# 'No' Means November Rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729 "2013-10-31T07:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/561 "2013-11-25T13:53:20Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Or like what is becoming common around here, fast food for the kids on the EBT card. There’s an article being reposted around that started on the Gawker network, written by a woman working double-shifts trying to make ends meet. She talks about how cooking and dirtying dishes attracts bugs to where you’re living and how you need the time and energy to both cook and clean before you fall asleep, how she’d buy a bunch of frozen burritos for a couple bucks just to get protein and try to fill her stomach. If you’re in a desperate situation and your kids are miserable, and you may not have the skills to cook well or anything to cook on where you’re living - I can’t really begrudge a bit of money spent on fast food. Studies have shown that (going by memory here) welfare fraud is 1% or less, so the actual cases of abuse are damned few. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/562 "2013-11-25T15:29:57Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Heh, I read this as “nippley” which seems quite appropriate somehow. > Roddy My work here is done… ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/563 "2013-11-25T16:39:21Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Good god, people. Thanksgiving is 5 days away. > > Grocery store was a madhouse. I have to work Wednesday evening at our grocery store. I fully suspect I’ll be heading to the bar directly afterwards. ---
**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:** [November 25, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/564 "2013-11-25T16:49:47Z")
My mother: “If \*\*TOS \*\*didn’t have so many grills and was outside grilling all the time, maybe that mosquito wouldn’t have bitten him.” That’s all I gotta say about last weekend. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/565 "2013-11-25T17:26:27Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I understand the outrage that there are people in general who are scamming the system, but you cannot look at that person in line in front of you and know their story. I agree. I’m always reminded of a line from the poem [Desiderata](http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~gongsu/desiderata_textonly.html). ‘If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter.’ Given how many people seem to have a penchant for being that way regardless, it’s probably best to not add fuel to the fire. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/566 "2013-11-25T17:49:42Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > The wrapper said “Bittersweet Chocolate **Orange** ” so I bought it. Didn’t notice until I was unwrapping it that underneath, in _very light_ letters, it also said “With Almond Slivers”. Oh well, a few almonds won’t hurt anything. Unless the whole bar is chockablock with them, and they’re pointy. Good tasting chocolate, but the kind I would like to let soften in my mouth. Which I couldn’t do because it had these pointy almonds in it. Oh well, only 200 calories. Terry’s Dark Chocolate Orange makes the best hot chocolate - just sayin’. 🙂 > [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > Six days later, I’ve calmed down a bit and now it’s time to decide whether to take this as an opportunity to leave the choir without looking like a quitter (i.e. making it look like the choirmistress is a bully who’s chased yet _another_ member away) or whether to tough it out and go back tomorrow night. > > It’s one of these things, I do enjoy the singing once I get there, but I spend all day before it dreading it, with rising anxiety, and just wanting to crash out once I’ve put the toddler to bed, rather than run out the house and spend the evening hanging out with grannies singing! And I don’t want to run the risk of getting told off like that, everytime I can’t make a rehearsal or concert. Which will be quite often. Could you sit down with the choirmaster and have a discussion about whether or not you should continue, since it is a voluntary commitment and you won’t always be able to make it, and if that isn’t good enough for her, you’ll go your separate ways now? > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > My mother: “If \*\*TOS \*\*didn’t have so many grills and was outside grilling all the time, maybe that mosquito wouldn’t have bitten him.” That’s all I gotta say about last weekend. Could you send your mother my way so I can have a very polite conversation with her about using her Goddamned brain when speaking to you? ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/567 "2013-11-25T17:50:03Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > My mother: “If \*\*TOS \*\*didn’t have so many grills and was outside grilling all the time, maybe that mosquito wouldn’t have bitten him.” That’s all I gotta say about last weekend. Oh, **purplehorseshoe** , that’s got to be one of the most WTF statements I’ve ever heard. I’m so sorry. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/568 "2013-11-25T18:08:03Z")
Stupid thing to say, but she’s trying to rationalize his death and is in the Denial phase. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/569 "2013-11-25T19:59:38Z")
I joined the SD because someone IRL figured out my username on the message board I used to frequent and would actually ask me out loud in Cubeville about things I posted. I didn’t feel safe or anonymous there. You guys don’t know me from Adam so I feel better here. So I got bored one day and went back to old board just to kill time. Changed my username. Well she figured it out pretty quickly so there goes my anonymity again - looks like you guys are stuck with me here. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/570 "2013-11-25T20:02:33Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > My mother: “If \*\*TOS \*\*didn’t have so many grills and was outside grilling all the time, maybe that mosquito wouldn’t have bitten him.” That’s all I gotta say about last weekend. \*\*FUCK \*\*your mother. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Could you sit down with the choirmaster and have a discussion about whether or not you should continue, since it is a voluntary commitment and you won’t always be able to make it, and if that isn’t good enough for her, you’ll go your separate ways now? Ah, that’s a rational, drama-free, sensible solution, so sadly I’m almost entirely incapable of doing it. But thank you for the suggestion, I’ll bear it in mind if I’m feeling sane-ish next time I see her 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/571 "2013-11-25T20:04:10Z")
