somewhat OT - what are you a snob about?

[Paul Carmody]

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were interviewing a sommelier. For those who may not be in the know--myself included--a "sommelier" is a wine expert. And to get to the highest level of certification they have to be able to correctly identify wines with 70% accuracy. (I think the audiophile community needs this kind of certification)

So it got me thinking about how I'm a complete rube when it comes to wine (mostly because I don't care for the stuff), yet some people--this sommelier included--probably have no patience for a dunce like me. Then I was thinking to myself, "Well what AM I a snob about?"

Am I a snob about audio equipment? Actually, no. I listen to the song first. I've been tremendously moved by great songs through absolute s--t equipment. I love what a great speaker can do to a song, but I'm much more concerned about the song itself.

So I had to dig a bit deeper. And when I really started thinking about what kind of crap I don't have patience for, I was surprised. The first two that popped into my mind:

-cliche music (specifically, stuff that sounds like stuff someone else has already done)
-"sitcom" jokes (not to be confused with The Simpsons, which is one of the highest forms of comedy writing in the last 100 years)

So please, share the things you're snobbish about; the things that you like so much that if someone does it poorly, it makes you cringe and see red. I'm very curious what sort of things we'll see...

[DanP]

Heh heh. This will be interesting if folks pipe up. I'm definitely a commercial snob. A bad commercial really gets under my skin and I really appreciate a good one. I'm a little snobbish about product packaging as well.

Dan

[johnnyrichards]

Karate, sadly. I watch most movies and TV shows and it looks like "Dancing With The Stars".

[billfitzmaurice]

Movie/TV plots. I usually have it figured out less than 1/3 of the way through. There hasn't been a whole lot of originality since Shakespeare.

[djg]

Karate, sadly. I watch most movies and TV shows and it looks like "Dancing With The Stars".

I was watching a Michael Jai White movie a few days ago, he seemed pretty bada**. Your opinion?


I am a furniture snob. I have some really nice wooden antiques from my parents, and some kit built reproductions. I will do without before living with cheap furniture.

[williamrschneider]

I'm a snob about the quality of photographic prints, b/w in particular.

[johnnyrichards]

I was watching a Michael Jai White movie a few days ago, he seemed pretty bada**. Your opinion?


I am a furniture snob. I have some really nice wooden antiques from my parents, and some kit built reproductions. I will do without before living with cheap furniture.

The only thing I have seen him in was as choreographed as the rest of it. Like i said - snobbery :)

Elvis Presley was also a highly ranked martial artist, so...

[wg_ski]

Bikes and riders. Especially the ones who come out of the woodwork every year a month before the MS150 to "train" on their junk Walmart specials - only to put it away and never ride it again till the same time next year. It won't get any easier next year if it just sits in the garage.

Watching those poor fools who do continue to ride them having to walk their 60-pound bikes up every hill at the local rallies. Or worse, someone walking their brand new $5000 carbon fiber bike up those same hills.

[biff]

Hey Paul - if you mean BESIDES music, there are few. Cars that don't handle, bad cooking, poor professional photography, and people who fish bait for gamefish.

But, I am that guy who will walk over to the board and tell the deaf guy running it where there might be room for improvement, how this musician is holding back because his mix is too hot, that he is mixing off axis and killing the folks in the beam, and that he forgot to light up the speakers in the balcony. A couple of years back I went to a new venue who was so proud of their new place and built in system with subs under the stage and was questiong the sound guy as to why the bass player was looking at his instrument like it was broken and the room was just thudding when I discovered that he was routing that instrument through the subs because they were "bass speakers", and I couldn't convince him to change. Talked to the bass player after and he thought something had broken because all he was hearing from the room was a thump but his monitor was OK. Strange though, when I go to a friends place and he is thrilled with his poorly placed, boomy, shrill, stereo I just smile and tell him I am glad he is enjoying his music.

[biff]

I'm a snob about the quality of photographic prints, b/w in particular.

That's not snobbery, that's vision.

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

Driving.

[timk]

Fly rods for me. I'd rather fish with a broom handle than some of the cheap crap I get handed from time to time.

[bungelow_ed]

It took awhile...but I am a snob about people who own dogs as a status symbol. Nothing get under my skin like seeing someone with a poorly cared for or untrained dog.

[marscoast]

It took awhile...but I am a snob about people who own dogs as a status symbol. Nothing get under my skin like seeing someone with a poorly cared for or untrained dog.

Nice one Ed - drives me nuts when I see some (typically young) fool with a young pit bull. I feel bad for both of them - the owner because he's a dumb arse who's not at all prepared to deal with that kind of responsibility, and the poor dog who always pays the price in the end.

[kmibb]

Jeans. I only buy boutique, selvage, made in America jeans. There's a big Japanese selvage scene too, but if you're over 6' tall they don't fit well.

Also getting snobby with wine.

[bungelow_ed]

Nice one Ed - drives me nuts when I see some (typically young) fool with a young pit bull. I feel bad for both of them - the owner because he's a dumb arse who's not at all prepared to deal with that kind of responsibility, and the poor dog who always pays the price in the end.

You are absolutely right, it's always the dog that suffers and usually through no fault of it's own.

[marscoast]

I decided to call in an expert of my own on this one... I emailed Paul's OP to my wife and asked, "So what am I a snob about?"

Her response:
"food and music and bedroom banter"
:o Love that woman's wit.

[generic]

Coffee
Pizza
Beer

I used to really be in to wine, but I'm a tad burnt out on it.

[Sketchin]

Beer, furniture, food (to a certain degree), Rum.

[LoveDoctor]

BEER. I hesitate to make direct comparisons to wine, but the yeasty arts of barley and hops provide greater pleasure to me than wine. When people say they despise a good craft beer in favor of a Coors Light, I always suspect they did not drink the good stuff the "right" way. The right glass and serving conditions, and especially the proper food pairing, can make the most bitter of IPAs sing on the palate. I'm quite sure I've been accused of being a beer snob after scolding table-mates for drinking their beverage improperly. But I try to restrain myself these days.

[jclin4]

BEER. I hesitate to make direct comparisons to wine, but the yeasty arts of barley and hops provide greater pleasure to me than wine. When people say they despise a good craft beer in favor of a Coors Light, I always suspect they did not drink the good stuff the "right" way. The right glass and serving conditions, and especially the proper food pairing, can make the most bitter of IPAs sing on the palate. I'm quite sure I've been accused of being a beer snob after scolding table-mates for drinking their beverage improperly. But I try to restrain myself these days.

Here's the paradox: Being a snob connotes being more discriminating. But it can also mean you have a more open mind. The Coors/Miller/Bud crowd stick to what they know: the regular and normal stuff. They are less open to something with a strange and new twist, or made in a dfferent way.

The connoisseur, be it for beer, music, food or whatever, often is more of an adventurous type.

[generic]

Here's the paradox: Being a snob connotes being more discriminating. But it can also mean you have a more open mind. The Coors/Miller/Bud crowd stick to what they know: the regular and normal stuff. They are less open to something with a strange and new twist, or made in a dfferent way.

The connoisseur, be it for beer, music, food or whatever, often is more of an adventurous type.

The Coors/Miller/Bud crowd are simple brainwashed by advertizing. Nothing more. They are good at creating beer in bulk that always taste the same, and that is actually a huge massive logistical accomplishment. My main complaint is they use rice to give the yeast energy instead of barley and it shows up in the flavor. My favorite beers are IPA's, but the hotter it gets, the lighter I can go, and if I'm stuck outside in the heat, I can even do a mass produced light beer.

[mattsk8]

Not sure if I'd say I'm a snob or just really set in my ways, but I'd say for me it's power and hand tools. I hate junk that doesn't work well. I also don't like using other people's tools.

As far as being anti-snob, I love good beer but can't stand the kind of dorks that think they know everything or say something to me because I'll enjoy a good ole Labatt or PBR every now and again as well. Used to like stouts till I had a couple too many Founder's Royal Stouts at a buddy's going away party; now I can't hardly smell it w/out getting an upset stomach. Love a good wheat beer though.

I also can't stand to be around people who think their crap doesn't stink. If that's the way you are either change your ways or except the fact that no one around you can stand you ;)

Guess I went from snob to pet-peeves.

[jinjuku]

Beer: I brew

I actually have a gag reflex to Budweiser. Seriously you want to see me gag at the next GTG hand me a bud and watch me try to drink it. I can't.

BBQ/Smoking: I do my own

[kevinr]

Brick wall limiting . hate it . I like what compression and limiting can do in the studio.... but not the last few years . Ruins good music . Dirty Boogie by Brian Setzer Orch. , Trombone Shorty and Supernatural by Santana are examples of albums I like but are unlistenable .

[killa]

BEER. The right glass and serving conditions, and especially the proper food

Real beer comes from bottles and cans:p and is accompanied by meat:D

[philiparcario]

good quality chocolate .

any food that has high fructose corn syrup instead of cane sugar.

any food that has artificial sweeteners vs real sweeteners.

hamburgers must be ground with a stainless steel grinder in my house.

each grind is from one solid cut of beef. usually a large roast.


I bend on all of these to be polite.

[killa]

"musicians" who think they are good because they can play a lot of other peoples music or are good tecnically but don't pugt any emotion into thier playing. To me music is an expression of ones emotions.

[tobis]

I had a weird realization yesterday...

I'm a Garage Sale Sign Snob

A series of bright, consistent, and clear signs with big fat arrows are what does it for me.

No address or fine print. And the words "huge", "multi-family", or "huge multi-family" are so worn out.

The polka dot arrows (in sets of 3) I saw yesterday were the work of a genius.




Sunburst paint jobs. Nice ones are nice. The one on my bass guitar is not. It's no fun to look at and that sucks some of the fun out of it.

[tomgardner]

beer
non-pasteurized beer

[dougjohnson]

Bikes and riders. Especially the ones who come out of the woodwork every year a month before the MS150 to "train" on their junk Walmart specials - only to put it away and never ride it again till the same time next year. It won't get any easier next year if it just sits in the garage.

Yeah. But there is nothing that gives this 60-something more pleasure than riding past sag buses full of 20-somethings. Well, maybe one thing... ;)

-- Doug

[mike s]

french fries :)


and steamed blue crabs & crabcakes

[craigk]

i have a difficult time with stereo equipment reviewers trying to tell me how an 8,000.00 dollar pair of speaker cables or a 5,000.00 power cord for my amp will take my system to a new level of sound reproduction. like removing a vail from the music." writers must write something, i guess, to sale magazines. the truth about something would be a refreshing twist though.

[dpasek]

Writing implements; I can't stand cheapass loaner pens that probably also have someone's drool all over them. So, I carry my own, a Waterman.

[KevinN]

Cleanliness of the various LCD screens in my home, workplace, and car. I keep my own stock of cleaning supplies handy at all times, and refuse to use a display if I detect the slightest hint of dust, finger marks (don't dare to touch my screen :eek:), or other grime.

[bkeane1259]

Photos-- big time. I bitch all the time to anyone within ear-shot if I have to look at a crappy, blurry, dark, overexposed, etc, picture on facebook, or anywhere, actually. However, I LOVE great photos and the people who take the time to shoot them. There are several great photographers here.....Nothing better than awesome shots of great builds....

Sorry.

My name is Bryan and I am a photo snob. ;)

[s7horton]

Watches, trucks, woodworking tools, veneer. (Rolex, ford, powermatic, unbacked)

[ROTECH]

Here's the paradox: Being a snob connotes being more discriminating. But it can also mean you have a more open mind. The Coors/Miller/Bud crowd stick to what they know: the regular and normal stuff. They are less open to something with a strange and new twist, or made in a dfferent way.

The connoisseur, be it for beer, music, food or whatever, often is more of an adventurous type.



When was the last time you saw somebody sipping a fine vintage Merlot, or perhaps an unfiltered belgian wheat beer while crab fishing or backflipping a motorcycle?
A re-think is in order perhaps.

[johnnyrichards]

Not all adventures are physical in nature, Ryan. In this case, I think adventurous was a euphemism for "open to exploration".

I am going to have some cheap rice beer this evening :)

[ROTECH]

Writing implements; I can't stand cheapass loaner pens that probably also have someone's drool all over them. So, I carry my own, a Waterman.

I second that. I am a pen snob. I have always had at least a $10 pen in my hand since 3rd grade. maybe not a waterman.... but definately not a loaner BIC.

[sonex]

Beer, I brew and life is too short to drink BUD/miller/Coors. I have to brew a lot to keep my 6 taps all flowing. I find myself checking color,aroma, head retention, and flavor profiles of all the new beers I try. I don't look down on others for drinking the traditional american lagers but there are so many other styles to try to be stuck on just one style.

[r-carpenter]

Coffee ( only thing I don't do is grow it.:))
Scotch
Beer.

Furniture... not sure. I made most of it for my apartment and wife got some Ikea pieces then I was too lazy to build.

[ROTECH]

Not all adventures are physical in nature, Ryan. In this case, I think adventurous was a euphemism for "open to exploration".

I am going to have some cheap rice beer this evening :)

Well, aside from fully admitting this is a thread I should stay far far away from.... I would say people in general should classify themselves only, and not classify something that they are not.... If you are not X, then you dont know reasons for being X. If one likes something, they like something. It doesnt occur to me that they only like it because they lack a sense of adventure.
The same can be said for people who dont even like the rare and random stuff, but they drink it because it makes them feel special or part of the in crowd. I cant begin to tell you how many times I have been out at a whiskey bar, or a wine tasting and had people say "I hate this stuff, but the atmosphere is cool!!!!!


