# May the rant be with you (May 2012 rant thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 1, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483 "2012-05-01T05:07:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/401 "2012-05-17T01:31:13Z")
I’m going to have to rant about people who keep on talking about slugs {shudder}. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/402 "2012-05-17T04:00:02Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Stay safe. Please. Thank you for your concern, I am safe. I honestly have no fear about getting burned out. Its the smoke that is such a worry. Cats don’t do well when the smoke lays on the ground like fog. I’m running my swamp cooler 24 hours a day, and the wet filters are doing a good job about keeping the smoke out of my house. When the filters stop working, I have somewhere to go. I’ve got FOUR of the ferals now! This is a blessing in disguise, I’ve been giving them shots while they are in the trap. Not only do they have nice cool cages with all the gooshy food they can eat, their health might be better protected. > [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > **flatlined** , you do have the fire insurance paid up, right? Yup. And I live in an area with paved roads and neighbors who clean up the dry weeds and use gravel and river rock for landscaping. All is good. > [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > flatlined, sounds like you’d better keep the Petsmart cards in case you have to vamoose\*! Doggies are all good, and I hope you can say the same for the kitties REAL SOON! Maybe I can figure out how to send y’all some of the afternoon thunderstorms we’ve had lately (You can have the accompanying mosquitos, too. And the slugs! Ugh, slugs!) > > Be safe! > > \*Maybe if our a/c goes out, I’ll take people up on their generous offers… 😉 Send the storms! I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a slug, that would be an interesting experience. I’m starting to see more birds than usual, and I saw deer crossing the highway on the way to work. A while back, a fire was 4 miles away. While I was loading the cats in the car, the birds were so loud that I couldn’t hear the cats complaining. > [@SnakesCatLady](#): > > \There are some wonderfully kind people on this board. I’ve never been desperate enough to have to accept help, but having it offered is heartwarming.\ > > The people are amazing. I’m so happy to be part of this community. > > **flatlined** , I’m glad Tony’s situation is looking more hopeful. If necessary, I can roadtrip kittens to Arizona after you move; I’ve always wanted to see Arizona. I can provide kittens, I’m sure, we’ll just have to take up a collection for gas money. > > There are people who just don’t understand how essential pets are to some people. When Hurricanine Iniki was approaching Ohau in '92, the authorities were pissed off because people weren’t going to shelters. The shelters wouldn’t allow pets! I wasn’t in the evacuation zone, but I wouldn’t have left my cats. > > I need food advice. I got results of my bloodwork Friday and my colesterol levels are _nasty_. What can I eat? I’m a Southern girl raised on fried food, which I know I can’t have anymore. What can I have? I can understand why people won’t go to shelters if they have to leave their pets. Happily the shelters here will allow people to bring their small pets. The problem, of course are the big critters. If I have to grab cats and scat, I can take them to a friend’s house. That’s not so easy to do with horses. There are rescues here that have facilities for large pets and their doors are open. From what I understand, they are allowing the owners to stay, but all they have for people are tents. As to your diet, did you know that if you put bacon on paper towells and nuke it, a lot of the grease will go away? **Dr Girlfriend** , you will tell us about the doctor visit, right? I’m sure that I’m not the only one who is worried. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/403 "2012-05-17T04:45:23Z")
Cross your fingers for tomorrow. The second lawn guy (who didn’t call back last week) finally did call. He was supposed to be here today, but apparently some of his crew didn’t show up and he got hung up on another job. However, he did let us know that. Tomorrow at ten, he’s supposed to be here. I’ll tell him not to mow over the daffodil leaves and the rest of the yard is his to deal with. Then maybe we can talk about what else needs doing in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/404 "2012-05-17T17:57:59Z")
Why did you have to blow out on the way home from work yesterday? Now I have to get a couple of new tires. Plus I can’t drive over 50 MPH until I do. Driving under 50 on the freeway sucks. > [@kayT](#): > > I’m going to have to rant about people who keep on talking about slugs {shudder}. Why all the hate for [UC Santa Cruz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Santa_Cruz) all of a sudden? We don’t normally get this. It’s not like we’re Duke or something like that. Or if you’re hating on the [unit of mass](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug_%28mass%29), well, Imperial units generally do suck. The arithmetic is so much harder than it is in metric units. ---
