# Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=56 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 57 --- ## [What, exactly, are star dates?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-star-dates/630412)
**Author:** [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-star-dates/630412 "2012-08-11T01:00:53Z")
And here I thought it was an article about making it with Paula Abdul after taping the shows… I just couldn’t help noticing that SOMEONE actually took the time to record ALL the dates specified in ALL the episodes of … --- ## [Coke, asparagus and kidney stones](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-asparagus-and-kidney-stones/631046)
**Author:** [@Peter\_Gardner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Gardner)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 10, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coke-asparagus-and-kidney-stones/631046 "2012-08-10T22:50:03Z")
In 1972 I was hospitalised with kidney stones. They prescribed beer. Truly. A couple of times a day the drugs cart would come around the wards. Everybody else would get pills and I’d get a couple of cold beers. I’ve been… --- ## [Decompression](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decompression/631030)
**Author:** [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 10, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decompression/631030 "2012-08-10T18:25:39Z")
If Cecil ever cares to revisit that question, he might find information on the Byford Dolphin diving bell accident of use, I think. --- ## [Re: Lt Gen vs. Maj Gen](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-lt-gen-vs-maj-gen/630066)
**Author:** [@bradmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradmeister)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [August 9, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-lt-gen-vs-maj-gen/630066 "2012-08-09T13:12:21Z")
I read your reasonings behind why a LT General outranks a MAJ General, and it’s a little simpler than that. Being in the Army for 18 years, I’ve heard this explanation numerous times, here’s how it goes. When the rank o… --- ## [Was Walt Disney a fascist? (April 12, 2005)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-walt-disney-a-fascist-april-12-2005/630764)
**Author:** [@madkaugh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madkaugh)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-walt-disney-a-fascist-april-12-2005/630764 "2012-08-08T00:27:53Z")
More than ‘It’s a dream’, “Der Fuehrer’s Face” was an anti-Nazi propaganda cartoon. The entire cartoon can (still?) be viewed on YouTube, and the song was a hit for Spike Jones. http://www.youtube.com/results?search\_que… --- ## [Article on "Would a gun fire in space"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/article-on-would-a-gun-fire-in-space/630141)
**Author:** [@Wizard\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wizard_One)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/article-on-would-a-gun-fire-in-space/630141 "2012-08-07T18:33:47Z")
One minor addition should be considered. Gas operated actions would have some difficulties in a vacuum. Indeed, some may well explode, as there is no atmospheric pressure to balance the high pressure in the gas cylinder. … --- ## [Neil Armstrong and the meaning of brackets in quotes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-armstrong-and-the-meaning-of-brackets-in-quotes/630620)
**Author:** [@qoncept](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qoncept)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-armstrong-and-the-meaning-of-brackets-in-quotes/630620 "2012-08-07T18:06:55Z")
While hanging out with my buddies waiting for Curiosity to land last night, we talked about the radio delay, the delay for high res photos, and then on to whether there was a delay and what it was like for Apollo 11. I h… --- ## [Breaking glass with human voice](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-glass-with-human-voice/630652)
**Author:** [@shawnj72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shawnj72)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-glass-with-human-voice/630652 "2012-08-07T15:22:57Z")
It was mentioned in this column that Cecil could not find an example of a glass being shattered with an un-amplified human voice. This was actually accomplished on an episode of MythBusters. --- ## [EMP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emp/630537)
**Author:** [@Imhotep32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imhotep32)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emp/630537 "2012-08-06T16:04:09Z")
Thanks for the piece on EMP. I don’t know why this subject seems to fly under the radar (so to speak) but I have long thought that a terrorist with the means to disrupt if not totally break down electronic communication … --- ## [Is it true there has never been a war between two democracies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-there-has-never-been-a-war-between-two-democracies/628650)
**Author:** [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [August 5, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-there-has-never-been-a-war-between-two-democracies/628650 "2012-08-05T02:27:08Z")
Link. Why does Cecil miss out the wars between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971? I think Pakistan was a democracy when those happened. Were they not on a large enough scale? --- ## [Can Herbal Supplements Increase Breast Size?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-herbal-supplements-increase-breast-size/365341)
