# Winter's a-coming! Season of Death Mini-Rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 18, 2010, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833 "2010-09-18T09:03:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/761 "2010-10-28T20:37:52Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > The neti pot didn’t work for me, because I couldn’t stick with it. I got the water-in-the-ears thing the first time I used it and it didn’t go away until a few days after I stopped. Lean forward a little more than you’d expect to. Not head-down, but at an angle a little lower than bent perpendicular. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/762 "2010-10-28T22:56:37Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I would like to pit whatever asswipe genius at ABC that decided to have Charlie Brown rap to publicize the Halloween special. There is a special place in hell for you. You missed him rapping about his “homies” last year? Amazingly, I have no rants today. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/763 "2010-10-28T23:48:10Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > No shit? You get disciplined for catching a cold and/or choosing to not spread it around more? That’s not the least of it, and they wonder why their annual turnover is well over 200%. Hell, of the 29 people in my training class, we were down to 4 of us after 7 months. Unfortunately, the four of us are still there, with our two year anniversary next week. Damn, I need a different job! For the record, the flu hit me harder last night and I ended up staying home today. Intestinal flu kinda makes it hard to sit at a desk and take calls. If I don’t get better by tomorrow, I probably have to take the double whammy of not getting paid for 2 or more days AND paying to go to the Urgent Care. A doctor’s note is the only way you don’t get the points. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/764 "2010-10-29T00:46:57Z")
> [@](#): > > A doctor’s note is the only way you don’t get the points. This is idiotic. However, they probably had to institute this policy to deal with idiots who’d decide that they just didn’t want to come in to work today. The company should either hire a nurse or doctor to verify disease or disability, or have managers going around and checking to see that people with the flu or other contagious diseases are sent home before they infect the whole damned company (plus their workers’ families and friends). ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/765 "2010-10-29T00:51:48Z")
> [@MissTake](#): > > I do so wish I could do something as simple as pee without the [fuzzy terrorists](http://picasaweb.google.com/KajeKlinger/Pictures#5524325880081186226) pestering me. Dot, get out of my underwear. Mayme, quit attacking my toes. Both of you leave the damn toilet paper alone. Get off the shower curtain. No, don’t jump into the trash can! > I close the door to keep them out and get little terrorists throwing themselves against the door, mewling their little hearts out. Even [Lucy](http://picasaweb.google.com/KajeKlinger/Pictures#5524325894673471714) has taken to hiding from them. I have a large suitcase on the toolbench down in the basement furnace room. She sleeps in the suitcase. Wish I could join her. Instead I get kittens tearing over my bed at 3am, playing with my hair, nibbles on my ear. > > I long for a day when I can use the bathroom alone and get a full nights’ sleep. Sorry, cuteness is not allowed in the Pit. 😉 I suggest putting the toilet paper on the holder backwards…that is, so that it rolls off from the back. This will stop, somewhat, the annoying habit some cats have of batting at the TP just to watch it unroll. In addition, we have a cat who, as a kitten, delighted in turning over every single wastebasket in the house. We finally had to put scrap metal in the bottom of each basket, just so old Charlie wouldn’t dump them all out all day every day. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/766 "2010-10-29T00:54:10Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Sorry, cuteness is not allowed in the Pit. 😉 > > I suggest putting the toilet paper on the holder backwards…that is, so that it rolls off from the back. This will stop, somewhat, the annoying habit some cats have of batting at the TP just to watch it unroll. In addition, we have a cat who, as a kitten, delighted in turning over every single wastebasket in the house. We finally had to put scrap metal in the bottom of each basket, just so old Charlie wouldn’t dump them all out all day every day. My Cuthbert does that. He loves tipping things over. My kitchen trash can is tied to the cabinets. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/767 "2010-10-29T01:19:16Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > This is idiotic. However, they probably had to institute this policy to deal with idiots who’d decide that they just didn’t want to come in to work today. > > The company should either hire a nurse or doctor to verify disease or disability Absenteeism is the #1 cause of people being fired from this job. It is stressful, the burnout rate is high and you don’t have a lot of choice in your schedule. I have worked for companies that have the latter, a nurse on site that you have to come in and see in order to turn around and go home sick. Total bullshit. If I’m sick, I don’t want to have to get ready and drive into work to have some jackass decide whether or not I’m fit to work or can go home. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/768 "2010-10-29T05:52:21Z")