**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 17, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/405 "2012-05-17T19:35:09Z")
When I was very young (8 or so), I stept on a slug while barefoot. It was GROSS. For years after that, I took a sadistic delight in pouring a circle of salt around the slugs that insisted on sliming their way across our front porch. (NB: I don’t do that anymore. I still find them gross, but I finally grew up enough to understand that it wasn’t something they could help, and I just needed to watch where I put my feet. Yay! for maturity?) On a much sadder note, Neko, my 16-year-old cat, has just been to the vet for his regular thyroid blood draw. He’s lost 0.6 pounds since the last time I took him in, which was a few months ago. ☹ I’m hoping the tests show that we just need to up his dosage a bit. Other than his thyroid and arthritis, he’s in remarkably good shape for a cat his age. ---
**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 17, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/406 "2012-05-17T19:41:44Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > … I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a slug, that would be an interesting experience… :eek: Wow, this place does a good job of reminding me that different people have different experiences. I’ve been [del]waging all-out war[/del] pouring diatomaceous earth all over my seedlings, and the little fuckers are still eating all my bean and sunflower sprouts. Them, and the damn pill bugs. _grumble_ Oh, yeah, and my neighbor’s chickens died and I don’t know anyone else close enough to be worth popping over to, so now I don’t have anyone to feed grubs and pillbugs to. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/407 "2012-05-17T19:58:36Z")
I took a nap, and now have a splitting headache. I should now by now that if I’m going to take a nap I _must_ take Excedrin first. But that would make sense. TheKid’s grad party is less than a month away. We have the pretty card box, and a few grad related table toppers. That’s it. Invites are going out today - another conundrum. Who comes to the event? Who just to the open house? Speaking of open house, I _have_ to get the house finished before I have a bunch of people here. But we’ll be outside! OH HELL I have to get the yard worked on! The list goes on and on, and I am already freaking out. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/408 "2012-05-17T22:18:08Z")
Ugh… Slugs:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: I’m having an issues with the horrible things coming indoors:eek::eek::eek: Try stepping on one at 2am on your way to the loo ~shudder~ ---
**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:** [May 18, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/409 "2012-05-18T00:00:14Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a slug, that would be an interesting experience. Replicate the experience as follows: [ol] [li]Hock a loogie onto the floor.[/li][li]Imagine that the loogie did not come from you, and is capable of independent (though slow) movement.[/li][li]Step on it, preferably with your toes.[/li][/ol] The place where I lived in college was on a slab; I quickly learned to never venture out onto the patio without shoes. I also learned that salting slugs makes them stick to concrete; it’s best to hit them with a mix of baking soda and salt. The resulting crust can then be swept away. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/410 "2012-05-18T02:03:22Z")
I have an earworm. My friend John mentioned one of his bands was consdering adding Jethro Tull’s “Cross-Eyed Mary” to the setlist. So now I keep hearing “…gets no kicks from little boys She’d rather make it with a letching grey…” ---
**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:** [May 18, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/411 "2012-05-18T02:07:19Z")
Am I the only person here who thinks slugs are neat? Y’all are cruel. ☹ ---
**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:** [May 18, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/412 "2012-05-18T02:46:52Z")
I’m in the “slugs (and snails) are cool” club. They can’t help being slow and slimy, it’s no reason to torture them w/salt ☹ Humans are pretty disgusting too… ---
**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:** [May 18, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/413 "2012-05-18T02:48:11Z")
Mixed marriage here: Wife from Pacific Northwest said she hated stepping on slugs. Husband from Non-Pacific Midwest: “You hated what? On _what_? What’s a slug? And why is it a big deal?” ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/414 "2012-05-18T03:10:43Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > On a much sadder note, Neko, my 16-year-old cat, has just been to the vet for his regular thyroid blood draw. He’s lost 0.6 pounds since the last time I took him in, which was a few months ago. ☹ I’m hoping the tests show that we just need to up his dosage a bit. Other than his thyroid and arthritis, he’s in remarkably good shape for a cat his age. I’ve had several hyperthyriod cats. Sometimes they would stop eating, despite the meds. I found that changing food helped. I’m assuming that your vet is also checking Neko’s kidney functions? The meds for hyperT are hard on their kidneys. My suggestion is that if you don’t have a fountain, get one, and mix a teaspoon of warm water into his canned food. The fountain will encourage him to drink, the warm water will give him extra water, and it will also make the food smellier. OK, you all have convinced me that I don’t want to have a slug experience. Jeep’s Phoenix ICKICKICK!!! Today, I had to borrow some cages and take them apart so they would fit in my car. I then assumed that the parts for one cage would fit for the others. WRONG!!! I fought with them for almost an hour before I figured out that if I looked at the bottoms of the parts, I would find the brand mark and could sort the parts out in piles. Its good that I don’t have kids, the poor things would be waiting until New Years for their Christmas toys to be put together. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/415 "2012-05-18T03:21:29Z")
My edit didn’t work ☹ **Morgyn** , I do hope that Neko starts feeling better soon. Beloved pets are just that, beloved and valued. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/416 "2012-05-18T04:08:58Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > Replicate the experience as follows: > [ol] > [li]Hock a loogie onto the floor.[/li][li]Imagine that the loogie did not come from you, and is capable of independent (though slow) movement.[/li][li]Step on it, preferably with your toes.[/li][/ol] Calvin: Hey Susie, I’ve got a riddle for you. What’s the difference between a slug, and a two-inch long, living booger? Susie: EWWWWW! Calvin: I couldn’t think of one either. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2012, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/417 "2012-05-18T10:21:35Z")
I signed up for a two-week subscription for IWanna online last week so I could look at apartment ads. I messed up my login info and sent an email to tech support. Later, I figured out how to login with my phone number so I was able to login anyway. This morning, a solid week after I sent the email, I get a reply from their tech support. One week into a two-week subscription that I may not have been able to use had I not figured out the back way to log in. Should strong reply follow? yes no ---
**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:** [May 18, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/418 "2012-05-18T12:12:06Z")
> [@saje](#): > > I’m in the “slugs (and snails) are cool” club. They can’t help being slow and slimy, it’s no reason to torture them w/salt ☹ Humans are pretty disgusting too… Yeah…after coming back inside from my third late-night trip to the circuit breaker (located in a closet off the patio) with shoes covered in slime and squished slugs, I lost all sympathy for the little bastards. My gag reflex won’t let me deal with that mess. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/419 "2012-05-18T12:33:31Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > This morning, a solid week after I sent the email, I get a reply from their tech support. One week into a two-week subscription that I may not have been able to use had I not figured out the back way to log in. > > Should strong reply follow? yes no Pour your inner Southern Lady into it. You can ask **VunderBob** to draft the second response, if one is needed. ---
**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 18, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483/420 "2012-05-18T14:14:46Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > I’ve had several hyperthyriod cats. Sometimes they would stop eating, despite the meds. I found that changing food helped. I’m assuming that your vet is also checking Neko’s kidney functions? The meds for hyperT are hard on their kidneys. My suggestion is that if you don’t have a fountain, get one, and mix a teaspoon of warm water into his canned food. The fountain will encourage him to drink, the warm water will give him extra water, and it will also make the food smellier. He’s on prescription food for his kidneys already, and has been for years. (Science Diet for beasties prone to crystals in urine. I guess it works, he hasn’t had a problem since he’s been on it.) He only gets dry food, but his appetite isn’t really diminished. Meaning, he’s right _there_ when I put the food out. The last week or so he’s been leaving a few kibbles behind each feeding, but that’s not enough to account for the weight loss. I also have a fountain. The vet said this test is a combination; it checks the thyroid but also checks kidney and liver functions and some blood counts. As I said, we’re hoping it gives us some clues. I suspect that we need to up his dosage a little. He’s currently on a half-tablet once a day. > [@flatlined](#): > > My edit didn’t work ☹ > > **Morgyn** , I do hope that Neko starts feeling better soon. Beloved pets are just that, beloved and valued. He seems to be perfectly happy. Loves laying in the sun, purrs like a motorboat if I carry him up to my bed at night (sometimes he joins me there on his own). And you are right, he is very beloved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-the-rant-be-with-you-may-2012-rant-thread/620483.md?page=22)