# Novembrants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 1, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304 "2014-11-01T21:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/81 "2014-11-05T00:51:50Z")
Yesterday the display on my cell phone stopped working, and now shows only a gray square. It is now useless except for possibly answering a call. I researched options on line last night, including a lengthy on-line chat with someone who helped me find two options that were acceptable. He also assured me that it would be possible to get the new phone at no cost. Background: I’ve been with this provider for many years, and have a plan that is ridiculously cheap, so I’d rather not change providers if I can help it. I am also not interested in a phone that does more than – get this – send and receive phone calls. Today I went to the phone store so I could look at the actual phones and selected one that would do the job, but it was not available at that location. So I went home and attempted to order it on line. It was clearly listed on line at $0.00; both the phone store and the on-line chat guy said the normal “upgrade fee” of $40 would be waived. However, when I tried to place the order, the price changed to $139.99! I spent the next HOUR AND A HALF with various customer service people on the phone. The first one agreed with me that the free phone was definitely available and she didn’t know why the price jumped upon ordering. She was on line also, and confirmed what I described. We went around in circles for a good while, maybe 40 minutes, and she tried to transfer me to another specialist. Clicks and beeps and the line went dead. I called back and of course got a different person, who couldn’t help, but transferred me to yet another department. The person I got this time had a weird way of speaking (not a foreign accent, just very difficult to understand). After going through the same process, this person told me that there was no way to get the phone I wanted for free. I asked to be transferred to a supervisor. Frankly, I told him, I have looked at another service provider, and I can get the phone I want for free there; I just don’t feel like going through the inconvenience of changing companies. Oh, that’s different. The next person they put on the phone was a “customer retention specialist” who \*eventually \*gave me the phone for free, and promised that once it was activated the “upgrade fee” would be credited back. The down side is it will take a couple days to get here, despite the promise on their web site that says “free next day delivery.” Grrrrrrr. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/82 "2014-11-05T15:16:17Z")
It is NOT Guy Fawkes’ Day. It’s never “day,” only Night. It’s nice of Americans (such as Google) to acknowledge the occasion, but kinda pointless if they get the name wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/83 "2014-11-05T18:11:36Z")
My favorite for that was finding out that the CIA World Factbook listed July 25th (feast of St James the Greater, patron of Spain because of some little town in our NW corner) as Spain’s “Independence Day”. I hope they’ve corrected it by now, but I’m afraid to look. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/84 "2014-11-05T19:40:32Z")
(non-USAdians may ignore: ) Oh, FFS. Now I’m getting e-mail advertisements for Black Friday. It’s three weeks away! All the damn campaign ads are finally over; could we not have _one_ week’s peace from marketing harassment? ---
**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 5, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/85 "2014-11-05T20:29:15Z")
I’ve seen Black Friday ads around here already. Yes, in Canada. Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) is the huge shopping day here in Canada, but many stores around here also have Black Friday sales. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/86 "2014-11-05T20:53:36Z")
I’m 50 now. Fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/87 "2014-11-05T21:03:08Z")
No, no, no, you should be proud to be [50](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trcXlTiy3Xw). 😃 ---
**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 5, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/88 "2014-11-05T21:04:39Z")
Arrrgh. A thread that I’m following seems to have devolved into an argument about Nazis. I tried to divert the thread and steer it back on topic, but people are still arguing about Nazis or something. Sheesh. Also, I’m still (temporarily?) out of a job, and I need to contact people to try to get that fixed up. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/89 "2014-11-05T21:09:12Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I’ve seen Black Friday ads around here already. Yes, in Canada. Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) is the huge shopping day here in Canada, but many stores around here also have Black Friday sales. Well, the Americans do it, so it **MUST** be good (even though Thanksgiving is in October)! :)🙂 ---
**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:** [November 5, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/90 "2014-11-05T22:13:16Z")
I think I hate everyone on this bus right now, except the very cute child curled up on his mom’s lap. Everyone else seems to be having a contest to find out who can be the loudest, rudest, crudest, and most obnoxious. Earphones aren’t helping much. ---
**Author:** ![Fallen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fallen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fallen)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/91 "2014-11-05T22:32:31Z")
“The Dr. just called and advised she received the test results and my breasts are awesomely healthy!” Not a rant as such, but I’ve never known of an actual (licensed medical) doctor (whether or not (s)he’s been sued) that’s willing to declare someone’s anything “awesomely healthy”. The rational ones know folks absolutely rely ('cause silly humans) on unqualified statements like this; they almost always hedge with “appears to be” (and usually “appears to be no abnormality”). This isn’t to say there’s any reason to worry. ---
