# Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=190 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 191 --- ## [Nitpicking the Nazi Lampshade column](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-nazi-lampshade-column/248793)
**Author:** [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [June 5, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-nazi-lampshade-column/248793 "2004-06-05T12:30:17Z")
Cecil’s reply in the column “Did the Nazis make lampshades out of human skin?” includes the following: As the World’s Smartest Human Being, I’m sure that Cecil is aware that the figure of 5 - 6 million refers to the Na… --- ## [Paean to Satan? I think not!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paean-to-satan-i-think-not/248574)
**Author:** [@Skadi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skadi)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [June 4, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paean-to-satan-i-think-not/248574 "2004-06-04T21:00:48Z")
Ok, hopefully this one hasnt been posted yet… In regards to Cecil’s reply to the meaning of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin (found here )one interpretaion he mentioned that when played backwards, it was a paean to Sa… --- ## [Problem with the abortion column](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-the-abortion-column/247534)
**Author:** [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [June 4, 2004, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-the-abortion-column/247534 "2004-06-04T13:28:38Z")
Cecil doesn’t seem to answer the question he was asked. He goes to great lengths about how many (or few) abortion-related deaths there were before abortion was made legal in the US. However, the quotation in the question… --- ## [Three Men and a baby](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043)
**Author:** [@bintang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bintang)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [June 4, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-men-and-a-baby/240043 "2004-06-04T06:38:28Z")
I have heard from many people the argument that the “child” in the background is actually a cardboard cut out of Ted Danson in the movie Three Men and a Baby (URL: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mthreemen.html). On… --- ## [Why no 4-D movies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-4-d-movies/246006)
**Author:** [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [June 3, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-4-d-movies/246006 "2004-06-03T23:39:20Z")
In regards to the "Why do you need special glasses for 3-D movies? " classic I was wondering… why hasn’t hollywood offered a 4-D movie yet? http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_369.html Seems like the movie Memento … --- ## [Second Hand Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-hand-smoke/247005)
**Author:** [@jeniferj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeniferj)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [June 3, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-hand-smoke/247005 "2004-06-03T23:07:35Z")
I just saw a clip on Penn & Teller’s Bullsh\*t (Showtime) that states the research on second hand smoke as a cause of lung cancer is bogus. I checked with Straight Dope (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000602.html), … --- ## [One Thread for Typos on All Columns](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-thread-for-typos-on-all-columns/248356)
**Author:** [@TSDaddict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSDaddict)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [June 3, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-thread-for-typos-on-all-columns/248356 "2004-06-03T20:49:18Z")
I’m referring to column called: What do artsy film critics mean by “mise-en-scene”? from August 20, 1980 http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_372a.html I thought it might be useful to start a thread to point out … --- ## [Phonetic Telephone Numbers (800 number nitpick)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-telephone-numbers-800-number-nitpick/248244)
**Author:** [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [June 3, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-telephone-numbers-800-number-nitpick/248244 "2004-06-03T15:47:48Z")
Nitpick for sure… http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_377.html Cecil says in this column that “only businesses use 800 numbers.” This may have been true in 1982, but now it’s not at all uncommon for individuals to… --- ## [555 program started in 1973?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/555-program-started-in-1973/246215)
**Author:** [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [June 2, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/555-program-started-in-1973/246215 "2004-06-02T16:14:56Z")
In the recently-run classic column, Why do phone numbers in TV shows and movies all start with 555?, Cecil says, “The “555” gambit was created in 1973…” But I’m sure I remember it from long before that. For instance, it… --- ## [Ellen Goodman abortion column](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ellen-goodman-abortion-column/247544)
**Author:** [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ellen-goodman-abortion-column/247544 "2004-05-29T16:29:51Z")
Link to column You wrote: …so, to do my part in eradicating ignorance, I did. Took me all of 2 minutes to determine that she was born in 1941. Cite. --- ## ["In a Coon's Age"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/247035)
**Author:** [@kickenit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kickenit)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/247035 "2004-05-25T18:58:55Z")
Thanks, Dex, for your smart and sensitive report on the origins of “in a coon’s age,” meaning “in a long time.” The staff report can be found at http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcoonsage.html You lament that there’… --- ## [Another way animal fights are faked on films](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-way-animal-fights-are-faked-on-films/244003)
**Author:** [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-way-animal-fights-are-faked-on-films/244003 "2004-05-25T14:25:59Z")
In this SD classic column, Cecil discusses how film directors can create the illusion of animals fighting each other. I’m surprised Cecil didn’t mention the favorite technique of low-budget B-film directors: simply film… --- ## [Nitpick re: water vapor - surface area](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpick-re-water-vapor-surface-area/246254)
**Author:** [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpick-re-water-vapor-surface-area/246254 "2004-05-25T00:14:15Z")
In How can water turn to vapor below the boiling point?, Una said this: I’d like to add a fifth factor, surface area of the water. Water tends to bead up on skin, reducing its surface area, and by rubbing your hands un… --- ## [Alvin Tostig Revealed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-tostig-revealed/246783)
**Author:** [@RizzKid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RizzKid)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-tostig-revealed/246783 "2004-05-24T22:33:35Z")
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlevon.html I’m new here. I came across the original “Alvin Tostig” question recently during my 30-year quest to solve this great enigma of Western civilization. I have found no one … --- ## [Wide-screen movies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wide-screen-movies/246347)
