11:01
Post by: Snarky on 13 Sep 2016, 11:39
I've read about the Hayes Code before, though I doubt that it's solely to blame since it applied to cartoons and live-action alike.
I'd say this also has a lot to do with media technology as well, since the introduction of daytime TV created a huge demand for family-friendly content, and the loosened restrictions of recent times goes hand in hand with internet becoming big and many people being able to share content without relying on studios and tv-companys.
The death of cinematic cartoon shorts came about largely because a Supreme Court antitrust ruling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Paramount_Pictures,_Inc.) forced the separation of cinema chains from movie studios. In the old days, studios like Warner, MGM, Paramount, etc. owned the movie theaters and controlled the programming (so a particular cinema would show only films from a particular studio). The ruling meant they had to sell them off, and that there had to be an open market in deciding what each cinema would show. The court also started to enforce an earlier decision that it was illegal to "block-book" short films along with feature-length films (i.e. sell them as a package). This made them much harder to sell, since people didn't usually buy movie tickets for short films but for main features, so they were an obvious target for cinema chain cost-cutting (the movie business went into a major decline around this time). Within a few years they were all but gone.
Post by: Gurok on 13 Sep 2016, 11:47
What grinds my gears is that Frozen got ridiculously popular, yet almost no one ever mentions Wreck-It Ralph, despite the latter being a much better film in my opinion. So much better in fact, that it's actually getting a sequel! >:(
(http://i.marktplaats.com/00/s/NTc2WDEwMjQ=/z/PpYAAOSw6n5XrEBu/$_84.JPG)
Post by: CaptainD on 13 Sep 2016, 13:41
Still haven't seen Wreck It Ralph (it's on my To Do list though!).
Post by: Mandle on 13 Sep 2016, 16:27
Still haven't seen Wreck It Ralph (it's on my To Do list though!).
Even if the movie doesn't do it for you...the credits will!!! And the movie will, but the credits even WILLER!!!
I feel confident saying this in this particular forum, without any further spoilers...
(I cried while smiling during the credits, and wished I had seen the movie on the big screen)
Post by: Blondbraid on 13 Sep 2016, 17:46
The death of cinematic cartoon shorts came about largely because a Supreme Court antitrust ruling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Paramount_Pictures,_Inc.) forced the separation of cinema chains from movie studios. In the old days, studios like Warner, MGM, Paramount, etc. owned the movie theaters and controlled the programming (so a particular cinema would show only films from a particular studio). The ruling meant they had to sell them off, and that there had to be an open market in deciding what each cinema would show. The court also started to enforce an earlier decision that it was illegal to "block-book" short films along with feature-length films (i.e. sell them as a package). This made them much harder to sell, since people didn't usually buy movie tickets for short films but for main features, so they were an obvious target for cinema chain cost-cutting (the movie business went into a major decline around this time). Within a few years they were all but gone.Most interesting, thanks for the read! (nod)
I thought Frozen was good, not necessarily outstanding. It was phenomenally popular because it hit all the right social consciousness buttons at the right time.That is also something which baffles me, since I can't really think of anything that Frozen did that other Disney/Pixar movies haven't done before. Compared with previous Disney movies, such as this scene from Pocahontas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2av9SQsMIi8) or The hunchback from Notre Dame (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3NoDEu7kpg),
I think Frozen is very tame and doesn't take any big risks. Even Wreck it Ralph and Zootopia handled issues like fear of others and alienation much, much better than Frozen.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 13 Sep 2016, 20:07
Post by: CaesarCub on 13 Sep 2016, 20:12
I think any Pixar film is worth watching!
I'll take your word for it, but I'm still not watching Cars 2 (or Cars)
Post by: CaptainD on 13 Sep 2016, 21:53
Speaking of Zootopia - which I also enjoyed - did anyone feel it seemed more about sexism than racism, despite there being many obvious opportunities to deal with racism?
Post by: Snarky on 13 Sep 2016, 23:09
My main beef with current Disney movies is simply that I wish they would go back to 2D animation, or at least animation with more of a 2D look. Ever since Tarzan and its Deep Canvas system, and then later with the Meander system used in "Paperman", they've had tools to do really nice painterly stuff that allows them to put hand-painted/drawn things into a 3D scene (though I didn't think "Feast" worked very well: basically just looked like cel-shaded 3D), but all feature movies have this cheap videogamey 3D look. I had hoped Moana would be 2D, since the Polynesian setting lends itself beautifully to more loosely painted backgrounds. Ah well.
Post by: CaptainD on 13 Sep 2016, 23:46
The focus on sisterhood and rejection of Prince Charming are also firsts in a Disney movie, I believe.
Okay, possibly being a tad unfair with earlier comments - as mentioned I did enjoy the movie, just didn't think about it too hard maybe!
The feisty heroine bit had certainly been done before in Mulan, but I guess she in a way had a "Prince Charming". I haven't seen all of them. Nothing beats The Jungle Book for me!
Post by: Stupot on 14 Sep 2016, 01:17
Post by: Mouth for war on 14 Sep 2016, 09:56
Post by: Blondbraid on 14 Sep 2016, 09:59
Lilo and Stitch did the sister dynamic before, and Brave was also about the relation between two female family members, albeit a mother and daughter.The focus on sisterhood and rejection of Prince Charming are also firsts in a Disney movie, I believe.
Okay, possibly being a tad unfair with earlier comments - as mentioned I did enjoy the movie, just didn't think about it too hard maybe!
The feisty heroine bit had certainly been done before in Mulan, but I guess she in a way had a "Prince Charming". I haven't seen all of them. Nothing beats The Jungle Book for me!
Even the rejection of Prince Charming and critique of Love at first sight was done before in Enchanted (Just compare this clip to Elsa/Hans meeting!) (https://youtu.be/tDutMRSmKVE?t=195).
The only thing that Frozen did first for a Disney movie was making the identity of the villain a surprise, and even then it feels like an afterthought tacked on at the last minute.
In my opinion, Frozen is like Cars, but for girls.
My main beef with current Disney movies is simply that I wish they would go back to 2D animation, or at least animation with more of a 2D look. Ever since Tarzan and its Deep Canvas system, and then later with the Meander system used in "Paperman", they've had tools to do really nice painterly stuff that allows them to put hand-painted/drawn things into a 3D scene (though I didn't think "Feast" worked very well: basically just looked like cel-shaded 3D), but all feature movies have this cheap videogamey 3D look. I had hoped Moana would be 2D, since the Polynesian setting lends itself beautifully to more loosely painted backgrounds. Ah well.Yes, it's a real shame you don't see many 2D movies being produced anymore, I remember growing up watching Disney and Don Bluth movies over and over again, I felt they looked like picture-books given life and they inspired me to draw things myself.
Most of the 3D movies just feel like they all look the same as well, there isn't really any big differences in style, only in budget and technology.
However, there is a good animated film of H.C Andersens tale The Snow Queen, made in Soviet Russia in 1957. It's 2D animated and stays pretty accurate to the original story as well.
Here is a link for the curious:
Post by: CaptainD on 14 Sep 2016, 10:54
Post by: arj0n on 14 Sep 2016, 11:19
Post by: CaptainD on 14 Sep 2016, 13:29
There were 6 more. Rremember Wreck-It Ralph? :)
2D! :P
Post by: Danvzare on 14 Sep 2016, 13:33
I can't really think of anything that Frozen did that other Disney/Pixar movies haven't done before.It demonstrated that family love, is another form of love. That's all it did differently. And even I'll admit I enjoyed that. :-D
I'll take your word for it, but I'm still not watching Cars 2 (or Cars)Speaking of Cars, I really wish that they would make a prequel Cars movie. I want to see a rusty Lightning McQueen trying to get his start as a racing car!
It's clearly hinted at in the first movie. I think it could actually make a decent movie.
Speaking of Zootopia - which I also enjoyed - did anyone feel it seemed more about sexism than racism, despite there being many obvious opportunities to deal with racism?I enjoyed Zootopia too. Great film. Personally, I didn't feel as though it was a perfect analog for racism either. Especially with the predators which were not only the minority, but also the leaders and ones who get all the opportunities. And it seemed both predators and prey were equally speciesist to each other. So personally, I think they just wanted to create a realistic world of anthropomorphic animals.
Also, am I the only one who thinks "Let it go" should be sung as "Let it snow"?
Post by: Snarky on 14 Sep 2016, 15:24
Nothing beats The Jungle Book for me!
That's one of my least favorite Disney animated features! I hate how it completely ditches all the coolest bits from the Jungle Book stories, how it's all just a long sequence of "and then Mowgli runs into some other wacky characters", the utterly underwhelming ending (with Shere Khan just running away after a short squabble) and the lazy recycling of the same animation over and over within the film (particularly egregious with Kaa and the elephants).
Lilo and Stitch did the sister dynamic before, and Brave was also about the relation between two female family members, albeit a mother and daughter.
Even the rejection of Prince Charming and critique of Love at first sight was done before in Enchanted (Just compare this clip to Elsa/Hans meeting!) (https://youtu.be/tDutMRSmKVE?t=195).
True, Lilo & Stitch deals with sisterhood, but Lilo and Nani are much further apart in age, so it becomes something quite like a parent-child relationship. The Frozen version is pretty different.
There are definitely some parallels to Enchanted, but I don't count (mostly) live-action movies like that as part of the Disney animation canon.
Was "The Princess and the Frog" in 2009 the last 2D animated movie Disney did? (That one was very good, but I can't remember any others since then.)
There was a Winnie the Pooh movie after that. It flew under the radar for some reason.
Post by: CaptainD on 14 Sep 2016, 16:10
That's one of my least favorite Disney animated features! I hate how it completely ditches all the coolest bits from the Jungle Book stories, how it's all just a long sequence of "and then Mowgli runs into some other wacky characters", the utterly underwhelming ending (with Shere Khan just running away after a short squabble) and the lazy recycling of the same animation over and over within the film (particularly egregious with Kaa and the elephants).
It's hard to rationalise sometimes why you love a movie that you have loved since you were a kid - also whether you have read the book before or after seeing the movie makes a big difference. I've always loved Phil Harris' voicing, Louis Prima's singing, the songs in general and the personality clash of Baloo and Bagheera. Perhaps not the best if you look at it analytically, but it will always have a special place in my heart.
There was a Winnie the Pooh movie after that. It flew under the radar for some reason.
Oh yeah forgot the Winne the Pooh movie. I want to see that, although mainly because I know my kids will love it. I've got the book of the movie which they enjoy having read to them, but it's basically recycling stuff from the old stories. I seem to remember someone was tasked with creating new stories for the 100 Acre Wood gang, I wonder if any of those got made into animated films?
Post by: Retro Wolf on 14 Sep 2016, 19:00
I think any Pixar film is worth watching!
I'll take your word for it, but I'm still not watching Cars 2 (or Cars)
Just remembered, stay away from Planes! That's the only Pixar film I thought was naff.
Post by: Snarky on 14 Sep 2016, 22:10
It's hard to rationalise sometimes why you love a movie that you have loved since you were a kid - also whether you have read the book before or after seeing the movie makes a big difference. I've always loved Phil Harris' voicing, Louis Prima's singing, the songs in general and the personality clash of Baloo and Bagheera. Perhaps not the best if you look at it analytically, but it will always have a special place in my heart.
Sure, and as far as I can tell it's pretty well regarded (as demonstrated by the live-action remake); my opinion is probably in the minority. The film does have some great songs, strong character design, fine animation and beautiful backgrounds.
Post by: Mandle on 14 Sep 2016, 23:38
I think any Pixar film is worth watching!
I'll take your word for it, but I'm still not watching Cars 2 (or Cars)
Just remembered, stay away from Planes! That's the only Pixar film I thought was naff.
Planes is not actually a Pixar film:
Quote
Although Planes (2013) is a spin-off of the Pixar Animation Studios film, Cars (2006) and its sequel Cars 2 (2011), it was not produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was produced by the DisneyToon Studios production company, known mostly for making direct-to-video spin-offs and sequels of Walt Disney Animation Studios films. However, John Lasseter (writer and director of both Cars movies) served as an executive producer.
And: just to be relevant to the thread:
What grinds my gears is the entire "Cars" movies' universe...
Who built all the buildings? Why are all animals mechanical but all plants are normal? Why are there farmlands? (okay...maybe corn for bio-fuel...) Where do the cars come from? Why is there a child car in Cars 2? (this implies they are born and grow up)...Also, we meet some characters' parents in Cars 2...Why am I complaining about the logic of movies that were obviously aimed at selling toys to kids (ever seen a kid with Lightning MacQueen on their shirt?...Okay: ever seen a kid with Carl from "Up" on their shirt?)...So yeah: gears ground!
Post by: Mouth for war on 15 Sep 2016, 10:42
Post by: Danvzare on 15 Sep 2016, 11:12
I even suspect it might be the same backwards people.
Post by: gameboy on 15 Sep 2016, 12:03
Post by: Stupot on 15 Sep 2016, 12:45
Speaking of cars some more, it grinds my gears that some people have their headlights on when it's a bright and sunny morning...Are they Volvos, by any chance? I'm sure I'll be corrected but I heard Volvos always have their headlights in because they are from Sweden, where the sun don't shine.
Post by: CaptainD on 15 Sep 2016, 12:55
Speaking of cars some more, it grinds my gears that some people have their headlights on when it's a bright and sunny morning...Are they Volvos, by any chance? I'm sure I'll be corrected but I heard Volvos always have their headlights in because they are from Sweden, where the sun don't shine.
Yeah I learned to drive in a Volvo, and you couldn't turn the headlights off. Same for Saab I think. Can't remember if it was only Swedish cars though.
Post by: Mandle on 15 Sep 2016, 14:50
the full headlight (not sure what the name for that is in english. Driving beam?)
High-beams
Post by: Mouth for war on 15 Sep 2016, 19:18
Post by: Cassiebsg on 15 Sep 2016, 20:16
it grinds my gears that some people have their headlights on when it's a bright and sunny morning,
Required by law in Denmark... ;)
Post by: CaptainD on 15 Sep 2016, 20:35
Well we do have sun here and volvo is no longer owned by swedes :-D but i totally understand your way of thinking haha
Well I did learn to drive 20 years ago... :-D
Post by: Snarky on 15 Sep 2016, 20:59
Speaking of cars again. It really grinds my gears when a car is closing in on you at night and don't switch off the full headlight (not sure what the name for that is in english. Driving beam?) removes your vision completely!
Speaking of cars some more, it grinds my gears that some people have their headlights on when it's a bright and sunny morning...Are they Volvos, by any chance? I'm sure I'll be corrected but I heard Volvos always have their headlights in because they are from Sweden, where the sun don't shine.
To be clear, Volvos don't have always-on high-beams, because that would be insane.
Actually, what they have are always-on "daytime running lights", which have been mandatory in Sweden for almost 40 years (and for decades in the rest of the Nordic countries, as well as Canada), a rule that has recently been adopted all over Europe. It used to be that manufacturers could choose whether to add separate lamps or just always leave the low-beam lights on (which I guess some Volvos did?), but under the new rules it has to be a separate set of lamps.
And this is a good thing, because lights improve visibility and safety even in daytime, as long as they're not excessively bright.
Post by: Mandle on 21 Sep 2016, 03:08
Quote
(CNN) News that Angelina Jolie is filing for divorce from Brad Pitt is causing rumbles -- and not just on social media.
The US Geological Survey detected a small earthquake Tuesday near Los Angeles just minutes after news broke that the power couple were splitting up.
CNN has confirmed the two incidents are unrelated.
OMG classic!
But I should be posting something that grinds my gears so:
What grinds my gears is this awesome silly song songified from a popular youtuber's lets plays by Schmoyoho:
It grinds my gears that I can't stop singing it at random moments through the day...
I challenge anyone to listen to this song and NOT get it stuck in their head...Jesus, it's crainial superglue or something!
Post by: dactylopus on 21 Sep 2016, 09:59
Post by: Blondbraid on 22 Sep 2016, 22:52
Horns on viking helmets
Everyone, including poor peasants, having good teeth
Warriors wearing their swords strapped to their backs instead of their belts
pumpkins, potatoes and tomatoes (native to the american continent)
Zombies, orcs and other creatures that have never been part of European folklore
Post by: Mandle on 03 Oct 2016, 01:42
(I'll refrain from mentioning names...)
Quote
Just from the screenshots alone, I see this is a good game. May be a while till I decide to play it myself, but I know this'll be a hit with Quest for Glory fans--one might say this is kind of "Quest for Glory--The Dark Side edition".
2016-09-30 14:53:03 by
Really?! You commented on a game you have not even played?!
Are you high and/or trolling?!
Post by: CaesarCub on 03 Oct 2016, 13:13
Quote from: Some asshole
I'm making a new project. It's super secret so I can't give any details or screenshots, but I would need:
An artist to do backgrounds and characters for free.
A musician to make some music.
A dev with lots of AGS experience.
A writer to help me with the dialogue and the details of the story.
It's an indie project, so all positions are not payed.
Post by: Mouth for war on 05 Oct 2016, 20:29
Post by: Retro Wolf on 05 Oct 2016, 20:45
Post by: selmiak on 06 Oct 2016, 12:56
If you're going to make an indie game you either need to be the artist or programmer yourself. If you're not one of those then you best have the funds.
this is so quoteworthy!
Post by: CaesarCub on 06 Oct 2016, 13:32
That bothers me too! I think if you're going to make an indie game you either need to be the artist or programmer yourself. If you're not one of those then you best have the funds.
I actually don't get mad at a writer trying to make an adventure game (since adventure games are usually strongly story-driven), but they better have a story, good design documents, a chunk of the story done for real, and they won't get crazy mad if you turn them down after reading the stuff and deciding it's not to your liking.
I mean, if you can't draw or code, you can do a horribly coded with stick figures and boxes for graphics demo of the game to show people what a great idea you have.
The real issue to me is when they have "ideas" and "concepts" and you are given only a synopsis of the story, or get told you can see the actual stuff after you agreed to work in it, because their writing is so amazing you might steal it and make your own game.
Post by: CaptainD on 06 Oct 2016, 13:36
That bothers me too! I think if you're going to make an indie game you either need to be the artist or programmer yourself. If you're not one of those then you best have the funds.
My programming and artistic skills are pathetic, I concentrate on the bits I can actually be good at ie story, game design, voice acting, have also become handy at SFX. What you say only applies if you are determined to be a solo dev. Different skill sets are what teams are for!
Although... after reading CaesarCub's post maybe you're talking about something different altogether, someone who kind of dumps a very basic concept on you as if that was "designing" a game, which it clearly isn't.
Post by: Blondbraid on 06 Oct 2016, 14:17
"Walt Disney was great at making animated movies. Except that he didn't make the animations. And he took the stories from old fairytales. Basically, he put his signature on the movies, but he had someone else design the signature for him.
So I don't know what Walt Disney actually did, but he was good at it."
In my opinion, choosing good artists and writers and being a good leader of a team as well as acting as a vision-bearer can also be very valuable skills.
However, there is a difference between working hard to manage a group project and just look for others to do all the hard work for you.
Another thing that grinds my gears: People who insist licorice counts as candy.
Post by: CaesarCub on 06 Oct 2016, 14:32
"Walt Disney was great at making animated movies. Except that he didn't make the animations. And he took the stories from old fairytales. Basically, he put his signature on the movies, but he had someone else design the signature for him.
So I don't know what Walt Disney actually did, but he was good at it."
In my opinion, choosing good artists and writers and being a good leader of a team as well as acting as a vision-bearer can also be very valuable skills.
However, there is a difference between working hard to manage a group project and just look for others to do all the hard work for you.
Well, Walt Disney was good at selling and getting money.
He acted scenes and sweet talked the producers to get the funding for Snow White.
And then he payed the people that worked at his studio.
There's a difference between a manager that says "We are making a Snow White point and click adventure, here's money."
And one that says "We are making a Snow White point and click adventure, I'm sure when we finish it we will get rich, but for now we all have to put some effort."
The second guy might actually be sincere and good at being a leader, but 9 out of 10 times, he just wants to be successful by making other people work for it.
Post by: CaptainD on 06 Oct 2016, 14:48
Post by: CaesarCub on 06 Oct 2016, 15:05
It seems that you're talking about an individual who gathers people to do his / her bidding instead of someone who forms a genuine team. If that's the case then I agree with you. However most indie game teams are formed to pool various talents - if one person can do a good job at every single element of creating a game, they often go ahead and do it as a solo dev. Not many people can do that.
Well, my original rant was about people that make posts that you know will be ignored. Like starting a Game in Progress thread with no real description or images, or a recruiting post that tells you nothing about the game in particular.
The example I gave did have a secondary layer of things that annoy me.
People that think that just an idea is enough to make others work for them since they already contributed or people that expect others to join their teams when there are no definitions on what they really want to do are some examples.
Good indie teams are made of people that that are good at different things working together to make something.
I don't expect someone to be a solo dev.
I usually go that way, and I know it sucks because it becomes unbearable the moment you try to make the scope of the project bigger.
On the latter posts I was mostly referring to people that pretend to be the creators of a project when they only have an idea or a concept, but nothing else to contribute (whether it's skills or money).
Post by: Blondbraid on 06 Oct 2016, 15:17
You can see similar things on Kickstarter, with someone giving a super vague idea and then expect people to pour them money.
Post by: CaptainD on 06 Oct 2016, 15:18
Post by: Retro Wolf on 06 Oct 2016, 15:45
@CaptainD: At least you know the basics, you've also built a good reputation in the community. A lot of these sort of posts tend to be made by people who just registered, or have no proof of their abilities.
Post by: CaptainD on 06 Oct 2016, 17:41
A lot of these sort of posts tend to be made by people who just registered, or have no proof of their abilities.
Ah, I see... should have realised that's what you were targeting. I think sometimes it's more that people don't actually understand just how much work and talent goes into making a good game than deliberately "taking advantage" (although not always), but I see your point.
Post by: Blondbraid on 21 Oct 2016, 19:56
I mean, who on earth has ever in the history of planet earth clicked on those things for any reason other
than frantically trying to close them down before those ungodly noises and flashing lights give them a seizure?
And did someone actually think that "I know exactly what will sell our generic product, people love flashing images and stolen sound effects ground into a hideous mess!"?
Because noisy and/or animated ads doesn't make me want to see what they are selling.
Noisy and/or animated ads make me want to see how fast I can hit Alt+F4 without breaking my keyboard.
Post by: cat on 21 Oct 2016, 20:09
Post by: Danvzare on 21 Oct 2016, 20:48
I was marathoning Game Theory, and I was just getting the same (terrible) advert over and over again. It was driving me CRAZY!!!
Then as I was reading the comment section, it turned out other people were having the same problem, and someone suggested Adblock. There were those that were saying that Adblock wouldn't be able to stop Youtube ads, but I gave it a shot, and guess what, it did stop those ads.
Not only that, but I think it has drastically reduced the number of viruses I've been picking up as well.
I highly HIGHLY recommend Adblock. Just remember to disable it on websites you want you to support. :)
Post by: Blondbraid on 21 Oct 2016, 21:11
Adblock do block most of the worst offenders,
which just proves how useless those ads are.
Who thought such a thing was a good idea is an absolute mystery to me. ???
Speaking of brightly colored garbage, I don't know what grind my gears most,
free to play games with a ton of micro-transactions and terrible gameplay,
or the kind of people who actually spend real-life money on such things.
I saw micro-transactions on Candy Crush for up to 10 US dollars! Don't they know how much real, actual and edible candy you can get for that sum? (wtf)
Post by: Mandle on 21 Oct 2016, 23:22
Who thought such a thing was a good idea is an absolute mystery to me. ???
Then you might be satisfied to know that I was just reading an article the other day about how the dude that invented popup ads has just recently apologized for doing so.
He said something like that he was young and it seemed like a good idea at the time. But that now it has gotten out of control and turned into a kind of virus in and of itself. He also said that he hopes one day people will be able to look back on popup ads as a weird and quaint artifact of the past and wonder wtf people were thinking.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 22 Oct 2016, 00:51
I also installed AdBlock to stop the forced adds on youtube... the popups and all other crap, I had already stopped by using NoScript, Flash block and Stop Autoplay (yes, I'm paranoid! Also have the Self-Destruting cookies" add-on).... (roll)
Post by: Stupot on 22 Oct 2016, 01:26
I have my Twitter app to hide all media until I click them but sometimes, on a busy train, I click on a "picture" because it says pic.twitter.com... But noooOOOooo. A loud video starts playibg instead. I have even contacted Twitter with my ingenious idea of having videos under, say, vid.twitter.com instead. But I guess they were too busy to reply.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 22 Oct 2016, 09:14
Post by: Danvzare on 22 Oct 2016, 16:26
I also installed AdBlock to stop the forced adds on youtube... the popups and all other crap, I had already stopped by using NoScript, Flash block and Stop Autoplay (yes, I'm paranoid! Also have the Self-Destruting cookies" add-on).... (roll)*takes notes and prepares to install suggested add-ons*
I'm not paranoid either. (roll)
Post by: Jack on 27 Oct 2016, 18:20
It could be a bus or a porsche SUV, they still do it.
Post by: Danvzare on 27 Oct 2016, 20:05
It really grinds my gears when two legged animals throw their trash out the window.Yeah, damn those ostriches that litter!
It could be a bus or a porsche SUV, they still do it.
Post by: Jack on 27 Oct 2016, 21:00
Post by: Gurok on 27 Oct 2016, 22:17
Post by: Blondbraid on 28 Oct 2016, 15:32
Cigarette smokers are the worst offenders, at least discarded candy wrappers never started a forest fire,
but chewing gum is pretty gross too. I just hate people who leave stains of gum on the street or smeared
under school benches. I mean, if there really aren't any nearby trashcans, just swallow the stupid gum.
Accidentally getting gum on my shoes makes me wish the 700$ fine they have in Singapore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing_gum_ban_in_Singapore) could be applied worldwide!
Post by: Mandle on 28 Oct 2016, 18:48
It really grinds my gears when two legged animals throw their trash out the window.
Post by: Mouth for war on 20 Nov 2016, 14:09
Post by: Blondbraid on 31 Dec 2016, 12:54
This year is about to end, and many celebrate with fireworks. One problem however, is that
some people start way before midnight, and continue with the fireworks for hours afterwards too.
All the noise and racket is annoying for me, but an absolutely terrifying experience for all dogs
in the area, so I hope anyone reading this send a thought to the poor animals and wait until midnight
with the fireworks, and then don't keep at it for too long.
Post by: Mouth for war on 31 Dec 2016, 14:39
Post by: Cassiebsg on 31 Dec 2016, 14:43
Post by: Mandle on 31 Dec 2016, 14:57
This year is about to end, and many celebrate with fireworks.
As if the world hasn't had enough explosions this year.
So yeah:
+1
(Thank god the only thing they do here in Japan is ring the temple bells at midnight)
Post by: Adeel on 31 Dec 2016, 17:19
Post by: Cassiebsg on 31 Dec 2016, 17:50
Post by: Danvzare on 31 Dec 2016, 19:51
There's one thing that grinds my gears, and I thought it might be worth pointing out today.
This year is about to end, and many celebrate with fireworks. One problem however, is that
some people start way before midnight, and continue with the fireworks for hours afterwards too.
All the noise and racket is annoying for me, but an absolutely terrifying experience for all dogs
in the area, so I hope anyone reading this send a thought to the poor animals and wait until midnight
with the fireworks, and then don't keep at it for too long.
The only time I've had that problem where I live was at the year 2000. And damn it, they went on for hours!
So while I've never had any dogs (I have had rabbits who enjoyed the fireworks) I do understand your pain, +1 all the way.
Post by: Adeel on 01 Jan 2017, 16:09
What do you mean by "aerial firing?" 8-0
In simple terms, aerial firing is referred to the dumb phenomenon of pointing your gun towards the sky (usually at an angle), and firing a few shots. Some go even far, and empty their whole magazine into the sky.
The Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebratory_gunfire) explains this in a much better way, if you're interested.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 01 Jan 2017, 16:17
Don't ppl know that bullets that go up will eventually come down, with potential deadly outcome if they hit someone? 8-0
Post by: Adeel on 02 Jan 2017, 06:36
According to the reports, a minor was killed, and 20 people were injured (http://www.dawn.com/news/1305794) this time.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 10 Jan 2017, 16:29
Post by: CaptainD on 10 Jan 2017, 18:01
How about when you see a game with beautiful pixel art, there's always one guy in the comments that says something along the lines of: "Pfft looks like a NES game, why doesn't the lazy developer make the effort to make some real graphics!".
On a similar note, people complaining that "indie games always have stupid cartoon-style graphics" despite the indie scene being home to a myriad vastly contrasting visual styles.
(And anyway what's wrong with stupid cartoon-style graphics exactly?! :grin: :tongue: :wink:)
Post by: Danvzare on 10 Jan 2017, 19:24
How about when you see a game with beautiful pixel art, there's always one guy in the comments that says something along the lines of: "Pfft looks like a NES game, why doesn't the lazy developer make the effort to make some real graphics!".On a related note, they always call pixel art "8-bit graphics" even when that pixel art looks nothing like something you'd find on an 8-bit system, and isn't even remotely 8-bit in colour depth. 8-bit is not synonymous with pixel art! >:(
Post by: Mandle on 11 Jan 2017, 22:43
How about when you see a game with beautiful pixel art, there's always one guy in the comments that says something along the lines of: "Pfft looks like a NES game, why doesn't the lazy developer make the effort to make some real graphics!".
Yeah, a lot of people (probably mostly young'uns) don't understand that the style of the graphics and the tone of the game go hand-in-hand, and that a comedic game probably wouldn't work with the graphics style of "The Last Of Us".
I hear the same rubbish from non-gamer grownups when they see modern games with pixel art, and when I try to explain that it's done on purpose and the reasons for doing so they just roll their eyes and say "I don't care. It still looks bad."
It's like trying to explain Picasso to someone who says "It doesn't look real. A four-year-old could paint that. It's crap."... Best to just give up and not further grind your already ground-down gears...
Post by: Stupot on 12 Jan 2017, 06:18
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Feb 2017, 19:02
Meanwhile, when I actually have time, my brain is completely empty.
Post by: Slasher on 16 Feb 2017, 19:09
keep a notepad on you at all times (even in the bath (laugh)).
Post by: Retro Wolf on 23 Mar 2017, 14:45
Post by: Adeel on 24 Mar 2017, 00:19
More like annoying than making me angry, Google thinks I'm a Muslim. There's always an advert for Muslim brides or some religious event. A few years ago Adeel was talking about Ramadan, so I googled it out of curiosity. Did it a few times when he mentioned stuff. I do have Ad-blocker, but only on my laptop.(laugh)(laugh)
Post by: Gurok on 24 Mar 2017, 00:31
Google thinks I'm retirement age. I get advertisements for arthritis, cancer, diabetes and liver spot treatments.
Post by: Stupot on 24 Mar 2017, 01:16
Post by: CaptainD on 24 Mar 2017, 11:21
I keep getting adverts for the company I bloody work for!
Does your company have anything for Twitchy Eye Sydrome?
Post by: Crimson Wizard on 24 Mar 2017, 11:24
I keep getting adverts for the company I bloody work for!I was getting adverts for company my company has produced software for :).
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Mar 2017, 12:14
More like annoying than making me angry, Google thinks I'm a Muslim. There's always an advert for Muslim brides or some religious event. A few years ago Adeel was talking about Ramadan, so I googled it out of curiosity. Did it a few times when he mentioned stuff. I do have Ad-blocker, but only on my laptop.I can relate, but for me it was adverts from dating sites for russian import wives... (wtf) I have no idea on how they made the connection -> reads a lot about videogames and spend way too much time on browsing TVtropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage) = I'm a middle-aged buissnessman looking for a russian girlfriend! ??? One other reason to use Ad block.
Post by: Danvzare on 24 Mar 2017, 12:33
I have no idea on how they made the connection -> reads a lot about videogamesThat seems like a pretty cut and dry connection to me. Everyone knows that anyone who likes videogames is a lonely basement dwelling virgin. Who else would be a better candidate for a Russian girlfriend. (laugh)
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Mar 2017, 13:03
That seems like a pretty cut and dry connection to me. Everyone knows that anyone who likes videogames is a lonely basement dwelling virgin. Who else would be a better candidate for a Russian girlfriend. (laugh)Donald Trump? :)
Post by: Cassiebsg on 24 Mar 2017, 15:17
Post by: Mandle on 24 Mar 2017, 15:36
/me wonders what are those "adverts" ppl talk about... (wtf)
I was wondering the same...
Where can we see these google adverts?
Post by: [delete} on 24 Mar 2017, 16:28
Post by: Retro Wolf on 19 Apr 2017, 20:29
Post by: Mandle on 20 Apr 2017, 00:00
There's a functional door bell on my front door, when someone presses it I can hear it throughout the house. Half the people who come to my door give it a gentle knock so I have no idea they're there until they've been stood there ages.
You need a sign saying "RING THE DAMN BELL!"
Post by: Cassiebsg on 21 Apr 2017, 17:56
Post by: Mandle on 21 Apr 2017, 23:22
I've been thinking of adding such a sign too lately, specially our postman doesn't seem to know how it works. (wrong)
In what way does he misuse your doorbell?
Does he always ring twice? 8-)
Post by: Cassiebsg on 21 Apr 2017, 23:52
Post by: Mandle on 21 Apr 2017, 23:58
"The postman never rings once, much less twice"
(laugh) (laugh) (laugh)
Post by: Stupot on 27 Apr 2017, 09:14
Who's there?
Isabelle.
Isabelle who?
Isabelle really necessary when I can just knock?
Post by: CaptainD on 27 Apr 2017, 09:26
Who's there?
Knock knock.
Post by: Mandle on 27 Apr 2017, 09:26
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Isabelle.
Isabelle who?
Isabelle really necessary when I can just knock?
Yeah, knock-knock jokes really grind my gears too! :P
Post by: CaptainD on 27 Apr 2017, 11:06
Who's there?
Mandle
Mandle who?
Mandle who really has his gears ground by knock knock jokes
Post by: Blondbraid on 03 May 2017, 22:25
and say "she's not like other girls, she's a strong independent woman" and then proceeds to use exactly the same cookie-cutter character we've all seen before,
who starts out being pointlessly rude only to have a change of heart and fall for the hero anyway, and despite being introduced as a strong fighter just ends up being
used as damsel in distress in the third act anyway. Seriously, these characters are so predictable they should be considered walking spoilers by now.
(http://i.imgur.com/jukoD4v.png)
Post by: Gurok on 04 May 2017, 08:58
It grinds my gears whenever people making games/comics/movies promoting a "strong female character"
You could stop right there if you wanted, because it shouldn't be exceptional to have one.
I like your analysis. I remember thinking this about Nina in the Secret Files games. She gives so much sass all game that she just seems like a rude person. There's a point in one game where she gives sass to a SWAT crew in her underwear. She's strong, independent, but she needs Max because... ? Also, they end up getting married, so she really is the archetype you're talking about.
Post by: Blondbraid on 04 May 2017, 10:25
I think Nina is far from the worst example, but yeah, so many of her lines are pretty cringe-worthy, especially the jokes on housecleaning, they felt recycled from the 1950's. (wrong)It grinds my gears whenever people making games/comics/movies promoting a "strong female character"
You could stop right there if you wanted, because it shouldn't be exceptional to have one.
I like your analysis. I remember thinking this about Nina in the Secret Files games. She gives so much sass all game that she just seems like a rude person. There's a point in one game where she gives sass to a SWAT crew in her underwear. She's strong, independent, but she needs Max because... ? Also, they end up getting married, so she really is the archetype you're talking about.
While we're at the subject, it also bugs me when people claim that female action heroes are unrealistic because the average man is slightly larger and stronger than the average woman.
Aside from the existence of guns, bows, spears and naginatas rendering size a moot point, male action heroes defeat bigger and stronger foes all the time!
Like when Indiana Jones fights that huge, muscular guy (https://youtu.be/rvQEJH_6kzs?t=83), or when Indiana Jones fights that other huge, muscular guy (https://youtu.be/RR51CavZxbc?t=75). (roll)
Post by: Danvzare on 04 May 2017, 10:43
It grinds my gears whenever people making games/comics/movies promoting a "strong female character"
You could stop right there if you wanted, because it shouldn't be exceptional to have one.
Ugh, I couldn't agree more. That grinds my gears as well.
If you want to make a "strong female character", then you've already failed. If you want to make a female character but have no idea how to do it without making a boring cookie cutter character, just write a male character and swap the genders at the last minute. It worked for Ripley on Alien.
Post by: Blondbraid on 21 May 2017, 18:01
The whole message of "they are harmless people who are just like us and don't deserve to be shunned and feared" falls apart when the large masses have a legitimate reason to fear them.
Case in point:
The mages in Dragon age, people with magic powers who are either locked up in towers away from the locals or hunted down by knights because they either risk becoming mad with power and practice blood magic, or possessed by demons and turned into monsters (and even kind and well-meaning mages risk being possessed against their will). The game treats this as a cruel injustice against the mages.
X-men, and several other Marvel superhero movies, where the government wants to register people with various super-powers, such as shooting laser-beams from their eyes, mind-controlling people and kill them just by touching them. According to the X-men movies, requiring people to register mutants with the ability to kill countless people with a mere thought is considered literally just as bad as Hitler (https://youtu.be/XBWYWWUvxF0?t=13).
And let's not forget almost every single movie about witches, where Salem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials) and the witch hunts are mentioned, but in the movie, witches are real and can do magic. All the people who were executed in the witch trials were innocent, because you can't kill people with magic spells in the real world, so it kind of grinds my gears when people make up stories about witch hunters hunting real and dangerous witches, and are totally justified in doing so.
Post by: Mandle on 21 May 2017, 23:44
Totally agree with the witches point though. I was quite shocked at the incredible bad-taste of that Nicholas Cage movie. I expected the whole way through that he would find the witch and discover that she was an innocent victim. But nope, she was actually a powerful and evil witch. Horrible!
Post by: Danvzare on 22 May 2017, 11:21
And let's not forget almost every single movie about witches, where Salem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials) and the witch hunts are mentioned, but in the movie, witches are real and can do magic. All the people who were executed in the witch trials were innocent, because you can't kill people with magic spells in the real world, so it kind of grinds my gears when people make up stories about witch hunters hunting real and dangerous witches, and are totally justified in doing so.Someone should see about making a witch movie where all of the witch trials killed innocent non-witches because the real witches were too smart to get themselves caught. (laugh)
But I digress. I fully agree with your point. Funnily enough, that type of thing has always annoyed me, yet I've never been able to pinpoint what it was about those groups that annoyed me. Now I know why.
Totally agree with the witches point though. I was quite shocked at the incredible bad-taste of that Nicholas Cage movie. I expected the whole way through that he would find the witch and discover that she was an innocent victim. But nope, she was actually a powerful and evil witch. Horrible!Hey, I remember that film. I was thinking the exact same thing throughout it. That was the film with Robert Sheehan in it right?
Post by: Blondbraid on 07 Jun 2017, 14:38
the costumes they went with for the amazons really grinds my gears.
This is an promotional image from the Wonder Woman movie:
(http://68.media.tumblr.com/e8d5036a6cb956cdea3c1b2c4db80aa6/tumblr_o4k920q2zu1u581b8o1_500.png)
And these are images for Game of War, a free to play strategy game mostly known for using B-list actresses in gaudy costumes to trick people into spending money on micro-transactions.
(http://68.media.tumblr.com/6d210f0b1e280abadf79f08b4debede2/tumblr_inline_o7anaggmsj1qaqvtr_500.png)(http://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2015/09/game-of-war.png)(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/09/15/18/2C598A4D00000578-0-image-a-3_1442337885145.jpg)
Why on earth do the the costumes on commercials for a free phone game look less tacky and better made than those in a 150 millon dollar blockbuster?!
Now don't get me wrong, I liked the story, acting and action in Wonder Woman, but the silly costumes made it really hard to feel immersed in the movie whenever the amazons were on screen.
I think costuming in movies in general is criminally underrated, and especially in sci-fi and fantasy. I think it makes up a larger part of world-building than people give it credit for,
and it always bugs me when movies that do everything else well fails in that department.
Post by: Gilbert on 07 Jun 2017, 17:52
Isn't it a requirement that costumes in super hero movies have to be ridiculous and silly, whether worn by the titular super heros or some fantastic/supernatural/whatever-not-supposed-to-be-portraited-realistically tribes?
If it's just pure fantasy/"historical" like LOTR or 300 (or say game set in a straight forward fantasy world like the one you mentioned) it would be different IMO.
After all. It is Winder Woman, a friend(?) to another lunatic who loves to wear a pair of red panties outside a tight suit.
You know, no one would be stupid enough to make say a Punisher movie to have the hero wear a shirt without the iconic large skull on it... wait... nevermind...
Post by: Blondbraid on 07 Jun 2017, 21:33
and I think that the costumes look boring and cheap for being in a movie with a multimillion dollar budget.
