"looking at people freaking the hell out in haunted houses is perhaps the best thing ever" I concur http://www.funnyordie.com/slideshows/8136d5acb1/pictures-of-people-freaking-out-in-a-haunted-house-2012-edition
I'm annoyed by "this page has been updated" banners like on Twitter or even Stack Overflow. Refresh the page, keep focus where I currently am, a la Google+.
Thank you for telling me, now, I have to do something. And when I click this button, I'll be at the top of the list. It is far less annoying on low volume sites, like SE sites, where there are fewer (but usually more significant) changes.
Twitter works with that "in place read, up top load" system when you're viewing the US Presidential debate page they set up. You'll be on a tweet and then everything up above had loaded and you just scroll up when you're ready