**Author:** [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wide-screen-movies/246347 "2004-05-24T21:05:00Z")
Cecil’s recycled column What’s the difference between Cinerama, Panavision, Super Panavision, etc.? was written in 1981. Have there been any developments in the last 23 years that require revising the article? For exampl… --- ## [Vampires and porphyria](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vampires-and-porphyria/245286)
**Author:** [@swyves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swyves)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vampires-and-porphyria/245286 "2004-05-24T02:42:32Z")
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990507.html This is in response to your assertion that the myth of vampirism has nothing to do with porphyria; frankly, I don’t buy it. To address your points: 1: you say that 200 … --- ## ["Death touch" format problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-touch-format-problem/246377)
**Author:** [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-touch-format-problem/246377 "2004-05-21T20:01:44Z")
In Is the “Ninja Death Touch” real? , there’s a formatting problem: everything starting with the words “kyusho jitsu” is italicized. My guess is that it is because those words are preceded with markup “\\” inste… --- ## [3D Movies and the B&W 'Middle' Image.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-movies-and-the-b-w-middle-image/246309)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3d-movies-and-the-b-w-middle-image/246309 "2004-05-21T11:32:06Z")
Concerning this Straightdope classic about 3D movies, there is just one thing I don’t understand. Now I could be wrong, and I could be on the verge of making a fool out of myself with this question. But I don’t think thi… --- ## [Decapitation experiments](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-experiments/246178)
**Author:** [@blathermanjake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blathermanjake)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decapitation-experiments/246178 "2004-05-20T22:08:42Z")
Howdy, Cecil. On reading your treatise on the subjective experience of decapitation, I was reminded of some required reading from a history class that focussed on incarceraton and corporal punishment. One chapter in par… --- ## [General Comment on all columns](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-comment-on-all-columns/246244)
**Author:** [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-comment-on-all-columns/246244 "2004-05-20T21:10:05Z")
Sorry, Cec, I gotta gush. I live for your column. When the weekly paper comes in, I leaf through to find your latest pronouncment of “The Straight Dope” before I look at anything else. Not only do I get smarter each w… --- ## [Nitpick: Sauna/Steam room](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpick-sauna-steam-room/245791)
**Author:** [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpick-sauna-steam-room/245791 "2004-05-20T11:34:05Z")
In her article about evaporation, Una wrote: I think Una means “Steam Room”, not sauna. Saunas are dry heat, and IMHO, much more pleasant than steam rooms. Other than that, it was a well written, informative article. … --- ## [The "X" on the telephone dial](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-on-the-telephone-dial/244988)
**Author:** [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-on-the-telephone-dial/244988 "2004-05-20T06:37:12Z")
Except I suppose I should say "telephone keypad now, but um, anyway… http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_378b.html Most of the phone numbers in the Pennsylvania town where I grew up started with 39x-. This comes f… --- ## [Type sizes in movie credits](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/type-sizes-in-movie-credits/245735)
**Author:** [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/type-sizes-in-movie-credits/245735 "2004-05-20T06:01:41Z")
In a recent Straight Dope Classics column, Cecil mentions that a critical point of contention on movie billing is the relative size of the names of the various actors. I was wondering – is this related to the reason mov… --- ## [Barney Rubbles Job](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-rubbles-job/245781)
**Author:** [@TORISGIRL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TORISGIRL11)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-rubbles-job/245781 "2004-05-20T01:17:36Z")
:smack: \[FONT=Comic Sans MS\]\[COLOR=Purple\]\[/SIZE\] I cant believe the people that made the cartoon the Flintstones, can’t even remember when Fred and Barney bought a hamburger joint, where they cooked and sold brontosau… --- ## [Earth's Wobble - electromagnetic contributions...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-wobble-electromagnetic-contributions/52650)
**Author:** [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-wobble-electromagnetic-contributions/52650 "2004-05-19T19:35:20Z")
While it doesn’t deal specifically with the Chandler Wobble, the recent article Clues to Earth’s Wobble Come From Within from space.com details some interesting ideas about contributions to earth’s wobbles. Excerpt: S… --- ## [Reversed pictures and name in movie posters](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversed-pictures-and-name-in-movie-posters/245758)
**Author:** [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversed-pictures-and-name-in-movie-posters/245758 "2004-05-18T14:52:00Z")
The recent Straight Dope Classics column. Reminded me of a related question I’ve been meaning to ask for a long time. It appears to me that sometimes (defined as at least often enough for me to notice), the names of the… --- ## [The best lotto numbers to pick](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-lotto-numbers-to-pick/232194)
**Author:** [@felson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/felson)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-lotto-numbers-to-pick/232194 "2004-05-18T14:34:04Z")
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlottery.html In general, it’s best to pick tickets with lots of numbers that are greater than 31. This won’t affect your chances of winning, but it will reduce your chances of having… --- ## [General Motors and demise of urban rail transit](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-motors-and-demise-of-urban-rail-transit/245197)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-motors-and-demise-of-urban-rail-transit/245197 "2004-05-18T13:41:04Z")
Obligatory link: Did GM Destroy the LA Mass Transit System. The Master, after a somewhat lengthy answer, winds up answering in the negative. As long as I’ve thought about this issue, it’s only recently that a startli… --- ## [animals in movies: what about horses getting "shot"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-movies-what-about-horses-getting-shot/245020)
**Author:** [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-in-movies-what-about-horses-getting-shot/245020 "2004-05-18T03:08:19Z")
In his SD classic column, http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_370b.html , Cecil discusses how film directors can create the illusion of animals fighting each other. I’m wondering about getting horses to fall down i… --- ## [Burning calories--beer & icewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories-beer-icewater/52346)
**Author:** [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Replies:** 108\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories-beer-icewater/52346 "2004-05-17T14:36:47Z")
Ummm… what I remember from biology lectures is that an incredible amount of the energy you make is lost as “body heat”. Wouldn’t this heat–from calories you’ve already burned just by living–be what heats up the cold beer… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=189) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=191)