# I'm ranting at you, July! (July mini-rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 1, 2024, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552 "2024-07-01T04:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/201 "2024-07-16T18:27:03Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > I expressed my displeasure at their lack of a clue. At least they managed to get their shit together and do the tests and procedure he’d been scheduled for. And this is at a supposedly world-class hospital. Ugh!! I had something vaguely similar happen, 20+ years back. I had scheduled a visit with a specialist at Johns Hopkins (world leaders in Restless Legs Syndrome). They first scheduled me on one date, then either they or I had to change it to a week later. I showed up the week later, and they looked blank and said I’d been supposed to be there the week before. Yeah, someone rescheduled, but did not enter it into their system. I was lucky that they fit me in anyway - as JH is not exactly across the street from my house. The lab work was a relatively minor annoyance. A 15 minute drive. I just wish they’d said “Wow. We don’t have that order. Please wait while we contact the doctor”. And honestly, it didn’t 100% surprise me - when I saw my now-ex doc in early June, she told me to schedule the lab work, and I asked if the order had gone in for that. She said something like “It should have!”. I had an unplanned visit the next week, where they did other labs (AND the one I was supposed to do yesterday). I honestly think someone saw the outstanding order and decided to do 'em all at once. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > How ya gonna bullshit/trade gossip about the locals without a donut buddy? We were in Michigan a few weeks ago. There is a local chain called Cops and Donuts. Sadly, we never had a chance to stop in. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/202 "2024-07-16T19:36:44Z")
Not really a rant, except maybe about the difficulty of finding a competent handyman and the cost thereof. Anyway I needed some work done on the outside of the house along with some minor landscaping, and I am not of the age to do any of that myself. I finally found a Russian dude who seemed to know what he was doing so I got an estimate and told him to go ahead even though it seemed rather high… He and his brother showed up and as they were working I asked out of curiosity how long they’ve been in Canada. I’m glad I asked, because as it turns out, they’re Ukrainian, not Russian, and have been here just two years, and got out of Ukraine because of the war. I thought that was pretty cool. They’re definitely not starving refugees, though – both brothers drive brand new cars, and though they did good work, it wasn’t cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/203 "2024-07-16T21:06:38Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > He and his brother showed up and as they were working I asked out of curiosity how long they’ve been in Canada. I’m glad I asked, because as it turns out, they’re Ukrainian, not Russian, and have been here just two years, and got out of Ukraine because of the war. I thought that was pretty cool. They’re definitely not starving refugees, though – both brothers drive brand new cars, and though they did good work, it wasn’t cheap. Good for them. That’s pretty awesome. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/204 "2024-07-16T23:20:35Z")
Got a notice in the mail yesterday that our address is changing to better reflect where our driveway is. It will, and I get it (it’s a mandatory state 911-address thing), but omg what a pain! The Post Office will be notified and will ‘forward’ our mail to the new address for 6 mo or so, and we don’t have to move the mailbox, but we’ve been here for almost 5 years now. That’s a LOT of contacts to have to change. My husband is snarling over it, but really I’m the one who is going to have to do most of the changes. Sigh … ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/205 "2024-07-17T01:41:33Z")
I’m seeing way too many sentences in media (this board too) beginning with some variation of “If Trump wins…”, “When Trump wins”…“Given a Trump win this November”… Just because Trump has roughly a 50/50 chance of winning this November does not, at all, require a spooky prevalence defeatist, motherfucking overabundance of this going on. ETA: I mean, if such phrases appeared in perfectly neutral hypotheticals, meh, sure, I guess, but - nah - too many nuetral hypotheticals, then. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/206 "2024-07-17T02:47:10Z")
I don’t want to seem rude or overly inquisitive, but how much liquor do you (or your household) consume on a daily basis? ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/207 "2024-07-17T03:48:22Z")
It took them _twenty-three years_ to change your address? I know bureaucracy moves slowly but holy crap, that’s gotta be a record! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/208 "2024-07-17T08:57:49Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I don’t want to seem rude or overly inquisitive, but how much liquor do you (or your household) consume on a daily basis? A reasonable question, and not rude. I suspect it was prompted by my earlier post that started with “Today’s delivery was rum …” that sort of implies I get a delivery every day. That delivery was indeed rum – two different bottles – and will probably last me well into the fall. A third bottle, the special limited release Appleton Estate, hasn’t been opened yet and may not be for a long time. Vodka is consumed at a greater rate (because of the Caesars!) and what I’m doing here is stocking up in anticipation of a long strike – the two sides aren’t even talking yet. The LCBO (Ontario liquor board) is barely functional right now, running on minimal staff with things like customer service completely shut down. It’s amazing that online ordering works at all. It’s been getting slower and slower and it wouldn’t be hard for a frustrated union to shut it down completely as the strike drags on (they’ve been threatening “a long dry summer”). If and when that happens, this pup wants to have ample reserves of vodka! 🍸 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/209 "2024-07-17T09:23:19Z")
