What grinds your gears?

[fusionfreak]

Be driving on a 2 lane road. I'm in the left lane (the fast one). No one is in the right lane (the slower one). Some A-Hole pulls out in front of me into the left lane, that I'm in, as if they are in some kind of massive rush. The speed limit is 55 and they decide to go 35. Man, that just really pisses me off.

 

This isn't just an old person thing. Young drivers and old alike do it. I actually think young drivers do this a little more. Older folks seem to know what the slow lane is for.

[Remianen]

What's grinding my gears today is ungrateful employers.

 

I'd quit and do something else. But let me give some background to explain why.

 

People who know me often make fun of the fact that I'm always working in some capacity but never in just a single area. I'm 39 years old and have 10 years of experience in retail (Electronics Boutique, JCPenney, Macy's, K-Mart), 20 years in the travel industry, 8 years of tax accounting, 3 years of car sales, and 6 years of gaming industry (mostly QA though I've done/can do level and world design as well). And that doesn't count my 3 years of volunteering at an animal hospital or four months as a drug & alcohol and crisis counselor or four summers working in Archiving/Book Location at the Brooklyn Central Library.

 

I've told all of the kids I've mentored to never be one thing. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst". I don't care what your degree is for, do something else too. Find something you enjoy and spend some time doing it and it will pay off eventually. One guy who took the advice got laid off of his position at Bank of America during the "recession" and slid right into a manager's spot at Barnes & Noble (he also spent summers working at the BPL Grand Army Plaza branch, though years after I did). During the recession, when unemployment was spiking hardcore, I had three jobs and had no qualms about leaving any of them if I so chose (well, couldn't leave one since it's my own company ). Of course, after Wells Fargo finished consuming Wachovia, they started hiring people and guess who jumped back into banking? It's advice I'd give to any and everyone. I haven't experienced any periods of involuntary unemployment in my life and I've been working since I was 15 (well, earlier but 15 was when it was legal for me to do so). I've taken six month sabbaticals to "try something else" (like my internship at NCSoft in Austin) but only been fired once in my entire life (from a mom & pop agency no less. But then the very next day (actually, before I got home after being fired), American Express came a-knockin').

 

Your skills have value and the sooner people realize that, the sooner we'll have an explosion of entrepreneurship like we did, what, a century ago? I build (enthusiast) computers and sell 'em a dozen or so times a year. If Alienware wants $14,000 for a high end rig, I can guarantee I can build it for $6500 or less (usually 'less'). That skill has value. Networking has value too.

 

TL: DR version - Do what you enjoy and it'll pay off.

 

So yeah, $0.50 for that would be an insult to me and I'd hand in my notice.

 

Be driving on a 2 lane road. I'm in the left lane (the fast one). No one is in the right lane (the slower one). Some A-Hole pulls out in front of me into the left lane, that I'm in, as if they are in some kind of massive rush. The speed limit is 55 and they decide to go 35. Man, that just really pisses me off.

 

OMG that's why that STP commercial has resonated so much. Notice the ever present blinker/turn signal (which is also an annoyance of mine).

 

 

What grinds my gears is MMO newbie zones.

 

Wait, that's not exactly true. What grinds my gears are designers who do a piss poor job designing newbie zone encounters. I'm playing Aion right now and there's two examples in the Asmodae newbie areas. First is the Black Pearl quest. For some odd reason, they put the quest item in a (respawning) chest "guarded" by a "boss" mob. Here's the problem with that: it encourages scumbag behavior. Basically, you just sit around the cave and wait for someone to engage the boss then you run behind and snag the quest item (forcing the person taking all the risks (killing the boss) to wait for the chest to respawn. Oh and did I mention the chest's respawn is about a minute longer than the boss's?). This situation screams for the boss to DROP the quest item. Second example is at the end of the questline where you have to go into a cave full of catmen and "destroy" (click on) three generators to close a portal. Another quest for the same area requires the boss of said catmen (who happens to be located just across from the third generator) to be killed. The design flaw here is, you have to be credited with the kill to get quest credit. So what happens when a warrior engages the boss and two wizards come along and nuke the boss down? Here's what happens: the warrior doesn't get a quest update, one of the wizards does. Encouraging douchebaggery by encounter design. Again, an old school mechanic fixes this. Namely, locking the encounter to the person who has first aggro (until that person or the boss dies).

