# Locked Down Laments (April Mini-Rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 31, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757 "2020-03-31T20:18:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/281 "2020-05-01T02:44:33Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I saw a pound of rice at Amazon for 15 dollars. This was was not rice paddied only in snowmelt from the surface of the Vinson Massif, fertilized with the most carefully composted passenger pigeon dung, and tended and harvested by 16 year old virgins… it was bog-standard Carolina brand rice (OK. I looked again, and it’s “extra long grain” - and the price is now 20.00 for 2 pounds; one pound is now 9.50). It’s starting. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2020, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/282 "2020-05-01T05:32:52Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I saw a pound of rice at Amazon for 15 dollars. This was was not rice paddied only in snowmelt from the surface of the Vinson Massif, fertilized with the most carefully composted passenger pigeon dung, and tended and harvested by 16 year old virgins… it was bog-standard Carolina brand rice (OK. I looked again, and it’s “extra long grain” - and the price is now 20.00 for 2 pounds; one pound is now 9.50). If they’re available in your area, try an Indian or Asian grocery store. You won’t find bog-standard rice, but you may be able to find rice at a more reasonable price. I’m fond of Tilda-brand basmati, although the store I got my last batch of rice from (March 14, 10 pounds) was out of Tilda so I went with a different brand. I think it was about 10, 15 dollars? Basmati tends to run higher than regular white rice because it’s imported. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/283 "2020-05-01T11:40:43Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Our electronic thermometer decided that it no longer needed to turn on. Electronic thermometers are a bit of a scam to begin with. The ones I’ve owned have replaceable batteries, but it’s a bit difficult to determine which exact battery to buy. Manufacturers also will offer several different thermometers (soft tip, faster reading, etc) and purposely have each device use a different battery. During normal times, the next surprise comes when you track down the battery and it actually costs a few cents more than a new thermometer. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/284 "2020-05-01T12:46:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Electronic thermometers are a bit of a scam to begin with. The ones I’ve owned have replaceable batteries, but it’s a bit difficult to determine which exact battery to buy. Manufacturers also will offer several different thermometers (soft tip, faster reading, etc) and purposely have each device use a different battery. > > During normal times, the next surprise comes when you track down the battery and it actually costs a few cents more than a new thermometer. Once I figured out how to open my digital thermometer, the battery itself had the information on what size it was. It cost me $3.99 on Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/285 "2020-05-01T12:56:11Z")
It may be premature and even somewhat foolhardy, but the upside is that they are our guinea pigs because we’ll be able to observe what will actually result from these actions without having to expose ourselves. As the OP alluded, they are our “canary in the coal mine”. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/286 "2020-05-01T13:13:00Z")
So like everyone else, I’m unemployed due to the virus. Trying to apply for unemployment insurance…do the online part, then you need to call in…fine…but it shouldn’t be a 4 minute button pressing listening to recordings only to hear that all agents are busy. Just tell me at the beginning that no one can answer. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2020, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/287 "2020-05-01T13:36:06Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > So like everyone else, I’m unemployed due to the virus. Trying to apply for unemployment insurance…do the online part, then you need to call in…fine…but it shouldn’t be a 4 minute button pressing listening to recordings only to hear that all agents are busy. Just tell me at the beginning that no one can answer. About a month ago I laid everyone off except for one person, who had seniority and wanted to work. Yesterday I learned that one of my laid-off employees had finally heard from the Unemployment people, who told her that she doesn’t qualify because her work history is around 50 hours shy of the minimum. My employee who _is_ working is very close to the one who cannot get UC. She asked if there was any way I could “fudge” numbers to help, I told her no. Then she asked if the ineligible woman could come back to work for a week and a half, while she takes unpaid time off. I said sure, why not. It actually is better for me (she makes less than the other woman). Apparently, the two are going to split the paycheck between them. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/288 "2020-05-01T14:40:42Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > So like everyone else, I’m unemployed due to the virus. Trying to apply for unemployment insurance…do the online part, then you need to call in…fine…but it shouldn’t be a 4 minute button pressing listening to recordings only to hear that all agents are busy. Just tell me at the beginning that no one can answer. Not that long ago, someone posted on this board that it seemed like the phone menu he had to use for one call required him to punch in all the keys to _pi_. I fear he may have been understating the case. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757/289 "2020-05-01T14:58:42Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > About a month ago I laid everyone off except for one person, who had seniority and wanted to work. > > Yesterday I learned that one of my laid-off employees had finally heard from the Unemployment people, who told her that she doesn’t qualify because her work history is around 50 hours shy of the minimum. > > My employee who _is_ working is very close to the one who cannot get UC. She asked if there was any way I could “fudge” numbers to help, I told her no. Then she asked if the ineligible woman could come back to work for a week and a half, while she takes unpaid time off. > > I said sure, why not. It actually is better for me (she makes less than the other woman). Apparently, the two are going to split the paycheck between them. There’s a whole lotta niceness in this story. I’m glad y’all are looking out for each other like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-down-laments-april-mini-rants/850757.md?page=14)