# Holidays Schmolidays, November's Hot Garbage (mini-rant thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 2, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419 "2016-11-02T03:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/61 "2016-11-08T14:22:24Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Pennsylvania, however, has zero requirements to give people time off to vote. At work I begin talking about voting months before Election Days, helping anyone who has never voted to figure out what they need to do and where they go to vote. Anyone who needs some time off to vote gets that time, with pay. I do not tell anyone who to vote for (I’ve had people ask), but I’ll discuss who I am casting a vote for and why. Once again, I was one of the first voters at the sportsmens club. Tonight, my gf will be one of the last. Tradition! ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/62 "2016-11-08T23:08:08Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Love the small-town atmosphere of my neighborhood. We vote in a Moravian church (has parking, though most of us bike or walk). All I know about the church is that they bake a mean “Moravian Sugar Cake”, and push huge chunks on every voter: “C’mon, sir, you voted. You deserve a reward. And to get fat. And jittery – we have good strong coffee to wash it down.” Jealous, party of me. :mad: ---
**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:** [November 9, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/63 "2016-11-09T00:43:33Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > Jealous, party of me. :mad: Well, to get that Lake Wobegon mystique, you do have to give up Broadway shows, Avant-Garde Art installations, classy shopping, and anything but bars staying open after nine. Oh, and it’s _“Up Nort’ dere, ya hey”,_ so you get that Lake Wobegon climate, too. Bring your snowshoes and your monogrammed jumper cables. [chuckling] The big news story right now is the Doof-In-The-Street interview where people are admitting that they’d never imagined a half-hour wait at the polls, so they had to leave so they wouldn’t be late for work. WELL…! _Then_ they had to give up most of their lunch hour to vote instead\*!\* ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/64 "2016-11-10T14:00:38Z")
15 of the first 20 pit threads are about Trump/Hillary. I need a less nauseating pit thread. Won’t someone call someone else fat or something so we can get back to our regularly scheduled pit?? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/65 "2016-11-10T16:39:28Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > 15 of the first 20 pit threads are about Trump/Hillary. I need a less nauseating pit thread. Won’t someone call someone else fat or something so we can get back to our regularly scheduled pit?? Ok, you’re fat. ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/66 "2016-11-10T18:20:53Z")
Here you go: my midwife has called my incessant nausea a ‘beautiful side effect that lets you know it’s real’. Fuck you, bitch. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/67 "2016-11-10T20:55:55Z")
> [@MickNickMaggies](#): > > Here you go: my midwife has called my incessant nausea a ‘beautiful side effect that lets you know it’s real’. > > Fuck you, bitch. Please tell us you barfed on her? I’ve been SUPER crabby since Monday. I got a call from the hospital, wanting to pre-register me for my appointment. What appointment? I knew I had to go in for a CT scan, but the agreement was the dialysis center would do the referral and I would make my own appointment. No, they took it upon themselves to set it for me. I was pissed. Spoke with the clinic manager and somehow it’s my fault? Bwah? I need to understand they do it for everyone, as if they didn’t clients wouldn’t schedule their own appointments. What about the agreement? “Well… things were confused, but you should appreciate the work we’ve done on your behalf.” If I hadn’t rescheduled, I would’ve had to take an entire day off, you morons. That aspect cheeses me off to no end. I’m not feeble in body or mind, yet they treat all of us like we’re backwards 4 year olds. THEN, after another crap day hooked up, I requested not to have this technician touch me again. I’m too picky. Fuck that noise. The access in my arm is what is keeping me alive. She keeps fucking it up. When a person exclaims “OUCH!” and starts crying, maybe don’t ask “Did that hurt?” (Seriously, she asked me that today). ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/68 "2016-11-10T22:56:33Z")
Dude, if you moved four feet sideways you would be bicycling in the ample bike lane. GET OFF THE SIDEWALK! Also, just once I would like to cook dinner and not have at least one child say, “Why did you make X? You know I don’t like X!” Well, you two are so picky that I can’t keep track of all the foods you currently don’t like. Eat it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/69 "2016-11-11T11:09:35Z")
My new boss is one of those people who can’t copy a name having it in front of their nose. She split my firstname in half; after multiple explanations and even screenshots, she finally agreed to open a ticket with IT to correct it in the company’s directory listings. Now there’s a cap in the middle. We’re not Scottish damnit! No caps in the middle of words in Spanish, you bloody morons! I’m wondering if getting a hardcover copy of the Ortografía and repeatedly hitting them with it could be considered as self-defense. I’m defending my eyes! ---