**Author:** [@dainna\_dainna.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dainna_dainna.com)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [August 5, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-herbal-supplements-increase-breast-size/365341 "2012-08-05T00:22:27Z")
HI THERE, Cecil! There are several problems with your article on herbal supplements – and several very valid points. First, and most important I think, is that you are fairly correct in saying that most born women are… --- ## [Size of the Universe](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/size-of-the-universe/629634)
**Author:** [@psythe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psythe)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 4, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/size-of-the-universe/629634 "2012-08-04T20:09:38Z")
One of the follow-on letters from here suggested you could work out the diameter of the universe by multiplying the time since the Big Bang by the speed of light. Alas, as I understand it the theory is that space-time i… --- ## [Is Wikipedia more reliable ...?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wikipedia-more-reliable/628134)
**Author:** [@Christopher\_K.Starr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Christopher_K.Starr)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wikipedia-more-reliable/628134 "2012-08-02T22:39:36Z")
Two parts of your reply are open to improvement. First, specialist encyclopedias tend to comprise articles written by identified experts, so that they are certainly more reliable than general encyclopedias such as the B… --- ## [Not quite definitive column on legislating pi](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-quite-definitive-column-on-legislating-pi/628988)
**Author:** [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-quite-definitive-column-on-legislating-pi/628988 "2012-08-02T15:22:26Z")
This column could have been a little better written: Here’s the Wikipedia entry. It contains some references to other articles about this bill: Here’s the FAQ from sci.math about the bill: http://www.faqs.org/faq… --- ## [Zero gravity fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-gravity-fire/630166)
**Author:** [@Blondin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blondin)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-gravity-fire/630166 "2012-08-02T12:53:27Z")
During the Shuttle-Mir missions there was a fire aboard the Mir space station when an oxygen generator unit overheated. Astronauts Jerry Linenger, Vasili Tsibliyev and Aleksandr Lazutkin learned first-hand how a fire beh… --- ## [What's so bad about that ozone hole anyway?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-bad-about-that-ozone-hole-anyway/629883)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 31, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-bad-about-that-ozone-hole-anyway/629883 "2012-07-31T17:41:38Z")
Russ and Larry of Chicago asked: Why can’t we use bad ozone from pollution to replenish the thinning ozone layer? (originally published Nov. 8, 1988, republished today, July 30, 2012). Cecil points out that the stratosp… --- ## [Re: Why is the letter Z associated with sleep?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-the-letter-z-associated-with-sleep/629582)
**Author:** [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 31, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-the-letter-z-associated-with-sleep/629582 "2012-07-31T03:37:46Z")
In today’s column, The Master relates the following: My dad and I are American, we speak English, and when he snores, it sounds like a wounded bear armed with a chainsaw trying to fight off a pack of wolves! I can tot… --- ## [Herr Hitler.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herr-hitler/629796)
**Author:** [@medhat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medhat)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 30, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herr-hitler/629796 "2012-07-30T00:14:00Z")
كَانَ الحِزْبُ الحَاكِمُ آنَذَاكَ (الرَايْخُ الثَالِثُ) يَتَبَنَى عَقِيْدَةُ مِحْوَرُهَا أنَ الحَاكِمُ هُوَ تَجْسِيْدُ للمَحْكُومِيْنَ وَ مِنْ ثَمَ تَنْتَهِى صِفَاتِهِ الشَخْصِيْةِ (كَأدُولْفِ هِتْلَرْ) وَ يَتَحَلَى بِال… --- ## [Natural resonance: Worse results than breaking wine glasses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-resonance-worse-results-than-breaking-wine-glasses/628450)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-resonance-worse-results-than-breaking-wine-glasses/628450 "2012-07-27T15:09:42Z")
This post refers to the last statement in Cecil’s post: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_333.html Here, it is basically said that some experts believe the common explanation of winds hitting the right frequency o… --- ## [My tongue most decidedly DID stick to a popsickle!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tongue-most-decidedly-did-stick-to-a-popsickle/628906)
**Author:** [@grue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grue)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tongue-most-decidedly-did-stick-to-a-popsickle/628906 "2012-07-26T21:34:48Z")
Regarding Why does your skin stick to an ice-cube tray, but not to a Popsicle? - The Straight Dope When I was a kid, my family had a freezer that was capable of deep-chilling things. We kept our popsicles in there. To… --- ## [Funniest column ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-column-ever/1779)