I get where @wolfpup is coming from, because I used to live there. The province of Ontario regards alcohol as sinful and evil, perhaps even more than Utah, and alcohol’s use must be discouraged at every turn. Thus government-controlled liquor stores, and beer stores that are only allowed to operate because some Member of Provincial Parliament didn’t draft the legislation correctly back in 1927. I’ve long said that the province of Ontario needs to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 1980s as regards alcohol. Most Ontarians see no problem with supermarkets, corner stores, and other outlets carrying it—after all neither California nor New York, both of which allow alcohol to be sold anywhere—are full of raging alcoholics. But Ontario sticks to its “alcohol is super-bad, and we need to control it, lest Ontarians become alcoholics” attitude. In some ways, Ontario makes Utah look like a lightweight when it comes to alcohol control. So I see @wolfpup 's point of view. He’s stuck with one supplier, who only does mail-order during this strike, no retail outlets that can supply him, and no other options, unless he wants beer. It’s not a question of, “How much liquor does your household consume on a daily basis?” Rather, it’s a question of, “Why can I not get the alcoholic drinks that I want when I want them? Why does the provincial government prevent me from getting them?” And maybe most importantly, “Why does the Ontario government control alcohol distribution, when other jurisdictions, such as New York and California and Alberta, have proven that government doesn’t need to be involved in retail sales?” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/210 "2024-07-17T09:57:55Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I get where @wolfpup is coming from, because I used to live there. The province of Ontario regards alcohol as sinful and evil, perhaps even more than Utah, and alcohol’s use must be discouraged at every turn. I once posted here somewhere about what LCBO liquor stores used to look like, which I’m old enough to remember. They were grim, grey places that consisted entirely of display boards and little shelves beneath them with notepads. If you wanted any kind of alcoholic beverage, you would write down the items on the little notepad form, and hand the form over to an old geezer behind the counter who would shuffle off and bring forth your sinful purchase, which he would put into a plain paper bag. You would then exit the store with the plain paper bag, presumably hoping that no one would see you engaged in this sinful enterprise. Things have changed a lot since then. LCBO stores are bright and cheery places and the “Vintages” section always has a great selection of good wines. But some of the old stigma remains, particularly in regard to pricing and regulation. Part of the rationale for the LCBO’s extraordinary markup is to curtail alcoholism. Right, because all alcoholics are poor! According to some figures I saw recently, a typical bottle of liquor that is purchased for $7 wholesale by the LCBO is sold for about $35 after federal excise taxes, provincial taxes, and the extortionate LCBO markup are applied. Yet exactly the same formula applies to a bottle of wine purchased at $100 wholesale that sells for $500. Right, because an alcoholic desperately searching for a bottle of Château Margaux is not going to pay $500, and will therefore presumably remain sober! 😁 ---
**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:** [July 17, 2024, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/211 "2024-07-17T11:36:38Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I’ve long said that the province of Ontario needs to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 1980s as regards alcohol. Pennsylvania has modernized a bit, but there are still some antiquated laws/rules on the books. The fun comes from the workarounds devised to deal with those rules. For example, I can buy cases of beer at a distributor, but at a bar there’s a limit to how many ounces I can purchase. So, I buy 2 six packs, put them in my car, return and buy two more six packs, take them to my car, return and buy two more six packs…. There are also laws about not giving away free drinks. A bar I frequent had an anniversary celebration. They couldn’t have free beer, so they had pints of Bell’s Two Hearted for a dime (ten year anniversary). It was fun. I stopped at the bank and got a $5 roll of dimes. I walked into the bar, broke open the roll and splashed them on the bar, shouting, “beer for everyone!!” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/212 "2024-07-17T14:18:55Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > According to some figures I saw recently, a typical bottle of liquor that is purchased for $7 wholesale by the LCBO is sold for about $35 after federal excise taxes, provincial taxes, and the extortionate LCBO markup are applied. We have similar situations here in the US for certain items, generally created by conservative legislators, often nicknamed “sin taxes”. Where they heavily tax anything they think people shouldn’t be doing, presumably to protect people against themselves. > **[Sin tax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_tax)** > > A sin tax (also known as a sumptuary tax, or vice tax) is an excise tax specifically levied on certain goods deemed harmful to society and individuals, such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, candies, soft drinks, fast foods, coffee, sugar, gambling, and pornography. In contrast to Pigovian taxes, which are to pay for the damage to society caused by these goods, sin taxes are used to increase the price in an effort to lower demand, or failing that, to increase and find new sources of revenue. Increas ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/213 "2024-07-17T14:29:32Z")
BC’s government has a similar attitude to Ontario’s, though it’s not nearly as bad here. At the same time, they are keen to promote their terrible wine industry, and all wine is priced to compete unfavourably with BC wine. We cannot, of course, bring wine up from Washington, where it is affordable. (And which doesn’t seem to carry much BC wine—but does from other states and countries.) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/214 "2024-07-17T18:56:10Z")
