# Thanks for Nothin'! November Mini-Rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 1, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417 "2023-11-01T13:42:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/41 "2023-11-02T15:33:23Z")
Wow. The worst I’ve ever encountered has been produce past its prime. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/42 "2023-11-02T16:02:07Z")
I’m starting to suspect hes a sub. But that should’ve been revealed to me, instead of me thinking I look really bad. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/43 "2023-11-02T16:16:13Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Maybe I’m an outlier here, but I have never taken something back to a grocery store. Dented can? I use it. Incorrect label? I use it. Package of peppers with rotten ones on the bottom of the package? Use what I can and throw out the rest. Agreed. I’ve returned things to other kinds of stores, but a grocery store, no. > [@kayaker](#): > > It’s enough of a pain in the ass to go grocery shopping. Going back and explaining why I want to return something? Nope. Exactly. I just try to be very cautious about checking expiration dates before I put it in my cart, and if the food is visible I inspect it. Hmm, this package of hamburger is grey when the others are pink, I don’t think I’ll grab this one. If I get home and something is bad, meh. Depending on what I’m getting, the grocery price for the week for my household is anywhere between $100-200. I am not going to get bent out of shape over a $5 item that is inedible or was labeled incorrectly. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/44 "2023-11-02T16:25:59Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I’m starting to suspect hes a sub. One way to find out… ---
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/45 "2023-11-02T19:13:26Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > Maybe I’m an outlier here, but I have never taken something back to a grocery store. Dented can? I use it. Incorrect label? I use it. Package of peppers with rotten ones on the bottom of the package? Use what I can and throw out the rest. > > Agreed. I’ve returned things to other kinds of stores, but a grocery store, no. > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > It’s enough of a pain in the ass to go grocery shopping. Going back and explaining why I want to return something? Nope. > > Exactly. I just try to be very cautious about checking expiration dates before I put it in my cart I agree that taking things back to a grocery store is a rarity for several reasons, one of which is that individual items are generally pretty low-value. But I can think of two occasions when I’ve done it, and there were probably others that I’ve forgotten. One was a box of frozen lasagna that I noticed after I got home had a noticeable bulge in it. I opened the carton and saw immediately that it had obviously been completely thawed at some point, apparently when sitting on its side, and the contents had bunched up at one end and then been refrozen. It wasn’t cheap – I think $17 or $18 – and there was no way I was going to eat it. I took it back ready for a possible argument, but the girl at the counter was downright shocked at its condition and thanked me for bringing the problem to their attention. Another was some expensive jar of fancy-pants sauce or something from the fancy-pants upscale grocery Pusateri’s. It had one of those safety pop-up lids that indicate loss of vacuum seal, and it had popped. Back it went. I’m sure I wouldn’t have bothered if it hadn’t been fairly costly. I agree about checking expiration dates and I always do for fresh or non-frozen cooked meats. I generally glance at the dates on jars, too, but I’m less meticulous about it, and for canned goods I don’t really care very much. But when I accumulate multiple cans of the same stuff, I do try to rotate so the oldest gets used first. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/46 "2023-11-02T19:23:13Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But when I accumulate multiple cans of the same stuff, I do try to rotate so the oldest gets used first. Same with me! ---
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/47 "2023-11-02T20:58:04Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > Where the fuck is this stuff coming from? And to make it especially absurd, it’s a delicate clothing item that would easily fit inside a padded envelope. I’m both amused and appalled. This reminds me of trying to get my scrip filled at Walgreens this week (which took them four days to fill and really screwed me over, btw): “We have initiated the process of filling your prescription.” OK? Twice I went to pick up their alleged “partial refill” and the line was too long to sit through the first time (I’m a busy woman) and the second time they told me they couldn’t give me the partial because the full refill was pending. And when I finally got it, they only gave me a three week supply. I _really_ need a new pharmacy. Mail order, perhaps? ---
