# Solmonath Rants (February Mini Rants)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 2, 2018, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992 "2018-02-02T03:14:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/1 "2018-02-02T03:14:13Z")
An old name for February
\*The most common Old English name was Solmonath, which literally means “mud month.” \*
I’ll start by noting that my oldest, largest potted plant seems to have developed some bad black mold in the soil. It’s a Ficus tree I got back in 1992. If I kill it trying to kill the mold, at least I’ll have the daughter tree I started from a single leaf in 2005.
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### Author:  [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/2 "2018-02-02T03:25:28Z")
And my rant is, apparently I either ate or touched something I’m wildly allergic to, so am now scratching scratching scratching. Maybe I caught it from **purplehorseshoe**? Anyhow, benedryl is helping but ugh.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/3 "2018-02-02T04:03:15Z")
So I went to the grocery store where I bought the pork butt. The manager called the meat market employee up. I told them the same story I told here. Meat Market guy (I doubt he’s a trained butcher,he looked about 16yo), said it couldn’t be true, that is a boneless cut. I told him emphatically that it was true, and don’t call me a liar. He got all up in his feelings, the manager apologized and said he would refund my cost, anyway. I told him that wasn’t necessary as we were able to eat it. And nobody died. I just wanted someone to know they were doing something wrong back there.
We decided maybe they weren’t cleaning the meat cutters correctly and bone shards are getting in/on other cuts.
I feel better after I called them on it, I won’t be buying meat there anymore, though.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/4 "2018-02-02T04:14:35Z")
My minirant is about how apparently I can’t understand this thread without I’ve read the one it’s a sequel to.
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### Author:  [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/5 "2018-02-02T05:40:30Z")
> [@Happy New Rants!!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-new-rants/805683/218):
>
> My 90-year-old father is in a nursing home that used to be a good place but has been going downhill since a change in administration.
>
> Last week dad’s roommate died. Later that same day, the staff moved in a new roommate, complete with extensive isolation paraphernalia because the new guy has a C diff infection. Not only did the staff pair an infected person in a small room with a non-infected person, but both persons ate their meals in the communal dining room.
>
> The situation was discovered by my sister the next day, and she raised a bit of hell. Still, it took the staff several days to relocate the infected roommate.
Update: It turns out the nursing home didn’t move the C diff guy; he died on his third day in the room. Dad has now outlived four roommates. The nursing home doesn’t give a crap. No solace, no comforting, no counseling.
The home quickly moved in a new roommate, who was a loud, obnoxious asshole, possibly violent. He threatened Dad when Dad asked him to turn down his TV – and Dad is pretty much deaf. Then the home moved Dad to a new room. The good news is that it’s a private room, something the family could not afford. The bad news is that neither Dad nor his family was notified of the move ahead of time. Dad does not like change and totally freaked out. Also, some of his stuff was damaged in the move.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/6 "2018-02-02T12:19:03Z")
There was a little going away celebration for Sam, a bartender, at a brewery near me. I guess I was the only one Sam talked with about his long term plans/goals. Everyone was speculating about Sam bartending somewhere else, or possibly “moving up” to wait tables somewhere nice. Well, Sam has his PhD in Chemistry and was just chilling tending bar while he waited for a “real” job to open up.
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### Author:  [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/7 "2018-02-02T13:07:31Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> So I went to the grocery store where I bought the pork butt. The manager called the meat market employee up. I told them the same story I told here. Meat Market guy (I doubt he’s a trained butcher,he looked about 16yo), said it couldn’t be true, that is a boneless cut. I told him emphatically that it was true, and don’t call me a liar. He got all up in his feelings, the manager apologized and said he would refund my cost, anyway. I told him that wasn’t necessary as we were able to eat it. And nobody died. I just wanted someone to know they were doing something wrong back there.
> We decided maybe they weren’t cleaning the meat cutters correctly and bone shards are getting in/on other cuts.
> I feel better after I called them on it, I won’t be buying meat there anymore, though.
You know, I hadn’t thought of that. In my store they’re scrupulous about cleaning those cutters after every use. I think everyone is? The only misplaced bone I’ve ever had was years ago with store-ground hamburg, Turned out it happened because the night person _forgot_ to clean the machine before leaving. That’s a health code violation.