Carry on.... sorry folks!!!!
Those who dont know what is, dont know what isnt.

[Paul Carmody]

Guys, I have to say this thread is truly amusing. There were several responses I never would have expected to hear in a million years... things I didn't even KNOW you could get snobbish about. :p

I will add one more thing I am a semi-snob about: fonts. I'm not a complete font nazi, but fonts to really evoke feelings in me, and I know more about histories of various fonts than I care to admit (I also care deeply about kerning). :o However, I'm not one of those "Comic Sans must (http://www.comicsanscriminal.com/) die (http://bancomicsans.com/)" people, because, frankly I don't think it will ever die. For every 1 font enthusiast who hates Comic Sans, there are probably 10 middle-aged women who love to type everything in it.

[generic]

Some of the post seem to be more pet peeves then things a person is a snob about, but hey, it's all good.

I'm surprised more people didn't say audio equipment, but I guess that is just a given.

Another thing I'm snobish about. A good car. Not an expensive car, or a (insert brand x car). I'm talking about a well thought out car that has real quality to it. A car you don't want to let go of, even if it's old.

[bolland83]

Hot dogs, gotta be ALL BEEF and bun size. Unless it's a Zweigles white hot, that is. Actually anything Zweigles is awesome, if you've never had a Zweigles hot dog, you owe it to yourself to try one, on a whole wheat or potato bun, NO WHITE BREAD ALLOWED! (My other snobbish opinion, white bread is the devil!)

http://www.zweigles.com/

[Face]

Tools and beer.

[Mark65]

Scotch. I refuse to drink a blended Scotch. Even a "good" one like Chivas Regal.

Only single malts need apply, and even then I'm choosy. For example, I prefer Glenfiddich to Glenlivet, and Glenmorangie to both.

I haven't tried most of the esoteric brands, simply because I can't afford to, but I'm quite sure there are those that I'll love, and those that I'll hate (relatively speaking, of course...;)), but I do love Scotch. Scotchy Scotch Scotch. :D


Also, Bourbon. I HATE that uniformed people call Jack Daniel's bourbon. It's NOT. Bourbon can only be made in Kentucky, and Jack is made in Tennessee.



So There.:p


Mark

[NickJ]

Scotch. I refuse to drink a blended Scotch. Even a "good" one like Chivas Regal.

Only single malts need apply, and even then I'm choosy. For example, I prefer Glenfiddich to Glenlivet, and Glenmorangie to both.


When my best friend moved to Scotland I started to get really into Whisky with him. Generally, I agree on the blended front, although I think it is really an issue of application. Most American whiskeys (with an e) like Bourbon or Rye are blended and some of them are amazing. I recommend the Bullet rye for anyone looking for a cheaper bottle that is good on ice. I also think Johnny Walker green is a pretty good whisky even though it is blended (but only from 4, rather than 15-25 for the others). My favorite single malt right now is Scapa, which is glorious (unless you need the peat to kick you in the *****), but it is pricey. The best "Bourbun" corn mash I have had is Whistlepig, but in addition to being pricey it is made in New Jersey and you can't export it for some reason.

All that said, I still don't consider myself a snob about whisky. However, according to my friends I AM a beer snob. Like my pappy always said, life is too short for ****** beer.

[Dabspok]

Have to agree with mattsk8, tools. I have never been able to stand cheap tools.

And, hack construction work done shoddily because some one is to lazy to try or care. As a interior designer capable of the work myself, I have ****** off more than my share of contractors by picking up a tool and showing them the quality that the client deserves.

[spasticteapot]

-Chocolate. I don't think I can even eat Hershey's anymore.
-Cheap wine. I only drink name-brand 3-buck chuck. Say what you will.
-Cars. I drive a rubbishy old beater, but as far as old beaters go it's not bad. Stickshift or bust.
-Jewelry. I used to spend some time silversmithing, and I've seen enough of the real deal never to buy anything from a "jeweler." A proper artist will give you a better ring for the same dosh using whatever stone you like - including, if you prefer, a 100% cruelty free synthetic diamond. Or a $16 topaz.
-Bagels. Give me an inferior mass-produced supermarket lump and I will rain down great fury and vengeance upon you. (Curiously enough, some of the supermarket nonsense is actually pretty good if you get it fresh from the bakery.)

[Nassander]

Tools.

I used do my woodwork with cheap stuff. Somehow today i have festools and lamello. That plunge router from festool is awesome. Easy to adjust depth. And the tracking saw is excellent. With great tools i can compensate somewhat poor woodworking skills.

[mdocod]

Hi, my name is Eric, and I am a Flashlight snob.

I'm a bit of a snob in this department but am happy that the mainstream has moved in a direction that is a general improvement. I am happy to see more and more people "enjoying" a decent flashlight, whether they realise it or not.

My snobbery remains silent on the issue in most cases because I carry an unusual arsenal of lighting tools for a modern age that I prefer for various reasons, (mostly the quality of light and beam characteristics) that would not make "sense" to the average flashlight wielder. I don't care to start up a debate over the issue...

...However, there is a class of modern lighting tools that has been around awhile, that I object to and am rarely able to keep my mouth shut about: 3xAAA powered flashlights and headlamps, I will scrutinise and object to at any given chance.

If you want to hear the "snob" in me go all derelict and nutso, please, tell me about your 3AAA powered portable lighting solution so I can go all snob on it and tell you why it's a total piece of ...

Ok. so I have a bit of a snobbery problem. ...... uh, yea.. :)

[Pallas]

I will add one more thing I am a semi-snob about: fonts. *** However, I'm not one of those "Comic Sans must (http://www.comicsanscriminal.com/) die (http://bancomicsans.com/)" people, because, frankly I don't think it will ever die. ***

What about Arial? :)

As for me, I am very snobbish about a few things. One is overt and willful stupidity. For example, if someone talks about how many veils a hunk of wire strung between amplifier and loudspeakers lifted, I will assume that person is either a scammer or an idiot.

[fjhuerta]

Cars.

I don't care if you own a $100 or a $20000000 one, KEEP IT CLEAN!!!! I can't stand dirty cars. Not because I won't ride inside a dirty one, but because I love them. It makes me sad when I see a dirty, unkempt car. :(

[fjhuerta]

Hi, my name is Eric, and I am a Flashlight snob.

I'm a bit of a snob in this department but am happy that the mainstream has moved in a direction that is a general improvement. I am happy to see more and more people "enjoying" a decent flashlight, whether they realise it or not.

My snobbery remains silent on the issue in most cases because I carry an unusual arsenal of lighting tools for a modern age that I prefer for various reasons, (mostly the quality of light and beam characteristics) that would not make "sense" to the average flashlight wielder. I don't care to start up a debate over the issue...

...However, there is a class of modern lighting tools that has been around awhile, that I object to and am rarely able to keep my mouth shut about: 3xAAA powered flashlights and headlamps, I will scrutinise and object to at any given chance.

If you want to hear the "snob" in me go all derelict and nutso, please, tell me about your 3AAA powered portable lighting solution so I can go all snob on it and tell you why it's a total piece of ...

Ok. so I have a bit of a snobbery problem. ...... uh, yea.. :)


Awww, it all made sense when I re-read your post and noticed you weren't talking about flEshlights....

[killa]

lol :D

[bwaslo]

Posts with ALL CAPITALIZATION IN THEM.

Speakers (what a surprise).

Apples (red delicious are trash, Fuji is the pinnacle).

People who pronounce nuclear "nucular". Mispronunciations in general, particularly when I do them and someone points is out...:o oops.

SUVs.

[50 watt head]

Guitar tone.

[DanP]

People who pronounce nuclear "nucular". Mispronunciations in general, particularly when I do them and someone points is out...:o oops.

SUVs.

+1

Irregardless, mispronounciations are supposably moot.

[LouC]

Mexican food (quality of beans and carne seca are ultimate tests)
Math - Dissecting phony statistics from politicians
Doctors - If they aren't somebody I'd like to have a beer with, I move on.

[mattsk8]

Cars.

I don't care if you own a $100 or a $20000000 one, KEEP IT CLEAN!!!! I can't stand dirty cars. Not because I won't ride inside a dirty one, but because I love them. It makes me sad when I see a dirty, unkempt car. :(

W/ ya on that! I can't stand it when I'm in someone's car and the windshield has a film on it! How do those people even drive at night??! I won't even ride in a car that's filthy on the inside. Have some dignity! Not that mine's completely spotless every second, but there's definitely a line that can be crossed!


Mexican food (quality of beans and carne seca are ultimate tests)
Math - Dissecting phony statistics from politicians
Doctors - If they aren't somebody I'd like to have a beer with, I move on.

All three were perfect! Love Mexican food, not a big fan of polititions, and it seems one out 10 doctors don't have a false God complex.

[Nassander]

"and it seems one out 10 doctors don't have a false God complex"

This is very true.

[carlspeak]

Photos-- big time. I bitch all the time to anyone within ear-shot if I have to look at a crappy, blurry, dark, overexposed, etc, picture on facebook, or anywhere, actually. However, I LOVE great photos and the people who take the time to shoot them. There are several great photographers here.....Nothing better than awesome shots of great builds....

Sorry.

My name is Bryan and I am a photo snob. ;)

I could tell that from some of your older posts with pics. They are of suburb quality.

[carlspeak]

Bad audio forum posts. I suppose 'pet peeves' would be another way of putting it.

The kind that irk me the most are the 'best of' posts. Somebody who's either very lazy or never heard of Google or Dogpile or others of that ilk want to take a poll, but instead, want to know what's the best cap, the best tweeter, the best.... and the list is almost endless. Arrrrgh!!!! :mad:

[sonex]

Scotch. I refuse to drink a blended Scotch. Even a "good" one like Chivas Regal.

Only single malts need apply, and even then I'm choosy. For example, I prefer Glenfiddich to Glenlivet, and Glenmorangie to both.

I haven't tried most of the esoteric brands, simply because I can't afford to, but I'm quite sure there are those that I'll love, and those that I'll hate (relatively speaking, of course...;)), but I do love Scotch. Scotchy Scotch Scotch. :D


Also, Bourbon. I HATE that uniformed people call Jack Daniel's bourbon. It's NOT. Bourbon can only be made in Kentucky, and Jack is made in Tennessee.



So There.:p


Mark

thanks for educating me I'm a single malt and bourbon guy too. I had previously thought the distinction between whiskey and bourbon was bourbon had to be at least 51% corn in the mash. I won't make that mistake again, thanks.

[JCSquats]

I'm a much bigger strength training/musclehead type than I am electronics nerd, only in the sense I have better experiance with it than the subject which these forums are based upon. So with that I give you a small preview of things at the gym that bug me and show what a muscle snob I am.

Guys that only use a squat rack for curling.
Guys that exclaim to squat *** pounds, which in actuality they are performing quarter squats.
People out of the blue that come up and ask me what I bench.
"Personal Trainer" types that tell me deadlifts will hurt my back, while proceeding to do 30 variations of tricep kick-backs
Chicks dressed in sports bra, booty shorts, and wearing cheap perfume and full make-up that spend an hour walking slowly on a treadmill while texting the entire time.
The fitness world is loaded with strange folk, myself included. Luckily for me, as to a credit to my snobish tendancies, I found a private gym where I no longer have to deal with any of these issues. And yes, I'm doing all I can to ensure it has a proper sound system.

[killa]

Chicks dressed in sports bra, booty shorts, and wearing cheap perfume and full make-up that spend an hour walking slowly on a treadmill while texting the entire time.


I don't see the problem:D

[edlafontaine]

Not sure if I'd say I'm a snob or just really set in my ways, but I'd say for me it's power and hand tools. I hate junk that doesn't work well. I also don't like using other people's tools.

This reminded me of days on the jobsite, when other tradesmen (well, they were getting the same pay...) habitually asked to borrow my hand tools.

Likely requests included:

combination square
plumb bob
pea-shooter
cats paw
chalk line
& Klein lineman's pliers

Things I feel ought to be in the box.


Mark65 posted:
Also, Bourbon. I HATE that uniformed people call Jack Daniel's bourbon. It's NOT. Bourbon can only be made in Kentucky, and Jack is made in Tennessee.

I set out several years ago to gain a better appreciation of Bourbon. There is some really disgusting stuff out there. I don't bring Maker's home anymore. Weller Antique is a favorite.

[OlderMongrel]

Cooking/preparing food with wine. My grandma used to say, "I do like my own cooking", and maybe I'm the only one who likes mine, but it's amazing what the right sherry will do for a basic pasta salad, or a splash of wine in chicken and rice soup.

Hint: If you try wine in pasta salad, leave out the usual excesses like mustard, Worcestershire, blah, blah.

I make a mean Caspar Wineburger (burgundy, of course).

John

[clydethecat]

Two of my snob hobby horses have already been mentioned - pizza and Mexican food. My third is architecture, I have a peculiar hatred for "pattern book" houses, and the conservatism of post-WWI design for the masses. I have a fetish-level admiration for Prairie School architecture and for Arts and Crafts Era bungalows.

[dwigle]

Wine - cheap, good wine. Anyone can find a good $60 bottle. The trick is finding drinkable $15 bottles.

Beer - life is too short to drink junk beer.

Incomplete foods - fish tacos w/o cilantro, pizza w/o meat, veal picata w/o capers.

Brownies w/o nuts just make me mad.