 

In this day and age of "accessibility", expecting people to group up to kill soloable mobs is folly. It's stupid, shortsighted, and dumb and runs directly counter to their free to play goals. So everyone you see in the Asmodae newbie zone with 'Treasure Hunter' before their name, I'd bet only a handful of them actually killed the Kantif boss.

[Makhai]

Shut up I wasn't trying too!

There're these things on phones... They're call OFF buttons. Push that sonbitch. Problem solved.

[BHK1978]

When people ask me what my nationality is and I say American and they tell me that American is not a nationality. What the hell?

 

Let me see I was born in the nation of America, therefore one would assume that my nationality is American. I got into an argument with one of my friends over this. He said he was one hundred percent Italian. I asked him if he was born in Italy, his response was no I was born in America.

I said do you hold dual citizenship?

 

His reply was no, so I told him that he was not one hundred percent Italian, he was in fact one hundred percent American. I am not sure why people fail to grasp this concept; if you were born in America you nationality is American. You ancestry might be Italian but you yourself are not Italian. Does this come up in any other country besides over here?

[moon_lit_tears]

When people ask me what my nationality is and I say American and they tell me that American is not a nationality. What the hell?

 

Let me see I was born in the nation of America, therefore one would assume that my nationality is American. I got into an argument with one of my friends over this. He said he was one hundred percent Italian. I asked him if he was born in Italy, his response was no I was born in America.

I said do you hold dual citizenship?

 

His reply was no, so I told him that he was not one hundred percent Italian, he was in fact one hundred percent American. I am not sure why people fail to grasp this concept; if you were born in America you nationality is American. You ancestry might be Italian but you yourself are not Italian. Does this come up in any other country besides over here?

 

See in a way I think you are wrong.

 

I plan to move to either Scotland or England in the near future, but nationality will still be American.

 

Your nationality is what makes you who you are. I'm Irish, Scottish, Native American, and German. It's what makes me me.

[BHK1978]

See in a way I think you are wrong.

 

I plan to move to either Scotland or England in the near future, but nationality will still be American.

 

Your nationality is what makes you who you are. I'm Irish, Scottish, Native American, and German. It's what makes me me.

 

Is that not ancestry though?

 

Were you born in Ireland, Scotland, or Germany?

 

How can you claim any of them as your nationality?

 

Being Native American makes it tricky because they were here first, but all of them did end up becoming American.

 

Yes you would be an American nationality wise because you are from America. You would not be able to call yourself Scottish because you are not actually from Scotland. You have Scottish ancestry, but you yourself are not actually Scottish. People will still view you as Scottish.

 

I suppose once you become a citizen of Scotland or England you can say your nationality is English or Scottish.

[moon_lit_tears]

Is that not ancestry though?

 

Were you born in Ireland, Scotland, or Germany?

 

How can you claim any of them as your nationality?

 

Being Native American makes it tricky because they were here first, but all of them did end up becoming American.

 

Yes you would be an American nationality wise because you are from America. You would not be able to call yourself Scottish because you are not actually from Scotland. You have Scottish ancestry, but you yourself are not actually Scottish. People will still view you as Scottish.

 

I suppose once you become a citizen of Scotland or England you can say your nationality is English or Scottish.

 

You can marry a woman from here and go on a vacation to say Germany. If you have a baby while there does that make your kid German?

[BHK1978]

You can marry a woman from here and go on a vacation to say Germany. If you have a baby while there does that make your kid German?

 

Why would it matter if you are on vacation?

 

The parents are still Americans, they just happen to be in another country at the time of birth.

[moon_lit_tears]

Why would it matter if you are on vacation?

 

The parents are still Americans, they just happen to be in another country at the time of birth.

 

That's my point. You're saying it's where you are born, not where your family comes from.

 

Point is. Your nationality IS where you come from. No matter where you are born. It's your heritage.

[BHK1978]

That's my point. You're saying it's where you are born, not where your family comes from.

 

Point is. Your nationality IS where you come from. No matter where you are born. It's your heritage.

 

That is not what your point is though, you are saying your nationality is where your ancestors are from. If you are saying your nationality is where you are from then you would be agreeing with me because we are both from the United States.

 

If you are from America then you are an American. You are not English, Italian, German, et cetera.

 

As far as the parents example goes well here:

 

Yes this is from Wiki but it states citizenship more clearly than the actual government website.

 

Do you think you can go into any other country and say that you are Scottish?

 

What if they ask you from what part of Scotland are you from?

 

Are you going to say Maryland?

 

They will laugh at you and call you an American.

 

You are an American not Scottish, no matter what your ancestry is.