If you aren't constrained by realism, why not go all out and do something interesting and dramatic rather
than just use leftover pieces of leather stapled together?
To use some examples, the armor of Thor and the other Norse gods in the Marvel movies weren't realistic either,
but they looked like there was thought and effort put into designing them, and I could say the same of the designs
for the characters on planet Krypton in Man of Steel or the characters in Lord of the Rings too.
I had trouble telling most of the amazons apart for much of the time, and nothing about them looked even vaguely Greek.
I also found the amazon costumes jarring in Wonder Woman since all the other costumes from the WW1 era were rather accurate and well done.
I guess this might count as minor spoilers, but:
However, this is just my opinion, and taste is subjective. But does anyone think that the amazon costumes looked beautiful or memorable? :-\
Post by: Mandle on 22 Jun 2017, 00:00
This gem from CNN:
"During the celestial event, the moon will pass between the sun and the Earth, appearing to block the sun for almost an hour and a half. You can replicate an eclipse by holding a flashlight and waving your hand slowly across it."
You can replicate being a moron by sitting in front of your computer at CNN and typing slowly on it.
Post by: Danvzare on 30 Jun 2017, 13:59
This quote grinds my gears, because anyone who has seen The Escapists 1 would know for an absolute fact, that it DID NOT HAVE 8-BIT NES GRAPHICS!!! I mean just one look at it, and you can see it uses the same style of sprites as half a dozen SNES games! Not to mention the colour depth! >:(
I'm sorry, but I'm really pulling my hair out over the stupidity in this quote.
Post by: Blondbraid on 11 Aug 2017, 19:58
Apart from the fact that you could make a list longer than the Star Wars intro crawl on all the diseases you can get from poorly cooked meat, taste is subjective, and just because some prefer their steak a little raw in the middle it doesn't mean that all do.
I'm especially cross with resturants that automatcally serve any meat that I order rare without asking first, and then act as if wanting a well done steak is some act of barbary, just because I find raw meat slightly nauseating.
Post by: Danvzare on 11 Oct 2017, 12:49
It doesn't even rhyme when you pronounce it like that! "Rain" only rhymes with "Again" when you pronounce it properly. If you pronounce it as "Ahgen" then you should be rhyming it with "Ben" or "Then".
Post by: Stupot on 11 Oct 2017, 13:31
@Blondbraid I agree with that whole heartedly. I once worked in the kitchen of s pub and chef would've personally offended if anyone asked for a well-done steak or even a medium-rare. He died about 5 years ago. I'm only now just thinking there might have been a connection.
Post by: Danvzare on 12 Oct 2017, 11:06
@Dan That used to wind me up too. In general conversation I say "a gen" and anyone who says "a gain" really grinds my gears. But, as you correctly point out. If you're trying to rhyme with "rain" then only a moron would use "a gen"I am so glad I'm not the only one. For a moment there, I thought I was alone in my pettiness. (laugh)
Just to clarify though, like you I pronounce "again" as "a gen" in general conversation.
Post by: Mandle on 12 Oct 2017, 11:35
It grinds my gears when someone sings Incy Wincy Spider, and pronounces "Again" as "Ahgen".
It doesn't even rhyme when you pronounce it like that! "Rain" only rhymes with "Again" when you pronounce it properly. If you pronounce it as "Ahgen" then you should be rhyming it with "Ben" or "Then".
+1!!!
This topic would so go viral on FB. It's just exactly trivial and yet triggering enough!
Post by: Mandle on 12 Oct 2017, 11:36
Post by: Stupot on 15 Oct 2017, 00:33
Post by: Cassiebsg on 15 Oct 2017, 01:25
Post by: dactylopus on 15 Oct 2017, 02:52
It grinds my gears when people pluralise 'LEGO' as 'LEGOs'. I realise that it's an acceptable form as enough people use it (although LEGO themselves don't like it) but I grew up with LEGO as an uncountable noun so the s sounds genuinely weird to me. If I want to count them I use 'pieces' or 'bricks'.Absolutely agree!
Post by: Mandle on 22 Jan 2018, 00:43
I mean seriously WTF?!
(We might have had this one before. I forget. But one of these is pissing me off right now and I had to vent!)
Post by: Mouth for war on 22 Jan 2018, 01:00
Post by: Frodo on 22 Jan 2018, 01:26
And it REALLY grinds my gears that gluten-free food is 3 or 4 times the price, for a SMALLER portion of the gluten equivalent. :angry:
It's not like I woke up, and thought 'Hey, I think I'll be coeliac today, and pay extortionate prices for things that normally cost a fraction of the price.' :angry:
EDIT: Even something simple, like a loaf of bread...
Standard 800g loaf - £1
Gluten-free 535g loaf - £2.50
Smaller loaf, more than double the price!
Post by: Mandle on 22 Jan 2018, 01:30
Haha yeah that was the subject I began this thread with. I totally agree with that!!! :D
Thought it sounded familiar...
Post by: lorenzo on 22 Jan 2018, 11:50
I'm a coeliac, which means I can't have wheat or gluten.Here the Region (Tuscany and others, but not all) gives to coeliac people monthly vouchers to get gluten-free food.
And it REALLY grinds my gears that gluten-free food is 3 or 4 times the price, for a SMALLER portion of the gluten equivalent. :angry:
You can use them to get bread, pasta, etc. for free in drug-stores and in designated shops. My uncle (who is coeliac) saves a lot of money this way, because – as you say – gluten-free food is quite expensive.
Post by: Mouth for war on 28 Jan 2018, 13:45
Post by: LameNick on 30 Jan 2018, 21:45
To everybody stopping by, listen.. listen!! I tell you that cryptocurrency miners are grinding my gears! In fact I feel pure, genuine, concentrated hatred towards them!
I'm in need of a new good quality monitor but I can just go wank myself for the foreseeable future as I won't be able to get hold of a GPU, at least not without selling my kidneys.
Thanks for listening and please don't mine.
Post by: Mandle on 31 Jan 2018, 02:58
Thanks for listening and please don't mine.
Are you talking about mining new coins or hacking and stealing existing ones?
Post by: LameNick on 31 Jan 2018, 10:40
Those calculations require GPUs and with the coin mining insanity going on lately there are no GPUs available, not beyond the shitiest ones that are also absolutely horribly prized.
Post by: Frodo on 06 Feb 2018, 00:12
Post by: Danvzare on 07 Feb 2018, 10:06
What grinds my gears is when people on the bus ring the bell to get off LONG before they're anywhere near their stop. :angry:Why is that bad?
I thought it was a good idea to let the driver know well in advance that someone wants to get off at the next stop.
I don't do that though, I prefer to wait until the stop is actually in view (so I don't accidentally get the bus to stop at a stop that I don't want to get off at), but I do want to understand why that grinds your gears.
Post by: Stupot on 07 Feb 2018, 10:48
Post by: Mandle on 07 Feb 2018, 22:55
As soon as I have completely passed the stop before the one I want, I press the button.
Me too, but for me it's more than I enjoy pushing the button and hearing the "ding!"...
Mmmmmmm... feedback...
Post by: Mandle on 14 Feb 2018, 00:57
I watched Alien Covenant the other day and really enjoyed it. I was conflicted about watching it or not after what a complete disaster Prometheus was but decided that if my love for the Alien movies could survive Alien: Ressurection then it was pretty buttetproof.
Anyway, the movie was good IMO: It had an interesting story with some nice mystery elements to keep me interested. The characters were interesting enough, if a little hard to keep track of. David especially was amazing (he was the only thing I liked in Prometheus).
But two little things ground my gears just a bit:
* The neutrino storm at the start: The computer alerts Warren that a neutrino burst has been detected nearby and that it will hit the ship momentarily. It grinds my gears when sci-fi movies use stuff like this but can't get it right. Neutrinos travel at the speed of light. No information can travel faster than the speed of light. So how can the computer detect the burst before it hits the ship? It can't. For the same reason that we can't put a probe near the sun to warn us when a major solar emmission threatens our planet: The warning radioed to us by the probe and the radiation from the emmission would reach us at the same time. Actually the warning would reach us a few microseconds after the radiation if you take into account the time it takes for the probe's computers to process the detection and send the warning. Either way, the warning is useless.
* The CGI blood. There were a few really shocking scenes of violence which could have been damn effective if not for the fake-looking CGI blood. How hard would it have been to blow a few packs of fake blood IRL instead of using over-blobby, over-shiny CGI blood effects? Cheaper too!
Good film nonetheless. Best Alien film since 2 IMO...
Post by: Mouth for war on 14 Feb 2018, 01:35
Post by: josiah1221 on 14 Feb 2018, 05:19
Post by: Mouth for war on 14 Feb 2018, 10:07
Post by: dactylopus on 14 Feb 2018, 16:28
Jaws is still the best shark movie around and people have had 40 years trying to beat it!Jaws is a classic, and a truly great film. But 47 Meters Down is the best shark movie for my money.
:P
Post by: Mouth for war on 15 Feb 2018, 13:44
Post by: Danvzare on 16 Feb 2018, 12:51
I've actually brought up a few of these things on other threads, but I think it's about time I just vented.
So I want everyone to just imagine that everything below is in block capitals.
I really hate it when people call a game 8-bit just because it has pixel art. The game clearly isn't using 256 colours, nor is it imitating an 8-bit console of any kind (not even of the fictional kind), yet they insist on calling it 8-bit!
What's worse, these games usually look closer to a 16-bit console game.
It grinds my gears how much people hate mismatched pixels. Ok, I get it, you all hate mismatched pixels. But can you accept for just one second that there are some people out there that think they look nice! And that some people use mismatched pixels out of artistic freedom and not out of an incompetent inability to use pixels "properly".
Mismatched pixels aren't even a new thing, a very good example are all of the games that used the Midway MCR-III. The sprites were all twice as detailed as the backgrounds. I admit, mismatched pixels were extremely rare until about ten years ago though.
It grinds my gears that everyone actually seems to believe that kids these days would only recognise a floppy disk as a save icon. I have never encountered any kid who thought that. If they recognise a save icon, then they recognise a floppy disk. And I'm willing to bet there are just as many old people who don't know what a floppy disk is, as there are kids who don't recognise one.
That's not to say that kids know all outdated tech. Show any kid an 8-Track and you'll always be met with confusion. But floppy disks are as embedded in culture as vinyl records (at least for now).
Which brings me onto my next thing. It grinds my gears when people say we live in a time when everyone has the shortest attention spans ever. Really? REALLY!?!
Then how do you explain Minecraft's continual relevance. If that was true, people would have moved on from that game in 2012. It's 2018 and people are still playing it like mad!
And nowadays people get so invested in a show, they marathon through it all in a single sitting!
If anything, we had a shorter attention span in the past. Remember flitting between arcade games back when they were popular?
Finally, the most recent thing that's been grinding my gears.
People have been constantly saying that Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is lighting in a bottle. That until someone else manages to replicate its success on what many consider to be a shoe-string budget, that it's nothing more than a one time occurrence.
Except I can list 100s of games which have basically done the same thing. But of course no one will listen to that list, since they'll find irrelevant and petty reasons as to why those games don't count. Despite the fact that the only thing that does count is whether a successful game came out of such a small budget!
Ah... that feels so much better. :-D
I've been holding that all in for waaaaaaaay too long.
Post by: CaptainD on 16 Feb 2018, 12:56
Post by: BadLuckBurt on 23 Feb 2018, 15:22
Comparing this game to Technobabylon which I finished a few months ago, I'll be sure to recommend TB to anyone who wants to try a modern adventure game.
On a technical level, TP feels under-executed and / or underutilized. I love the backgrounds, top-notch work there from Mark Ferrari (I actually learnt about the game from watching his GDC video) but then there's the 'lighting' that sometimes shows up over characters but most of the time it just doesn't. Missed chance there in my opinion, same with non-working mirrors (in this age, really?). I really don't see why they would have visual effects in one scene but then in the next, it's as flat the character shading. Overall it just feels very inconsistent, they could've done a lot more interactivity, the CPU power is more than there these days and GPUs are probably left wondering what they should do after finishing rendering a frame in 1ms.
The story wasn't that engaging but it was interesting enough for me to want to see where it would take me, entered the factory with high expectations to only be greeted by one of the biggest disappointments I've had in a game. They have the gall to poke fun at the notorious Sierra deaths talking about how their method 'takes more effort but in the end it pays off', I had more fun following proper procedure in Police Quest and pumping the Death Angel full of lead than I had with this crap ending. If I ever play through TP again, Dolores is gonna push the button on that device for sure.
I have always enjoyed both Sierra and LucasArts games and shit-talking your long-gone competition after all this time just feels freaking childish to me. They both did it back in the days but that was a back-and-forth thing, Epic did the same thing with Duke Nukem but it was always friendly jabs (doomed space marine, not being afraid of no quake), this felt a lot more malicious. Sierra games these days would probably just auto-save and give you the death animations, allowing you to rewind immediately.
I hardly ever make posts like these but TP definitely rubbed me the wrong way and I'd be more than happy to point out on the Ransome doll where it touched me :~(
Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Feb 2018, 02:51
Post by: BadLuckBurt on 24 Feb 2018, 09:24
Wow it really must've been a horrible ending then XD
It was for me :D Just glad there's plenty of games with good endings to offset this monstrosity :P
Post by: Mouth for war on 25 Feb 2018, 11:37
Post by: BadLuckBurt on 26 Feb 2018, 20:33
Remember the old days. A black screen and "Thank you for playing" talk about putting energy into that ending :-D
At least they had an excuse back then :D
Playing QFG4: Shadows of Darkness now, always loved that ending and John Rhys-Davies as narrator works so well
Post by: Mouth for war on 01 Mar 2018, 01:16
Post by: Danvzare on 01 Mar 2018, 12:19
Maybe I suck but that was one of the hardest games ever IMO :-DIf you completed that game, trust me, you don't suck.
People say that Dark Souls is hard, but compared to Ghost 'n' Goblins, Dark Souls is incredibly easy.
Actually, Dark Souls is easy when compared to a lot of games. It's actually just an easy game. But I digress. Ghosts 'n' Goblins is an impossibly difficult game. I don't think I've ever gotten past the second level, let alone completed it once.
Post by: Mouth for war on 01 Mar 2018, 14:13
Post by: Mandle on 01 Mar 2018, 22:42
what grinds my gears like hell right now is how the people i've employed says no the same or a few days before they're supposed to begin after accepting the job grrrrr
Trust me, it's even worse when they quit right after they've finished the training.
Had a guy pull that on us and then he came in and asked where his pay was. We told him "You expect to get paid for getting trained?! You should be paying us!"
He'd broken his contract anyway by quitting without notice in which case the contract says the appropriate amount will be deducted from final payment, which was more than what he'd "earned" anyway, but it was more satisfying to say it that way.
Slight compensation for the ground gears hearing him slam the door on his way out... (laugh)
Post by: Mouth for war on 02 Mar 2018, 00:34
Post by: Mandle on 02 Mar 2018, 03:39
she tried to sound smart with "I understand that you understood it like that"
Probably not a keeper... ;)
Post by: Mouth for war on 02 Mar 2018, 08:52
Post by: BadLuckBurt on 03 Mar 2018, 12:39
Ghost 'n' goblins ending: You must play through the game again..yeah because that game was soooo easy to beat the first time. Maybe I suck but that was one of the hardest games ever IMO :-D
Oh man, blast from the past. Now I have to go and play that. Been ages since I tried, don't think I ever finished it. Wish me luck (laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 03 Mar 2018, 13:45
How can you turn down a job where a big bonus is that you can eat as much ice cream you want for free?!?! :-D
I'm really interested in how that works...
Is there literally enough ice cream in the headquarter freezer that nobody could possibly run out, and/or are the boots-on-the-ground salesmen just able to write off as much product as they like and sign it off as having eaten themselves?
In the latter case I can see some leeway for scams being viable...
Post by: Mouth for war on 03 Mar 2018, 20:46
Post by: Mouth for war on 03 Mar 2018, 20:49
Quote
Oh man, blast from the past. Now I have to go and play that. Been ages since I tried, don't think I ever finished it. Wish me luck (laugh)
i'm too old to even try that game now. My blood pressure would go through the roof!!! :D
Post by: Mandle on 04 Mar 2018, 00:53
My boss is a great guy though, he even allowed the guy I replaced to come whenever he wants to pick up free ice cream. That was a very generous parting gift I must say :)
Almost as good as a flying glass elevator and the keys to the chocolate factory...
Post by: Mandle on 08 Mar 2018, 02:02
Also: painting games where they expect the kid to be able to click pixel-perfect on areas that are like 2 pixels wide. And often the ERASE-ALL icon is either ON the painting area or a few pixels away from it and OF COURSE has no warning or check-box if miss-clicked. It just instantly erases all work done so far and is NOT undoable...
GRRRRR... and I'm talking about professional sites like Disney, Nickelodeon, BBC-Kids, PBS-Kids...etc
Don't these people EVER test their games with actual kids?!
Post by: lorenzo on 08 Mar 2018, 09:21
Kids don't have perfect mouse control"Kids", right... (roll) Come on, admit that you are still sore after losing your record at that Frozen game! ;)
Post by: Mandle on 08 Mar 2018, 09:52
Kids don't have perfect mouse control"Kids", right... (roll) Come on, admit that you are still sore after losing your record at that Frozen game! ;)
Hahaha.... revenge is best served cold!
How's it taste? (laugh)
Post by: lorenzo on 09 Mar 2018, 08:41
Well, it it was too good an opportunity to miss. ;)
Post by: Buckethead on 09 Mar 2018, 08:51
You had me at:
What grinds my gears is websites with flash games...
Post by: Khris on 05 Apr 2018, 08:08
Post by: Mandle on 15 Apr 2018, 00:37
This means the next 4-5 hours just sitting around while everyone sings pretty much the same songs they always do. I mean, it's fun enough, but what I'm really there for is to catch up with my mate which is impossible in karaoke.
Post by: Stupot on 15 Apr 2018, 05:10
Mind you, it is a guaranteed way to get a private table in Shinjuku on a Saturday night.
Post by: Click'd on 18 Apr 2018, 02:01
Best thing about it: It WAS rebindable a few versions back. Progress, ladies and gentlemen! Someone thought it was a good idea to force it on the users.
/rant
Post by: Mouth for war on 24 Apr 2018, 20:45
Post by: Mandle on 25 Apr 2018, 01:21
What grinds my gears: You're finally gonna get your first good paycheck in quite some time...and at the same time...the f*****g bill for the car tax is sent, 375$ gone immediately. GRRRRRR it's way too high IMO :D
Same thing happens to me all the time here but it's the city tax.
As soon as I start to get a bit ahead with my savings the friggin' city tax shows up and wipes it out.
And then usually at the same time the people from NHK (the national TV station) show up asking me for money when I don't even freakin' watch NHK and I also pay for cable TV which includes NHK and they wonder why I tell them to get lost.
Seeing as I get my NHK channel through my cable package it would be simpler to just block it when I don't pay the door-to-door beggers but it's the law here that everyone must have access to NHK because it's supposed to be indestructible in the event of a major catastrophe. Of course the real reason is that if it were an option to not pay then 50% of people would just do without it and the government would lose money. So why not just tack it on to another tax then instead of sending poor slobs door-to-door to mostly hostile receptions from the people they disturb. They even show up sometimes at like 7-8PM when people are eating dinner/relaxing after work. Because if these people didn't have this stupid job the unrealistically low unemployment rate would go up. The Japanese government hires ridiculous numbers of people for jobs that could be handled by a fraction these days just to keep unemployment down and this is paid for out of, guess what, our freakin' taxes!
In Australia I went to get my driver's licence renewed. It took 15 minutes from in the door until finished, including the eye-test and photograph. There were only like 7-8 staff in the whole office. Everything is handled by computer so you don't even need to fill out a form on paper. A greeter meets you at the door with a tablet where they input your needs and give you your number. There were about 6 numbers ahead of mine so I figured like a 30 minute to an hour wait but the numbers ticked down like one per minute and then I was called to the desk where all my data was already on the worker's screen.
Same experience at another government office but it was only 10 minutes there start to finish.
In Japan there are like 20-30 people working in any government office branch. You have to fill out the same bloody form every time you go in, then line up to hand in the form, then get your number and then wait for usually 1-2 hours until called while they go over the same information on the form that should already be in their system. No face-to-face worker has a computer at their station. They are still working directly off the paper forms you hand in and any other info on you they physically get from their massive banks of filing cabinets. You can always see staff in the back constantly filing and retrieving papers. Then there is a row of people on computers entering the data anyway. Then you are told to wait for like 6 weeks until your request is processed, after which time you must physically go back in to the office, get another number, and wait yet again until finally the whole thing is done.
Another amazing thing about this process is that I'm sure I fill in certain sections on the form differently every time I do them because the field description is so vague like "Length Of Stay". To this day I have no idea if that means the total time I have been in Japan, the time since I last filled out the form, or how much time I have wasted in their offices. This and many other sections like "Gross Worth Of Company" etc. I just fill in with random numbers and have never been asked about which shows they don't even look at and/or don't even care about these sections. Are they just in there so that the form fills an A4 size paper?!
Of course the only place where this isn't true and your business is handled quickly, painlessly, and digitally is, guess where? Yup: The friggin' tax office when you come in to pay. Funny isn't it that when it's them getting money from me everything moves along smoothly!
Now that I'm starting to sound like this guy:
I'll just finish with:
BLAH!
Post by: Mouth for war on 25 Apr 2018, 10:02
Post by: Mandle on 25 Apr 2018, 13:01
Ohhh government procedures...how I love them XD Haha I was thinking the same thing just a little while ago. When I need something from an office there's a 2 month waiting time. When they want something I should've done it yesterday
...and there's only a bleedin' lizard in the bidet, and half the rooms are double-booked...
Post by: Mouth for war on 25 Apr 2018, 14:46
Post by: Mouth for war on 26 Apr 2018, 22:18
Post by: Slasher on 10 Jun 2018, 21:06
Post by: Mandle on 10 Jun 2018, 23:53
People who plead poverty and say they struggle to get by and yet have numerous cats and dogs...
Ah, but are they the same cats and dogs week-to-week? (laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 15 Jun 2018, 09:35
A friend of mine started off a funny incident story with the phrase "Oh my Golliwogs!".
Somebody posted what the word "Golliwogs" "actually means": That it is a racist slur in the UK and should not be used.
I posted that it doesn't "actually mean" that and only means that when used in that context otherwise it refers to a childrens' doll or a delicious chocolate biscuit. I went on to say that because of over-sensitivity and out-of-control PC ideals that pretty soon we are not going to be able to use any word without offending someone or other.
This person accused me of a passive-agressive attack on them when they were just trying to "warn a friend about a term that could offend some people", and told me to "deal with your issues, dude!"
I wanted to ask them: if it is true that the word "Golliwog" is so taboo in the UK then what have they renamed the dolls to? Oh, wait, they haven't renamed them because the word is only offensive when used as a racist slur against a black person. (And even then I suspect that this slur is so archaic that anyone using it in 2018 would probably get laughed at. This isn't "Love Thy Neighbor".)
I never got to reply though because my friend deleted the whole post to avoid further conflict.
Fair enough.
BUT THEN she posts another thing saying that she will be more careful to look up the full meaning of words before posting in the future so as to avoid insulting anyone.
She won't, but that's not what grinds my gears. She is bowing down to this SJW (who is white of course), conceding their ridiculous point, and walking away still thinking that it is words and not the context they are used in that are in the wrong.
The dumbing-down of our moral responses into knee-jerk reactions to trigger words with no concern to the context in which they are used.
THIS GRINDS MY GEARS!!!
Post by: ManicMatt on 15 Jun 2018, 11:21
I haven't heard the word in any other context, in my experience, so I would be confused by someone saying "Oh my golliwogs", and take it to be as random as saying "oh my Rice Crispies!"
Post by: Stupot on 15 Jun 2018, 11:47
But yeah, this person posting on your friend's wall is just a busy-body.
I'm by no means a “lefty liberal snowflake”. I do tend to side (for want ofvs better word) with those people more, though. But I'm not there yet. It's funny. I used to tell such terrible racist and everything-ist jokes and justify it by saying it was an appreciation of the joke, the wordplay, rather than racism. These days I still like a risky gag but I'm far less likely to tell those jokes than I once was. I think that means I've grown.
But there are still a lot of things I will laugh at that some extreme PC brigadiers would delete me for. Progress is slow and I think it's good that some people are keeping a check on what is okay or not okay to say. But there has to be some wriggle-room. Using the word ‘Gollywog' as an exclamation of surprise, is something that those people shouldn't get really upset about.
Post by: Mandle on 15 Jun 2018, 13:55
I would be confused by someone saying "Oh my golliwogs", and take it to be as random as saying "oh my Rice Crispies!"
Using the word ‘Gollywog' as an exclamation of surprise, is something that those people shouldn't get really upset about.
I'm pretty sure she meant it as a play on "Oh my golly gosh" and I thought it was really quite cute and funny and (after it was called out) obviously not at all in any context that could make it a racist slur.
Post by: LameNick on 16 Jun 2018, 01:25
There are plenty of things I hear daily that evoke painful thoughts and memories in me, but it never occurred to me to take offense and blame the source, unless actually their true intent was malicious. And the possibility that someone could potentially be a sack of shit full of hatred with retarded discriminatory convictions shouldn't be a reason to bully everyone who isn't scared enough to filter every word through the latest strict SJ protocol. People should be on the save side when giving out gun permits not when deciding whether someone should be allowed to express themselves.
Post by: josiah1221 on 16 Jun 2018, 03:24
Haha, sorry, I couldn't resist ;)
I do agree though it has gotten quite ridiculous this day in age. It's summer time enough with the "snowflakes", oops, better be careful or I might offend someone, smh!
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Jun 2018, 23:34
While there are some pretty dumb arguments made around different words or images or cultural appropriation, insults like "SJW" and "snowflake" has also been used to dismiss real bullying and legitimate grievances.
To me, avoiding slurs never felt like a sacrifice, and requests asking for people to take others into consideration in any public space are there to make people feel safe and welcome.
Why would it be any worse than being asked to keep quiet in a library or leave leave a bus seat free for the elderly and disabled?
Post by: Stupot on 17 Jun 2018, 00:32
Quote from: “Twitter Guy”
One of the best ways to hurt an artistic person is to wait until right after they finish a long project and then ask them "so what's next?"
...and all the back-patting twitter hugs from everyone in the replies who have just realised that it offends them too, while all secretly wishing they had been the first one to have thought of this new angle, this new way to acquire twitter hugs.
Absolutely moronic. I even got blocked by someone because of that thread.
So no, giving up your seat for an elderly lady is not a problem. But when you wake up every morning and find that actually, now the done thing is to not use a seat in the first place, just in case an old lady needs one.... okay, so i'll Stand... but now apparently old ladies don't like seeing people standing because it reminds them of their lack of agility and they get upset. So now we have to use a seperate carriage. Before you know it, just mentioning trains will trigger all the old people, but more than that it will trigger everybody else as well because we all want to get offended on everyone else's behalf.
I will happily avoid racial slurs and I am in solidarity with everyone of all genders and sexual preferences. But there is a point where I will defend my right to ask an artist whose work admire “what's next?” And I will shout the word TRAIN in your face whenever the above hypothetical scenario occurs.
Post by: Mandle on 17 Jun 2018, 03:45
Also: you are now officially a hero of mine for this:
Quote
Stuart Forbes @StuartForbes
May 10
I dabble in creative attempts, but no I guess I can't presume to call myself an artist. I've clearly demonstrated that I lack the imagination to turn a simple question into a beautiful work of abstract expressionism.
(laugh)(laugh)(laugh)
Post by: Stupot on 17 Jun 2018, 03:56
Post by: Mandle on 17 Jun 2018, 04:03
Yeah, that's when she blocked me. Haha.
Hahahahaha! I would have had to have said at least "touche"...
Post by: Blondbraid on 17 Jun 2018, 10:09
I think it's worth remembering that whenever you think that pc-culture is stupid, the opposing side will do something even stupider. For example, in Sweden there's a treat made of butter, cacao, sugar and oatmeal rolled into a ball that's nowadays called chocolate-ball (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havregrynskugle), but in the 1950's they used to call it n-word ball. When this was changed for obvious reasons, lots of old people complained about the name change, but most people today do prefer the name that actually describe what the chocolate balls taste like and does't imply that the balls were created by castrating a black man.
Likewise, when several people wanted to expand the Swedish language by introducing a third, gender neutral pronoun, lots of people protested and put up tons of ridiculous straw-man arguments about "shall we be forced to burn all the old books with the old pronouns in them" and "kids won't be allowed to be girls and boys anymore", none of which ever happened when the third pronoun became popular. People in Sweden didn't stop using he or she as pronouns, most people simply discovered that having a gender-neutral pronoun is a good option to have for situations when you want to adress both men and women at the same time.
Post by: Danvzare on 19 Jun 2018, 13:58
I've actually heard people complain to me about the word crackers being offensive, as that's what black people call white people in America. But that won't stop me from using the word, because A: that's what we call those things we pull apart at Christmas, and B: what else am I supposed to call people who crack games?
She is bowing down to this SJW (who is white of course)It grinds my gears when people use the word SJW. People use it too much to dismiss others. I've heard people who certainty are NOT an SJW being called an SJW, just because they say things that other people disagree with. The world is starting to become overrun with SJWJWs who call everyone SJWs!
These are the same people who claim everything is becoming offensive, and I hate it when people are easily offended about other people apparently being easily offended! And Facebook is full of people who are trying to find every excuse to be offended about easily offended people!
What's worse, is that I've not seen a single person notice this meta trend! :~(
Post by: Mouth for war on 19 Jun 2018, 14:48
Oh and the fact that people still refer to each other by colour is just stupid...some people act like we're not even the same species...who gives a crap if a cat is white or black or whatever? It's still a cat. Even though cat's don't have different culture like humans, we are still all humans. Racism is stupid. It's actually not that difficult to just tolerate each other but many people won't even try it. No it's better to immediately hate someone because we are different. I will never understand why we can't just leave each other in peace instead of in pieces. That my good people, is what grinds my gears :-D
Post by: Blondbraid on 19 Jun 2018, 16:57
It grinds my gears when people use the word SJW. People use it too much to dismiss others. I've heard people who certainty are NOT an SJW being called an SJW, just because they say things that other people disagree with. The world is starting to become overrun with SJWJWs who call everyone SJWs!I couldn't agree more! SJW is so broadly applied that it's practically a meaningless term.
These are the same people who claim everything is becoming offensive, and I hate it when people are easily offended about other people apparently being easily offended! And Facebook is full of people who are trying to find every excuse to be offended about easily offended people!
What's worse, is that I've not seen a single person notice this meta trend! :~(
There's too damn much pc now in the world and it makes me sick. We will have generations who will be afraid of everything. I read about a woman who wanted to ban that book/story...which one is it. The sleeping beauty? The one where she wakes up by a kiss from a prince. The woman thought that the message frpm that story is that it's ok to take advantage of passed out women...come on...really?!? I am so sick of that stuff. People who do bad stuff will do it no matter what book you ban.Unless that woman is a high up political leader with a huge following, I don't see how she could possibly ban that book, and I don't think random opinions of a random person alone will never be a threat to free speech.
Many complain about too much political correctness, but the opposite is far worse, because when racist and sexist jokes are commonly accepted, racists and misogynists will feel that their views are justified and some of them will feel emboldened to act on their views. I have seen so many fandoms and communities that could have been great be ruined by bullying, girls being automatically harassed and threatened just because they are girls and anyone who isn't white gets barraged with racist slurs. This is one of the few communities I've found where I actually feel welcome enough to share my thoughts and my work without risking being bullied and harassed, and this is also why I am wary of comments complaining about pc culture going to far, because I have seen too many others use such words as an excuse for advocating threats and harassment directed towards queer people, women, people of color or anyone that is part of a minority.
Post by: Mouth for war on 19 Jun 2018, 18:49
Post by: Jack on 19 Jun 2018, 22:09
Post by: Blondbraid on 19 Jun 2018, 22:38
It's lamentable that competitive trash talk in a competitive environment becomes harassment when someone of feminine sensibilities is thrown into the mix.This is what I meant when I say I'm weary of complaints about pc culture. Most women can tell the difference between harassment and mere trash talk, and not all men feel comfortable hearing racist or homophobic slurs, and it's tiresome to see people dismissed as oversensitive when they have legitimate grievances. I know plenty of women who have not only faced severe harassment and bullying, but also stalking, rape threats and threats of severe violence, and many men who have faced homophobic insults and similar threats just for standing up to women or speaking up against racist comments. It might be easy for somebody who have never experienced any such threats to dismiss it as mere words, but people who are born as women, as LGBTQ or as an ethnic minority have been made to learn early on that they risk facing violence just for who they are, that others like them have become victims of horrible crimes for letting their guard down, and there is too often little in the way of telling if a bigoted joke is just going to stay a joke or if if the person behind it have something more sinister in mind. So while to some, it's just mean jokes, to others it's a stark reminder that there are people out there who sees them as less than human.
And if it's anything else that grinds my gears, it's that what used to be a fun thread about everyday annoyances has devolved into a sad discussion on "SJWs".
Post by: Jack on 19 Jun 2018, 23:13
It's a bunch of guys trying to shoot each other in the head, and the culture is pretty much at the level of discussing the unbelievable size of Nemo's mom's rear end. In comes Sally the friendly explorer, saying "hey, guys" in a squeaky and irrationally optimistic voice. Its as if a lamb walks into the lion's den. There's a moment of silence and then all hell breaks loose. What used to be namecalling from everyone to everyone else immediately turns into same from everyone to the new person, because they don't fit in. It's an ancient ritual. The new member is tested to see if they can measure up to the group. But Sally doesn't know this, cannot know this.
So yes it's lamentable that these guys can't put themselves in Sally's shoes. Now they feel that they have lost their forum for the discussion of the frankly distressing geological scale of Nemo's mom's butt, just because of Sally. They leave this community to find another that might be less censored and probably even more crass, and Sally is left alone trying to open a dialogue with the nazis in a WW2 game. And no one is happy.
Post by: Mandle on 20 Jun 2018, 03:13
It also grinds my gears when every work day in a week is bleak and rainy (because I have to go out in it) and every day off is a beautiful sunny day (because then I have no excuse to just stay home).
Post by: josiah1221 on 20 Jun 2018, 03:33
It really grinds my gears when every work day in a week is a beautiful sunny day (because I can't fully enjoy it) and every day off is bleak and rainy (because then I'll just stay home).
It also grinds my gears when every work day in a week is bleak and rainy (because I have to go out in it) and every day off is a beautiful sunny day (because then I have no excuse to just stay home).
Haha, so very true my friend, so very true!
Post by: Mouth for war on 20 Jun 2018, 13:50
Post by: Blondbraid on 20 Jun 2018, 16:15
A game maker's best friend is rain :-DThis is why Sweden has such a strong game industry. :)
Post by: Mouth for war on 20 Jun 2018, 18:08
Post by: Retro Wolf on 21 Jun 2018, 10:39
Post by: Privateer Puddin' on 21 Jun 2018, 10:59
Post by: Frodo on 21 Jun 2018, 11:10
What's the point in having multiple tills, when they don't get used?
Post by: Danvzare on 21 Jun 2018, 12:25
What grinds my gears, is when shops only have 1 till open when there's a big queue, and keep the other 10 tills closed. :angry:It's because they're understaffed, and the staff are struggling just to keep the shelves stocked and the prices up to date.
What's the point in having multiple tills, when they don't get used?
Although I have to agree with you. What IS the point of having multiple tills if they never get used? If you don't intend to ever hire more than ten people, don't have ten tills! >:(
Post by: ManicMatt on 21 Jun 2018, 13:30
Post by: Mouth for war on 21 Jun 2018, 16:17
Post by: josiah1221 on 21 Jun 2018, 20:21
Post by: Mouth for war on 21 Jun 2018, 21:10
Post by: Retro Wolf on 21 Jun 2018, 21:16
Post by: Blondbraid on 21 Jun 2018, 22:24
Post by: josiah1221 on 22 Jun 2018, 02:59
Post by: Mouth for war on 22 Jun 2018, 09:35
Post by: Mandle on 22 Jun 2018, 11:34
I have spoken to police I see on the street to report this intersection and advise that they put a patrolman there from 8AM every morning until 10AM. But this never happens.
Meanwhile my wife and I get stopped and handed a warning ticket for riding our bicycles side-by-side on a country road with absolutely no traffic as far as the eye can see.
Gives me such a warm fuzzy feeling every time I pay my city taxes.
Post by: dayowlron on 22 Jun 2018, 12:40
There is also a place where 2 lanes meet up with the other 3 lanes from the right then just up ahead about 100 feet the right lane exits and its an exit i have to use to get to work. So i have about 100 feet to move over 2 lanes and there is always someone in the far right that doesnt want to exit so they choose then to move over so any opening in the traffic they take. They had at least a few miles to get in the correct lane while i have 100 feet to move over 2 lanes. (hope i explained this well enough)
Post by: Danvzare on 22 Jun 2018, 19:45
Every time I use a self service checkout, something goes wrong and a member of staff has to fix it.You ever had it give you the wrong change? Or none at all?
I've seen that happen TWICE!
Once to my mother, and once to my father. Both times the staff had terrible manners, thinking they were just out to steal.
Both completely different stores as wells.
Post by: dactylopus on 22 Jun 2018, 21:17
These companies want you to use the self service, so they can hire less people, which is exactly what has happened. I guess having more tills is useful for breakdowns and Christmas time when they hire temps, but I absolutely refuse to use self service, and in the case of some shops I've been in where NO tills were open, I made the on hand staff member scan everything through, and if they start trying to teach me how to use it I'd tell them not to bother.I prefer self check-out actually. I can handle my own items. I just hate long lines.
Oh don't even get me started on traffic stuff. Not much can piss me off faster than morons in trafficSame here!
Post by: Stupot on 22 Jun 2018, 23:10
Post by: Mandle on 22 Jun 2018, 23:12
I much prefer a human cashier to serve me... and I don't even like people.
Also you live in a country where cashiers almost never deviate from the script.
Post by: Stupot on 22 Jun 2018, 23:33
oh god yeah. Don't get me started on the cashiers here. They'll ask a question and then don't even listen to my answer before moving onto the next step of the transaction. Or they'll tell me the total price of the shopping before I've had a chance to tell them I want to buy a coffee and pay some bills when I'm clearly waving a handful of utility bills and looking at the coffee menu going 'ummmm'I much prefer a human cashier to serve me... and I don't even like people.
Also you live in a country where cashiers almost never deviate from the script.
I've worked in a corner shop, for six years. I know it can get repetitive but damn me Japan does repetition very very well. It's how they learn everything in school. It's why they can listen to the same peice of music, or even the same 10-second jingle over and over and over again all day long. I would go mental if I worked in “Bicu bicu bicu Bic Camera”
Post by: Mandle on 23 Jun 2018, 00:02
I would go mental if I worked in “Bicu bicu bicu Bic Camera”
Hahahaha! Yeah, and how about the electronic chimes noise whenever someone enters or leaves a convenience store? At rush hour, like 8AM-9AM that thing just keeps going and going as if some AGS game dev set the audio to play on repeat by mistake.
Even as a customer in there for 5 minutes max I feel like finding the speaker and ripping it out of the wall!!!
I guess maybe it's like a bad smell. If you're constantly in it you just stop noticing?
Another thing about those in-store jingles: Why do they even have them?! Why are they using their advertising jingle in their store that I'm already in?!
Also, it cracks me up when I go to the supermarket and they are playing the Indiana Jones theme at high volume as their Musak!
I made up some lyrics that I sing along to it, much to my wife's shame:
"O-KAIMONO!...BOKEN-DA!...O-KAIMONO!...SU-BA-RASHIKU!...O-KAIMONO!...BOKEN-DAAA!...O-KAIMONO! KAIMONO! KAIMONO-DAZE!"
Post by: Retro Wolf on 23 Jun 2018, 19:29
Post by: Jack on 23 Jun 2018, 20:50
How about Windows 10 reverting settings every time it updates! Some games are impossible to play if the laptop's trackpad is disabled when a keyboard key is pressed. You can't do the old WASD and mouse! I keep having to switch it off! WHY?!Budget cuts. Low quality programming.
Or maybe it resets telemetry settings too?
Post by: Cassiebsg on 24 Jun 2018, 10:34
Post by: Mouth for war on 27 Jun 2018, 14:55
Post by: Stupot on 27 Jun 2018, 15:48
Maybe I'm sensitive now but what really grinds my gears is when someone has written a really long post in a forum (that can also grind my gears if the point they want to make could've been done in the last 2 sentences or so) and people must quote the entire post only to say "I totally agree" not even adding something to the post...ooooh how it grinds my gears. :-DI totally agree
Post by: Mandle on 27 Jun 2018, 17:28
Maybe I'm sensitive now but what really grinds my gears is when someone has written a really long post in a forum (that can also grind my gears if the point they want to make could've been done in the last 2 sentences or so) and people must quote the entire post only to say "I totally agree" not even adding something to the post...ooooh how it grinds my gears. :-DI totally agree
I disagree
Post by: Mouth for war on 27 Jun 2018, 18:22
Post by: selmiak on 28 Jun 2018, 11:31
Haha I knew that was gonna happen when I wrote that. "Someone WILL quote this" it was a short post though so nothing to worry about :D
I see what you did there and kind of agree!
