# The scorching rants of August **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 1, 2018, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920 "2018-08-01T10:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/221 "2018-08-28T19:39:47Z")
That’s great,\*\* ENugent\*\*! Fingers continue crossed. Now **digs** , we’re still waiting to hear good news about that dog. ---
**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:** [August 28, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/222 "2018-08-28T21:26:12Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > That’s great,\*\* ENugent\*\*! Fingers continue crossed. > > Now **digs** , we’re still waiting to hear good news about that dog. Sorry, I fully expected to send a “Woo-HOO! They took out the spleen and the tumor and all’s well!”, but it’s bad news. Tumor was taking up 1/4 of the abdominal cavity, was on the liver, and is inoperable. So we’re taking the other dog to say goodbye in just a few minutes. Outpouring of support from work… we figured out 97% of all the co-workers are dog people. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/223 "2018-08-28T21:31:26Z")
So sorry, **digs**. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/224 "2018-08-28T21:31:51Z")
Sorry about your puppy, Digs. Congratulations, ENugent & son! That’s fantastic news! ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/225 "2018-08-28T23:56:48Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > You know what whips my ass? Why does my car… with more processing power than all of Earth’s computers in existence in 1968… why does it still have a “check engine” light? Can’t it just, you know, TELL ME what is wrong? Why do I have to take it into the shop so some yag can hook it up to ANOTHER COMPUTER to tell me that the alternator is going, or it’s throwing a piston, or whatever? > > The older I get, the more I realize life in America is just one big goddamned scam. What I can’t understand is why, with all the sensors and lights and gewgaws and doodads on the car’s instrument panel, why is there not a sensor that tells you when your taillights are out? ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/226 "2018-08-29T01:30:20Z")
I’m so sorry, **digs**. ☹ I was hoping for good news all around. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/227 "2018-08-29T01:34:27Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > I’m so sorry, **digs**. ☹ I was hoping for good news all around. Yeah, but my dog had a long, happy life. Your kid has that ahead of him! ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/228 "2018-08-29T02:16:38Z")
It’s been too hot for much of the summer, and now kids are going back to school in the extreme heat. Since the schools around here are often older buildings, built when the climate wasn’t this hot in the summer, many schools here don’t have air conditioning. \*And yeah, in a lot of elementary and high schools, the kids start school around the last week of August. Just seems it’s the way it’s always been done here. \*And yeah, we don’t have middle schools here. And high school finishes at grade 11, but that’s unrelated. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/229 "2018-08-29T12:17:17Z")
Oh no, **digs**. That’s awful. ☹ ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/230 "2018-08-29T13:10:43Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Oh no, **digs**. That’s awful. ☹ And totally unexpected. Little guy was perky as ever… frolicking around with a softball-sized tumor on his liver. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/231 "2018-08-29T15:08:56Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And totally unexpected. Little guy was perky as ever… frolicking around with a softball-sized tumor on his liver. I’m so sorry digs. Poor doggo. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/232 "2018-08-29T18:03:40Z")
Fuck Huawei for making me feel like I’ve become my mother. Fuck them for making “treat calls and alarms as secondary to anything else” the default setting. Fuck them for not answering emails to their customer service. Fuck them for making that setting an “additional setting”. Fuck them for making their phone customer service people start anything with a reset, when in this case it was absolutely not needed and I’ve already spent half an hour re-putting-away all those apps I can’t remove because they’re considered part of Android. And fuck them sideways while a steamroller presses them into hot tarmac for making the goddamn “you’ve got something going on!” buttons for the alarms go away if you touch any other part of the screen. Barbed wire on the big cylinder optional. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/233 "2018-08-29T18:51:11Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Fuck Huawei Fuck them indeed, this was the first I’d ever heard of them. Fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/234 "2018-08-29T19:03:12Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > IANAMechanic, but I’d guess this is for several reasons. The computers and sensors are necessary to the car’s operation but a diagnostic display would add extra cost for very little incremental benefit, and you’d need the idiot light anyway to warn of serious conditions. The OBD-II system isn’t necessary to the car’s operation; rather it’s mandated by EPA regulations for the purpose of alerting the driver when the engine is malfunctioning in a way that increases the emissions. This can be anything from a loose fuel filler cap (which increases evaporative emissions) to a misfire (which will send your tailpipe hydrocarbon emissions through the roof, as well as wrecking the catalytic converter) to a failing oxygen sensor (which will either increase emissions or hamper the car’s ability to verify whether the catalytic converter is working correctly). It’s pretty common for cars to have display screens for other systems, but adding in the software and wiring connections to display OBD-II error codes on those screens would increase the cost of the car without (for most owners) increasing value. The diagnostic trouble codes are of limited utility, requiring considerable further investigation to verify exactly what component needs