The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[amandaelizabeth]

Expiry date is the 12th of march 2013.

[Outdoor Girl]

I keep my peanut butter in the cupboard because I find it easier to spread.  I've never had it go off before the expiry date.  But some people really taste when it starts to go off and they prefer to keep it in the fridge.

I agree with amandaelizabeth about the expiry date.  Maybe suggest that next time peanut butter is purchased, it could be bought in smaller quantities.  Maybe even get two jars - one stored in the cupboard and one stored in the fridge and people can use the one they prefer.

[camlan]

The expiration date on food only refers to how long it will stay good to eat unopened. Once the container is opened, the expiration date isn't any use any more.

Found a peanut butter FAQ here: http://www.jif.com/About/Faq

They say that once opened, it's good for three months on the shelf. I've heard that after that, it is still safe to eat, but the oils may start going rancid, so it might taste funny.

All peanut butter will get hard in the fridge. So people would have to take the jar out and let it warm up before using it.

If you don't want it to go to waste, you could bring in a smaller jar and put a few weeks supply in that and put that in the pantry, while storing the larger jar in the fridge.

[sevenday]

Came in to chime in on the peanut butter. I've always used the three-month rule of thumb for opened PB in the pantry.  I've noticed that while I can eat peanut butter freshly opened, if I let it go beyond 3 months or so - despite seeming to taste the same upon eating, my stomach doesn't like it.  I don't eat it often nor use it in cooking/baking, so I get the smallest possible jar I can, and then put it in the fridge.  I'll scoop out about 1/2 a cup or so and put it in one of those plastic food storage containers (Glad, Ziploc, etc) and keep that in the pantry so it's spreadable at room temperature.  When that's out or nearly out I wash it and use a fresh container for a new scoop and go from there.  One jar usually lasts me eight or nine months at this rate.   You might consider employing that at the office to prevent problems with spreadability and so forth.

[Slartibartfast]

Some "natural" or organic peanut butters, and most other nut butters, do keep better when refrigerated.  The commercial ones are homogenized enough it's not necessary.

[Redsoil]

I use Kraft peanut butter, and keep it in the pantry.  I only use it rarely, so over the years, I've had it on the shelf for as long as three years.  No problem.  Still tastes fine!

[Onyx_TKD]

I've seen quite a few posts on eHell with periods instead of spaces between some of the words. So a post will be perfectly normal and then suddenly it.looks.like.this. It seems to be something I'll see repeatedly in the posts of certain posters, so it doesn't seem to be a fluke. Is this something people do intentionally for emphasis or something, or just a typo where the period is hit instead of the spacebar? If it's a typo, is there some keyboard layout that puts the period right next to the spacebar? On my keyboard, it would be very difficult to hit the period when I was aiming for the spacebar, and if I did, I would probably be hitting other keys as well, not the period consistently. However, this is not something I've ever come across as a way to emphasize things in text, not even when italics, bold, and underlining are unavailable, so I'm baffled.

[kherbert05]

I've seen quite a few posts on eHell with periods instead of spaces between some of the words. So a post will be perfectly normal and then suddenly it.looks.like.this. It seems to be something I'll see repeatedly in the posts of certain posters, so it doesn't seem to be a fluke. Is this something people do intentionally for emphasis or something, or just a typo where the period is hit instead of the spacebar? If it's a typo, is there some keyboard layout that puts the period right next to the spacebar? On my keyboard, it would be very difficult to hit the period when I was aiming for the spacebar, and if I did, I would probably be hitting other keys as well, not the period consistently. However, this is not something I've ever come across as a way to emphasize things in text, not even when italics, bold, and underlining are unavailable, so I'm baffled.

It is a type of emphasis when you read you go up on the end of each word and they are clipped. Think a kid in class drumming on the desk, the teacher goes up and says you.will.stop.now.

[camlan]

I've seen quite a few posts on eHell with periods instead of spaces between some of the words. So a post will be perfectly normal and then suddenly it.looks.like.this. It seems to be something I'll see repeatedly in the posts of certain posters, so it doesn't seem to be a fluke. Is this something people do intentionally for emphasis or something, or just a typo where the period is hit instead of the spacebar? If it's a typo, is there some keyboard layout that puts the period right next to the spacebar? On my keyboard, it would be very difficult to hit the period when I was aiming for the spacebar, and if I did, I would probably be hitting other keys as well, not the period consistently. However, this is not something I've ever come across as a way to emphasize things in text, not even when italics, bold, and underlining are unavailable, so I'm baffled.