[Caiman]

I'm a snob about people. :cool:

[carlspeak]

The trick is finding drinkable $15 bottles.


Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot. It's < $15 a bottle here in the Northeast.

[Paul K.]

I'm not sure what I'm snobby about but I tend to agree with you about sitcom jokes, with one exception. I don't watch sitcoms but I did when they were good, like the Mary Tyler Moore show, Dick Van Dyke show, Bob Newhart's shows, Mash, and more recently, Fraiser. I watched one episode of the Simpsons and thought it was the most stupid and unappealing thing ever put on TV (no reflection on you, Paul, however). Oh, I know what I'm snobby about on TV; all those so-called reality shows. What a crock they are all.
Paul


I was listening to the radio the other day and they were interviewing a sommelier. For those who may not be in the know--myself included--a "sommelier" is a wine expert. And to get to the highest level of certification they have to be able to correctly identify wines with 70% accuracy. (I think the audiophile community needs this kind of certification)

So it got me thinking about how I'm a complete rube when it comes to wine (mostly because I don't care for the stuff), yet some people--this sommelier included--probably have no patience for a dunce like me. Then I was thinking to myself, "Well what AM I a snob about?"

Am I a snob about audio equipment? Actually, no. I listen to the song first. I've been tremendously moved by great songs through absolute s--t equipment. I love what a great speaker can do to a song, but I'm much more concerned about the song itself.

So I had to dig a bit deeper. And when I really started thinking about what kind of crap I don't have patience for, I was surprised. The first two that popped into my mind:

-cliche music (specifically, stuff that sounds like stuff someone else has already done)
-"sitcom" jokes (not to be confused with The Simpsons, which is one of the highest forms of comedy writing in the last 100 years)

So please, share the things you're snobbish about; the things that you like so much that if someone does it poorly, it makes you cringe and see red. I'm very curious what sort of things we'll see...

[clydethecat]

...pizza w/o meat...


To me, if it doesn't work as a tomato pie, then it doesn't matter what else you put on it.

http://i45.tinypic.com/16icihj.jpg

And a good Margherita is pretty much the pinnacle of pizza:

http://static.flickr.com/87/243744262_42b8f9c7f9.jpg

[mattsk8]

I set out several years ago to gain a better appreciation of Bourbon. There is some really disgusting stuff out there. I don't bring Maker's home anymore. Weller Antique is a favorite.

I tried a shot of 150 pr Booker's once, just once ;). Guess bourbon's not my forte! Oooooohh the burn!


Two of my snob hobby horses have already been mentioned - pizza and Mexican food. My third is architecture, I have a peculiar hatred for "pattern book" houses, and the conservatism of post-WWI design for the masses. I have a fetish-level admiration for Prairie School architecture and for Arts and Crafts Era bungalows.

I also love architecture. Trying to get the designs you're referring to, you mean like Frank Lloyd Wright? I hope not, I love his work.

[cjd]

So there's the kind of snobbery that's more snubbery.

I'm snobbish in an anti-way when it comes to people that are overly enthusiastic in their support of something with limited or no credibility; they don't actually understand why, but everyone ELSE does... for example, people that like Apple or BMW. I can accept that both make a great product, but they don't make a good product for me, yet people will insist that it's ME that's wrong. Which just makes me dislike the product more...

TV. What the HECK is the point? Why should I own one? Huh?

Then there's stuff that probably equates to being more discriminating.

Yoga. Ok, this one's weird. You don't have to be flexible, but you do have to be patient and be willing to find your limits. It takes a crazy amount of strength (you're being easy on yourself if it doesn't,) but more than that it takes inward focus and self-awareness and acceptance. Most classes probably could be "inspired by yoga" but don't really qualify. I'm not quite so far as to say most teachers shouldn't be teaching, but some of them shouldn't.

Coffee. I guess. So they tell me. :) I mean, Starbucks doesn't even try. They just burn everything then add sugar. Rumor has it they might be roasting some so it's not dead, but I haven't gone to try it out. I roast my own, I brew (hand-pour or a rather fancy double-boiler dual-PID controlled espresso rig...) and of course I enjoy the results.

That's just a teaser but... yeah. :) Lots of snobbery here.

C

[cjd]

pizza w/o meat, veal picata w/o capers.

Brownies w/o nuts just make me mad.

Never ever come eat at my place. Which is weird, most people salivate when I talk about what we cook. We like to cook, and if I can say so, we're rather good at it.

I suppose I should probably return the favor. :)

I hate cooked nuts. Well, walnuts, pecans, and it's usually walnuts in brownies. Peanuts and cashews are good cooked. And you can't enjoy a good wine if there are nuts in the brownies. A rich merlot or zin might otherwise be quite good with brownie.

Meat on pizza almost guarantees it no longer tastes good. A very very lean meat (bison or turkey) very finely crumbled, browned, then slathered in wine and that cooked dry, then add garlic and spices, before finally adding tomato+ and more wine, can make for a good sauce on a deeply layered pizza (I'll do 1lb of whole-milk mozz on a 14" with this sauce)

So, yeah.

Don't bother with original pizza either. You won't find meat there. You probably won't even find sauce on pizza in Italy (I hear they have it in Sicily, haven't been yet.) Sliced tomato, yeah. But sauce?

Hmm. I might be snobbish about pizza, as you have triggered a "WTF, you're a moron" response :) Interesting. I had not suspected...

[dwigle]

Meat on pizza almost guarantees it no longer tastes good.

Ok, I take it back. We've made pizza with roasted tomato sauce, buffalo mozz and tons of fresh basil. Darned good even without sausage, pancetta or prosciutto.

But I'm sticking with brownies with pecans. I like nuts in just about anything. Sauteed catfish with a pecan crust with mango salsa. Rice with bulgar wheat, pecans and scallions.

This is a great thread but it makes me realize how OCD I can be.

[johnnyrichards]

So basically, as far as PETT is concerned, snobbery is thinking other people are idiots for not liking what they like.

Pizza: not picky. I prefer the americanized version of this peasant food.

Burritos: not picky. There is a local restaurant here that probably wouldn't pass the snob test.

Working out: Only picky because people spend a lot of time doing things that are damaging and/or non-productive for their bodies.

Tools: If it works, it is the right tool.

Flashlights: I work, and using flashlights is necessary from time to time. If I can see the bolt I need to get to, the flashlight is just fine. See "Tools".

Cooking: Only picky when people use inferior ingredients which necessitate loading it with various sauces and dressings to make it palatable. Like steak sauce - buy good meat, and it doesn't need A1 to make it taste good.

Wine: Take the label off or play games with pricetags and the snobbery disappears, time and time again. So now I just buy out of curiosity, take notes and ignore price and vineyard.

Bourbon: Has to contain minimum 51% corn to be bourbon, aged in a charred oak barrel (no minimum), and a couple things about alcohol content. There is no restriction that says bourbon cannot be made in California or Montana. Not a fan of the stuff, this after tasting everything from cheap rot gut to hyper expensive micro-distillery stuff and everything in between. Give me Canadian rye or Irish any day :)

Yoga: try Pilates, unless the psuedo-spiritualism of Yoga appeals to you. Then by all means... Lot of thse same brain games floating around the karate world.

[cjd]

Yoga: try Pilates, unless the psuedo-spiritualism of Yoga appeals to you. Then by all means... Lot of thse same brain games floating around the karate world.

Part of what I get the most value out of is pranayama... breath and meditation. That, and I can take it anywhere. Or my medication use goes up. Pilates bored me. I can see the value, but it seemed gimmicky. Just not a good fit for me - it seems similar, but for people that feel like they have to do something. This, I actually feel weird if I don't do some every day now. And I can breathe better than I remember, probably since the 6th grade.

Heck, my wife and I don't enjoy the same practice. It's kind-of funny. But in this case, the snobbery is purely "this is what I will do, and I'm not going to bother with that other stuff any more."

Calling anything pseudo-<insert-something-here> is a sign of snobbery. Only *your* spiritualism counts, I guess. :) That said, I'm not attracted to that aspect of some yoga practices.

[Paul Carmody]

I'm snobbish in an anti-way when it comes to people that are overly enthusiastic in their support of something with limited or no credibility; they don't actually understand why, but everyone ELSE does... for example, people that like Apple or BMW. I can accept that both make a great product, but they don't make a good product for me, yet people will insist that it's ME that's wrong. Which just makes me dislike the product more...

Wait a second... I thought you were an Apple guy(?) (but yeah, it's like if there are three conversions one should never get into nowadays, they're religion, politics, or Apple)


Coffee. I guess. So they tell me. :) I mean, Starbucks doesn't even try. They just burn everything then add sugar.
Well-said. I don't understand the fanaticism over that brand--I have to assume it's the "experience" they offer, more than the actual product. I didn't realize I liked coffee until I tried other brands besides Starbucks!

[clydethecat]

I also love architecture. Trying to get the designs you're referring to, you mean like Frank Lloyd Wright? I hope not, I love his work.

No, Frank Lloyd Wright's work is on my "LOVE IT" list. The early work anyway, I'm not so fond of the Usonian Automatic houses.

[clydethecat]

Because of this thread, I went and ate these this evening:

http://assets.inarkansas.com/9886/asian-salad.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/35jdqvt.jpg

[djg]

I forgot, I am a flashlight snob from way back. Hundreds of dollars spent on Maglites, Streamlights, and Lumapower flashlights.

[dcgold2000]

Cars.

I don't care if you own a $100 or a $20000000 one, KEEP IT CLEAN!!!! I can't stand dirty cars. Not because I won't ride inside a dirty one, but because I love them. It makes me sad when I see a dirty, unkempt car. :(

I live on a gravel road and only have a clean one when I pick it up at the dealer when it's new.:(

[Paul Carmody]

Yes, some people are confusing "pet peeves" with things they're snobbish about. But in a nutshell, you are a snob if you can fill in this phrase:

"Life is too short to ________ bad _________." :D

[mdocod]

I guess I am also a bit of a television snob...

If a program keeps showing me what they are going to show me later, over and over through the show, I am usually very turned off. If a program repeats content over and over, I am usually very turned off. TV watching these days is around 30% commercials, some of these shows will reduce the actual content of the show to less than 50% of the viewing time, which to me, is an insult. It shows a lack of effort put into producing enough quality content to fill a time slot.

As far as sitcoms go, I like Fraisure and Big Bang Theory. I like a handful of Drama/CI series shows.

My latest kick is "Lost Girl," which is far enough from reality that inaccuracies don't matter, and it has enough cleavage to solve any other problems.

To this day, I have yet to see any show match the level of content as "How it's Made." It's the most content packed show on TV by far.

[mattsk8]

So there's the kind of snobbery that's more snubbery.

I'm snobbish in an anti-way when it comes to people that are overly enthusiastic in their support of something with limited or no credibility; they don't actually understand why, but everyone ELSE does... for example, people that like Apple or BMW. I can accept that both make a great product, but they don't make a good product for me, yet people will insist that it's ME that's wrong. Which just makes me dislike the product more...

TV. What the HECK is the point? Why should I own one? Huh?

Then there's stuff that probably equates to being more discriminating.

Yoga. Ok, this one's weird. You don't have to be flexible, but you do have to be patient and be willing to find your limits. It takes a crazy amount of strength (you're being easy on yourself if it doesn't,) but more than that it takes inward focus and self-awareness and acceptance. Most classes probably could be "inspired by yoga" but don't really qualify. I'm not quite so far as to say most teachers shouldn't be teaching, but some of them shouldn't.

Coffee. I guess. So they tell me. :) I mean, Starbucks doesn't even try. They just burn everything then add sugar. Rumor has it they might be roasting some so it's not dead, but I haven't gone to try it out. I roast my own, I brew (hand-pour or a rather fancy double-boiler dual-PID controlled espresso rig...) and of course I enjoy the results.

That's just a teaser but... yeah. :) Lots of snobbery here.

C

I will gravitate to pet peeves for a bit...

As far as the anti-snobbery goes, I completely agree. While I am a BMW enthusiast, and if it's not my favorite manufacturer it's for sure at the top of my list, I also know other manufacturers make great cars as well.

I also HATE it when people bash American automobile manufacturers just because they're American. The whole "I won't drive an American car, they're cheap junk" mentality :rolleyes:. They all (foreign and American) have their lemons. I will say I wish we could get our act together and quit incorporating so much cheap, assembled looking plastic in our interiors and exteriors. While no one can argue the ZO6 vette is an engineering feat by a long shot that annihilates (yes even foreign) cars costing 2 and 3 times more in every aspect, the interiors are a huge disappointment on something so incredible.

T.V.? The only show I really can say I watch is Top Gear and it's mostly for the automotive humor. You can keep all these "reality? :rolleyes:" shows and especially all the complete TRASH sitcoms for kids that Disney and Nicolodean produce. I want to throw a 28oz Estwing through my TV if I walk in the living room and one of my kids is watching that crap.

As far as yoga and pilates go, my wife does pilates and one of my best friends is HUGE into yoga. My view is that you have to weigh what's going in w/ what you're getting out of it. To me, you gain better results in way less time doing something else.

[rene]

To quote George Carlin, I no longer have pet peeves, I have major psychotic F-ing hatreds!

As a chef I'm a total food snob, basically if I don't cook it, I don't eat it.... well unless it's 3am and I'm stumbling out from the bar. then anything goes my friend!

Knives, If you can't shave with it, it's not sharp
pots and pans
And Weirdly enough, spoons. how can you call it a "soup" spoon if it's too small to hold soup!
Furniture like many other people have said. It's insulting what stores want these days for cheap press board with cheap veneer on it.

