# Mini-Month Mini-Rants (Feb 2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** monthly-mini-rant\ **Created:** [February 1, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273 "2026-02-01T16:40:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/281 "2026-02-28T03:49:49Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > An hour ago, I was sitting at my computer in the basement and I hear water dripping in the other room. I investigate, and see water coming out of an overflow hose on the main sewage drain line that goes out of the house. We’ve lived here since 2001, and I think this is the first time I’ve seen this. > > I went outside to the back of the house. There is a cleanout between the house and septic tank. I can see a little bit of water coming out of the threads where the plain/head plug screws into the cleanout. > > I’m thinking two possibilities: 1) clog between cleanout and septic tank, or 2) clogged up leach bed. > > I called Roto-Rooter. They’ll be at our house tomorrow at 11 AM. > > Right now it’s just our 28 year old daughter and I (wife visited her sisters & mother in Singapore and will be back tomorrow evening), and she can’t live without a bathroom. So we’re at the Cobblestone Hotel in Urbana, OH this evening as I type this. > > I really hope it’s just a blockage between the cleanout and septic tank, and not the drain field. If it’s the latter, then crap… Oh that sucks. I have had more plumbing issues in my life than I care to remember. I wish you good luck and smooth sailing with your drip! ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/282 "2026-02-28T04:05:10Z")
Had a very rough week at work. I am a child welfare supervisor and the amount and seriousness of the reports coming in was phenomenal. The spigot of doom was open and flowing. Since I was the supervisor assigned to review all the reports and either screen them out or assign them I needed to be able to use my computer. When I arrived on Monday I could not get past the log in screen and called IT. They said they did a Windows 11 update and I needed to change my password. I said I did not have Windows 11 yet. They said, “You do now.” So in the middle of all this chaos I had to acclimate to Windows 11 which was literally nothing except for reconfiguring the task bar and several screens. But it was a high energy day and I just didn’t appreciate the extra workload. A bit of a warning would have been appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/283 "2026-02-28T15:42:16Z")
I’ve been subject to occasional knee pain for years. When it first started I had a prescription for Naproxen, before it became available over the counter. Unfortunately with all the other medications I now take I’ve been told that the only thing I’m allowed to take for pain is tylenol, and that sparingly because it can affect my liver. Tylenol does jackshit for joint pain. However, my doctor has told me that I can use Volteron salve on my knee, and this has helped a lot. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/284 "2026-02-28T15:44:37Z")
Long long ago a gyno wanted to prescribe me morphine for my cramps! I turned it down. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/285 "2026-02-28T15:47:59Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > Tylenol does jackshit for joint pain. I swear, it does jackshit for anything! Something I was reading – either the information insert in the package or something on the internet – said that ibuprofen has a lot of interactions with other drugs, so one does have to be careful if taking other medications. From my layman’s reading of it, Naproxen is an NSAID very similar in action to ibuprofen. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/286 "2026-02-28T15:58:20Z")
I am up to 12 - 15 ibuprofen a day for my back since October of last year and that barely helps. Tylenol does nothing. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/287 "2026-02-28T16:03:35Z")
The active ingredient in Volteron is naproxen, but apparently using it as a salve does not have the same interference effects as taking it orally. It should be noted that the application instructions include a plastic guide to how much can be applied, specifically that only half as much should be applied above the waist as can be applied below the waist, and that you need to wash your hands after applying it. Considering that among my many health issues is A-fib, I take this seriously. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/288 "2026-02-28T16:07:02Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > I am up to 12 - 15 ibuprofen a day for my back since October of last year Wow, I’m sorry to hear that! Is this under a doctor’s advice? Even if it’s the lower-dose 200 mg capsules, that’s way more than the recommended daily maximum for unsupervised self-medication. > [@LurkMeister](#): > > and that you need to wash your hands after applying it. Sounds like you need a box of medical-grade latex gloves! ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/289 "2026-02-28T16:25:45Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Wow, I’m sorry to hear that! Is this under a doctor’s advice? Even if it’s the lower-dose 200 mg capsules, that’s way more than the recommended daily maximum for unsupervised self-medication. Not really. I was on Fentanyl patches for 17 years. My doctor retired. New doctor kept me on prednisone several times a year and I did Ok until last October when something went amiss in my spine. New doc says it is ok to take ibuprofen as long as I eat something. My hematologist and my regular doctor are aware of how much I take. I am hoping the cortisone shots will help whenever I can get them scheduled. Gotta do what you need to survive. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/290 "2026-02-28T16:32:46Z")
