# Twenty Days Has October Rants - The Rest Are On Furlough **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 1, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074 "2013-10-01T07:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/421 "2013-10-19T15:24:55Z")
\*\*\*::whimper:: ::diessssssss::\*\*\* **Crazy Cat Lady** , my deepest empathy. And crossed legs. **Sattua** , I am so sorry. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/422 "2013-10-19T16:08:47Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I would like to cordially pit the BART strike, BART management, the BART unions, and the fact that the Muni Metro, my only practical alternative, was not even letting patrons on the platform this evening because those trains were having some kind of problem (I guess) and the platforms were full. > > I live in the city so the BART strike is not such a disaster for me as it is for those who need to get back and from between the city and the east bay. But really, the Muni Metro is the only practical alternative, and if that is going to suck worse than usual, I’m going to have to cry. > > I took a bus as close to home as I could get, and phoned my SO to pick me up. I would have done the 40-minute walk, but after the 45-minute bus ride, I really had to pee. And no public restrooms in the area. > > I sure hope they settle it this weekend or someone steps in and puts a stop to this, or else next week is going to suck big time. > Roddy I am normally supportive of strikes but this one is just fucking stupid. They’re not coal miners asking for a decent salary. They’re reasonably well paid public workers throwing a temper tantrum. I live in the NYC metro area and have endured two such strikes in the past fifteen years by public transit workers. Both times it was the world’s biggest pain in the ass and wholly unjustified so I feel your pain. My hopes for a quick recovery, **CrazyCatLady**. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/423 "2013-10-19T18:34:12Z")
My birthday is in October. Every year someone is travelling or just not around for more than half of the month (and never Thanksgiving weekend but everybody has other commitments). To top it off, my brother’s wife works Saturdays, so those are out. We finally settled on tomorrow afternoon for the party(my brother found out yesterday that he is flying out tomorrow night). ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/424 "2013-10-19T21:01:16Z")
[Charlie dog](http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/rhiannon8404/PBU%20dogs/Charlie1.jpg) update: CHARLIE WAS ADOPTED by a very nice family this morning. I feel like it was a miracle, but I know it was the hard work of the shelter director, myself and my volunteers, and all the dog rescue people in our area who networked him and promoted him and never, ever gave up on him. Another one of my program dogs was adopted today as well. I’m just so thrilled and happy and really kinda can’t stop crying. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/425 "2013-10-20T00:47:29Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > tsk tsk tsk > > The very light smell of wood smoke on a cold overcast day is Nirvana to me. The drepressive one or the good one? :halo: (Isn’t it amazing how a word can get co-opted so thoroughly?) I’m not reading about abscesses, happy birthday and gz re. Charliedog ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/426 "2013-10-20T02:06:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > The drepressive one or the good one? When I was a child in Boy’s Brigade, we would do winter activities and hunting activities. Coming back cold to a shack and standing around a warm fire was kind of special. When I had my house and my best bud, Little Guy used to love a fire in the fireplace. I would often lay out my winter coat so he could lay in it (with my smell) in front of the fire. I’d lay nearby reading. There were sometimes when I’d light a fire just for him. Lay out the coat, light the fire, go downstairs to play on my computer or watch TV. Come back up every now and again to hang out and cuddle with him for a few minutes and tend the fire for him. He loved it. (and I miss him a lot) So I have a lot of really good memories of fireplaces and wood fires. I also used to be a serious pothead, and a good ‘woody’ pot taste was awesome. Harsh, direct smoke? No. But a light smoke scent of wood means good times and good memories to me. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/427 "2013-10-20T02:07:55Z")