It is a type of emphasis when you read you go up on the end of each word and they are clipped. Think a kid in class drumming on the desk, the teacher goes up and says you.will.stop.now.

I always think of it as someone speaking through gritted teeth, sort of lockjaw.

[Mental Magpie]

I've seen quite a few posts on eHell with periods instead of spaces between some of the words. So a post will be perfectly normal and then suddenly it.looks.like.this. It seems to be something I'll see repeatedly in the posts of certain posters, so it doesn't seem to be a fluke. Is this something people do intentionally for emphasis or something, or just a typo where the period is hit instead of the spacebar? If it's a typo, is there some keyboard layout that puts the period right next to the spacebar? On my keyboard, it would be very difficult to hit the period when I was aiming for the spacebar, and if I did, I would probably be hitting other keys as well, not the period consistently. However, this is not something I've ever come across as a way to emphasize things in text, not even when italics, bold, and underlining are unavailable, so I'm baffled.

It is a type of emphasis when you read you go up on the end of each word and they are clipped. Think a kid in class drumming on the desk, the teacher goes up and says you.will.stop.now.

I always think of it as someone speaking through gritted teeth, sort of lockjaw.

Ditto. I think of a mom giving The Mom Look and saying the phrase in clipped but emphasized tones.

[Betelnut]

Yeah, but some people seem to use the period word, period word thing a little too much and in not very appropriate spots.  In those cases, I have wondered if it was a Smarphone stutter or something...

[Mental Magpie]

Yeah, but some people seem to use the period word, period word thing a little too much and in not very appropriate spots.  In those cases, I have wondered if it was a Smarphone stutter or something...

That is also my other guess. I read it with clipped tones first, and if that doesn't seem right , I wonder for a fleeting moment before just ignoring it as a typo of sorts that logistically probably only comes from a device with autocorrect or the likes.

[Mental Magpie]

How exactly are you supposed to use bobby-pins and get them to stay?  Maybe I'm using too much hair for one pin or my hair is too thick/curly or maybe I'm just bobby-pin inapt.

[Luci45]

How exactly are you supposed to use bobby-pins and get them to stay?  Maybe I'm using too much hair for one pin or my hair is too thick/curly or maybe I'm just bobby-pin inapt.

Do you mean to make coils to make curls as in the 1940s or just hold your hair back?

For the former, it takes practice to find the right amount of hair, wind it around your finger so the end is closest to the scalp, and put the pin in gently to not disturb the coil. (Yeah, right! I perfected the curl about the time it wasn't needed anymore!)

For the latter, if your hair is thick and curly, it won't work, although for my fine, thin hair it did - I used them on strays when I wore a ponytail, circa 1960. You need to find large barretts or hair combs or Scrunchies. Hair combs are great if you know how to go with the grain and then twist back. They stay all day.

[Mental Magpie]

How exactly are you supposed to use bobby-pins and get them to stay?  Maybe I'm using too much hair for one pin or my hair is too thick/curly or maybe I'm just bobby-pin inapt.

Do you mean to make coils to make curls as in the 1940s or just hold your hair back?

For the former, it takes practice to find the right amount of hair, wind it around your finger so the end is closest to the scalp, and put the pin in gently to not disturb the coil. (Yeah, right! I perfected the curl about the time it wasn't needed anymore!)

For the latter, if your hair is thick and curly, it won't work, although for my fine, thin hair it did - I used them on strays when I wore a ponytail, circa 1960. You need to find large barretts or hair combs or Scrunchies. Hair combs are great if you know how to go with the grain and then twist back. They stay all day.

I mostly use them to hold back errants or to pin up my hair into an up-do.  Some pins stay and some don't; I can't figure out what I do to get some to stay.  I have thick (density and width of strand) naturally curly hair.  Maybe more pins and less hair per pin will help?  Do you just slide them in facing any direction?  Is less hair per pin better?  I am really at a loss for this