Post by: Blondbraid on 29 Jun 2018, 15:13
You'd think not making the default text white and the text on the option you've chosen highlighted in pale yellow would be an easy thing to do, but I've seen it in far too many menus, alongside nearly unreadable fonts and blaring music looping in an annoying 15 second loop repeating endlessly until you've found the right language option. And far too many DVD also have irritating animations swishing by whenever you pick an option.
Post by: Mandle on 29 Jun 2018, 16:12
It grinds my gears when I have to endure "creative" DVD menus in order to watch a movie.
You'd think not making the default text white and the text on the option you've chosen highlighted in pale yellow would be an easy thing to do, but I've seen it in far too many menus, alongside nearly unreadable fonts and blaring music looping in an annoying 15 second loop repeating endlessly until you've found the right language option. And far too many DVD also have irritating animations swishing by whenever you pick an option.
OHHHH!!! THIS SOOOOO GRINDS MY GEARS AS WELL!!!
Isn't it just amazing when you have a menu with two text options and two colors for the text except you don't know which color means "activate" and which means "ignore" until you try some trial and error?
It's also as wonderful as a big pile of #%$* when the menu cutscenes actually SPOIL major scenes in the movie you are just about to FRIGGIN' WATCH!!!
Also: Don't you just love it when a DVD that you paid money for has an unskipable trailer section at the start?!
I can understand this on rental DVDs but I would think that part of the price I just paid to buy the damn thing would include the right to just skip the advertising, right?!
I even own a few DVDs that were thoughtful enough to include an unskipable trailer for... THIS DVD'S MOVIE!!! The only way to skip is to fast forward, so I gotta close my eyes for the time that I'm guessing it takes to get past the spoilers in the trailer.
Post by: Stupot on 03 Jul 2018, 10:44
I don't get why people post and share abuse videos on Facebook. Usually they're accompanied by captions like ‘this is sick, please share'. But my question is what good does sharing it do other than to upset people who follow you on Facebook? People who share these things do so because they rightly find it disturbing and must feel like it's helping somehow. But how?
I consider myself quite difficult to offend. I can stomach some pretty graphic stuff. But some things are just beyond sick and I find it so weird that otherwise normal intelligent people might think that it's somehow necessary to share something so horrific to their friends, some of whom may be extremely sensitive to certain types of abuse or violence.
I'm posting this because a friend of mine posted a video which just appeared on my timeline unsolicited and started autoplaying. I'll describe it in spoiler tags below but it almost brought me to tears moments before I was about to teach a kids class.
The only good thing to come out of the fact that I nearly cried and felt sick to my stomach is that I guess it means I'm not a psychopath.
Post by: Mandle on 03 Jul 2018, 11:29
And ahhhhhhhh, Facebook... That's a whole Grinds My Gears thread in itself right there.
I have been on social media of one kind or another basically since I got the internet in 1998 or so...
And I have ended up quitting all of them. Which is why, when Facebook came along, I didn't even consider joining until I needed it as a means to stay in touch with friends in other countries easily. For this purpose it is awesome!
But then, of course, I got curious and started reading and then commenting on other people's posts. I should have known this was a mistake after having seen what always ends up happening with social media over and over again.
And, as usual, it devolved into a stress-creating pattern for me where I would see friends sharing the stupidest and most obviously made-up videos and such. When I try to show them that this information, which they seem to be basing their real-life worldview on, is fake, and even provide proof that it has been debunked and even that believing it can cause real harm, I am often met with either an angry response from someone defending the rubbish, or a comment like "So, it's fake? So what? Why do you want to spoil the fun for everyone else?"
I mean, are we really in a world where real and fake don't matter anymore as long as it's something to believe in?!
I'm talking about really stupid stuff like "sun-eating": The belief that if you stare at the sun for a certain amount of time each day you will eventually not need to eat food anymore because your eyes will absorb all the nutrients from sunlight that your body needs.
I saw a friend share a video about this and say they were going to give it a try.
I posted telling them that all they are going to end up doing is damaging their eyesight, potentially forever. And, OMG, so many angry responses telling me that just because I didn't understand it doesn't mean it's not true and that I should "open my mind" instead of just rejecting new possibilities.
The friend in question eventually deleted the post and I talked them out of trying this dangerous idea. Who are the trolls making these videos with the obvious end-goal being to hurt stupid people's eyesight?!
Another one was a video encouraging people to go out and wander in the forest and encounter wild animals like bears as a life-changing and uplifting experience.
I posted for people to please remember that wild animals might have their own agendas other than becoming an uplifting experience for human beings.
I still sometimes get likes for that post, which actually gives me a little bit of hope but... seriously... GRIIIIIIND...
Post by: Stupot on 03 Jul 2018, 13:31
One thing that gets me is that there are genuine flat-Earth believers out there. If it wasn't so scary it would be fascinating. It's not the fact that they think the Earth might be flat that gets me. It's the fact that they seem to genuinely believe it without any sense of irony or tongue-in-cheekness. I really struggle to believe that there's not some part of them who's just going along with it for a bit of fun.
Post by: josiah1221 on 04 Jul 2018, 03:45
Post by: Mandle on 04 Jul 2018, 04:35
And what about all these ridiculous "challenges" that keep popping up?! Our youth is just brainwashed. They will try anything for attention even if it can be fatal! Hoping their video will go "viral" SMH! :angry:
I think though that these "challenges" have always existed for teenagers and have pretty much always been dangerous. Of course in the old days they spread slower and weren't as visible as now, but existed nonetheless.
A popular one where I lived was sneaking onto the local army base land while they were doing drills, sometimes live-fire drills. I must admit I went along on one of these adventures with friends. Not during live-fire practice though. It was a red-team/blue-team capture-the-flag kind of drill. We ended up "captured" by the red-team and "held hostage" for about 30 minutes so we couldn't give away their position. It was pretty cool though. The army dudes were nice and even let us try out their rations packs, which were awful! Even the chocolate was pretty bad. Then they let us go, making sure we left the area. Didn't turn us in for trespassing or anything. So we got lucky. But imagine if they had been a bunch of assholes or gung-ho nuts. Older kids used to sneak in behind the mounds they were firing live ammo at and hide there for kicks, which could obviously end really bad.
So yeah, I think most kids always did these kind of things as stupid challenges, it's just that now they spread fast on social media so everyone is doing the same ones instead of it being different per locality.
Kids will be kids...
Post by: Cassiebsg on 04 Jul 2018, 16:18
Post by: Mandle on 04 Jul 2018, 17:41
This pretty much settles it! I'm from another planet and nobody told me! (wtf)
8-0 Oh, usually the people doing these stupid challenges are male... I guess we think it will impress you females... But you don't even notice... Human reproduction is a genuine miracle!
Post by: Cassiebsg on 04 Jul 2018, 18:41
Notice? I never heard of such idiocy before internet! (roll)
PS - And most of my good friends from childhood were males! As I was never much interested in "girl games/play time"... (roll)
Post by: Blondbraid on 05 Jul 2018, 09:36
LOLI always figured guys did that sort of things to impress other guys, trying to prove who's the toughest etcetera. (roll)
Notice? I never heard of such idiocy before internet! (roll)
PS - And most of my good friends from childhood were males! As I was never much interested in "girl games/play time"... (roll)
Post by: Mandle on 05 Jul 2018, 12:44
I always figured guys did that sort of things to impress other guys, trying to prove who's the toughest etcetera. (roll)
Yeah that too. But I guess the most alpha-male of the group does attract some girls' attentions so a bit of both probably.
Post by: Frodo on 27 Jul 2018, 15:30
Normal leads give owners much more control over their dogs.
Also, I saw a woman on the bus today with her 2 dogs, and each dog was lying on a seat, so that other people had to stand. :angry:
Post by: Slasher on 27 Jul 2018, 15:37
some owners treat their pets as humans... I don't like dogs in the house...they should be cared for outside.
And on the bus seats would be a no no...
Post by: ManicMatt on 27 Jul 2018, 16:35
some owners treat their pets as humans... I don't like dogs in the house...they should be cared for outside.
There's a big difference between treating a pet like a human, and letting it be inside a house! Especially how hot it is where I am, a dog would just die in this heat. :(
Post by: Mandle on 27 Jul 2018, 16:40
What grinds my gears is dogs on those extendable leads, getting in everyone's way and tripping everyone up.
But without them we wouldn't have had the first puzzle in the Blackwell series!
(I remember Dave Gilbert mentioning what an absolute pain coding that puzzle was so that the leash behaved just right.. (laugh) )
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 08 Aug 2018, 19:52
So I pop the oven on in preparation to scoff down a tasty pizza. Just before the oven gets to temperature I take the super market frozen pizza out of the fridge and introduce it to the pizza baking tray. Often then not at this point I am in shock at the sheer incompetence of the pizza company's ability to distribute the toppings evenly on the surface of the pizza. The very companie's that clearly state their product is best cooked frozen.
So out with my stake knife and tea spoon, and with a combination of both, some dexterity and a lot of brute force I embark on spending at least 5 mins hacking my way through the completely solidly frozen pile of toppings. It's either that or wait for the pizza to thaw somewhat that often results in a sub-par tasting pizza. Yes they really do taste much better when put into the oven frozen.
Mind you its not all frozen pizza companies that seem to have no control whatsoever in the placement of toppings, yet, surprisingly it seems to most happen with the larger, internationally recognized brands.
Its as if somewhere along their production line, the pizza base arrives by conveyor at a person (or chimp) whos only sole job it is is to place the toppings on the base of the pizza. Of course all this person's focus is on clock-out time, so instead of taking even the most primitive care to place the toppings in some basic fair and even distribution, they grab a fist of mozzarella, swing their arm over to the pizza base and simply open their first over it, repeat with other toppings and off this horrific mess goes to be fossilized through deep freezing.
But wait, you would think these large companies would have machines to place the various toppings, surely automating the process will result in a consistent even distribution of toppings, perhaps so if they bothered to calibrate their machines to start doing so.
I say...
(https://i.imgur.com/I7CokwQ.jpg)
Post by: dactylopus on 09 Aug 2018, 08:59
Post by: Mandle on 09 Aug 2018, 10:41
I think they thaw a little and shift during transport. But either way, it has always ground my gears as well...
I doubt that... They would be stored flat and therefore any bump in the road wouldn't do much. Also, frozen goods are usually not allowed to thaw majorly at any point during transport by existing companies.
By which I mean: Any company that lets its frozen goods thaw out to a major degree before reaching the consumer probably doesn't exist anymore.
I'd say the original post is spot on saying that the initial prep is at fault.
Post by: Slasher on 09 Aug 2018, 10:48
Beyond words... YUK springs to mind with the taste of cardboard...(laugh)
Post by: Cassiebsg on 09 Aug 2018, 20:39
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Aug 2018, 22:15
You should have seen/tasted the UK's first commercial frozen pizza's....From my travels in Scotland, I've found most of the UK's food in general to be kind of greasy and not having much taste. :-\
Beyond words... YUK springs to mind with the taste of cardboard...(laugh)
Still though, there's no excuse for uneven pizza toppings. The most annoying part for me is when the shredded cheese is spread out so that it's all over the edges, giving you no way of eating the pizza without getting your hands dirty,
or in worst case scenario drip down over the crust and down into the oven.
Post by: dactylopus on 10 Aug 2018, 09:07
Fair enough.I think they thaw a little and shift during transport. But either way, it has always ground my gears as well...
I doubt that... They would be stored flat and therefore any bump in the road wouldn't do much. Also, frozen goods are usually not allowed to thaw majorly at any point during transport by existing companies.
By which I mean: Any company that lets its frozen goods thaw out to a major degree before reaching the consumer probably doesn't exist anymore.
I'd say the original post is spot on saying that the initial prep is at fault.
Post by: Mouth for war on 10 Aug 2018, 10:15
Post by: Mandle on 10 Aug 2018, 10:32
I prefer doing it from scratch dough
This just ground my gears!!! ;-D
Post by: Mouth for war on 10 Aug 2018, 14:08
Post by: Danvzare on 14 Aug 2018, 13:52
You get a game that a lot of people recommend. You play it a bit, but you find it incredibly boring and tedious. All of the recommendations seemed to have neglected to mention that the feature they hyped on about, is actually a tiny aspect of the game, and that the whole game is a boring slog with plenty of questionable design decisions. You complain about the game, BUT because the game is known among its fanbase for being "difficult", everyone reacts by saying that all you need to do is "git gud".
The game wasn't even difficult! It was just boring!
I've played difficult games! I've even enjoyed games that are so difficult that I can barely make any sort of progress in them, let alone complete them! The reason I dislike this game isn't because it's difficult! It's because it was CRAP! >:(
Post by: Blondbraid on 14 Aug 2018, 18:38
I agree, it reminds me of when people say stuff like "You totally have to watch this show! Sure, it starts off really bad, but after the first two seasons it gets good!". I used to be less picky with what games I played and what books I read and so on when I was a teenager, but at some point you will realize that your time isn't infinite, and time spent watching a bad show or playing a bad game is time wasted that you could have spent watching something actually good, and I'm done wasting my free time on something mediocre just in the hopes that it could potentially turn good in the future. I have a personal rule, that if a piece of entertainment fails to give me any intrigue, entertainment or any other good reason to keep watching within the first 15 minutes, I'm done with it, and I've never regretted having that rule.
Post by: Danvzare on 15 Aug 2018, 11:02
The fact that review scores go from 7 to 10 (or 70 to 100).
Apparently, anything less then a 7, is the equivalent of getting a 0.
Maybe it's just me, but 7 seems like a pretty good number. If 5 is average, and 6 is above average, than 7 must be pretty good. But nope. According to reviewers it goes like this:
7 - Bad
8 - Good
9 or 10 - Great
Post by: Mandle on 15 Aug 2018, 12:05
It really grinds my gears that Finding Dory has something like a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (and about an 85% viewer rating) when it was just as much an insult to the original movie as Cars II was to Cars I...Worse actually because the original Cars was only alright, but Finding Nemo was one of the greatest modern animated films.
I know I'm probably late to the party here but I only watched Finding Dory yesterday for the first time and ...wow ... It was crap!
Post by: josiah1221 on 16 Aug 2018, 05:29
Continuing with this ratings convo:
It really grinds my gears that Finding Dory has something like a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (and about an 85% viewer rating) when it was just as much an insult to the original movie as Cars II was to Cars I...Worse actually because the original Cars was only alright, but Finding Nemo was one of the greatest modern animated films.
I know I'm probably late to the party here but I only watched Finding Dory yesterday for the first time and ...wow ... It was crap!
Haha, funny that you mention that. Finding Nemo is one of my fav. animated films since The Lion King. I've had Finding Dory on my "to watch list" for the past 2 years, every time I think about wanting to watch it I always have something else I want to watch instead. Seems that has been a good thing, lol!
Post by: Mandle on 16 Aug 2018, 08:54
Haha, funny that you mention that. Finding Nemo is one of my fav. animated films since The Lion King. I've had Finding Dory on my "to watch list" for the past 2 years, every time I think about wanting to watch it I always have something else I want to watch instead. Seems that has been a good thing, lol!
I'd be interested to hear your opinion if you ever do watch it. Of course, when I say it was crap, I mean crap for a Pixar film: It was visually lovely, it was funny a few times, but I feel it was really aiming mostly at the kiddies and selling a bunch of new character merch to them.
For example: there is absolutely NO reason for Nemo to come along on the mission and it actually makes Marlin look like a very irresponsible parent for bringing him along. If we accept that they probably live in The Great Barrier Reef a journey to California is potentially much more dangerous than the trip to Sydney (even though the actual journey only takes like 3 minutes of film time... hahaha... yeah... pretty dumb). Nemo is obviously only in the movie because the kids expect him to be. He has no reason to be there and his presence changes the story in no way, except he is quite nasty and obnoxious to Marlin at times just to give him lines to speak I guess.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 16 Aug 2018, 13:06
Post by: josiah1221 on 17 Aug 2018, 22:31
OK, stupid Captchas grind my gears to no end!!!! Yes I'm a damn human, stop making me type in nonsense words and click on stupid pictures >:(>:(>:(
(https://i.imgur.com/Gl4SN5d.gif)
Post by: Mandle on 18 Aug 2018, 03:00
Post by: dayowlron on 19 Aug 2018, 21:26
OK something that grinds my gears.
First I need to start with my wife is in a wheel chair. We have a van that has a ramp that comes down on the right side, so we need a parking space that has open area or no parking area on the right side. places have handicap area just for vans like this, but most places we go there seems to always be someone parking in them. They do have handicap plates so it is legal, but I wonder how much they are really handicap. I wouldnt be surprised if some of their handicaps are sleep apnea or something. ANYWAYS, I have to block some people in so I can get the wife in or out of the van and then park in a regular spot. the thing is I go into the establishment/store and everyone in there has no problem walking around. I think the government just hands out handicap placards to anyone who asks for one. I would be ok if they have trouble walking long distances but when there is a parking space almost as close as the handicap parking and they don't have trouble getting in and out of the car then why take it from those who really need it. Anyways that is something that grinds my gears.
Post by: AnasAbdin on 19 Aug 2018, 21:48
Typical bimbo responses: "It'll only be a minute." "Oh I didn't notice the sign." "What are the chances someone might need it?"
Post by: josiah1221 on 19 Aug 2018, 23:41
I completely agree with the handicap parking deal. That crap has always pissed me off! Makes me want to keep a sledgehammer handy and crack kneecaps, then they really WILL be handicap!
Post by: dayowlron on 20 Aug 2018, 02:07
Post by: dactylopus on 20 Aug 2018, 05:58
josiah, I saw that animation quite a while back. Thought it was funny that the very last scene looks like a limp penis laying on the desk.I don't usually see that much blood around a limp penis. Am I doing something wrong?
I just go if they aren't physically handicapped then they must be mentally handicapped, but still pisses me off.That's always my reaction, too!
Post by: Blondbraid on 20 Aug 2018, 22:49
and to those people I can imagine having a slightly shorter walk to the shop would make a great difference even if they aren't confined to
a wheelchair. But if they don't have any handicap card or anything else in the car I don't see any excuse.
I think that to the sort of otherwise healthy people who park in handicap spaces, their mindset is that since handicapped people are a minority,
to them a minority means rare -> unlikely to meet one today -> might as well not exist. It's the same sort of pervasive thinking that makes
people skip seatbelts just because the majority of cars don't crash when people drive them.
Post by: dayowlron on 21 Aug 2018, 03:17
As far as people parking in the spots that don't have a placard or handicap plates the fines can get really high so you don't see that much here. depending on the state and the judge it could range from $250 to $750.
Anyways I have spoken my peace about it so I will get off my soapbox.
Post by: Mandle on 21 Aug 2018, 10:09
they get one for a elderly parent and then use it when the parent is not with them.
I know someone who still does that even though her father, who the handicapped plate was for, died like 7-8 years ago. And this person even brags about getting away with it.
Post by: Frodo on 24 Sep 2018, 18:23
Post by: dayowlron on 24 Sep 2018, 18:52
Post by: Frodo on 24 Sep 2018, 21:38
Post by: Stupot on 24 Sep 2018, 23:26
We have hard benches. No comfy chairs with cushions. :cool:I believe that's deliberate, to deter people from hanging out there too long and also so as not to attract homeless people to sleep on them
Post by: Jack on 25 Sep 2018, 00:23
Post by: Stupot on 25 Sep 2018, 01:18
Post by: Frodo on 25 Sep 2018, 10:54
(https://i.redd.it/f8y2jpywxzl11.jpg)
Perfect! :grin::grin::grin:
Post by: Mouth for war on 25 Sep 2018, 11:11
Post by: Frodo on 02 Oct 2018, 17:25
What grinds my gears, is the teeny, miserly 'portions' of margarine they give you with bread at breakfast in the mornings, is not enough for a slice of bread.
Gluten Free bread is smaller than normal bread, and the 'portion' of margarine is STILL not enough for 1 slice of bread. :sad:
Post by: Slasher on 02 Oct 2018, 17:55
Don't buy that for 99p buy this one, it's better at £1.50 >:(
Post by: Frodo on 02 Oct 2018, 19:13
Being told that the expensive brand is by far the better... not in all cases, and supermarkets grind my gears...
Don't buy that for 99p buy this one, it's better at £1.50 >:(
I'd rather have this other one at 75p. :cool:
Post by: Danvzare on 03 Oct 2018, 12:43
Being told that the expensive brand is by far the better... not in all cases, and supermarkets grind my gears...
Don't buy that for 99p buy this one, it's better at £1.50 >:(
I'd rather have this other one at 75p. :cool:
But that one is smaller. You get more for less if you buy the 99p one. (laugh)
Post by: Blondbraid on 14 Oct 2018, 16:41
Post by: TheFrighter on 14 Oct 2018, 17:59
I don't think that Disney-thing is aiming to nostalgic, more to who don't like to watch an 20 years old cartoon. There are people that if a black and white movie runs on tv think it's broken! (laugh)
_
Post by: Blondbraid on 14 Oct 2018, 21:53
I don't think that Disney-thing is aiming to nostalgic, more to who don't like to watch an 20 years old cartoon. There are people that if a black and white movie runs on tv think it's broken! (laugh)Well, then it's their fault for missing out on some truly great films just because they are in a different format than what they're used to.
But the classic 2D cartoons still looks as beautiful as they were decades ago while 90% of all CGI effects in live action movies look dated five years later.
I get that not all people like animated movies, but can any sane person honestly say that this:
(http://d2vpb0i3hb2k8a.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/03/03/bella1.jpg)
Looks better than this?
(https://www.cosmopolitan.de/assets/2016/05/24/83915-die-schoene-und-das-biest-der-allererste-trailer-ist-da.gif)
All the vibrant colors are drab in the remake and the beast looks like he's right in the uncanny valley,
while the original still looks like a storybook illustration brought to life.
Post by: Mouth for war on 15 Oct 2018, 10:20
The recent thing that grinded my gears: Starving after being jusy all day. I ordered a pizza abd what do I see when I come home? Everything covered with bad quality ham and they took it out of the oven 5 minutes too early. Even putting it in the oven at home to at least make it look a little better couldn't save that abomination they dare to call pizza. I was so tired and hungry to that point that I was about to throw up and pass out so I had no strength to do anything about it just then. I don't undetstand how a craphole "restaurant" like that can survive. Who in their right mind would consider that edible? WHO i ask you, Who?!? :-D
Post by: Gurok on 15 Oct 2018, 10:49
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/25-years-ago-cg-secrets-ballroom-sequence-beauty-beast-145174.html
Post by: Stupot on 15 Oct 2018, 11:54
One Disney film I did like was Aladdin. I know they're remaking that, too. I'll definitely be interested to see how they do it but I won't be rushing out to watch it on the first night.
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Oct 2018, 12:43
If you're lamenting CG, the ballroom sequence of Beauty and the Beast (1991) is a strange choice. The backdrop is pretty famously CG:That's true, but the CGI is well integrated with the 2D animation, and more importantly, it's a good example
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/25-years-ago-cg-secrets-ballroom-sequence-beauty-beast-145174.html
of different animation techniques combined to create a mood and artistic expression, and it's stylized to look magical
and fit the fairy tale tone, compared to the drab colors and poor design choices in the remake meant to be "realistic".
I never cared much for Disney anyway but I agree it's rather pointless to remake all their old back-catalogue in live action. I guess they don't have to pay any writers.I really didn't like the teaser I saw for the Aladdin remake, it looked like it had all the same problems as the other remakes. For example, compare this shot in the trailer:
One Disney film I did like was Aladdin. I know they're remaking that, too. I'll definitely be interested to see how they do it but I won't be rushing out to watch it on the first night.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzA1YTM0MzAtNjBjMi00MzAxLWEzYWItNTg3Y2Q3NTk4ZjZiXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8@._V1_CR251,0,1419,798_AL_UY268_CR84,0,477,268_AL_.jpg)
To the corresponding scene in the animated movie:
(https://tasirlipikir.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/aladdin-magiclamp.jpg)
The cinematography in the above shot is simply terrible, everything is a cluttered mess and all is drenched in the same blue color,
making it hard to tell what is even going on. It honestly took me several seconds just to see where Aladdin's arms were because it was so busy.
Meanwhile, in the animated version, the camera is deliberately angled away from all the treasures in the background when Aladdin picks up the lamp,
because the lamp is the focus of the scene, and likewise, the colors of Aladdin and the lamp is clearly contrasted against the simple blue background.
So it's not just that the remakes are creatively bankrupt, but they actively ruin all the great visuals and cinematography of the originals too.
Post by: Mandle on 16 Oct 2018, 15:47
Perhaps one extra reason why they show the treasure trove in the background in the live action version is because it's an actual set they spent money on and want to show it off as much as possible to justify that. Whereas in the animated version it would have cost extra money to show it in the scene where it wasn't needed so, wisely, they did not.
Post by: Slasher on 16 Oct 2018, 16:37
Look at Dynomation for instance...
Take the original Sleeping Beauty...nothing can take away the fantastic colours and atmosphere of it all..
Leave well alone I say... It grinds my gears when they ruin such art...
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Oct 2018, 17:15
Interesting example Blondbraid. And just gave me a thought:But the problem is that most the backgrounds in the remake is CGI anyway, so it would still take time and money to animate, and there is no way to justify that terrible blue light that take away all depth and contrast from the image.
Perhaps one extra reason why they show the treasure trove in the background in the live action version is because it's an actual set they spent money on and want to show it off as much as possible to justify that. Whereas in the animated version it would have cost extra money to show it in the scene where it wasn't needed so, wisely, they did not.
As for the original shot, it's still Disney. If they wanted more background detail, they could have afforded it. Making the background empty was a deliberate artistic choice.
Post by: Mandle on 17 Oct 2018, 01:28
As for the original shot, it's still Disney. If they wanted more background detail, they could have afforded it. Making the background empty was a deliberate artistic choice.
I think you're right in this case. But actually the image of Disney being willing to shell out unlimited funds on every project is not always the case, especially when Aladdin came out.
Aladdin came out at a time when Disney was still struggling back from the verge of bankruptcy. They almost went under due to a lackluster string of films during the 70s and 80s. The Little Mermaid had been their first hit in ages and, while praying that Aladdin was going to continue that trend, they weren't going to risk it all on the project.
Much of the CGI used during the magic carpet escape from the Cave Of Wonders were placeholders (and it shows) but they had already run out of budget and were forced to leave them as is. Luckily the audience of the time was still wowed by CGI in animated films and didn't notice too much how truly shoddy it was.
For the same budget reasons the final scene had to be cut. Remember how the movie starts with the travelling peddler who is our narrator? And he is also voiced by Robin Williams? It always seemed odd to me that the narrator never returns at the film's end to bring us back out of the story.
Well, he was supposed to. And the scene would have revealed him to actually be the Genie who had disguised himself as a human to travel the world after being set free. This is also why the peddler has the now non-magic lamp in his possession.
But all the money was gone so they, sadly, had to cut this scene which I think would have made Aladdin even more of a masterpiece of animation than it already is.
Post by: Stupot on 22 Oct 2018, 07:41
Post by: Gurok on 22 Oct 2018, 08:43
What Grinds My Gears (GMG) is when people use an expression and then put the acronym of that expression in brackets after it but then never refer to that thing again for the rest of the text.
I thought that was Gets My Goat!
Post by: Click'd on 22 Oct 2018, 10:11
Post by: Blondbraid on 22 Oct 2018, 10:13
Post by: Mouth for war on 22 Oct 2018, 10:19
Post by: Privateer Puddin' on 22 Oct 2018, 10:40
Ohh it really grinds my gears when people write should of/would of. I may have already vented my frustration about this earlier in the thread but when I read the above posts, it all came back to me. That's how bad it grinds my gears :-D
You should of checked back earlier in the thread to see if you already posted about it.
Post by: Mouth for war on 22 Oct 2018, 14:05
Post by: ManicMatt on 22 Oct 2018, 15:56
Post by: dactylopus on 23 Oct 2018, 09:01
It's always bothered me when people overuse acronyms while taking it for granted that everybody knows what they mean.Oh my goodness, this is the worst!
Post by: Mouth for war on 23 Oct 2018, 11:09
Post by: josiah1221 on 24 Oct 2018, 02:50
Post by: TheFrighter on 24 Oct 2018, 08:39
What grinds my ears is the young boys that buy online a pair of sneakers at 1000$ 'cause are limited edition... well knowing that who are selling bought it at 200$!
_
Post by: Stupot on 24 Oct 2018, 09:51
Post by: Click'd on 24 Oct 2018, 10:29
I wouldn't even pay $200. Not for something whose literal purpose is to be repeatedly pumped into a filthy pavement on a daily basis.Maybe not the case with sneakers, but when you buy more expensive clothes where you don't pay for the brand name but for the craftsmanship, this will save you lots of money in the long run. Cheap shoes have to be replaced more often.
Also, they might not wear the stuff but treat it as an investment.
Post by: Stupot on 24 Oct 2018, 10:57
Post by: Click'd on 24 Oct 2018, 11:12
Post by: dactylopus on 24 Oct 2018, 11:15
I'm not entirely convinced. The people who spend that kind of money on sneakers, they generally want to be seen wearing them.At a certain point, yes, you're right. I have purchased $20 shoes, and they wore out quickly and needed to be replaced. I have purchased $100 shoes and they have had a much better lifespan. They lasted easily as long as 5 pairs of the other shoes. But craftsmanship can only be so good, and materials will wear out and break down. I'm not sure I believe $200 shoes would last as long as 2 pairs of $100 shoes, etc.
Post by: Click'd on 24 Oct 2018, 12:27
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Oct 2018, 21:31
Let me grind something related: I'm tall and left-handed, so tools and clothes for me are both rare AND expensive.There are similar problems when shopping women's clothes. No pockets, shirts and cardigans that can't be buttoned all the way up, and weird tailored sleeves that doesn't let you raise your arms comfortably.
And if you'r taller than 1.50 nine out of ten times clothes your size will be already sold out.
Post by: Gurok on 24 Oct 2018, 22:49
And if you'r taller than 1.50 nine out of ten times clothes your size will be already sold out.
150cm? That's pretty short.
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Oct 2018, 23:49
Exactly, but every single time I try shopping for clothes nearly all the larger sizes have been picked off and maybe if you're lucky there's one left behind the pile of S and XS sized clothes.And if you'r taller than 1.50 nine out of ten times clothes your size will be already sold out.
150cm? That's pretty short.
I've no idea why stores even bother ordering so many surplus tiny clothes, but there's always a pile of them when I shop.
Post by: josiah1221 on 25 Oct 2018, 05:57
Let me grind something related: I'm tall and left-handed, so tools and clothes for me are both rare AND expensive.
I'm short and left handed, so I definitely feel your pain!
Post by: Mandle on 26 Oct 2018, 22:55
Let me grind something related: I'm tall and left-handed, so tools and clothes for me are both rare AND expensive.
I'm short and left handed, so I definitely feel your pain!
I've been left short-handed so I maybe feel your pain kind of...?
Post by: josiah1221 on 27 Oct 2018, 02:26
Let me grind something related: I'm tall and left-handed, so tools and clothes for me are both rare AND expensive.
I'm short and left handed, so I definitely feel your pain!
I've been left short-handed so I maybe feel your pain kind of...?
(laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 02 Nov 2018, 23:20
Post by: Blondbraid on 03 Nov 2018, 00:38
IT REALLY, REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS THAT SOMETHING AS GLORIOUS AS THIS (http://www.math.toronto.edu/beni/bERNARDO_nOT_fOUND/fUNNY_sTUFF/Entries/2007/11/27_cookies.html?fbclid=IwAR1x6lIg9MaO_mS2nLnGEalmERlNeKbXIMy5ZFps9BQ5rQwSxGsXPt4BJX0) IS TURNED INTO SOMETHING AS TRITE AS THIS (https://www.facebook.com/JayShettyIW/videos/256522031874958/UzpfSTE0OTgzMjIyNjk6MTAyMTc5MTU2MzQ5MTEzNDY/) FOR THE SAKE OF LAMETARDS WHO NEED THEIR DAILY DOSE OF WARM-FUZZIES TO COPE.That story has already been retold at least a hundred times before, but with different treats, the oldest version came from a 1912 short story where a lady misstakenly takes 5£ from another woman on a bus, beliving that she had stolen it from her. It's basically an urban legend at this point, and being annoyed at one version is basically like being annoyed at a Robin Hood movie. No bother, they'll just make a new version to replace it next season.
Post by: dactylopus on 03 Nov 2018, 07:41
Post by: Stupot on 03 Nov 2018, 08:50
The thing that bugs me about it is how he has to spell out the subtext. Subtext shouldn't need to be made a part of the telling of the story.Yeah it's really basic “we shouldn't judge people by the colour of their skin” stuff that while I admit some people seem like they need reminding. But if you're old enough to have a Facebook account and still have to be reminded about that then you are beyond help.
Post by: Mandle on 03 Nov 2018, 09:05
The thing that bugs me about it is how he has to spell out the subtext. Subtext shouldn't need to be made a part of the telling of the story.Yeah it's really basic “we shouldn't judge people by the colour of their skin” stuff that while I admit some people seem like they need reminding. But if you're old enough to have a Facebook account and still have to be reminded about that then you are beyond help.
That annoyed me as well, but what really grinded my gears the most was that a great comedic story was turned into some kind of "touching" FB video just to get views...
Read the last line of the best version of the story (http://www.math.toronto.edu/beni/bERNARDO_nOT_fOUND/fUNNY_sTUFF/Entries/2007/11/27_cookies.html?fbclid=IwAR1x6lIg9MaO_mS2nLnGEalmERlNeKbXIMy5ZFps9BQ5rQwSxGsXPt4BJX0) by Douglas Adams for one of the greatest punchlines of all time.
That's enough!
Post by: dactylopus on 03 Nov 2018, 09:58
Post by: Danvzare on 03 Nov 2018, 11:12
Introducing skin colour into a joke or a story, when it doesn't need to be there, almost always ruins the joke or story.The thing that bugs me about it is how he has to spell out the subtext. Subtext shouldn't need to be made a part of the telling of the story.Yeah it's really basic “we shouldn't judge people by the colour of their skin” stuff that while I admit some people seem like they need reminding. But if you're old enough to have a Facebook account and still have to be reminded about that then you are beyond help.
I've got a very old joke book (from the late 1800 I think). 90% of the jokes are racist jokes. Of those racist jokes, 80% of them, I've read in modern joke books without the racist undertones. The modern versions of those jokes are a lot better, because they don't add needless fluff that distracts from the jokes.
It's kind of funny that we've been telling the same jokes for hundreds of years though. (laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 03 Nov 2018, 12:06
It's kind of funny that we've been telling the same jokes for hundreds of years though. (laugh)
I guess there are only so many jokes to tell and we don't remember or live forever.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 03 Nov 2018, 14:30
Post by: Jack on 03 Nov 2018, 14:37
Post by: Stupot on 03 Nov 2018, 15:06
I had one from the 70s that I found in my attic when I was 12. It must've belonged to my father. Only good thing I ever inherited from him.
Post by: Danvzare on 04 Nov 2018, 16:09
@Dan. What's the title of the Joke book you mentioned?I think it's called "Make Them Laugh".
I had one from the 70s that I found in my attic when I was 12. It must've belonged to my father. Only good thing I ever inherited from him.
I'd have to look though to be sure. It's currently stored away in the attic, and I don't want to go around searching for it.
It's a red book though, in one of those awesome classic book covers. It's got one of those smiling masks in gold foil on the front.
Post by: Jack on 07 Nov 2018, 23:39
But hey, it's cheap, and yet another thing motivating consumers to just buy a new appliance. Assholes.
Post by: Mandle on 08 Nov 2018, 01:26
What grinds my gears are those dainty little click tabs holding plastic appliance covers together. Most of them are so thin they just break when opening, not to mention the marks almost always left by the opener.
But hey, it's cheap, and yet another thing motivating consumers to just buy a new appliance. Assholes.
I tried a few times to visualize what it is you are talking about but failed.
Can you show a picture? I'm curious now.
Post by: Mouth for war on 08 Nov 2018, 12:28
Post by: Jack on 08 Nov 2018, 18:25
I tried a few times to visualize what it is you are talking about but failed.
Can you show a picture? I'm curious now.
This video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWpMcXWlhBE) shows the opening of a standard modern remote. No screws is the standard now unless they are absolutely necessary.
If you look closely at the start of the video you can see from the marks on the finish that this remote has been opened before.
Post by: Khris on 09 Nov 2018, 12:06
Post by: Danvzare on 09 Nov 2018, 12:57
Are you seriously telling me, that 99% of games (both newer and older than the one I'm trying to get working) work on my computer, but your one game doesn't, because my drivers aren't up to date?
Seriously? :-\
And what's worse, is that my drivers are up to date. >:(
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Nov 2018, 13:54
and lagging and freezing whenever your internet connection acts up, despite this being 100% unnecessary due to the games being single player,
they shouldn't need to be connected at all. It's just there so greedy executives can shove micro transactions and redundant sharing-your-progress features in the game.
Post by: Mandle on 09 Nov 2018, 14:27
What really grinds my gears is the increasing trend of AAA games
100% agree!!!
Post by: Jack on 10 Nov 2018, 12:57
Post by: Click'd on 10 Nov 2018, 17:49
Post by: Jack on 10 Nov 2018, 18:41
Post by: Frodo on 11 Nov 2018, 02:59
What happened?
They wrecked their entire site, so it doesn't work properly any more. It's a complete nightmare trying to navigate through it now.
- There's an empty black banner taking up half the screen.
- Username at the top, linking to your account has gone.
- The Search feature \ magnifying glass doesn't work (nothing happens when you click on it), so you can't search for any games.
- Huge empty space under 'Now On Sale'. I think it's supposed to show some games they have for sale... but it's just a blank space.
- No News anywhere in site, so you don't know what's new to the store.
- Go to any of the game pages, and there's a big empty space where there SHOULD be screenshots showing what the game is like.
- Also on the game pages, it doesn't say if you already own that game - it used to, but not anymore.
Post by: Click'd on 11 Nov 2018, 03:09
But yeah, the new homepage is a crime in itself. Even though I see the things Frodo apparently doesn't. The "news" are at the bottom, and far fewer items than before.
Post by: Stupot on 11 Nov 2018, 07:40
Post by: VampireWombat on 11 Nov 2018, 14:50
They wrecked their entire site, so it doesn't work properly any more. It's a complete nightmare trying to navigate through it now.That's weird, I just checked their site and had none of those problems. I'm guessing it's an issue with your browser, cookies, and/or permissions.
- There's an empty black banner taking up half the screen.
- Username at the top, linking to your account has gone.
- The Search feature \ magnifying glass doesn't work (nothing happens when you click on it), so you can't search for any games.
- Huge empty space under 'Now On Sale'. I think it's supposed to show some games they have for sale... but it's just a blank space.
- No News anywhere in site, so you don't know what's new to the store.
- Go to any of the game pages, and there's a big empty space where there SHOULD be screenshots showing what the game is like.
- Also on the game pages, it doesn't say if you already own that game - it used to, but not anymore.
I'm using Chrome on Ubuntu.
Post by: Frodo on 12 Nov 2018, 00:41
They wrecked their entire site, so it doesn't work properly any more. It's a complete nightmare trying to navigate through it now.That's weird, I just checked their site and had none of those problems. I'm guessing it's an issue with your browser, cookies, and/or permissions.
- There's an empty black banner taking up half the screen.
- Username at the top, linking to your account has gone.
- The Search feature \ magnifying glass doesn't work (nothing happens when you click on it), so you can't search for any games.
- Huge empty space under 'Now On Sale'. I think it's supposed to show some games they have for sale... but it's just a blank space.
- No News anywhere in site, so you don't know what's new to the store.
- Go to any of the game pages, and there's a big empty space where there SHOULD be screenshots showing what the game is like.
- Also on the game pages, it doesn't say if you already own that game - it used to, but not anymore.
I'm using Chrome on Ubuntu.
Try looking at it with IE 11.
Every other site works fine - it's only GOG that manages to break it up so much.
Post by: Click'd on 12 Nov 2018, 03:32
Post by: Frodo on 12 Nov 2018, 03:59
Post by: cat on 12 Nov 2018, 10:09
It's a good browserNo, it is not. It is old, outdated and has a lot of weird bugs. It's a pain to create websites that also support IE11. Companies start to evaluate what is cheaper: continue supporting IE11 or loosing IE11 users as customers. It seems that many start to think that supporting IE11 is not worth the effort.
Switch to Edge or any other modern browser.