Christ, **purple** , that’s awful. Not that it makes things better, but **Chimera** is probably spot-on with that guess. On a smaller issue, I’ll put this here since it’s more related to inlaws than work - I’m transferring to a different department at work and they’ll be looking to hire a replacement. I have an inlaw who has done similar work before and has been out of work for over a year. I believe this is by choice, contrary to claims of job-hunting, as she claimed ignorance of the temp pool at her previous workplace when she had worked with said temps frequently. (Either that or she was actually fired for cause rather than being laid off due to budget cuts, and the institution won’t rehire her.) She is a medical conspiracy theorist and woo-peddler which would make her a poor candidate for my job, and I am hoping against hope that she doesn’t ask about the position or ask me for a recommendation. Expecting an awkward Thanksgiving… ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/572 "2013-11-25T20:27:36Z")
I’m fairly positive somebody must have covered this somewhere upthread, but fuckity damn, coworkers–no Christmas music before Thanksgiving. And if you _must_ listen to it, don’t sing it out loud so it gets stuck in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/573 "2013-11-25T20:44:54Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Stupid thing to say, but she’s trying to rationalize his death and is in the Denial phase. Also thinking of protection of the rest of the people in her life. I know this doesn’t help **PHS** but she’s trying to find a reason why it happened so she can both be sure it won’t happen to you and to stop worrying about every single thing that could possible kill someone. When you can reach out and touch someone that the 1% probability hit it’s hard to feel safe. Now, saying it out loud to you makes her deserve everything that everyone has ready to do to her but thinking it is just the way our stupid brains work. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/574 "2013-11-25T21:38:03Z")
This really pissed me off. [Laser Toys Can Damage Eyes: Report](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142753.html) Basically these are high powered blue lasers you can get online. OK, sure, people are idiots for screwing with these things in the first place. All you probably have to do is go to youtube to find any number of morons endangering either themselves or others. And this isn’t even mentioning the [danger to air traffic from green lasers](http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/Hidden-Dangers-Of-Green-Lasers.htm). And considering the fact that you can get stuff shipped directly from overseas, I’m not really sure how you really protect people from themselves. [shakes head] IDK. I just hate to see things like this. It really bums me out. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/575 "2013-11-25T21:54:15Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > \ Could you send your mother my way so I can have a very polite conversation with her about using her Goddamned brain when speaking to you? I will hold her while you slap her. Deal? ---
**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:** [November 25, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/576 "2013-11-25T22:12:15Z")
Thank you, kindly, and I’m not sure I deserve it. She was pissed at me because, frankly, I was less-than-sober by the time she showed up. In my defense, I’d been drinking because, well, I knew I was going to spend the evening with someone who says things like that to me in the first place. My mistake: inviting my parents to dinner at my home. Aaaand drinking while listening to NPR and cooking. Lesson(s) learned. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/577 "2013-11-25T22:14:37Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > . . . I understand the outrage that there are people in general who are scamming the system, but you cannot look at that person in line in front of you and know their story. I know that back when I was on food stamps, my relatives would send Christmas money either ‘for the kids’ or ‘for something nice and Christmassy.’ I’d have felt like I was scamming them if I hadn’t followed the suggestions. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > My mother: “If \*\*TOS \*\*didn’t have so many grills and was outside grilling all the time, maybe that mosquito wouldn’t have bitten him.” That’s all I gotta say about last weekend. DAMN! So sorry you had to hear that. Assuming she’s still alive, I salute your restraint. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/578 "2013-11-25T22:22:22Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Thank you, kindly, and I’m not sure I deserve it. She was pissed at me because, frankly, I was less-than-sober by the time she showed up. In my defense, I’d been drinking because, well, I knew I was going to spend the evening with someone who says things like that to me in the first place. > > My mistake: inviting my parents to dinner at my home. Aaaand drinking while listening to NPR and cooking. Lesson(s) learned. Maybe smoking a bowl rather than drinking would be one way to go. You’ll laugh at everything they say and they’ll think you’re wonderful. Well, either that or they’ll think you’re crazy and will be too afraid to criticize you. But it’s a win either way. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/579 "2013-11-25T22:58:22Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > Six days later, I’ve calmed down a bit and now it’s time to decide whether to take this as an opportunity to leave the choir without looking like a quitter (i.e. making it look like the choirmistress is a bully who’s chased yet _another_ member away) or whether to tough it out and go back tomorrow night. > > It’s one of these things, I do enjoy the singing once I get there, but I spend all day before it dreading it, with rising anxiety, and just wanting to crash out once I’ve put the toddler to bed, rather than run out the house and spend the evening hanging out with grannies singing! And I don’t want to run the risk of getting told off like that, everytime I can’t make a rehearsal or concert. Which will be quite often. Oh, tell me about it- same thing for country dancing for me. Every group run by someone who doesn’t seem to appreciate different time demands (and levels of skill). And we don’t even ‘perform’ in public. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729/580 "2013-11-25T22:59:22Z")
\*\*{{purplehorseshoe}} \*\* A follow-up to what I posted before: One of my astrology-believing friends was posting on Facebook about some things that had gone wrong for him today. I was so tempted to say that things were going wrong because maybe Mercury was in the wrong part of the sky. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-means-november-rants/672729.md?page=30)