# \[OLD\] June Bugs (monthly mini-rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 1, 2023, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892 "2023-06-01T22:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**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:** [June 16, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/181 "2023-06-16T20:36:10Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > But I must get dressed every day. Not because of meetings, but because I just don’t feel right if I don’t. Agreed. I feel more professional if I dress the part. Don’t get me wrong, I dress much more comfortably when I work from home. But I still shower, do my hair, etc. I dress in something that looks somewhat professional. I used to work in tech support in an office where I sat in a cubicle all day and communicated with customers solely through phone and email. I could dress as casually as I wanted. I had coworkers that would show up in jeans, flip flops, hoodie, etc. I would dress in slacks and a polo with loafers. Nobody who saw me cared, it had no real impact on my job, but I **felt** more professional and I think it made me act more professional when I communicated with people. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/182 "2023-06-16T21:14:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My gf works from home (one bright side of COVID). She dresses and does her hair and makeup every morning _even if she has no meetings scheduled that day._ I’ve asked her about this, and she does it just in case a meeting is called. Decades ago, I read an article by a guy who freelanced from home, back when that was a rarity. He said that if he had to call a client (landline, it was the late '80s), he’d put on a sportcoat and tie, be all business-like for the conversation, then back to the t-shirt. Little did he know he was thirty years ahead of his time. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/183 "2023-06-16T21:18:58Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > But I must get dressed every day. Not because of meetings, but because I just don’t feel right if I don’t. I understand the psychology, and if I was working from home, I might feel the same way. But I’m retired, and I don’t. There are days when I don’t plan to go out anywhere where I wear a dressing gown all day, and I feel just fine about it. In fact it’s quite liberating. Although in the summer it’s hardly any different from putting on a t-shirt, jeans, and slip-on sandals. It’s hard to believe that there was a time I went to work in a suit and tie, something that even conservative business people often don’t do these days. The tie was the first thing to go. Somewhat strangely, two venues where the tradition of suit and tie persists is some (not all) talk show hosts, and NHL hockey coaches! ---
**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:** [June 16, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/184 "2023-06-16T22:43:33Z")
When I got to work from home, I stuck to my regular schedule, with the exceptions of getting to wake up later (no commute!) and putting on clean PJs instead of work clothes. We did occasionally have Teams meetings, but very few employees had cameras, so they were always audio-only. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/185 "2023-06-16T22:48:48Z")
I don’t know if you can really rant about depression, but I took a “mental health day” today and it didn’t do a damned bit of good. I did some activities that normally I would consider fun… Nothing. Just a pervasive sense of doom. It’s not usually quite this bad, even in the last few months, so I’m going to assume my stupid hormones are screwing with me. I just feel like I’m on a treadmill, running as hard as I can, going nowhere. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/186 "2023-06-16T23:23:11Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I understand the psychology, and if I was working from home, I might feel the same way. But I’m retired, and I don’t. There are days when I don’t plan to go out anywhere where I wear a dressing gown all day, and I feel just fine about it. In fact it’s quite liberating. Although in the summer it’s hardly any different from putting on a t-shirt, jeans, and slip-on sandals. See… You? You are who I want to be when I grow up. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/187 "2023-06-17T00:23:25Z")
Very minor rant here: I checked my Credit Karma account today for the first time in ages. One of their recommendations: lower my auto loan payment from 396 to 229. By refinancing it to a 7 year loan, at nearly 6 percent. Costing me something like 3,000 additional bucks over the life of the loan. Yeeeah. no. About 2 years ago, we refinanced our mortgage, to a truly rock-bottom rate (20 year fixed rate), just before rates started rising. About 6 or so months later, a “retention specialist” from the lender called, trying to persuade me to refinance again. I could get roughly the same payment, even get a bit of cash out… by switching to an adjustable loan. Yeah… bad idea. Would’ve been great for THEM, they’d have gotten to churn a bunch more fees through their books. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/188 "2023-06-17T01:37:54Z")
So we had another mothereffin’ power outage today, just in time for dinner. And also in the middle of when I was roasting a pork butt. It’s been very dry here lately and it was obvious a storm was coming. If we’d gotten some rain from that storm, I would have considered the hassle of being without power for 4 hours a fair deal, but NO, we got exactly zippo rain, while our downtown did, and did not lose power during that time. I know this because we went down there to eat dinner and hang for awhile. Trees down everywhere (and one of those trees was responsible for our outage), but otherwise everything was OK. Now I’ll be up until at least 1 am roasting my butt. My actual butt is pretty frosted about this. Grrr. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/189 "2023-06-17T02:37:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > There are days when I don’t plan to go out anywhere where I wear a dressing gown all day, and I feel just fine about it. In fact it’s quite liberating. I would totally do this but I start to worry someone’s going to knock on my door and there I’ll be, in my pajamas. The longer I stay in my pajamas the worse my anxiety gets that someone will knock. I have pretty bad social anxiety. