Topic: What Really Grinds My Gears

[BigMike]

Over the years I've had thoughts regarding random complaints I wished I had recorded somewhere. Inspired by Mr. Griffin and without further ado,



I dislike how weather is forecasted and/or reported.

Consider the following example weather forecast:

Date	High	Low
Sept 22	90	60
Sept 23	95	64
Sept 24	98	67

I can't speak for other parts of the world, but here in Fresno, California this is actually incorrect. The coldest part of our day is going to be sometime just before the sun rises each morning. So using the example above, it lists the "Low Temperature" for the calendar day of "September 23" as being "64 degrees". BUT, if we look at the data, this temperature actually occurred sometime circa 6am THE NEXT DAY.

Additional arguments:
1) Taking the argument of "Daytime" and "Nighttime" is incorrect because a set date is being specified by the weather forecast, be it "Sept 23" or "Wednesday". While the word nighttime does refer to the time between evening and morning, the nighttime of a specific calendar day such as "September 23, 2015" could only possibly refer to the time between sunset and 11:59:59 pm. Otherwise you'd be referring to Sept 24, and as mentioned above, here in Fresno evening nighttimes are warmer than morning nighttimes and cannot be labeled as the "Low" temperature of each calendar day.

2) Taking the argument of "The low tonight will be..." is incorrect because "tonight" should only refer to the nighttime of the present day, or the time after sunset but before 12:00:00 am the next day. This would only be reasonable if they just wanted to share the lowest temperature before midnight. But who cares what the upcoming temperature will be at 11:59 pm of any given day. Would you not agree that what should be said instead is, "The low tomorrow morning will be..."? In order to protect a crop of orange trees a farmer needs to know what the ABSOLUTE low will be which won't occur until morning the next day!

Therefore, in places where the lowest temperature of a day occurs before the highest temperature of a day, these weather reports should actually be displayed as "Sept 24: Low: 67, High: 98" and NOT the other way around.



I can see this is gonna be a great thread!

Regards,
BigMike

[BigMike [OP]]

Figured I'd post a second one back-to-back. I thought about this not too long ago.

Question 1: Do you think it is okay for a citizen of the United States of America to call themselves an American? If your answer is yes, then
Question 2: Wouldn't you also agree that it is okay for a citizen of say Colombia to call themselves an American?

If you answered No to the second question, then I believe this is a problem and citizens of the US of A are using the term "American" incorrectly. There seems to be two solutions: Either the term "American" should be acceptable for any one living in any of the Americas, or it should not be used as it is today by citizens of the US of A.

Think about it. There are three Americas: North, Central, and South. It holds true that someone born and living in Canada must also be an American (from North America). Likewise someone born and living in Brazil is also an American (from South America).

My wife is a natural born citizen of Japan. She has a right to claim herself as Asian (from Eastern Asia). On this same note, someone from Saudi Arabia may also claim to be Asian (from Western Asia). But my wife would not directly go around claiming she is "Asian" or patriotically shouting "Go Asia!" because she is proud to be Japanese. She would rather say "Go Japan!"

So why then do we (citizens of the United States of America) go around saying "I'm American!" or "Go America!"? Consider how even patriotic songs of ours say things like,

"...For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee..."

A question could be which America was the song writer referring to? Do we talk this way because we are extremely passionate about all countries and people from Canada all the way down to Chile? The answer would have to be yes, correct? Likewise why don't we hear someone from Costa Rica using slang such as 'MERICA! when proudly (or comically) referring to their own populace? They have every right to say this beings they are also American (from Central America) just as I am American (from North America).



Regards,
BigMike

[SqWADoosh]

The number one thing grinding mine has to be when you find that perfect write up for the exact scenario you are facing and every link and picture is dead. 

[BigMike [OP]]

The number one thing grinding mine has to be when you find that perfect write up for the exact scenario you are facing and every link and picture is dead. 

Agreed! I usually give https://archive.org/web/ a shot but it won't work with all sites as some sites (like ours but for business reasons) block it.

[SqWADoosh]

Agreed! I usually give https://archive.org/web/ a shot but it won't work with all sites as some sites (like ours but for business reasons) block it.

Holy crap! That totally just worked on one I was just getting mad at for being all dead. You the man Mike!