Rene

[johnastockman]

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were interviewing a sommelier. For those who may not be in the know--myself included--a "sommelier" is a wine expert. And to get to the highest level of certification they have to be able to correctly identify wines with 70% accuracy. (I think the audiophile community needs this kind of certification)

So it got me thinking about how I'm a complete rube when it comes to wine (mostly because I don't care for the stuff), yet some people--this sommelier included--probably have no patience for a dunce like me. Then I was thinking to myself, "Well what AM I a snob about?"

Am I a snob about audio equipment? Actually, no. I listen to the song first. I've been tremendously moved by great songs through absolute s--t equipment. I love what a great speaker can do to a song, but I'm much more concerned about the song itself.

So I had to dig a bit deeper. And when I really started thinking about what kind of crap I don't have patience for, I was surprised. The first two that popped into my mind:

-cliche music (specifically, stuff that sounds like stuff someone else has already done)
-"sitcom" jokes (not to be confused with The Simpsons, which is one of the highest forms of comedy writing in the last 100 years)

So please, share the things you're snobbish about; the things that you like so much that if someone does it poorly, it makes you cringe and see red. I'm very curious what sort of things we'll see...



I had to completely edit my post, as once again I was complaining about the things I'm a complete snob about. Call it peeves or things that are totally irritating and unacceptable, I think there are specific things that we are very knowledgeable about and have a lot of passion for. Mine are:

Motorcycling: Getting specific 2-wheel training. Wearing your gear. Having a bike that is matched to your size and skill level. Practice, practice, practice your skills at least once a month. Being disingenuous (a poseur) and only in it for the b-u-t-t jewelry aspect. Not buying in to the worn out ridiculous mantra of "loud pipes save lives".

TV: I only watch astronomy/universe/astro-physics documentaries, motorcycle racing and anime'. No "reality" show drivel...it's not "reality" if they know the cameras are there. The influx of overly large channel logos and recently, during-the-program promos, text/graphics and actual commercials that cover up on-screen text/translations and content of the actual program. Plus being constantly reminded with text of the air time of a particular show. I have a program guide I can bring up anytime I want to find out when shows are airing.

Spelling & grammar: Incorrect spelling, bad grammar and not pronouncing words correctly. Adding suffixes and other nonsense to words that already exist, such as "orientated". Since when did that become an actual word? Using "oriented" conveys the same exact meaning without adding useless letters.

The retail speakers vs DIY: Working where I did offered me a huge education in this area. Having an expert service department, real in-house measurement equipment/anechoic room and the knowledge to operate such equipment with competence & skill. A proprietor that was very choosy about what we carried and how the manufacturers treated their sellers and customers. He was a huge proponent of DIY, as he started out working at the local Lafayette Electronics store as a 16 year old kid.


Great post, Paul! I can think of many things I'm a snob-to-the-second-power about, but 2 of the things there are ones I'm supremely passionate about. If TV went away tomorrow, I still have a lifetimes worth of music to enjoy on my better-than-store-bought-speaker-SQ DIY speakers and way too many books. I think I'm heading into the "curmugeon" part of the old-guy life experience, though. My grandpa told me it would happen...


John A.

[johnastockman]

I will gravitate to pet peeves for a bit...

As far as the anti-snobbery goes, I completely agree. While I am a BMW enthusiast, and if it's not my favorite manufacturer it's for sure at the top of my list, I also know other manufacturers make great cars as well.

I also HATE it when people bash American automobile manufacturers just because they're American. The whole "I won't drive an American car, they're cheap junk" mentality :rolleyes:. They all (foreign and American) have their lemons. I will say I wish we could get our act together and quit incorporating so much cheap, assembled looking plastic in our interiors and exteriors. While no one can argue the ZO6 vette is an engineering feat by a long shot that annihilates (yes even foreign) cars costing 2 and 3 times more in every aspect, the interiors are a huge disappointment on something so incredible.

T.V.? The only show I really can say I watch is Top Gear and it's mostly for the automotive humor. You can keep all these "reality? :rolleyes:" shows and especially all the complete TRASH sitcoms for kids that Disney and Nicolodean produce. I want to throw a 28oz Estwing through my TV if I walk in the living room and one of my kids is watching that crap.

As far as yoga and pilates go, my wife does pilates and one of my best friends is HUGE into yoga. My view is that you have to weigh what's going in w/ what you're getting out of it. To me, you gain better results in way less time doing something else.


Man, I'm with you on this "reality" show drivel. I've said for years: remember, it's not "reality" if they know the cameras are there.


John A.

[Paul K.]

I actually like Starbucks coffee but only if I brew it. I buy their whole beans and grind them for our weekend coffee at breakfast. I never, ever buy their brewed coffee in their stores, however, because it's way too strong, looking and tasting like mud.
Paul

QUOTE=Paul Carmody;1832883]
Well-said. I don't understand the fanaticism over that brand--I have to assume it's the "experience" they offer, more than the actual product. I didn't realize I liked coffee until I tried other brands besides Starbucks![/QUOTE]

[morris]

Knifes!!!! Really good quality steel knifes. Does not have to be fancy looking! It has to retain its edge really well for a long time and sharpens nicely.

[generic]

[QUOTE=mattsk8;1832932]
I also HATE it when people bash American automobile manufacturers just because they're American. The whole "I won't drive an American car, they're cheap junk" mentality :rolleyes:. They all (foreign and American) have their lemons. I will say I wish we could get our act together and quit incorporating so much cheap, assembled looking plastic in our interiors and exteriors. While no one can argue the ZO6 vette is an engineering feat by a long shot that annihilates (yes even foreign) cars costing 2 and 3 times more in every aspect, the interiors are a huge disappointment on something so incredible.
[QUOTE]

I've fallen in to that catagory before. Although, not just because they were "American" as much as they were/are just too big. In all reality, American auto makers were making some questionable cars compared to Honda and Toyota. Now that the big three have gotten their act together, I guess it can be anyones game. I've grown to like many cars and I will never not buy a brand X simply because of it's name. Now that many cars are global cars, that is just silly and foolish. I used to be a fan of Japanise cars, but I'd drive a Focas ST, next gen Mustang, etc. So many cool cars, not enough garage space and deep pockets.

[kmibb]

If this is turning in to a rant thread, I've got one:

Heighth is not a word. It is never appropriate to add an H to the end of height. I've had engineering professors, bosses, and obviously people with less education say this word hundreds and hundreds of times.

It's pronounced like "hite." Please get it righth.

[DamonB]

What gets me going is anyone using a product as status rather than enjoyment. Examples:

Watching someone suffering through a glass of $$$$ scotch/whiskey/wine/tequila etc they obviously hate but drink anyway as it shows they must know something. I see this attitude often with food, drink, cars and significant others.

Never apologize for your opinions in taste. If you like to drive your Pinto to get grape kool-aid and cheeseburgers then enjoy! Who cares what "they" think?

[cjd]

If this is turning in to a rant thread, I've got one:

Heighth is not a word. It is never appropriate to add an H to the end of height. I've had engineering professors, bosses, and obviously people with less education say this word hundreds and hundreds of times.

It's pronounced like "hite." Please get it righth.

Nuh uh. Heighdth. and you know it. :)

[mattsk8]

How's about "aluminium?! I used to work w/ this guy and evey time we had to take off aluminum siding I wanted to knock his teeth out.

Thought of a couple more snobbish areas I'm guilty of...

Body work on cars, VERY snobby here. If you can't do it right, don't do it or learn FIRST! All you're doing is making a fool out of yourself. Some people who say they restore cars need to reword it to, re-ruin cars.

Mechanical work on cars. Again, if you're not going to do it right, DON'T do it!! In that same category would be people who criticize mechanics for charging too much. If it's too expensive fix it yourself! I don't understand how a guy can make $80k or more/yr pushing a pen and golfing then criticize a mechanic for bloodying his nuckles everyday for the same (or usually way less) pay.

As pet peeves go my absolute biggest is people (girl or guy) who end their marriage for the pursuit of another girl or guy, or because of "irreconcilable differences". Think of the kids and quit being such a selfish dirt bag. The fact that you're willing to possibly ruin both the lives of your kids and your spouse so you can indulge your own fantasies makes you untrustable in my book. Have some dignity and honor your commitments. And if you're not married, think long and hard about it before you do; it's not a Disney fantasy, it's work. But along those same lines I think moving in together prior to marriage to "test the waters" is also a cowards way. Sorry if that offended anyone, I have 2 different friends going through it right now and I'm just SICK of it.

[dpasek]

-Chocolate. I don't think I can even eat Hershey's anymore.


I agree, Hearshey's is gross, gritty, almost coarse. Poor mouth feel, worse taste. I'll take Belgian any time. They know how to do it right.

[scottq]

I would first like to say that I love how this turned into a "You know what really grinds my gears?!?" thread.
https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQl0D3Zwl2mhNqCkSmuf9wOShOg5TJUE KCfseVO_SUwVoUPE1UAJg


When was the last time you saw somebody sipping a fine vintage Merlot...

There is no such thing as a fine vintage Merlot.

https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGZjc9irh6M2AW09nsKMpb9wd6PvH3t IfF57-qC6VzLPnqthR0


Wine - cheap, good wine. Anyone can find a good $60 bottle. The trick is finding drinkable $15 bottles.

INDEED.


Beer - life is too short to drink junk beer.

Thank you, Warsteiner.


Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot. It's < $15 a bottle here in the Northeast.

See above.


How's about "aluminium?! I used to work w/ this guy and evey time we had to take off aluminum siding I wanted to knock his teeth out.

FYI, it's the British pronunciation/spelling. It is a real word. Still, it drives me crazy too - I work in aviation and hear it all the time...



As pet peeves go my absolute biggest is people (girl or guy) who end their marriage for the pursuit of another girl or guy, or because of "irreconcilable differences". Think of the kids and quit being such a selfish dirt bag. The fact that you're willing to possibly ruin both the lives of your kids and your spouse so you can indulge your own fantasies makes you untrustable in my book. Have some dignity and honor your commitments. And if you're not married, think long and hard about it before you do; it's not a Disney fantasy, it's work. But along those same lines I think moving in together prior to marriage to "test the waters" is also a cowards way. Sorry if that offended anyone, I have 2 different friends going through it right now and I'm just SICK of it.

+1. Preach.


I agree, Hearshey's is gross, gritty, almost coarse. Poor mouth feel, worse taste. I'll take Belgian any time. They know how to do it right.

+1. Truth! Cote d'Or. Yum.

Also, just kidding on there not being any good Merlot. Just got a laugh thinking about Sideways.

For me:
- I'm snobby about Wine. Love, love, love wine. When (if) we have kids and have to cut back on the wine budget, I will cry.
- I'm snobby about beer. There's a little micro-brew in Cedarburg, WI... I once saw a guy strut in and order a Miller Lite. The bar tender gave him the middle finger and walked to the other end of the bar. LOL. Love that guy... Though, my desire for (good) beer has greatly diminished as my preference for wine has grown in the last 3 yrs.
- I'm snobby about Cheese. California cows may be happier, but as with grapes on a vine, "With hardship comes enlightenment." The harsh weather conditions in WI make the cows struggle and the milk benefits. WI cows make better milk and better cheese. End of story. :p Of course, a wedge of good mimolette or manchego can make me swoon too...
- People with entitlement philosophy grind my gears. Uh oh, I'm getting more political.
- People that preach "tolerance" and then hate on others' differing opinions.
- Like Paul originally posted, I obsess over the music. E.g. If my wife puts in LSO's performance of Holst's Planets, I will get up and stop it and put in the better (best) performance/interpretation (and a worse recording/mastering) by the Berlin Phil. The comparison is interesting, but when I find the good one, I don't want to listen to the bad one. LOL.
- Yanni haters grind my gears. My wife and her family "despise" Yanni. When I proposed, I played an hour long recital of primarily Yanni's music for her. She loved it and had no idea. In the program, I put in Yanni's real given name as the composer, so she was double burned. LOL. It was all in good fun. But, she was chastised by her family for saying "Yes" after pulling a stunt like that.
- People that don't take care of things grind my gears. Dilapidated houses, dirty/gross cars, dull knives, not performing maintenance and being surprised when things break, etc.
- I'm a snob about good Ethernet cable. After testing and playing with aviation-grade wire, its hard to go back. There's just comfort in knowing that my KD24 cable is passing bits between hardware rather than the dozens of commercial CAT5E/CAT6 in my closet.
- I'm a snob about researching the snot out of whatever I'm going to buy... be it a brake pads, a motherboard chipset, tie-rod ends, or a new drill. I rarely buy "the best" but want to have a firm enough understanding to identify what is best, what is sufficient, what is a good deal, and why. It's exhausting. ;)

[awwnuts]

As pet peeves go my absolute biggest is people (girl or guy) who end their marriage for the pursuit of another girl or guy, or because of "irreconcilable differences".


Ha, irreconcilable differences define my marriage. But, we love each other anyway. That's commitment.