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### Author:  [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/8 "2018-02-02T14:19:32Z")
Most high schools in Osaka (Japan) have a rule that forbids students from dying their hair. That’s how the rule is worded. And kids with naturally brown hair are often, under the auspices of this rule, forced to die their hair black or get kicked out of school. (Don’t attempt to apply logic to this - logic does not work in Japan). My little baby has brown hair. If in 10 years or so you read of a gaijin burying a tomahawk in some principal’s head, remember me kindly.
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### Author:  [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/9 "2018-02-02T20:49:51Z")
Well, have to talk to HR about switching insurance. Fun.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/10 "2018-02-02T20:56:47Z")
> [@Isamu](#):
>
> Most high schools in Osaka (Japan) have a rule that forbids students from dying their hair. That’s how the rule is worded. And kids with naturally brown hair are often, under the auspices of this rule, forced to die their hair black or get kicked out of school. (Don’t attempt to apply logic to this - logic does not work in Japan). My little baby has brown hair. If in 10 years or so you read of a gaijin burying a tomahawk in some principal’s head, remember me kindly.
You were visiting Spain at the time, weren’t you?
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### Author:  [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/11 "2018-02-03T00:07:06Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> You were visiting Spain at the time, weren’t you?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/12 "2018-02-03T00:25:30Z")
WTF they have to dye brown hair black? That is the craziest shit I ever heard. Do they think they are lightening their hair if it is brown? Wha??!??
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/13 "2018-02-03T02:22:46Z")
Poured some bleach in a bucket, added about 10 parts water and poured it all over the black mold in the pot last night. This morning, no sneezing the minute I walked into the room, no mold smell. Not even up close. Praise [insert deity here]. I’m going to purchase some anti-fungal stuff in the next few days just to be sure. Then I’ll give it a couple of days to work and then flush the entire pot with water (in the shower) to clean out any excess chlorine. Then re-treat with anti-fungal just to be sure it doesn’t come back.
And filled my low tire on my car with my bicycle pump since I wasn’t going to pay $1.50 for air.
The stupidest part about that was the air pump at the local BP had VISA and other signs all over it. Would you run your credit card, for $1.50, through a machine at the far end of their parking lot that I bet they only look at when it isn’t working? Not me.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/14 "2018-02-03T03:46:44Z")
Did the Ficus survive?
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/15 "2018-02-03T03:49:12Z")
No sudden wilting so far.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/16 "2018-02-03T04:06:13Z")
I am rooting for that Ficus.
(See what I did there?)
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### Author:  [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/17 "2018-02-03T04:12:02Z")
Why am I suddenly thinking of Ficus from _Quark_?
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### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/18 "2018-02-03T10:37:30Z")
Do you have a Sheetz nearby? Their air pumps tend to be free (when the compressor is working, that is).
Good luck with the Ficus! My office plants got overwatered – whoever handles the cleaning at night took it upon themselves to make sure every plant pot and bucket in the office was filled to the brim with water – and one of them clearly has rotting roots now. ☹
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/19 "2018-02-03T10:41:21Z")
> [@Happy New Rants!!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-new-rants/805683/260):
>
> Ordered some stuff over internet, from a company which appears to be US-based (I have a strong suspicion there is some Chinese involved; the corporate parts of the page have grammar with the kind of mistakes I’m used to seeing from Chinese).
>
> …
>
> Please let the sizes be correct please let the sizes be correct please let the sizes be correct…
> [@Happy New Rants!!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-new-rants/805683/261):
>
> You, sir, are a bonafide optimist. I salute you. 🙂
I just picked it up from the post and tried it on. It did come from China (not a surprise) and it is indeed the right size! (A happy surprise) I like people who follow their own sizing charts.
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### Author:  [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2018, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solmonath-rants-february-mini-rants/807992/20 "2018-02-03T11:50:57Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> WTF they have to dye brown hair black? That is the craziest shit I ever heard. Do they think they are lightening their hair if it is brown? Wha??!??
They say they suspect kids with brown hair are lightening their hair, and some kids do. But I don’t believe that this is their real reason. Here’s why. I know of a case where the parents proved to the school that their kid’s hair is not dyed and the teachers agreed but the teachers did not let the kid participate in inter-school events because a brown-haired kid would make it look like the school did not maintain discipline and shame them in front of the other schools.
Last year a girl sued the Board of Education because of a skin condition that developed as a result of forced dyeing. The Board is sticking to their guns. I’m eagerly awaiting the verdict, but also a bit despondent because even if she wins, damages awarded in Japan are so low that they are never an incentive not to repeat the same behaviour.
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