attention. Example: [PO442](https://www.obd-codes.com/p0442) means the fuel system has failed the leak check that happens every time you start the car. This could be: -a loose gas cap -a leak in the fuel tank -a leak in one of the fuel hoses between the tank and the engine -a leak in the evaporative emissions recovery cannister -a leak in one of the hoses connected to the cannister -a failure of the pressure transducer (or wiring) being used in this diagnostic check Most owners don’t buy a service manual, and so are ill-equipped to do the next-level sleuthing to figure out which of those components needs fixing/replacing. The few who are interested in DIY auto repair don’t mind owning an OBD-II code reader; these days, [they’re dirt cheap.](https://www.amazon.com/Mestart-Bluetooth-Diagnostic-Scanner-Android/dp/B01HXGX8V6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1535569132&sr=8-2&keywords=obd+reader) ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/235 "2018-08-30T20:31:38Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > 1. I’m pitting myself for being stupid enough to read the plot of _A Serbian Movie_ on wikipedia after someone once said it was really disturbing. It is really disturbing, to the point where I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it for days. Seriously, if you’re easily grossed out and/or have any imagination whatsoever, DO NOT look for it or read about it. > > 2. Another one of my vices has been taken away. Pizza. I had a slice with my son today, along with cheesy breadsticks and a diet coke. About 45 minutes later, my body was screaming, “Mistake, Mistake, Mistake!!!” as I was doubled over in the bathroom. Goddammit. Five years ago, Friday meant Friday food. Now it means yet more vegetables, or woe to the idiot who eats all the grease. Yep, that’s me. > > 3. The above means that I’ll probably be sticking to the healthy foods at the party I’m attending this evening. It’s a relaxed, end-of-summer type party at the pool - kids running around screaming and doing cannonballs into the water, grilling burgers and hot dogs and drinking beer. There’ll be cake and cookies and ice pops, none of which really thrill me anymore. So I’ll be bringing my veggie burger or grilled chicken (beef burgers and hot dogs aren’t my thing) and roasted vegetables because my stomach just seems to have made the executive decision that it’s going to get all bitchy on me in my middle age and make me take care of my body. Fucker. > [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > For what it is worth, I have discovered that there are now chains that I can’t eat at any longer without going into hover mode. My best guess is related to the type of oil used. Some pizza places are fine, others cause rapid rocket thrust > [@dorvann](#): > > Yeah, I’ve noticed now that I’m middle aged, my tolerance from greasy foods from pizza and fast food places has reduced considerably. I used to be able to gorge myself at McDonalds; now just one order of their french fries gives me a stomach ache for the rest of the day. I know I’m a little bit late to the party, but this just happened to me last night, after Mrs. SMV and I visited our favorite pizza place. Except, I had a salad. Seriously, I’m getting the slidey-shits from a salad, now? Lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, mozzarella, and olives, all eaten with a fork dipped in ranch dressing, sends me to the john three times in two hours? This is not one of the challenges I had anticipated in becoming middle-aged. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/236 "2018-08-30T20:59:59Z")
Sounds like it could be diverticulitis. My friend suffers from that and cannot tolerate most raw vegetables, particularly greens. How old are you, and have you ever had an endoscopy? ---
**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:** [August 30, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/237 "2018-08-30T21:24:08Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Sounds like it could be diverticulitis. My friend suffers from that and cannot tolerate most raw vegetables, particularly greens. How old are you, and have you ever had an endoscopy? Now, now, no need to panic. It could be anything in the salad, on the salad, or that the salad was washed in. I swear sometimes my lower GI tract just says “Hey, this isn’t what I usually deal with down here, I’m shooting it out asap!” Had that happen with squash soup. But it was from some new hipster joint south of the Loop, and my guts said “Classy bistro? Soup you can barely afford? COMIN’ THROUGH!” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/238 "2018-08-30T23:26:47Z")
Ultimate spam e-mail header: “Exclusive Post-Election Access to Newt Gingrich” Words fail me. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/239 "2018-09-01T03:09:00Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Sounds like it could be diverticulitis. My friend suffers from that and cannot tolerate most raw vegetables, particularly greens. How old are you, and have you ever had an endoscopy? Fifty, and not yet. I eat a fair amount of raw broccoli, with no ill effects (save for the common one) and a positively ridiculous number of bananas, apples, and grapes. Just something about this particular salad on this particular night made my lower GI tract say "_Vade retro,_ Fellini’s! ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920/240 "2018-09-01T17:03:29Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > You know what whips my ass? Why does my car… with more processing power than all of Earth’s computers in existence in 1968… why does it still have a “check engine” light? Can’t it just, you know, TELL ME what is wrong? Why do I have to take it into the shop so some yag can hook it up to ANOTHER COMPUTER to tell me that the alternator is going, or it’s throwing a piston, or whatever? > > The older I get, the more I realize life in America is just one big goddamned scam. This. And OBD readers, at least the mid-range price ones I have, aren’t incredibly helpful. OBD: P1044 ERROR Google: hmmm, well, this could be due to 523 different issues . . . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-scorching-rants-of-august/818920.md?page=13)