I will allow that there’s a chance that one of my people is legitimately sick enough to call in the night before one of the busiest days of the year with a vague “I’m calling in sick tomorrow.” The day that’s busy enough that I gave everyone advance warning and made sure they got early days the rest of the week to make up for the bad day in advance. Busy enough that even though I had a vacation day scheduled a couple months in advance (I didn’t know it would be _this_ particular day that would be so bad), I’ve been killing myself today making sure everything is set up in advance so they can have the smoothest day possible… But forgive me if I call that chance slim to fucking none. Bitch, I’ve tried to play fair with you. I told you I wouldn’t give you busywork and force you to stay 8 hours a day for no reason. But in return, you put in your fucking hours when we need you. When there is _legitimate_ work, you don’t fucking cop out. Yes, I know I may be reacting unfairly. It’s possible she’s legitimately ill. But past behavior suggests otherwise, and of course there’s no way to pursue the legitimacy of a sick day without looking like a complete asshole, as demonstrated on this very page of this thread. I can confer with my own boss, but of course he’s gone all _next_ week. So instead I get to rage impotently while I put aside packing for my trip as well as a few hours of sleep while I do even more prework so my department doesn’t have to bend over and take it right up the ass tomorrow when they don’t deserve it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/769 "2010-10-29T07:50:17Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > And eat your fucking peas. If I ever catch my peas fucking I am SO posting it to YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/770 "2010-10-29T09:55:10Z")
My daughter was working retail one holiday season when she got food poisoning (she’d never had goat, she was at a new restaurant, and saw goat on the menu). She went in to work on the Saturday before Christmas…and her manager told her to go home, because puking on the customers is just not a good idea. However, Lisa had almost never taken sick days. She usually showed up 20 minutes before work, awake, cheerful, sober, and ready to work. > [@](#): > > I have worked for companies that have the latter, a nurse on site that you have to come in and see in order to turn around and go home sick. Total bullshit. If I’m sick, I don’t want to have to get ready and drive into work to have some jackass decide whether or not I’m fit to work or can go home. Oh, I wasn’t thinking of requiring workers to come in to get a sick note. It should be an option, though, if you get sick on the job. And at the very least, if a company requires a sick note, then it should pay for the medical visit required to get that note. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/771 "2010-10-29T12:22:42Z")
I used to get sick every year in February - like clock work. I explained to my employer that if I didn’t feel well I could a)take a few days off and then be back in fairly good health, or b)I could force myself to come in and then be out for a couple of weeks. My body just wouldn’t tolerate the additional stress and forcing myself to go in set back my recovery by at least a week. They thought I was full of shit until it happened and was out for nearly 2 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/772 "2010-10-29T14:22:31Z")
I think that’s true of most people, **dzero** - you take a day or two off when you’re at the worst of your cold or flu, get a leg up on it, then you’re back to healthy in a reasonable time. Well, the group leader has bothered me two more times about the party I’m hosting. SOMEBODY is having a problem not sticking their nose in my business - dude, you’re a guest at the party, not the co-host. If I ever have a party again, I will not be inviting this group because of this guy. I don’t want to be nasty and tell him to piss off, and I do think he has good intentions, but I have a very low tolerance for people bugging me about what I’m doing - if you needed to know, I would tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/773 "2010-10-29T14:36:59Z")
My employer has the same policy as **Chimera** : Call off sick, get disciplinary points. Yet we are exhorted to call off sick so as not to infect our co-workers. Except: If we do call off, we lose vacation time. Because it’s all one “flextime” pot. I’m coming in if I have typhoid. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/774 "2010-10-29T15:04:35Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > For the record, the flu hit me harder last night and I ended up staying home today. Intestinal flu kinda makes it hard to sit at a desk and take calls. If I don’t get better by tomorrow, I probably have to take the double whammy of not getting paid for 2 or more days AND paying to go to the Urgent Care. A doctor’s note is the only way you don’t get the points. Where I work, a doctor’s note means absolutely NOTHING. I had a doctor tell me to stay home, and the time still counted against me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/775 "2010-10-29T15:47:56Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > If you want to get nothing but warm fuzzies back when you complain, take it to MPSIMS, and I shall trouble you not. [Bitch.