# 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:** 25
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/481 "2012-08-29T17:26:12Z")
That’s a ball of sux right there, **madrabbitwoman.** I shall swear a blue streak on your neighbor’s behalf. (However, what the fuck kind of condolence caller lets themselves into someone’s backyard?) ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/482 "2012-08-29T18:03:50Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Take bike, put it out on the curb. Not your fault that someone steals it ten minutes later. YOU were just doing more clearing up. Lock the front door every chance you get. And call the cops at every opportunity. There is a slight problem with that though- before he moved in, the previous tenants used to leave their bike there too- and one day left it totally blocking my flat door (I literally could only just force the door open)- I went a little mental and threw their bike up the stairs (leaving it in front of their front door), with a note saying that next time I’d leave it outside. Except it wasn’t their bike. It turned out the really nice girl in the other flat was looking after her friend’s bike for a night, while the friend was moving house, but she hadn’t been able to get it through her door. She’d left it in the corridor while she tried to work out somewhere else to put it, and the other flat’s residents had moved it. She was incredibly apologetic, and almost in tears, and I felt like a total git… Now I’m just paranoid that the day I decide to do that, and leave the bike outside, it’ll belong to someone visiting the current middle flat- who are again really nice. The police really don’t care around here- I might manage to find a community support officer or something, but the general force doesn’t really deal with that sort of thing. I’m damn well not leaving the door unlocked though, neither am I opening it for anyone from that flat who I’ve locked out- if they ring, I’m not in. ---
**Author:** ![slalexan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@slalexan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slalexan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/483 "2012-08-29T21:19:22Z")
I am getting really irritated with the Secretary of State office that handles mechanics licenses for Michigan. My fiance and I moved here the first of July and he has been out of work the whole time. Now the first month was a bit of a wash in terms of job hunting for him because he is admittedly lazy and you need to have a drivers license to get a mechanics license but this second month has been spent waiting on his permit to arrive so he can work. He’s even lined up a job for when it arrives. He can start work the day after it arrives. Meanwhile, I am struggling to pay all our bills and make up for the move with my paycheck. This is stressful and I am tired of it. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/484 "2012-08-29T23:39:54Z")
I’m sick and feel really, really awful. Which sucks. I’m also totally alone, which sucks even more. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/485 "2012-08-30T01:27:49Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Is it a sockdologizing mantrap? > No, I _don’t_ know what it means. It usually gets a big laugh, though… A sockdologer is a knock-out punch or, from that, a final, winning argument or ploy. It’s an American coinage from around the same time as thunderation and other multisyllabic rustic neologisms. I usually picture Yosemite Sam saying it. The quote is from Our American Cousin, an 1858 play in three acts by Tom Taylor. The entire line is: “Don’t know the manners of good society, eh? Wal, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal — you sockdologizing old man-trap.” The line is said by Asa Trenchard, a visiting “savage” American to the English Mrs. Mountchessington, who has been scheming through nearly two acts to force a match between him and her daughter, Augusta, because he is about to inherit a large estate. He’s saying that she’s (nearly) an inescapable matchmaker. It’s famous for being attended, on [one unfortunate occasion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin#The_Lincoln_assassination), by Abraham Lincoln. ---
**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 30, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/486 "2012-08-30T01:58:38Z")
Huh. I did know about it being the last laugh line President Lincoln ever heard, but lacking any other context about the play I had always supposed "_sockdologizing"_ to be a Spoonerism for “_doxologizing_,” thus characterizing the target of the remark as a publicly pious social climber. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/487 "2012-08-30T03:04:24Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > I’m sick and feel really, really awful. Which sucks. > > I’m also totally alone, which sucks even more. Fewer people to spread your germs to … ? ETA: you’ve totally brought out my inner Jewish grandma and now I want to make you chicken soup, even though I have no idea what the hell is wrong with you or why/how you’re sick ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/488 "2012-08-30T04:00:55Z")
Damn it, I don’t remember making any changes to my laptop since Sunday and tonight. So why all of a sudden can I NOT use WinAmp to add songs to my SansaView? It was working. Now it’s not. Now I have two SansaViews that I reformatted thinking there was an issue with the player, so there’s no music on them, and can’t seem to add anything to it. Files transfer, but the Sansa can’t see them even though they’re visibly there. (The nice thing about the SansaView is that you can see its contents using Windows Explorer.) No tunes today, and it looks like no tunes tomorrow, either. And maybe not for the foreseeable future, because I just paid all of my property/school taxes and my checking account is feeling incredibly anemic. Maybe Windows Media Player will work. I have low expectations, though. It seems to be stuck on “calculating”, whatever the hell that means. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/489 "2012-08-30T04:16:09Z")