 

After this you can give your reply but I am not going to go back and forth over this, and no it is not because I think I am wrong it is because I hate getting into long drawn out debates on here.

[moon_lit_tears]

The problem is...I can trace my heritage to these other countries. Yes I'm American, but I'm not just american.

 

I think the problem is that people don't know who they are.

[Tha Black Phenom]

<p>I'd have to agree with BHK. It's always been my understanding your nationality derives from where you're born/place of residence. The actual definition in places says it's where you hold citizenship, and is determined by it.</p><p> </p><p>

Your <em>ethnicity</em>, however, is where your ancestry and whatnot plays the part. I think a lot of people confuse the two, understandably if they're patriotic about their heritage. You should probably tell your friend that to clarify, his ethnicity is 100% Italian.</p>

[alphadraighon]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="27610" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>When people ask me what my nationality is and I say American and they tell me that American is not a nationality. What the hell?<p> </p><p> Let me see I was born in the nation of America, therefore one would assume that my nationality is American. I got into an argument with one of my friends over this. He said he was one hundred percent Italian. I asked him if he was born in Italy, his response was no I was born in America. </p><p> I said do you hold dual citizenship?</p><p> </p><p> His reply was no, so I told him that he was not one hundred percent Italian, he was in fact one hundred percent American. I am not sure why people fail to grasp this concept; if you were born in America you nationality is American. You ancestry might be Italian but you yourself are not Italian. Does this come up in any other country besides over here?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I get this problem a lot. I'm biracial (black and white) and originally from the Midwest. Not a lot of mixed race where I'm from, so I got it a lot. I moved to California, hoping to get away from that issue (among others) and I still get it. Just a couple weeks ago at work I had a customer (who was from India) as me point blank if I was Pakistani.</p><p> </p><p> In my life, people have asked me if I was Indian, Pakistani, Turkish, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and once someone even used a racist term that made me assume he thought I was Korean.</p><p> </p><p> I hate when people ask my nationality. I was born in America, therefore my nationality is American. And if they ask about my "race", it really bugs me, because it is not relevant.</p><p> </p><p> When people feel the need to push the issue, I tend to get a bit heelish, and tell them I'm German, as most of my ancestors are from there. One lady actually said "What are you?" I told her I was human. She got a bit snotty, said, "Well, where are you from?" I told her North Dakota. She got the point...though I lost the sale, in the end.</p><p> </p><p> My older brother gets the same crap, and he lives in Chicago. I don't know about outside the US, but everywhere I've been it's been the same.</p>

[moon_lit_tears]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="alphadraighon" data-cite="alphadraighon" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="27610" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I get this problem a lot. I'm biracial (black and white) and originally from the Midwest. Not a lot of mixed race where I'm from, so I got it a lot. I moved to California, hoping to get away from that issue (among others) and I still get it. Just a couple weeks ago at work I had a customer (who was from India) as me point blank if I was Pakistani.<p> </p><p> In my life, people have asked me if I was Indian, Pakistani, Turkish, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and once someone even used a racist term that made me assume he thought I was Korean.</p><p> </p><p> I hate when people ask my nationality. I was born in America, therefore my nationality is American. And if they ask about my "race", it really bugs me, because it is not relevant.</p><p> </p><p> When people feel the need to push the issue, I tend to get a bit heelish, and tell them I'm German, as most of my ancestors are from there. One lady actually said "What are you?" I told her I was human. She got a bit snotty, said, "Well, where are you from?" I told her North Dakota. She got the point...though I lost the sale, in the end.</p><p> </p><p> My older brother gets the same crap, and he lives in Chicago. I don't know about outside the US, but everywhere I've been it's been the same.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Don't get that problem much here on the east coast. My nephew is Bi-racial and he doesn't get many questions. He looks like he could be Puerto Rica. Granted there are people everywhere who will say stuff. I've gotten into fights with other girls when I was younger because of it. He's a bit younger than I am so when I was in school and they would see him I'd hear comments. That caused me to get a bit annoyed and slap a b**** well you get it.</p>

[Remianen]

<p>Sounds like folks basically meshing 'nationality' and 'ethnicity' and 'ancestry'.</p><p> </p><p>

I can trace my roots to Ghana, the Ashanti tribe to be exact. That doesn't make me Ghanaian or Ashanti. I also have Seminole and Arawak in my bloodline. Am I a Seminole or Arawak then? </p><p> </p><p>

