# Halloweenie Whines (Mini-Rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 1, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054 "2014-10-01T04:37:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/21 "2014-10-02T02:32:12Z")
Fuck my county’s method of randomly selecting people for jury duty! I registered to vote when I turned 18, thirty years ago. In the first 23 years after registering to vote, I received jury summons exactly _twice_. But now, in the seven years since regaining my driver’s license (after 14 years without), I have received no fewer than _ten_ jury summons. Possibly more. I’ve served on one jury, and had to take another day off from work to report on another occasion, only to be sent home after the defendant decided to change his plea to “guilty” immediately before trial. This is really getting old, fast. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/22 "2014-10-02T02:54:10Z")
There’s no 12 month rule in your county? Check on that. If there is, just a phone call will get you excused. I think my county’s selection is considered random as well, but no more often than every 12 months. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/23 "2014-10-02T03:11:30Z")
I have my own mini-rant/anti-rant. Mini-Rant: the garbage folks didn’t pick up our compostable trash today. This never happens, and my SO (who is home on Wednesdays) says we have a new operator who “just doesn’t care,” whatever he means by that. Anti-rant: so I send them a message on their “contact us” page asking if they will be picking up any time before next Wednesday. I swear it was less than 5 minutes before we got a phone call saying they would pick it up tomorrow morning. And since the contact form didn’t include a place for our phone number, he must have taken some of that 5 minutes to look up our account. So, go Recology/Sunset Scavenger in San Francisco! ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/24 "2014-10-02T03:21:53Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I wish _The Onion_ would stop including auto-playing videos on all their article pages. I don’t want to watch a video; I want to read this week’s horoscopes or the latest “American Voices”. > > (And get off my lawn!) You can fix that quickly [http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/internet/3497991/how-stop-autoplaying-ads-videos-media-on-web-pages/](http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/internet/3497991/how-stop-autoplaying-ads-videos-media-on-web-pages/) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/25 "2014-10-02T14:52:18Z")
The video thing drives me CRAZY. Now even ads auto-run videos, and I get so mad…I really wouldn’t install adblock on my home PC if it wasn’t for the random videos. At work they won’t install any adblockin software so I keep my volume really really low. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/26 "2014-10-02T15:11:48Z")
I know this is the pit, but thank you so much on that tip for turning off auto-playing ads! ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/27 "2014-10-02T15:41:37Z")
Wife took the dog for a walk while I was still snoozing this morn. They came home, dog ate a hearty breakfast, drank a bunch of water then walked into our bedroom. After a while she nuzzled my arm for attention and left. I got up and immediately stepped in dog vomit. Momma’s precious was nowhere to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/28 "2014-10-02T15:43:53Z")
> [@Zyanthia](#): > > I know this is the pit, but thank you so much on that tip for turning off auto-playing ads! Ditto! ---
**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:** [October 2, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/29 "2014-10-02T20:10:25Z")
**Smapti** is doing a series of threads on the #1 hits of each year, choose your favorite. All’s well and good. But can people stop coming into the threads to bitch about the songs or to make comments like “All 27 of these songs suck, no vote!”? Is that too much to ask? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/30 "2014-10-02T20:32:44Z")
September: I lost my job, I lost my unborn baby, finally got to the point where I’m going to put my life back together and just this week came down with a nasty virus. It can only get better from here, right? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/31 "2014-10-02T21:13:14Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > September: I lost my job, I lost my unborn baby, finally got to the point where I’m going to put my life back together and just this week came down with a nasty virus. > > It can only get better from here, right? {{{{{hugs}}}}} ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/32 "2014-10-02T21:34:14Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > I got up and immediately stepped in dog vomit. Momma’s precious was nowhere to be seen. I hate it when that happens. Why do they _have_ to barf right next to the bed? > [@eenerms](#): > > {{{{{hugs}}}}} What **eererms** said. I’m so sorry. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/33 "2014-10-03T01:16:19Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Why do they _have_ to barf right next to the bed? Mine barf _everywhere_. Wanna trade? ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/34 "2014-10-03T01:56:35Z")
> [@troubledwater](#): > > Mine barf _everywhere_. Wanna trade? I have a one cat who barfs in the bathtub. Best cat in the world! I used to have one who would snarf up all of his dinner and then puke it back into the bowl and try to re-eat it. Yeah, I know that’s natural and stuff, but boy howdy, that sure grossed me out. (I stopped that by smushing his food against the side of the bowl so he couldn’t snarf and barf. I’ve heard that putting a ball in a dog’s bowl works about the same) Can we stop talking about critter puke now, please? We can still rant about cats and dogs though. Right after I posted in the Locked out thread, I went to go outside, patted my hip and didn’t find my keys. That’s because some asshole cat had gotten them from my hat and hid them under the bed. _Glares at all the asshole cats._ ---
**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:** [October 4, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/35 "2014-10-04T00:13:55Z")
Ah, hah. It’s a problem with the DVR, I think. Or the cable going to the receiver. I am currently watching a previously taped episode, and there is sound coming out of the TV speakers. Getting at that cable is going to be a PITA, though. The people who set up my system for me clamped it down with zip ties so tightly I can’t get a blade in without risking the ties. But I’ll get it done somehow. I want my stereo speakers back! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/36 "2014-10-04T02:28:53Z")
Use side-cutting wire cutters like this: [Robot or human?](http://www.walmart.com/ip/25514660?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227017914038&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40944279872&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=59286961891&veh=sem) . They are available at any craft, electronics, and hardware store. Nibble through the cable ties so you don’t cut cable. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/37 "2014-10-04T04:11:02Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Use side-cutting wire cutters like this: [HT-126 Home Tools Mini Wire Cutter - Walmart.com](http://www.walmart.com/ip/25514660?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227017914038&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40944279872&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=59286961891&veh=sem) . They are available at any craft, electronics, and hardware store. Nibble through the cable ties so you don’t cut cable. Oh, hey. I’ve got those! Somewhere. … . ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/38 "2014-10-04T12:18:17Z")
This year I had a great costume in mind, and I was going to have the time and money to put it together. And then I got laid off at the beginning of September. And now I’ll actually be on the road between Baltimore and Salt Lake City on Halloween night. Apparently they take Halloween pretty seriously in SLC and at my new job. Well, there’s always next year. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/39 "2014-10-04T13:08:41Z")
I pit Alessio Cavatore, a stingy bastard who has now been involved in two contests for game designers where the prize is credit. And no, I don’t mean on the company webstore. Yes, you too can do his job for him, and potentially win the grand prize of doing more unpaid work for him in the future! ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054/40 "2014-10-04T14:28:53Z")
I just found out tonight, by a stranger PMing me on Facebook, that one of my oldest friends has died suddenly. We were at Uni together, haven’t seen each other for about 25 years, but found each other again about 6 months ago via Facebook. He was living in Spain, doing some major marathonning and triathloning. I’m waiting for final confirmation, but it’s looking very likely that it is true. He was 50 years old. He did his first Ironman on Sunday and it appears that he had a heart attack on Monday. He had two daughters - 8 and 6. We have a university reunion coming up at the end of this month. He hadn’t said that he was coming, but I was hoping he would just show - it was the sort of thing he did. He was my first love, in many ways. In many idealised, never had to have a real relationship and find out just how impossible he was to live with ways. He was such a huge influence on me in ways he’ll never ever know. A piece of my heart is broken. He represented everything that I used to be, for a while. A brave and independent and principled bit of me. For so many years I’d assumed he was dead (he was that kind of person, you just assumed he was never going to make old bones) and then I found out he wasn’t. And now he is. And that’s just shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloweenie-whines-mini-rants/700054.md?page=3)