Post by: Frodo on 12 Nov 2018, 10:41
It's a good browserNo, it is not. It is old, outdated and has a lot of weird bugs. It's a pain to create websites that also support IE11. Companies start to evaluate what is cheaper: continue supporting IE11 or loosing IE11 users as customers. It seems that many start to think that supporting IE11 is not worth the effort.
Switch to Edge or any other modern browser.
Why would I want to switch browsers? Internet Explorer is meant for Exploring the Internet. It's in the name.
And like I said, GOG is the only site that messes this up. Every other site, including my own sites, work fine in IE11.
Post by: Danvzare on 12 Nov 2018, 12:09
Internet Explorer is meant for Exploring the Internet. It's in the name.Strawberries aren't berries and Coconuts aren't nuts. Just because it's in the name, doesn't mean anything.
That being said, if you like Internet Explorer, then by all means, keep using it.
If you use another browser though, you'll eventually be glad you changed. But if you don't want to, that's your choice. :-D
Think of it as people telling you to brush your teeth in the morning and at night, instead of just at night. We're not telling you how to live your life, only what's better in the long term. ;)
Post by: Blondbraid on 13 Nov 2018, 13:34
I still end up using Steam mostly since I already have a big library there and there are free Steam key giveaways every once in a while.
But while Steam is still fine for now as long as you only want to buy games you already know about, it really grinds my gears that they
absolutely refuse to curate the content on their store, and will only remove broken files, asset flips and troll games once enough people
actively go out of their way to protest and report them. There's even been reports of straight up bitcoin mining scams being sold masquerading
as "games" on Steam, all which could have been avoided if Valve required any form of application process for their games other than just paying a fee.
And the 100$ fee might sort out a few kids trying to upload their projects for fun, but it will not actually deter any of the scammers and and
charlatans hoping to make it back by tricking gullible gamers.
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 10 Dec 2018, 03:03
Microsoft Windows File Search
Searching for files using windows DOSE NOT WORK,, IT DOSE NOT WORK
Further more the files search has not worked properly since windows XP, and has got gradually worse and worse with every release of windows. It has got to the point that it finds NOTHING.. EVER
I wait for up-to half an hour while it ******* searches for files I KNOW exist on HD. .but yet no, **** it says windows. What the **** are microsoft doing here? I am beyond angry with this, this is pathetic beyond belief how a multi-billion dollar company with an established os going back so many years cant provide simple ass ******* file search option, instead they implement some ******* useless ******* thing that NEVER, EVER, i say again NEVER< EVER finds ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL
absolute shame on your MS ... SHAME ON YOU MS you shower of incompetent ******* assholes, you cant even develop simple feature to search for files,, you are pathetic. PATHETIC
Post by: Danvzare on 10 Dec 2018, 13:44
No one understands how it works. There are those that say that all you need to do change a few settings to make it work properly.
While I completely relate to what you're saying, and I've had the exact same problem. Recently it's been working perfectly for me. And I have no idea why.
Post by: Blondbraid on 10 Dec 2018, 16:26
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 10 Dec 2018, 22:38
Its still annoying as heck though.. I mean you would think a file search procedure would be a pretty straight forward operation.
I also forgot to mention along with windows taking ages to scan hd finding nothing when files clearly exists it was asked to find, other times windows search literally dose not even bother to search. you type a search term in and press search, windows search bar within a few seconds gets to the end as if its saying to itself "oh search time.. searching.. um .. you know what, **** this, ill just stop right here and pretend a full search of a hd was done"
Post by: Danvzare on 11 Dec 2018, 12:32
I am sorry for my crazy rant.Don't be sorry. That's what this thread is here for!
Continuning on with the thread, it grinds my gears when I can't find an email that's supposed to have been sent to me, so I tell the person who was supposed to send it to me, and the only response I get is "check your spam".
Why does this grind my gears?
BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE ASKED IF I HADN'T ALREADY CHECKED MY SPAM! >:(
Also, I couldn't post this on Chrome for some reason. I'm having to use Internet Explorer. I guess Frodo was right. (laugh)
Post by: Frodo on 11 Dec 2018, 14:16
Also, I couldn't post this on Chrome for some reason. I'm having to use Internet Explorer. I guess Frodo was right. (laugh)
Internet Explorer RULES! :grin:
But yeah, I agree with the whole 'Check your spam folder' thing. Drives me nuts. :sealed:
Post by: Khris on 11 Dec 2018, 23:21
I also forgot to mention along with windows taking ages to scan hd finding nothing when files clearly exists it was asked to find, other times windows search literally dose not even bother to search.You might want to try this: https://superuser.com/questions/98958/clear-search-cache-on-windows-7/99059#99059
Post by: Jack on 13 Dec 2018, 00:55
For true enlightenment, you must consider Everything (https://www.voidtools.com/)
Post by: TheFrighter on 13 Dec 2018, 13:44
Grinds my gear when i'm looking for a e-book in digital store, but it's sold-out! How is it possible go out of virtual copies?
_
Post by: Mouth for war on 13 Dec 2018, 14:25
-"Umm no"
Post by: TheFrighter on 14 Dec 2018, 08:48
Yeah. I don't know how it works, but even if is more difficult to program sure it worth it...
_
Post by: Gilbert on 14 Dec 2018, 09:01
Maybe.
Post by: Blondbraid on 14 Dec 2018, 11:22
It's another way of tricking the costumer into thinking what they're buying is rare and exclusive and that they have to buy it soon before it becomes unavailable again,
just as all big chains do with seasonal versions of their video game DLC/latte/hamburgers, not because they can't produce that all year round, but because it drives up
sales once they do have those things for sale.
Post by: josiah1221 on 14 Dec 2018, 20:33
Post by: Frodo on 22 Dec 2018, 17:08
- Press 1 for Electrical
- Press 2 for Home Furnishing such as settees and chairs
- Press 3 for Kitchen appliances
*I press 3*
- Press 1 if it's a shop's own brand
- Press 2 if it's any other brand
*I press 2*
- Press 1 if you're waiting for a delivery
- Press 2 if you wish to cancel your order
- Press 3 if you wish to change your delivery date
- Press 4 if your appliance has broken down
*I press 4*
- Press 1 if it's still in guarantee
- Press 2 if it's not in guarantee
*I press 1*
- Press 1 if it's the original 2 year guarantee
- Press 2 if it's the 5 year extended guarantee
*I press 2*
- Press 1 if you'd like to talk to us about your product
- Press 2 if you'd like to arrange an engineer to come and visit you
*I press 2*
Thankyou for your call. Your call is very important to us. We record these calls for quality and training purposes. Please hold for the next available person. Otherwise, please..........
AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
Post by: josiah1221 on 23 Dec 2018, 05:43
Post by: Danvzare on 23 Dec 2018, 17:35
Just keep pressing an invalid number. Eventually you'll be put through to a real person.
This is especially useful for when the dialog tree for those pre-recorded answerphone messages ends with "Get lost and go online." Which I've had.
Post by: Frodo on 23 Dec 2018, 18:38
Here's how you get around those annoying things.
Just keep pressing an invalid number. Eventually you'll be put through to a real person.
This is especially useful for when the dialog tree for those pre-recorded answerphone messages ends with "Get lost and go online." Which I've had.
Ahhh, good tip Dan. Thanks. :grin:
Post by: Stupot on 24 Dec 2018, 03:32
Post by: Frodo on 24 Dec 2018, 10:07
Just go to any pathway that leads to any human and then tell them what you want. Either they'll patch you through to the correct department or sometimes they can still help you. I've never worked in a call center so I might be talking rubbish but I'm pretty sure that sometimes the calls go to the same people anyway. It's just that they can put the right hat on before answering your call.
I also think the calls go to the same people.
But there's never an option at the start, to 'Speak to an actual person' - you always have to jump through so many hoops first.
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 25 Dec 2018, 14:03
Post by: selmiak on 27 Dec 2018, 10:43
Post by: Slasher on 27 Dec 2018, 13:52
A mince spy.
(laugh)
Post by: Buckethead on 27 Dec 2018, 13:53
What does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney? Claustrophobia!
Post by: Mandle on 27 Dec 2018, 14:07
Christmas crackers are mostly just very bad puns, atleast in my experience. Here's an example:
What does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney? Claustrophobia!
That is an awesome joke!
Post by: Danvzare on 27 Dec 2018, 15:09
I know absolutely no christmas cracker joke, please tell a christmas cracker joke TMA, then I can at least pretend to find it funny ;)What do you get when you cross a snowman with a crocodile? Frostbite!
I think I encounter that one every year. Or at least a similar variant. Sometimes it's a vampire.
It really is. (laugh) I've never heard that one before.Christmas crackers are mostly just very bad puns, atleast in my experience. Here's an example:
What does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney? Claustrophobia!
That is an awesome joke!
Post by: dactylopus on 27 Dec 2018, 19:48
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a crocodile? Frostbite!That was actually my Christmas cracker joke this year.
Post by: josiah1221 on 27 Dec 2018, 20:17
Post by: Danvzare on 28 Dec 2018, 15:23
I said that it appeared in every pack of Christmas crackers. (laugh)What do you get when you cross a snowman with a crocodile? Frostbite!That was actually my Christmas cracker joke this year.
Personally, with how bad Christmas cracker jokes are, I kind of wish they'd go all the way and make them anti-jokes. It would actually make them funnier in my opinion, because you wouldn't expect it.
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a crocodile? A snow crocodile!
How do you stop a skunk from smelling? Spray it with perfume!
Post by: jahnocli on 28 Dec 2018, 16:07
Personally, with how bad Christmas cracker jokes are, I kind of wish they'd go all the way and make them anti-jokes. It would actually make them funnier in my opinion, because you wouldn't expect it.No, that doesn't work. It goes beyond anguished groans and into uncomfortable silence broken by dry coughs...
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a crocodile? A snow crocodile!
How do you stop a skunk from smelling? Spray it with perfume!
Post by: Mandle on 14 Jan 2019, 14:37
Now, I cannot argue back against anti-vaxxers because I'm not a doctor or a medical scientist. Even if I learned everything I could about vaccines and how they obviously help humanity it wouldn't matter. People should just watch a video by an actual medical professional instead.
I cannot argue back against any religion because every argument ends with "God works in mysterious ways."... (I do have a few ideas to combat religious cults but they would take time and money I don't currently have... Reserved for a future project)
But there is one destructive cult that I know of that I know how to fight back against:
THE FLAT-EARTH MOVEMENT!!!
Sounds hilarious, right? Well, I thought so as well and started watching the whole circus of the flat-earth being defended and debunked on youtube. I even thought at first that it could be just a brilliant conjoined plan by the proposers of Flat Earth and the debunkers to gain exponential views and money on youtube.
But, the more I learned about what was going on the more I realized what a dangerous cult Flat Earth is. Still sounds silly, though, right?
The more I learned about the Flat-Earth movement the more and more I recognized it as a genuine cult which destroys lives... Many have lost their employment, their marriages, and the respect of their family and friends over this rubbish.
And what is even worse: Many of these people that believe the earth is flat are home-schooling their children into this belief, and/or are telling their children to remain skeptical whenever their teacher is talking about any topic concerning the earth being a globe.
So... I cannot fight anti-vaxxers (I'm not a doctor)... I cannot fight religious cults (yet)... But I know how to fight Flat Earthers!!!
One thing they always ask for (because they distrust any math or science) is repeatable and observable experiments that they can do themselves. And their own videos of their "experiments" are very, very shitty. So I'm appealing to that level of shitiness in the hope that this makes more of them identify with what I'm trying to do. Well, good videos are also really hard to do and usually fall short and are cringey... Aim low and I'll never fail!!!
So here is my playlist of exactly that so far:
I would really appreciate it if people could become even silent subscribers to my channel as the youtube algorithm doesn't care and it helps push my content up on search lists.
Like I said before, if I can save even one person from ruining their life over something so silly like Flat-Earth that it should be a Monty Python skit, then making my shitty videos will have been worth it.
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 14 Jan 2019, 20:47
Post by: Mandle on 14 Jan 2019, 23:43
hehe interesting, but there is no convincing people otherwise who actually believe this stuff , it almost becomes pointless to try persuade them away from such theories. In fact i might go as far to say you have more chance in convincing an orthodox religious believer of the possibility of no god, then a flat earther of the possibility the earth is spherical in nature . The fundamental issue is, above all evidence and facts they desperately want to believe in what they want to believe in. There is no changing that stance no matter what evidence is presented.
Yeah, they are a very frustrating lot. But the fight against this kind of backlash against science is growing and I have seen interviews with ex-flat-earth cult-members who mention videos by people like SciManDan and Conspiracy Catz as their reasons for realizing that they were wrong, so there is a slight hope for some.
I'm more interested in trying to reach the fence-sitters: vulnerable people who have looked into the flat-earth and are on the verge of getting sucked into it but have decided to look around and see it their ridiculous claims have been debunked somewhere first, which is why I try to attack their main arguments in my videos like:
* You can't see the horizon curve (and any video that shows it curving must have been taken with a fish-eye lens)
* The atmosphere could not exist next to a vacuum (they think vacuums are like vacuum cleaners and should suck the atmosphere off the earth)
* Crepuscular rays, the fanning rays of sunlight through holes or gaps in clouds, indicate a small and local sun.
* Gravity doesn't exist. Things only fall because they are denser than the air under them.
I even had a close friend tell me that he thought they kind of had a point with the atmosphere/vacuum thing and I spent the next twenty minutes explaining pressure gradients and such and perhaps pulled him back from the rabbit-hole entrance.
One of the ex-cult-members, in an interview, went as far to say that they considered suicide after realizing they had invested the last few years into something so meaningless and had lost their marriage and the respect of friends and family over it.
That was when I decided to have a go at fighting it myself because, unlike disproving God to religious people, there is actual science and easy ways to explain the concepts when it comes to debunking something as silly as the flat earth.
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Oh, and yes... One more thing that grinds my gears is how childish and frightened of debunkers these cult members are:
I had some videos up on my channel of the Halloween rooms we made for the kids at my school which were themed on Harry Potter and Star Wars. Since I started making this flat-earth debunking series these videos were hit with copyright claims so I made them private rather than face potential YouTube BS strikes against my channel.
I doubt the timing is a coincidence as several other debunkers on YouTube were hit with false copyright claims around the same time.
Scared little children.
Post by: Khris on 15 Jan 2019, 09:48
HAIL SOBEK.
Post by: Slasher on 15 Jan 2019, 11:10
That's why I never take long haul flights, in case the plane fell off the earth (laugh)
Post by: cat on 15 Jan 2019, 11:57
Post by: TheFrighter on 15 Jan 2019, 12:20
Don't worry, there's the "Pac-Man effect"! (that's their absurd explanation of why if you fly straight then return at the same place)
That's why I never take long haul flights, in case the plane fell off the earth (laugh)
_
Post by: Mandle on 15 Jan 2019, 13:33
It's hard to believe that there are people seriously thinking the earth is flat. Where do they expect to be the edge of the world?
Most of them think the AE map (basically the U.N. logo) is the map of the flat earth and that Antarctica is actually a giant ice wall that circles the circumference and stops all the water from falling off.
Their theories then differ on whether or not the flat plane continues on from there, possibly infinitely, or whether the whole shebang is covered by a dome with the stars on it, and other such anally-extracted fantasies.
Post by: Mouth for war on 15 Jan 2019, 13:42
Post by: Mandle on 15 Jan 2019, 14:14
People who won't change their views/opinions no matter how hard they are proven wrong really grinds my gears. It really p####s me the hell off when you know you are 100% correct about something but the moron in front of you still says "No you are wrong" or "I must check this up"
Dude, just read the comments under that first video in my playlist. I was trying as hard as I could to talk sense into this bloody idiot "Flat Earth Aussie Jesus" after realizing with growing horror that not only was he a fellow Australian but also that we share the same first name.
I started out quite optimistic but eventually had to either give up or end up eating my own head out of frustration.
Then I eventually found peace in thinking that he is so far down the rabbit-hole that he can't possibly gain followers who are not already beyond any help and also that he probably needs this belief to prevent himself having to examine his life which could lead to him doing something drastic to himself or others.
So, yeah, a bit of a harmless old duffer hopefully.
Post by: Danvzare on 15 Jan 2019, 14:55
THE FLAT-EARTH MOVEMENT!!!Fun fact, that whole thing started as a joke. I remember convincing one of my sister's friends into believing that I believed the world was flat, a good ten years or so before this whole flat-earther thing took off.
The joke was originally meant to be there as a way to poke fun of religion, and how absurd that it is to believe in that, and how easy it is to make an argument for anything. It was the original version of the flying spaghetti monster in a way. But unfortunately very few people understood the joke, and you ended up with everyone believing that these people claiming the world was flat, actually believed the world was flat. Then you got people who decided to join in on the craze, since they thought that if other people thought the world was flat, then they should also believe the world is flat.
It's a shame really. :~(
Still, if you ever encounter a flat-earther, don't try to convince them that the world is round. They know (unless they're mentally handicapped). Instead try to convince them that the world is double sided, and that there's a massive conspiracy to cover it up. (laugh)
Post by: Khris on 15 Jan 2019, 17:43
Post by: Jack on 15 Jan 2019, 19:54
People who won't change their views/opinions no matter how hard they are proven wrong really grinds my gears. It really p####s me the hell off when you know you are 100% correct about something but the moron in front of you still says "No you are wrong" or "I must check this up"
Some people think religions are the only belief systems, but really they are everywhere. Beliefs are a funny thing, often they are seen as an investment, and sometimes people will attack anyone who challenges it whether they are right or wrong. Sometimes you can have a falsehood repeated to you so many times that the truth seems insane, especially if it concerns something big. Sometimes it's just a violent mental reaction to the suggestion that they are going to have to believe something different to everyone else.
What grinds my gears is how little effort most people put into their lives and their beliefs. Technology has come a long way, but after all most people are still more than content to ridicule something they don't understand, just for that dopamine rush of fitting in. There doesn't even have to be a crowd around them shouting down the weird inventor guy who says the earth is round, all it takes is the idea that others will not agree. There are very real facts that could mean the difference between life and death, and most people don't know them. What's more, they don't care to find out. Don't want to risk being wrong, and ending up like those flat earthers. Corporations and governments have spent billions over the span of decades refining ways to exploit these simple and predictable mechanisms, and yet people walk around oblivious to all this being piped into their heads unfiltered.
Post by: Blondbraid on 15 Jan 2019, 22:02
where many media profiles and much of pop culture have popularized the idea that if there is a huge division between two sides, taking the position in the middle
will automatically mean that you're smarter, and that if there are two sides both sides will have a legitimate point and deserve equal time and attention for a fair debate.
However, this ignores that there actually are "debates", if you can call them that, that are matters that are black and white and there are things that are proven true by scientists.
Anti-vaxxers aren't equal to real doctors, crystal healing isn't equal to real medicine and flat-earthers aren't equal to thousands of year's worth of science, but people who think themselves
"enlightened centrists" who are above conventional dogma and just like, asking the hard questions man, like to pretend those things are equal and that questioning science is deep,
yet ignore the flat earth movement started as a joke and was never even trying to be science to begin with, and these types only serve to legitimize the fanatics who 100% believes their conspiracy theories.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/MPRn3GHmA5pv2/200.gif)
Saying both flat-earthers and everyone else both makes good arguments is just stupid, it's not being neutral.
Trust me, I'm a Swede so I know a lot about being neutral. :)
Post by: Jack on 15 Jan 2019, 22:35
But you brought up another thing that has really been grinding my gears lately, and that's people that won't see the difference between bad and good, or black and white as you put it. I get this is not totally what you meant.
Yes, there are in fact things which are bad for society and need to be removed. Like pedophiles. Right now there are people working for pedophile acceptance, and a lot of the time it's just to show off to others how open minded they can be, accepting the worst possible thing. (Other times of course it's just those that want the public to be ok with them taking advantage of children.) These people want to allow the mentally ill to run free just so they can subtly brag about how super progressive they are.
Post by: Danvzare on 16 Jan 2019, 13:51
Post by: Mouth for war on 17 Jan 2019, 05:48
Post by: Cassiebsg on 19 Jan 2019, 14:23
I've been a member for a long time, never used the damn miles for anything yet, since I just don't fly that much. But even if I wanted to use my miles I couldn't! They added password to log on to the site... I always logged on with pin, so I didn't had a password. Last time I tried to logged on with pin cause I didn't had a password, I did... only to be meet with a second login "now please enter your password"... 8-0 ??? >:( So... I want to email them and get them to send me my password to my email, cause apparently I can't do that either on my own even though they have no problem in sending me "spam" mails, that they can do... So there I click "email flying blue" and what do I get? A login asking me for username and password! :O >:( Only way to contact them? Seems to be by phone and I hate phone! >:(
Post by: Danvzare on 20 Jan 2019, 18:10
Flying blue's contact form grinds my gears! >:(What... the.. 8-0
I've been a member for a long time, never used the damn miles for anything yet, since I just don't fly that much. But even if I wanted to use my miles I couldn't! They added password to log on to the site... I always logged on with pin, so I didn't had a password. Last time I tried to logged on with pin cause I didn't had a password, I did... only to be meet with a second login "now please enter your password"... 8-0 ??? >:( So... I want to email them and get them to send me my password to my email, cause apparently I can't do that either on my own even though they have no problem in sending me "spam" mails, that they can do... So there I click "email flying blue" and what do I get? A login asking me for username and password! :O >:( Only way to contact them? Seems to be by phone and I hate phone! >:(
I think "grinds my gears" is a bit of an understatement!
Post by: Galen on 20 Jan 2019, 22:41
Quote
Yes, companies sometimes do put toxic chemicals in it and don't care about the results,
I'd like to see an example for this. Companies arn't wasting their time throwing random expensive chemicals into their vaccines. The most toxic elements that *were* commonly found were trace levels of formaldehyde or mercury (used to kill/preserve the virus) below the level at which they're naturally generated in the body anyway. Consumer drugs might sometimes be ineffective, but vaccines are normally rolled out to the general population and tend to be incredibly safe in comparison. Even then most consumer drugs that are in any way dangerous don't make it past the testing stage, with drugs like thalidomide (which is an effective drug in one chiral form, but extremely dangerous in it's mirror form) being rare exceptions in the past.
Post by: Jack on 21 Jan 2019, 01:47
Hep B is a sexually transmitted disease. For the vaccine, wikipedia says "The first dose is recommended within 24 hours of birth".
Some studies I found:
Neonatal Vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and Hepatitis B Vaccines Modulates Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity in Rats (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282390680_Neonatal_Vaccination_with_Bacillus_Calmette-Guerin_and_Hepatitis_B_Vaccines_Modulates_Hippocampal_Synaptic_Plasticity_in_Rats)
Perinatal Immune Activation Produces Persistent Sleep Alterations and Epileptiform Activity in Male Mice (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320257170_Perinatal_Immune_Activation_Produces_Persistent_Sleep_Alterations_and_Epileptiform_Activity_in_Male_Mice)
Maternal Immune Activation During the Third Trimester Is Associated with Neonatal Functional Connectivity of the Salience Network and Fetal to Toddler Behavior (http://www.jneurosci.org/content/38/11/2877) (pre-natal)
EDIT: I should add that to my knowledge, it has not been proven that it's the aluminium that causes the immune activation. However, given lack of further testing and its function in the vaccine, this has been the best guess.
Post by: Galen on 21 Jan 2019, 16:46
Quote
which above certain levelsIs undoubtedly critical though. We certainly don't need another wave of 'vaccines cause autism' scares to bring back yet more deaths by preventable diseases.
Post by: Danvzare on 22 Jan 2019, 13:07
which above certain levels causes autism and psychiatric disordersPsychiatric disorders, maybe. Heck, probably. I don't know much about that part, but it sounds plausible.
But autism. Seriously!
Do you even know what autism is! That's like saying it'll make you left handed, or gay, or black, or dyslexic!
You can't become autistic after birth. (wrong)
Ah, now THAT sounds reasonable.Quotewhich above certain levelsIs undoubtedly critical though. We certainly don't need another wave of 'vaccines cause autism' scares to bring back yet more deaths by preventable diseases.
Basically, it's like pointing out that water is poisonous if drank in high enough quantities. (laugh)
Now the thing that grinds my gears, is that hardcore Pokemon fans, never seem to realise that canonically in the games, Pokemon don't say their name.
I don't mind that the casual Pokemon fans don't know that, but the hardcore fans definitely should!
The only Pokemon that says its name outside of the anime is Pikachu, the rest make animal noises. For proof, just read the manga, play the games, or watch Pokemon Origins.
Post by: Mandle on 22 Jan 2019, 13:24
Babies also absorb this aluminium from their mothers while in the womb.
Please vaccinate your kids, guys. We, in first-world countries, live in a time where nobody still alive remembers when families had 6 or 7 kids knowing full well that one or two of them might not survive their childhood.
Let's not allow that luxury to make us blind to history.
Vaccinate your kids.
I think I'll go get a T-shirt made:
"Vaccination causes adults."
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Jan 2019, 22:15
such as people with immunity disorders and similar.
And not only is the idea that vaccines causes autism proven wrong, it's horrible that some parents would rather face their kids possibly dying from preventable diseases than risk them having autism.
I was diagnosed on the spectrum at an early age myself, and while I've had trouble concentrating in school or making friends for most of my upbringing, I don't consider my diagnose a fate worse than
succumbing to severe diseases and I've been able to have a somewhat normal life with the right training and support, and the implications of what some anti-vaxers have said makes my skin crawl.
Post by: Blondbraid on 15 Feb 2019, 16:15
Case in point, som time ago I was seeing the new Aquaman movie with a friend, and while it was a fun enough superhero movie, much of my experience was
brought down by an idiot dad who brought a toddler into the theater. Aquaman is a PG-13 movie, and for a good reason, there is lots of violence and both humans and animals get killed on screen,
and even if it wasn't for the violence, the movie is 2.5 hours long and everything was in English with Swedish text and there was zero chance that a toddler would follow the plot or be able to sit still
for that amount of time, and much as I predicted, the toddler spent most of the time blabbing, wanting to be carried out, crying and ruining the experience for the rest of the moviegoers.
I genuinely think small children shouldn't be allowed into movie theatres showing movies above their age limit and any parent bringing them in anyway is doing bad parenting. I get being a parent is hard work, but it shouldn't be an excuse for ruining the day of other people who've paid for their tickets (and the toddler forced to sit in a dark room and watch a film they couldn't comprehend), and anyone becoming a parent should either accept that the next five years of their lives will consist of doing activities suitable for babies or find a babysitter.
Post by: cat on 15 Feb 2019, 19:48
I think I'll go get a T-shirt made:
"Vaccination causes adults."
Love that!
Post by: dactylopus on 15 Feb 2019, 20:00
It grinds my gears when people don't adhere to the age restrictions in movie theaters and sneak in kids too young to see the film.
Case in point, som time ago I was seeing the new Aquaman movie with a friend, and while it was a fun enough superhero movie, much of my experience was
brought down by an idiot dad who brought a toddler into the theater. Aquaman is a PG-13 movie, and for a good reason, there is lots of violence and both humans and animals get killed on screen,
and even if it wasn't for the violence, the movie is 2.5 hours long and everything was in English with Swedish text and there was zero chance that a toddler would follow the plot or be able to sit still
for that amount of time, and much as I predicted, the toddler spent most of the time blabbing, wanting to be carried out, crying and ruining the experience for the rest of the moviegoers.
I genuinely think small children shouldn't be allowed into movie theatres showing movies above their age limit and any parent bringing them in anyway is doing bad parenting. I get being a parent is hard work, but it shouldn't be an excuse for ruining the day of other people who've paid for their tickets (and the toddler forced to sit in a dark room and watch a film they couldn't comprehend), and anyone becoming a parent should either accept that the next five years of their lives will consist of doing activities suitable for babies or find a babysitter.
I agree that small children that can't sit still and keep quiet (especially if they won't understand the language) should not be brought into the movie theaters.
I also feel that age restrictions are often set based on arbitrary rules. If a movie is rated PG-13, for example, I wouldn't have an issue if a 10 year old or even an 8 year old were in the theater, as long as they can behave themselves. After all, if their parent or guardian is there with them, then they are obeying the restriction that calls for Parental Guidance. And not all children develop at the same pace. There are other 8 or 10 year old children I would not want in the theater.
Then again, when I saw the Last Jedi in the theater, a grown adult ruined a key moment (the silent moment) by yelling out "Oh snap!" and making others laugh. That grinds my gears.
Post by: Click'd on 15 Feb 2019, 20:59
Then again, when I saw the Last Jedi in the theater, a grown adult ruined a key moment (the silent moment) by yelling out "Oh snap!" and making others laugh. That grinds my gears.Solution: Stay away from people.
Post by: Mandle on 15 Feb 2019, 22:57
I think I'll go get a T-shirt made:
"Vaccination causes adults."
Love that!
Pre-order then? :-D
Post by: josiah1221 on 16 Feb 2019, 02:42
Post by: Stupot on 18 Feb 2019, 03:02
I'm not saying people should chat and eat loudly and bring young children into the room (I agree with Blondbraid in this) but for me the film is much more enjoyable when there is almost an element of interaction between the audience and the screen.
Post by: Mandle on 18 Feb 2019, 15:09
the film is much more enjoyable when there is almost an element of interaction between the audience and the screen.
Rotten tomatoes?
Post by: dactylopus on 18 Feb 2019, 22:20
To be fair, the cinema isn't library. You're not trying to read a book. You've paid to watch a movie in the company of hundreds of other people. You might not necessarily talk to the people next to you but it's still very much a social experience. Sometimes (especially here in Japan) the silence during funny bits is even more gear-grinding. You need someone with a well-timed ‘oh snap' to break the tension and give the audience permission to react to the film in a way that the filmmaker almost certainly intended.
I'm not saying people should chat and eat loudly and bring young children into the room (I agree with Blondbraid in this) but for me the film is much more enjoyable when there is almost an element of interaction between the audience and the screen.
OK, I understand this point of view. I see movies in a theater not because of social elements, but because of the experience of the theater seating, snacks, huge screen, and other things I can't get from a home experience. Laughing at funny parts is expected, so it's not about having complete silence. It's about courtesy to fellow movie-goers (much in the same way that Blondbraid was talking about not bringing small children). If I lean over and say "Oh snap" to a friend, that's one thing, but shouting it out for the entire theater is a bit much and quite distracting for those of us that want a level of immersion from films. In the same way, I went to a theater and had a man a few seats away from me looking at Facebook on his phone for the entire duration of the film. The light from his phone was distracting to me and others in the area, and there are announcements telling you to turn off your phone before the film starts. This is another courtesy to those around you.
I do understand, though, that you're basing your position on your current Japanese location and cultural factors. I think I might enjoy watching a movie in Japan!
Post by: Mandle on 18 Feb 2019, 23:24
I do understand, though, that you're basing your position on your current Japanese location and cultural factors. I think I might enjoy watching a movie in Japan!
It's really not much different to watching a movie alone.
Post by: Blondbraid on 18 Feb 2019, 23:48
Not really, like dactylopus said, you get to watch it on a huge screen in much better detail than your TV at home, plus it's not just the movie, it's everything around the movie. I usually go out and watch movies at the cinema together with friends, and we go out and eat dinner and walk around in the city beforehand and it's all about having a nice evening out together rather than just sitting and watching a movie.I do understand, though, that you're basing your position on your current Japanese location and cultural factors. I think I might enjoy watching a movie in Japan!
It's really not much different to watching a movie alone.
I suppose the expectations on cinema experiences vary too, but in Sweden it's usually considered very rude to eat loudly or talk a lot during a movie and there will always be an usher walking in and telling everyone that you have to turn off the noise on your cellphone before the movie starts. Personally, I've only encountered somebody talking during a screening funny once in my lifetime, and that was way back in 2007 when I was watching Arn (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0837106/) and there was a fake-out death scene where some guy swung a sword at the protagonist and it faded to black in the middle of the movie and a kid jokingly said "The end!". That was funny. Blabbering toddlers isn't.
Post by: josiah1221 on 19 Feb 2019, 03:16
Post by: Stupot on 20 Feb 2019, 02:38
A movie experience I did enjoy, that others might not, was back when the Scream movies were popular. During build up scenes that would have you on the edge of your seat a member of the staff dressed up in the Scream outfit would burst into the theater and run down the isle. People would literally jump out of their seats. lol.Was this a special screening for fans where people might have expected such behaviour or did everyone think they were just going to a normal screening?
Post by: josiah1221 on 21 Feb 2019, 04:10
A movie experience I did enjoy, that others might not, was back when the Scream movies were popular. During build up scenes that would have you on the edge of your seat a member of the staff dressed up in the Scream outfit would burst into the theater and run down the isle. People would literally jump out of their seats. lol.Was this a special screening for fans where people might have expected such behaviour or did everyone think they were just going to a normal screening?
It was a normal screening and started out as a joke but ended up becoming popular. Once the word got out people would come expecting it or come again to see the unexpected
Post by: Mandle on 21 Feb 2019, 09:30
Post by: Blondbraid on 21 Feb 2019, 10:26
That's the sort of thing that sounds funny on paper, but would get decidedly less funny once someone inevitably gets a heart attack.A movie experience I did enjoy, that others might not, was back when the Scream movies were popular. During build up scenes that would have you on the edge of your seat a member of the staff dressed up in the Scream outfit would burst into the theater and run down the isle. People would literally jump out of their seats. lol.Was this a special screening for fans where people might have expected such behaviour or did everyone think they were just going to a normal screening?
It was a normal screening and started out as a joke but ended up becoming popular. Once the word got out people would come expecting it or come again to see the unexpectedvictim'speople's reactions. I was in my late teens at the time so I enjoyed it and found it quite funny. I'm not so sure I would enjoy such shenanigans now though, lol.
Post by: Danvzare on 21 Feb 2019, 11:58
That's the sort of thing that sounds funny on paper, but would get decidedly less funny once someone inevitably gets a heart attack.Well it is a horror movie... not a particularly scary horror movie, but you get my point. (laugh)
Post by: Blondbraid on 21 Feb 2019, 17:07
Yes, but people tend to have far more intense reactions to real people jumping at them compared to just seeing things on a screen.That's the sort of thing that sounds funny on paper, but would get decidedly less funny once someone inevitably gets a heart attack.Well it is a horror movie... not a particularly scary horror movie, but you get my point. (laugh)
Gröna Lund (a big amusement park in Stockholm) actually had a big problem with their haunted huse attraction that featured employees dressed as
monsters pawing at the visitors as part of the horror due to so many persons reacting to the scare by punching or assaulting the employees. 8-0
Post by: josiah1221 on 22 Feb 2019, 03:26
Hahaha, damn. That would get you shot in America.
I live in the US, no one got shot. But that was over 20 years ago. This day in time, yeah, you'd either get shot or fired for bullying, harassment, offending, etc.
Post by: Blondbraid on 08 Mar 2019, 22:29
Post by: Stupot on 08 Mar 2019, 22:57
Here's his Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Herring1967
Post by: josiah1221 on 09 Mar 2019, 04:27
Post by: Jack on 09 Mar 2019, 20:21
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Mar 2019, 22:13
The comedian Richard Herring spends the whole of International Women's Day trolling everyone on Twitter asking “When's International Men's Day?” (which is a lot of people), and in the process manages to raise thousands of pounds for Refuge.I'm glad at least one person could turn that mess into something positive!
Here's his Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Herring1967
Happy get over it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-8l8v3h1Bg) day, everyone!I'll admit it's a catchy song, it's just too bad too many people ask others to just get over things whilst lingering and complaining about everything themselves.
Post by: Mouth for war on 12 Mar 2019, 12:49
Post by: Blondbraid on 12 Mar 2019, 14:51
I remember (I think) that there was a museum who let women go in for free or half price on that day and men had to pay the normal fee and of course there was whining and complaints. That really pissed me off. It's men's day the rest of the f#####g year so why the hell can't we let our females enjoy something just for them? And I can't understand why a man should have a higher salory than a female if they do exactly the same job. I"m all for equalityIndeed, it reminds me of a guy who was so angry at the woman-only screening of Wonder Woman so he decided to have a man-only screening of the movie Rock of Ages, and nobody stopped him or even expressed any real outrage over him doing so.
There already are tons of things women aren't allowed to do, like joining the freemasons, becoming priests in several religions, and there are a bunch of clubs that are men only, yet you non't see any of the men protesting woman discounts complaining about that.
Post by: Mandle on 12 Mar 2019, 15:16
Post by: Retro Wolf on 26 Mar 2019, 11:46
I've just spent an hour trying to figure out why text wasn't showing up on a GUI, only to find I'd made an if statement earlier for test reasons that I was supposed to delete...
Post by: Blondbraid on 26 Mar 2019, 13:46
My past self!Yeah, it's so frustrating that a tiny mistake or forgotten leftover can really mess up a whole game, and most of the time you don't even learn from your mistakes because it's always the same mistake; you forgot to delete something or made a typo.
I've just spent an hour trying to figure out why text wasn't showing up on a GUI, only to find I'd made an if statement earlier for test reasons that I was supposed to delete...
At least the one letter typo (https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/a-years-old-one-letter-typo-led-to-aliens-colonial-marines-awful-ai/) in Alien: Colonial Marines led gave us a funny gif:
(https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/giphy.gif)
Post by: Blondbraid on 04 Apr 2019, 17:16
I suppose adjusting the clock one hour back/forth once each autumn and spring made sense in the olden days when the only light source available were fireplaces and expensive candles,
but in today's industrial society with electric light available for everyone, all it does is throw everyone off-schedule twice a year and cause pointless stress and confusion.
Post by: Sinitrena on 04 Apr 2019, 18:13
What grinds my gears?
Autosave "features" in modern games, especially when they have no option to manually save and ten times so if they only use one f...ing save-game-slot. I'm looking at you, Thronebreaker, the Witcher Tales!
Post by: morganw on 04 Apr 2019, 20:24
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 04 Apr 2019, 20:34
Power and Sleep Keys on keyboards.
Hit them accidentally gives no prompt "are you sure...." no warning of any kind, just shuts the system down
Any keyboard manufactures should be fined astronomical amounts of money for producing keyboards with these keys, and the actual keyboard layout designer thrown in jail for life with no possibility of parole.
Post by: Khris on 05 Apr 2019, 08:27
2. you can disable them in the power settings
Post by: Tycho Magnetic Anomaly on 05 Apr 2019, 10:10
Post by: Danvzare on 05 Apr 2019, 14:54
Well, the EU wants to get rid of it (https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-set-to-end-eu-wide-daylight-saving/a-47775317), so there's good news for you.It grinds my gears that despite the EU wanting to get rid of it, Britain is fighting to keep it. Despite the majority (if not all) British citizens agreeing with the EU and wanting rid of it!
Post by: Stupot on 05 Apr 2019, 15:50
Reading that, you'd think Britain had a bit of an awkward relationship with the EU or something.Well, the EU wants to get rid of it (https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-set-to-end-eu-wide-daylight-saving/a-47775317), so there's good news for you.It grinds my gears that despite the EU wanting to get rid of it, Britain is fighting to keep it. Despite the majority (if not all) British citizens agreeing with the EU and wanting rid of it!
Post by: Blondbraid on 01 May 2019, 22:29
Seriously, I live in Sweden where it's soul-crushing darkness most of the year, so I know making the screen black is a more realistic way of depicting nighttime than just slapping a blue filter on the screen and calling it a day, but come on, if I didn't care about seeing anything happening on the screen whilst listening to actors talking I'd have just bought an audio-book instead.
Post by: Stupot on 02 May 2019, 14:13
Post by: dactylopus on 02 May 2019, 20:05
Great episode, though. One of my favorites of the entire series.
Post by: Mandarinas45 on 03 May 2019, 07:23
Post by: Blondbraid on 05 May 2019, 08:29
I've seen a lot of complaints about the darkness. I didn't have that issue. It looked great, and the darkness was fitting for the story. Then again, I watched it in complete darkness in the middle of the night. The previous episode I watched in the daytime and it reminded me that I need to get more blackout curtains.Yeah, I'm sure it looked better in the middle of the night, but I still think it's a problem when something only looks good under optimal circumstances, because not everyone can stay up late or have good blackout curtains (especially not in Sweden, where the daylight lasts practically forever in summer-time). For comparison, I re-watched a clip from the Battle of Helm's Deep from the LOTR movies, which also depicts a big fantasy battle at night-time, but there I could tell everything going on even on an old laptop screen with full daylight pouring onto it, and the scene still looked good and dramatic:
Great episode, though. One of my favorites of the entire series.
But I've seen a similar problem in AAA games too, where the graphics are exclusively optimized for cutting-edge computers, and if you try anything less than the highest graphics options, you get an ugly mess with blurry textures and grainy shadows that somehow looks worse than games that came out a decade ago.
Post by: Galen on 05 May 2019, 18:32
This is British politics. They have to keep up the appearances of opposing the EU at every opportunity regardless of the sanity of it all (and while voting in favour of almost all EU laws and regulations).Well, the EU wants to get rid of it (https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-set-to-end-eu-wide-daylight-saving/a-47775317), so there's good news for you.It grinds my gears that despite the EU wanting to get rid of it, Britain is fighting to keep it. Despite the majority (if not all) British citizens agreeing with the EU and wanting rid of it!
