# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1171 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1172 --- ## [Presidential power to select the Chief Justice for life - where is this defined?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-power-to-select-the-chief-justice-for-life-where-is-this-defined/712125)
**Author:** [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-power-to-select-the-chief-justice-for-life-where-is-this-defined/712125 "2015-02-12T22:42:18Z")
Consider the following hypothetical: Hillary Clinton is elected President next year, and serves two full terms. During her time in office, every Justice except Chief Justice Roberts, and associate Justices Sotomayor and… --- ## [Civil asset forfeiture and the 14th Amendment](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-asset-forfeiture-and-the-14th-amendment/712480)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-asset-forfeiture-and-the-14th-amendment/712480 "2015-02-12T20:10:10Z")
Why doesn’t the 14th Amendment apply to civil asset forfeiture cases? Thanks, Rob --- ## [Question about the Lead Up to WWII](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-lead-up-to-wwii/711903)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-lead-up-to-wwii/711903 "2015-02-12T19:19:36Z")
In many of the accounts I have read, and after talking with my parents and their friends who were alive at the time, the fact that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and as a result the US was dragged into WWII came as a c… --- ## [What is the anatomical word for the crease where the butt cheek turns into the back of the leg?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-anatomical-word-for-the-crease-where-the-butt-cheek-turns-into-the-back-of-the-leg/689511)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-anatomical-word-for-the-crease-where-the-butt-cheek-turns-into-the-back-of-the-leg/689511 "2015-02-12T18:12:13Z")
You all know what I mean. I was discussing with my wife some amazingly short hot-pants (do they still use that term?) of a woman walking in front of us. The pants were above that line, and we were trying to figure out wh… --- ## [Elbows on the table](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elbows-on-the-table/712348)
**Author:** [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elbows-on-the-table/712348 "2015-02-12T18:07:39Z")
There are a couple of questions I asked of Cecil several months ago. I don’t see an answer to them listed anywhere on TSD website, proper, so I thought I’d ask Dopers (as I was encouraged to all those months ago): In U.S… --- ## [Whey Protein made with 'plasma'..is this BS?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whey-protein-made-with-plasma-is-this-bs/711727)
**Author:** [@andrea\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrea_green)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whey-protein-made-with-plasma-is-this-bs/711727 "2015-02-12T18:00:46Z")
I recently came across a suspicious (but interesting) site at http://www.plasmanutrition.com/. I don’t see any names of experts attached to the project and the studies they quote from seem to be irrelevant or at least n… --- ## [Yet Another Language Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-language-question/712213)
**Author:** [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-language-question/712213 "2015-02-12T17:09:08Z")
Hi Straight Dope, I’ve been wondering about this for a while now. It’s probably a dumb question, but I just had to know. I speak Hebrew and Spanish, at a reasonably advanced level–not perfectly, though. In my convers… --- ## [Dates, and what day of the week they fell on.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-and-what-day-of-the-week-they-fell-on/712353)
**Author:** [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-and-what-day-of-the-week-they-fell-on/712353 "2015-02-12T16:17:00Z")
Is there a chart or formula to quickly find out what day of the week, say July 5th, fell on in any given year? I have a hanging calendar, the cloth kind, that belonged to my grandmother, and was curious as to how often … --- ## [Biology question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biology-question/712358)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biology-question/712358 "2015-02-12T16:12:27Z")
There are a lot of chemical reaction that happen in our cells. I wonder how they discovered how they work? Seems to me that would be very difficult. For example chem A + chem B leads to Chem C. Or Chem D bonds… --- ## [Public defender arrested--is this a Federal civil rights violation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-defender-arrested-is-this-a-federal-civil-rights-violation/711763)
**Author:** [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Replies:** 128\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-defender-arrested-is-this-a-federal-civil-rights-violation/711763 "2015-02-12T15:46:24Z")
http://http://www.inquisitr.com/1806172/police-arrest-public-defender-for-publicly-defending-client-video/ This looks like it could be an effort by police to subvert the right to counsel. What could the police be charge… --- ## [How to tell if titanium is pure or alloyed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-if-titanium-is-pure-or-alloyed/712057)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-if-titanium-is-pure-or-alloyed/712057 "2015-02-12T12:51:11Z")
I have a nice block of “titanium” but don know if it is an alloy. The likeliest alloy would include 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, I think. Easy ways to tell? --- ## [Best "temporary" repair tape for auto bodies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-temporary-repair-tape-for-auto-bodies/712188)
**Author:** [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-temporary-repair-tape-for-auto-bodies/712188 "2015-02-12T11:47:11Z")
I just bought an older car with a sunroof and suspect it might leak, or might start to leak if left outside in The Cold Rain and Snow. :wink: I want to seal it up with tape (on the exterior) until the summer when I ca… --- ## [Silent 'l' in 'folk' and 'yolk'?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198)
**Author:** [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Replies:** 101\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198 "2015-02-12T11:01:15Z")
For all my life, I swear that I’ve heard the ‘l’ pronounced in the words ‘folk’ and ‘yolk’. A friend of mine just recently disagreed with me, and the dictionary proved her right. Could it be a regional thing (I was rais… --- ## [Source of Chomsky quote](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-chomsky-quote/712460)
**Author:** [@Astramance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astramance)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-chomsky-quote/712460 "2015-02-12T10:35:26Z")
Would anyone know where does the following quote attributed to Chomsky come from? “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” Thanks! --- ## [Are there any foreign leaders who speak English better than King Abdullah?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foreign-leaders-who-speak-english-better-than-king-abdullah/712032)