**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 5, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/92 "2014-11-05T22:38:56Z")
The stupid friggin’ Nazi thread hijack is still going on! After I tried to stop it at least twice, maybe three times. And what the hell is it with people calling pets’ owners “guardians.” You own an animal, you’re the friggin’ _owner_. Frig! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/93 "2014-11-05T22:54:24Z")
Monday I take about a 1.5 mile walk for lunch. Just fine. About an hour or two later my left knee completely collapses as I get up from my desk. Spent the rest of the day with it taped up and taking pain meds. Get on the bus Tuesday to come home. Lots of people standing insistently at the front of the bus. Unfortunately right on top of me, and the same woman trips over or backs into my injured leg three times. I keep telling people to move back and make room, I tell the woman my leg is injured and please don’t do that. No one moves. She does it again, and snorts her derision at me for being in **her** way. Hey thanks, that only fucking hurts, ok? I get home and I file a complaint with the bus company, because despite me very clearly and loudly telling people they need to move back three times, and asking the woman to stop moving into my injured leg, the driver didn’t do a fucking thing. So today I get the official response. Some clearly retarded busyworker “reviewed” the footage from the bus. Claims “the woman up front who was injured never spoke to anyone and never looked up from her phone”. Not her, you jackass, the guy next to her - that’s me. Thanks ever so much for claiming there was no issue on the bus and the driver was unaware of any issues. MVTA, every time I have to deal with you people you demonstrate your absolute lack of any and all customer service skills. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/94 "2014-11-05T23:09:05Z")
> [@Fallen](#): > > “The Dr. just called and advised she received the test results and my breasts are awesomely healthy!” > > Not a rant as such, but I’ve never known of an actual (licensed medical) doctor (whether or not (s)he’s been sued) that’s willing to declare someone’s anything “awesomely healthy”. The rational ones know folks absolutely rely ('cause silly humans) on unqualified statements like this; they almost always hedge with “appears to be” (and usually “appears to be no abnormality”). This isn’t to say there’s any reason to worry. After my procedure, I had to take a blood test every six months or so. My MD would email me “Over 2 years since your (procedure) your (test result) is great.” etc. ---
**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 5, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/95 "2014-11-05T23:17:12Z")
The people in the Nazi-hijacked thread have now stopped talking about Nazis and devolved into insulting each other, and no mods are stopping them. Bloody hell. I tried 4 times to get back on topic, and others have tried too, but to little effect. I’m wondering at this point, if the hijack continues, if I can just somehow ask a mod to close the thread, and a new on-topic thread can be started. Or should I be complaining in ATMB and not here? I dunno. _shrugs in frustration_ ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/96 "2014-11-05T23:17:46Z")
> [@Fallen](#): > > “The Dr. just called and advised she received the test results and my breasts are awesomely healthy!” > > Not a rant as such, but I’ve never known of an actual (licensed medical) doctor (whether or not (s)he’s been sued) that’s willing to declare someone’s anything “awesomely healthy”. The rational ones know folks absolutely rely ('cause silly humans) on unqualified statements like this; they almost always hedge with “appears to be” (and usually “appears to be no abnormality”). This isn’t to say there’s any reason to worry. I’ve been told my liver function is outstanding. Thank god for Scottish livers that can take anything you throw at them! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/97 "2014-11-05T23:35:56Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > The people in the Nazi-hijacked thread have now stopped talking about Nazis and devolved into insulting each other, and no mods are stopping them. Bloody hell. I tried 4 times to get back on topic, and others have tried too, but to little effect. I’m wondering at this point, if the hijack continues, if I can just somehow ask a mod to close the thread, and a new on-topic thread can be started. Or should I be complaining in ATMB and not here? I dunno. _shrugs in frustration_ Just report the posts. ---
**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 5, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/98 "2014-11-05T23:44:23Z")
Now I kinda wanna know which thread she meant! The TP here at work sucks – it leaves little tiny bits of itself in and around my bits, like miniature spitwads lodged in my hoo-hah. (Stop laughing! I can hear you all laughing!) ---
**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 5, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/99 "2014-11-05T23:50:50Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Just report the posts. I’m reporting them like crazy, to no avail. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304/100 "2014-11-05T23:57:33Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > (non-USAdians may ignore: ) > > Oh, FFS. Now I’m getting e-mail advertisements for Black Friday. It’s three weeks away! All the damn campaign ads are finally over; could we not have _one_ week’s peace from marketing harassment? They’re now advertising pre-Black Friday sales. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novembrants/703304.md?page=6)