# February Bitching- Please Start here **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028 "2013-02-01T13:38:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![NotBob13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e19b73/32.png) [@NotBob13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotBob13)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/161 "2013-02-08T07:06:20Z")
[http://www.taxact.com/](http://www.taxact.com/) These are the folks I used last year, because HRBlockhead wanted to charge me, because I had an I-99?, the independent contracter income, where I had made about $80 bucks. Totally free, e-file fed, no state taxes, but somewhat annoying, as they made me sit through a couple of 2 minute videos with “tax tips” as I filled out my info, but overall a good experience. My taxes are very simple, standard deductions, etc. My Tax refund from this year posted tonight also, yay! Amazon rocks. 🙂 My mini-rant is at region coding. Stupid bullshit! My favorite video game of all time (Culdcept, [magic the gathering meets monopoly]available for PS2 and X-box 360) has a 3DS version, but only in Japan. Japanese 3DS’s won’t play American 3DS games and vice-versa. I don’t wanna buy an entire console to play one game, and it will probably never be ported, because i love obscure, weird games. Damn. Why can’t I buy the game in Japanese and play it in an American DS? What is the point of region coding? It is way more expensive to import games, that to hit the local game store. I just don’t understand it. At least DS’s have no region coding, apparently, so the DS version, in all it’s unreadable glory is on it’s way to me. Thank goodness it has a fan translation on the web, and I found a free game to teach me Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/162 "2013-02-08T07:13:58Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Huh…I’ll look into it. TaxACT always seemed a little “ghetto” to me. > > Like…TaxACT is to TurboTax what Liberty Tax is to H&R Block. Well, it may be that you get what you pay for, but I don’t need more than I get from them. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/163 "2013-02-08T13:36:09Z")
People, I know you’re petrified of STARVING TO FUCKING DEATH because THERE’S A FUCKING BLIZZARD on the way so therefore there are umpteen empty shelves in every single supermarket in the area. That’s fine, it’s just human survival response. I GET IT. However, when you start literally THROWING FOOD at my part-time people because you claim it’s not this or that or it’s too expensive or we’re confusing you on purpose when the case was changed around by Corporate, that’s when I wish I had the power to be a samurai so I could just cut off your hands for 1) being utter dickheads, and 2) not differentiating between what warrants reactions like yours and what doesn’t because OMG YOU DON’T HAVE BUTTER RUM MUFFINS AND THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!! Besides, you’re messing up my department and I’m sick and tired of filling something only to have it disappear ONE FUCKING MINUTE AFTER I PUT IT OUT THERE. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/164 "2013-02-08T17:00:19Z")
Another mini-rant regarding coding. I’ve volunteered to assist our church in its scheduling of Altar Servers (AS). Currently it’s being done using MS Excel and a lot of phone calls, emails (with the addresses being individually typed), etc. I hope to develop/find a web-based scheduling application/website and have had a fair amount of luck finding affordable solutions that can easily do this task. Except for one problem… Each contact is _uniquely_ identified via their email address. In an office environment this is no problem as each employee likely has their own email addresses, but in my environment, this is a killer as we are dealing with children, some as young as 8, and most of these kids do not have their own email addresses. Communication is through their mothers or fathers and that would be fine for those families that only have 1 child, but in cases where families have multiple kids who altar serve, I have NO WAY to set that kid up using the same email to which I’ve linked his sister. And apparently this restriction (unique email addresses) is not uncommon throughout this industry as I’ve found out through my research. So here’s the ranty part: WHY THE FUCK COULDN’T YOUR ASSHOLE PROGRAMMERS/DEVELOPERS/LEAD DESIGNERS NOT SEE A SITUATION WHERE MULTIPLE USERS COULD SHARE THE SAME EMAIL ADDRESS? HAVE YOU FUCKWITS NEVER HEARD OF **GUID** ’S? WHY COULDN’T YOU IDENTIFY YOUR CONTACTS THROUGH A RANDOMLY GENERATED GUID? WHO THE FUCK TAUGHT YOU HOW TO PROGRAM THIS SHIT? SOME OF YOUR APPLICATIONS ARE BEING MARKETED TO CHURCHES, VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS, GIRL/BOY SCOUT TROOPS, ETC - DID YOU THINK THAT EVERY 7YO IN EXISTENCE HAS THEIR OWN EMAIL ADDRESS? Goddamn I hate it when developers decide interface/coding issues merely because they can’t see a “reason” why somebody would do something. The program is for the USER, not for you, and because you can’t see a reason why children might not have their own email addresses doesn’t mean that all kids have a fucking email account! Thank you - I feel better now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/165 "2013-02-08T22:16:27Z")
