# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=491 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 492 --- ## [Free online tax filing ... How do they make any money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-online-tax-filing-how-do-they-make-any-money/829110)
**Author:** [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2019, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-online-tax-filing-how-do-they-make-any-money/829110 "2019-02-12T02:40:51Z")
If one googles “free tax filing” you get lots of hits. How do these companies make any money? I wonder if they collect the information and then sell it. --- ## [icicles](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icicles/829234)
**Author:** [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icicles/829234 "2019-02-12T01:31:15Z")
Are they a sign that your home is poorly insulated? I have one area that has some serious icicles–anywhere from 12" to 24". Mixed in among them are smaller ones so I’m a little concerned. I had my roof “supposedly” insul… --- ## [Does Xyzal have any advantage over Zyrtec?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-xyzal-have-any-advantage-over-zyrtec/829255)
**Author:** [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [February 12, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-xyzal-have-any-advantage-over-zyrtec/829255 "2019-02-12T00:52:14Z")
Needing to get some new antihistamine, I found myself contemplating levocetirizine (Xyzal) vs cetirizine (Zyrtec). Is there any greater efficacy shown for the enatomerically pure version of the API over the racemic, or i… --- ## [Is this an actual Health and Safety/OSHA violation or is it just highly annoying?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-actual-health-and-safety-osha-violation-or-is-it-just-highly-annoying/829263)
**Author:** [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-actual-health-and-safety-osha-violation-or-is-it-just-highly-annoying/829263 "2019-02-11T23:59:58Z")
On my way home tonight, I stopped in at a local franchise fast food restaurant for a quick meal and was immediately struck by how smokey it was inside. I quickly scanned the obvious sources and saw smoke billowing out fr… --- ## [Cold weather = flashing outside LED flood light?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-weather-flashing-outside-led-flood-light/713461)
**Author:** [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-weather-flashing-outside-led-flood-light/713461 "2019-02-11T21:25:04Z")
I installed an outdoor, two-lamp LED, motion activated flood light above my garage a year or so ago. I purchased it from an orange-branded home improvement chain store, cost about $80 or so. Works fine. When the outside… --- ## [Dress shoes left in freezing temps (need answer fast)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-shoes-left-in-freezing-temps-need-answer-fast/829240)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-shoes-left-in-freezing-temps-need-answer-fast/829240 "2019-02-11T20:59:08Z")
Have a pair of leather (or synthetic leather) dress shoes that have been left in cold or near-freezing temperatures for months. Wonder if this will cause some expansion or water condensation or something when brought in … --- ## [What drugs become dangerous after their expiration date](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-become-dangerous-after-their-expiration-date/829257)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-become-dangerous-after-their-expiration-date/829257 "2019-02-11T18:08:27Z")
both Rx and OTC. I’ve always assumed when a medication expires, it just becomes less effective as the active ingredient decays. So expired medication isn’t harmful, just less effective. But I’ve heard some antibiotics … --- ## [Etymology of 'dreck' and 'jreck' (Yiddish?)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-dreck-and-jreck-yiddish/84816)
**Author:** [@Jimbrowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimbrowski)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-dreck-and-jreck-yiddish/84816 "2019-02-11T14:36:15Z")
Is there any language, anywhere, that contains the word ‘jreck’? If so, is that word in any way related to ‘dreck’ in Yiddish? In an eariler thread I asked about the word ‘jreck’ and whether or not it meant ‘shit’ in Y… --- ## [Weird Firefox 6 bug under Windows 7](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-firefox-6-bug-under-windows-7/594641)
**Author:** [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-firefox-6-bug-under-windows-7/594641 "2019-02-11T10:35:56Z")
This joke page was linked in another thread: http://www.downloadmoreram.com/ When I open it in FF6 under Windows 7, the top half of the display is semi-transparent. I can see my desk top (or whatever windows are open be… --- ## [I Want to Burn a Large Amount of Coal](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-burn-a-large-amount-of-coal/829226)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-burn-a-large-amount-of-coal/829226 "2019-02-11T10:21:37Z")
Say I had to destroy a coal mine. I would load all the most irreplaceable bits of machinery into the shaft along with all the spare explosives turn off the pumps for a few days and then set off the charge. How would I … --- ## [Antifreeze thought experiment](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifreeze-thought-experiment/829282)