Post by: Slasher on 12 May 2019, 12:07
Post by: Jack on 12 May 2019, 19:53
Post by: Mouth for war on 02 Jun 2019, 21:30
Post by: Jack on 03 Jun 2019, 01:25
Post by: Mouth for war on 03 Jun 2019, 10:55
Post by: Laura Hunt on 03 Jul 2019, 06:34
(Sorry, woke up feeling grumpy and felt the need to complain about something, but I guess that's what this thread is for :-D)
Post by: Stupot on 03 Jul 2019, 06:50
Post by: Laura Hunt on 03 Jul 2019, 07:13
I always get excited when a game tells me to do that. That means it's probably going to scare the hell out of me (or at least try).
Every single crappy horror
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on 03 Jul 2019, 08:48
If your game needs such restrictive conditions to be enjoyable, it probably isn't too good to begin with.
You do not talk shit about Cyan. YOU. DO. NOT. TALK. SHIT. ABOUT. CYAN.
(The entire Myst series had a monitor calibration screen) ;)
Post by: Laura Hunt on 03 Jul 2019, 09:01
If your game needs such restrictive conditions to be enjoyable, it probably isn't too good to begin with.
You do not talk shit about Cyan. YOU. DO. NOT. TALK. SHIT. ABOUT. CYAN.
(The entire Myst series had a monitor calibration screen)
Hahaha fair enough, fair enough!
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/FOJfB4p0rBk3K/giphy.gif)
Post by: Danvzare on 03 Jul 2019, 11:55
Every single crappy horrorOh I could tell you a thing or two about those crappy horror "games" on itch.io.asset flipgame on itch.io says that though. At this point it doesn't really mean anything except maybe a couple of VERY LOUD JUMPSCARES! :-D
I've already boiled it down to a formula.
Always a flashlight (sometimes one which runs out of battery power, so you can't see anything).
Always a room that's illuminated red, somewhere in the game.
Always notes littered about the place, because apprently people write down their thoughts on random pieces of paper and leave them lying around.
Almost always a basement that you have go into to attempt to turn the power on.
ALWAYS literal key-door puzzles. Find a locked door, find another locked door, find a key, open locked door, find another key, open the other locked door, ect.
And then there's the fact that it's either a "monster maze" game, where you're wandering around and a monster is too, and that monster can usually run faster than you, with no way of avoiding it once you see it. Or it's a "haunted house" game, where you wander around and there's literally nothing that can hurt you. The walls may bleed, and the corridors may change layout behind you, but nothing will actually hurt you. You may get to a point where you're being "chased" by a monster, but in that case you merely have to wander around slightly faster, otherwise you'll have to retry the scripted chase sequence.
Throw in a few loud jumpscares, which by this point no one is startled by anymore, and there you go. Your very own "horror game". :-X
Post by: Laura Hunt on 03 Jul 2019, 12:15
Every single crappy horrorOh I could tell you a thing or two about those crappy horror "games" on itch.io.asset flipgame on itch.io says that though. At this point it doesn't really mean anything except maybe a couple of VERY LOUD JUMPSCARES! :-D
I've already boiled it down to a formula.
Always a flashlight (sometimes one which runs out of battery power, so you can't see anything).
Always a room that's illuminated red, somewhere in the game.
Always notes littered about the place, because apprently people write down their thoughts on random pieces of paper and leave them lying around.
Almost always a basement that you have go into to attempt to turn the power on.
ALWAYS literal key-door puzzles. Find a locked door, find another locked door, find a key, open locked door, find another key, open the other locked door, ect.
And then there's the fact that it's either a "monster maze" game, where you're wandering around and a monster is too, and that monster can usually run faster than you, with no way of avoiding it once you see it. Or it's a "haunted house" game, where you wander around and there's literally nothing that can hurt you. The walls may bleed, and the corridors may change layout behind you, but nothing will actually hurt you. You may get to a point where you're being "chased" by a monster, but in that case you merely have to wander around slightly faster, otherwise you'll have to retry the scripted chase sequence.
Throw in a few loud jumpscares, which by this point no one is startled by anymore, and there you go. Your very own "horror game". :-X
Hahaha RED IS SCARY!
But yup, every. single. one. of. these. They've become so trite, boring and predictable that I'm not even entertained anymore by watching youtubers make fun of them...
Post by: Slasher on 05 Jul 2019, 17:52
It grinds my gears that the UK nation has turned some people into gutless wimps..
I hate to say this and I feel sad about it.... but where has their backbone gone and why has it turned yellow?
We were once a nation of solid rock but now it's more like soft jelly...
It grinds my gears (laugh)
Post by: TheFrighter on 05 Jul 2019, 18:39
Many people no longer have the grit, drive and the determination we had in this once great country (UK)..
It grinds my gears that the UK nation has turned some people into gutless wimps..
I hate to say this and I feel sad about it.... but where has their backbone gone and why has it turned yellow?
We were once a nation of solid rock but now it's more like soft jelly...
It grinds my gears (laugh)
I think it's the same thing that every old people say in every country... :-D
_
Post by: Jack on 05 Jul 2019, 21:04
Post by: Slasher on 05 Jul 2019, 21:40
Jack
You are both right..in a way... But it's true... If one dislikes something then its classed as hate campaign...
Post by: Jack on 05 Jul 2019, 21:54
Post by: Blondbraid on 06 Jul 2019, 09:20
That's what all old people have always done, just look at this quote by Socrates, born 469 BC:
Many people no longer have the grit, drive and the determination we had in this once great country (UK)..
It grinds my gears that the UK nation has turned some people into gutless wimps..
I hate to say this and I feel sad about it.... but where has their backbone gone and why has it turned yellow?
We were once a nation of solid rock but now it's more like soft jelly...
It grinds my gears (laugh)
I think it's the same thing that every old people say in every country... :-D
Quote
The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room.(roll)
Post by: Slasher on 06 Jul 2019, 11:51
Post by: Danvzare on 08 Jul 2019, 13:25
"Hah, those old people don't know how to use a computer! They're idiots!"
and
"Hah, those young people only ever have their eyes glued to their smartphones! They're idiots!"
You've just got to remember that the more things change, the more they stay the same. :)
Post by: josiah1221 on 09 Jul 2019, 03:46
Post by: Mandle on 09 Jul 2019, 08:29
Yep, we are all just a bunch of idiots! (laugh)
There are no exceptions to this rule... EVER!!!
Post by: Jack on 09 Jul 2019, 20:09
(https://i.imgur.com/O7hUXur.jpg)
Post by: cat on 18 Jul 2019, 20:38
I think I'll go get a T-shirt made:
"Vaccination causes adults."
Was that you, Mandle? https://www.qwertee.com/last-chance (https://www.qwertee.com/last-chance)
Post by: Mandle on 19 Jul 2019, 00:08
I think I'll go get a T-shirt made:
"Vaccination causes adults."
Was that you, Mandle? https://www.qwertee.com/last-chance (https://www.qwertee.com/last-chance)
Is there one there that says that? I couldn't find it.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 19 Jul 2019, 01:07
Thought there are plenty of them on google images. ;)
Post by: Danvzare on 31 Jul 2019, 13:46
To this day, I have no idea what gamergate was about. And when I made a comic about it, asking people. Everyone commented saying that they also didn't know! (laugh)
Post by: Blondbraid on 31 Jul 2019, 14:45
It grinds my gears, that when a huge controversy pops up out of nowhere, and a bunch of people are suddenly knee-deep in outrage. You sometimes can't find out why because everyone either completely avoids the details of the topic at hand (for example: "I can't believe he did that! I'm never buying Fez 2 from that asshole!"), or there's two sides that both hate each other without explaining the difference between the sides (for example: "Anyone who is pro-gamergate is dead to me!").I don't find the outrage funny or hard to understand.
To this day, I have no idea what gamergate was about. And when I made a comic about it, asking people. Everyone commented saying that they also didn't know! (laugh)
Here's John Oliver to explain it for you:
Post by: Blondbraid on 31 Jul 2019, 14:46
Post by: Laura Hunt on 31 Jul 2019, 15:32
To this day, I have no idea what gamergate was about.
I know, right? It's SO hard to find info on anything (https://lmgtfy.com/?q=gamergate) these days...
Post by: Laura Hunt on 31 Jul 2019, 20:30
If suggesting via a sarcastic google link that there are ways out there to find out literally anything about any subject you want is "virtue signaling", then I'll take it anytime over posting a single source from, wait for it, no less than knowyourmeme, that highly reputable news site.
Funny thing is you proved my point that the previous poster was too lazy to look for information on his own, and just to get back at dem dumm wimmen you went and did all the work for him. Congratulations! Now you can pat each other on the back and hopefully release some of that testosterone you keep bottled up :-*
Post by: Jack on 31 Jul 2019, 20:32
If suggesting via a sarcastic google link that there are ways out there to find out literally anything about any subject you want is "virtue signaling", then I'll take it anytime over posting a single source from, wait for it, no less than knowyourmeme, that highly reputable news site.
Funny thing is you proved my point that the previous poster was too lazy to look for information on his own, and just to get back at dem dumm wimmen you went and did all the work for him. Congratulations! Now you can pat each other on the back and hopefully release some of that testosterone you keep bottled up :-*
Geez, wasn't talking about you, but the people who are looking for an excuse to complain about the menstruation jam.
Edit: I was replying to Danvzare's original topic. Guess I should have quoted him.
Post by: Snarky on 31 Jul 2019, 20:35
In general, let's get back on topic, as loosely defined as it is.
Post by: Jack on 31 Jul 2019, 20:42
Snarky, you're a clown. Whoever put you in charge of anything screwed up bigtime.
Post by: dactylopus on 01 Aug 2019, 02:25
I got a post deleted there for not having the correct opinion on something. Didn't swear, didn't attack any posters. The link I posted which had a lot of info on gamergate was quite unbiased. This is the problem. The opinion was not on the extreme left.This grinds my gears.
Snarky, you're a clown. Whoever put you in charge of anything screwed up bigtime.
Post by: Snarky on 01 Aug 2019, 06:13
I got a post deleted there for not having the correct opinion on something. Didn't swear, didn't attack any posters. The link I posted which had a lot of info on gamergate was quite unbiased. This is the problem. The opinion was not on the extreme left.
Snarky, you're a clown. Whoever put you in charge of anything screwed up bigtime.
You have a history of posting conspiracy theories that slander and harass individuals, and that's why the post was deleted. The link may have been fine, your "summary" was not.
And the discussion is off-topic here anyway.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 15 Aug 2019, 22:26
And then I sit there and don't move because you don't want to wipe your head and get another person's spittle on your hand, and also don't want to acknowledge that it happened...
Post by: Mandle on 15 Aug 2019, 23:59
Post by: Laura Hunt on 16 Aug 2019, 07:29
People who sit behind you on the bus and cough/sneeze on the back of your head.
And then I sit there and don't move because you don't want to wipe your head and get another person's spittle on your hand, and also don't want to acknowledge that it happened...
Ah! Public transportation pet peeves! I have ALL of those (laugh) For example, in Germany nobody takes off their backpack in public transportation EVER, no matter how crowded it is. Pretty much anywhere else this would be considered barbaric (http://www.modelcommuters.com.au/the-backpack-remover/), but "respect for other people's personal space" is just not a thing here... or at least in Berlin, where people will literally push you just to be the first to get to the cashier line that just opened (wtf)
Post by: Snarky on 21 Aug 2019, 17:07
Post by: Blondbraid on 22 Aug 2019, 11:47
Not only is it gross having to see some guy's hairy rear end in public, but it's also incredibly disgusting when they sit with their half-naked butt on a bus or subway, and then the next person will have to
sit on a seat soaked with their sweat and butt stench.
Post by: Mouth for war on 22 Aug 2019, 12:00
Post by: Mandle on 30 Aug 2019, 00:44
I don't think that other high-ups had him killed to protect themselves from getting named by him, but I do highly suspect that they had a hand in his suicide watch being lifted and possibly even a word in his ear that it would be much better for him if he just ends it all. Why the hell would his suicide watch be taken away after such a short time? They obviously thought he was likely to kill himself. That's why they had the watch in the first place!
Now the others who were obviously involved in the same disgusting stuff get a free pass and the victims get no closure.
I really hope someone investigates all this honestly and the full truth comes to light one day.
Post by: Jack on 30 Aug 2019, 01:40
All the stuff I've read, the convenient camera "malfunction" for his cell, one of the guards watching him not being a corrections officer (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/one-of-epsteins-guards-was-not-a-corrections-officer), the broken neck bones (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/15/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-finds-broken-neck-bones-reports-say/2021047001/), it just stinks to high hell. Last I heard his legal team was able to contest the "official" autopsy results based on the report of their own examiner.
And of course 8chan, which would normally be all over this, happens to be taken offline, and the FBI releases a report saying they are ready to treat conspiracy theorists as domestic terrorists, both just a few days before he died. How very convenient for certain people.
On top of this, John McAfee's drone footage proves that material, including computers, were removed from his island before the FBI availed themselves to finally raid it. He wasn't alone in this, yet his known accomplice and spouse has not been arrested.
Post by: milkanannan on 30 Aug 2019, 06:31
My gears are so grounded! >:(
Post by: Mandle on 30 Aug 2019, 12:29
I'm paying several hundred USD$ a month
WTF?! That's like what I pay for rent per month! I pay about $100 per month for cable connection on TV, computer, and telephone including local WiFi for unlimited (AFAIK) devices.
Post by: milkanannan on 31 Aug 2019, 05:18
I think the problem here is that there is no competition in telecom. Most countries only have one or two providers, so they carve the monopoly up and work together to kep their sh*t service super expensive. It's so infuriating! :angry: :angry:
Post by: Jack on 01 Sep 2019, 21:50
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Shocking Origins of the Jeffrey Epstein Case (https://www.mintpressnews.com/shocking-origins-jeffrey-epstein-blackmail-roy-cohn/260621/)
Government by Blackmail: Jeffrey Epstein, Trump's Mentor and the Dark Secrets of the Reagan Era (https://www.mintpressnews.com/blackmail-jeffrey-epstein-trump-mentor-reagan-era/260760/)
Mega Group, Maxwells and Mossad: The Spy Story at the Heart of the Jeffrey Epstein Scandal (https://www.mintpressnews.com/mega-group-maxwells-mossad-spy-story-jeffrey-epstein-scandal/261172/)
From “Spook Air” to the “Lolita Express”: The Genesis and Evolution of the Jeffrey Epstein-Bill Clinton Relationship (https://www.mintpressnews.com/genesis-jeffrey-epstein-bill-clinton-relationship/261455/)
Post by: Mandle on 06 Sep 2019, 15:09
I present to you: Holmes And Watson. May it be played endlessly on repeat to child-molesters in Hell.
Post by: milkanannan on 06 Sep 2019, 15:54
Post by: Stupot on 06 Sep 2019, 16:00
Post by: Danvzare on 06 Sep 2019, 16:53
It is rare that I turn a movie off even half-way through but this is the first time that, after 20 minutes watching, I've had to fumble for the control, pray I found the stop button fast enough, and then pop the screen the finger and say, our loud, "Fuck you!".I had the exact same problem with Napoleon Dynamite.
I present to you: Holmes And Watson. May it be played endlessly on repeat to child-molesters in Hell.
If you think Holmes and Watson was bad, then you've not watched people literally saying "duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh" for half an hour.
I thought "surely this can't be the entire film" but after half an hour, I realized it was.
Post by: milkanannan on 06 Sep 2019, 17:55
It is rare that I turn a movie off even half-way through but this is the first time that, after 20 minutes watching, I've had to fumble for the control, pray I found the stop button fast enough, and then pop the screen the finger and say, our loud, "Fuck you!".I had the exact same problem with Napoleon Dynamite.
I present to you: Holmes And Watson. May it be played endlessly on repeat to child-molesters in Hell.
If you think Holmes and Watson was bad, then you've not watched people literally saying "duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh" for half an hour.
I thought "surely this can't be the entire film" but after half an hour, I realized it was.
Haha different strokes I guess. I think the movie was pulling the 'dude' stuff in tongue-in-cheek way and that was part of the joke. I wouldn't say it was my favourite movie, but I just thought the movie had a few moments that were funny because some of the characters were so laughably awful (i.e. Napoleon Dynamite's brother that's so into the internet). :-D
(http://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/89x4osEodHEoo/giphy.gif)
Post by: dactylopus on 06 Sep 2019, 20:54
I have heard from many sources now that Holmes & Watson was not a good movie. Shame, I was hoping for a success.
Post by: Mandle on 07 Sep 2019, 00:56
Just from the poster alone I knew I was never going to watch it.
Yeah, from the DVD cover I was 90% sure it was going to be pretty bad, but even that turned out to be misleading.
As Maggie Smith so wonderfully stated in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel "I went with no expectations and came away disappointed."
I was hoping that the advertising material was misleading in the extreme. I found this to be the case with the movie "Downsizing" recently.
The previews made it look like it was going to be a one-joke mess about tiny people using normal sized stuff, like the "giant" vodka bottle they show at the BBQ scene, which isn't even in the movie. And there was a bunch of this kind of visual "jokes" in the preview, whereas, in the movie, there is only one such joke and even that is a character playing a silly prank.
The movie itself is SO different from the preview that I think either the advertising team never even saw the movie or were told to deliberately troll the audience.
"Downsizing" is one of the most touching and wonderful films I have seen in years, with unforgettable characters, a unique but perfectly-done story structure, and deeply philosophical while never being preachy. It presents several moral choices and shows the choices the characters make but never suggests these were the right ones, leaving a lot of room for thought and discussion afterwards.
So, yeah, I was hoping this kind of misleading advertising might be the case with Holmes And Watson but immediately, from the opening quote at the start, I could tell this was not going to be the case.
And then it got worse... Much worse... Brrrrrrrrrr...
Post by: Stupot on 07 Sep 2019, 01:53
I have the same thing with most of Judd Apatow's output. I haven't really watch any of them but my friends would all sit there quoting lines from Knocked Up or something and it didn't make me want to watch it. I'm not saying Knocked Up isn't a great film. But I just haven't felt compelled to watch it yet, just so that I can join in with quote sessions.
I think it's like Adam Sandler's “downfall”. People say his films got shit. Looking back I think they were always a bit shit (with a few exceptions). My mum knew they were shit. She would say “why are you watching this shit?” as I cracked up at the next “You can do iiit!” which was somehow funny at the time.
What I'm saying is I think I just realised I don't much like American Comedy films...
huh...
Post by: milkanannan on 07 Sep 2019, 04:11
Post by: dactylopus on 07 Sep 2019, 04:23
Post by: Mandle on 07 Sep 2019, 04:57
the show seemed to confuse nonsensical randomness with comedy.
Monty Python: ARE WE A JOKE TO YOU?!
(I think I misused that meme... What is that called? A misdememeor?)
Post by: Mouth for war on 07 Sep 2019, 12:58
Post by: Blondbraid on 07 Sep 2019, 13:57
To each their own. I find Ferrel funny in a lot of things, but it can be a bit much at times. As for Adam Sandler, Billy Madison is one of my all time favorite movies but I don't care much for anything post-Wedding Singer.Yeah, pretty much all his later movies only exist because they were a form of paid vacation for Sandler and his friends, no one put any effort into anything and everything is financed by enough
product placements to put even Michel Bay to shame.
Regarding the Holmes and Watson movie, I never saw it, but I did see some YouTube reviews of it and it seems spectacularly bad.
Apparently, the big climax of the movie show the two "heroes" finding a bomb on board the Titanic and their hijinks end up destroying the ship. It just sounds like remarkably bad taste,
though sadly I've seen even more inappropriate uses of the Titanic catastrophe in bad kid's movies. Seriously, it's insane how many kid's movies featuring the sinking of Titanic there are!
Post by: Mandle on 07 Sep 2019, 14:39
Seriously, it's insane how many kid's movies featuring the sinking of Titanic there are!
Nostalgia Critic fan?
Post by: Blondbraid on 07 Sep 2019, 15:42
Yep, though the worst depiction of Titanic in a kid's movie I've ever seen wasn't even reviewed by him!Seriously, it's insane how many kid's movies featuring the sinking of Titanic there are!
Nostalgia Critic fan?
It's a Danish film called Samson and Sally, and there's a big musical number where two comedy relief characters
build a human centipede out of the skeletons of the dead crew members and use it as a xylophone! 8-0
I've found a clip from that movie on YouTube, if you skip to about two minutes in you can see the scene for yourself:
Seriously, anyone else thinking that movie was messed up?
Post by: Mandle on 07 Sep 2019, 17:53
Seriously, anyone else thinking that movie was messed up?
I'm not that sure about it being messed up.
The Titanic disaster happened a long time ago and few are around today to be traumatized by such content.
For kids it's about the same as pirate skeletons lurking in the wrecks of their ships.
I say let them build all the fictional xylophones they like from the bones of unnamed 100 year old disaster victims.
It's just creepy good fun by now and we might be getting a bit too sensitive these days about such stuff.
Pretty soon, if we take this approach, we won't be able to tell any creepy stories based on real life events.
I would draw the line at making the same kind of humor based on victims of intentional, human-made atrocities, but accidents that happened over 100 years ago...
Fair game in my opinion!
If I had died in such a way I would think it awesome that was remembered still in some way 100+ years later.
Post by: milkanannan on 07 Sep 2019, 18:05
(https://media.giphy.com/media/12aW6JtfvUdcdO/giphy.gif)
Post by: Blondbraid on 07 Sep 2019, 23:31
I would draw the line at making the same kind of humor based on victims of intentional, human-made atrocities, but accidents that happened over 100 years ago...That is a good point, though the problem with the movie is that it also features a "humorous" depiction of the ghosts of the trans atlantic slave trade
right in the same musical number (look for yourselves at about 1:50 in the video), plus they insert a great deal of random WW2 weaponry at the end of the song.
But probably the worst part for me is that I saw this movie as a kid, and knowing the context of the scene is that those two walruses are supposed to be the cutesy comedy relief!
I mean, the hyenas from Lion King used a random animal rib-cage as a xylophone, but they were supposed to be the creepy and evil villains, whereas the walruses in Sampson and Sally
practically wades in weird inappropriate imagery for no reason and kills a whole school of fish in the process and kid's are meant to laugh at them. :-\
I don't remember much of the actual story, but I do remember thinking that whole segment had no business in a kids movie even when I was a kid watching it.
I do think there is a place for dark humor in animation aimed at older audiences like The Simpsons or Family Guy, but for kids who haven't yet learned satire or
what half of the tragedis referenced in that song were about and only see "funny" characters laughing at dead people and destruction? Just nope. (wrong)
Post by: Danvzare on 08 Sep 2019, 13:05
"Downsizing" is one of the most touching and wonderful films I have seen in years, with unforgettable characters, a unique but perfectly-done story structure, and deeply philosophical while never being preachy. It presents several moral choices and shows the choices the characters make but never suggests these were the right ones, leaving a lot of room for thought and discussion afterwards.Wait... you liked Downsizing?
You could remove the whole shrinking aspect, and you'd only change the first fifteen minutes of the film!
It's like they combined two half finished film scripts into one.
Here I was waiting for the whole shrinking thing to completely blow up in everyone's face (of which there was plenty of signs pointing to that), and suddenly, the film changed tone and started treating it as set dressing.
There's all sorts of ways they could've handled the film. From big people no longer supporting little people, and rats breaking in, and so on. To a full on apocalypse outside, with the little people all slowly realizing that they depended on big people to survive. So on, and so on. But no, instead they used it as an excuse for the main guy to have a divorce.
I could easily describe the ENTIRE PLOT of that film, without once mentioning the shrinking aspect. Shrinking should not be the least important part of a film, which has shrinking in it!
But let's take a look at it without the fact that they shoe-horned shrinking into it, just to sell tickets. And instead just look at it as the film it is.
In that case... meh. It's alright I guess. If you like that type of film. Personally I've seen it done better.
+1 on Will Ferrel. No idea what everyone was on about.Same here. I can't think of one film he's been in, that I've liked.
Post by: Mandle on 08 Sep 2019, 13:36
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Post by: Danvzare on 09 Sep 2019, 19:16
Danzare,I'll hide this part, so as to not spoil it for anyone who wants to watch the film.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
I hated the movie, because it didn't focus on what people were clearly sacrificing by being shrunk down. They were literally selling their freedom and security, for money. They were all relying heavily upon big people to accommodate them, and it was clear at the start, that some people had a problem with that.
I wanted to see the inevitable conclusion of it all. The sad ending where it all falls apart for our main character as the shrinking fad inevitably dies!
I wanted to see the passage of time, the lack of maintenance on Leisureland, the increased prices of miniature products. The people who were shrunk and got lots of money as a result, suddenly ending up on the bottom of the food chain. Rats and cockroaches breaking in. Perhaps even a psychopath (who is big) breaking in early on in the movie, screaming about how he hates little people, and smashing half the city under his foot.
I wanted to see them be abandoned, as you got to see the true dark side of reality, when the inevitable bubble pops. And how greed had fueled it all.
You can't tell me that would've made a worse movie.
You said you like how it was a movie about how the more things change, the more they stay the same. Which proves my point exactly, as it is just a fancy way of saying, the shrinking added nothing. You could have just as easily replaced shrinking with anything else (going to Mars for example) and had the same film. Or as I have said multiple times already, you could've easily removed it entirely!
I believe if you are going to add something major into the story, it should be integral to the story. Any film can say "Oh, and it's set on mars in the future", but it doesn't instantly make it better. Could you imagine if they did that to The Usual Suspects or Pulp Fiction? Would it have made those films better or worse? In my opinion, worse. >:(
That being said, I'm also glad it wasn't just a movie-long episode of Land of the Giants. Or a remake of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. But come on, if you're going to introduce the social changes caused by people shrinking themselves, you've got to follow through with it. Don't just have it as a backdrop.
Post by: Snarky on 10 Sep 2019, 17:59
That's what makes Charlie Kaufman's scripts so great: he'll start from some wacky idea, but then he'll push them further, really work them out to their ultimate implications. There's a tunnel that puts your mind into John Malkovich's body? Well, what happens if John Malkovich goes through the tunnel? We're in a movie written by one of the characters in the movie? Well, what happens if his hack brother takes over the writing? A lot of other writers who try to work in that surreal vein don't seem to have either the imagination or the courage to actually follow through on their setup.
Post by: Blondbraid on 12 Sep 2019, 12:26
which is completely different from the first impression I got from the marketing, which was basically just Matt Damon messing around with giant props.
It grinds my gears when marketing and trailers completely fail to convey the tone or themes of a film or series. One example I experienced was with
the German TV-series Babylon Berlin (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4378376/), where the trailer I saw made it look like an awful attempt at doing "Game of Thrones, but with nazis", and relying on
edgy imagery of sex and violence paired with super cliche film noir tropes, and I probably would have skipped it entirely if it wasn't for the recommendation
of an acquaintance as well as a review praising the series for avoiding exactly that sort of stuff.
I actually wound up loving the series for it's great visuals and nuanced and complex characters and how it gave a captivating portrait of an interesting historical era,
and how it could deal with mature topics without fetishizing them or reveling in shock imagery and featured marginalized characters without killing them off or reducing
them to tragic victims. Basically, it was the stark opposite of what I saw presented in the trailer, and if that trailer had been all I'd heard of it, I probably would have
missed out on Babylon Berlin entirely, which is kind of the opposite of what marketing is supposed to do.
Post by: Mandle on 12 Sep 2019, 13:30
which is completely different from the first impression I got from the marketing, which was basically just Matt Damon messing around with giant props.
Yup... It's not that. It's much better than that.
Post by: Frodo on 18 Sep 2019, 21:59
But then someone scoops in at the very last second, so no-one else has a chance to bid again.
If you're interested in an item, just bid on it! Don't wait for the last second. That's a low move! :undecided:
Post by: Cassiebsg on 18 Sep 2019, 22:12
That's why many auction sites have an extra anti-snipping police. That if there's a bid in the last 5 minutes then the auction is automatically extended with 5 minutes... real auctions also only stop when there's no more bidders, not cause it hit a certain time. (roll)
Post by: Stupot on 19 Sep 2019, 05:11
Post by: Danvzare on 19 Sep 2019, 13:39
I hate it when I'm bidding for something on Ebay... and I'm winning.You also kind of need to snipe on eBay, to avoid the sellers from outbidding you. You see, in my experience, the seller will want a minimum amount, but won't put in that minimum amount so as to attract people to bid. As soon as someone does though, they'll outbid them with an alternate account until they reach the minimum that they want.
But then someone scoops in at the very last second, so no-one else has a chance to bid again.
If you're interested in an item, just bid on it! Don't wait for the last second. That's a low move! :undecided:
This becomes blatantly obvious when you bid on an item, lose the bid, and then see the exact same item being sold by the exact same seller, the very next day. (nod)
Post by: Slasher on 19 Sep 2019, 13:48
Post by: Danvzare on 19 Sep 2019, 13:55
Some people use a program and set it to bid few seconds from end of auction..Where can I find this program?
Um... asking for a friend. (laugh)
That friend being me.
Post by: VampireWombat on 19 Sep 2019, 14:20
Post by: Frodo on 19 Sep 2019, 16:48
Post by: Slasher on 19 Sep 2019, 17:34
https://www.bidnapper.com/?refuser=ggle11-others-auction%20sniper&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzozsBRCNARIsAEM9kBPBzpnv8CyxB9ewMNk-Y_IGQxdk826YXKe8Ckkl4BCcyV_egTgxZWkaAhAWEALw_wcB
Post by: dactylopus on 20 Sep 2019, 04:37
And this is why I only use buy now on Ebay...Same.
Post by: Danvzare on 20 Sep 2019, 17:49
BidnapperLooking at it, it looks like a website you pay money to snipe for you.
https://www.bidnapper.com/?refuser=ggle11-others-auction%20sniper&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzozsBRCNARIsAEM9kBPBzpnv8CyxB9ewMNk-Y_IGQxdk826YXKe8Ckkl4BCcyV_egTgxZWkaAhAWEALw_wcB
And considering there's another website named EZ sniper that looks the exactly same, something tells me it's as shady as it looks.
I was hoping for something more along the lines of a program that you run on your computer while you wait.
Looks like I'll be sticking to the buy now only options as well. (nod)
Post by: Mandle on 20 Sep 2019, 23:54
Post by: Snarky on 27 Sep 2019, 16:37
What grinds my gears is sites that pretend to comply with GDPR rules to give you a way to decline tracking cookies, but actually use "dark patterns" to make it almost impossible to do so, for example by requiring you to deselect hundreds of trackers individually. Perpetrators include Vox and Oath (tumblr, etc.). This is illegal by EU law: the choice to decline tracking must not be substantially more cumbersome than the choice to accept it. I hope they get sued, or even better, that people stop going to their sites.
It particularly annoys me because at my work we spent considerable resources making a good-faith effort to comply with the new rules, as I'm sure most businesses have, while these huge Internet companies try to scam their way out of it.
Post by: Mouth for war on 02 Oct 2019, 11:15
Post by: cat on 02 Oct 2019, 12:00
What grinds my gears to dust is television.
Lol, I just misread this sentence in a way that you hate to clean your television set (laugh)
The following rant didn't make any sense under this assumption.
Post by: Danvzare on 02 Oct 2019, 16:26
What grinds my gears to dust is television.It's even more gear grinding in Britain if you ask me.
Damn TV license!
And what's worse, even if you don't pay for one, because hey, there's nothing on TV worth watching anyway. They hound you like there's no tomorrow! 8-0
Post by: Mandle on 02 Oct 2019, 16:58
What grinds my gears to dust is television.It's even more gear grinding in Britain if you ask me.
Damn TV license!
And what's worse, even if you don't pay for one, because hey, there's nothing on TV worth watching anyway. They hound you like there's no tomorrow! 8-0
It's the same here in Japan. The NHK channel guys come knocking for payment, but if you're a foreigner like me and tell them to go away they generally don't come back.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 02 Oct 2019, 17:13
Plug a dvd player or something else, and watch what you want. Regular TV (as in they decide what you watch and when) is dead, they have just not realized it yet.
Post by: TheFrighter on 02 Oct 2019, 18:08
In Italy the tv license is o the bill of electricity, so have to pay the tv even food retailers and groceryes and other shops that dont'have it! >:(
_
Post by: Stupot on 02 Oct 2019, 22:06
Post by: Mouth for war on 03 Oct 2019, 03:10
Post by: Blondbraid on 05 Oct 2019, 12:49
Post by: Mandle on 05 Oct 2019, 15:32
And some of it is pretty entertaining but, yeah, the "unscripted" part I mentioned is vital. Western reality TV is becoming too obviously controlled to get maximum drama in the minimum time.
The Japanese stuff is still edited together to give maximum entertainment value, of course, but at least you can tell those segments are genuine people being themselves (for the most part).
Post by: Danvzare on 07 Oct 2019, 16:06
Urgh, I hate reality TV, and the worst part of all is that for probably 90% of the run time they aren't even showing the cooking/dancing/car remodeling or whatever the audience is actually there to see, it's just the worst kind of filler with the hosts nattering endlessly about random nonsense or spending several minutes in a row asking the participants again and again weather they feel pumped doing whatever they came to do on tv, which is just plain stupid considering they probably wouldn't beg to be doing it on TV if they weren't. (wrong)Actually, I find that 90% of the content to be nothing but recaps.
Here's an example of how they usually go in my opinion:
"This person turns poop into food! Let's see what they can find today."
"Ooh, poop, I'm going to turn this into food."
*adverts*
"To recap, this person turns poop into food! He then found poop!"
"Ooh, poop. I'm going to turn this into food."
"Let's see what he does with it."
"I'm going to put it in a blender."
*adverts*
(Then of course you recap everything AGAIN. Rinse and repeat until you have an entire episode.)
Here in Japan probably about 50% of TV is unscripted "Reality TV" and always has beenOnly 50% of TV content is Reality TV! :-D
That sounds awesome!
It's about 85% here in England.
Post by: Mouth for war on 08 Oct 2019, 11:52
Post by: TheFrighter on 08 Oct 2019, 12:34
No reality-show about gamemakers? (laugh)
_
Post by: Mandle on 08 Oct 2019, 12:45
No reality-show about gamemakers? (laugh)_
Sounds like an AGS community project waiting to happen!
Post by: Mouth for war on 08 Oct 2019, 13:46
now we're getting somewhere :-D
No reality-show about gamemakers? (laugh)
_
Post by: Danvzare on 08 Oct 2019, 16:51
I'd watch it. (nod)now we're getting somewhere :-D
No reality-show about gamemakers? (laugh)
_
Post by: Blondbraid on 08 Oct 2019, 20:41
It's a great idea, but I'm afraid reality-TV people would just find a way to muck it up with a ton of the aforementioned filler and recaps, lazy stereotypes of game developers asI'd watch it. (nod)now we're getting somewhere :-D
No reality-show about gamemakers? (laugh)
_
weirdos living in their parent's basements with empty mountain dew bottles as their sole company, and probably gratuitous apple product placement galore.
Post by: VampireWombat on 08 Oct 2019, 20:48
Post by: Jack on 10 Oct 2019, 01:15
The media deluges them with the
Never mind cigarettes probably kill more people than that in a day. No thought is given to where those nicotine addicts will go for their fix once vapes are banned. These people are just ever ready to repeat exactly what they have been told, and nothing more. ("ANTIFREEZUH")
Post by: Retro Wolf on 10 Oct 2019, 10:46
It grinds my gears, these armchair activists that are ready to get extra passionate about whatever the media put in their heads this week. This vaping frenzy is the perfect example.
The media deluges them with the7,8, 9 deaths that have now been associated with vaping. Not even with vaping itself, but with tainted cartridges. "But did you hear? 10 people who use vapes have now died! When will someone stop this madness?!"
Never mind cigarettes probably kill more people than that in a day. No thought is given to where those nicotine addicts will go for their fix once vapes are banned. These people are just ever ready to repeat exactly what they have been told, and nothing more. ("ANTIFREEZUH")
"SHOCK vaping DEATHS you won't BELIEVE" I'd rather smell unicorn fart smelling vapes than cigarette smoke any day of the week. What grinds my gears is these clickbait headlines that seem to be written by a bot. I get recommended articles come up on my phone, there's one website that has "SHOCK" in capitals every single article. Then if you do actually click it it's nowhere near as "SHOCKING", in fact it's an article about "NOTHING".
Post by: Jack on 10 Oct 2019, 21:30
Post by: Blondbraid on 11 Oct 2019, 01:08
Exactly. It reminds me of just how many clickbaity headlines that gets pumped out about "millenials be crazy" and anything gets painted as a worldwide youth frenzy even when the only people recorded doing it were a handful of people as a joke or bet, or in case of all alarmist stories of teens eating tide pods, not even that. Like, I've yet to see one single verified news story of a real teenager eating one, yet there were tons of clickbait articles on it for a while.It grinds my gears, these armchair activists that are ready to get extra passionate about whatever the media put in their heads this week. This vaping frenzy is the perfect example.
The media deluges them with the7,8, 9 deaths that have now been associated with vaping. Not even with vaping itself, but with tainted cartridges. "But did you hear? 10 people who use vapes have now died! When will someone stop this madness?!"
Never mind cigarettes probably kill more people than that in a day. No thought is given to where those nicotine addicts will go for their fix once vapes are banned. These people are just ever ready to repeat exactly what they have been told, and nothing more. ("ANTIFREEZUH")
"SHOCK vaping DEATHS you won't BELIEVE" I'd rather smell unicorn fart smelling vapes than cigarette smoke any day of the week. What grinds my gears is these clickbait headlines that seem to be written by a bot. I get recommended articles come up on my phone, there's one website that has "SHOCK" in capitals every single article. Then if you do actually click it it's nowhere near as "SHOCKING", in fact it's an article about "NOTHING".
Post by: Jack on 12 Oct 2019, 20:14
A few years ago I stopped buying games with DRM. The final straw for me was the frequent multi-gigabyte forced updates from GTA V. When will games companies learn that they need to provide a better product than the one you get from a surprise discount?
Post by: Click'd on 12 Oct 2019, 21:48
Post by: Laura Hunt on 16 Oct 2019, 08:24
No. Learn reading comprehension and don't waste my time.
Post by: Mandle on 16 Oct 2019, 08:32
"Do you have a moment to jump on a quick call?"
No. Learn reading comprehension and don't waste my time.
The quick, brown Laura jumped on the lazy call.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 16 Oct 2019, 09:36
"Do you have a moment to jump on a quick call?"
No. Learn reading comprehension and don't waste my time.
The quick, brown Laura jumped on the lazy call.
(laugh) :P
Post by: Danvzare on 16 Oct 2019, 17:14
DRM grinds my gears, and today is the International Day Against DRM (https://www.defectivebydesign.org/blog/help_defend_right_read_stand_against_drm_october_12th).DRM is exactly why I prefer to play my big budget games on a console.
The only DRM you have to deal with on those, if having to insert the disc every time you want to play the game. Which is something I grew up with, and don't mind as a result.
I'll always be a PC gamer at heart. But because of DRM alone, I'll always play so called "AAA" games on a console. And if you need me to prove it, just look up Assassin's Creed Origins. (Not that I'd play such a terrible game anyway.)
Post by: Jack on 16 Oct 2019, 19:26
DRM is exactly why I prefer to play my big budget games on a console.
I could years ago get over the fact that console games were sold at double the price of PC games, but modern console prices are just offensive to me. That's beside the "features" of always-on cameras and mics.
"Do you have a moment to jump on a quick call?"
No. Learn reading comprehension and don't waste my time.
Also, this.
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Oct 2019, 22:11
I'll always be a PC gamer at heart. But because of DRM alone, I'll always play so called "AAA" games on a console. And if you need me to prove it, just look up Assassin's Creed Origins. (Not that I'd play such a terrible game anyway.)Assassin's Creed Origins is the only Assassin's Creed game that I've started but never finished, and I didn't even bother with Odyssey due to the obnoxious trend of all AAA games turning into the same RPG/Sandbox blaha where you have to spend ages travelling giant maps with nothing worthwhile in them and all the fun abilities are arbitrarily locked behind a skill tree forcing you to do a bunch of pointless busywork and repetitive sidequests instead of just being able to do all the cool stuff you came for from the start.
Seriously, why cant modern AAA devs just make a well-paced game that prioritizes fun and unique gameplay instead of this ubiquitous mess of aimless open-world grinding?
It's gotten so bad some games are even offering boost packages as dlc just so players can skip the grind, which defeats the entire purpose of games for entertainment.
Post by: Jack on 17 Oct 2019, 00:06
Seriously, why cant modern AAA devs just make a well-paced game that prioritizes fun and unique gameplay instead of this ubiquitous mess of aimless open-world grinding?