Context matters most though. If I go to the Seychelles and someone asks me where I'm from, they're not asking for my ancestral roots. I'm an American. In that context, the only country that matters is the one that issued my passport. If someone asks me, "What are you?", it's obvious they're asking about my ethnicity (so, being the smartass I am, I'd look myself over, stick out my arm and stare in awe at it and then exclaim, "Why, I think I'm BLACK!").</p><p> </p><p>

And that child born in Germany is both German and American, legally (two passports). I have a client in that exact situation (army brat, born in the base hospital when his mom was visiting his father who was stationed there temporarily (TAD)). He's always had two passports (which makes renewing a pain in the arse, according to him).</p>

[moon_lit_tears]

<p>I agree that after going so far back in generations it's pretty much moot. It's like adding water to something. Once you add so much water you've gotten rid of the other stuff.</p><p> </p><p>

I can trace mine to very close generations. 4 to be exact. So yes I'm proud of my heritage. Oddly enough Ethnicity Heritage and the like are usually all combined in todays society.</p>

[BurningHamster]

I get this problem a lot. I'm biracial (black and white) and originally from the Midwest. Not a lot of mixed race where I'm from, so I got it a lot. I moved to California, hoping to get away from that issue (among others) and I still get it. Just a couple weeks ago at work I had a customer (who was from India) as me point blank if I was Pakistani.

 

In my life, people have asked me if I was Indian, Pakistani, Turkish, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and once someone even used a racist term that made me assume he thought I was Korean.

 

I hate when people ask my nationality. I was born in America, therefore my nationality is American. And if they ask about my "race", it really bugs me, because it is not relevant.

 

When people feel the need to push the issue, I tend to get a bit heelish, and tell them I'm German, as most of my ancestors are from there. One lady actually said "What are you?" I told her I was human. She got a bit snotty, said, "Well, where are you from?" I told her North Dakota. She got the point...though I lost the sale, in the end.

 

My older brother gets the same crap, and he lives in Chicago. I don't know about outside the US, but everywhere I've been it's been the same.

 

What annoys me is when people try to TELL me what my ethnic background is. Like a lot of Australians I'm a mix of British Isles/Irish ethnicities mostly, and I think I probably take after the Welsh genes the most as I'm a touch darker than the average white guy, broad shouldered and not that tall which fits the description of a certain portion of Welsh people I've encountered. A lot of people, usually Asians, see my dark hair and start insisting I am Italian or Greek or something else more Mediterranean despite my sparse body hair, green eyes, lack of grease and total repulsion with Mediterranean cuisine. If anything I don't even make up half of the stereotype!

 

Seriously, if people ask that's one thing even though it's none of their business. But trying to say "I think you are ...." or "But maybe your grandparents were ...." is bloody annoying.

[moon_lit_tears]

Even sometimes our best friends can be total morons.

 

 

I got a text.

 

Best friend: You awake?

Me: Yes I'm still laying in bed. I don't feel good I'll call you later.

 

Phone rings.

 

Best friend: What's wrong?

Me: I feel like I drank a bottle of shaved glass, and followed it with a chaser of extra rough sandpaper.

Best friend: Oh your throat hurts?

Me: No, I broke my ankle

 

I mean really? SERIOUSLY?

[Remianen]

Best friend: What's wrong?

Me: I feel like I drank a bottle of shaved glass, and followed it with a chaser of extra rough sandpaper.

Best friend: Oh your throat hurts?

Me: No, I broke my ankle

 

[moon_lit_tears]

 

 

My thoughts EXACTLY!

[BHK1978]

Birthers.

 

Look anyone that believes that Obama is from another country is an idiot. The fact that this keeps on popping up amazes me.

 

If he was born in another country do you really think he could be President?

[alphadraighon]

Birthers.

 

Look anyone that believes that Obama is from another country is an idiot. The fact that this keeps on popping up amazes me.

 

If he was born in another country do you really think he could be President?

 

 

See, that's their point though. They want him to have been born in another country, so that they can invalidate his whole presidency. As long as they believe he isn't an American, they can keep pretending that everything he does is illegal, and hope to someday "undo the damage" he caused.

 

Personally I think the whole thing is pretty stupid as well. Also, I don't care. He's no better or worse than any other president the US has had.

 

American politics in general grind my gears. But I agree with you on this one...that birther crap makes less sense than most of the usual BS they come up with.

[Fantabulous]

People who add 'IMO' to their posts.

 

We know it's your opinion, you stupid mongs. It's your post. We're not going to forget you're the one making it half-way through reading it. The reminder is unnecessary.