If someone could help me out with this, I’ll post some pics of Bill’s workplace gripe. The Keystone project is upsetting some people. Who drive to the workplaces and stand around with picket signs and chain their selves to equipment. There was such a protest where Bill is yesterday. Bill sent me pics he took with his cell. A couple of people had signs, a couple of pics of people getting put in police cars…AND a couple of pics of people who had chained themselves to the equipment. Who had the foresight to bring pillows to cushion their knees or heads after they did that to theirselves. I didn’t want to take the time to find free webspace for cat pics. I didn’t do it to show off my bike and pics of the hawt guys in the club. I didn’t even do it for the RatKing pics. I’m amazed that I didn’t get a total shunning for that refusal. I HAVE to show pics of those dedicated protestors, who were in it for the long haul…with pillows for their hour long wait for the police to show up with bolt cutters and arrest them for something. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/490 "2012-08-30T04:23:15Z")
Yeah, one of my very liberal friends ‘shared’ something on his FB about how Keystone was all corrupt oil companies buying corrupt politicians to make it happen. My response: So do you have a problem with Canada selling that oil to China instead because we refuse to build the delivery system so WE can buy it? Would you rather we buy our oil from some less savory nations and ship it half way around the world instead of building a pipeline to our neighbors? His response: Silence. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/491 "2012-08-30T04:23:57Z")
Missed the edit window and also posted this in the wrong place. I’m sorry. Chimera, or someone else who knows…please help me show those pics. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/492 "2012-08-30T08:39:59Z")
My problem with Keystone is that the tar sands oil it’s transporting which I’ve read is full of stuff that makes global warming worse. I’ve heard it’s poor quality oil and not easily refined. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/493 "2012-08-30T12:02:43Z")
> [@anya\_marie](#): > > My problem with Keystone is that the tar sands oil it’s transporting which I’ve read is full of stuff that makes global warming worse. I’ve heard it’s poor quality oil and not easily refined. But it’s not our choice. Canada has decided that it is going to exploit this resource and sell it. Our choice is whether or purchase this oil from a friendly, first world neighbor, or to not purchase it and instead buy more from less friendly second and third world nations much further away. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/494 "2012-08-30T12:25:05Z")
Damned van battery! It goes back and forth between “sure I’ll start up in the morning” and “eh, I’ll try, but not turn over the engine.” Today is the second time this week I’ve been screwed. My son is racking up tardies in his 3rd week of school, and this is seriously biting into the time I was going to spend with a friend who moved to California in January who is finally back in town. GRR! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/495 "2012-08-30T12:58:04Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > But it’s not our choice. Speaking of choice, anyone else enjoying the irony that the Party of Individual Rights is championing this pipeline, which is forcing the leasage of Private Property through the Big Government hand of eminent domain? I thought that private citizens should be allowed to make decisions about their own property, and not have the government take it away from them ostensibly for the good of the nation. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/496 "2012-08-30T15:29:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Speaking of choice, anyone else enjoying the irony that the Party of Individual Rights is championing this pipeline, which is forcing the leasage of Private Property through the Big Government hand of eminent domain? I thought that private citizens should be allowed to make decisions about their own property, and not have the government take it away from them ostensibly for the good of the nation. I believe you have the ‘Party of the Rich’s Individual Rights’ confused with ‘Party of Individual Rights.’ Common mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/497 "2012-08-30T15:40:27Z")
Yesterday, I decided to get some sausage gravy from the little diner / restaurant in my office building. Within 3 hours, I had some of the worst abdominal cramps I’ve ever had, along with nausea, dizziness, hot flashes, and cold sweats. Gorram food poisoning! I’m still home today, because I couldn’t eat soft boiled eggs and toast without a reaction, and I’m too weak to be able to work. This sucks! ---
**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 30, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/498 "2012-08-30T15:45:03Z")
Do you have enough energy to call the health department and notify them about the restaurant’s potential food-handling issues? Or, if you’re feeling more neighborly than that, enough energy to notify the folks who run the diner? ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/499 "2012-08-30T15:49:36Z")
I was going to talk to restaurant staff today, but didn’t make it out of the house. Before I left yesterday, one of my coworkers said he’d had something similar when he had the gravy, so I’m telling **someone**. I might call after the lunch rush. ---
**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 30, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068/500 "2012-08-30T16:19:06Z")
> [@anya\_marie](#): > > My problem with Keystone is that the tar sands oil it’s transporting which I’ve read is full of stuff that makes global warming worse. I’ve heard it’s poor quality oil and not easily refined. It isn indeed full of the stuff that makes global warming worse - oil. I assume you don’t drive a car? > [@Chimera](#): > > \Canada has decided that it is going to exploit this resource and sell it. Because everyone else wants to buy it to drive cars. There’s no nation in the world that wouldn’t be exploiting this resource if they had it. > [@](#): > > Our choice is whether or purchase this oil from a friendly, first world neighbor, or to not purchase it and instead buy more from less friendly second and third world nations much further away. Got it in one. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-august-minirants/630068.md?page=26)