Fuck. The asshole bus driver stranded my husband two towns over because dumb-dumb can’t figure out how to drive in a bus in the snow. Double fuck because I can’t leave home and work to fetch him so he will have to walk home two miles in the snow. Triple fuck because I have some meds that I forgot to refill last night and my heart feels like it’s beating far too fast. I feel sort of awful and sort of scared about it right now. Quadruple fuck because my eldest has a nasty sore throat and a fever. I really want to make sure she has some meds to help her feel better but I don’t dare bring her out in this weather. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/166 "2013-02-08T22:40:22Z")
So, rather than taking my car into the shop _AGAIN_, my mom had her buddy come take a look at it. Now, her buddy used to be my dad’s buddy, my dad was a car guy and this guy helped him many a time. Now retired, buddy makes a little coin on the side fixing cars, small engines, &c. Did you know the smell of burning rubber, smoke from under the hood, and something rattling is nothing to be worried about? My mom was going to drive my car to her house - I won’t let her. So, it’s good bye to Caspar the Friendly Car. I was her second owner, my auntie bought him fresh off the line. I’ve put over 100k miles on it myself. I’m actually a little sad about it. The rant part (other than dipwad saying nothing is wrong with a little burning rubber and smoke)? I can’t afford to buy a car. If I finance, my choice is either a payment or insurance. Not both. Everything in my life is so up in the air right now, applied for FMLA today, TheKid’s school says we’re $3k short on paying for her last term so here comes another loan for either TheKid or I, and I’m still having moments of freaking out over the whole needing some new body parts thing. On the plus side, three security guards at work offered me a kidney each and one gave me the best hug I’ve had in a _long_ time. Oh, and a side note to my dear Mom, it’s not your fault I’m single. Seriously. I’m the one who doesn’t get out and meet people. I’m the one who is a cranky bitch. I’m the one who chose to not date seriously while TheKid was little and now it’s probably too late. I knew a few years ago that I will end up alone. It is what it is. Telling TheKid that YOU feel guilty about my single status is just stupid. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/167 "2013-02-09T04:11:30Z")
Leg hold traps are an abomination :mad: Helped a friend rescue a skinny little scruffy dog that was dragging a trap on her front paw. We had to partially dismantle someone’s back porch to get to her, then burrito her in blankets to pick her up safely and get her to the vet. She will lose the leg (her paw was 3/4 severed above the pad) but with luck she won’t lose her life. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/168 "2013-02-09T04:16:32Z")
I hate the way I feel late at night, when I’m the last one awake in the house. That’s when all the monsters come out. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/169 "2013-02-09T04:51:04Z")
Dear dumb ass, texting while you’re riding your bike is a really really dumb idea. Make that overly wide turn outside the bicycle lane again and I WILL hit you. I hope you dropped your phone in the road and it broke. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/170 "2013-02-09T05:35:49Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Dear dumb ass, texting while you’re riding your bike… Tried this. Once. Almost died. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/171 "2013-02-09T05:56:03Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Leg hold traps are an abomination :mad: Helped a friend rescue a skinny little scruffy dog that was dragging a trap on her front paw. We had to partially dismantle someone’s back porch to get to her, then burrito her in blankets to pick her up safely and get her to the vet. She will lose the leg (her paw was 3/4 severed above the pad) but with luck she won’t lose her life. HOLY COW!!! Poor baby, but where do you live? Those sort of traps were outlawed in the backward state of Arizona a very long time ago. > [@Sattua](#): > > I hate the way I feel late at night, when I’m the last one awake in the house. That’s when all the monsters come out. Fog in the morning makes me want to go hide under the bed. There are monsters in the fog. > [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Dear dumb ass, texting while you’re riding your bike is a really really dumb idea. Make that overly wide turn outside the bicycle lane again and I WILL hit you. I hope you dropped your phone in the road and it broke. Stupid bike riders totally tick me off. I really want to die without killing someone. Today, I almost killed a pedestration. Dark clothes, texting, jaywalking. He just walked out in front of me, not looking or caring. If I hadn’t been watching, he would have been a smear on the road. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/172 "2013-02-09T15:24:24Z")
