# New Year’s Rant Solutions (January mini-rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 1, 2024, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437 "2024-01-01T06:00:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**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:** [January 13, 2024, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/261 "2024-01-13T01:53:14Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > When I’m looking for a new jacket it has to have enough pockets or I won’t get it. I cut a small hole in an REI down jacket (chopping firewood, pretty outdoorsy, huh?). Wife says, go buy a new jacket, how complicated can it be? But they don’t make this one any more! She doesn’t understand that THIS one has interior pockets big enough for comic books! (6.625x10") I don’t think she realizes how important my post-retirement “job” is: Biking to a coffee shop in some nearby small town, and pulling out: two (2) Silver Age superhero comics, two (2) sequential current comics, and one (1) graphic novel. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2024, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/262 "2024-01-13T02:05:39Z")
I ran the kitchen exhaust fan for a few hours and wrapped a fourth layer of plastic wrap on the jar of hot curry powder and I think the smell is under control. The other day I noticed an old jar of curry sauce in the cupboard and was thinking of making lamb curry, but that plan has now been canceled. I’ve been traumatized! Maybe next summer, when I’ll prepare it and also consume it outdoors, downwind from the house. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/263 "2024-01-13T02:46:06Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > Scottevest and lands end are my go to for outer wear. Good pockets. I heartily endorse Scottevest. I have two of their jackets and it’s pocket heaven (and I am female, so they do not discriminate)! Also, I have nightgowns with pockets, so I think for nightwear one just needs to check out the pocket situation prior to puchasing. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > But these are the times Imposter Syndrome rears its ugly head, or like, when this job requires constant demands on my time as opposed to occasional demands, how will I hold up? You are smart enough, and you will hold up. And having control of this information and ready access to it when you need it will make your job easier in the end - just remember that part. When I was still working, the one thing that could really make things stressful for me was a fickle/unreliable co-worker that I needed information from in a timely manner in order to get my own work done on deadline. Removing that roadblock is HUGE! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/264 "2024-01-13T03:21:01Z")
Scottevest has up to 22 pockets. They are a bit pricey… ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/265 "2024-01-13T19:40:39Z")
I really don’t want Long COVID, but signs are not fucking great. Starting last weekend I just felt exhausted, so much so that I rearranged my schedule to get extra sleep. More sleep didn’t make any appreciable difference in how tired I felt. Tuesday afternoon I fell asleep on accident and damned near missed my son’s school bus - fortunately the bus just happened to be exactly as late as I was. The problem here is that I’m on simulant medication, and it’s normally very hard to sleep on stimulants. Like even on my most sleep deprived day I usually can’t sleep at all during the day. Now I’m fighting to stay awake. It’s so hard for me to problem solve right now. I feel like I’m moving in slow motion, and I can’t seem to think. I can’t reason my way through a fucking grocery list much less complex marital issues. I felt fine this morning. It seems to mostly hit in the afternoon. Not a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/266 "2024-01-13T20:17:09Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I cut a small hole in an REI down jacket (chopping firewood, pretty outdoorsy, huh?). Wife says, go buy a new jacket, how complicated can it be? > > But they don’t make this one any more! She doesn’t understand that THIS one has interior pockets big enough for comic books! > (6.625x10") go full “outdoorsyperson” and slap the most outragous piece of heavy-duty duct tape on the rip … OWN it - thats your mountain-cred right there !!! ---
**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:** [January 13, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/267 "2024-01-13T20:35:56Z")
Climate activists try to disrupt a speaking event of candidate Ramaswamy by braving a blizzard to yell that the planet is on fire. Outdoing the Onion. Smh. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/268 "2024-01-13T20:38:28Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Climate activists try to disrupt a speaking event of candidate Ramaswamy by braving a blizzard to yell that the planet is on fire. They might be right in principle but their timing and message clearly was not thought out very well at all. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/269 "2024-01-13T20:57:44Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Climate activists try to disrupt a speaking event of candidate Ramaswamy by braving a blizzard to yell that the planet is on fire. > Outdoing the Onion. Smh. Well, they aren’t wrong, snowstorm notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/270 "2024-01-13T21:12:55Z")
As SuntanLotion has just illustrated so clearly, we are fucked because too many are too stupid or too dishonest to understand what is going on. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/271 "2024-01-14T06:26:10Z")