**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:** [November 2, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/48 "2023-11-02T21:18:59Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I _really_ need a new pharmacy. Mail order, perhaps? We ended up doing that. My daughter gets ADHD meds and they’ve been such a pain in the ass. Not just with filling the order and picking it up, but shortages. We found an online supplier that’s actually cheaper and will deliver months’ worth of medicine at a time. It’s worth looking into, it might depend on your insurance though. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/49 "2023-11-02T21:35:17Z")
Do you have any independent pharmacies nearby? I use one, and it’s a big step up from the chains (and I’m not somebody who longs for the halcyon days when Small Business was king and the world was perfect). Short lines, excellent service for the most part, knowledgeable people. Yeah, there are downsides–they have screwed up on a couple of occasions, they close at 6:30, and they’re not open for most of the weekend–but might be worth a try if you’ve got one. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/50 "2023-11-02T22:05:31Z")
> [@susan](#): > > One way to find out… Splash him with vinegar and oil…? ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/51 "2023-11-03T01:06:35Z")
1. Thank you for doing what you do. I couldn’t without strangling someone my first week of work. 2. If you think this project will cut into your vacation time, rescind the vacation time and take it next week or whenever this project will be over. You deserve uninterrupted time off. 3. I hope you feel better soon. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/52 "2023-11-03T01:15:54Z")
What’s up with shitty over-the-range microwaves? The one that came with our house quit when we’d lived here 8 years. The replacement lasted 8 more years. The one we bought to replace the replacement has died at the tender age of 5 years. I guess I’ll be getting a new one for Christmas. We moved here in 2000 from our previous house with a KitchenAid standalone microwave that we still have. Still works great. I also had a small cheap one that I had bought to use at work that moved with us, and I took that to my new workplace in 2000. When I left my job in 2022, it still worked great and I left it in my office for my replacement to use. So – 2 standalone microwaves that are at least 25 years old are working fine, but 3 over-the-range versions are apparently delicate flowers that expire in a third of the time or less? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/53 "2023-11-03T01:27:20Z")
Could that have to do with the heat from the oven? ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/54 "2023-11-03T01:38:10Z")
Can’t imagine why the OVEN would make a difference, seeing as how it’s well above that. Heat of the stovetop? It’s still pretty well above that too, though the steam/etc. would obviously get to it. But they have fans for that exact reason. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/55 "2023-11-03T01:48:47Z")
I’m inclined to concur with the heat theory, and yes, the stovetop is the likely culprit. Steam could be a factor, too. Both factors I think are more likely to be harmful if the microwave is in use at the same time as stovetop cooking. As the saying goes, once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times, well … ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/56 "2023-11-03T01:53:46Z")
So is the opinion here that it is likely an over-the range microwave is a bad investment and we should not buy a new one? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/57 "2023-11-03T02:08:00Z")
Mine doesn’t rise to the level of opinion; it’s rank speculation. I’d say, ask someone knowledgeable whether it’s a factor, and if so, whether there’s a model that mitigates that. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/58 "2023-11-03T02:22:31Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > So is the opinion here that it is likely an over-the range microwave is a bad investment and we should not buy a new one? Have an island installed in your kitchen instead. You’re gonna need the counter space. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/59 "2023-11-03T02:31:00Z")
We have a peninsula, instead. I think we’re good. And too old to consider any major mods to the house at this point, though that would sure be good for a whole lot of future mini-rants … ---
**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:** [November 3, 2023, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417/60 "2023-11-03T02:38:12Z")
Same as @Dr.Drake, I’m just trying to make sense of the evidence. Another consideration is the feasibility of installing a range hood as a replacement for the microwave. Typically, there’s a storage cabinet above the range hood, and the ducting runs through that. Depending on your specific situation, the cost and effort of installing a range hood may be greater than just buying a new microwave every five to eight years. OTOH, a good range hood can move a lot of air and help clear out cooking odors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-nothin-november-mini-rants/992417.md?page=4)