 

'IMHO' is even worse because nobody writing that thinks their opinion is actually humble.

[D-Lyrium]

It's a bit of a touchy subject (especially for me as my nationality ceased to exist, according to some, hundreds of years ago ).

 

Your nationality, in my opinion, is not purely where you're born. It often is, don't get me wrong, but there's more to it than that. If your parents married in and then emigrated from Italy and you were born and grew up in America, went to an American school, etc, then yes, you're an American. You also have a right to consider yourself Italian, though, in my opinion. Especially if you know the language.

 

However, if your PARENTS were born in America, and so were you, the only Italian word you know is "ciao" which you consistently spell wrong and you can barely find Rome on a map, you're ******* American. Get over yourself.

 

It really grinds my gears when Americans (or, to be fair, anyone from any other nationality - it just happens in America more often because you have little history of your own ) call themselves Irish or Italian (or whatever else), when the relatives (who are basically ancestors by this point) who emigrated were dead before that person was even born. Or because their surname happens to have originated there.

 

Be proud of your heritage, sure, but you're American. It's not illegal to be American. You're allegedly proud of it.

 

As an aside, it grinds my gears to a smooth finish when the BNP and EDL (political 'parties' over here in the UK that are a dodgy moustache away from being full-on ****s) claim that muslims can't be British, no matter how long they've lived and worked over here, paid taxes, etc, and that they should all "go back where they came from". You (statistically probably) came from France, asshole. Go back there if you want.

 

Hell, we all came from north Africa, one way or the other, right?

 

 

As for the above post about "IMO"... pretty silly thing to grind your gears on, IMO. Over-use does get annoying in my opinion, but anything that gets overused gets annoying tbh.

 

No, but seriously... it has its uses. It's a good way to denote that something is merely your opinion, rather than researched fact (Eidenhoek is a stranger to this concept, although he's much better than Anubis used to be ).

 

For example: "Nationality, in my opinion, is defined purely by the country of your birth" is an opinion. While noted as such it doesn't make you look as much of a tit as simply saying "nationality is defined purely by the country of your birth". The latter is presented as a statement of fact, and makes you look - at the very least (as this is a rather tame example) - a little narrow-minded. The former, at least, denotes that it's only your opinion and the reader is free to disagree.

[moon_lit_tears]

It's a bit of a touchy subject (especially for me as my nationality ceased to exist, according to some, hundreds of years ago ).

 

Your nationality, in my opinion, is not purely where you're born. It often is, don't get me wrong, but there's more to it than that. If your parents married in and then emigrated from Italy and you were born and grew up in America, went to an American school, etc, then yes, you're an American. You also have a right to consider yourself Italian, though, in my opinion. Especially if you know the language.

 

However, if your PARENTS were born in America, and so were you, the only Italian word you know is "ciao" which you consistently spell wrong and you can barely find Rome on a map, you're ******* American. Get over yourself.

 

It really grinds my gears when Americans (or, to be fair, anyone from any other nationality - it just happens in America more often because you have little history of your own ) call themselves Irish or Italian (or whatever else), when the relatives (who are basically ancestors by this point) who emigrated were dead before that person was even born. Or because their surname happens to have originated there.

 

Be proud of your heritage, sure, but you're American. It's not illegal to be American. You're allegedly proud of it.

 

 

I agree with most of this, but for someone like myself who has done the research and have family living in the areas of my ancestors that I actually keep in touch with makes me proud of who I am as well. My great grandfather (passed away when I was 5) moved here from Ireland, so I guess I fit in the realm of living family members.

 

I found out a lot of my families past when I was 13. After my Great grandfather passed on we had a truck of his stuff that no one really went through. After my pop passed away I went through the stuff and found pictures and documents. I found that my Great grandfather owned a house in Ireland that he left to his sisters child (his niece?) when she had children. So yes I would like to think I'm close enough to that part of my family tree to consider it a part of me, and I have a cousin who I talk to on a semi unregular basis that lives in Scotland where her family has lived most of their lives.

 

My family history is something i've been interested in for a long time and while I'm proud to be an american (Ugh I hate that stupid song) I'm also not so proud of the country and would clearly like to move away from it.

 

AFter having this same conversation with someone else, people like him really grind my gears. He told me that I'm anti-American because I want to move, which is totally not true. I would rather live elsewhere. Just because you don't want to be around something doesn't mean you dislike it, it just means you want to explore other areas and find something new.