> [@AHarris](#): > > My birthday is in October. Every year someone is travelling or just not around for more than half of the month (and never Thanksgiving weekend but everybody has other commitments). > > To top it off, my brother’s wife works Saturdays, so those are out. > > We finally settled on tomorrow afternoon for the party(my brother found out yesterday that he is flying out tomorrow night). Our family was both spread out all over the year, and all over the country [dad was military, one uncle was in Connecticut the other was first in western NY then in Florida] so my grandparents decided that since everybody was getting together for the 4th of July [generally] that we would have the entire family mutual birthday party and 4th of July picnic. We would bring all the presents along and everybody would just open presents after the lunch and we would have a huge cake and ice cream. How about picking one holiday when everybody is in the same area and willing to get together , 4th of July is a decent one, or Memorial or Labor day. > [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > [Charlie dog](http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/rhiannon8404/PBU%20dogs/Charlie1.jpg) update: CHARLIE WAS ADOPTED by a very nice family this morning. > > I feel like it was a miracle, but I know it was the hard work of the shelter director, myself and my volunteers, and all the dog rescue people in our area who networked him and promoted him and never, ever gave up on him. > > Another one of my program dogs was adopted today as well. I’m just so thrilled and happy and really kinda can’t stop crying. Hurrah! ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/428 "2013-10-20T03:29:05Z")
Jesus. One of these days the little girl across the street is going to be flayed alive by someone and the whole neighborhood is just going to assume it’s business as usual. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/429 "2013-10-20T04:47:51Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Jesus. One of these days the little girl across the street is going to be flayed alive by someone and the whole neighborhood is just going to assume it’s business as usual. You live across the street from poor **CrazyCatLady**?!?! Sorry, I’ve been trying to not think about getting hoohaws flayed. Everytime I open this thread, I think about not thinking about it. Which works about as well as you would expect. **CrazyCatLady** I’m really sorry that you are going through that, but I just can’t do more than think sympathic thoughts and then go hide under my desk again. Oh good gawd, I want to crawl under my desk and hide just thinking about it. Anyhow, **Curlie** , is that just one of the screaming kids, or is something else going on? My rant is probably the worst whine of first world problems ever. My library card is only a county library card, so I can’t use that really nice library by our favorite drinking hole because its in a different county. OK, well, I can if I pay a fee for being an out of area user. This is reasonable and I understand why they would want me to pay for the service with dollars because I’m not paying with property taxes. But…but…but…Its a free public library…GIVE ME THE DAMN BOOKS ALREADY!!! (I bought the card, hundred bucks a year for all the books I want is a real deal, but still…) ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/430 "2013-10-20T05:19:21Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > You live across the street from poor **CrazyCatLady**?!?! No - I imagine she’d make less noise! 😉 > [@](#): > > Anyhow, **Curlie** , is that just one of the screaming kids, or is something else going on? It’s a little girl who has that special scream that only little girls can do, and it generally goes on for hours. I don’t think she actually lives over there, because it isn’t every day, but I’d still think someone in that house would want to stop it… > [@](#): > > My rant is probably the worst whine of first world problems ever. My library card is only a county library card, so I can’t use that really nice library by our favorite drinking hole because its in a different county. OK, well, I can if I pay a fee for being an out of area user. > > This is reasonable and I understand why they would want me to pay for the service with dollars because I’m not paying with property taxes. > > But…but…but…Its a free public library…GIVE ME THE DAMN BOOKS ALREADY!!! > > (I bought the card, hundred bucks a year for all the books I want is a real deal, but still…) 😕 I thought public libraries were free, no matter where you lived? ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/431 "2013-10-20T05:43:09Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > It’s a little girl who has that special scream that only little girls can do, and it generally goes on for hours. I don’t think she actually lives over there, because it isn’t every day, but I’d still think someone in that house would want to stop it… > > Back when I lived in my trailor, the kids 2 lots down would scream and yell. After a while, I got used to it. One day I was outside working in my garden and one of the kids fell out off the roof and broke bones. I never noticed the difference in the screams, I only looked when the ambulance showed up. > > OTOH, when the elderly neighbor on the other side of my fence fell over and couldn’t get up, I heard his quiet cussing while I was inside and playing music. > 😕 I thought public libraries were free, no matter where you lived? Yeah, that’s why I was outraged. Like you, I grew up knowing that I could borrow books for free. But I do understand, libraries are funded through property taxes. That very nice library doesn’t get money from us because we live in a different county, so they don’t get that couple of dollars a year from our property taxes. But, honestly, paying for a years use on a library card…no matter how good the deal…just hurt my heart. