# August August minirants! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 1, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068 "2012-08-01T16:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/21 "2012-08-02T13:52:43Z")
And if they were saying that fat bald guys should be discriminated against and denied the right to marry, care for children, love anyone, etc? How would you feel then? Would you say that everyone was wrong to be unhappy with that? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/22 "2012-08-02T13:58:41Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > I’m sorry, **Dante** , but I fail to see any “stupid” in what she is saying. All she is doing is restating the first amendment. No, she isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/23 "2012-08-02T13:58:41Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/24 "2012-08-02T14:02:56Z")
1\> State offensive opinion. 2\> Complain bitterly that you’re being unfairly repressed when other people express **their opinion** about your opinion. 3\> For extra good measure, claim that your first amendment rights are being stomped on when other people dislike your opinion, while hypocritically ignoring that you’re stomping the fuck out of far more of your opponents rights. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/25 "2012-08-02T14:03:37Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > Diaper rash ointment. Really. Or Body Glide. And when you shower, pat dry, don’t rub (you probably figured that one out on your own). ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/26 "2012-08-02T14:06:44Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > I’m sorry, **Dante** , but I fail to see any “stupid” in what she is saying. All she is doing is restating the first amendment. > > What I think is “stupid” is when an individual makes a statement in a newspaper interview about his own personally held beliefs, not as a spokesman for a company, and not as a statement of company policy, and as a result, various government officials take it upon themselves to try to bring sanctions against this person’s business. To me, **that** is a “super size helping of stupid.” I’ll highlight the most amusing parts: [QUOTE=Lillian Somers, Bigot] "You should have the right to say your opinion **without being penalized** ,” said Lillian Somers, 78, at a Chick-fil-A in Birmingham, Alabama. [/quote] The first amendment does not mean that you can state your opinion _free of consequences_. By all means, make your stance, whatever it may be. But be prepared to accept that others might disagree with you. > [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > How would these same government officials react if the shoe were on the other foot? If, for example, a prominent businessman came out in support of same-sex marriage and mayors in some “Bible Belt” communities tried to impose sanctions on their business as a result. These same people who are now criticizing Dan Cathy would be the first to scream about first amendment rights. Oh, I’m pretty sure I can find an example or two of pro-LGBT businesses taking some heat. [QUOTE=Lillian Somers, Bigot] “ **I am tired of people trying to force their beliefs on me** and people being blasted for Christian beliefs.” [/quote] That’s just comedy gold. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/27 "2012-08-02T14:08:27Z")
> [@Lsura](#): > > My First Hemorrhoid. OUCH too. I think it’s customary to post pictures of your pets when you talk about them on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/28 "2012-08-02T14:22:39Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > Mini-pitting my Facebook friends, specifically: Move your cursor to the upper right corner of the update and click the arrow that appears. Choose the last option that says something to the effect of “Edit subscription to [NAME]” and edit it to the level of your preferred non-involvement. Lillian’s a bitch and I hope her chicken is dry and tasteless. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/29 "2012-08-02T14:26:56Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > The first amendment does not mean that you can state your opinion _free of consequences_. By all means, make your stance, whatever it may be. But be prepared to accept that others might disagree with you. It’s an amazing level of hypocricy in these people. “I can state my opinion and you have no right to object to it. But I have every right to object to your opinion! (While I slander, dehumanize and oppress you.)” I was having this same discussion in the wee hours of the morning on someone’s facebook page (and I would honestly suggest this move to a dedicated thread and not this mini-rants thread): Someone calling homosexuals all manner of ill things, saying they’re morally and biblically wrong was called a bigot. She objected to ‘name calling’. Someone else then stepped in and said that she may be wrong, but the minute you call her a name, you’re just as wrong. As I pointed out; Bigot: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary) As such, “bigot” is neither an insult nor “name calling”, it is a strict definition of the behavior observed. Seeking to deny people the same rights you have is oppression and bigotry. And honestly, if you sit on the sidelines and do nothing until someone is called a bigot, then step in and complain that they’re wrong to be calling people names, then the truth of it is you’re only sitting on the sidelines hoping that the bigots win while you remain silent. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/30 "2012-08-02T14:37:02Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I was having this same discussion in the wee hours of the morning on someone’s facebook page (and I would honestly suggest this move to a dedicated thread and not this mini-rants thread) I agree. [Here’s a good thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660540) for those who wish to weigh in. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/31 "2012-08-02T14:39:47Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I think it’s customary to post pictures of your pets when you talk about them on the board. No. Just…No. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/32 "2012-08-02T14:49:41Z")