[helipilot77]

Figured I'd post a second one back-to-back. I thought about this not too long ago.

Question 1: Do you think it is okay for a citizen of the United States of America to call themselves an American? If your answer is yes, then
Question 2: Wouldn't you also agree that it is okay for a citizen of say Colombia to call themselves an American?

If you answered No to the second question, then I believe this is a problem and citizens of the US of A are using the term "American" incorrectly. There seems to be two solutions: Either the term "American" should be acceptable for any one living in any of the Americas, or it should not be used as it is today by citizens of the US of A.

Think about it. There are three Americas: North, Central, and South. It holds true that someone born and living in Canada must also be an American (from North America). Likewise someone born and living in Brazil is also an American (from South America).

My wife is a natural born citizen of Japan. She has a right to claim herself as Asian (from Eastern Asia). On this same note, someone from Saudi Arabia may also claim to be Asian (from Western Asia). But my wife would not directly go around claiming she is "Asian" or patriotically shouting "Go Asia!" because she is proud to be Japanese. She would rather say "Go Japan!"

So why then do we (citizens of the United States of America) go around saying "I'm American!" or "Go America!"? Consider how even patriotic songs of ours say things like,

"...For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee..."

A question could be which America was the song writer referring to? Do we talk this way because we are extremely passionate about all countries and people from Canada all the way down to Chile? The answer would have to be yes, correct? Likewise why don't we hear someone from Costa Rica using slang such as 'MERICA! when proudly (or comically) referring to their own populace? They have every right to say this beings they are also American (from Central America) just as I am American (from North America).



Regards,
BigMike

That is something I myself have considered Mike. Whenever I am outside the borders of the USA I make sure to say that I am from "The States" as most other nationalities say. What would be a good substitute for the term American? You could say "Go States" or "I'm a Statian". But those both sound terrible.

[emsvitil]

Weather:

By the time you usually see the low forecast it's no longer a forecast but history.......   when the low happens in the am


I usually goto the hourly forecast to figure out what's going on.

[blackdiamond]

That is something I myself have considered Mike. Whenever I am outside the borders of the USA I make sure to say that I am from "The States" as most other nationalities say. What would be a good substitute for the term American? You could say "Go States" or "I'm a Statian". But those both sound terrible.

Just more evidence to prove that we're an arrogant bunch.  It only works because everybody else chooses to not identify as American.

[Snowtoy]

Figured I'd post a second one back-to-back. I thought about this not too long ago.

Question 1: Do you think it is okay for a citizen of the United States of America to call themselves an American? If your answer is yes, then
Question 2: Wouldn't you also agree that it is okay for a citizen of say Colombia to call themselves an American?

If you answered No to the second question, then I believe this is a problem and citizens of the US of A are using the term "American" incorrectly. There seems to be two solutions: Either the term "American" should be acceptable for any one living in any of the Americas, or it should not be used as it is today by citizens of the US of A.

Think about it. There are three Americas: North, Central, and South. It holds true that someone born and living in Canada must also be an American (from North America). Likewise someone born and living in Brazil is also an American (from South America).

My wife is a natural born citizen of Japan. She has a right to claim herself as Asian (from Eastern Asia). On this same note, someone from Saudi Arabia may also claim to be Asian (from Western Asia). But my wife would not directly go around claiming she is "Asian" or patriotically shouting "Go Asia!" because she is proud to be Japanese. She would rather say "Go Japan!"

So why then do we (citizens of the United States of America) go around saying "I'm American!" or "Go America!"? Consider how even patriotic songs of ours say things like,

"...For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee..."

A question could be which America was the song writer referring to? Do we talk this way because we are extremely passionate about all countries and people from Canada all the way down to Chile? The answer would have to be yes, correct? Likewise why don't we hear someone from Costa Rica using slang such as 'MERICA! when proudly (or comically) referring to their own populace? They have every right to say this beings they are also American (from Central America) just as I am American (from North America).



Regards,
BigMike

Question #1-yes, Question #2-no.  By being the first nation to form in the Western Hemisphere, and the only one with "America" in its name, we get the term all to ourselves.