A remnant of this attitude in Maryland is that in Baltimore County liquor stores can only open on two Sundays per year, before Christmas and New Year’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/215 "2024-07-17T19:03:04Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > BC’s government has a similar attitude to Ontario’s, though it’s not nearly as bad here. At the same time, they are keen to promote their terrible wine industry, and all wine is priced to compete unfavourably with BC wine. Interesting. I’m unfamiliar with BC wines or anything about their alleged quality. Ontario does produce some excellent wines and a tasting tour down in wine country is always a treat, but the good wines aren’t cheap. > [@commasense](#): > > A remnant of this attitude in Maryland is that in Baltimore County liquor stores can only open on two Sundays per year, before Christmas and New Year’s Day. In the past it was an absolute rule that Ontario liquor stores were always closed on Sunday. That changed only with the combination of the prevalence of Sunday shopping and the modernization of the retail liquor system. Another hilarious anomaly from the olden days was that liquor stores were not allowed to be open on any election day, for fear that citizens would stay home getting drunk instead of voting! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/216 "2024-07-17T19:21:10Z")
BC also produces some good wine. The trouble is, in France, Italy, or California, the local middle-of-the-road drinkable wine is less than Cdn$10 / bottle; sometimes pretty good wine is, too. In BC, drinkable wine starts around $22 / bottle, and good is considerably more expensive. So what we see all over the stores an hour to the south is only available here for three times the price, because protectionism. The province seems torn between the idea that the mere sight of a bottle of something will send children straight into the arms of demon rum, and the idea that BC is a little island of cosmopolitan culture with a hip, modern, Pacific Northwest style. As you can imagine, they have trouble articulating consistent rules that achieve both goals, so it comes out as “we WANT you to drink, but also, it’s going to be inconvenient and expensive and by the way NEVER LET THE CHILDREN SEE YOU.” ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/217 "2024-07-17T23:16:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My gf will occasionally point out that we should use our nice dishwasher so the seals don’t dry out (is that even a thing?). Yep! Specifically though, the pump can bind up if it’s allowed to dry out…in my experience though, this is more of a problem on less expensive dishwashers. The dishwasher in my college apartment, for example, would refuse to run if I didn’t use it for a week or so; the fix that was shown to me was removing the bottom panel and manually turning the motor, which would loosen up the pump. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/218 "2024-07-18T03:48:02Z")
Okay, I’m sorry, but is there any chance whatsoever that the discussion about whether Biden is the best candidate to beat Trump will ever get out of the “nuh uh” / “uh huh” stage by any means besides subjective vibes? Because it’s getting kind of exhausting watching the back and forth with NO hope, in my eyes, of either side convincing the other because neither has any actual evidence that would stand up against vibes. I’ve been thinking about reducing my exposure to news discussion as the summer rolls on, and with this particular subject, I think I could drop out for a month and come back with NO change in any aspect of the debate whatsoever on anybody’s part. This is just like Bernie in 2016: a subject that’ll get relitigated repeatedly until the end of time. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/219 "2024-07-18T03:59:41Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, I’m sorry, but is there any chance whatsoever that the discussion about whether Biden is the best candidate to beat Trump will ever get out of the “nuh uh” / “uh huh” stage by any means besides subjective vibes? Not even after the election. If Biden wins, X person would have done better. If he loses, well nobody else could have done better. You basically need a time machine or the ability to hop between parallel worlds to get an objective answer, and even then there would still be debate. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552/220 "2024-07-18T08:09:17Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I’ve been thinking about reducing my exposure to news discussion as the summer rolls on, and with this particular subject, I think I could drop out for a month and come back with NO change in any aspect of the debate whatsoever on anybody’s part. Listening to the news on the radio used to be part of my morning routine…but TV news has already become insufferable, and I just can’t handle that kind of added stress. Ever since I got back from vacation last week, I’ve been listening to podcasts instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-ranting-at-you-july-july-mini-rants/1003552.md?page=12)