It's gotten so bad some games are even offering boost packages as dlc just so players can skip the grind, which defeats the entire purpose of games for entertainment.
a) Then they can't deliver the premium team-based open-world experience with customisable hats, that the focus group told them is currently a hot item with young adults ages 11 to 40.
b) (most importantly) Then they can't offer people with money to spend in-game the opportunity to skip all the grinding (https://old.reddit.com/r/StarWarsBattlefront/comments/7cff0b/seriously_i_paid_80_to_have_vader_locked/dppum98/).
Post by: Mandle on 17 Oct 2019, 00:52
Seriously, why cant modern AAA devs just make a well-paced game that prioritizes fun and unique gameplay instead of this ubiquitous mess of aimless open-world grinding?
It's a cheap and nasty way to pad the runtime of the game without having to bother with all that annoyingly difficult "content" stuff?
(I don't mind grinding in RPGs if the combat experience is varied and tactically challenging enough but if it's just "hit-get hit-hit-get hit-you win or lose" it gets old fast)
Post by: Mandle on 17 Oct 2019, 14:15
It can go fuck itself.
Post by: Danvzare on 17 Oct 2019, 16:40
Seriously, why cant modern AAA devs just make a well-paced game that prioritizes fun and unique gameplay instead of this ubiquitous mess of aimless open-world grinding?That right there, is exactly WHY they now make all of their games aimless open-world grindfests.
It's gotten so bad some games are even offering boost packages as dlc just so players can skip the grind, which defeats the entire purpose of games for entertainment.
They're no longer in the business of making games. They're in the business of selling you time-savers, so you don't have to play their terrible games. (Which begs the question as to why people are still buying their games. I have a few theories, but nothing I can say with certainty.)
I could go into a really long rant about the corruption of RPG mechanics to sell cheat codes, and how Assassin's Creed new leveling system is an offense to both the Assassin's Creed franchise and RPG mechanics as a whole.
But I don't want to write that much. (laugh)
What grinds my gears is the AGS Translation system...As someone who has never really used the AGS Translation system, could you please tell me why it's so terrible.
It can go fuck itself.
It always looked "good enough" to me.
Post by: Mandle on 18 Oct 2019, 00:47
As someone who has never really used the AGS Translation system, could you please tell me why it's so terrible.
It always looked "good enough" to me.
Meh, it's workable. I was in a really bad mood when I wrote that.
But, when you have a 100 page-length translation and have to write the translated dialog in every second line, including the &27, for example, dialog numbers it's easy to make mistakes here and there, like hitting "enter" by accident and creating an extra line, which throws off the whole translation, or deleting a line by accident, or deleting the "return" space forcing two lines together, or an unintended space between the & and the number, or many other things.
Then you have to scroll through the 100 pages to try and find all the errors, which I was doing yesterday for like 5 or 6 hours and still couldn't get the damn thing working yet.
I know there are programs that people have made to make things easier. I should probably be using one of them and will look into this next time.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 18 Oct 2019, 12:30
Post by: Blondbraid on 18 Oct 2019, 23:51
I suppose what really grinds my gears regarding AAA games is that most of them have budgets larger than the GDP of minor nations to the point profit is the only thing that matter and we ger focus-tested-to-hell bland sandboxes with a ton of micro-transactions as a result.
And looking for alternatives, small indie games can be both fun and charming, but being made by just one or a handful of amateurs still do limit the scope of what can be done with games and not all genres work well with this formula. What I'm really missing is AA games made by minor studios that have some resources and professional experience, but can still take enough risk not to be a lesser clone of the Ubisof desert, but such games are harder to find than a Jeff Goldblum movie where he doesn't go "Uhhm" in every scene he's in.
Post by: Mandle on 19 Oct 2019, 15:02
harder to find than a Jeff Goldblum movie where he doesn't go "Uhhm" in every scene he's in.
I'm working on an algorithm that predicts exactly how much Jeff Goldblum is needed in any specific movie given its tone and genre...
So far the results are:
Jurassic Park: 15% (almost perfect to the actual appearance time which is about 15.5%)
Jurassic Park. The Lost World: 37% (yeah, he waaaaay overstayed his welcome here)
Thor Ragnarok: 8% (He actually only clocked in at about 6% but close enough)
The Fly: 83% (The algorithm is working)
The Godfather: 23% (GODDAMMIT!!! Back to the drawing board!)
Post by: Laura Hunt on 21 Oct 2019, 09:35
Post by: Mandle on 21 Oct 2019, 09:37
From Laura's List of Office Pet Peeves: people who smash their keyboards when they type as if they were releasing all their childhood frustrations on the poor thing.
And people who poke their monitors with their finger when showing you something.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 21 Oct 2019, 09:55
From Laura's List of Office Pet Peeves: people who smash their keyboards when they type as if they were releasing all their childhood frustrations on the poor thing.
And people who poke their monitors with their finger when showing you something.
Hahaha, and people who double click on things that need only one click.
Post by: Mandle on 25 Oct 2019, 04:54
(Hidden due to being a bit longish)
Because my YouTube name is "ManDevil" I attract a lot of religious nuts trying to save my soul I guess. The thing is, it's only "ManDevil" by coincidence really. I put a video on my channel of a ghost as part of the setup for a ghost story challenge for a kids' summer camp. But my YouTube name at the time was "MandleRoss" so they would have seen it and known it was a fake, planted by me. So I tried to just change my name to "Mandle" but it was taken so I went with "ManDevil" as it was kind of close and had an ominous ring to it for the ghost story prank. And then I just got used to it.
Post by: cat on 25 Oct 2019, 07:46
Are you doing a "bit"?
mean?
Post by: lorenzo on 25 Oct 2019, 07:49
Because my YouTube name is "ManDevil" I attract a lot of religious nuts trying to save my soul I guess.What?!? You're the guy behind ManDevil?! That's my favourite devil-worshipping channel on Youtube! I always go there, when I need instruction on how to summon demons and so on. The flat earth stuff is pretty decent as well. ;)
Keep up the good work, mate!
Post by: Laura Hunt on 25 Oct 2019, 08:10
What does
Are you doing a "bit"?
mean?
Basically a joke, or a comedy routine.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 25 Oct 2019, 08:16
Post by: Mandle on 25 Oct 2019, 10:28
Because my YouTube name is "ManDevil" I attract a lot of religious nuts trying to save my soul I guess.What?!? You're the guy behind ManDevil?! That's my favourite devil-worshipping channel on Youtube! I always go there, when I need instruction on how to summon demons and so on. The flat earth stuff is pretty decent as well. ;)
Keep up the good work, mate!
ROFL!!!
Also, I'm totally stealing "WHO in thee ALL flying FUCK" for myself (laugh)
Yeah, nutjobs can have great catchphrases.
Also, yes, "doing a bit" means acting out a comedy routine, especially stand-up comedy.
Post by: Mouth for war on 27 Oct 2019, 00:15
Post by: Jack on 27 Oct 2019, 01:19
He said, “Oh, like you're doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don't even think that's a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Post by: Mandle on 27 Oct 2019, 02:34
But, I'll admit, I did laugh out loud a few times.
Post by: Stupot on 27 Oct 2019, 03:17
Post by: Laura Hunt on 27 Oct 2019, 06:32
Post by: Mandle on 27 Oct 2019, 08:07
Guys, your meme game is weak https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-saw-flying-lotus-in-a-grocery-store-copypasta?full=1
Hahaha... I kind of half-thought it might be something like that.
Post by: Mouth for war on 27 Oct 2019, 23:35
Post by: AnasAbdin on 04 Nov 2019, 19:14
Post by: Cassiebsg on 04 Nov 2019, 19:39
Post by: Danvzare on 05 Nov 2019, 16:19
It surprisingly works about 75% of the time.
Post by: Blondbraid on 07 Nov 2019, 15:44
I just use my adblocker to block those elements, so I can click past them.For me, those numbers are the opposite, and that's not even counting all the sites that don't let you use adblockers.
It surprisingly works about 75% of the time.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 07 Nov 2019, 17:00
Post by: Danvzare on 07 Nov 2019, 17:41
I've actually managed to use adblocker to block the elements that stop me using the sites that don't let me use adblockers. :-DI just use my adblocker to block those elements, so I can click past them.For me, those numbers are the opposite, and that's not even counting all the sites that don't let you use adblockers.
It surprisingly works about 75% of the time.
Although that is quite rare. And usually you have to block the same element on every single page.
Usually I just do what Cassiebsg does. And not use it unless I really trust the site, or need to use it.
Post by: Jack on 07 Nov 2019, 17:56
Uhm, frankly if the site doesn't work with adblockers or needs javascript, then I just don't use it, unless it's a site I trust/need to use.
Same, but we're in the minority. Javascript from multiple sources, like google, to accomplish simple things is the norm for lazy-ass developers and lazy-ass users.
It grinds my gears, sites which don't actually require javascript to function, being blank pages without javascript enabled. I used to think they just served nothing, until I found out all the text and images are downloaded and rendered as normal, there's just a full size blank element placed over all of it.
Post by: TheFrighter on 15 Nov 2019, 16:01
I use IObit Surfing Protection & Ads Removal but I have the same problems!
_
Post by: Khris on 15 Nov 2019, 17:21
I don't mind cookie banners since if you click them once, they're gone forever. And uBlock Origin works very well for me; I rarely ever encounter a site where I have to turn it off to see content.
What does grind my gears is that these cookies banners are nothing but theatrics while the actual issues with data collection remain unresolved.
Post by: cat on 24 Nov 2019, 20:49
Post by: Mandle on 25 Nov 2019, 01:46
I'm currently working on a German translation and of course had problems with Umlauts (while they worked for a previous translation). I was already preparing a post on the technical board, when I rechecked the character encoding of the trs file and realized, it was UTF8 instead of ANSI (roll)
I had the exact same problem with the Italian translation of Chronicle Of Innsmouth Mountains Of Madness, which went unnoticed for ages through many versions and which I am still repairing... So annoying!
Post by: Mandle on 25 Nov 2019, 13:17
In disbelief I checked the name of the book twice and made sure it was the C.S.Lewis book translation.
It was.
The name of the book, translated from Japanese, is "The Lion And The Witch."
Goddammit!!! They effed-up the very reason why the title is so intriguing and would make a kid want to read it.
This grinds my gears.
Post by: VampireWombat on 25 Nov 2019, 14:44
Post by: Mandle on 25 Nov 2019, 15:21
Maybe whoever translated the title wanted to hide the importance of the wardrobe? Or was just lazy...
It is the single most important wardrobe in human history... Closely followed by the one in The Cure video "Close To Me"...
Post by: Laura Hunt on 11 Dec 2019, 09:56
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DependableOddballAldabratortoise-small.gif)
Post by: Mandle on 11 Dec 2019, 10:07
Post by: Babar on 28 Dec 2019, 20:17
Loud typers. There's few things that get more on my nerves than some idiot hammering at their keyboard like a 3-year old banging on a toy laptop. I hope there's a special place in hell for them where they will go no matter what else they did in life.The funniest I've noticed (with multiple people, so I suspect it is a thing) is Enter-slammers. Their typing is going all normally, and then suddenly...WHAM!
tptptptptptptptpptptptpptptp...WHAM!
Why slam enter? :D
As for what grinds my gears, because I just saw it in "Lost in Space" (a show someone recommended to me as great), is scientist people, intelligent people, smart people, getting to a new planet or new piece of rock in space, and then immediately (or in the first few moments possible), taking off their helmets, and having one guy be all "Oh no, why did you do that!", and the reply being "Oh, the air is safe!".
Very often, even in the same episode, everyone later comes down with a "mysterious" illness, and they're all stupefied as to how that could have happened, and yet they do it again in a later episode.
Post by: Blondbraid on 01 Jan 2020, 09:59
As for what grinds my gears, because I just saw it in "Lost in Space" (a show someone recommended to me as great), is scientist people, intelligent people, smart people, getting to a new planet or new piece of rock in space, and then immediately (or in the first few moments possible), taking off their helmets, and having one guy be all "Oh no, why did you do that!", and the reply being "Oh, the air is safe!".A big reason I didn't like Prometheus.
Very often, even in the same episode, everyone later comes down with a "mysterious" illness, and they're all stupefied as to how that could have happened, and yet they do it again in a later episode.
When people got killed in the first Alien movie, it was scary. When people got killed in Prometheus, it was basic Darwinism.
Post by: Snarky on 01 Jan 2020, 21:40
I have spent probably days of my life complaining about Prometheus. Truly one of those "don't get me started" topics.
Incidentally, I'm typing this on one of those fucking Macbook "butterfly" keyboards. Apart from the pitiful travel, they make a noise like I'm a journalist pecking out the latest scoop in a black and white movie.
Post by: Mandle on 01 Jan 2020, 22:44
I have spent probably days of my life complaining about Prometheus. Truly one of those "don't get me started" topics.
I had to pay an employee to cover my lessons at work to go and see that movie as soon as it came out. That is how excited I was about the prospect of a new Alien movie BY Ridley Scott!
So it cost me around $100 to see that movie.
The moment it ended I was NOT feeling very generous towards the value of human life and said out-loud in a TRAVELING voice "At least now we know why his brother jumped off that bridge." and some groups of westerners around me burst out in laughter and were like "Yeah, that SUCKED!".
It was not a nice thing to say, of course, but that is how pissed off I was.
Spent the next 5 hours or so getting drunk with my mate I saw it with and tearing the movie to shreds. At least THAT was fun.
Oh, and just to be sure not to get Snarky started...
How about the very first opening shot of the amazing ship powering through space, with the titles of the movie COVERING IT UP so you couldn't see it too good?!
How about the "mapping-expert" they brought along being the first to get lost in what was basically ONE GIANT CORRIDOR?!
How about the dude that was terrified when he saw the dead aliens being the first to try patting the penis-snake thingy?!
How about the running away from the rolling... No, that one, I just...
Honestly, it was like the Scary Movie people had made a parody of an Alien movie.
Post by: Blondbraid on 03 Jan 2020, 09:58
there are no good spoof/parody movies made anymore. Instead you get serious franchises becoming ridiculous and garbage like the Scary movie sequels,
which are nothing but toilet humor and pointless references that only serves to remind you that better movies exist.
Post by: Crimson Wizard on 03 Jan 2020, 11:01
Posting that Galaxy Quest clip just reminded me of another thing that grinds my gears:
there are no good spoof/parody movies made anymore. Instead you get serious franchises becoming ridiculous and garbage like the Scary movie sequels,
which are nothing but toilet humor and pointless references that only serves to remind you that better movies exist.
Agreed!
And while there are lots of movies that BEG to be parodied.
Post by: Mandle on 03 Jan 2020, 11:08
Post by: Snarky on 03 Jan 2020, 11:46
there are no good spoof/parody movies made anymore. Instead you get serious franchises becoming ridiculous and garbage like the Scary movie sequels,
I don't entirely agree.
I think there have been some pretty good movie spoofs within the last ten years or so (at least, more recent than the Scary Movie sequels). For example Wet Hot American Summer (the first Netflix show, if the movie doesn't count), Walk Hard, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, 21/22 Jump Street, They Came Together, Spy, Popstar, What We Do in the Shadows… I haven't seen the MacGruber movie, but I've heard that it's growing into cult status.
And plenty of movies incorporate genre parody elements, either to poke fun of their own genre or as part of a more general comedy, without IMHO becoming ridiculous: Deadpool, The Lego Movie, Wreck-It Ralph, The Nice Guys, Into the Spider-Verse, The Cabin in the Woods, Knives Out, Jumanji, Game Night, Happy Death Day, Damsels in Distress, Isn't It Romantic… (I didn't care much for Kingsman, Ready or Not, or The Man from UNCLE, but they also appeal to some.)
Post by: Danvzare on 03 Jan 2020, 16:09
Space Balls II, based on the new trilogy!They wouldn't even need to do much. Just take the script for The Last Jedi, and have none of the actors take it seriously. Boom, perfect parody! :-D
I once tried to describe the plot of that film, and it sounded like I was describing Space Balls II.
From Leia going Superman, Luke drinking milk almost directly from the alien titty, to pink-haired-lady being forced into a kamikaze as soon as Leia woke up. It's practically a self-parody.
"There's literally only one person in the entire galaxy who has the skills to help you!"
*They go to that guy, then immediately get imprisoned for illegally parking.*
*Then someone in the same cell talks to them.*
"Hey, I have those skills too!"
And then of course:
"This guy took over the galaxy directly after Palpatine. Who is he? How did he do it? Well you see... he's dead now. Who cares." (laugh)
Even if you love the movie, you've got to admit that it had a LOT of ridiculous moments in it.
Post by: Blondbraid on 03 Jan 2020, 16:38
For example, I remember reading that in an earlier draft of the script, the rebels had gained intel that there was a spy on board their ship,
and the reason the pink-haired lady and Poe couldn't just explain their plans to one another was because both thought the other could be the mole.
Why did they have to cut that out?!
But my other problem with the new trilogy is the Force awakens, where they basically erased all achievements of Luke and Leia in the original trilogy
in order to just redo most of A new hope again, and I think the big problem with Snokes comes because they wanted to shoehorn in a Palpatine-replacement
as well as an army of storm troopers, despite the fact that it'd make no sense in reality, and that would have been hard for any writer to make into a satisfying story.
Just to give some perspective on just how stupid the whole New Order felt to me, the closest historical equivalent would be how Germany started WW2 after losing WW1,
but now imagine that instead of changing their technology, strategy and entire political landscape in response to such a big loss, the Germans would have just gotten
a new Kaiser that had exactly the same military strategies and personality as the old one. (wrong)
Post by: Cassiebsg on 03 Jan 2020, 19:10
Post by: Blondbraid on 03 Jan 2020, 23:21
uhm... it grind my gears when people discuss movies outside of it's own thread and don't use spoiler tags. :PSorry about that!
I just figured that with Star Wars, if you haven't seen those by now you probably wouldn't care about spoilers. (roll)
I think Penny Arcade summed this kind of stuff up pretty well:
(http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/215535297_B2j5j-L-2.jpg)
Post by: Cassiebsg on 04 Jan 2020, 01:11
It's on the list, we'll get to it eventually or I'll die before it... either way, rather not read spoilers. ;)
Post by: Blondbraid on 27 Jan 2020, 17:13
pour 30 degree melted caramel onto a rotating handmixer gets to remain despite all the reports of the blatant danger in promoting that.
Post by: Jack on 27 Jan 2020, 18:17
I can imagine there is some kind of cancel clique out there though just waiting for swear words to mass report.
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/586/905/894.png)
Post by: Mandle on 27 Jan 2020, 22:43
I can imagine there is some kind of cancel clique out there though just waiting for swear words to mass report.
Or an algorithm.
Post by: Blondbraid on 28 Jan 2020, 09:41
Exactly, most millennials couldn't care less if a YouTuber says the F-word, but advertisers are terrified they'd get associated with something that could get the Midwestern US christian moms into a moral panic,I can imagine there is some kind of cancel clique out there though just waiting for swear words to mass report.
Or an algorithm.
and large media platforms absolutely refuse to take responsibility in a sane way, like say, having living human beings vet videos, and instead use cheap but stupid algorithms to do the job instead.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 28 Jan 2020, 11:42
Exactly, most millennials couldn't care less if a YouTuber says the F-word, but advertisers are terrified they'd get associated with something that could get the Midwestern US christian moms into a moral panicI can imagine there is some kind of cancel clique out there though just waiting for swear words to mass report.
Or an algorithm.
"Haha look at these silly Americans getting all riled up over (*looks around, whispers*)... the f-word."
Just say FUCK ffs.
Post by: Blondbraid on 28 Jan 2020, 13:55
"Haha look at these silly Americans getting all riled up over (*looks around, whispers*)... the f-word."Good point, though I was unsure of the forum rules on profanity and felt it was easier than read the entire rules page all over again. :)
Just say FUCK ffs.
Still, it's insane that the word "fuck" is more likely to get banned than a video instructing kids to soak their food in bleach.
Also, no one should rely on algorithms for content moderation, has anyone else read about the police AI meant to search for images of child abuse but couldn't tell an image of a human body from a picture of a desert (https://gizmodo.com/british-cops-want-to-use-ai-to-spot-porn-but-it-keeps-m-1821384511)? (wrong)
Post by: Laura Hunt on 28 Jan 2020, 14:24
"Haha look at these silly Americans getting all riled up over (*looks around, whispers*)... the f-word."Good point, though I was unsure of the forum rules on profanity and felt it was easier than read the entire rules page all over again. :)
Just say FUCK ffs.
Still, it's insane that the word "fuck" is more likely to get banned than a video instructing kids to soak their food in bleach.
It is. I'll never understand why USians are so absolutely terrified of swearing. I remember one episode in The Walking Dead in which the gang was captured by a group of cannibals and of course they had no issue showing people eating human limbs, desmembering others, lining them up like cattle and murdering them with a baseball bat, etc etc... but when the Exciting Cliffhanger (tm) came, they had Rick say "they're screwing with the wrong people" instead of "they're fucking with the wrong people". Just... pathetic.
Post by: Stupot on 28 Jan 2020, 14:48
[/youtube]
Post by: Laura Hunt on 28 Jan 2020, 15:13
They did actually film two versions.[/youtube]
I know. That's what makes it even more hilarious / mind-boggling.
"Safe" version: cannibalism, mutilation, murder.
"Mature" version: cannibalism, mutilation, murder, one swear word.
Post by: Mandle on 28 Jan 2020, 16:33
and large media platforms absolutely refuse to take responsibility in a sane way, like say, having living human beings vet videos, and instead use cheap but stupid algorithms to do the job instead.I can imagine there is some kind of cancel clique out there though just waiting for swear words to mass report.
Or an algorithm.
Imagine how much staff it would take to vet every upload on YouTube, and even then, every video that got flagged by the public. People on the internet, in general, are a large percentage idiots who will just create sock accounts through proxy servers just to take down a video on YouTube that they either do not agree with or they have some personal conflict with the creator.
There is no way to handle the demand except to have A.I. do it. And for now it is being stupid, but it will get smarter and start to understand context eventually.
But YouTube needs massive sponsors to stay afloat like Disney, for example, who will not put their advertising on a video that includes swearing.
Just imagine the cost YouTube pays every day in electricity to feed their servers and in bandwidth to make uploads not take 12 hours like they used to, even when a couple of million people are all uploading at the same time.
Post by: Blondbraid on 28 Jan 2020, 20:25
should set off some alarms.
I know. That's what makes it even more hilarious / mind-boggling.Maybe they go by the logic that no sane person would try murder and cannibalism at home, but if cool people on TV swear kids might start doing that too?
"Safe" version: cannibalism, mutilation, murder.
"Mature" version: cannibalism, mutilation, murder, one swear word.
Still dosen't explain why PG-13 movies are allowed to have somebody drop an f-bomb once, but twice makes it an R-rated movie. :-\
Post by: Mandle on 29 Jan 2020, 00:20
Still dosen't explain why PG-13 movies are allowed to have somebody drop an f-bomb once, but twice makes it an R-rated movie. :-\
And 400 times makes it X-Rated. One of the stupidest rules I have ever heard. The South Park creators obviously thought so too as the South Park movie has 399 hard swear words.
Post by: TheFrighter on 29 Jan 2020, 07:58
Still dosen't explain why PG-13 movies are allowed to have somebody drop an f-bomb once, but twice makes it an R-rated movie. :-\
And 400 times makes it X-Rated. One of the stupidest rules I have ever heard. The South Park creators obviously thought so too as the South Park movie has 399 hard swear words.
Really? So rating is based on the numbers of f-words? It means that even a movie about the Mathama Gandhi sharing peace for the world become a X-rated if a british soldier says "*rap" 400 times?
_
Post by: Crimson Wizard on 29 Jan 2020, 13:08
Really? So rating is based on the numbers of f-words? It means that even a movie about the Mathama Gandhi sharing peace for the world become a X-rated if a british soldier says "*rap" 400 times?
Why should it matter what the movie is about? If you make a video with kittens and add lots of swearing on the background, should it be considered okay for small kids to watch?
Post by: Blondbraid on 29 Jan 2020, 13:46
What gets me is that I could understand the logic that a video containing one swear word gets the age rating bumped up on the basis that impressionable kids might learn to swear from watching it,Really? So rating is based on the numbers of f-words? It means that even a movie about the Mathama Gandhi sharing peace for the world become a X-rated if a british soldier says "*rap" 400 times?
Why should it matter what the movie is about? If you make a video with kittens and add lots of swearing on the background, should it be considered okay for small kids to watch?
but bumping up the rating based on the number of swears alone makes no sense.
Compare swearing to literally any other mature content and you see how insane it is. For example, when videos depict fictional people being killed, the age rating goes by how explicit/how much blood is shown, and everyone agrees that it would be be insane to rate Disney's Mulan as a worse movie than Saw just because Mulan depicts an evil army of soldiers being killed by an avalanche mostly off screen, but Saw "only" shows a handful of people getting gorily tortured to death for most of the movie,
yet this exact logic is applied to swear words in US movies.
Like, The King's Speech is a heartwarming tale of a man overcoming his stuttering and had no sex, drugs or violence to speak of at all, yet it got rated as an adults only movie in the US because of this scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJvGE7Vvd4M).
Post by: VampireWombat on 29 Jan 2020, 14:26
Post by: Mandle on 29 Jan 2020, 15:29
The thing is that the ratings for movies in the US isn't standardized. There are some rough guidelines, but at the end of the day the rating depends on what a select group of people think. So, movie ratings are less a reflection of how Americans feel, but more how a small group of Americans feel.
Yes, exactly. The people who make the movie put in months of their lives to work on it and then sit twiddling their thumbs nervously waiting for the rating to come back. And half the time it makes no sense.
I believe it was Mortal Kombat that had to remove one sound effect of "bones breaking" during a neck-twisting move to avoid an R-rating. Well, Mortal Kombat probably should not have been a PG-13 movie anyway, but it is a pretty damn good movie and reached the audience of the kids who were playing the game in arcades at the time. So, anyway, what was I saying?
Post by: Blondbraid on 29 Jan 2020, 15:41
The thing is that the ratings for movies in the US isn't standardized. There are some rough guidelines, but at the end of the day the rating depends on what a select group of people think. So, movie ratings are less a reflection of how Americans feel, but more how a small group of Americans feel.I remember seeing a dive into just how weird the US rating system was in This movie is not yet rated, yet while it showed it was some pretty randomly selected and biased little group of middle-aged conservative Christians rating all major movies, they were still human beings and you'd expect them to follow some kind of human logic, but I still can't say that I can see human logic in judging the severity of a movie based on the number of swears rather than the context of them.
Post by: TheFrighter on 29 Jan 2020, 18:28
By the way, how rating works for AGS games?
_
Post by: Matti on 29 Jan 2020, 18:33
By the way, how rating works for AGS games?
The people who make the game put in months of their lives to work on it and then sit twiddling their thumbs nervously waiting for the rating to come back
Post by: Creamy on 29 Jan 2020, 22:55
Quote
Exactly, most millennials couldn't care less if a YouTuber says the F-word, but advertisers are terrified they'd get associated with something that could get the Midwestern US christian moms into a moral panic
Sometimes, the creators themselves resort to self-censorship out of fear.
Apparently, that's what's happening with Commandos 2 HD remastered. I find it sad when a company claiming to make a game set in World War II (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1100410/Commandos_2__HD_Remaster/) decides to remove any symbols, portraits, speeches or other assets that could break the law in many countries (https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2020/01/24/commando-2-hd-remaster-will-contain-no-nazi-symbols/) - namely anything that connects it to reality.
Since no law could force them to remove the japanese flags, they seem to be more royalist than the king.
Post by: Blondbraid on 30 Jan 2020, 00:08
The no swastikas in WW2 games thing is due to the law not keeping up with the times and recognizing video games as an art form, and at least in Germany, those laws were made decades ago where games were seen by the public as kid's toys rather than mass media equal to books and films, but there has been a few recent games where nazi symbols were allowed in Germany, so things seems to be changing in that regard. (https://time.com/5364254/germany-nazi-symbols-video-games-history/) As for bans on nazi symbols on stuff like toys and merchandise, I think Germany is right on banning such symbols there, and far as I know, they're still way more lenient on swearing and sexual content in their films and TV-series than the US has ever been.QuoteExactly, most millennials couldn't care less if a YouTuber says the F-word, but advertisers are terrified they'd get associated with something that could get the Midwestern US christian moms into a moral panic
Sometimes, the creators themselves resort to self-censorship out of fear.
Apparently, that's what's happening with Commandos 2 HD remastered. I find it sad when a company claiming to make a game set in World War II (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1100410/Commandos_2__HD_Remaster/) decides to remove any symbols, portraits, speeches or other assets that could break the law in many countries (https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2020/01/24/commando-2-hd-remaster-will-contain-no-nazi-symbols/) - namely anything that connects it to reality.
Since no law could force them to remove the japanese flags, they seem to be more royalist than the king.
I also think calling this case self-censorship is kind of pushing it, since having played the non-hd Commandos 2 for over 80 hours according to Steam, at no point did I feel like the swastikas were a big part of the game aesthetic or environment and the game barely touches on any of the politics behind the war at all, compared to say, the new Wolfenstein trilogy or the latest Call of Duty, and removing them doesn't sound like a huge artistic compromise. It just feels like a form of cultural pandering similar to fantasy games removing skeletons in the Chinese versions in order to sell more copies in a country where skeletons are associated to strong negative superstitions.
Post by: Danvzare on 30 Jan 2020, 13:38
I've watched horror films that were less violent. :-\
And speaking of Americans and their fear of cursing. Why do they worship the word "cunt" as though it's some sort of messiah of all swear words?
Here in Britain, "cunt" is no different than saying "dick" or "git". And one of those words is so well accepted in American culture, that they named a well-known website after it. (laugh)
And what is inherently wrong with swearing anyway?
The only reason I have ever been able to figure out as to why we make certain words taboo, is so then we actually have strong words to say when we get really annoyed. If everyone says it all of the time, then it loses its punch.
Post by: Mandle on 06 Feb 2020, 14:02
Especially because it has an 83% critics rating and 75% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes...
Here is what I wrote on their audience critic section (SPOILERS)
Post by: Danvzare on 10 Feb 2020, 12:16
The movie "Crawl" REALLY ground my gears.
Especially because it has an 83% critics rating and 75% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes...
Here is what I wrote on their audience critic section (SPOILERS)
Post by: Stupot on 10 Feb 2020, 12:42
The movie "Crawl" REALLY ground my gears.
Especially because it has an 83% critics rating and 75% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes...
Here is what I wrote on their audience critic section (SPOILERS)
It
Yeah. Sometimes they really test the limits of suspension of disbelief.
I mean I love The X-Files more than anyone I know... but one thing ground my gears...
Post by: Mandle on 10 Feb 2020, 13:58
Post by: Matti on 11 Feb 2020, 13:31
Well,
Post by: Mandle on 11 Feb 2020, 14:25
Well,
Post by: Laura Hunt on 04 Mar 2020, 07:54
So *I* am supposed give *you* money for the privilege of testing your game so you can save yourself the cost of hiring beta testers? Did you go to the Tom Sawyer Business School?
Am I the only one who finds this mind-boggling (and gear-grinding)?
(Disclaimer: I don't think the dev in question is identifiable from this, but in any case this is meant to be an example of a tendency I'm seeing all over the place, and not me pointing my finger at any specific individual. In fact I actually like their games a lot.)
Post by: lorenzo on 04 Mar 2020, 13:02
It reminds me of those great offers: "Pre-order our game now at a higher price and before the reviews are out to access the beta, and beta-test the game for us! What a bargain!"
Post by: Laura Hunt on 04 Mar 2020, 13:53
Haha, I agree.
It reminds me of those great offers: "Pre-order our game now at a higher price and before the reviews are out to access the beta, and beta-test the game for us! What a bargain!"
Haha yeah, it's the reason I haven't jumped on the early access for Curse of the Dead Gods, as amazing as it looks. Besides not wanting to pay to work as a beta tester like we've already mentioned, what's the point of playing an incomplete game for, say, a year, so that when the whole thing comes out you're already bored of it? If it was free then I'd certainly consider it, but not for 15€ lol
Post by: Mandle on 04 Mar 2020, 21:53
While I would never pay to play an incomplete/buggy game, there are tons of people who will it seems. If that helps finance some games through to the end then we get more games and I'm fine with that.
Post by: Jack on 04 Mar 2020, 22:51
I can imagine some games that would be so highly anticipated that this would seem like a good opportunity. But for the average crowdfunded game, neh.
Post by: Danvzare on 05 Mar 2020, 13:22
So *I* am supposed give *you* money for the privilege of testing your game so you can save yourself the cost of hiring beta testers? Did you go to the Tom Sawyer Business School?Well in their defence, they probably need the money just to be able to complete the game, and probably don't have anything spare to hire proper beta testers.
Am I the only one who finds this mind-boggling (and gear-grinding)?
(Disclaimer: I don't think the dev in question is identifiable from this, but in any case this is meant to be an example of a tendency I'm seeing all over the place, and not me pointing my finger at any specific individual. In fact I actually like their games a lot.)
Besides, if it's a game you're really looking forward to, and you're going to buy it anyway, wouldn't you want to help in its creation?
Of course it depends on the game, but still.
It's when big budget AAA titles do it, that it really grinds my gears. And the problem is, all big budget AAA titles seem to do it nowadays, and everyone considers it the norm! As a matter of fact, I've had people call me out for being the weird one when I complain about it!
Post by: Cassiebsg on 05 Mar 2020, 14:15
But paying to be a beta tester? 8-0 8-0 8-0 8-0 8-0 (but hey, if there are people willing to do that, then by all means, why not? there's a sucker born every minute, they say...)
Post by: Laura Hunt on 05 Mar 2020, 14:16
So *I* am supposed give *you* money for the privilege of testing your game so you can save yourself the cost of hiring beta testers? Did you go to the Tom Sawyer Business School?Well in their defence, they probably need the money just to be able to complete the game, and probably don't have anything spare to hire proper beta testers.
Am I the only one who finds this mind-boggling (and gear-grinding)?
(Disclaimer: I don't think the dev in question is identifiable from this, but in any case this is meant to be an example of a tendency I'm seeing all over the place, and not me pointing my finger at any specific individual. In fact I actually like their games a lot.)
Then offer some actual reward to backers, which is kind of the point of Kickstarter and Patreon, and with that money, hire beta testers. Simple. But don't make them pay for the "privilege" jfc.
Besides, if it's a game you're really looking forward to, and you're going to buy it anyway, wouldn't you want to help in its creation?
Um no? "Help in its creation" is a sneaky way to say "work on the game", and if you work on the game, you're part of the team and if you're part of the team, you should be paid as such ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Taking advantage of fans' enthusiasm is at the very least ethically suspect from my point of view.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 05 Mar 2020, 14:18
That is the weirdest thing, to be honest. I often offer to Beta test if I have the time free, both for free and commercial games. I consider my "pay" the knowing that I helped making a game better and with less bugs, and if it's a commercial game, then I got to play a game I would likely not play, since in my current financial situation I can't afford the money.
But paying to be a beta tester? 8-0 8-0 8-0 8-0 8-0
Exactly! If you want to do it because it's your thing and you enjoy it and you get satisfaction (and maybe a game!) from it, all the more power to you! It's the "paying" part that's, to quote, 8-0 8-0 8-0 8-0 8-0 XD
Post by: Stupot on 06 Mar 2020, 06:24
What's ground my gears today was going into the drugstore and seeing the totally empty handsoap shelf and then looking at the perfectly healthily-stocked shelf next to it on which is an abundance of body soap.
IT'S THE SAME STUFF!!! If people are so desperate, why isn't the other soap also sold out? Just buy the body soap and fill up a hand-soap dispenser with it. I promise you won't go to hell for it. That's exactly what I'll do if I can't get hold of any more hand soap when we run out. Now again, I'm sure the chemical make-up of body soap is slightly different from actual hand soap and it's not exactly the same stuff, but basically the main difference is the noun on the bottle. It's not going to burn your hands off.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 06 Mar 2020, 07:36
IT'S THE SAME STUFF!!! If people are so desperate, why isn't the other soap also sold out?
The answer might be extremely shocking to some, so I'm going to put it under a spoiler tag:
Post by: Danvzare on 08 Mar 2020, 16:59
But the ability to play the game or games early IS the reward. I know it's hard to believe, but a lot of people for some weird reason, like to play games early (even though they're incomplete buggy messes).So *I* am supposed give *you* money for the privilege of testing your game so you can save yourself the cost of hiring beta testers? Did you go to the Tom Sawyer Business School?Well in their defence, they probably need the money just to be able to complete the game, and probably don't have anything spare to hire proper beta testers.
Am I the only one who finds this mind-boggling (and gear-grinding)?
(Disclaimer: I don't think the dev in question is identifiable from this, but in any case this is meant to be an example of a tendency I'm seeing all over the place, and not me pointing my finger at any specific individual. In fact I actually like their games a lot.)
Then offer some actual reward to backers, which is kind of the point of Kickstarter and Patreon, and with that money, hire beta testers. Simple. But don't make them pay for the "privilege" jfc.
Now I'm not one of those people. I like finished working games. But even I'm able to understand the very simple concept that that there are a lot of people that like playing games they're looking forward to, as early as possible.
The thing is, if you're playing a game early, you're technically a beta tester. There's no way around that. That's the entire concept behind early access, and is one of the reasons why Minecraft became as successful as it did! (I still remember a Dwarf Fortress thread where people were complaining about this new "early access" thing that an increasingly popular indie game called "Minecraft" was doing, and why it was so stupid. Little did they know everyone would start doing it.)
Ok, assuming you somehow still don't understand the concept. Let me reframe it, so maybe you can.
Let's say you have a Patreon. Ok. And you get demands that some people want a reward of having early access to an incomplete buggy version of the game. (I'm not saying that this has happened for the guy in the example you gave, but I'm sure it's happened for someone.)
Would you do it?
If you do, you're technically making them into beta testers that are paying you for the privilege to be beta testers? (The thing that grinds your gears.)
If you don't, you're not giving your patreons a reward that they're actually asking for, and you may be losing out on some extra cash flow as a result.
Now it's not that I don't agree with you. Paying for the privilege to beta test someone's game is dumb.
But people like playing games early. And while I don't agree with those people, I can at least understand that concept. So why can't you?
Now I know we're talking about Patreon, which means people aren't just paying for the privilege of being beta testers. They're paying continually for that privilege. Which let's face it, is pretty damn stupid. But even then, what I've said still kinda applies.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 08 Mar 2020, 18:31
Ok, assuming you somehow still don't understand the concept. Let me reframe it, so maybe you can.
I stopped reading right here and I don't care what comes afterwards. Next time you might want to keep the condescendence in check if you want people to care about anything you might have to say.
Post by: Stupot on 08 Mar 2020, 19:23
Post by: Danvzare on 09 Mar 2020, 12:44
Sorry about that.Ok, assuming you somehow still don't understand the concept. Let me reframe it, so maybe you can.
I stopped reading right here and I don't care what comes afterwards. Next time you might want to keep the condescendence in check if you want people to care about anything you might have to say.
It's not much of an excuse, but you annoyed me with how you completely glossed over the point I was trying to make earlier, because it seemed like you didn't understand something that seemed obvious to me. So I over explained it as a result.
As for what came after that part you stopped reading. It was exactly the same as before. Just repeated three times in different words. So there was no reason to read it if you already understood what I meant in that first paragraph, which I think you did. :-D
Also, just so you know (because you skipped it), I agreed with you.
You have to ask how many of those backers/subscribers actually end up helping with testing and how many just wanted to see an early version of the game because it makes them feel special.That's a very good question.
I guess you could include the stipulation that "I'll ignore any bugs you point out, so you're not technically beta testers!" but that would just be stupid.
I get the feeling that most people won't actually help with the testing. Other than pointing out some game breaking bugs, I suspect everyone will just play it once, then forget about it. But I've been wrong about these kinds of things before. So only the people who does this kind of thing can actually answer that question.
In my opinion, it's a bit of a nuanced subject. I've seen some people offer a free trimmed-down early access version, usually with less content or crappier graphics. So you aren't paying to beta-test, as that's free. You're just paying for an early version. That is the only time I can say that early access isn't synonymous with paying for the privilege to beta test. But it's hardly applicable for most games.
Post by: Mandle on 09 Mar 2020, 14:43
Post by: Retro Wolf on 09 Mar 2020, 16:57
Post by: cat on 09 Mar 2020, 17:24
Post by: cat on 13 Mar 2020, 18:24
Post by: Cassiebsg on 13 Mar 2020, 18:34
I don't get it either. We do miss a single pack of toilet paper though, one of the toilets only has one roll left... but we still have half a pack on the other... And so what if it runs out? We won't die because we don't have it... there's always other alternatives. (roll)
Post by: Jack on 13 Mar 2020, 19:20
Panic-buying really grinds my gears... People should NOT be going out and hoarding shit they are not going to use within the year. Other people need that stuff too.
Wipe with your hand. And behold the power of this FULLY OPERATIONAL toilet paper fort!
Post by: Stupot on 14 Mar 2020, 00:06
Post by: Jack on 14 Mar 2020, 00:22
Would explain why the federal reserve has been running their printing presses 24/7 lately, to try and keep up with demand.