**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:** [November 11, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/70 "2016-11-11T13:59:30Z")
Someone spelled my last name right the other day and I’m embarrassed to say I was so surprised that I didn’t have a clever reply (“Uh, wow, that’s…right?” is not up to my usual Wilde-chats-with-Chesterton standards). My kid was in a video where they supered his name at the bottom of the screen, and yep, same misspelling I’ve lived with all my life. He’s laid back enough not to care, and I’m hoping to reach that same level of zen. ETA: But I do feel for Nava – I had a boss who pronounced my name with an entirely different vowel, for almost a decade. Even after being corrected. That feels like passive-aggressive “I don’t have to notice my underlings” stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/71 "2016-11-11T14:56:02Z")
No one ever pronounces my first name right. Half the time people don’t even call me by the right name anyway. I’m resentfully resigned to it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/72 "2016-11-11T20:26:13Z")
My last name is hopelessly mispronounced and misspelled; I’m used to that. But I have a fairly common first name for a man, the short version of which has only 3 letters, like Bob or Jim. Recently on the phone, I had to give my name to someone, and she replied “Nancy?” _NANCY???_ How did you hear Nancy? And do I sound like a fucking Nancy to you? Or perhaps she was commenting on my sexuality. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/73 "2016-11-12T00:14:38Z")
I always get called “Todd” - none of those letters are even _in_ my name! And my last name is two incredibly easy-to-spell English words smushed together, but after a lifetime it’s ingrained into me to pronounce it S L O W L Y and say “just like it sounds”. Inevitably, the next words are always “Could you spell that, please?” Also: AAAUUGH! It is November 11th and they were already playing Christmas music in the weights/machines room at the Y. I can’t take _two months_ of Christmas music torture. If there’s a news story about someone in St. Louis strangling people with a tinsel-garrote, it’ll probably be me. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/74 "2016-11-12T00:30:20Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Also: AAAUUGH! It is November 11th and they were already playing Christmas music in the weights/machines room at the Y. > > I can’t take _two months_ of Christmas music torture. If there’s a news story about someone in St. Louis strangling people with a tinsel-garrote, it’ll probably be me. I went into a store yesterday that had Christmas scenes painted on its front windows. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/75 "2016-11-12T17:40:34Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > \ > Also: AAAUUGH! It is November 11th and they were already playing Christmas music in the weights/machines room at the Y. > > I can’t take _two months_ of Christmas music torture. If there’s a news story about someone in St. Louis strangling people with a tinsel-garrote, it’ll probably be me. We’ll come bail you out. One of the local radio stations went all Christmas all the time on Wednesday. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/76 "2016-11-12T19:15:18Z")
At least your name isn’t mispronounced to rhyme with vagina. I feel like I’m in a Seinfeld skit. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/77 "2016-11-12T20:55:49Z")
Bobgina, is that you? Hi from all your old pals at Pennis Elementary! ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/78 "2016-11-13T03:32:30Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > I always get called “Todd” - none of those letters are even _in_ my name! And my last name is two incredibly easy-to-spell English words smushed together, but after a lifetime it’s ingrained into me to pronounce it S L O W L Y and say “just like it sounds”. > > Inevitably, the next words are always “Could you spell that, please?” I just automatically spell both of my names. Saves time. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/79 "2016-11-14T14:36:38Z")
I, too, have a compound word last name and very common first name. Just now I made a call, had to spell my last name twice. Then she guessed at my first name and really slaughtered it. If my name were Laurie she’d have spelled it “Lairue” I felt like saying yeah, write that down then read it back to me. Come on people, make an effort. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419/80 "2016-11-14T14:53:50Z")
I have two simple and short, yet uncommon names. I’ve always had to spell them out for people, and people STILL insist on spelling my last name with extra letters. I can stand there and deliberately and slowly give the first two letters of my last name and people will still add an extra letter between them. Have even stopped people and said “No, (first), (second)” and had them look at their three letters and not see what they’re doing wrong. :smack: I get the most amazing spellings back from people. Same as above - “Ok, I’m pronouncing my name as (this) - how the FUCK do you get that spelling out of it? Those aren’t even close to the same sounds and letters.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-schmolidays-novembers-hot-garbage-mini-rant-thread/770419.md?page=5)