My daughter in Ann Arbor, where temperatures are diving into the single digits overnight and staying there until Wednesday, has been without power since yesterday evening. They say they’ve restored power to about 70% of the households so far, and they’re predicting 95% will have power back tomorrow. Except one tiny little chunk, which they’re saying should be back on _Monday_. Guess where her house is? They’re first-time homeowners and they don’t have a generator (yet!). She’s moved all her plants down to the basement in the theory that it’s likely to end up being the warmest area of the house, she’s pinned blankets up over the largest windows, filled the tubs with hot water (at least that doesn’t take electricity), set the faucets to drip, and they’ve set up shop in the basement with the plants, the cats, and a whole lot of warm blankets. I hate this! ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/272 "2024-01-14T06:37:44Z")
I’m sorry to hear that. We live in Mi too though a lot farther west. It’s cold and I didn’t get to work this am 'cause my little Kia Soul doesn’t have all wheel drive or snow tires. I got out of the driveway alright but was stuck like a pig on ice in the road. It took my sil, my son, and about two lbs. of salt to get back in the driveway. No one at work wanted to risk getting stuck to come and get me. Winter sucks. I hope you’re kids get their power back sooner rather than later. That seems like a ridiculous amount of time for the power to be out in the winter. ---
**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:** [January 14, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/273 "2024-01-14T06:47:09Z")
Western Michigan here, too. Made it _almost_ up the driveway, but my lil’ front wheel drive hatchback is sitting on what would be the sidewalk now (I just got home, we close at work at 1 am and were out by 1:20 tonight) and refuses to budge either forward or backward. Not getting _me_ outta work; my lovely manager (and her 4wd) will come scoop my ass up tomorrow if needed. (She’s already told me so.) I’ll shovel and salt tomorrow, see if that works. Too tires for that nonsense tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/274 "2024-01-14T07:00:51Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Has anyone else experience what I assume is a new phone scam? The same scam, including the person speaking English, has been running in Switzerland for about six months. My first call was in August. In Switzerland, if Customs and Borders wants you, they come to your house or send a registered letter. First contact will be in German, French or Italian. Not English. It’s annoying. ---
**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:** [January 14, 2024, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/275 "2024-01-14T07:18:51Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Has anyone else experience what I assume is a new phone scam? Yes, and I ignore it. First of all, I rarely order anything from a foreign country, so customs is not a problem. Secondly, I haven’t ordered anything from a foreign country, so “Customs” is a non-starter. And thirdly … no, I’ll shut up now. Scam? Yes. Hang up? Yes. It’s just that easy. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/276 "2024-01-14T07:35:06Z")
Heh, some lady called once and told me I owed money on something from out of state. She said she needed my SS# (I think it was a while ago) and my bank information to “clear it up.” I laughed and told her no way. She told me that the police would come to my door to arrest me. I told her to send 'em to my place of work as that is where I was headed. She got really pissed and told me I was going to regret it and hung up. I got to work and told my boss that if I got arrested she was going to have to bail me out if she wanted me at work. lol ---
**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:** [January 14, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/277 "2024-01-14T14:54:25Z")
Wind chill advisory. I am taking off this week, even though its only 2 days a week, because taking the bus in this weather is not advisable. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/278 "2024-01-14T16:40:53Z")
My daughter’s power is back on (at least briefly; they haven’t updated the outage map yet)! She’d just grouped her plants in such a way that she could put a container of hot water among them to keep them warm (she grows carnivorous plants, and she’s got a collection of seedlings right now). But there’s warm air coming from the vents and she can make hot tea and charge her electronics, so if it goes out again, the house won’t be at 40° to start! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/279 "2024-01-14T16:52:18Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > They’re first-time homeowners and they don’t have a generator (yet!). She’s moved all her plants down to the basement in the theory that it’s likely to end up being the warmest area of the house, she’s pinned blankets up over the largest windows, filled the tubs with hot water (at least that doesn’t take electricity), set the faucets to drip, and they’ve set up shop in the basement with the plants, the cats, and a whole lot of warm blankets. > > I hate this! Yeah, that’s awful. I’m sorry to hear. Being cold is so stressful. We are in SE Michigan. We had some snow and now it’s a bit cold (-11 wind chill) but it’s so beautiful and sunny outside. I tried to talk my husband into going for a family walk today but he wasn’t enthused. So we’re going to watch a family movie instead. Just grateful I’m warm for now. We have lost heat in the past. And once, our pipes froze. At the time, we had a place to escape, but we don’t any longer. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437/280 "2024-01-14T17:47:16Z")
I’m in awe of all you cold-weather habitants! The temperatures you’re having would send me indoors for the duration. My son-in-law’s parents live about an hour away from them, and they have power, but she wasn’t willing to leave her cats, plants, and pipes alone overnight. If the power hadn’t come back on, she would have given in and gone up there tonight. I’m proud that my little desert-bred girl has grown into a woman capable of facing the frozen tundra! I hope the rest of the frigid season treats all of you gently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-year-s-rant-solutions-january-mini-rants/995437.md?page=15)