Post by: Stupot on 14 Mar 2020, 00:30
Post by: milkanannan on 14 Mar 2020, 03:10
Post by: Laura Hunt on 14 Mar 2020, 09:37
The toilet roll thing is absolutely ridiculous. Why specifically that? It’s an interesting phenomenon really. There’s probably some weird psychology behind it. My worry is that, if this is how people are behaving when the virus is only just starting to get going, what is it going to be like when the shit, indeed, does hit the fan?
People are hoarding all kinds of stuff: toilet paper, yes, but also frozen food, canned goods, desinfectant, etc. It's just that toilet paper makes for the most "omg wtf" headlines.
Post by: Slasher on 14 Mar 2020, 09:41
Sudden rush to buy things and chaos... That's part of the plan ;)The toilet roll thing is absolutely ridiculous. Why specifically that? It’s an interesting phenomenon really. There’s probably some weird psychology behind it. My worry is that, if this is how people are behaving when the virus is only just starting to get going, what is it going to be like when the shit, indeed, does hit the fan?
People are hoarding all kinds of stuff: toilet paper, yes, but also frozen food, canned goods, desinfectant, etc. It's just that toilet paper makes for the most "omg wtf" headlines.
Post by: Laura Hunt on 14 Mar 2020, 10:03
Sudden rush to buy things and chaos... That's part of the plan ;)The toilet roll thing is absolutely ridiculous. Why specifically that? It’s an interesting phenomenon really. There’s probably some weird psychology behind it. My worry is that, if this is how people are behaving when the virus is only just starting to get going, what is it going to be like when the shit, indeed, does hit the fan?
People are hoarding all kinds of stuff: toilet paper, yes, but also frozen food, canned goods, desinfectant, etc. It's just that toilet paper makes for the most "omg wtf" headlines.
I think you dropped this
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GV79NPpZL._AC_UX679_.jpg)
Post by: Jack on 18 Apr 2020, 01:07
It's ironic, given what happened to Nigerians in China recently.
Post by: Babar on 18 Apr 2020, 11:03
Post by: Mandle on 18 Apr 2020, 12:16
Is that Italy? What happened to social distancing? Why are all those people hugging?
It's from February.
Post by: Danvzare on 18 Apr 2020, 13:29
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
Post by: Racoon on 18 Apr 2020, 15:08
Here's something that grinds my gears.
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
Ohhh yes! I can relate so much :-D Our neighboor has one of these torture devices and I get the feeling that cats don´t care about it at all. But I care! It has become a running gag in our family since we tried to talk to him about it and he said he can not hear it, so we shouldn´t too. He even upgraded it to something that makes a bright light when you get to close, but he had to take that down, because we were not the only ones bothered by it..
Post by: Jack on 18 Apr 2020, 15:13
Here's something that grinds my gears.
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
What do they sound like?
Post by: milkanannan on 18 Apr 2020, 15:45
Here's something that grinds my gears.
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
Ohhh yes! I can relate so much :-D Our neighboor has one of these torture devices and I get the feeling that cats don´t care about it at all. But I care! It has become a running gag in our family since we tried to talk to him about it and he said he can not hear it, so we shouldn´t too. He even upgraded it to something that makes a bright light when you get to close, but he had to take that down, because we were not the only ones bothered by it..
Jesus, how many unwanted cats do you guys have running around your area? I've never heard of these devices.
Post by: Racoon on 18 Apr 2020, 16:04
What do they sound like?
A very high beep sound. There are frequencies that younger people hear, but older don´t. And I think the same are used to scare of cats.
Jesus, how many unwanted cats do you guys have running around your area? I've never heard of these devices.
The rigth question would be: How many strange neighboors are out there?
Post by: Danvzare on 19 Apr 2020, 08:59
Have you ever heard the high pitched squealing of an old tube television?Here's something that grinds my gears.
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
What do they sound like?
Just make it twenty times louder and have it rapidly turn on and off.
Post by: milkanannan on 19 Apr 2020, 14:05
Have you ever heard the high pitched squealing of an old tube television?Here's something that grinds my gears.
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
What do they sound like?
Just make it twenty times louder and have it rapidly turn on and off.
How could these not violate noise laws? That's crazy. I hope I never live around anyone with such little consideration for others.
Post by: Blondbraid on 19 Apr 2020, 22:09
Exactly, plus that's gotta violate age-based discrimination laws.Have you ever heard the high pitched squealing of an old tube television?Here's something that grinds my gears.
Very high-pitched devices, used for scaring away cats or sometimes used in shops to "detract" youths.
Because I can hear those things, and they're nauseating!
What do they sound like?
Just make it twenty times louder and have it rapidly turn on and off.
How could these not violate noise laws? That's crazy. I hope I never live around anyone with such little consideration for others.
Post by: Danvzare on 20 Apr 2020, 20:33
Easy. The majority of people don't hear it, so it doesn't violate any noise laws.Have you ever heard the high pitched squealing of an old tube television?
Just make it twenty times louder and have it rapidly turn on and off.
How could these not violate noise laws? That's crazy. I hope I never live around anyone with such little consideration for others.
Exactly, plus that's gotta violate age-based discrimination laws.I hope so. But I'm not sure if there are any such laws in my country. ???
Then again, I'm no lawyer.
Post by: Mandle on 20 Apr 2020, 23:31
Easy. The majority of people don't hear it, so it doesn't violate any noise laws.
Hmmmm, I wonder if that's how it works. The majority of people don't have handicapped allowances but we still have handicapped parking spaces enforced by law.
Post by: Reiter on 21 Apr 2020, 00:45
My own gear-grinding annecdote, meanwhile, is similar if opposite.
Now, a while ago, I was at a burial. It was quite alright, truly, gently reassuring as they are meant to be. However, I noticed that as it was time to toll the bells, they sounded rather tinny and muffled. It emerged that it was not the bells at all, but a recording, fed through the PA speakers. It was very vexing.
It emerged, however, that the church had been the recipient of quite a few noise complaints, on account of the bells. The bells! And they were thus rather limited as to when they could ring them. I am not particularly difficult about noise, ordinarily. Life is inescapably noisy, and it is reasonable to long for some peace and quiet. But this made me quite wild to hear.
Who are these utter dimplecups, I wonder, that move into a nice (and up-market, lest we forget) house right next to a church when they cannot abide the sound of bells? It is not as if it was a difficult building to spot, crouched between a hedge and a gas holder. They cannot possibly have missed it, if they have ever been in the area before they bought the house. It is not some little secret the estate agent can keep under wraps until it is too late. It stands radiant on the landscape, and what is more, I very much doubt it is tolling day and night. I simply cannot see the disruption, or the nerve to shut up a service you have decided to live next doors to.
I wonder sometimes if the neighbours are, in fact, trolls and giants that have come down the hills and moved into town. After buying the houses, there was evidently gold left for a good lawyer...
And I shall bet that these same dimplecups would merrily install those blasted high-pitch screamers if they had half a chance, too.
Post by: Stupot on 21 Apr 2020, 03:04
I’ve also heard that they sometimes play a mosquito noise to stop homeless people sleeping in doorways, but I don’t know how true that is.
Post by: milkanannan on 21 Apr 2020, 03:57
I was with a mate of mine, a few years younger, walking around Ginza. We had to move several times because he kept hearing this highly-pitched noise that the rest of us couldn’t hear. I think officially they’re to deter rats but I’ve since heard that they also stop groups of teens hanging around in front of the upmarket shops.
I’ve also heard that they sometimes play a mosquito noise to stop homeless people sleeping in doorways, but I don’t know how true that is.
Related but unrelated ~ I thought this was a cool article about Japanese use of gestures and sounds to enhance the safety records of rail lines: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-and-calling-japan-trains (https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-and-calling-japan-trains)
Post by: Mandle on 21 Apr 2020, 04:50
Post by: Babar on 21 Apr 2020, 14:32
I am rather convinced that it is simply a legislative gap. The manufacturers of those wretched things must have found it, and decided to make the most of it, while it lasts. It is terribly stupid, and I would delight in kicking them over if I found any. I dare say hardly anyone can see micro-waves, so why, I ask you, lawyer from Racket-o-Matic Ltd., why cannot I use them to discourage burglars?I wonder what they do on Sunday mass...
My own gear-grinding annecdote, meanwhile, is similar if opposite.
Now, a while ago, I was at a burial. It was quite alright, truly, gently reassuring as they are meant to be. However, I noticed that as it was time to toll the bells, they sounded rather tinny and muffled. It emerged that it was not the bells at all, but a recording, fed through the PA speakers. It was very vexing.
It emerged, however, that the church had been the recipient of quite a few noise complaints, on account of the bells. The bells! And they were thus rather limited as to when they could ring them. I am not particularly difficult about noise, ordinarily. Life is inescapably noisy, and it is reasonable to long for some peace and quiet. But this made me quite wild to hear.
Who are these utter dimplecups, I wonder, that move into a nice (and up-market, lest we forget) house right next to a church when they cannot abide the sound of bells? It is not as if it was a difficult building to spot, crouched between a hedge and a gas holder. They cannot possibly have missed it, if they have ever been in the area before they bought the house. It is not some little secret the estate agent can keep under wraps until it is too late. It stands radiant on the landscape, and what is more, I very much doubt it is tolling day and night. I simply cannot see the disruption, or the nerve to shut up a service you have decided to live next doors to.
I wonder sometimes if the neighbours are, in fact, trolls and giants that have come down the hills and moved into town. After buying the houses, there was evidently gold left for a good lawyer...
And I shall bet that these same dimplecups would merrily install those blasted high-pitch screamers if they had half a chance, too.
Post by: Reiter on 21 Apr 2020, 18:46
I wonder what they do on Sunday mass...
I am unsure. I believe that they are (gracefully, no doubt) allowed to toll the bells on Sunday for mass, or at least during a few special days in the year. I do see the annoyance of hearing tolling bells if you are recovering from a drunken Saturday, but once more, they decided to live neighbours with the thing. What in the world did they expect?
As for the mosquito-playing doorways, I cannot think of anything more pointlessly vexing. I would like to march around that street with a barrel full of free ear-muffs.
Post by: Snarky on 10 May 2020, 10:42
Post by: Hobo on 10 May 2020, 11:05
Throw pillows.Ah, yes, the sofa parasites.
Post by: Mandle on 10 May 2020, 14:42
Throw pillows.
Good advice!
Post by: Mandle on 10 May 2020, 21:51
Throw pillows.
Good advice!
I gave it a try last night before bed. The wife wasn't too happy, what with pillows flying everywhere, but it really helped relieve some stress over all the things that have been grinding my gears lately.
Best advice so far in this thread for how to deal with such issues.
As an experiment, tonight I am going to try punching the pillows instead to avoid the cleanup afterwards. Will report any further progress...
Post by: Danvzare on 11 May 2020, 12:11
Throw pillows. Useless junk that make it impossible to actually use a bed or sofa for its intended purpose. The best you can do is just move them off whenever the furniture is in use, either taking up storage space somewhere or making a pile on a chair, or dropped on the floor (tracking dirt back into the bed/sofa when they're put back). They are the coronavirus of home decoration. If I see that someone has a bunch of throw pillows in their house, it instantly makes me think less of them.They do have two uses though.
The first and most important, is as a tray. They're perfect for putting that hot plate onto, instead of straight onto your lap, while you watch that film on TV.
The second is that they give you something to lay your head on when you go to lay down. Whether it's because you're feeling tired or ill, you can easily prop your head up without having to go get a pillow from elsewhere.
So at most, I think a home should have two, maybe three throw pillows. And only on the sofa.
If you insist on putting them on a bed though, or owning loads of them, I recommend rethinking your life choices. (nod)
Post by: Stupot on 11 May 2020, 14:48
Post by: Babar on 11 May 2020, 16:24
Post by: Cassiebsg on 11 May 2020, 17:00
We have a bunch of those on the living room, but like Snarky they're more often on the way, when we want to use the sofa, than not... so instead they're nicely lined up along the windowsill... the cats just love them BTW! (laugh)
Post by: Danvzare on 12 May 2020, 13:47
It was my understanding that throw pillows go on beds, while cushions go on sofas.I suppose it's like Magma and Lava. They're the same thing, just in different places.
Post by: Stupot on 18 Jun 2020, 15:19
NO! It’s not called Track-and-Bloody-Trace! It’s “Test and Trace”! A different thing entirely. If one more IDIOT calls it Track and Trace, unless you’ve just entered a 12-digit string into a box on the Royal Mail website, I swear I’m going to go postal.
Post by: CaptainD on 18 Jun 2020, 15:48
Post by: Cassiebsg on 18 Jun 2020, 17:38
Post by: Danvzare on 18 Jun 2020, 19:18
“Track and Trace”
NO! It’s not called Track-and-Bloody-Trace! It’s “Test and Trace”! A different thing entirely. If one more IDIOT calls it Track and Trace, unless you’ve just entered a 12-digit string into a box on the Royal Mail website, I swear I’m going to go postal.
If you think I'm going to start calling it "Test and Trace", then you've got another think coming.
...
Get it?
I just referred to my own somewhat related pet-peeve while talking about Stupot's. :-D
...
Ok, forget it. I don't think anyone is going to get it. :~(
Also, what is test and trace?
I only know about the whole 12-digit thing that you put into the Royal Mail website. Then again, I don't send and receive many packages, so... :-\
Post by: Stupot on 18 Jun 2020, 20:41
Post by: Mandle on 19 Jun 2020, 00:20
Test and trace is what they (‘they’ being the NHS and UK authorities) call the system in place for “testing” for positive cases of covid-19 and “tracing” people who they might have been in contact with. Nobody is “tracking” anybody. Yet last night #TrackandTrace was trending on Twitter because nobody stops to check that they are using the right terminology.
I'd say some people are using that term on purpose to suggest a conspiracy that the government is using covid testing to track the population as part of their "grand plan".
A lot of terms like this and "Plandemic" etc. have cropped up over this whole thing.
But yeah, that makes them even more idiots in my book than the people who are just saying it wrong.
Post by: cat on 22 Jul 2020, 20:09
Post by: Mandle on 23 Jul 2020, 04:55
The new Windows calculator icon. It is just so ugly - what were they thinking?
It was probably one of those "Bob, just finish the damn thing so we can all go get drunk!" type situations.
Post by: Mouth for war on 23 Jul 2020, 10:30
Post by: Mandle on 23 Jul 2020, 12:24
Or maybe it was "Bob, go get drunk and then finish the damn thing"
(laugh)
Post by: Snarky on 22 Aug 2020, 00:02
Post by: Sinitrena on 22 Sep 2020, 11:52
Post by: Cassiebsg on 22 Sep 2020, 16:32
If they only provide you with the pre-cut, then if you have no other choice, and they sell more paper, cause you don't optimally use it.
I have the same problem. I can understand that they don't fit our mini-oven, but they should roughly fit the standard oven of 60x60 cm... :-\
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Sep 2020, 10:56
I think you answered your own question...I bet this is why nail polish never comes with a brush that reaches all the way to the bottom of the bottle too, it grinds my gears not being able to get the last nail polish out
If they only provide you with the pre-cut, then if you have no other choice, and they sell more paper, cause you don't optimally use it.
I have the same problem. I can understand that they don't fit our mini-oven, but they should roughly fit the standard oven of 60x60 cm... :-\
if the bottle is less than half full, especially considering how expensive real nail polish is.
Post by: milkanannan on 24 Sep 2020, 11:13
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Sep 2020, 15:26
I don’t wear nail polish, but yeah that would be frustrating.It's a big reason I stopped wearing it, you'll just end up with several half-filled bottles if you do.
Post by: Blondbraid on 05 Oct 2020, 15:25
Post by: Mandle on 15 Oct 2020, 22:52
A Covidiot in the chat of a livestream was spamming how the CDC has released data showing that most people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in the USA are mask-wearers, proving that mask-wearing is bad.
I tried to explain to him that mask-wearers are people who are worried about the virus so they GET TESTED. Non-maskers are not worried so they DON'T GET TESTED.
He couldn't get it. Just kept saying that is was legit CDC data so I was wrong and masks are bad.
AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!
Post by: Stupot on 15 Oct 2020, 23:57
Not to mention that even mask-wearers have to take their masks off from time-to time. And even with them on, no one ever claimed they were 100% fool-proof.
Post by: Olleh19 on 16 Oct 2020, 01:13
But as you guys know (or may not know). My home origin is the rather different Covid-19 approach country, Sweden. We have no masks here, only in the emergency/hospital areas, military, etc. We did have high death rates in the beginnings, but these days we have sometimes days with no reported deaths, and sometimes 5 to 8 deaths a day. I repeat We have No masks..If it will work in the longrun? I do not know. I was one of the loud voices in the beginnings of the pandemic who shouted "idiots, we need to have masks!", but lately i've changed my thoughts on it.
I think distancing and holding your breath when going by someone is the better option.
Ofc hard if you live in a huge city and go past people all the time, but in a little town it should be do-able, also breath with your nose around people, mouth shut. It should have a better filter system, as i've understood it. So i do that pretty much all the time when i'm around lots of people.
Post by: Stupot on 16 Oct 2020, 03:28
But regarding breathing through your nose around people. That’s not gonna solve anything. You can’t cough through your nose and your nose can’t block a sneeze. You r nose is literally there to let sneezes out. Those 5-8 families a day would ask you to wear a mask around people.
Post by: milkanannan on 16 Oct 2020, 08:52
ARGH!!! I just had to vent somewhere!
A Covidiot in the chat of a livestream was spamming how the CDC has released data showing that most people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in the USA are mask-wearers, proving that mask-wearing is bad.
I tried to explain to him that mask-wearers are people who are worried about the virus so they GET TESTED. Non-maskers are not worried so they DON'T GET TESTED.
He couldn't get it. Just kept saying that is was legit CDC data so I was wrong and masks are bad.
AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!
Lol was he possibly trolling you? If not, he’s just opened up a new bottom tier of stupidity. (laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 16 Oct 2020, 10:33
Lol was he possibly trolling you? If not, he’s just opened up a new bottom tier of stupidity. (laugh)
It was a livestream of a flat earth debate so, no, I doubt he was trolling. He was on the flat earth side. LOL!
Post by: Cassiebsg on 16 Oct 2020, 15:59
But since the infected started to raise last month, the gov. have decided that you need to use it in public transports, and now also in coffee shops and restaurants (if you are standing, no need to wear it if you seat down).
I know it's not so in many lands, but they just realized that 2020 is the year with lower death rate since 2015, so far anyway... I guess we're just good at keeping distance, washing hands/sanitize them... or we've been lucky so far.
I have yet to wear a mask, my husband has wear one a few times (during doctor visit/hospital) and my son once (he was tested a couple weeks ago, cause he was coughing and school didn't want him there while we was - they tested both negative).
Also remember that you can also be infected via your eyes and masks are meant to protect others from you.
Quote
your nose can’t block a sneeze.
Actually, I have a success rate of about 80% sneeze blocking, if I close my mouth and nose... And 10% of those that I can't block, end up being an "inside" sneeze, cause my nose and mouth are still closed. (laugh) The rest are those that just come way too fast for me to react and do anything about it. (roll)
Post by: milkanannan on 16 Oct 2020, 16:21
Lol was he possibly trolling you? If not, he’s just opened up a new bottom tier of stupidity. (laugh)He was on the flat earth side.
Wow. Just...wow. He's probably a QAnon nutjob, too. How is it that the western world is even back to entertaining these opinions at all? Mind blowing.
Post by: Danvzare on 16 Oct 2020, 20:28
+1Quoteyour nose can’t block a sneeze.
Actually, I have a success rate of about 80% sneeze blocking, if I close my mouth and nose... And 10% of those that I can't block, end up being an "inside" sneeze, cause my nose and mouth are still closed. (laugh) The rest are those that just come way too fast for me to react and do anything about it. (roll)
Actually, it's my preferred form of sneezing. It's much cleaner. Although, quite uncomfortable.
Post by: Mandle on 16 Oct 2020, 22:56
How is it that the western world is even back to entertaining these opinions at all? Mind blowing.
I KNOW!!! To think that, in 2020, there are still people who believe that the Earth is a globe!
Post by: Olleh19 on 17 Oct 2020, 00:07
I agree with you that it’s silly to wear a mask when there’s literally no one else about. I wait until I’m near the station before putting mine on.
But regarding breathing through your nose around people. That’s not gonna solve anything. You can’t cough through your nose and your nose can’t block a sneeze. You r nose is literally there to let sneezes out. Those 5-8 families a day would ask you to wear a mask around people.
I do believe masks has it's purpose forexample in tight spaces like bus, or train trips for sure. Well if i have to sneeze, i do so in my elbow, and then keep the mouth shut afterwards. It's weird at first, but i'm so used to going in to the supermarket now with only using nose, i open mouth only perhaps if someone says hi or whatever, but to be honest it rarely happens, since i'm very antisocial these days, so i can pretty much do my groceryshopping with nosebreathing entirely.
So far, so good all i can say! (laugh)
Post by: Danvzare on 19 Oct 2020, 15:37
I honestly believe that flat earthers started from someone trolling, and it just got so out of hand that some people actually started believing the trolls.How is it that the western world is even back to entertaining these opinions at all? Mind blowing.
I KNOW!!! To think that, in 2020, there are still people who believe that the Earth is a globe!
Post by: milkanannan on 19 Oct 2020, 16:37
Post by: Blondbraid on 19 Oct 2020, 17:57
True, I've even heard it started as somebody coming up with "the flat earth theory" on the spot as a ridiculous example when discussing how unrealistic most conspiracy theories are.I honestly believe that flat earthers started from someone trolling, and it just got so out of hand that some people actually started believing the trolls.How is it that the western world is even back to entertaining these opinions at all? Mind blowing.
I KNOW!!! To think that, in 2020, there are still people who believe that the Earth is a globe!
Post by: Mandle on 22 Oct 2020, 11:07
I honestly believe that flat earthers started from someone trolling, and it just got so out of hand that some people actually started believing the trolls.
The guy that started it on YouTube claims that he was doing it as a comedy bit, and then Eric Dubay stole the idea and ran with it and made millions of dollars.
Post by: Slasher on 22 Oct 2020, 11:45
Grinds my gears when people say the moon is not made of cheese.. It is, a man down the pub told me so it must be true (laugh)I honestly believe that flat earthers started from someone trolling, and it just got so out of hand that some people actually started believing the trolls.
The guy that started it on
YouTube claims that he was doing it as a comedy bit, and then Eric Dubay stole the idea and ran with it and made millions of dollars.
Post by: Danvzare on 22 Oct 2020, 17:50
Grinds my gears when people say the moon is not made of cheese.. It is, a man down the pub told me so it must be true (laugh)I can verify that claim. I've had some moon cheese before. It almost tastes like Wensleydale. :-D
Post by: JackPutter on 22 Oct 2020, 18:26
Post by: Furwerkstudio on 23 Oct 2020, 01:32
Movies like Charm City Kings makes thugs and jerks look like cool and dashing rouges with a code of honor and ethic when in real life they are horrible, horrible little nerds who are cold blooded and don't care who they hurt.
No joke, just a short while before making this post I was taking my mom's dog out, on the sidewalk when these two bike gang bangers go roaring around the block, and came all around the corner causing me to grab my dog, practically pushed my mom out of the way and saw a few other people across the street run like us off the sidewalk because again these jokers in real life are horrible, horrible people and don't care who gets hurt.
I actually saw one ride up Liberty height near the Walgreens right behind an active ambulance, popping a wheelie and almost touching the ambulance's bumper doing so.
Post by: Jack on 23 Oct 2020, 01:53
Post by: milkanannan on 23 Oct 2020, 07:17
What grinds my gears?
Movies like Charm City Kings makes thugs and jerks look like cool and dashing rouges with a code of honor and ethic when in real life they are horrible, horrible little nerds who are cold blooded and don't care who they hurt.
No joke, just a short while before making this post I was taking my mom's dog out, on the sidewalk when these two bike gang bangers go roaring around the block, and came all around the corner causing me to grab my dog, practically pushed my mom out of the way and saw a few other people across the street run like us off the sidewalk because again these jokers in real life are horrible, horrible people and don't care who gets hurt.
I actually saw one ride up Liberty height near the Walgreens right behind an active ambulance, popping a wheelie and almost touching the ambulance's bumper doing so.
Where are you? That sounds awful.
Post by: Furwerkstudio on 23 Oct 2020, 11:46
Where are you? That sounds awful.
I live in Baltimore, the home of the American Comic Book distribution, Edgar Allan Poe, Babe Ruth and the Pop Culture museum. Which no one cares about here because it's not gang banging, drugs or faking toughness.
Post by: Jack on 25 Oct 2020, 12:46
Post by: Danvzare on 25 Oct 2020, 14:32
Get over it: you need to upgrade your phone every year now (https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/24/get-over-it-you-need-upgrade-your-phone-every-year-now-prove/3735464001/)+1
Although you know what grinds my gears even more. It was considered normal to upgrade your phone every year back when we were all using tiny flip phones. At least people have a reason to do it now. Who knows what the logic was for it back then?
Post by: Mandle on 25 Oct 2020, 21:06
Although you know what grinds my gears even more. It was considered normal to upgrade your phone every year back when we were all using tiny flip phones. At least people have a reason to do it now. Who knows what the logic was for it back then?
Status and/or fashion. I kept my same tiny little PHS phone for like ten years though. Became a joke among friends that it still worked like "Doesn't that only run on 1990s' electricity?!"
Post by: Danvzare on 11 Nov 2020, 19:40
Only to have someone say "No, you're wrong." and that's it. No rebuttals, no other comments. Just that. All because your theory flies in the face of everyone's already pre-established head-canon. >:(
Post by: Mandle on 12 Nov 2020, 00:19
Something that grinds my gears is when you come up with a well thought out theory to piece together a game's lore, making sure to point out all of the evidence and reasoning for how you came to this conclusion.
Only to have someone say "No, you're wrong." and that's it. No rebuttals, no other comments. Just that. All because your theory flies in the face of everyone's already pre-established head-canon. >:(
Undertale?
Post by: Stupot on 12 Nov 2020, 03:13
Only to have someone say "No, you're wrong." and that's it. No rebuttals, no other comments. Just that. All because [people are assholes].
Post by: Mandle on 12 Nov 2020, 07:03
Something that grinds my gears is when you come up with a [...] thought [...], making sure to point out all of the evidence and reasoning for how you came to this conclusion.
Only to have someone say "No, you're wrong." and that's it. No rebuttals, no other comments. Just that. All because [people are assholes].
I have a friend who, every time I do that, his next sentence starts with: "I think it's more that..."
Mind you, it does keep a conversation moving.
Post by: Mandle on 13 Nov 2020, 00:11
Post by: Stupot on 13 Nov 2020, 00:56
Nose hair.No, I think it’s more that you just haven’t got used to it. Nose hair is actually there to help protect you.
Post by: Mandle on 13 Nov 2020, 10:17
Nose hair.No, I think it’s more that you just haven’t got used to it. Nose hair is actually there to help protect you.
Wait until you pass 50. It gets annoying as eff!!!
Post by: Jack on 13 Nov 2020, 14:16
Post by: Danvzare on 13 Nov 2020, 16:00
Lakeview Cabin actually. But it applies to every fandom really.Something that grinds my gears is when you come up with a well thought out theory to piece together a game's lore, making sure to point out all of the evidence and reasoning for how you came to this conclusion.
Only to have someone say "No, you're wrong." and that's it. No rebuttals, no other comments. Just that. All because your theory flies in the face of everyone's already pre-established head-canon. >:(
Undertale?
Nose hair.To add to that: plucking nose hairs. Why does it make your eyes water?
Post by: Pogwizd on 13 Nov 2020, 17:04
Nose hair.To add to that: plucking nose hairs. Why does it make your eyes water?
Why does it always make you sneeze, too? Or is it just me?
Post by: milkanannan on 14 Nov 2020, 04:24
Post by: Mandle on 14 Nov 2020, 10:54
Post by: Pogwizd on 14 Nov 2020, 11:51
You guys plucking your nose hairs doesn't make my eyes water or make me sneeze. What are you talking about?!
Biology, I guess :)
You guys pluck your nose hairs? Doesn't that hurt?
A little bit, yeah. But when there's no hair trimmer around what choice have you got...?
Post by: heltenjon on 14 Nov 2020, 11:58
Post by: Mouth for war on 16 Nov 2020, 10:27
1. When you're doing the dishes and you think you're almost done. You remove that last plastic bowl that was standing upside down from the sink and realise it was covering another large stack of plates or
2. A lot of us game making nerds knows exactly how important those late nights are for us :-D Still you want to be considerate of others who are sleeping. You try your best to be quiet and immediately you drop something heavy on the floor or hit a piece of furniture...usually with your foot, and of course so you get hurt and are about to lose a nail and you must whisper the profanities you just want to yell out. Waking up the wife....and you have nowhere to run :-D
Post by: Khris on 19 Nov 2020, 17:56
1. Biden and Trump are hailed for their record-breaking voter turnout all over the place. The amount of people who vote grows with the population though, so the only relevant figure is the percentage of potential voters. Both have less than Reagan, Trump has less than Bush, and if you go back to when women were allowed to vote, they are on #10 and #15, respectively, behind Nixon. Not exactly as news-worthy though, I guess.
2. One of the loudest anti-lockdown fuckwits in Germany is confused about how exponential growth works and thinks that if the growth rate goes down it's no longer exponential growth. This is trivially false, as anybody understands who has ever had a bank account and seen their interest go down a few points.
Post by: Mandle on 19 Nov 2020, 22:15
What grinds my gears right now is how prevalent innumeracy is. Or rather, people confidently and loudly spreading nonsense while also not understanding extremely basic math.
Like a prominent flat-earther who constantly tells his cultish followers that the 10^-17 Torr (pressure) of space is a negative number, meaning that space supposedly has a "negative pressure" and that the vacuum of space should suck the Earth's atmosphere right off it. Not only is the math and science misunderstood, but also they think that "vacuum" means like a Dyson.
Post by: Snarky on 22 Nov 2020, 08:15
Post by: Danvzare on 22 Nov 2020, 16:00
What grinds my gears right now is how prevalent innumeracy is. Or rather, people confidently and loudly spreading nonsense while also not understanding extremely basic math.
Like a prominent flat-earther who constantly tells his cultish followers that the 10^-17 Torr (pressure) of space is a negative number, meaning that space supposedly has a "negative pressure" and that the vacuum of space should suck the Earth's atmosphere right off it. Not only is the math and science misunderstood, but also they think that "vacuum" means like a Dyson.
Oh wow, really? By that same logic, we should all be dead. ???
You'd think the obvious fact that space doesn't suck all of Earth's atmosphere right off of it, would tip him off that his logic is flawed. (Not to mention all of the other things he clearly forgot to take into account, including gravity, magnetic fields, ect).
It's like those people who come up with a design for a perpetual motion machine, and honestly believe it works. You'd think the fact that it doesn't work, would be enough to convince them that it doesn't work. But it isn't. (laugh)
Post by: Mandle on 22 Nov 2020, 16:14
What grinds my gears right now is how prevalent innumeracy is. Or rather, people confidently and loudly spreading nonsense while also not understanding extremely basic math.
Like a prominent flat-earther who constantly tells his cultish followers that the 10^-17 Torr (pressure) of space is a negative number, meaning that space supposedly has a "negative pressure" and that the vacuum of space should suck the Earth's atmosphere right off it. Not only is the math and science misunderstood, but also they think that "vacuum" means like a Dyson.
Oh wow, really? By that same logic, we should all be dead. ???
You'd think the obvious fact that space doesn't suck all of Earth's atmosphere right off of it, would tip him off that his logic is flawed. (Not to mention all of the other things he clearly forgot to take into account, including gravity, magnetic fields, ect).
It's like those people who come up with a design for a perpetual motion machine, and honestly believe it works. You'd think the fact that it doesn't work, would be enough to convince them that it doesn't work. But it isn't. (laugh)
But what you have failed to take into account is that:
Post by: TheFrighter on 22 Nov 2020, 17:37
"Black friday is the best day to shopping" is the line actually what are grindig mine.
_
Post by: Danvzare on 14 Dec 2020, 18:57
For example: "Of course a coconut is a nut, why else would it have nut in the name?"
:-\
Post by: Mouth for war on 14 Dec 2020, 22:54
"Of course a coconut is a nut, why else would it have nut in the name?"
Grrr that grinds my gears too...a lot....ignorant people.
Post by: Mandle on 14 Dec 2020, 23:54
It grinds my gears when people can't see past the name of something,
Not exactly what you were talking about but: I have a Japanese friend who refuses to watch some movies I know he would enjoy because of the stupidly translated Japanese naming of them.
Two examples:
"Raising Arizona" in Japanese is "Baby Thief" which makes it sound like it's about a baby who is a thief so my friend equates it with "Baby's Day Out" and "Look Who's talking".
"The Italian Job" in Japanese is "The Grand Mini Mini Heist" which sounds like some kind of stupid map-cap comedy romp. I recommended the original movie BTW, not the lackluster remake, but they both have the same names in Japanese.
No matter how many times I tell him that the Japanese naming does NOT represent the actual movies, he cannot get past the initial bad impressions those names gave him and will never watch those excellent films.
Post by: Danvzare on 15 Dec 2020, 16:38
Now I kind of want actual movies made, based on those names.
Also, could you imagine if those were the actual names of those movies in English?
It's a real shame that your friend can't see past those titles though.
Post by: Mandle on 15 Dec 2020, 22:17
It's a real shame that your friend can't see past those titles though.
I kinda suspect that he's doing it to annoy me. (laugh)
Post by: Blondbraid on 28 Jan 2021, 22:36
(if you've missed it, see it at your own risk (https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cyberpunk-2077.jpg?fit=1820%2C1024&strip=all))
I never got into the hype and decided early on I didn't want it because it just seemed to be a bunch Cyberpunk cliches that has already been done in more original ways in dozens of games already,
a bunch of gritty crime tropes I detest, and sandbox gameplay, which is one of my least favorite genres, but what I really truly HATE about that game is it's poster/thumbnail that they put everywhere,
with the world's most generic guy (https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Video-Game-Protagonists-Brown-Haired-White-Guys.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&h=984) standing in front of a neon-yellow single-color background so garish that it literally hurts my eyes watching it.
It's like somebody wished upon a monkey's paw to make AAA video games stop being so gray and brown and it fulfilled it in the most garish color possible.
Post by: heltenjon on 28 Jan 2021, 23:37
It grinds my gears that I keep seeing the same Cyberpunk 2077 ad everywhere.Caption for the ad: "The hairdresser deserves this!" (laugh)
(if you've missed it, see it at your own risk (https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cyberpunk-2077.jpg?fit=1820%2C1024&strip=all))
Post by: Crimson Wizard on 29 Jan 2021, 12:49
standing in front of a neon-yellow single-color background so garish that it literally hurts my eyes watching it.
This is what the smog in Los Angeles will look like in 2077.
Post by: Sinitrena on 01 Feb 2021, 17:43
I mean, I know this is probably due to the things being send from different warehouses, but it's still annoying.
Post by: Blondbraid on 02 Feb 2021, 00:31
Amazon is grinding my gears right now. I don't know if this is the same everywhere, but here you always get the option to tick a box so that your order gets sent in as few packets as possible. I always tick this box and Amazon still manages to send my order with 7 items in 5 parcels. Are you f... kidding me? (And before you ask, all articles were in stock and are all supposed to arrive on the same day.) And it seems to happen more and more often. Two years ago or so, the max number of parcels from one order was two and my orders are always around 7 to 10 articles.Maybe they expect all their customers to make unboxing videos?
I mean, I know this is probably due to the things being send from different warehouses, but it's still annoying.
Post by: Sinitrena on 02 Feb 2021, 08:33
"Hey, look, the cable I soooooo wanted. I mean, it's just a spare in case my other one breaks but..."
"Wait! That's cool, batteries. Now I can use my kitchen scale again. But that reminds me, I need to buy flour when I go shopping the next time..."
(laugh) (laugh) (laugh)
At least they managed to send all parcels with the same parcel service this time. More often than not, it's different ones and of course they don't come to your door at the same time.
Post by: heltenjon on 02 Feb 2021, 10:04
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Feb 2021, 13:03
often just helping spread misconceptions of animals like White sharks, wolves, hyenas, and others being mindless killing machines rather than bringing any real education to the table.
it's so frustrating because firstly, most research has revealed that the majority of all animals have far more intricate social interactions than previously thought, a far cry from the "endless fight for dominance" narrative,
and secondly, very few wild animals pose an active danger to humans and about 90% of the cases of people being killed have been people actively running up and provoking them, trying to pick them up or chase them.
Post by: Mandle on 16 Feb 2021, 14:00
It grinds my gears that there are so many nature "documentaries" that are all about painting nature as some kind of giant gladiator arena that's all about animals killing each other,
often just helping spread misconceptions of animals like White sharks, wolves, hyenas, and others being mindless killing machines rather than bringing any real education to the table.
it's so frustrating because firstly, most research has revealed that the majority of all animals have far more intricate social interactions than previously thought, a far cry from the "endless fight for dominance" narrative,
and secondly, very few wild animals pose an active danger to humans and about 90% of the cases of people being killed have been people actively running up and provoking them, trying to pick them up or chase them.
I'm guessing you watched some of the ones with the narrator saying "The fierce beast lurks in the undergrowth, while its unsuspecting prey graze peacefully, never suspecting that anything was amiss... UNTIL!!!!"
Post by: Blondbraid on 16 Feb 2021, 14:57
More or less. It doesn't help that several nature channels have stuff like "big cat week" or "shark month", meaning nearly all the documentaries will be the same species, sometimes even the same animal trashing some critter over and over.It grinds my gears that there are so many nature "documentaries" that are all about painting nature as some kind of giant gladiator arena that's all about animals killing each other,
often just helping spread misconceptions of animals like White sharks, wolves, hyenas, and others being mindless killing machines rather than bringing any real education to the table.
it's so frustrating because firstly, most research has revealed that the majority of all animals have far more intricate social interactions than previously thought, a far cry from the "endless fight for dominance" narrative,
and secondly, very few wild animals pose an active danger to humans and about 90% of the cases of people being killed have been people actively running up and provoking them, trying to pick them up or chase them.
I'm guessing you watched some of the ones with the narrator saying "The fierce beast lurks in the undergrowth, while its unsuspecting prey graze peacefully, never suspecting that anything was amiss... UNTIL!!!!"
Plus from what I've heard, some unscrupulous film crews even straighup shoot an antelope to get more footage of lions and their peers tearing a bloody carcass apart.
Post by: Mandle on 17 Feb 2021, 04:09
She watched in horror as a fox slaughtered a nest of baby birds while the mother was out foraging for them.
And then the film showed the mother fox bringing the dead baby birds back to her lair to feed to the cute-as-hell baby fox litter she was raising.
Even though she knows about how all this works, she still had the gut-reaction to watching the killing of the baby birds of "that fox is evil!" but then the next scene so contradicts that view that she was a bit shocked at herself for getting manipulated like that.
I wish I knew the name of the film because that is subversive genius!
Post by: Blondbraid on 17 Feb 2021, 09:30
My wife was watching a nature documentary that seems to be aware of our human tendency to demonize predators as the bad guys:Does she know deer and bovines sometimes also eat small birds for calcium? Let's just say they're not exactly Bambi out in the wild.
She watched in horror as a fox slaughtered a nest of baby birds while the mother was out foraging for them.
And then the film showed the mother fox bringing the dead baby birds back to her lair to feed to the cute-as-hell baby fox litter she was raising.
Even though she knows about how all this works, she still had the gut-reaction to watching the killing of the baby birds of "that fox is evil!" but then the next scene so contradicts that view that she was a bit shocked at herself for getting manipulated like that.
I wish I knew the name of the film because that is subversive genius!
Post by: Danvzare on 17 Feb 2021, 17:26
It grinds my gears that there are so many nature "documentaries" that are all about painting nature as some kind of giant gladiator arena that's all about animals killing each other,It was only a few years ago that I learnt that documentaries aren't supposed to teach you stuff. They're just there to be entertaining. So with that in mind, things such as "facts" usually don't matter.
I know that I sound dumb for having not realized that sooner. But you can't blame me for not realizing that something as boring as documentaries, were being made as entertainment. 8-0
Post by: Blondbraid on 17 Feb 2021, 20:56
The huge problem is that there are documentaries that genuinely do try to teach people facts, and entertainment masking as documentaries, tricking people into thinking their sensationalism is true to life.It grinds my gears that there are so many nature "documentaries" that are all about painting nature as some kind of giant gladiator arena that's all about animals killing each other,It was only a few years ago that I learnt that documentaries aren't supposed to teach you stuff. They're just there to be entertaining. So with that in mind, things such as "facts" usually don't matter.