**Author:** [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-foreign-leaders-who-speak-english-better-than-king-abdullah/712032 "2015-02-12T07:30:53Z")
In countries where English isn’t the main or an official language, that is. Abdullah’s English is almost flawless. --- ## [Asking my diabetic friend to remove my nailpolish](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asking-my-diabetic-friend-to-remove-my-nailpolish/712286)
**Author:** [@monkeytail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeytail)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asking-my-diabetic-friend-to-remove-my-nailpolish/712286 "2015-02-12T06:36:03Z")
Hello everyone, My friend has diabetes and while reading about this metabolic disease, I came to learn that ketones such as acetone are produced which can be detected in their breath. How feasible would it be to remove… --- ## [Church website: easy or hard to make the colour of the border match liturgical colours?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-website-easy-or-hard-to-make-the-colour-of-the-border-match-liturgical-colours/712198)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-website-easy-or-hard-to-make-the-colour-of-the-border-match-liturgical-colours/712198 "2015-02-12T03:02:38Z")
Our church’s website has a border on the home page, coloured a forest green. I got to thinking: would it be possible to have the website coded so that it automatically changed the colour of the border to match the colo… --- ## [New theory says no Big Bang? Paging the astrophysicists!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-theory-says-no-big-bang-paging-the-astrophysicists/712432)
**Author:** [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-theory-says-no-big-bang-paging-the-astrophysicists/712432 "2015-02-12T01:36:08Z")
I’ve just read about this article on a new theory which apparently fixes the issues of Dark Matter and Dark Energy but apparently means there was no Big Bang. The paper itself is very short, but well beyond me. A relate… --- ## [Hat on inside](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hat-on-inside/712349)
**Author:** [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hat-on-inside/712349 "2015-02-12T01:33:57Z")
This is the other one that I asked of Cecil a while back that has not yet been answered: Why is it considered improper to leave one’s hat on when indoors? Is it simply a matter of practicality or is there something about… --- ## [Leaching plastic/paper plates](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaching-plastic-paper-plates/712430)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaching-plastic-paper-plates/712430 "2015-02-12T00:19:23Z")
Odd question, but is it true that acidic foods, if left in Styrofoam or plastic or paper plates in a fridge for several days, can actually cause stuff to leach out from the surface of the disposable plates? --- ## [MLA citations](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mla-citations/712364)
**Author:** [@shellofmyformerself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shellofmyformerself)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mla-citations/712364 "2015-02-11T23:55:04Z")
I’m trying to cite a website in a paper I’m writing for school. I found the proper format for the citation but I’m not sure how to do the inline cite (?) in the body of the paper. The website does not have an author’s … --- ## [Can anyone help with a full startup disk on an iMac?!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-help-with-a-full-startup-disk-on-an-imac/712359)
**Author:** [@Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kennedy)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-help-with-a-full-startup-disk-on-an-imac/712359 "2015-02-11T23:23:19Z")
I got the ‘startup disk almost full’ message on my iMac, was in the process of freeing up space when it froze, I turned it off and tried to restart but it won’t let me back in! I get the start up chime, then the apple l… --- ## [Poinsettia flower tips browning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poinsettia-flower-tips-browning/712408)
**Author:** [@Msattitude1185](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Msattitude1185)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poinsettia-flower-tips-browning/712408 "2015-02-11T23:13:39Z")
I got a poinsettia in late November 2014. I have been watering weekly, giving light when needed. Now the tips are starting to turn brown. I know that these plants “hibernate”. I was thinking about repotting it, should I … --- ## [Taste and the "finish"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taste-and-the-finish/712423)
**Author:** [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taste-and-the-finish/712423 "2015-02-11T23:12:30Z")
What is the mechanism whereby a food/drink has a “finish” distinctively different from the taste while on the tongue. My girlfriend was drinking some sort of orange flavored drink from the Quickee Mart and it had a very… --- ## [What exactly is this tool intended to do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-this-tool-intended-to-do/712374)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-this-tool-intended-to-do/712374 "2015-02-11T21:53:30Z")
http://m.ebay.com/itm/361205200781 Description is a bit mystifying. How and why would you use this thing? --- ## [Legality of marihuana in Portland ME](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-marihuana-in-portland-me/712203)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-marihuana-in-portland-me/712203 "2015-02-11T19:22:07Z")
Portland and South Portland, Maine have voted in recent years to legalize marihuana. Did these votes have any real effect or were they, as I expect, just symbolic? --- ## [Is Scribd a legitimate website?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-scribd-a-legitimate-website/712237)
**Author:** [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-scribd-a-legitimate-website/712237 "2015-02-11T17:03:04Z")
While searching online I came across this website: It looks legitimate but I’m a bit concerned before handing over my credit card details, and I’m not sure re the legitimacy of some of the books they’re offering for d… --- ## [Separation of bodily elimination acts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-bodily-elimination-acts/712342)
**Author:** [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-bodily-elimination-acts/712342 "2015-02-11T15:59:00Z")
Does anybody know how it is that dogs can separate peeing from pooping? I have two pugs. One is very good about going potty (outside) but the other one is rather…inconsistent about it. One thing that kills me is how he c… --- ## [Black or white t-shirt?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-or-white-t-shirt/706920)
**Author:** [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-or-white-t-shirt/706920 "2014-12-11T18:50:42Z")
Aside from being outside in the summer sun . . . does it matter whether you’re wearing a black t-shirt or a white one? Specifically, does it matter when you’re asleep, at night, when it’s hot, and no A/C? --- ## [Black Dwarf physics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dwarf-physics/712335)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-dwarf-physics/712335 "2015-02-11T15:03:22Z")
In an earlier GQ thread a discussion arose how long it would take for a White Dwarf to cool down into a Black Dwarf (longer than the present age of the universe!) and the fact that a Neutron Star would cool down a lot mo… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1170) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1172)