[mattsk8]

For me:
- I'm snobby about Wine. Love, love, love wine. When (if) we have kids and have to cut back on the wine budget, I will cry.
- I'm snobby about beer. There's a little micro-brew in Cedarburg, WI... I once saw a guy strut in and order a Miller Lite. The bar tender gave him the middle finger and walked to the other end of the bar. LOL. Love that guy... Though, my desire for (good) beer has greatly diminished as my preference for wine has grown in the last 3 yrs.
- I'm snobby about Cheese. California cows may be happier, but as with grapes on a vine, "With hardship comes enlightenment." The harsh weather conditions in WI make the cows struggle and the milk benefits. WI cows make better milk and better cheese. End of story. :p Of course, a wedge of good mimolette or manchego can make me swoon too...
- People with entitlement philosophy grind my gears. Uh oh, I'm getting more political.
- People that preach "tolerance" and then hate on others' differing opinions.
- Like Paul originally posted, I obsess over the music. E.g. If my wife puts in LSO's performance of Holst's Planets, I will get up and stop it and put in the better (best) performance/interpretation (and a worse recording/mastering) by the Berlin Phil. The comparison is interesting, but when I find the good one, I don't want to listen to the bad one. LOL.
- Yanni haters grind my gears. My wife and her family "despise" Yanni. When I proposed, I played an hour long recital of primarily Yanni's music for her. She loved it and had no idea. In the program, I put in Yanni's real given name as the composer, so she was double burned. LOL. It was all in good fun. But, she was chastised by her family for saying "Yes" after pulling a stunt like that.
- People that don't take care of things grind my gears. Dilapidated houses, dirty/gross cars, dull knives, not performing maintenance and being surprised when things break, etc.
- I'm a snob about good Ethernet cable. After testing and playing with aviation-grade wire, its hard to go back. There's just comfort in knowing that my KD24 cable is passing bits between hardware rather than the dozens of commercial CAT5E/CAT6 in my closet.
- I'm a snob about researching the snot out of whatever I'm going to buy... be it a brake pads, a motherboard chipset, tie-rod ends, or a new drill. I rarely buy "the best" but want to have a firm enough understanding to identify what is best, what is sufficient, what is a good deal, and why. It's exhausting. ;)

Wisconsin native, eh? My wife's from S. Milwaukee originally. I LOVE going to visit her family because that means I'm coming home w/ a case of Spotted Cow (or 2 cases :D)! That might be the best beer I've ever had!


Ha, irreconcilable differences define my marriage. But, we love each other anyway. That's commitment.

That's signature worthy! Almost shed a tear over that one! Well said :cool:

[MSaturn]

"Life is too short to ________ bad _________."

My mind went to a bad place almost immediately. Heh heh.

I'm a snob about everything, pretty much. It really grinds some people's gears. They better be precision machined, .001mm tolerance triple-diamond-polished duralumin gears, also.

[HareBrained]

For you cheese-heads: http://burnettdairy.com/. Their brand is called "Fancy" (unfortunately) and it's wonderful.

I'm a food snob, including beer, chocolate, and coffee, but my base standards are not that high.

There are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners.

[clydethecat]

What gets me going is anyone using a product as status rather than enjoyment. Examples:

Watching someone suffering through a glass of $$$$ scotch/whiskey/wine/tequila etc they obviously hate but drink anyway as it shows they must know something. I see this attitude often with food, drink, cars and significant others.



I'm convinced that you've just described 99.9% of the people who drink brandy or cognac.

[JasonP]

So I was going to post some solidarity with Mark65, as he expressed a lot of my thoughts about drinks in his post, but I might as well lay out what I'm really a snob about:

computer hardware.

I've built my own machines for years, and while they aren't generally top dollar I have a design agenda and plan for each build to which I stick and pick the best components for the job. Since I know so much about the tech at this point, I repair and work on a lot of other's PCs and I can help but tear each design apart (commercial or home build) and tell each person what I'd do if I was building it. Yea, I'm that guy. :P

[Mark65]

Hrm, guess I got told. I looked it up, and I was just about 100% wrong about bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. I will say, though, that IMHO, the best bourbon comes from Kentucky and the one I like best is Wild Turkey, but Evan Williams will do in a pinch. Also, it turns out that Tennessee is the snob, as it has to be made in Tennessee, to be called Tennessee whiskey.

Mea culpa.:o

Mark

[ROTECH]

Wine: Take the label off or play games with pricetags and the snobbery disappears, time and time again. So now I just buy out of curiosity, take notes and ignore price and vineyard.

.

You hit the nail on the head.
When the misses and I got our first apartment when I was 22 she was 19.
She was a Heineken snob (if there is such a thing)
And I, now paying a lot more bills, was drinking Natty Ice, the budget beater beer. At that time I cared more about credit score than glitzy microbrews.

She always picked on me for drinking nasty college swill.
One hot summer day, when Heinekin was not within the budget, I still had a few Natty Ice in the fridge. She declined to share saying it would make her sick to drink it. Wellllll......she went to take a shower so I did what any good loving BF would do.... I took a heineken bottle from the recycling bin, washed it, filled it with a cold natty ice.... pressed a cap onto it, and handed her a suprise heineken when she emerged from the shower. I told her I found it in the fridge, and she was very pleased.
She drank it and said "ohhhhhh man I am so glad I didnt give in and drink a natty ice, this heineken is soooo goooood"

Took me a while to convince her what I had truly done.....

Moral of the story, people like what tickles their fancy. Food doesnt have to "taste good" wine doesnt have to be "perfect"
If the situation is right, the mood is right, or heck, even if the packaging is right; you will likely like something that is exactly the same as something you adamently hate.

[bkeane1259]

If the situation is right, the mood is right, or heck, even if the packaging is right; you will likely like something that is exactly the same as something you adamently hate.



That could be in a Natty Ice commercial......or a lot of beer commercials. LOL. Just need to put some catchy music to it.

[MSaturn]

If you can't tell the difference between Natty Light and a proper beer (say, an IPA), there's A. something wrong with your mouth and nose and B. something wrong with your ability to recognize there's something wrong with your mouth and nose

[ROTECH]

If you can't tell the difference between Natty Light and a proper beer (say, an IPA), there's A. something wrong with your mouth and nose and B. something wrong with your ability to recognize there's something wrong with your mouth and nose

Geesh, good thing my girl was blind testing Natty ICE vs Heineken and not Natty LIGHT vs IPA.
I would hope even a beer imbecile could differentiate a light colored lager from a dark colored ale based on either color/taste/smell.



While we are on the topic, and going into plum beer snobbery, what is everyones favorite beers?

1. Racer 5 IPA
2. Woodstock Inn Brewery "Pigs Ear Brown Ale"
3. Unibroue "maudite"
4. Most beers from Left Hand Brewery
5. Harpoon IPA
6. Sam Adams Bonfire Ale
7. Hazed and Infused. I forgot the brewery name
8. Honest to god, I like Natty ICE.

[Taterworks]

I hate badly-written advertisements and web site copy, so I'm a writing snob.

I can't give my full attention to bad-sounding music, so I'd be a sound quality snob.

Sorry for the short post, but I have to run off to work.

[Pallas]

For other people, mostly car-related. For example, manual transmissions/transaxles: when I see someone driving a "sports car" with a slushbox, I think less of them. Likewise, I see someone driving a lorry (whether it has a bed or it's an "SUV" or "crossover") that doesn't have the name of a business on the side of it (plumber, delivery firm, electrician, handyman, etc.), I think less of them, too.

For myself: probably clothes more than anything else, though I don't judge others on what they wear, for the most part. (If they make it an issue and they have bad taste, I will judge them for it.)
-I won't buy anything (but socks) that has any synthetic fiber in it,
-I won't buy a shirt that doesn't have at least mother-of-pearl buttons and single-needle stitching. (That excludes some expensive and famous brands, such as Turnbull & Asser, because at least their ready-to-wear shirts are double-needle stitched.)
-I won't buy a jacket that has any fusing on the chest, machine-attached collar, or machine pick-stitching. (Some of the most expensive brands, like Kiton, machine-pick their lapels now to save a few bucks.)
-I won't buy a pocket square that's not linen or silk, with hand-rolled edges.
-Shoes must be either full-grain calfskin, suede, or shell cordovan, and with one exception (a pair of cognac shell cordovan penny loafers by Ron Rider that have Blake/Rapid-stitched soles) either Goodyear/storm/Norwegian welted or hand-nailed soles.
-after a detour into expensive Italian cashmere that ended up being not durable enough (Loro Piana, Ralph Lauren Purple Label), I'll only buy Scottish cashmere sweaters. (And linen ones for spring/fall.)
-I was so happy when my favorite sock maker, Marcoliani, released a loafer sock (http://www.customshirt1.com/Socks_M_Casual_Solid.html#Table%2010) this summer, that I bought out all the stock at three locations of a local haberdasher (H. Stockton).

[Paul Carmody]

she went to take a shower so I did what any good loving BF would do.... I took a heineken bottle from the recycling bin, washed it, filled it with a cold natty ice.... pressed a cap onto it, and handed her a suprise heineken when she emerged from the shower. I told her I found it in the fridge, and she was very pleased.
She drank it and said "ohhhhhh man I am so glad I didnt give in and drink a natty ice, this heineken is soooo goooood"


LIKE A BOSS!!!! :cool:

[brianpowers27]

Ha, irreconcilable differences define my marriage. But, we love each other anyway. That's commitment.

I'm a snob for friends with integrity. When I say integrity, I enjoy people with different opinions when they are founded with reason and they are resolute. Some of my best friends hold very different worldviews.

I'm also going to rant against tolerance. I find this to be an abused word... Tolerance shouldn't be used to push a point of view onto someone that is resolute... If you've got something to say, do it in the most respectful way possible and if the person disagrees you don't have to change their mind.

Materially: I'd pay a little extra for a nice set of cookware. It pains me to see people cooking with thin aluminum-teflon coated saucepans.

[mattsk8]

I'm a snob for friends with integrity. When I say integrity, I enjoy people with different opinions when they are founded with reason and they are resolute. Some of my best friends hold very different worldviews.

I'm also going to rant against tolerance. I find this to be an abused word... Tolerance shouldn't be used to push a point of view onto someone that is resolute... If you've got something to say, do it in the most respectful way possible and if the person disagrees you don't have to change their mind.

Well said. I skate, plus I'm probably (for the most part) considered conservative in my views. But (now I'll do some labelling), being a skater a LOT of my friends have completely different views; both poltically and worldly. Some are liberal to the enth degree. We don't kill eachother or even hate eachother over them, we just come to terms w/ me being right and them being wrong :D. Seriously though, some great discussions and if we all weren't so close minded and afraid to hear a different view, I think we might learn something from eachother.

Edit: You're right Paul, that was a topic for another forum. My apologies.

[ontariomaximus]

I am a snob about talking about the weather. Such as "it's a nice day, supposed to be in the 70's for the rest of week. that rain we had on the weeked- boy, the grass really needed it..."
REALLY? THAT'S ALL YOU CAN COME WITH AS FAR AS CONVERSATION GOES? TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER? C'MON! I'M DYIN' HERE.

[Paul Carmody]

Matt,
Let's not go there.

[Birdrider]

I guess I'm snob about food, although that's not hard living in Utah. I love Thia, Vietnamese and Authentic Mexican food. My co-workers idea of good food is a Hamburger and fries.

Also, I refuse to listen to normal radio. I can't stand the quality. I don't install nice stereo systems just to play crap on them. I rather listen to a clean recording of music I don't like than listen to pretty much anything on the radio.

[scottq]

...she went to take a shower so I did what any good loving BF would do.... I took a heineken bottle from the recycling bin, washed it, filled it with a cold natty ice.... pressed a cap onto it, and handed her a suprise heineken when she emerged from the shower. I told her I found it in the fridge, and she was very pleased.
She drank it and said "ohhhhhh man I am so glad I didnt give in and drink a natty ice, this heineken is soooo goooood"

Awesome. Seriously, awesome.



Moral of the story, people like what tickles their fancy. Food doesnt have to "taste good" wine doesnt have to be "perfect"
If the situation is right, the mood is right, or heck, even if the packaging is right; you will likely like something that is exactly the same as something you adamently hate.

Placebo is a real female dog. I'm sure I've fallen for it. But, I've also called out 5 different brands of vodka that a bartender poured me blind on a bet. At the time, I was a real vodka snob... I sincerely doubt I could do it again today. Earlier that night, he told me they didn't have Kettle One when I ordered a martini (which is where it all started); he apparently went to the storage locker upstairs and grabbed a new bottle as he was concocting the experiment (unbeknownst to me). On the last one, first sip, I said, "I swear this is Kettle One, but you said you didn't have any... I'm stumped." His jaw dropped. My friends next to me just laughed. Admittedly, the 2nd one was Five Star brand; I took one sip, winced, and said "rail booze" - they gave me some leniency on that.

My Fav beers include:
- most from Atlantic Brewing Company (particularly Blueberry, Real Ale, Coal Porter, and Scottish Ale... and also their Old Soaker Root Beer - the BEST root beer ever... anywhere...seriously... I have Old Soaker root beer barrel candies in my desk drawer for special occasions at work)
- Lindeman's Framboise Lambic (I know, I know... it's a "cheerleader beer," but once in a while its pretty fabulous)
- Franziskaner (weiss)
- Spaten Dunkel
- Milwaukee's Best Light (aka "Beast") is my favorite college swill; when invited to friends' places that party with it, I usually pack a bottle or two of "good stuff" in the car for starters and switch to the swill after my taste buds have packed it in. I'll totally drink it from the start too - I'm not a jerk about it (those people really grind my gears). Friends and their feelings are more important than an icy cold beverage. My cousin says "The best two kinds of beer are free and cold."
- Spotted Cow (New Glarus)
- Stoned Soup (New Glarus)
- Blue Moon (draft) w/o the orange please (don't fruit the beer!)
- "Alsterwasser" - 1/2 lager (typically Jever, but I can't stand that stuff) and 1/2 lemon-lime soda (sprite). Don't knock it 'til you try it. Great on a hot day. Story behind the name: Lake Alster is in Hamburg. "Wasser" is water in German. The joke is that it's "lake water," or watered down beer.