I’m in TN. Don’t know if they’re outlawed here, they might be. Vet said the trap looked to be 50 yrs old or so. No name on it (used to be required) and the chain still attached. Poor paw looks (and smells - god knows how long it was there) horrific, but I hear she’s comfortable enough now, eating and regaining a little strength over the weekend, and they’ll do the amputation and spay on Mon if she’s strong enough. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/173 "2013-02-09T15:31:07Z")
Hunh, apparently they are legal in TN : [http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/hunting/small-game-hunting/](http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/hunting/small-game-hunting/) > [@](#): > > Trapping Seasons > > \*\*All trapping devices must be clearly marked with the owner’s name. \*\*All traps must be inspected every 36 hours or less and animals removed. When trapping on another’s property, the trapper must carry on his or her person written permission from the landowner, and make a written report to the owner of any domestic animal caught and pay damages for those animals. > > Beaver, coyote, groundhog - Open year-round, no limit. > > Bobcata, foxb, mink, muskrat, opossum, otterc, raccoon, spotted skunk, striped skunk, weasel – Open Nov. 16 – Feb. 28, 2013; no limit > > ``` > Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U. S. CITES tags in order to be exported from the U. S. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions. > Exceptions to the statewide fox season are: Benton – unlawful to take or kill red foxes; Dyer, Lauderdale, Smith and Wilson – open year round to hunting and trapping red and gray foxes; Washington – unlawful to take or kill red and gray foxes. > All river otters harvested must be tagged by harvester with Tennessee U. S. CITES tags. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions. > > Legal Traps & Specific Regulations > > ``` > > \*\*Steel leg-hold traps – Leg-hold traps that have an outside measure of jaw spread that is 9 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, are legal. These must be placed at least 12 inches inside the entrance to a burrow or hole except in the case of a water set. Water sets are defined as traps set in water adjacent to and part of streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands or other water courses, and include floating sets. > \*\* > Instant-kill traps – Square instant-kill traps that have an exterior jaw measurement of 16 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, and circular instant kill traps that have an exterior measurement of 12 inches or less as measured at the widest point are legal. An instant-kill trap is considered a steel-jawed trap and its use is restricted to that allowed for a steel-jawed trap. Conibear traps are instant-kill traps. > > Live traps – Those traps that act as a cage after capture. > > Steel cable snares having a minimum cable diameter of 5/64 inch and maximum cable diameter of 3/32 inch. Spring activated snares, except Collarum snares, are prohibited. > > Cushion-hold traps – Cushion-hold trap means a commercially available spring-loaded trap with offset jaws designed to capture an animal by closing upon one (1) of its legs and that is so constructed that the edges designed to touch the animal are composed of nonmetallic pads that eliminates or mitigates injury to the trapped animal. Cushion-hold traps that have an outside measurement that is 9 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, are legal. Cushion-hold traps are the only steel traps legal for trapping in the open and on top of the ground provided that the trapper has specific written permission from the landowner to trap. > > Dog proof traps - Raccoon traps of a dog proof design are legal for furbearers during the legal trapping season. This one was probably of a legal size, but not marked with a name. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/174 "2013-02-09T21:03:33Z")
Companies should not be allowed to phone people unless they are willing to show their true phone number. I can’t think of a legitimate reason why a company would want to hide its info, unless it’s because they’re telemarketing. Robotelemarketing company executives should be whipped through the streets of a large city, then tarred and feathered. Especially if the robot script gives no options for “This person is not at this number, remove the goddamn number from your database”. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/175 "2013-02-09T21:08:56Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Hunh, apparently they are legal in TN : > > [http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/hunting/small-game-hunting/](http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/hunting/small-game-hunting/) > This one was probably of a legal size, but not marked with a name. Just out of curiosity, how can a racoon trap be made dog-proof?? ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/176 "2013-02-09T22:27:53Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Just out of curiosity, how can a racoon trap be made dog-proof?? Christ, _why_ do I google these things ☹ ☹ ☹ Last night I searched leg-hold traps trying to ID the one on the dog. Wound up queasy and in tears. You’d think I’d learn… Anyway, it looks like a coon trap is a tubular thing, with the opening just big enough for a coon’s paw. Because they explore their world and find food mostly with their front feet, I guess they’ll stick that paw down the tube to grab whatever the bait is, and SNAP they’re caught. Sickening. [Here’s the poor dog today](https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/69691_10200212763513377_529085238_n.jpg). Anyone want a sweet soon to be 3-legged and spayed dog? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/177 "2013-02-09T23:41:52Z")