**Author:** [@SuperNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNerd)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-column-ever/1779 "2012-07-25T05:38:59Z")
“Should you not throw rice at weddings because birds swallow it and explode?” http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_081.html Okay, I’m nominating this for the funniest Straight Dope column ever. --- ## [How come archaeological ruins are always underground?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-archaeological-ruins-are-always-underground/628927)
**Author:** [@marlenemccall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marlenemccall)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-archaeological-ruins-are-always-underground/628927 "2012-07-22T16:51:10Z")
Dear Cecil: All of the points you mentioned in answering this question are valid. But you omitted something that is equally valid. The question “How come archaeological ruins are always underground?”, and your answers t… --- ## [Monty Hall Redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monty-hall-redux/506012)
**Author:** [@moridin5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moridin5)\ **Replies:** 153\ **Last updated:** [July 20, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monty-hall-redux/506012 "2012-07-20T14:10:43Z")
I read that question, and back-and-forth answers/comment section, with much amusement…boy did that create a firestorm! lol… But in reality, it’s soooo much simpler than all that. When Cecil said that Monty Hall is no d… --- ## [Exploding Mosquitoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-mosquitoes/628827)
**Author:** [@hurricanedane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hurricanedane)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 20, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-mosquitoes/628827 "2012-07-20T13:35:20Z")
So I read the story on flexed muscles and exploding mosquitoes about 3 days ago, very interesting. Yesterday (July 18, 2012) I just happened to be out by a large body of water and conveniently surrounded by swarms of th… --- ## [Roaches/Water Bugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaches-water-bugs/628787)
**Author:** [@JoeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeS)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 20, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaches-water-bugs/628787 "2012-07-20T02:09:22Z")
I am in a new home and I am infested with roaches or maybe they are water bugs. I am at my wits end and thinking about moving after only 2 months. I need to know how to kill the darn things. I have already tried Roach Pr… --- ## [Picking winning lottery numbers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-winning-lottery-numbers/426038)
**Author:** [@Swiftie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swiftie)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [July 19, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picking-winning-lottery-numbers/426038 "2012-07-19T13:47:01Z")
I’m worried about the method that choses the numbers least likely to be chosen by other users, thus minimising the chance that I’ll have to share my winnings with someone else. Surely, this just guarantees that I’ll sha… --- ## [Who else decreed layman's value(s) for pi?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-decreed-laymans-value-s-for-pi/628657)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [July 18, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-decreed-laymans-value-s-for-pi/628657 "2012-07-18T20:47:18Z")
Recently re-published article: “Did a state legislature once pass a law saying pi equals 3?” (originally from Feb. 22, 1991) discusses various urban-mythological and apparently one real-life attempt to legislate a value … --- ## [The Great Wall of China visible from space?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-wall-of-china-visible-from-space/562686)
**Author:** [@dersk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dersk)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [July 18, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-wall-of-china-visible-from-space/562686 "2012-07-18T12:09:02Z")
In the 20 November edition of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks, they interviewed Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who’s been up on the ISS. He said that while it’s true that many human artifacts are visible from space, the Grea… --- ## [EMP, power systems and fuses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emp-power-systems-and-fuses/627412)
**Author:** [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 17, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emp-power-systems-and-fuses/627412 "2012-07-17T18:53:12Z")
In today’s column about EMP it was noted that some things such as high-voltage transformers are not exactly stockpiled in abundance and that re-creating them would take some time. Would this delay bringing power systems … --- ## [Is this the real deal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294)
**Author:** [@rmanbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmanbike)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 16, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294 "2012-07-16T18:10:00Z")
Interesting, I have been trolling the web since Compuserve days; and if my memory serves me correctly the first time I have come across this site! I have a general misliking of stupidity, not that im smarter than everyo… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=55) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=57)