I know that I sound dumb for having not realized that sooner. But you can't blame me for not realizing that something as boring as documentaries, were being made as entertainment. 8-0
For example, Captain America: The first avenger was 100% made to be entertainment, and most people are completely fine with such a film having unrealistic scenes because it's not trying to be realistic,
but if a teacher basically told their students "let's skip the boring WW2 documentary where it's just a bunch of veterans and survivors talking, you can learn all you need on WW2 from watching Captain America
instead, and you'll have much more fun in the process, I say everyone would agree that that teacher either was a moron or wanted to actively make people dumber after attending their class.
Post by: Babar on 30 Mar 2021, 13:25
The idea that a protagonist that is morally upright and invincible can't have good stories. To me, that just smells of excuses for not being skilled at writing, and I thought pop-culture as a whole had moved beyond that argument, but I saw it recommended to me as a video again recently.
Post by: Danvzare on 30 Mar 2021, 15:26
The "Superman is a horrible concept to write for" idea.Yeah, it's pretty annoying when people bring up the whole Mary-Sue (or in this case Gary-Stu) argument.
The idea that a protagonist that is morally upright and invincible can't have good stories. To me, that just smells of excuses for not being skilled at writing, and I thought pop-culture as a whole had moved beyond that argument, but I saw it recommended to me as a video again recently.
The argument goes that a character with zero flaws, is a boring and poorly written character. The problem is, it is impossible to make a character with zero flaws. If you look at some of the worst written fan-fiction ever, with protagonists that are clearly supposed to be Mary-Sues, then you will quickly find an overwhelming number of flaws (being selfish is usually the main one). The problem is, those same stories tend to completely ignore those flaws.
As such, there is no perfect character with no flaws, only stories which ignore those flaws. There is no character that can do anything, only stories that allow a character to do anything.
I can think of a whole bunch of stories for Superman, and clearly the creators could too. That's why his arch-nemesis is just an ordinary business man. You can be an invincible morally-upright superhero, but even that's no match for an ordinary scummy business man who doesn't technically do anything illegal.
So yeah, I agree. That is annoying, and just a showcase of poor writing abilities. The thing is, almost everyone seems to be a terrible writer. (Me included, but at least I recognize it.)
Here's something that grinds my gears. The fact that people consider Snakes and Ladders (or Chutes and Ladders to some) to be a board game.
Does it require a board? Yes. Is it a game? Not... at... all!
It would be easy to make Snakes and Ladders into an actual game, but with the default rules, it is not a game, and I can prove it.
First, imagine I made a video game adaptation of Snake and Ladders. At the start you get to choose how many players will play. Now most modern video game adaptations of board games will automatically roll the dice and move your piece the necessary number of spaces for you, and also automatically do the effect of the tile you land on. As such the only time you need to do something is when there's a choice, in Monopoly it's whether to buy or sell a property, on Cluedo it's where to move, and of course on those two games you can choose to do things before you roll the dice such as trade a property or make an accusation.
So now that this hypothetical Snakes and Ladders game has been made, you turn it on, set it to two players, and... it's just a screensaver. There is more interactivity on a DVD menu!
As such, Snakes and Ladders is a performance, and NOT a game. >:(
It's the equivalent of following a script for a stage-play.
It does not qualify in any shape or form under any definition as a game! If you did manage to shoehorn it into a definition of a game, that definition would have to be so loosely defined that it could include many things that no one in their right mind would ever consider as a game.
Post by: Snarky on 30 Mar 2021, 16:57
Here's something that grinds my gears. The fact that people consider Snakes and Ladders (or Chutes and Ladders to some) to be a board game.
Does it require a board? Yes. Is it a game? Not... at... all!
It would be easy to make Snakes and Ladders into an actual game, but with the default rules, it is not a game, and I can prove it.
The other day on Twitter, some game designer posted the argument for why Candyland (which is similarly "on rails"—even more so than Snakes and Ladders, since the outcome is decided in advance by shuffling a deck of cards) is not just a game, but a great game for its target audience. The relevant part for this discussion (partly from the replies) is:
- Aren't we past this notion of what "games" are? "Walking simulators" are widely accepted as games, for example.
- For young children, there is interactivity and challenge, because they have to (in Snakes and Ladders):
- take turns, waiting for their turn (patience, following rules)
- throw the dice (physical coordination)
- count the number of pips (numeracy)
- and move the piece the corresponding number of spaces (memory, numeracy, coordination)
Besides, you could make a very similar argument about for example Roulette: you have options, but they are meaningless—it doesn't matter a damn which number you choose to bet on (or red/black or any of the other types of bet), since it's all random anyway… and statistically speaking you're going to lose.
And as for your "a computer could do it all for you"—sure, but then again, a sufficiently advanced computer could auto-click its way through any adventure game (without deaths or dead ends), or play a guaranteed-to-be-perfect game of chess.
Post by: Blondbraid on 30 Mar 2021, 17:33
I second that, plus I'm tired of people automatically assuming that dark and gritty automatically makes it deep.The "Superman is a horrible concept to write for" idea.Yeah, it's pretty annoying when people bring up the whole Mary-Sue (or in this case Gary-Stu) argument.
The idea that a protagonist that is morally upright and invincible can't have good stories. To me, that just smells of excuses for not being skilled at writing, and I thought pop-culture as a whole had moved beyond that argument, but I saw it recommended to me as a video again recently.
The argument goes that a character with zero flaws, is a boring and poorly written character. The problem is, it is impossible to make a character with zero flaws. If you look at some of the worst written fan-fiction ever, with protagonists that are clearly supposed to be Mary-Sues, then you will quickly find an overwhelming number of flaws (being selfish is usually the main one). The problem is, those same stories tend to completely ignore those flaws.
As such, there is no perfect character with no flaws, only stories which ignore those flaws. There is no character that can do anything, only stories that allow a character to do anything.
I can think of a whole bunch of stories for Superman, and clearly the creators could too. That's why his arch-nemesis is just an ordinary business man. You can be an invincible morally-upright superhero, but even that's no match for an ordinary scummy business man who doesn't technically do anything illegal.
So yeah, I agree. That is annoying, and just a showcase of poor writing abilities. The thing is, almost everyone seems to be a terrible writer. (Me included, but at least I recognize it.)
More often than not, it just means tacking on a bunch and imagery pandering to edgelord teens, but also, the same hack writers just replace any idea of good morals and likable characters
with mean-spirited and incredibly shallow nihilism instead, to the point you don't care about anyone or anything that happens in the story. I'm pretty sure that was what made Batman vs Superman such a bad story.
For comparison, watch this clip from Superman vs The Elite:
Post by: heltenjon on 31 Mar 2021, 18:09
The "Superman is a horrible concept to write for" idea.
The idea that a protagonist that is morally upright and invincible can't have good stories. To me, that just smells of excuses for not being skilled at writing, and I thought pop-culture as a whole had moved beyond that argument, but I saw it recommended to me as a video again recently.
There are many good Superman stories, and many less good ones, too. The challenge seems to be that he's so powerful that he's not in any real danger. This can be solved by making even more powerful enemies, which is not a good solution in the long run, or by making stories that is about something else. I've been watching the new Superman & Lois tv series, and like what I see so far. The writers have emphasized parenthood, making moral choices and so on.
Post by: Gilbert on 01 Apr 2021, 02:25
Post by: Danvzare on 01 Apr 2021, 17:51
-snip-You clearly have never considered the definition of a game.
I've thought a long time about it. I've read academic papers on the subject by people with PHDs, and I can easily argue why Walking Simulators are games, why Sim City is a game, why Visual Novels are games. Then I can go into much more older games such as Naughts and Crosses, Poker, and even Chess, and argue why they are all indeed games.
But Snakes and Ladders doesn't fit in with it. Because as I said before, to call it a game, you would have to call a lot of other things a game which are not.
I don't always get my words out right, so you'll have to bear with me, and actually use that brain of yours to come up with some suitable comebacks to your questions, rather than instantly going "AH HA! He left out one crucial detail! I've got him now... oh, he countered it easily. AH HA! He left out yet another crucial detail! I've got him now... oh, he countered it easily again." Seriously, it's annoying when people think they've won an argument by pointing out one teeny tiny slight flaw in your logic, just because they're incapable of figuring out what was clearly implied. >:(
I'll try my best to spell everything out, but this isn't an academic paper, so like I said, you'll have to bear with me.
So let's first come up with a wide reaching definition that counters all of your arguments, and doesn't include Snakes and Ladders.
A game involves meaningful player agency, and includes either a win and/or fail state (this state does not need to be enforced by the game).
So this doesn't include say, a stage play, since there's technically a "win" state, the end of the play, but no meaningful player agency. You can choose how to deliver the lines, but other than fudging them up, you can't really do anything. It does unfortunately include a purely improvised play, as a game, but then again it is, as that would basically be Dungeons and Dragons without the dice. (Also, it still includes open ended games like MMOs, as not only do they have fail states in that you can die, but most players make their own win state, so they usually have both states, despite only needing one to be a game)
It doesn't include Snakes and Ladders because even though there's a win state, you can't do anything meaningful other than how you roll the dice, which generally doesn't have any effect on the game.
So let's counter your points in turn. :-D
You have meaningful choices in a Walking Simulator. In LSD Dream Emulator, you can choose what to see, and what not to see. What to run into and interact with. With The Stanley Parable you can choose which option to choose. Even with the most boring of Walking Simulators, you can usually choose to inspect something and truly explore and take in your surroundings. This is all meaningful. It's what the genre is about. The fact that you would even bring up Walking Simulators, makes me think that you don't get the genre. Also they all have win states. Usually getting to the end, even LSD Dream Emulator has a win state, to get to the end of a dream, or the bigger goal of the end of the year.
Taking turns is not a meaningful choice. It's something you HAVE to do.
Throwing dice is not a meaningful choice, it's something you HAVE to do. Like pressing the shoot button on an FPS or the forward button on a Walking Simulator (inspecting the environment isn't something you have to do, but something you're expected to do to enjoy a Walking Simulator).
Counting the pips is not a meaningful choice, it's something you HAVE to do.
Moving the piece the correct number of spaces is not a meaningful choice, it's something you HAVE to do.
Using mental strain to change the outcome is not a meaningful choice. It's the illusion of choice.
Roulette has a meaningful choice. Sure, it's completely random. But despite the odds, it's going to land on one of those numbers. You can make a meaningful (albeit completely uninformed) choice.
You're confusing an uninformed nearly meaningless choice, with the complete lack of a choice. Choosing where to put your token on a roulette table isn't the equivalent to rolling the dice in Snake and Ladders. Spinning the roulette table is the equivalent to rolling the dice (you have to do it). There is no equivalent to choosing WHERE to put your token in roulette with Snake and Ladders because Snake and Ladders doesn't have any meaningful choices in it. But I suppose in theory, it could be argued that roulette isn't a game based on my definition. I'm not here to argue that though.
Yes, a computer could randomly click through everything in an adventure game. But in my example, I merely included what was considered good-design practices. Having something which clicks the entire screen for you on an adventure game, is neither a common nor good design practice. Having a boardgame video game automatically roll the dice for you when you can't do anything, and move you the correct number of places, is both a common and good design practice.
Having to manually roll the dice and move the piece on a boardgame video game, would be the equivalent of having to move the players limbs individually QWOP style on an adventure game to interact with everything.
To further add to this, if you have an adventure game click everything for you, you're not playing it. And a game must be played to be a game. If you made an adventure game click everything for you, it ceases to be a game for that person. To further prove this, we can play a game of Snakes and Ladders right now. Get out a board, since I'm not over there, you'll have to roll the dice and move my piece for me (I think that's fair). Now just get back to me when I need to do something or when one of us wins.
By the way, I can keep this up all day. There's a few people on this forum that will fight to the ends of the earth on what can only be called a petty subject. This is mine. I know what I'm talking about here. Heck, I even gave you my own personal definition for a game! One that I spent years perfecting! What do you have? A few gut feelings and a general ignorance on the whole subject?
Now you know why it grinds my gears! >:(
Also, if you decide to continue to argue with me. Do me a favour and give me your definition of a game, so that I can point out all of the holes in it. Because I'm telling you, if you manage to make a definition of "game" that includes Snake and Ladders, you're going to have to include real-life scripted stage plays as a game, as well as DVD menus. (nod)
And then I'll get to laugh about how your definition is wrong. (laugh)
(By the way, my definition doesn't include DVD menus as games, because choosing one of those options isn't a meaningful choice. If you want to play the movie, you HAVE to press the "Play Movie" button. There is no choice. When and how you do it, doesn't effect it, so long as you press the button. Unlike say, a game where you have to stop a stopwatch on exactly the 1-minute mark, as even though pressing the button isn't a meaningful choice, when you press it, is a meaningful choice.)
Post by: Snarky on 01 Apr 2021, 18:51
You clearly have never considered the definition of a game.
I have. I don't agree either with your definition or with your analysis.
And you're working from the assumption that there is one definition that will cleanly separate games from non-games. This strikes me as an unreasonable assumption.
Post by: Danvzare on 01 Apr 2021, 18:55
We have words for a reason. There clearly is a definition. That's what language is about. >:(You clearly have never considered the definition of a game.
I have. I don't agree either with your definition or with your analysis.
And you're working from the assumption that there is one definition that will cleanly separate games from non-games. This strikes me as an unreasonable assumption.
And what you have just stated clearly means you don't have a definition for "game", meaning you should have no opinion on the matter. Which means you're not allowed to discuss why a definition for "game" is wrong, as you yourself don't have a definition for it yourself. It is essentially a word that isn't in your vocabulary. Because as you clearly stated, you think it is unreasonable to assume that there is a definition for "game".
In other words. Shoo.
Post by: heltenjon on 01 Apr 2021, 23:13
One cannot really argue against a definition, one can only say whether or not it serves the purpose. If you want to make a divide between board games and board competitions (which Snakes & Ladders must be, as you can win or lose), then fine. But this isn't how stores and most people will define a game. They will probably think it's something along the lines of "a competition on a board where you can win or lose by following set rules". (Board game, there. Card game...almost the same.)
I'm not sure where I would draw the line. I'd say Bingo is a game, but I'm not so sure about a lottery or a bet. They would probably be games in the English language, though.
But I like your argument. Indeed, we use it a bit when we play games with the kids. I can participate while making dinner, if someone can just make the roll for me and move my piece. :-D
Post by: Snarky on 02 Apr 2021, 12:34
We have words for a reason. There clearly is a definition. That's what language is about. >:(
No, definitions of natural-language words are after-the-fact attempts to describe what they tend to mean. Many words (and not just homonyms) cover a number of similar/related concepts, but not in a clean way where you can sum it up in a formula. I think "game" is one of those.
Quote
And what you have just stated clearly means you don't have a definition for "game", meaning you should have no opinion on the matter. Which means you're not allowed to discuss why a definition for "game" is wrong, as you yourself don't have a definition for it yourself. It is essentially a word that isn't in your vocabulary. Because as you clearly stated, you think it is unreasonable to assume that there is a definition for "game".
In other words. Shoo.
Oh get bent.
If you insist, for the type of game under discussion, I'd go with something like "a structured activity undertaken for fun" as a definition. This would not cover unstructured children's play, or indeed everything we call "computer games" (including most adventure games)—because I think those are genuinely slightly different things that just happen to be called by the same name. Similarly, I think there are mostly good reasons for what it includes (e.g. square dancing) and excludes (e.g. professional competitions).
Using mental strain to change the outcome is not a meaningful choice. It's the illusion of choice.
Roulette has a meaningful choice. Sure, it's completely random. But despite the odds, it's going to land on one of those numbers. You can make a meaningful (albeit completely uninformed) choice.
If it's completely random then it is not meaningful. You have no more control over the outcome than you do when you roll dice. You have no real agency.
We can demonstrate this by a small alteration of the Snakes and Ladders rules. Let's say that before you throw the die, you have to pick a number A between 1 and 6, and then this number is added to the result of your throw, D. The spaces you move is then calculated as (A+D-1)%6 + 1; or to put it more simply, if the number is greater than 6, subtract 6, giving a result between 1 and 6. By this alteration, S&L is now a game according to your criteria (you have to make a choice each turn, and that choice affects the outcome)—indeed, very similar to roulette—but it's obvious that the change makes no meaningful difference, since the randomness of the roll means you have no control of the outcome, and so your choice is meaninglessly arbitrary.
Or take traditional Bingo (with pre-filled cards). There is no agency: you're at the mercy of the card you get and the numbers that are randomly drawn. The interactive, challenging element is to listen, pay attention, spot the numbers that are called on your card (or, more often, cards), and recognizing when you have completed a line. In other words, tasks that a computer could easily do automatically without your input in a computer version, and that amount to following the rules of the game. Those things are appropriately challenging for the audience, just as S&L is for its audience.
Quote
Yes, a computer could randomly click through everything in an adventure game. But in my example, I merely included what was considered good-design practices.
If anything, you've only showed that a fully computerized version of S&L would not be a game. It does not follow that the non-computerized boardgame is not a game.
Post by: Danvzare on 02 Apr 2021, 15:56
Danvzare, your definition excludes games of chance. So, fair enough, by your definition, Snakes & Ladders isn't a game.Does it actually exclude games of chance? Poker is a game of chance, yet choosing which cards to keep and which to not, is a meaningful decision. Based on what Snarky said, it does seem to though.
One cannot really argue against a definition, one can only say whether or not it serves the purpose. If you want to make a divide between board games and board competitions (which Snakes & Ladders must be, as you can win or lose), then fine. But this isn't how stores and most people will define a game. They will probably think it's something along the lines of "a competition on a board where you can win or lose by following set rules". (Board game, there. Card game...almost the same.)Fair point. Then the purpose of this definition is to include everything this is normally considered a game, without including circular reasoning. In other words, the definition "It's a game, because it's a game." won't fly here.
I'm not sure where I would draw the line. I'd say Bingo is a game, but I'm not so sure about a lottery or a bet. They would probably be games in the English language, though.Yeah, I'm not sure where I draw the line either. That's kind of what set me on this path of thinking to begin with. :-\
But I like your argument. Indeed, we use it a bit when we play games with the kids. I can participate while making dinner, if someone can just make the roll for me and move my piece. :-D
No, definitions of natural-language words are after-the-fact attempts to describe what they tend to mean. Many words (and not just homonyms) cover a number of similar/related concepts, but not in a clean way where you can sum it up in a formula. I think "game" is one of those.Fair point about definitions there. So correct me if I'm wrong, what you're saying is that Snake and Ladders is a game, but not in the same way as say, Monkey Island. It's the same word, but different meaning, and I'm trying lump them all together? I bit like how "love" has four meanings, that the English language has lumped all into one word. I'd be willing to accept that.
Oh get bent.:-D
If you insist, for the type of game under discussion, I'd go with something like "a structured activity undertaken for fun" as a definition. This would not cover unstructured children's play, or indeed everything we call "computer games" (including most adventure games)—because I think those are genuinely slightly different things that just happen to be called by the same name. Similarly, I think there are mostly good reasons for what it includes (e.g. square dancing) and excludes (e.g. professional competitions).Ah, so I did understand you correctly. Then I agree. :-D
If it's completely random then it is not meaningful. You have no more control over the outcome than you do when you roll dice. You have no real agency.Good point. I agree completely. That's a potential hole in my definition.
We can demonstrate this by a small alteration of the Snakes and Ladders rules. Let's say that before you throw the die, you have to pick a number A between 1 and 6, and then this number is added to the result of your throw, D. The spaces you move is then calculated as (A+D-1)%6 + 1; or to put it more simply, if the number is greater than 6, subtract 6, giving a result between 1 and 6. By this alteration, S&L is now a game according to your criteria (you have to make a choice each turn, and that choice affects the outcome)—indeed, very similar to roulette—but it's obvious that the change makes no meaningful difference, since the randomness of the roll means you have no control of the outcome, and so your choice is meaninglessly arbitrary.
Or take traditional Bingo (with pre-filled cards). There is no agency: you're at the mercy of the card you get and the numbers that are randomly drawn. The interactive, challenging element is to listen, pay attention, spot the numbers that are called on your card (or, more often, cards), and recognizing when you have completed a line. In other words, tasks that a computer could easily do automatically without your input in a computer version, and that amount to following the rules of the game. Those things are appropriately challenging for the audience, just as S&L is for its audience.
If anything, you've only showed that a fully computerized version of S&L would not be a game. It does not follow that the non-computerized boardgame is not a game.THANK YOU!
You're the first person to finally make the argument that maybe it's only a game if it isn't computerized. That the act of doing something, is what makes it a game.
I disagree of course, because that would make changing the calendar on your fridge, a game. But that doesn't matter, since I've already agreed with you about there being multiple definitions. and yours being completely valid in this case.
Also, because I need to say this. Sorry for saying you hadn't thought about it. Clearly you have. I apologize.
Post by: heltenjon on 02 Apr 2021, 17:09
I meant games based on chance only, not games with elements of chance. Sorry for not expressing myself clearer.Danvzare, your definition excludes games of chance. So, fair enough, by your definition, Snakes & Ladders isn't a game.Does it actually exclude games of chance? Poker is a game of chance, yet choosing which cards to keep and which to not, is a meaningful decision. Based on what Snarky said, it does seem to though.
Many kids' games are based on the same premise as Snakes & Ladders (rolling the dice and getting to the goal first), and quite a few other games have very limited choices to make. Game of Life, for instance, is clearly luck-dominated, but would make your cut. Barely.
Games like Poker, Yahtzee or Risk have high elements of chance, but there is enough skill involved that over time, the most skillful player will probably win the most number of games. But they won't win every time.
Post by: Snarky on 02 Apr 2021, 21:38
I disagree of course, because that would make changing the calendar on your fridge, a game. But that doesn't matter, since I've already agreed with you about there being multiple definitions. and yours being completely valid in this case.
Well, that was an unexpectedly pleasant response. Thanks, and I will happily agree to disagree.
Post by: Blondbraid on 17 Apr 2021, 14:50
It grinds my gears immensely that so many people still think Dimetrodon was a dinosaur.
Post by: heltenjon on 17 Apr 2021, 15:50
I'm gonna say it:
It grinds my gears immensely that so many people still think Dimetrodon was a dinosaur.
:-[ *Bows head in shame, having made my kids play a certain Dimetrodon game when they had a dinosaur project in school*
Post by: Blondbraid on 17 Apr 2021, 16:42
Well, treat it as a learning opportunity to show them how the synapsid was different from dinosaurs! :)I'm gonna say it:
It grinds my gears immensely that so many people still think Dimetrodon was a dinosaur.
:-[ *Bows head in shame, having made my kids play a certain Dimetrodon game when they had a dinosaur project in school*
Post by: Danvzare on 19 Apr 2021, 16:55
I'm gonna say it:Well at least now there's at least one less person who thinks that. :-D
It grinds my gears immensely that so many people still think Dimetrodon was a dinosaur.
(That person being me by the way.)
Post by: TheFrighter on 22 Apr 2021, 18:26
What grinds my gears is when people say "Professional Wrestling is fake!" when it isn't its scripted but yet they dont realize that TV Shows & Movies are scripted as well...
_
Post by: Blondbraid on 24 Apr 2021, 09:09
Indeed, most reality TV either edit the participants to look more excaggerated, or straight up ask them to play up the drama to get views.
What grinds my gears is when people say "Professional Wrestling is fake!" when it isn't its scripted but yet they dont realize that TV Shows & Movies are scripted as well...
_
Heck, even nature documentaries have been guilty of editing random footage of different animals of the same species together to make a "story" about one animal.
Post by: Danvzare on 25 Apr 2021, 18:33
I know right, that grinds my gears too.
What grinds my gears is when people say "Professional Wrestling is fake!" when it isn't its scripted but yet they dont realize that TV Shows & Movies are scripted as well...
_
I'm not a fan of wrestling (I don't even like it), but saying "wrestling is fake" is like saying "operas are fake".
Congratulations, you've pointed out the obvious. Here's your redundancy trophy! (roll) It's annoying to say the least. >:(
Besides, you've got to give wrestling credit for all of those stunts. Some of which are anything but fake.
Post by: Blondbraid on 25 Apr 2021, 23:20
Besides, you've got to give wrestling credit for all of those stunts. Some of which are anything but fake.That's very true too, pretty much all stunts need not only a lot of choreography but also require the stuntman to be in pretty good physical shape too, and regular training and rehearsing,
I'm not even a wrestling fan, but I can still acknowledge that it takes a lot of effort from the wrestlers to do their job at least somewhat safe, it's not a fighting game where you can just mash buttons
and respawn good as new after every K.O.
Plus there's plenty of ethical problems with asking people to fight for real just for the sake of entertainment. You'd think our society had moved beyond Roman gladiatorial combat.
Post by: Stupot on 26 Apr 2021, 01:21
But, I do appreciate where those people are coming from. The fact that wrestling is fake means that it is literally just a soap opera. What grinds my gears is why is a soap opera covered on a sports channel? And why do people pay money to fill up arenas or stay up til the early hours of the morning to watch a bunch of oiled up actors prancing around pretending to hit each other.
Don’t get me wrong, I used to be into wrestling when I was a kid. I also used to watch Eastenders, but I guess I grew out of both.
Post by: Snarky on 26 Apr 2021, 16:24
I could be quite wrong, but my impression is that when wrestling broke out big on TV in the 1980s, a lot of people initially thought the fights were real (even if some of the personas and outside antics were an act). By the 1990s more and more (probably most) fans were aware it was fake, but a considerable number of naive/younger fans still were not (I didn't watch wrestling as a kid, but I remember vociferous arguments about it in, like, middle school), and the industry worked hard to stamp out any public acknowledgment of the playacting. Then as the Internet spread, a lot of the "inside info" became more widely known — including a lot of the insider jargon, such as "kayfabe" itself — and the industry gradually gave up on keeping the "secret" in anything but a symbolic way.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 26 Apr 2021, 16:27
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/DF-SD-06-11222.jpg/800px-DF-SD-06-11222.jpg)
This is wrestling (WWE) and is a show (not a sport):
(https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/105297207-1530098255481gettyimages-952144666.jpg?v=1570463792&w=678&h=381)
I think that's what they mean when they say "wrestling is fake"... it's a show, that it's "sold" as a sport event. (roll)
EDIT: Snarky posted while I was making my post... :) I agree with him, I'm guessing only kids/youth believe it's real these days.
Post by: TheFrighter on 26 Apr 2021, 17:32
This is wrestling (WWE) and is a show (not a sport):
To be precise it's called professional wrestling, where the "pro" means that matchs are worked. It is a light disclaimer, but not many people use it.
_
Post by: Cassiebsg on 26 Apr 2021, 17:53
Post by: Danvzare on 29 Apr 2021, 16:42
Shops: "We want you to social distance and keep 2m apart. We've all got to do our part."
Also shops: "We've reorganized all of the shelves so the only way out is either to walk against traffic in a long winded zig-zag pattern, or squeeze past everyone waiting in the queue. This is what you get for not buying anything!"
Post by: heltenjon on 04 May 2021, 00:53
Post by: Danvzare on 06 May 2021, 17:14
Local worry: In schools during the Covid-19 pandemic - keep a meter or two of distance. On school buses - sit right next to each other.As we all know, you can't get infected when you're sitting down. (laugh)
Post by: heltenjon on 06 May 2021, 20:05
And sitting ducks advance in the queue for getting a shot. :P (laugh)Local worry: In schools during the Covid-19 pandemic - keep a meter or two of distance. On school buses - sit right next to each other.As we all know, you can't get infected when you're sitting down. (laugh)
Post by: Stupot on 15 May 2021, 02:34
There’s long been a sub-genre of tweets, memes, videos, gifs, etc. all about how annoying it is for creative people to be asked to do free work in return for ‘exposure’.
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUs8wY92lkhD9lGsJifTS1hPykESeSQdX2IQ&usqp=CAU)
Now, I can understand how this is annoying and appreciate that creative people want it to be known that they have bills to pay and can’t work for free (although I don’t really like the attitude of these memes. What’s wrong with politely informing people that you do not work for free?).
The thing that is grinding my gears at the moment is an evolution of the above. Creative professionals are now stuck so far up their own asses that they won’t even field genuine requests from people who *are* willing to pay.
The video in the link below show’s some douche bag recreating a scene where someone first compliments their art and then asks them for their rate for commissions. The artist first refuses to give him the rate (?), and then when the interested party is predictably shocked by the rate, makes the other person out to be a right asshole.
https://twitter.com/papagaeio/status/1393371202115162113?s=21
Again, what’s wrong with just politely telling people ‘this is my rate, it might be a little higher than you expected because of a, b and c...’ That person will now learn what sort of price they might be looking at were they to then ask another artist a similar question.
Videos like this are just nasty and elitist. Not made to inform potential punters like me who might want to approach an artist for my board game project, for example. They’re just made to get likes and pats on the back from other artists.
Get over yourselves.
Post by: Blondbraid on 15 May 2021, 11:33
The video in the link below show’s some douche bag recreating a scene where someone first compliments their art and then asks them for their rate for commissions. The artist first refuses to give him the rate (?), and then when the interested party is predictably shocked by the rate, makes the other person out to be a right asshole.Seeing the video, no, the artist doesn't refuse to give the client his rate, he says that it depends on the project, and yeah, it kinda does. It's one thing if he's only asking for a small thing that could be done in an hour, another if there is a huge art piece that requires tons of expensive materials and takes weeks to make. I really can't fault the artist for being frustrated.
Sure, it's kind of bad the video doesn't specify what kind of work the artist does or what the client is asking from him, but as someone who's been selling stuff on Etsy for a while now, I can say that it is incredibly frustrating to see people with the mindset that creative people and artists
just love every single step in the process of their work, and can just magically conjure up fantastic stuff with zero effort or cost to themselves. I've tried many different crafts, resin, sewing, miniature making, and not only do the materials cost a lot if you want good quality, but pretty much all those things take several hours or even days to complete, and if you do it full time for a living, I'd say it's pretty understandable that an artist would want a day's wage for a day's work.
And not to mention that being able to find stuff for free online or buy incredibly cheap things made in china has warped people's idea of what things would actually cost in comparison to the work put in, good craftsmanship has always been expensive.
Post by: Danvzare on 16 May 2021, 17:09
The reason why some people aren't polite and don't simply say "I don't work for free." is because of the amount of harassment they've gotten from people who want stuff for free, not to mention the amount of people who want things done for dirt cheap. Anyone who provides any kind of service has had to deal with this. My father has a gardening side-business, and he complains non-stop about people wanting their gardens done for practically nothing. And the thing is, he is cheap! (Personally I think he should raise his prices, he's way too cheap.)
That all being said, you've got to be polite to your customers, no matter how annoyed you may get. That's one of the first rules for any business. So while I agree with you about them needing to be polite, I also agree with Blondbraid about them having every right to not be polite.
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Jun 2021, 11:06
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4d/fa/91/4dfa915c21bdbbf72a153002afb58fd2.jpg)
to tacky rainbow my little pony style creatures like this:
(https://sewingheartdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/unicorn-sitter-bl%C3%A5-5x7-2.jpg)
It's even gotten to the point some people even use the word "unicorn" as a synonym for "garish rainbow stuff".
It's just so frustrating to see what is a legit cool fantasy creature full of exciting potential basically be reduced to an ugly design that would look absolutely idiotic and out of place outside a pastel kids cartoon.
For comparison, imagine everyone just phased out all forms of cool dinosaurs from pop culture, until they were no longer associated with the majestic and impressive animals we'd see in works like Jurassic Park,
but instead, the only type of dinosaur known and spread among people who weren't huge paleontology nerds was this:
(https://www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Barney-the-dinosaur.jpg)
And just FYI, I thought rainbow unicorns with big cartoon cow snouts were tacky and ugly even when I used to be a little girl in the intended target demographic.
Post by: TheFrighter on 09 Jun 2021, 18:06
Same thing with elves, most of people think they are friendly bimbo charachters like this:
(https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.8_y0MLEH8rSooFIr2VKPbgHaFz&pid=Api&P=0&w=207&h=163)
...but in the old tales they was ugly dirty bastards.
_
Post by: heltenjon on 09 Jun 2021, 18:33
Post by: Blondbraid on 09 Jun 2021, 21:52
It seems that with most folklore creatures, like dragons, trolls, vampires, and ghosts, you have bowdlerized defanged kiddie versions,
but you also still have serious high fantasy depictions of them in lots of media, whereas with unicorns, it's like someone in the
the late 80s saw the legends saying that they could only be bested and tamed by maidens and decided "EeeeEwww Cooties!" and that
unicorns should be exclusively relegated to baby girl stuff ever since.
Post by: heltenjon on 09 Jun 2021, 22:08
Post by: Crimson Wizard on 10 Jun 2021, 16:00
For example, this is a Zerg creatures from the Starcraft game:
(https://cdn.neow.in/news/images/uploaded/2017/04/1492600248_starcraft_hydralisk_story.jpg)
And then the game fans do things like this:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5b/0f/00/5b0f006197a9f271376514565327ece3.jpg
and like this...
https://www.deviantart.com/tessryne/art/Zerg-Hydralisk-751696275
Post by: Danvzare on 10 Jun 2021, 16:11
Well, at least elves also got to be associated with beautiful yet badass Tolkien/DnD style characters. Legolas, anyone? ;)There are still plenty of depictions of proper majestic unicorns. Googling "Unicorn Statue" gives me nothing but results for the majestic kind. And this is from someone whose search history should give him Twilight Sparkle. (laugh)
It seems that with most folklore creatures, like dragons, trolls, vampires, and ghosts, you have bowdlerized defanged kiddie versions,
but you also still have serious high fantasy depictions of them in lots of media, whereas with unicorns, it's like someone in the
the late 80s saw the legends saying that they could only be bested and tamed by maidens and decided "EeeeEwww Cooties!" and that
unicorns should be exclusively relegated to baby girl stuff ever since.
Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me. I don't get a cutesy unicorn until the 49th image. (Yes, I counted.)
The problem isn't that cutesy unicorns have completely replaced majestic unicorns, but that they're way more popular. If you say "unicorn" people are going to think of the cutesy one first.
And I completely understand why that grinds your gears. I remember when fast zombies had practically replaced slow zombies in the same way. But thankfully the success of The Walking Dead managed to revert that.
Also CW is right about how it's a global trend that spreads everywhere. For example, just look at Kobold... then look up Cutebold. The latter is a fan-depiction based on Dwarf Fortress. A game with terrifying unicorns by the way. Even in an environment like that, people can't help but make things look cute!
Post by: Reiter on 10 Jun 2021, 19:49
Dwarf Fortress unicorns, as Danvzare mentioned, are quite menacing, amusingly. They live in 'good' lands, but they were quite capable of wreaking havoc on your dwarfs, kicking and goring. They are less dangerous now, but they are still a threat, particularly since the elves (less wise and decidedly less nice in Dwarf Fortress than in most other depictions) use them as war beasts.
All together, I do hope for better days for the unicorn. There is so much one can do with them while retaining their majesty.
'Cute' things are not a problem - provided that the object of the cute renditions are not utterly overshadowed by a hollow cuddle-simulacrum with all meaning of the old sand-papered off. If nothing else, our children deserves better. And now I feel I must put my crowns where my mouth is, and make some sort of unicorn game.
On angels, it is important to remember that any rendition of them is a vain attempt to describe the indescribable and depict that which pictures cannot reach. Not that it is not worth attempting just because it is impossible, mind. Angels are not 'supposed' to be blazing, all-seeing wheels, but it is 'closer' to what they are than a chap with wings, although not one depiction can be held as more 'right' than the other. An angel unmasked is a terrifying thing, so it is little wonder that they come in veils. Place and purpose is what matters, and I do not think you can get a depiction more or less 'right', only more or less fitting.
Part of the confusion, of course, comes from the term 'cherub', which in modern popular speak is taken to mean exclusively a fat little babby with wings, rather than AWE IN BEING, as it were. Although I imagine that if Cherubim have a sense of humour, they find it most amusing. The little winged children, putti, meanwhile, are more than mere decorations in their symbology, of course. They are very old, and hold so many different meanings. Far more than an adorable 'down-grade' for Cherubim, although one cannot wonder that it has become an impression. Indeed, it is like what has befallen the unicorn; considered but a slightly tacky and sugary decoration. Somewhat vexing.
Now, hurrah for the magnificent unicorn - queen of beasts!
Post by: dactylopus on 19 Jun 2021, 14:33
I disagree of course, because that would make changing the calendar on your fridge, a game. But that doesn't matter, since I've already agreed with you about there being multiple definitions. and yours being completely valid in this case.
Dude, you can gamify anything.
So every morning my alarm goes off at 8:05. It takes me a bit to get out of bed and make my way downstairs. But if I can tear off yesterday's calendar date by 8:15 every morning, I win for the day.
I just scored a point for myself in my own little game of life by coming up with this reply.
Post by: Danvzare on 20 Jun 2021, 15:23
I disagree of course, because that would make changing the calendar on your fridge, a game. But that doesn't matter, since I've already agreed with you about there being multiple definitions. and yours being completely valid in this case.
Dude, you can gamify anything.
So every morning my alarm goes off at 8:05. It takes me a bit to get out of bed and make my way downstairs. But if I can tear off yesterday's calendar date by 8:15 every morning, I win for the day.
I just scored a point for myself in my own little game of life by coming up with this reply.
Yeah, I know. Snarky corrected me on it. (nod)
Post by: Honza on 24 Jun 2021, 07:53
The behavior of the characters in the show is *insanely* illogical and stupid. I'm not a stickler for these things, I'm usually perfectly fine with suspending disbelief and just enjoying the themes and atmosphere when logic takes a back seat. But this one takes all the frustrating contrivances from mystery shows like Lost and brings them to an entirely new level. People *never* ask the most basic questions. Nobody has a coherent conversation about anything - it's always a variation on "vague comment - vague response - pensive stare - leaves without a word." Ridiculous and disastrous misunderstandings ensue because none of these people seem capable of forming a sentence. It literally had me yell at the screen a few times, and then wonder if this is supposed to be some sort of dream reality, or if they are intentionally trolling the audience. I haven't been this frustrated with a piece of entertainment for a very, very long time.
Anybody with me? :)
Post by: Stupot on 24 Jun 2021, 10:14
By the way, everyone watch Dark.
Post by: milkanannan on 24 Jun 2021, 11:23
Post by: Danvzare on 24 Jun 2021, 12:36
From the sounds of things though, that Katla sounds like it takes things to an entirely different level. I felt myself getting frustrated from your description alone! 8-0
Post by: Honza on 24 Jun 2021, 15:10
@Honza - I’ve been thinking of watching this. From the trailer, it seemed a bit like DARK, which is the best thing to come out of Netflix so far. Based on your review, I will lower my expectations. But if I watch it, I’ll share my thoughts.
By the way, everyone watch Dark.
I really enjoyed the first season of Dark, kept watching through the second, but then I gave up on it halfway through the third season - it became too convoluted, I realized that most of the time I had no idea what was going on anymore ;). Katla is similar to Dark in tone and atmosphere, but the story is much simpler and more straightforward. The plot could probably be condensed into one episode of Outer Limits.
A lot of people seem to enjoy Katla, it has surprisingly good reviews - so maybe give it a try regardless of what I said. There's a lot to admire about it if you can get past the way the characters (don't) communicate or even think clearly.
Post by: Sinitrena on 24 Jun 2021, 15:32
I really enjoyed the first season of Dark, kept watching through the second, but then I gave up on it halfway through the third season - it became too convoluted, I realized that most of the time I had no idea what was going on anymore ;).
https://dark.netflix.io/en - helps keeping track of people and relationships. You can choose season and episode to avoid spoilers. I didn't need it, but I binge-watched, which really helped, not too much time between episodes, so not so much stuff I could forget from one episode to the next or from season to the next.
I guess I'll give Katla a pass. People not properly talking to each other really annoys me in fictional characters. More than one otherwise good book was ruined by this for me. (wrong)
Post by: Honza on 25 Jun 2021, 00:04
https://dark.netflix.io/en - helps keeping track of people and relationships. You can choose season and episode to avoid spoilers. I didn't need it, but I binge-watched, which really helped, not too much time between episodes, so not so much stuff I could forget from one episode to the next or from season to the next.
That's a really well-made website! I think I could have made sense of it if I had been more invested, but the endlessly labyrinthine nature of the plot started feeling silly to me - it seemed to have reached a point where everything that could have been done had been done at least three times and nothing could surprise me anymore. I still respect the show, but if I want a story in the form of a Sudoku puzzle, I'll finally finish Obra Dinn instead :). Actually, come to think of it, Dark might be one of those rare cases of a story that would work better as a game.
Post by: Danvzare on 30 Jun 2021, 14:02
I usually have to listen to the same message a dozen times just to be able to write down the number.
The audio quality already makes it difficult to understand the numbers. Saying it quickly doesn't help! And it's even worse when there's a long introduction before they get to the telephone number, so you have to spend even more time listening to the message.
Why can't people just say the number slowly, giving noticeable pauses every three or four numbers, and repeating it all at least once. That's what TV adverts do, and they actually have good audio quality!
Or better yet, leave a text! >:(
Post by: cat on 07 Oct 2021, 09:28