I now live on the edge of this town. I drive around it to get to work. This is one reason why: [Guilty of murder, former Edinburg mayor’s son free on bond](http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_aca11e1c-7262-11e2-918b-001a4bcf6878.html) …and the Judge does him a “favor” giving him the weekend free. > [@](#): > > Prosecutor Efrain Molina showed a dashboard camera video where Ochoa told the officers that they should know his last name. > > “Tell your jefe (boss) I’, Your jefe should know my name. I’m Ochoa,” he said. “We can make some prices … buy me a cop.” You can’t make this shit up, folks. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/178 "2013-02-10T01:00:10Z")
I googled them too **saje**. I feel kinda sick. Not only are leg hold traps legal here, they also shoot feral pigs from helicopters. My rant/stealth brag: Bill has always wanted to brew beer. His departed wife didn’t like beer so he didn’t really trust her to take care of things when he was out of town. I do like beer, so now he’s going to start his own micro-brewery. Rant is that he’s going to want to brew really dark bitter beer and I’m such a philistine that I order Bud light in classy bars. He’s going to want me to taste his product, and five me that happy eager look that says “I made this for you, please love it” so I will tell him something nice. Which means that he will give me more. Stealth brag: Bill is starting to brew beer, and we are getting married in July. We were having problems with the registry, because we have all the stuff we need, but now Bill has a new hobby that everyone thinks I will enjoy as well, so they will be happy to buy stuff for his new hobby. Registry problems are solved, and friends will be test subjects for the beer. Dang, my life is so good. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/179 "2013-02-10T01:01:27Z")
I googled them too **saje**. I feel kinda sick. Not only are leg hold traps legal here, they also shoot feral pigs from helicopters. My rant/stealth brag: Bill has always wanted to brew beer. His departed wife didn’t like beer so he didn’t really trust her to take care of things when he was out of town. I do like beer, so now he’s going to start his own micro-brewery. Rant is that he’s going to want to brew really dark bitter beer and I’m such a philistine that I order Bud light in classy bars. He’s going to want me to taste his product, and five me that happy eager look that says “I made this for you, please love it” so I will tell him something nice. Which means that he will give me more. Stealth brag: Bill is starting to brew beer, and we are getting married in July. We were having problems with the registry, because we have all the stuff we need, but now Bill has a new hobby that everyone thinks I will enjoy as well, so they will be happy to buy stuff for his new hob Registry problems are solved, and friends will be test subjects for the beer. Dang, my life is so good. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028/180 "2013-02-10T04:40:28Z")
I am so glad to see the end of this week! List of shit from the week: minor car accident on Monday caused by weather and two idiots (one in each vehicle involved). At least car is still drivable. I am car shopping in my spare time. Tuesday, oops, engine coil decides to go on strike on my way home from work. Go straight to mechanic to replace a part to get me through the next few weeks until new car finance is in place. Discover car is out of alignment due to accident. Well, fuck paying for that. I don’t plan to drive big distances between now and planned car exchange. Wednesday, trying to get basement ready for an influx of furniture and boxes for a garage sale to be held in 2 months. (I agreed to store the stuff) Discover that items that were moved so I could put in carpet are missing some necessary screws and nuts. Must make trip to hardware store. Rest of the week just as crazy, culminating in a yelling match with brothers who thought I would have everything completely ready for them despite the fact that I have no one to help me with 2-person tasks. Really, they’re pissed at themselves for not ordering a bigger truck or for ordering the truck for 24 hours instead of 6. But it’s my fault for not watching the time. Grrrr. Tired, sore, going to bed and not setting my alarm. Fuck this shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-bitching-please-start-here/649028.md?page=10)