[dennymo]

-I was so happy when my favorite sock maker, Marcoliani, released a loafer sock (http://www.customshirt1.com/Socks_M_Casual_Solid.html#Table%2010) this summer, that I bought out all the stock at three locations of a local haberdasher (H. Stockton).
I nominate Pallas for the win: I don't think I've ever met anyone who had a "favorite sockmaker" before. :)

Diction and typos are probably my snobbiest shortcomings. An occasional mistake is OK (there vs. their, etc.), but some people don't even try. Others try too hard: one of our local newsradio writers tries to get all flowery and sophisticated with the descriptions of traffic accidents and community events, doesn't work at all. Bugs the heck out of me, especially when the people doing it supposedly write for a living. Bloggers (aka wannabe-journalists), I'm looking at you.

[jclin4]

Diction and typos are probably my snobbiest shortcomings. An occasional mistake is OK (there vs. their, etc.), but some people don't even try.

Remember Æ ? He definitely was picky about this :D

[Mark65]

Remember Æ ? He definitely was a picky about this :D

I do, and I'm with him on that, and fairly certain that the cuisine mentioned above is actually spelled Thai, but that might be a typo, so we'll let that slide....


However.....

The vodka mentioned above is most definitely named Ketel One, and since it was misspelled twice in the above post, I have to wonder about the snob level, since as a whiskey aficionado (I won't say snob, as I was schooled on the subject, see above posts) I pretty obsessively read the labels of whatever new spirit I'm about to try (or am currently enjoying), in order to glean whatever facts I can from said label. I've never actually HAD Ketel One, but for damn sure, I know how to spell it, having lusted after it for a while.

Oh, and vodka drinkers, give Luksusowa a try if you haven't yet. Polish potato vodka, and quite reasonably priced. Great stuff, IMHO.



Mark

[Mayhem13]

Tequila!:D

[MSaturn]

drink ardbeg, laphroaig and talisker; become powerful!

[johnnyrichards]

Whats wrong with a burger and fries? I understand if all you have ever had are McD's or Applebees... but...

[bkeane1259]

Remember Æ ? He definitely was picky about this :D

LOL...I was chatting with him a week ago in speakchat and he was correcting my spelling/grammar as we were talking. I have excellent grammar, but I type with 4 fingers...so..... I most often let typos go now-a-days.

Alan is a nice guy though.

[ROTECH]

Remember Æ ? He definitely was picky about this :D

Yes, he reminded me 3 times in chat that it was, for example:
1980s not 1980's

[50 watt head]

Some folks get sensitive about having their grammar/spelling/vocabulary corrected. But nobody here would hesitate to correct a mistake involving Ohm's Law (or tsk tsk at someone for offering such correction).

Curious, isn't it?

[ROTECH]

Some folks get sensitive about having their grammar/spelling/vocabulary corrected. But nobody here would hesitate to correct a mistake involving Ohm's Law (or tsk tsk at someone for offering such correction).

Curious, isn't it?

I don't think we are here for grammar class though.
Just like we are not here for being told our own thoughts on what we like are substandard or incorrect.
Except in this lengthy thread of course!!!!

Perhaps we should make this the official "thick skin thread" and leave all other threads for technical information and experience sharing.

[generic]

Whats wrong with a burger and fries? I understand if all you have ever had are McD's or Applebees... but...

Absolutly nothing. My only complaint is I can't order a Red Robin blue ribbon, five guys fries, and my favorite IPA under the same roof.

[trainbufftony]

Things that I have become a snob about (and a vocal snob at that)

Quality workmanship. I cannot stand things made by people who have little or no pride in their work. Especially when I see alleged professionals doing work that I could do better as a novice.

Overspenders. I'l bet your $3000 speaker cable sounds fantastic! can you tell the difference between it and the one I made for under $20 in a curtain test?

Tools. See Quality workmanship above. Don't reward those who make junk tools by buying tools you know are junk. It is wrong in so many ways.

3 wheelers. I dont know if you can be a snob and ride a 3 wheeler They may be mutually exclusive. I however Own 3 wheelers! I love 3 wheelers and It really grinds my gears when people say they are unsafe. You the rider are unsafe! These machines were involved in some deaths and serious injurys. Don't take away my freedom because someone else is stupid.

That is all.

[ROTECH]

Things that I have become a snob about (and a vocal snob at that)

Quality workmanship. I cannot stand things made by people who have little or no pride in their work. Especially when I see alleged professionals doing work that I could do better as a novice.

Overspenders. I'l bet your $3000 speaker cable sounds fantastic! can you tell the difference between it and the one I made for under $20 in a curtain test?

Tools. See Quality workmanship above. Don't reward those who make junk tools by buying tools you know are junk. It is wrong in so many ways.

3 wheelers. I dont know if you can be a snob and ride a 3 wheeler They may be mutually exclusive. I however Own 3 wheelers! I love 3 wheelers and It really grinds my gears when people say they are unsafe. You the rider are unsafe! These machines were involved in some deaths and serious injurys. Don't take away my freedom because someone else is stupid.

That is all.



HONDA ATC 250R allllll the wayyyy baby.... I owned 3 of them for ice racing back in the day. They haven't manufactured them for a long time (DUH), so I ride 4 wheels now.

[djg]

Things that I have become a snob about (and a vocal snob at that)

3 wheelers. I dont know if you can be a snob and ride a 3 wheeler They may be mutually exclusive. I however Own 3 wheelers! I love 3 wheelers and It really grinds my gears when people say they are unsafe. You the rider are unsafe! These machines were involved in some deaths and serious injurys. Don't take away my freedom because someone else is stupid.

That is all.

That reminds me of something I saw years ago at Mid Ohio Race Course. A guy was trying to regain control of his big red three wheeler. He was running behind it, holding onto the bars. It was pointed straight up, he was having trouble keeping up with it. I imagine alcohol was involved.

[NEO Dan]

A the memories, I had a Honda 250R. I hated it. I was 10 and it didn't have compression release or electric start so there was basically a 40% chance I was going to be launched off the back while attempting to start it. :D

[Paul Carmody]

This seems like a good a time as any to introduce the sponsor of our thread: the First World Problems Meme...

http://www.quickmeme.com/First-World-Problems/

:D

[jclin4]

This seems like a good a time as any to introduce the sponsor of our thread: the First World Problems Meme...

http://www.quickmeme.com/First-World-Problems/

:D

This was pretty amusing :p ...until I got to the botttom and realized there are 17 pages of this stuff :eek:

[mattsk8]

Things that I have become a snob about (and a vocal snob at that)

Quality workmanship. I cannot stand things made by people who have little or no pride in their work. Especially when I see alleged professionals doing work that I could do better as a novice.

Overspenders. I'l bet your $3000 speaker cable sounds fantastic! can you tell the difference between it and the one I made for under $20 in a curtain test?

Tools. See Quality workmanship above. Don't reward those who make junk tools by buying tools you know are junk. It is wrong in so many ways.

3 wheelers. I dont know if you can be a snob and ride a 3 wheeler They may be mutually exclusive. I however Own 3 wheelers! I love 3 wheelers and It really grinds my gears when people say they are unsafe. You the rider are unsafe! These machines were involved in some deaths and serious injurys. Don't take away my freedom because someone else is stupid.

That is all.

This probably makes me some sort of a retard, but I used to ride dirt bikes a lot and got on a 3 wheeler my first time and ran myself over putting my foot down when going around a corner. Not sure what makes me more of a retard, the fact that I did that or the fact that I just admitted to it! I was about 13 and never got on one again. Oddly enough, I love riding quads and the same thing could happen w/ those but I've never done it on a quad.

As far as grammer goes I'm not too snobbish, I misspell/misuse words all the time. But I HATE it when the younger texting gen will write a whole page w/ absolutely no punctuation at all! Drives me insane. I also hate lol, np, thx, blah blah blah. My wife texts those things to me and it drives me nuts.

[djg]

lmfao:D

[mattsk8]

lmfao:D

That was funny. It's not so much the lmao or lmfao that gets me. My wife will either make a jab or call me out on something via text then put lol after it; like that's supposed to keep me from getting mad. "Just thought you should know you left your shoes out, lol"; or, "Forgot to tell you I'm going out w/ some friends from church so you'll have the kids tonight, lol". Hum, I can see the humor in that; totaly see how you'd be laughing out loud :rolleyes:

As far as the thx goes- if you really mean it, take the time to spell it out ;)

[scottq]

The vodka mentioned above is most definitely named Ketel One, and since it was misspelled twice in the above post, I have to wonder about the snob level, since as a whiskey aficionado (I won't say snob, as I was schooled on the subject, see above posts) I pretty obsessively read the labels of whatever new spirit I'm about to try (or am currently enjoying), in order to glean whatever facts I can from said label. I've never actually HAD Ketel One, but for damn sure, I know how to spell it, having lusted after it for a while.

LOL. Oops :o I suppose some would say that goes to discredit my story; fair enough. Unfortunately, I had no inkling whatsoever that it wasn't "Kettle..." never noticed that before. I suppose I'm more interested in the content than the name. My apologies to Ketel One.

Another engineer grammar story: On one of many trips to Home Depot with the old gang from college (we built speakers in the hallway of our dorm, Skilsaw, routers and all)... my roommate shouts out, "What the heck is a 'semmiss?!?'" (pronouncing it that way) "I just saw a sign that said 'No Semmiss.'" I said, "How do you spell it???" He responded, "S-E-M-I-S." In unison, 3 of us said "Semis!" We all got a good laugh out of it. And, as best man in his wedding, I shared the story at the reception. He is known for terrible spelling and not-so-great pronunciation. I stopped correcting him shortly after we met freshman year - it was clear that he just didn't care (save proofreading a paper for class) and wasn't going to put any effort in it. It used to annoy me, but now it's one of the things I love about him... it makes him who he is. The guy writes code like a flippin' savant. And he'd get a crash course (literally) in an hour the night before finals from a guy down the hall after doing no homework all trimester ...and ace the exam :cool:; talk about ticking me off :mad:. We're all gifted in different ways. :)

[tobis]

I guess I'm kind of a snob about sound in general. I don't need high end audio gear - which is good because I don't have any. I'm not offended by most systems as long as they are operating within their limits. A nice quality home stereo cranked up until it's in distress sounds bad. I don't care if it's a party, that sounds nasty.

If speakers aren't able to do deep bass, that's OK. Turning the bass knob all the way up isn't going make them bass monsters.

Female vocals - where the pitch is sliding around crazily between each and every note - does not make good grocery store background music. If played at low volume, all I can hear is a wailing sound. Wailing and warbling and wailing and wailing and wailing.

On tv and radio, I'd like to hear one person talk at a time. Not everyone trying to talk over the top of everyone else.

It's OK to leave the pauses for breath in ads and announcements. We've gotten used to hearing an unnatural solid stream of fast talking blah blah blah.

My favorite local FM station is KEXP because of its variety. But there is one person that does recorded announcements that drags out and drops the pitch in the last word in a sentence. I know it's her "brand", but I wish she could dial it back just a bit. I've started changing channels when I hear her.

Dr. Phil's voice will make me flee the room.

I want music with space in it. You don't have to fill in every last piece of the frequency spectrum all the time. Whether is time, frequency, or level - leave some space.

Same for vocals. Leave some space for the rest of the band.

I guess we need tv laugh tracks to trigger our humor response when watching numbingly stupid shows, but there's no excuse for a bad laugh track. That's just lazy.

Music should be interesting. Generic pop that sounds just like a bunch of other generic pop is not interesting.


It's hard for me to separate snobbishness from peevishness from just being a grumpy old coot.

[mattsk8]

Female vocals - where the pitch is sliding around crazily between each and every note - does not make good grocery store background music. If played at low volume, all I can hear is a wailing sound. Wailing and warbling and wailing and wailing and wailing.

While I agree w/ you on just about all of it, particularly this one! It seems that these days a good voice is one that sounds incredibly similar to that of some sort of African zoo animal. Knock it off, for crying out loud!!!!!!

[tomzarbo]

Tape.

There are two basic types of clear "Scotch" tape. The magic tape that is supposed to disappear once applied and the regular gift wrap stuff that we've had around for years.

There is a use for each of them, but they are not necessarily interchangeable. The Shiny stuff is good for using on walls because it will hold together and come off all in one piece, where the magic tape usually comes off in strips and has to be peeled off with your finger nail. That drives me nuts.

The Magic tape is good for taping paper to paper and for using under things that will be laminated using a heat lamination machine. It is horrible for patching up books, however. The variant of the standard scotch tape -- 2" packing tape works best for patching up books.

It's a weird thing to be fussy about, but I do a lot of taping on the classroom hanging up kids artwork and what not; and no mater what you're doing, it's good to have the right tool for the job! :)

TomZ

[AJ]

Live music:

I have little tolerance for bad sound in live performances. If I pay to see somebody play, it damn well better sound good. I lose respect quickly for bands that exercise no control over their sound guys, or the venues they play in. I realize in some instances it can't be helped, either because of the venue, or equipment issues, but some of the sheer ignorance I've seen is inexcusable.


