If I was to have an opinion , you know, one that wouldn’t get me trashed, I would say it makes me think that the person saying it is the dumbass. Maybe that’s to strong. Lets just say they don’t have their thoughts together.
Wow. Didn’t realise saying um made me look snotty. I honestly didn’t mean that.
In terms of stuff I don’t like, I find it really annoying whenever you get bad situation A being threaded in GD or the Pit, and someone manages to insult or bring in another level of it, until it ends up just as another overal debate and we forget the actual issue at hand.
A: Hey, look at this horrible case of <person in a group> doing bad!
Everyone: Boo! He sucks!
B: Yeah, what else would you expect from <group>?
Everyone: Too right!/You can’t generalise like that!
explosion of annoyance
Well shit on a stick ! Now I’ve gone and insulted one of the few people who will actually speak to me in a civil tone. For God’s sake, I should know better than to run my mouth. I’ll shut the hell up now.
For me, it’s all about how it’s said.
An “um” thrown in the middle of something innocuous is inoffensive.
The offensive one is the specific combination of: <quote from other poster> + “Um… no.” + <arrogant superior answer>
I’m of both minds with Whedon on this board. It annoys the shit out of me when someone asks what the best Star Trek episode is and someone oh-so-cleverly names an episode of Firefly. Hey guys, you know how you hate smug Mac users? You’re doing that.
On the other hand, people asks what the best sci-fi show or best character on TV is, and something from the Whedonverse is mentioned and people who’ve never watched any Whedon start rolling their eyes at “those Whedon fanboys” without stopping to consider that if they bothered to watch what’s so highly recommended, that the Whedon fans might actually have a valid point. Because if lots of people liek something, they must all be mindless, cultish freaks.
Honestly, I might be more inclined to watch some Whedon if everyone wasn’t shoving it down my throat all the time! I watched Serenity. It was…good. Not wonderful, but entertaining. I started out fairly neutral on Whedon though I think Buffy is a VERY stupid and annoying name for a vampire-slayer. And I don’t have cable, thus I select my TV watching very carefully.
Still, I was inclined to watch Firefly but I’m lazy and didn’t get it for a long time and then people kept pushing me and pushing me and mentioning it all over the place and honest to go I just got sick of hearing it. Now if someone sat me down to watch I probably would but I’m not going out on my own.
Holy crap dude, that’s fucked up. But I’m still a little confused - I’ve never even seen any special scanner for people leaving the US. I mean, just last week flying to England, I left Concourse K in O’Hare getting on the plane right next to other gates going to places like Dallas, Milan, San Francisco…it sounds like you must embark through an airport I’ve not been to, that has some special fucked up security, because flying out through…well, a lot of airports, I’ve never seen any advanced screening thing.
In Amsterdam in the 70s, all the students on the tour were taken into rooms and searched. We got to keep our clothes on.
And once at Heathrow, my luggage was gone through with a fine tooth comb. But I looked (then) younger than my years, and was dressed quite casually. I wasn’t searched, though.
Mika–I hear you on the Buffy and Firefly stuff. Add to that the Simpsons for me–I didn’t watch it at first, now it’s been on for a decade and there is no way I can get up to speed on all the injokes etc on it, so I don’t bother.
I would like to try Firefly, but who has time?
I dislike the attitude that retail/customer service jobs are the hardest jobs in the world. They’re not. Not even close. And yes, I’ve worked both of them.
I hate cat threads as I hate cats. They stink. They dig up my plants and shit amongst them. When I’m weeding, I don’t want to grab a piece of shit hidden amongst the plants. Yet I do. I do not even want to be reminded that the disgusting vermin exist by reading a thread title.
I hate the attitude that everything European is superior to everything American. I also hate the smugness of certain British posters when it comes to discussing G. W. Bush. The man might be an idiot. Americans might be morons for re-electing him, but we elected Tony Blair, a man seemingly obsessed with doing everything Bush wants. Who are the idiots now?
It was only 15 episodes long. Not that much time since you can watch them one at a time. Just bought it for my wife’s birthday.
I’m not insulted - think of it as constructive criticism. Besides, it’s not like you’ve not insulted me before this. 
Truth is, it was the first time I’d seen the darn machine anywhere – this happened mid-Jan at Miami-Dade – but it hadn’t occurred to me look it up on the Net. Turns out this device from hell has been causing a lot of problems wherever it was/is being used. The gist of it is (and now it makes sense) that the new technology allows passengers to keep their shoes on. I forgot to mention you sort of straddle the thing on two foot rests and then the air puff comes out – you’re hermetically sealed in the thing/box as well.
Well, here, read about it yourself:
New scanner gets off on wrong foot
Point of fact, I went back last month – but through Fort Lauderdale this time and no machine from hell there. You simply have to get half-naked before you board as in all the other airports 
Thing is, with so many people taking their shoes, belts, etc., off and putting them back on, unless you have a high number of security people working the line it takes forever and a day to get through. Again, a pain in the butt.