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12105995&postcount=17) ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/776 "2010-10-29T16:31:43Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I suggest putting the toilet paper on the holder backwards…that is, so that it rolls off from the back. This will stop, somewhat, the annoying habit some cats have of batting at the TP just to watch it unroll. Yup. This is \*the \*singular valid reason to have the roll oriented that way. > [@Nava](#): > > If I ever catch my peas fucking I am SO posting it to YouTube. Only if you crosspost the link here. > [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [Bitch.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12105995&postcount=17) Okay, I should have said “If you don’t want me \*calling you a fucking retard \*when you complain.” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/777 "2010-10-29T17:52:26Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > Where I work, a doctor’s note means absolutely NOTHING. I had a doctor tell me to stay home, and the time still counted against me. I went in today. Took a couple of calls. Really simple issue where I had to consult someone else and explain something to them and I was having serious difficulty concentrating. So I explained to my boss and said I was going to the doctor. Go into urgent care (I don’t have a regular doctor). All my numbers are normal. Says nothing wrong with you. I say otherwise. So he decides to run some tests, blood and nasal swab. All those numbers normal, no flu. But I had some issues while in there and broke out in a sweat for basically no reason and nearly passed out. Um sure, I’m not sick, Doc, I just came in here for fun. Bottom line diagnosis: Viral Gastro-something or other. Go home and rest. But I had the diagnosis and other stuff on the form from him, and that’s enough for my company, so it won’t count against me. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/778 "2010-10-29T20:33:07Z")
Rant from a doctor here. If you cannot make your appointment- phone and cancel. If you simply don’t show up I don’t know if it is: a) because you got better b) because you had somewhere more important to be c) because you forgot about it d) because you had issues with transport or e) BECAUSE YOU ARE LYING COLLAPSED OR DEAD AT HOME. Today it rained. A lot. Exactly 2 of my patients showed up this afternoon. 2 more phoned to cancel. I now have to worry about the others- none of whom were picking up their phones. Knowing who they are I suspect that they all got better or just decided that staying home and watching Jerry Springer was more fun than braving the cold and rain for a chat with me. But still… Your appointments could have been given to actual sick people. I do not have the time, energy or inclination to chase harder than trying to phone a couple of times, or typing a form letter about non-attendance if they regularly don’t show up. Unless I know they are frail, elderly and civil enough to usually phone and cancel, I’m not driving to their house to check they’re OK. Come Monday I know some of these people will be demanding same-day urgent appointments and giving abuse to the reception staff if they have to wait for a day or two to see a doctor. Newsflash- if people like you cancelled their appointments instead of just not turning up we would have more slots free for people needing urgent appointments! If you blew off an appointment on a Friday and made it through the weekend without medical attention, the chances of actually needing a same day appointment on Monday- not high. While I love universal free healthcare, I can’t say it encourages gratitude or manners. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/779 "2010-10-29T20:45:46Z")
Great. Thanks. Try a little harder to talk Americans out of what everyone is already referring to as “Obamacare.” (Kidding. A little. But go you for having free UHC. We should be so lucky.) Gah. I’ve been awake since four fucking a fucking m. Goddamn insomnia. I’ve felt surprisingly good all day, but the inevitable crash is starting. I just need to hold out for about another hour and a half or so, and then I can go home and try to take a nice long nap. You people, with your cast-iron stomach linings, going around sipping your coffee and taunting me with your caffeinated alertness. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833/780 "2010-10-29T20:51:45Z")
Why do you keep handing me hardcopy? \*Every \*time you hand me hardcopy and ask me to do something with it, _what do I do_? Ask you to email me the file or forward me the email. So what did you do \*this \*time? Handed me a couple of emails to create a letter from. In hardcopy. :smack::smack::smack: Newsflash, moron: it’s fifty times faster for me to copy and paste this shit and then get it edited and formatted properly than to retype it from scratch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winters-a-coming-season-of-death-mini-rants/554833.md?page=40)