Recording quality:

The ability of recording artists to destroy music astounds me.

Cars:

No, I'm not a has-to-have-a-manual-or-it's-junk guy as I currently have a VW with a DSG, but I am definitely anti-slushbox. Cars that don't handle are junk. People that buy vehicles that are bigger than what they actually need are dumb.

[mattp]

Ketchup. Has to be Heinz.

Edit: I don't really care how ketchup is spelled either...not a snob about that.

[John_Frum]

Bourbon - Maker's for me
Cigars - It does NOT have to cost a lot to taste and smoke good.
Darts - Proper darts, board and lighting make the game so much more enjoyable
There is a certain green plant I like to consume that I am VERY snobbish about but I am sure we are not supposed to discuss that here, so I will not go into detail.

[mattp]

Darts - Proper darts, board and lighting make the game so much more enjoyable

+1

I can only throw accurately with my own, lighting doesnt seem to bother me too much. Same goes for pool tables. The white hand chalk that people use in excess really ticks me off. I can't stand dirty cloth or an uneven table...or old and warn rails. I don't care if the cue is straight or not but it has to have a decent tip if I don't have my Lucasi with me.

[jclin4]

Funny how many posters mentioned bourbon! I'm not a snob about bourbon but have my favorites:


Buffalo Trace
Bulleit
Old Bardstown
...to mention a few. Woodford Reserve is fantastic, but too expensive to enjoy on a regular basis. Johnny Drum green label 4yr is smooth and only slightly sweet, but a great value among low cost bourbons.

[Paul Carmody]

On tv and radio, I'd like to hear one person talk at a time. Not everyone trying to talk over the top of everyone else.


I'm no film buff, but I believe this is one of Steven Spielberg's signature motifs that he puts in his movies, specifically, people trying to have a conversation while other people are talking in other languages at the same time (sometimes it's an interpreter). I feel like I see it in every one of his movies, from Jaws to Close Encounters to Catch me if you Can.

[Dirk]

Bourbon - Maker's for me


If you like Maker's, there's a bourbon called Buffalo Trace. My mom gave me a bottle for Christmas. It came with a book of "101 Whiskeys to Try Before You Die." I don't know what my mom was trying to tell me, but I'm sure listening. :D

Anyway, long story short, it's a great sipping bourbon and it's not all that expensive. If you're the "50/50 whiskey & water" type, I highly recommend. It's relatively inexpensive and should be easy to find. From one connoisseur to another, I think there are worse ways to spend $25.

[Dirk]

I have an admission:

I'm a tent snob. Yes, that most basic of camping supplies. If the rain fly does not extend far enough, if the pole design makes for poor water shedding, if there's poor ventilation. DEAREST FRIENDS AND CAMPERS: If it says "Coleman" on it or it was purchased from Wal-Mart, it's going to be horrible. Sorry.

For the record, the best (though not lightest) 3-season tent I've ever used is the Eureka Timberline XL. Sets up in scant minutes & sheds torrential downpours like you wouldn't believe.

[Dirk]

Funny how many posters mentioned bourbon! I'm not a snob about bourbon but have my favorites:


Buffalo Trace
Bulleit
Old Bardstown

...to mention a few. Woodford Reserve is fantastic, but too expensive to enjoy on a regular basis. Johnny Drum green label 4yr is smooth and only slightly sweet, but a great value among low cost bourbons.

Ha! I didn't even see this when I posted.

I just bought a bottle of Elijah Craig. I am...slightly unimpressed. Complex flavor and a great nose, but the mouth feel wasn't all that great.

[johnnyrichards]

Speaking of "First World problems", tonight I threw away the pillow my black lab has used for six years. He is all butthurt about it. He is allowed on the furniture, the house is carpeted, poor baby.

http://i.imgur.com/dHCJ8.jpg

[Æ]

Remember Æ ? He definitely was picky about this :D

Hey, I resemble that. :D

For what it's worth, I'm a beer snob too, since I actually know the difference between an Ale and a Lager and what a wort is. I'm probably the only person you'll ever know who has returned beer to a store because it was stale. Too many mercaptans. The store couldn't/wouldn't give me my money back and allowed me to take another one of the same brand, which I took home and promptly poured down the kitchen drain. Anyway, I contacted the distributor and ended up receiving a refund cheque for $15.

And of course I like Bourbon too.

[jclin4]

I just bought a bottle of Elijah Craig. I am...slightly unimpressed. Complex flavor and a great nose, but the mouth feel wasn't all that great.

I've seen Elijah Craig praised by others. I've tried both the 12yr and 18yr old varieties and found the 12 to be too sweet and the 18 a bit bitter.

@Æ and others: beer snobbery is enshrined in German law, the Reinheitsgebot:


Wir verordnen, setzen und wollen mit dem Rat unserer Landschaft, dass forthin überall im Fürstentum Bayern sowohl auf dem Lande wie auch in unseren Städten und Märkten, die keine besondere Ordnung dafür haben, von Michaeli (29. September) bis Georgi (23. April) eine Maß oder ein Kopf Bier für nicht mehr als einen Pfennig Münchener Währung und von Georgi bis Michaeli die Maß für nicht mehr als zwei Pfennig derselben Währung, der Kopf für nicht mehr als drei Heller (gewöhnlich ein halber Pfennig) bei Androhung unten angeführter Strafe gegeben und ausgeschenkt werden soll.

Wo aber einer nicht Märzen sondern anderes Bier brauen oder sonstwie haben würde, soll er es keineswegs höher als um einen Pfennig die Maß ausschenken und verkaufen. Ganz besonders wollen wir, dass forthin allenthalben in unseren Städten, Märkten und auf dem Lande zu keinem Bier mehr Stücke als allein Gersten, Hopfen und Wasser verwendet und gebraucht werden sollen.

Wer diese unsere Androhung wissentlich übertritt und nicht einhält, dem soll von seiner Gerichtsobrigkeit zur Strafe dieses Fass Bier, so oft es vorkommt, unnachsichtig weggenommen werden.

Wo jedoch ein Gastwirt von einem Bierbräu in unseren Städten, Märkten oder auf dem Lande einen, zwei oder drei Eimer (enthält etwa 60 Liter) Bier kauft und wieder ausschenkt an das gemeine Bauernvolk, soll ihm allein und sonst niemand erlaubt und unverboten sein, die Maß oder den Kopf Bier um einen Heller teurer als oben vorgeschrieben ist, zu geben und auszuschenken.

Auch soll uns als Landesfürsten vorbehalten sein, für den Fall, dass aus Mangel und Verteuerung des Getreides starke Beschwernis entstünde, nachdem die Jahrgänge auch die Gegend und die Reifezeiten in unserem Land verschieden sind, zum allgemeinen Nutzen Einschränkungen zu verordnen, wie solches am Schluss über den Verkauf ausführlich ausgedrückt und gesetzt ist.

[isaeagle4031]

Karate, sadly. I watch most movies and TV shows and it looks like "Dancing With The Stars".

Martial arts in movies in general. I like Segal and some of what he does with his aikido is legitamete in his movies, but there is som much more that is just ugh!

The kids with the "boom" systems that have more rattle than actual sound!

[tobis]

On tv and radio, I'd like to hear one person talk at a time. Not everyone trying to talk over the top of everyone else.


I'm no film buff, but I believe this is one of Steven Spielberg's signature motifs that he puts in his movies, specifically, people trying to have a conversation while other people are talking in other languages at the same time (sometimes it's an interpreter). I feel like I see it in every one of his movies, from Jaws to Close Encounters to Catch me if you Can.

Weird. I didn't think of that. So as much as I hate it in radio, tv, and real life, I love it in movies when done on purpose and done well. There are some wonderful sceens in the movie Dark Star where they are all talking high speed techo jibberish.

[MrkCrwly]

I look down my nose at people who invite you over to a "Bowl Game Watch Party" and they don't have an HD TV. This type of stupidity cannot be tolerated and these "people" must be shunned. Now if some crackhead mutant sub-human being purchases a nice 52" HD TV and doesn't subscribe to HD programming then they should be sent to the Ozarks where the inbreeding is allowed.

[John_Frum]

I look down my nose at people who invite you over to a "Bowl Game Watch Party" and they don't have an HD TV. This type of stupidity cannot be tolerated and these "people" must be shunned. Now if some crackhead mutant sub-human being purchases a nice 52" HD TV and doesn't subscribe to HD programming then they should be sent to the Ozarks where the inbreeding is allowed.

+1 to this.

[sonex]

ok this is a pet peeve. Beer kept in florescent light refrigerators at stores, this will skunk beer. Why would the store owner do this or a patron buy that crap. I know many uninformed don't know many quality beers can be bought in cans (Dales, and some SN ). Canned beer never gets light struck and the plastic liners in the new cans prevents that metallic taste. I was a bottle snob about beer but have learned that their are some good choices in cans.

[Wolf]

spelling errors
pronunciations

Item placement in home- everything has its place, and when it's moved from there, I no longer know where it resides.

Capacitors and xovers (as poked at by fellow members here...;))

....and apparently baby names. My wife thinks I'm being ovely picky about it, but I don't.

Are you sure this thread isn't about CDO? I really mean CDO- they have to be in alphabetical order.

Later,
Wolf

[Taran]

We should all call wolf, 'FLOW' from this moment forward.

[jclin4]

I didn't see it mentioned by anyone else, but I am a literature snob. I just finished Jame Joyce's Ulysses. It took 3 starts before I could get my head into it and see it through.

Next up is Beowulf. My plan is to read both the original Anglo-Saxon (actually re-read, but the first time was in H.S.) and Seamus Heaney's translation to modern English.

[PWR RYD]

We should all call wolf, 'FLOW' from this moment forward.

Good one! :D

[kmibb]

I didn't see it mentioned by anyone else, but I am a literature snob. I just finished Jame Joyce's Ulysses. It took 3 starts before I could get my head into it and see it through.

Next up is Beowulf. My plan is to read both the original Anglo-Saxon (actually re-read, but the first time was in H.S.) and Seamus Heaney's translation to modern English.

I heard Angelina Jolie is great in that book.

[Zero the Hero]

cognac. i've tried to enjoy cheaper brandy, but end up pouring bottles down the drain. If its not VSOP or higher from France, i cannot stand it.

[clydethecat]

....and apparently baby names. My wife thinks I'm being ovely picky about it, but I don't.



The worst are masculine-sounding surnames used as given names for baby girls, such as Madison, Taylor, Mallory, Morgan...

[dwigle]

Cute dog names; spare me the Michelob, Brandy, Denver. My dog's names are Jeff and Dan.

[ROTECH]

Cute dog names; spare me the Michelob, Brandy, Denver. My dog's names are Jeff and Dan.

My dogs name is Jameson......

[rene]

[QUOTE=Wolf;1833942]spelling errors
pronunciations

Come on...say it with me Wolf, "ROOF"...and now lets try TUQUE.

(Inside Canadian joke)

And for bonus points. Au Jus LOL

[JasonP]

The worst are masculine-sounding surnames used as given names for baby girls, such as Madison, Taylor, Mallory, Morgan...

Haha, I like all the names you mention, and let me add: Wilhelmina :)

[Birdrider]

Whats wrong with a burger and fries? I understand if all you have ever had are McD's or Applebees... but...
Because that is all they like. The last place I worked had a group that would try new, exotic things. This place, everyone just wants a burger and fries everytime. It get's old, not to mention unhealthy. There's a reason you don't see many fat asian people.

[kjdd]

Not just bad, but horrible speakers in a bar or restaurant. There is a bar/restraurant here that has the most harsh sounding speakers that I have ever heard. It is PAINFUL to listen to them. I forget the name brand, but it is either JBL or some such. It is a "professional" installation which I'm sure the owner paid dearly for. It certainly could be the treble control on the equipment instead of the speakes because the highs are so shrill that it drives me out of the place. It takes all my strength to resist jumping over the bar and adjusting the equipment to bring down the shrieking.

kjd

[snmhanson]

I tend to go overboard and get a bit snobby in all of my pursuits. I am always under the opinion of "if you are going do something, do it right". Snobby tendencies currently at the top of my list would be:

Steak - Although I absolutely love steak, I try not to eat steak all that often - maybe once every couple weeks or so. When I do eat it though I want it to be good prime meat. Costco prime is passable in a pinch but I prefer to order from Lobel's or Allen Brothers. Also, the only time I eat steak at a restaurant is when I am at a good steakhouse or restaurant that I know has superb quality meat. I could probably list and review each my top five steak dining experiences right now.

Pens - I have always liked a nice pen but haven't been overly particular about them until lately. I recently started turning my own pens and am now becoming a bit of a pen snob. A nice balanced fountain pen or roller ball is a joy to write with and is also a great conversation piece. I have two glass topped cases to display the different pens I have made and collected.

Vacations - If you are going to take the time and effort to go on a vacation make it as great as you can. This is definitely one of the "you only live once" scenarios where I think is important to let go a bit. I hate a cheap hotel room or a lousy rental car clouding an otherwise exceptional vacation.

Other stuff - Speakers and electronics (of course). Various liquors (including rum, tequila and scotch). Wine (Washington cabs and Oregon Pinot). Food in general (I like lighter somewhat sophisticated fare over heavier dishes) Also, women's shoes (I like a woman who wears a nice pair of boots or shoes - and fortunately my wife has pretty good taste in that department).

OK, I think I've made myself look bad enough. I'll shut up now.

[bwaslo]

Forum posts. I hate the ones where people talk about themselves.