All kidding aside, the rest of the people born in the Western hemisphere have little to no historical record of being referred to as Americans, and by the time we declared our independence the term "American" was almost an exclusive reference to those in the British colonies.  For over 200yrs now the term "American" has been exclusive to the United States, it has been used by us and the rest of the world to refer to those things and individuals of or from the United States.  Changing it now to refer to a non-U.S. citizen would make about as much sense as referring to an Egyptian as an African, or a European as an Asian(Europe and Asia are on the same land mass), simply due to the continent they are born on.  Furthermore, I would imagine due to the historical use of the term(good or bad), not too many citizens of the the West. Hem. nations would take to kindly to being called "Americans", unless that would give them admittance to the U.S.

[Snowtoy]

Just more evidence to prove that we're an arrogant bunch.  It only works because everybody else chooses to not identify as American.

No arrogance involved, the label was hung on us long before we became the nation we are today.  I would imagine that is why the other nations that were founded after ours didn't use the name America, nor the term American to identify themselves by.  It would have been easy for Mexico or Canada to follow in our foot steps and use version of United and America, but they didn't, either out of respect for what the U.S.A. meant to the world at the time, or because they wanted to be seen as different from their long established "American" counterparts.

[Toyotadon]

There are other "united states", FWIW.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/world/americas/leader-of-the-other-united-states-urges-changing-mexicos-name.html?_r=0

NOV. 22, 2012


MEXICO CITY — With just over a week left in office, the president of Mexico has offered perhaps the boldest proposal of his six-year tenure. He wants Mexico to just be “Mexico.”

The formal name of the country is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, often translated as “United Mexican States” or “United States of Mexico.”

[abnormaltoy]

Figured I'd post a second one back-to-back. I thought about this not too long ago.

Question 1: Do you think it is okay for a citizen of the United States of America to call themselves an American? If your answer is yes, then
Question 2: Wouldn't you also agree that it is okay for a citizen of say Colombia to call themselves an American?

If you answered No to the second question, then I believe this is a problem and citizens of the US of A are using the term "American" incorrectly. There seems to be two solutions: Either the term "American" should be acceptable for any one living in any of the Americas, or it should not be used as it is today by citizens of the US of A.



Think about it. There are three Americas: North, Central, and South. It holds true that someone born and living in Canada must also be an American (from North America). Likewise someone born and living in Brazil is also an American (from South America).

My wife is a natural born citizen of Japan. She has a right to claim herself as Asian (from Eastern Asia). On this same note, someone from Saudi Arabia may also claim to be Asian (from Western Asia). But my wife would not directly go around claiming she is "Asian" or patriotically shouting "Go Asia!" because she is proud to be Japanese. She would rather say "Go Japan!"

So why then do we (citizens of the United States of America) go around saying "I'm American!" or "Go America!"? Consider how even patriotic songs of ours say things like,

"...For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee..."

A question could be which America was the song writer referring to? Do we talk this way because we are extremely passionate about all countries and people from Canada all the way down to Chile? The answer would have to be yes, correct? Likewise why don't we hear someone from Costa Rica using slang such as 'MERICA! when proudly (or comically) referring to their own populace? They have every right to say this beings they are also American (from Central America) just as I am American (from North America).



Regards,
BigMike

Mike...you have some issues...the same kind I have. Do you remember a guy named tiger toy? He was an avowed socialist, he and I had some decent debates...he was wrong, but passionate. Anyway, he got on the arrogance of Americans calling ourselves Americas thing one time. The proper name of Columbia is...The Republic of Columbia, the name of Mexico is The United Mexican States...neither have the word America in their name. What word do you find in the name The United States Of America? Class? 

I suppose we could all give a hug an be Worldians or Earthlings. You also call yourself a Californian, despite where I live I'm a Tennesseean, I could say I'm a Nashvillian. But as it is...People from Mexico are known as Mexicans...pretty much the same for all other countries.

[abnormaltoy]

Here are a couple of my ass chappers...

If you have hot water, why do you need to heat it? The appliance is not a hot water heater...it is a water heater.

Advertisers often state you can "save up to 50%...or more". The words "up to" indicate a ceiling a limit...why not say "save upto 53%" if that's the most you could save?

There's some Alzheimer's commercial with an actor as the spokesman (yes, I was gender specific)...the actor pronounces the word...resources as reZources. The only people I've heard say it that way are actors...do they think they are being dark, brooding, artsy types?