True. When i fell on my back a year ago, I took 1000 of tylenol. Didn’t help. Went to urgent care next day and was given a shot and pills of toredol. Stopped the pills after 2 days because it might’ve affected my stomach. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/291 "2026-02-28T16:36:12Z")
As long as your doctors are aware, it’s cool. Best of luck for a good recovery! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/292 "2026-02-28T16:42:36Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > As long as your doctors are aware, it’s cool. Best of luck for a good recovery! 🙂 😎 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/293 "2026-02-28T16:54:14Z")
Tylenol/acetaminophen can work for pain with me, but has an annoying tendency to put me to sleep, so I have to be very careful about that, as well as worrying about liver safety. I have two cats, total weight about 22 lbs. (one’s about 8.5 lb, the other a little over 13 lb). How do they push an adult human most of the way across the bed to claim space for themselves, and why did they not just take the empty side of the bed once DH got up? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/294 "2026-02-28T19:48:45Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > I have two cats, total weight about 22 lbs. (one’s about 8.5 lb, the other a little over 13 lb). How do they push an adult human most of the way across the bed to claim space for themselves, They practice all day pushing things off tables. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/295 "2026-02-28T20:15:17Z")
Jackass Verizon guy has now blocked my driveway twice today. I asked him to move it nicely the first time and later on he put it back again. He’s not here for my house, he never asked. Hell if he had asked, I would probably have told him to pull in, we have a double wide driveway. Instead I went off on him and told him next time it would be a cop talking to him. My daughter had two friends coming over that were planning to park in the driveway. So their plans got disrupted. What a rude asshole. In general, I expect to just be able to use my driveway without a Verizon guy block it off. Insult to injury, there was a empty spot on the street next to my driveway he could have used, but so he wouldn’t be inconvenienced, he inconvenienced me. And now he is in the empty spot, wow, what a genius. He somehow figured it out. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/296 "2026-02-28T21:24:22Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > As far as I’m concerned, ibuprofen is a miracle drug that cured it, and I don’t wanna here anyone telling me otherwise! 😃 I regularly pre-dose one coedine/ibuprofen/paracetamol (single capsule) on long hikes, well before the pain kicks in. I deal with the muscle pain with whiskey in the evenings, ibufrofen in the mornings at breakfast. Not precisely recommended by doctors, but it is a decent regimen for me. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/297 "2026-03-01T00:45:56Z")
It’s SOP for us to chock the wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving. Maybe next time you should help him out by chocking his wheels…with some nice long 10-penny nails! Oops, did he forget to remove his chocks before driving off? 🫣 🤫 😳 ---
**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:** [March 1, 2026, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/298 "2026-03-01T05:48:20Z")
New month of rants: > [@March Nemesis (Monthly Mini-Rants)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-nemesis-monthly-mini-rants/1028100): > > Continuing the discussion from [Mini-Month Mini-Rants (Feb 2026)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273): Been dealing with an annoying cold all week and it kicked my butt today. I slept in until noon and I’ve been coughing and sneezing all day. What really sucks is that it’s not bad enough to be in “sick mode”, but it’s bad enough to make me miserable. It’s that sweet spot where I’m sort of sick but not really. Make up your mind, body! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/299 "2026-03-02T14:56:47Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I am a photographer, I’m a master of the ‘long shot’. I took one photo that took me 2½ years to get & another that took me 5 from idea to execution & luckily, I got that one on the last opportunity in 2019 because we didn’t go back again until 2022 due to Covid. When a shot is only available a couple of days a year, **&** you need Momma Nature’s cooperation (that sunrise ‘henge’ shot doesn’t work out so well on a cloudy day) you can see why it takes so frustratingly long, which brings us to today. I got up at 4:15 & drove almost 150 miles to _not_ get my photo; I _might_, _possibly_ get one more crack at it this year but probably need to wait until next February to try again. As for the bonus-photo-since-I-was-in-the-neighborhood, I misread something so trying to shoot _into_ the morning sun. The bonus one I can at least go back & shoot another time; it’s just not exactly nearby, though. Seems I caught a dip in my attempt; counts rose 14-fold throughout the day, & the current forecast shows **no** sunrises in the next 10 days, being evenly split between showers & partly cloudy depending upon the morning. Momma N’s toying with me I tells ya. Annie, you lying little redhead; the sun is **not** gonna come out tomorrow! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273.md?page=14)