Oh.

[clydethecat]

Not just bad, but horrible speakers in a bar or restaurant. There is a bar/restraurant here that has the most harsh sounding speakers that I have ever heard. It is PAINFUL to listen to them. I forget the name brand, but it is either JBL or some such. It is a "professional" installation which I'm sure the owner paid dearly for. It certainly could be the treble control on the equipment instead of the speakes because the highs are so shrill that it drives me out of the place. It takes all my strength to resist jumping over the bar and adjusting the equipment to bring down the shrieking.

kjd

Seems like restaurant speakers always reproduce two frequencies, one in the mid-bass, and one up around 2.5K. There's one Indian restaurant in town whose ceiling speakers actually have audible midrange, and it's a bit of a shock to hear background music that is somewhat pleasant.

[clydethecat]

Haha, I like all the names you mention, and let me add: Wilhelmina :)

At least that one is an actual girl name. Kind of archaic, like Beulah or Hortense, but unambiguously female. And it's a given name, not a surname that's been repurposed.

[richjura]

Cute dog names; spare me the Michelob, Brandy, Denver. My dog's names are Jeff and Dan.
My dogs are Rocky, Otis and Suka last one is a female and it's Polish for 'bitch', female dog.
Rich

[clydethecat]

Cute dog names; spare me the Michelob, Brandy, Denver. My dog's names are Jeff and Dan.

My rule is to never give a pet a name that you'd be embarrased to shout at the top of your lungs at 3:00 AM, waking all your neighbors.

[fjhuerta]

Yes, some people are confusing "pet peeves" with things they're snobbish about. But in a nutshell, you are a snob if you can fill in this phrase:

"Life is too short to ________ bad _________." :D

Allright, besides the obvious (life's too short to listen to bad speakers),

"Life's too short to drive a boring car".

This one's pretty strange to explain. When I was a little kid, my biggest superhero in the entire world (besides dad, of course) was my grandpa. His hobby was cars - fixing them, buying them, selling them, driving them long distances. I used to hang around with him when I was 4 or 5 in his buddy's garage. I got my fair share of riding in tons of different cars - Super Bees, Ford Esquires, LTD's, Renault 5's, GTIs, etc. He always found something to love about them, and told me about it - usually, while driving thousands of miles around here. He knew when a piece was about to fail, and how to fix it. He could tell from the sound of the engine something was wrong - or right about the car. He had deeper relationships with some of his cars than with some of his friends, I suppose.

Now that I look back, I think I understand what he meant. When I bought my first car, I got a "sensible" car (a Ford Contour) and hated every second of it. Then I got a Clio Sport 172 and never looked back. I don't care if the car is expensive or not, luxury or not, small, big, etc. It has to talk to me, whatever that means.

The funniest example (for my wife, at least) is my current car. I used to drive a Volvo C30 - IMHO, a stellar work of art, but the most boring thing to drive. Ever. Even with a performance chip (260 HP), 18" wheels, modded suspension... blah. I sold it and got a car which I really, truly love. A Fiat 500 with 100 HP and teeny tiny wheels. It's just... me. I love driving it. I love revving it. I love the stereo. I love the dials, the steering wheel, the seats, the way it turns, the horn, the little hood, the color, the shape. Everything about it screams "LETS DRIVE!".

That's what I'm a snob about. Cars that talk to me, I suppose.

[johnastockman]

At least that one is an actual girl name. Kind of archaic, like Beulah or Hortense, but unambiguously female. And it's a given name, not a surname that's been repurposed.


My grandmother's name was Beulah. I had a girlfriend in college and her name was Siobahn. I'm not sure of the nationality, but I've heard it pronounced phonetically, which isn't correct. Never known or met a girl since then with that name.


John A.

[clydethecat]

It's spelt "Raymond Luxury Yacht" but it's pronounced "Throatwobbler Mangrove".

[PWR RYD]

I'm a driving snob. I pride myself in how well I drive. Like only use the left lane to pass, always use turn signals, stop at a red light before turning right, etc. So naturally it is a major pet peeve of mine when 90% of the people in my area drive so poorly :( Especially the knuckle heads who continue to turn left when their left arrow has turned off and my green light has been on for more than a few seconds. That and the numb skulls who sit in the left lane going the exact same speed as the car they are next to :mad:

I'm also a snob about automotive modifications. If you're going to add an aftermarket part or system to your car at least install it with some pride. Neatly route and bundle wiring, hoses, etc. I see way too many hack jobs out there. When those people request my help to tune their setup or diagnose a problem I simply say "no".

[biff]

I'm a driving snob. I pride myself in how well I drive. Like only use the left lane to pass, always use turn signals, stop at a red light before turning right, etc. So naturally it is a major pet peeve of mine when 90% of the people in my area drive so poorly :( Especially the knuckle heads who continue to turn left when their left arrow has turned off and my green light has been on for more than a few seconds. That and the numb skulls who sit in the left lane going the exact same speed as the car they are next to :mad:

I'm also a snob about automotive modifications. If you're going to add an aftermarket part or system to your car at least install it with some pride. Neatly route and bundle wiring, hoses, etc. I see way too many hack jobs out there. When those people request my help to tune their setup or diagnose a problem I simply say "no".

definitive.

[djg]

Snobbery or pet peeve? Aspect ratio. Gee whiz it just really bugs me when I visit someone and they are watching TV with a SD program stretched out to fill their widescreen TV. Drives me crazy, and it's like they don't even notice.

[Paul Carmody]

Snobbery or pet peeve? Aspect ratio. Gee whiz it just really bugs me when I visit someone and they are watching TV with a SD program stretched out to fill their widescreen TV. Drives me crazy, and it's like they don't even notice.
+1 It's bugged me for 10 years now (since the first wide screens started to become available on the consumer market).

It's getting worse, what with the market fragmentation of various aspect ratios on monitors/laptops/tablets/projectors. Being a former video technician, I get really anal-retentive about how stuff shows up on-screen. Squares must be square, and bad aliasing drives me crazy.

Honestly, if we'd just stuck to 4:3 for all screens, we wouldn't be in this mess. But noooo... the panel manufacturers figured out that wide screens pack less pixels, and therefore were cheaper to make. So now we're forced to have wide screens (which are only actually useful for watching movies, anyway)

[generic]

+1 It's bugged me for 10 years now (since the first wide screens started to become available on the consumer market).

It's getting worse, what with the market fragmentation of various aspect ratios on monitors/laptops/tablets/projectors. Being a former video technician, I get really anal-retentive about how stuff shows up on-screen. Squares must be square, and bad aliasing drives me crazy.

Honestly, if we'd just stuck to 4:3 for all screens, we wouldn't be in this mess. But noooo... the panel manufacturers figured out that wide screens pack less pixels, and therefore were cheaper to make. So now we're forced to have wide screens (which are only actually useful for watching movies, anyway)

IDK, wide camera angles are nice. You want more ground and sky in your video? I wish HDTVs were just the same format as movie widescreen. The 16:9/2.35:1 is a mess. You have a wide screen, but just not wide enough, so here are some black bars for you.

[Silver1omo]

Video games fill the screen quite nicely.

[Paul Carmody]

IDK, wide camera angles are nice. You want more ground and sky in your video? I wish HDTVs were just the same format as movie widescreen. The 16:9/2.35:1 is a mess. You have a wide screen, but just not wide enough, so here are some black bars for you.
Right, widescreen works well for movies... but even within that category, there's tons of fragmentation--hence black bars (which I will still take over out-of-square squares and stretched-out actors ;))

Video games fill the screen quite nicely.
Yeah, I'll give you that. But most games nowadays are like playable movies.

I guess what I find frustrating is that widescreen is not very practical when getting WORK done, especially spreadsheets, CAD, programming, reading/writing documents, etc. I feel like I'm viewing the world through a slit.

[Silver1omo]

True, but you can always flip the monitor to work on documents, IMO the best way to work with spreadsheets, program an read on a PC.
On CAD, well, that just sucks :P

[duronboy]

Computer stuffs.

"You're runnin' dual-cores, eh? I got 4, and each one's runnin at 4.8GHz"

"Oh, you have a 8GB of ram and a 1TB drive? Well, I have 16GB of RAM and a 120gb SSD, 2x 2TB drives, 2x 3TB drives, a 1TB external, and a 3TB external. Booyah."

And then some guy comes up and says he's got hexacores and 20TB of storage. And another guy comes up and says he's got a beowulf cluster with petabytes of RAM and storage. And then I start crying. Just kidding.

Seriously thought, I don't say anything, but when I see an emachine, I laugh. I know they are faster than my my first duron back in the early 2000s, but they somehow manage to make them SO SLOW.

[Silver1omo]

Computer stuffs.

"You're runnin' dual-cores, eh? I got 4, and each one's runnin at 4.8GHz"

"Oh, you have a 8GB of ram and a 1TB drive? Well, I have 16GB of RAM and a 120gb SSD, 2x 2TB drives, 2x 3TB drives, a 1TB external, and a 3TB external. Booyah."

And then some guy comes up and says he's got hexacores and 20TB of storage. And another guy comes up and says he's got a beowulf cluster with petabytes of RAM and storage. And then I start crying. Just kidding.


Well, my vortexbox server is a 2.4GHz P4 with 1 GB RAM, 120 GB storage and a 500GB external...

[clydethecat]

I'm a snob about feeling that my town, and specifically my neighborhood within my town, is the only outpost of civilization in an otherwise backwards state.

[Ron_E]

Recording quality is high on my list. There's a lot of great music that I won't listen to because the recording is poor. I've bought albums & CD's that have been put away after one listen and never touched again.

I hate bad live sound. You should be able to make out what the vocalist is singing and it shouldn't be anywhere near the threshold of pain.

I hate video's of music performances that change cameras every 2 seconds. It's almost enough to give you a seizure.

People that wear too much scent need to be incarcerated. I have to take cough drops to classical music performances because the fumes irritate my throat. You know it's too much when you can smell the stuff from 30 ft away when you're in the parking lot. I've heard it's considered a social faux pas to wear too much scent on the west coast. I wish that would happen here.

I like a nice wine and I've had some that didn't break the bank. The local grocery store used to park a cart with discontinued wines for $5 a bottle and many were pretty good. I'm not a beer connoisseur but I don't drink much of the domestic mass produced stuff and I can hardly stand light beer.

Ron

[Djfive5six]

i am a snob about name brand equipment furman active cross overs QSC power amp's and cables made in the usa and every piece of gear better be balanced
also firearms i only shoot what I build gun parts equal guns after they reach my hands....sorry i am a gear ***** and i hoard guns i have a problem....

[mdocod]

I guess what I find frustrating is that widescreen is not very practical when getting WORK done, especially spreadsheets, CAD, programming, reading/writing documents, etc. I feel like I'm viewing the world through a slit.

Hi Paul,

I think we will see operating systems slowly trend towards defaulting our "panels/docks/taskbars" etc to the left or right side of the screen, making more of the limited vertical screen space available for "work" that demands it. Ubuntu 11 already defaults to such an arrangement. I run an apple like dock in ubuntu 10 on the LEFT side of my left monitor. I have found that the Mac operating system with it's default bottom dock position and ever persistent top menu, actually makes the "slit" of useful space smaller than any other default position for such items in any other OS. I have to ask, are you on an Apple computer? If so... try moving the dock to the left for awhile.

Regards,
Eric

[WernerM]

I'm a snob about poor quality tattoo's that are over priced. People doing tattoo's that have no artistic talent, just decided to buy a $100 kit and with 1 month of practice start charging people full price! That is insane!!! It is permanent, and they have no businees messing people up like that!!! This also goes for the shops that hire them!!!:mad::mad::mad: Sorry... told you I was a snob about it:D

p.s. im also a snob abut mispeled werds!!!:p
Atleast when it comes to myself, I can't stop from going back and fixing it when I see it...

[littlebear]

My rule is to never give a pet a name that you'd be embarrased to shout at the top of your lungs at 3:00 AM, waking all your neighbors.

You mean like naming your spotted dog "Stains"? Sorry, old joke.
"Come...."

Murf

[WernerM]

I forgot to mention it drives me crazy to hear all of these commercials say:
New stain lock "technology" :rolleyes:
Or quilted "technology" :rolleyes:
Or whatever "technology" :rolleyes:

It isn't TECHNOLOGY!! It IS a DESIGN!! Now they may have USED technology to come up with the DESIGN, but still...

[generic]

I'm a snob about poor quality tattoo's that are over priced. People doing tattoo's that have no artistic talent, just decided to buy a $100 kit and with 1 month of practice start charging people full price! That is insane!!! It is permanent, and they have no businees messing people up like that!!! This also goes for the shops that hire them!!!:mad::mad::mad: Sorry... told you I was a snob about it:D

p.s. im also a snob abut mispeled werds!!!:p
Atleast when it comes to myself, I can't stop from going back and fixing it when I see it...

Does this make your head hurt?

[WernerM]

Does this make your head hurt?

I'm sorry... yeah that is what I'm talking about.

[clydethecat]

Does this make your head hurt?

He loves Mothra!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkfs0otg2w1qzeqqeo1_500.jpg

[littlebear]

People who can't drive.
people who drive too fast on residential streets.
people who don't drive over the speed limit on hiways.
people who don't stay in the slow lane except to pass.
people who drive SUVs.
people who clog up the fast lane with big fat SUVs.
And most of all, those tax-collectors-in-cute-uniforms who give out speeding tickets!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Murf