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/432 "2013-10-20T15:43:53Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > How about picking one holiday when everybody is in the same area and willing to get together , 4th of July is a decent one, or Memorial or Labor day. > > Hurrah! My mother’s birthday is at Christmas. After decades of getting Christmas and Birthday at the same time, she makes sure that she gets separate parties. Since we host the family Christmas party, it works out perfectly for her. We all live fairly close together and see each other regularly. The part that bugs me is that it works out for everyone else’s birthday. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/433 "2013-10-20T16:45:15Z")
Sometimes the Canadian thread on this board really fucking annoys me. :mad: Curious that many people in that thread are Canadian like me, but have such different views than I do. Ah well, people have different opinions on things. Part of life, I suppose. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/434 "2013-10-20T17:09:22Z")
Darned 30-second unskippable ads before YouTube videos! I want my 30 seconds back. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/435 "2013-10-20T17:47:20Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Sometimes the Canadian thread on this board really fucking annoys me. :mad: Curious that many people in that thread are Canadian like me, but have such different views than I do. > > Ah well, people have different opinions on things. Part of life, I suppose. _checks the message timestamp_ Oops, that was probably me who annoyed you. Sorry. I don’t regularly post in that thread anyway. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/436 "2013-10-20T18:39:03Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > _checks the message timestamp_ > > Oops, that was probably me who annoyed you. Sorry. I don’t regularly post in that thread anyway. Aw, don’t worry about it. I overreact sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/437 "2013-10-20T18:42:24Z")
You know that feeling where you don’t turn up to (what turns out to be) someone’s top-secret surprise wedding, and they end up having to get some of the admin staff to be witnesses for the ceremony, because you weren’t there? Yeah. Congratulations on your recent Highland wedding \*\*FormerDoper \*\*and **NowMrsFormerDoper**! Ooops. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/438 "2013-10-20T18:44:54Z")
Rant #1: The pictures on my online anatomy test were so small and faint it was nearly impossible to tell what you were supposed to be identifying. It’s minor miracle I did as well as I did. I protested to the professor, and it looks like I’m not the only one who did because the prof just posted a message about how he’s aware of some issues with the pictures. Rant #2: I’ve known for years that I have to eat at regular intervals in order to keep my blood sugar happy. I have been able to keep things under control pretty well until just recently. Now I eat breakfast at 7am, and I’m starving and about to black out by 9am. I eat lunch at noon, by 3pm I’m dizzy, sick to my stomach, and have a massive headache. Twice I almost blacked out at work. Something is wrong, but I don’t know what. I’m going to the doctor Tuesday, wish me luck. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/439 "2013-10-20T19:19:33Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > Rant #2: I’ve known for years that I have to eat at regular intervals in order to keep my blood sugar happy. I have been able to keep things under control pretty well until just recently. Now I eat breakfast at 7am, and I’m starving and about to black out by 9am. I eat lunch at noon, by 3pm I’m dizzy, sick to my stomach, and have a massive headache. Twice I almost blacked out at work. Something is wrong, but I don’t know what. I’m going to the doctor Tuesday, wish me luck. I keep granola bars and dark chocolate in my desk drawer at all times in the event of blood sugar related emergency. Doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, by the time I recognize it I need something NOW. Of course, I go through so much of the chocolate just because, that I buy multiple bags at a time. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074/440 "2013-10-20T19:34:16Z")
Fuck off and die neighbor with an hour of leaf blowing. I will hold the biggest party ever the day you leave my block. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-days-has-october-rants-the-rest-are-on-furlough/670074.md?page=23)