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/190 "2023-06-17T02:56:17Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I would totally do this but I start to worry someone’s going to knock on my door and there I’ll be, in my pajamas. [https://media.tenor.com/pl8fpoXJ2ukAAAAC/pajamas-farnsworth.gif](https://media.tenor.com/pl8fpoXJ2ukAAAAC/pajamas-farnsworth.gif) ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/191 "2023-06-17T02:58:14Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > There are days when I don’t plan to go out anywhere where I wear a dressing gown all day, and I feel just fine about it. In fact it’s quite liberating. > > I would totally do this but I start to worry someone’s going to knock on my door and there I’ll be, in my pajamas. The longer I stay in my pajamas the worse my anxiety gets that someone will knock. Meh, I usually don’t answer the door unless I’m expecting someone or a delivery. One time I answered the door in my dressing gown (don’t remember which one – I have a fine assortment of three different ones 🙂 ) and it was a post office package delivery that required a signature. The post office person was a very pretty young lady but naturally my appearance in a fashionable and stately dressing gown didn’t faze her at all, although my friends – on hearing this story, and obviously jealous of my luxuriantly laid-back lifestyle – falsely tried to impugn that she was probably terrified. This was obvious calumny, and had she not been obviously occupied by official business, I would have – in graceful and stately fashion – invited her in for a drink. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/192 "2023-06-17T02:58:16Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I used to work in tech support in an office where I sat in a cubicle all day and communicated with customers solely through phone and email. I could dress as casually as I wanted. Yea. I wear the same clothes at home as I have at the office. Except for one horrible job I had 30 years ago. Now it’s Jeans, a fleece top and light weight hiking shoes. Regardless of if I’m working or lounging around. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/193 "2023-06-17T06:42:09Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I think the real rant here is that it’s almost impossible to find a high quality _ordinary_ keyboard. They’re either cheap and inadequate, or they’re loaded with useless features like keys that light up in 256 different colours and perform magic tricks while humming the tune from _The Wizard of Oz_. We sprung for a Corsair mechanical gaming keyboard . Yes, the keys DO light up (but that can be turned off); I actually wanted that feature, because I wanted to be able to highlight some specific keys I use a lot in database work. It wasn’t cheap. I don’t notice that any of the key labels have worn off - that would actually be hard, since they are basically cutouts in the black plastic key cap (thus allowing the backlights to shine through). But if something did happen: being a mechanical keyboard, the caps can be pulled off and replaced. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/194 "2023-06-17T12:48:32Z")
I have one of those too. Being a writer and a gamer, I’m very particular about my keyboards. I’ve tried all manner of switch styles, and after trying a few different things, settled on this: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical USB Gaming Keyboard, Backlit RGB LED, Cherry MX RGB Brown, Black [https://a.co/d/dWZY8r4](https://a.co/d/dWZY8r4) MX Cherry Brown switches. Of course I love the rainbow lights. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/195 "2023-06-17T12:57:01Z")
Supremely late to this, but I just have to say that I love the thread title this month. Makes me smile every time I see it 😄 ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/196 "2023-06-17T14:18:20Z")
I agree! Now you’ve only got two weeks to discover a new insect species and name it, so we can have July Bugs\*. Kudos to Atamasama. Always comes up with wonderful titles (but has been known to get to name the thread by creating it 24 hours early…) . . . 🤨 . \*No, “July Beetles” don’t count. [Fun fact: **May Bugs, June Bugs and July Beetles are the same species**.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllophaga#:~:text=Phyllophaga%20is%20a%20very%20large,June%20bugs%2C%20and%20July%20beetles.) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/197 "2023-06-17T14:19:36Z")
May Flies! ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/198 "2023-06-17T14:28:34Z")
Typed this last night but never press I’m home tonight, by myself. It’s at least Plan G. Plans A - F were _multiple_ hot air balloon festivals &, separately a race in the morning. The festival I was going to but didn’t bother to drive to (weather) didn’t do anything tonight but the one I wasn’t going to actually was able to get the balloons out. Ran fine last night by was limping when I woke up this morning & my hammy is still tight so not pushing it hard tomorrow. Really bummed because a friend runs it & it’s the last year for the event. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/199 "2023-06-17T19:10:14Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Kudos to Atamasama. Always comes up with wonderful titles (but has been known to get to name the thread by creating it 24 hours early…) . . . 🤨 Why, I would never… (Okay yes, once or twice, I just assume it is tomorrow somewhere in the world. 🫢) ---
**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:** [June 17, 2023, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892/200 "2023-06-17T23:09:28Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > We sprung for a Corsair mechanical gaming keyboard . Yes, the keys DO light up (but that can be turned off); I actually wanted that feature, because I wanted to be able to highlight some specific keys I use a lot in database work. It wasn’t cheap. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT Mechanical USB Gaming Keyboard, Backlit RGB LED, Cherry MX RGB Brown, Black [https://a.co/d/dWZY8r4](https://a.co/d/dWZY8r4) Wow, that’s expensive, relatively speaking! The cost of a keyboard wouldn’t normally be a big factor but that’s USD $200, and it’s CAD $240 from Amazon Canada. Meanwhile both the classic Microsoft 600 keyboard and the current Amazon one were less than $20. There’s also a similar Corsair K55 that’s only CAD $85. At those prices I’d like to personally audition them in a computer store. A local computer store has many keyboards on display where you can handle them and peck away at them, so I might have a look next time I’m nearby. The Amazon one is really not bad now that I’m getting used to it. There’s certainly nothing functionally wrong with it, just a different feel than I’m used to. I think part of the issue is that the chiclet keys don’t have as much travel as I’m accustomed to, and seem to have maybe a slightly firmer touch. But it’s actually quite an attractive keyboard with some nice features, like wide rubber pads front and back so it sits very solidly on the desktop. Thanks for the suggestions about the Corsair, I’ll have a look! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-june-bugs-monthly-mini-rants/984892.md?page=11)