**Author:** [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antifreeze-thought-experiment/829282 "2019-02-11T00:30:13Z")
Let’s say you have a pool of standing water and you pour some standard automobile antifreeze in it. Later on you notice a nontrivial layer of ice on top of the pool. My question is, is the antifreeze concentration in th… --- ## [Mechanics, advise on a code reader](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanics-advise-on-a-code-reader/829034)
**Author:** [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanics-advise-on-a-code-reader/829034 "2019-02-10T20:13:37Z")
I need a code reader for a car that seems to have gone off the deep end. The battery died and I replaced it. The fuel line came loose (clip popped out) and I fixed that. It ran like a swiss watch for one day and then … --- ## [Does the government often fabricate statistics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-government-often-fabricate-statistics/828471)
**Author:** [@scarface54345](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scarface54345)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-government-often-fabricate-statistics/828471 "2019-02-10T20:07:07Z")
Like do federal agencies such as the CDC, NASA, NOAA, etc publish fake data/statistics? --- ## [Mug Shots](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mug-shots/829223)
**Author:** [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mug-shots/829223 "2019-02-10T15:26:26Z")
Hi SD, Question about mug shots. How do police officers ensure that arrested and booked persons look directly at the camera? Though I know there are exceptions, it seems that the majority of detained individuals loo… --- ## [question about static](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-static/829065)
**Author:** [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-static/829065 "2019-02-10T15:08:42Z")
static can be fun \[one customer service job I had we played X-Men, newish carpeting, scuffing feet, static-zapping the unsuspecting … great fun:D\] so, i vaguely understand the principals of grounding by touching somethi… --- ## [Spur gears on front right wheel of 1915 Model T ford](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271)
**Author:** [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271 "2019-02-10T14:05:17Z")
I recently visited a museum which exhibits a 1915 model T Ford. On the inside of the front right wheel I found a pair of spur gears, and it’s not clear to me what they’re for. Any thoughts? --- ## [Are there any organs besides kidneys that we have a spare?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-organs-besides-kidneys-that-we-have-a-spare/829198)
**Author:** [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-organs-besides-kidneys-that-we-have-a-spare/829198 "2019-02-10T05:18:34Z")
We have two kidneys, and I know that one can be donated to another person while you’re still alive, because my SIL donated hers to her brother when they were young. Are there any other organs that this could apply too? … --- ## [Can't update my AOL address book - grrrrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-update-my-aol-address-book-grrrrr/829194)
**Author:** [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-update-my-aol-address-book-grrrrr/829194 "2019-02-10T05:14:26Z")
Editing my AmericaOnline (run together here for SEO) address book has proven impossible lately. A friend changed his email address, and I go into my address book and either copy-and-paste the new address, or type it in … --- ## [iPhone - having trouble deleting contacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-having-trouble-deleting-contacts/829260)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-having-trouble-deleting-contacts/829260 "2019-02-10T02:39:23Z")
Something goofy. A while ago my iPhone pulled in a huge number of contacts. I don’t know where they came from : they all have a MS-Outlook address added. I recognize some of them from my work Outlook contacts, but some … --- ## [In Philly, can I walk most of the way und6erground from Jefferson Station to 10th and Sansom?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-philly-can-i-walk-most-of-the-way-und6erground-from-jefferson-station-to-10th-and-sansom/828823)
**Author:** [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-philly-can-i-walk-most-of-the-way-und6erground-from-jefferson-station-to-10th-and-sansom/828823 "2019-02-10T02:39:12Z")
I want to take the regional line to Jefferson Station but I want to avoid walking very far in the cold. I have a doctor’s appointment at 132 South 10th which is Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. --- ## [Can you change the 'look back length' that Chrome stores your browsing history?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-change-the-look-back-length-that-chrome-stores-your-browsing-history/829256)