And the latest language or vocal thing is a lot of women have this little croak going on...why?

That is all, for now.

[kneedownnate]

Our local news station has their little saying, "We get the facts right!"  I never thought twice about it, they're usually kind of a running joke anyway, but Stocker had to go and point out to me that you either have it wrong or you have the facts, but you cannot get the facts right...

[Snowtoy]

One of mine is "Red and Blue States", with red being for conservative and blue being liberal, when it should be the opposite, due to the international use of the color red for leftist governments and movements.  Red could stay for conservatives, if blue is changed to "Yellow" for liberals, since it would be more representative of their behavior.

[abnormaltoy]

Our local news station has their little saying, "We get the facts right!"  I never thought twice about it, they're usually kind of a running joke anyway, but Stocker had to go and point out to me that you either have it wrong or you have the facts, but you cannot get the facts right...

Stocker is wise beyond your years.

[*FFC*]

Their are a lot of things that grind my gears.

There going to drive me nuts.

They're is one other thing that grinds my gears......

[83yota]

What grinds my gears is low life pieces of crap that want some to increase their weekly earnings and still get government assistance. I dont make GREAT money but I bust my @$$ to earn what I get. I have a hoodie that says my morning $h!t is harder than your job. just saying

[blackdiamond]

Where I work we do "preplanning" and "execution", but it seems like we never actually just do "planning" and our "execution" proves it.

The only other "preplanning" that I know of is at funeral homes where you're not actually doing final planning for your death...it makes sense here.

[emsvitil]

Utilities constantly wanting me to goto paperless billing with this logic:

"And remember, by taking advantage of Paperless Billing, you can cut down on your mailbox clutter"



I think they have that backwards,     the clutter is in my email................

and I know snail-mail is legit

[blackdiamond]

Utilities constantly wanting me to goto paperless billing with this logic:

"And remember, by taking advantage of Paperless Billing, you can cut down on your mailbox clutter"



I think they have that backwards,     the clutter is in my email................

and I know snail-mail is legit

We recently refinanced our house and about 3/4 of the way through the 300+ pages (the biggest package the notary had ever seen) we came across the form to sign up for paperless billing to save the trees...

[Snowtoy]

Heres another one, Fed., State, Local govs, and mortgage companies, hospitals, and I am sure others, still requiring the use of fax machines, 20yrs after email became the normal way to send docs and info, which wouldn't be as much of a "grinder", if modern pc's still came with an internal fax, or smart phones could send a fax.  It is a PITA when the nearest fax machine is 7 miles away and costs a $1/page.

[Stocker]

TV commercials, often in prime time, describing malfunctions & cures involving bodily functions and bodily fluids of all possible description.  Add 'soothing' music to go with the legal disclaimer telling you that the cure may be much worse than the disease. 

[SqWADoosh]

TV commercials, often in prime time, describing malfunctions & cures involving bodily functions and bodily fluids of all possible description.  Add 'soothing' music to go with the legal disclaimer telling you that the cure may be much worse than the disease. 

"Do you sometimes feel depressed or moody? Take Zonafanagan. You'll feel happy as a bird. *Warning* assholes have been known to fall out in some cases"

[Snowtoy]

Here is another, that I am sure any of you who are above average height, hell maybe even average height(European ancestors) have the issues with it as well, and that is the downsizing of urinals, then mounting them at midget height.  If you are going to have only one, then use the old fashioned ones that went from the floor to 4' high

[jimbo74]

Side effects may cause paralysis or death......




It's ok, I will live with the sneezing

[BigMike [OP]]

I dislike how when I enter "99" into my microwave it runs for ninety-nine seconds but when I enter "100" it only runs for sixty seconds. Either they are seconds or they are minutes. I remember my multiplication tables and don't need this crossover.

[Stocker]

^^ Easy peasy.  2 digits are always seconds. 3rd & above are minutes, but 1 & 2 are still seconds.   

[emsvitil]

Residential street parking....    There's room to fit 2 cars in a section between driveways.


Don't park in the middle a$$hole........ 


 

[BigMike [OP]]

^^ Easy peasy.  2 digits are always seconds. 3rd & above are minutes, but 1 & 2 are still seconds.   

If you asked to borrow $200 from me and I gave you $120, would you mind paying me back $200?