If we move the bigot-bashing out of this thread, can someone open a separate Cat Health Problems thread? It kind of took over the July mini-rants. Thanks-- after dealing with a house full of cat pee, I got a little nauseous… I tried just skipping those posts, but sometimes got blindsided by graphic descriptions of animal health right in the middle of an unrelated paragraph. Just a suggestion. We have a couple of wonderfully caring Heroes To Feral Cats Everywhere, so I assume we have enough for its own thread… and I’ll be reading it, but I’ll be able to steel myself first. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/33 "2012-08-02T16:04:38Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > "You should have the right to say your opinion without being penalized,” said Lillian Somers, 78, at a Chick-fil-A in Birmingham, Alabama. “I am tired of people trying to force their beliefs on me and people being blasted for Christian beliefs.” She should have ended with “that I’m trying to force on them.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/34 "2012-08-02T16:17:12Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Well, it would be kinda hard on your own karma to wish 17,520 hours of non-stop colic on a baby. > > Could you just have some kind of psychic billboard placed in the sky over his house that says “Free Colic Cure” and have everybody with a colicky baby bring them over there for the next two years? That is freaking brilliant! You’re right, the baby hasn’t done anything to me. 🙂 > [@digs](#): > > If we move the bigot-bashing out of this thread, can someone open a separate Cat Health Problems thread? It kind of took over the July mini-rants. Thanks-- after dealing with a house full of cat pee, I got a little nauseous… I tried just skipping those posts, but sometimes got blindsided by graphic descriptions of animal health right in the middle of an unrelated paragraph.\ Sorry about that, but I don’t think we want to start telling people what they can and can’t mini-rant about, do we? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/35 "2012-08-02T16:29:31Z")
My fat homophobic friend claimed I had to respect her opinion that I was a gay loving sinner who would burn in hell. Then she declawed my cat without asking me. The cat was so upset that it quite literally peed on every object in the house, including my computer and box of corn flakes. Then to calm it down, she gave it a beer, which only made things worse, as it just had to pee that much more. I tried to stop her from doing this, but she just claimed that she had ADHD and I was being a jerk about it and needed to accomodate her behavior. Then she drove away, putting on her makeup while texting on her cellphone, and went straight to the store where she accidentally rammed her cart into five people because she wasn’t paying attention, then got to the register, waited until they told her the amount and only then decided to think about how she was going to pay for all that stuff. Well, the problem was that she wasn’t sure that she had that much money, so she had to look on-line at her balance (while people waited behind her), then asked them to take items off the bill until it got under the amount she could pay. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/36 "2012-08-02T16:32:10Z")
Wow, she sounds like a piece of work! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/37 "2012-08-02T16:44:06Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > My fat homophobic friend claimed I had to respect her opinion that I was a gay loving sinner who would burn in hell. Then she declawed my cat without asking me. The cat was so upset that it quite literally peed on every object in the house, including my computer and box of corn flakes. Then to calm it down, she gave it a beer, which only made things worse, as it just had to pee that much more. I tried to stop her from doing this, but she just claimed that she had ADHD and I was being a jerk about it and needed to accomodate her behavior. > > Then she drove away, putting on her makeup while texting on her cellphone, and went straight to the store where she accidentally rammed her cart into five people because she wasn’t paying attention, then got to the register, waited until they told her the amount and only then decided to think about how she was going to pay for all that stuff. Well, the problem was that she wasn’t sure that she had that much money, so she had to look on-line at her balance (while people waited behind her), then asked them to take items off the bill until it got under the amount she could pay. Wow, **Chimera** , that post looks like you expect to be away from the Dope from tomorrow until September 1, and you’re trying to get your share of contributions in a single submission. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/38 "2012-08-02T17:06:07Z")
This drought it playing hell with the trees…every time I go out into the woods, there are more trees down. I guess they just don’t have enough moisture in them to hold themselves up. It’s really too bad…I’ve lost 3 trees out of my yard as well. One fell on to a fence and is mostly in the neighbor’s yard. The other, earlier this week, is another 30-40’ tall tree. Then this morning when I went outside to leave for work, I saw another one in the middle of the yard. This one was growing in a great big ‘ **V** ’. I was worried about it, and sure enough 1/2 of the ‘ **V** ’ split off. And it’s 'way too hot to chain saw right now. Blech. That’s 50 degree and below work, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/39 "2012-08-02T17:24:26Z")
Today will be my 32nd day in a row of work. Definitely a very mini mini-rant as the overtime money was worth it ( I need a new roof ) and lord knows there are plenty of out of work folks that would kill for the opportunity. Also my job usually isn’t that hard. But man - I’m tired of working. My weird second shift hours help result in me accomplishing not much of anything at all other than eating, sleeping and working. It’s getting pretty fucking monotonous and the last week or two I seem to have entered a surreal zone where I no longer have any internal sense of time passing. Thankfully the light is looming at the end of the tunnel, but I still just had an overwhelming urge to bitch about my relatively good fortune today. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/40 "2012-08-02T17:43:06Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Wow, she sounds like a piece of work! 🙂 > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Wow, **Chimera** , that post looks like you expect to be away from the Dope from tomorrow until September 1, and you’re trying to get your share of contributions in a single submission. I hope you both understand that was a parody of dopisms and current topics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068.md?page=3)