The fuckin’ terrarists have won!
Was that not the point: contrasting the name with the character–at least in the original movie?
I never thought that when I typed up a post and got no responses it was for cliqueish reasons. If nothing else, I’ve now been posting here long enough and have enough posts that, even if I’m not in any cliques (if there are any), I’m certainly a veteran, experienced poster. I think it’s more that just sometimes no one has the energy/time/desire to respond, particularly to a fairly long and somewhat pompous post, as mine sometimes are. Or else a thread has settled into a rhythm of two people sniping back and forth, and neither one wants to go and respond to a third party intruding on their little bitchfest.
(Of course, now that it has been suggested, I will certainly assume that any future snubbing of my posts by dopers is due to their cliqueish snobbery. Those bastards! I hate them so much!)
Oh Anaamika, what difference does it make what others say? I live with someone who won’t do things because somebody said he should or suggests it several times and I watch him miss out on a LOT that’d he’d love due to an irrational stubborness. He even says that’s a ridiculous reason, but yet he won’t budge. I say give it a shot and then, if nothing else, future pushy people can be told “Meh. I saw it and it was good enough, just not my cuppa tea.” No further discussion required. You said your peace. Just walk away.
And I say this as someone who loved Buffy, but have never participated in a single thread. I thought Angel was silly left on his own (never like Cordie at all and Glen Quinn committed suicide) and neither Firefly or Serenity appealed to me. So don’t miss out just because. Please, please, please. You can’t not try things! Otherwise, you’ll miss out on stuff like deep fried chocolate covered ants or legwarmers worn as hats. 
Now I won’t ever bother you about this again. I pinky swear. 
I steer clear of any mention of Buffy, etc. I don’t dislike it, I’m just completely disinterested.
The idea that the SDMB is some clan of wise people, unlike any other. I have no reason to believe that the SDMB, myself included, is any smarter than any other collection of posters on the 'Net. We obviously have a shared value for Cecil’s columns - I imagine that’s how most of us found the board - but all it requires to post here is an internet connection. There’s no entry exam (and I don’t want one, thanks!). Some - many posters - are doubtless very intelligent, well-accomplished, but I’m sure many are not. Some are just average… that includes me. There’s like this SDMB snobbery that pervades a lot of the threads on the board. Now if you happen to have a medical question and QtM answers it, you’ve received very good advice, but who’s to say that you couldn’t have gotten that advice on another board? Other boards have mods, grammar rules, etc., too, you know.
Another hater of the in-jokes: In Soviet Russia (was Yakov Smirnoff ever funny?), Hi Opal!, Hal Briston and sheep, etc. Shows a lack of wit and isn’t terribly clear to new posters/visitors.
Moral high horsing. You know, when you engage in hyperbole, and some jackass doesn’t comprehend that a) Pit posting, especially, is often done in the heat of the moment; b) people can often move away, or even dissociate themselves from previous statements. Like if you make a statement about wanting to kick someone’s ass about something, but after thinking about it, you come back and say, “Wow, I think I overreacted.” Some jackhole will undoubtedly come back and say “Hey, you wanted to kick that guy’s ass at first, so it doesn’t matter that you backed off that position, you’re a violent bastard.” Kind of linked to the idea that people have a hard time understanding that people’s positions can change, and that’s a good thing.
And one thing I love here: The Pit. Allows people to let off steam, call people out, and keeps the boards in good shape.
Oh yes - another vote for wanting to smack “Um” posters upside the head. It’s rude. You’re typing, so it isn’t a verbal tick… why the hell would you write that? I agree with posters who say it should be a warnable offense, like at TWOP. (That’s one thing they get right.)
For some reason, whenever I read “Ummm … no,” I hear it in my head in a Valley Girl voice: smug, condescending, and arrogant.
See what I mean? I can’t get away from it!
Tell you what, faithfool, next time I come over your house, we’ll watch some of Buffy together. 
tomndebb I have never seen a single episode. I honestly don’t even remember a single commercial. I have had as little exposure to Buffy as one can get, considering my house has no cable and none of my IRL friends talk to me about it. So I have no idea. You’re most likely right.
But still - Buffy?? Does no one have any sense of pride in naming their icons?
Awww 'mika, I was just tryin’ to help. I really, honestly couldn’t care less about Buffy specifically enough to even encourage others to watch just a single episode. I was more talkin’ about in general… 'cause I’da never been introduced to grindhouse cinema otherwise. And that’s even without Quentin’s help.
[ ::: scruffs shoes in dirt ::: ]
Sorry. If we do ever get together, I’d be more than happy to try anything (almost) that you suggest. Just know though, that anything with beans (even peripherally related – I’m looking at you peas!) is out of the question. Just sayin’ is all.
You cracked me up, faithfool. Ok, beans & peas are absolutely out.
No lentils either, then, huh?