**Author:** [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-change-the-look-back-length-that-chrome-stores-your-browsing-history/829256 "2019-02-10T01:47:05Z")
Can you change the ‘look back length’ that Chrome stores your browsing history? I would like it to be unlimited. Is that possible? Thanks! --- ## [What is the answer to #9 on my daughter's math homework? Third grade, still.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169)
**Author:** [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Replies:** 65\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169 "2019-02-10T01:12:11Z")
Yep, us again. You may remember me from February. According to my daughter, every student got a re-do on this math assignment. It’s called “Patterns of Geometry”. Check out the assignment here. Take a look. Realize my… --- ## [Could a very heavily loaded freight train two miles away make the ground vibrate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-very-heavily-loaded-freight-train-two-miles-away-make-the-ground-vibrate/828988)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2019, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-very-heavily-loaded-freight-train-two-miles-away-make-the-ground-vibrate/828988 "2019-02-10T00:02:05Z")
A couple of nights ago I was sitting with a water bottle on the table next to me. All at once I noticed that the water was vibrating inside the bottle, somewhat like what can happen when there’s a mild earthquake happen… --- ## [Solar eclipse: what's wrong with this picture?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-eclipse-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/829205)
**Author:** [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 9, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-eclipse-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/829205 "2019-02-09T22:55:27Z")
The Eclipse of the Sun in Venice, July 6 1842 by Ippolito Caffi I look at this painting and instantly know it’s not how a real solar eclipse would look (although if it did, it would be spectacular). But I’m at a loss to… --- ## [Monitoring the cows (during a deep freeze)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monitoring-the-cows-during-a-deep-freeze/829156)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 9, 2019, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monitoring-the-cows-during-a-deep-freeze/829156 "2019-02-09T22:09:04Z")
As I mentioned in another thread, my home town is experiencing some cold weather right now. Temperatures in the region are getting as low as −46.5°C. That’s cold enough for even the news media to take notice, and for E… --- ## [Search warrant question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-warrant-question/829091)
**Author:** [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 9, 2019, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-warrant-question/829091 "2019-02-09T05:19:42Z")
If someone dressed as a cop showed up at your house and showed you a Search Warrant, how would you know it’s real? Have you ever seen one? I haven’t. --- ## [.mui files? What are they?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mui-files-what-are-they/829206)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 9, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mui-files-what-are-they/829206 "2019-02-09T00:17:58Z")
My Win 10 was just updated and the Win 7 games that used to run no longer do. So I looked for win 7 games and downloaded and installed them. The installed games have an extension .exe.mui and clicking on them has no ef… --- ## [How does the government check the validity of postage stamps?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-government-check-the-validity-of-postage-stamps/395680)
**Author:** [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [February 8, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-government-check-the-validity-of-postage-stamps/395680 "2019-02-08T22:25:48Z")
When you mail a letter, how does the government verify that what you’ve pasted in the upper-right corner is actually an official USPS postage stamp? There are so many stamp designs, and none of them appear to have any k… --- ## [What could cause a disproportionate reduction in diastolic pressure?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-cause-a-disproportionate-reduction-in-diastolic-pressure/829199)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 8, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-cause-a-disproportionate-reduction-in-diastolic-pressure/829199 "2019-02-08T22:03:11Z")
I’m not asking for advice, just possible causes and mechanisms. I’m not looking to diagnose a health problem because I don’t think there is one; I’m trying to understand the intermediate cause-effects between exercise an… --- ## [Hypothetical Ocean Drain](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-ocean-drain/829126)
**Author:** [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [February 8, 2019, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-ocean-drain/829126 "2019-02-08T21:25:29Z")
Watching Waterworld prompted me to ask what would happen if the opposite happened: an alien device lands at the lowest point in the Pacific, opens a wormhole about a mile wide and drains it. Googling it turns up some in… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=490) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=492)