# In My Humble Opinion **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=1483 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1484 --- ## [Share your power outage strategies, please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-power-outage-strategies-please/626953)
**Author:** [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-power-outage-strategies-please/626953 "2012-07-15T17:38:57Z")
Install a generator - let’s get that one out of the way first. While I see the advantages it isn’t an option for me currently. I’d like to know tips and tricks for days without electricity. I’m in the region affected … --- ## [headsets for people with big ears](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headsets-for-people-with-big-ears/628316)
**Author:** [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headsets-for-people-with-big-ears/628316 "2012-07-15T17:36:58Z")
I’m looking for a good affordable PC headset (50-60 dollar range is what I was thinking) that can be worn for hours at a time without crushing my huge ears. Basically every headset I’ve tried for the past few years had b… --- ## [Thinking of asking for my old job back...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-asking-for-my-old-job-back/628310)
**Author:** [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-asking-for-my-old-job-back/628310 "2012-07-15T17:25:58Z")
In April, I transferred from a job on the production floor of the factory, where I work to customer service. At the time, I thought this would be a great move for me. More challenge, more money, slightly more prestige, a… --- ## [Those of you taking Synthroid (or equivalent)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-of-you-taking-synthroid-or-equivalent/628292)
**Author:** [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-of-you-taking-synthroid-or-equivalent/628292 "2012-07-15T16:58:39Z")
How do you cope? I’ve just been put on a 25mcg dose of levothyroxine, and I’m discovering that it’s not nearly as simple as “take a pill a day”. With the restrictions, I feel like I need to be setting an alarm for 4am s… --- ## [Bagged or bagless: best vacuum cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagged-or-bagless-best-vacuum-cleaner/423286)
**Author:** [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagged-or-bagless-best-vacuum-cleaner/423286 "2012-07-15T16:24:20Z")
I need a new vacuum cleaner, and have discovered most stores now sell monstrously huge bagless vaccums. It seems as if they’d be hard to handle in small spaces, and that emptying it would put too much dust in the air. S… --- ## [Disaster preparedness kits?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disaster-preparedness-kits/628232)
**Author:** [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disaster-preparedness-kits/628232 "2012-07-15T14:20:29Z")
I guess it’s because of the Colorado wildfires, but I’m suddenly seeing a lot of articles about putting together a disaster preparedness kit. Now that we have a daughter, it almost sounds worth it to me (or at least appe… --- ## [Mormons Vs Main Stream Religions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-vs-main-stream-religions/627565)
**Author:** [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Replies:** 112\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-vs-main-stream-religions/627565 "2012-07-15T12:06:41Z")
Is the Mormon religion considered by main stream Christians to be a Christian religion or is it considered to be a cult. At one time I considered Mormons as Christians but I’ve heard enough to the contrary to be in doub… --- ## [Am I Evil for Feeling this Way? (Somewhat RO)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-evil-for-feeling-this-way-somewhat-ro/628166)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-evil-for-feeling-this-way-somewhat-ro/628166 "2012-07-15T10:39:52Z")
TLDR: Snidely Whiplash-esque ex boss and his sons are facing seizure of assets and possible felony charges; I’m dancing a jig (inside). Prior to working where I am now, the last company I worked for was a total clusterf… --- ## [Impressionable boys and the "facts of life"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressionable-boys-and-the-facts-of-life/628093)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impressionable-boys-and-the-facts-of-life/628093 "2012-07-15T08:11:01Z")
When my brother and sister and I were kids our parents gave us a plain-spoken explanation of where babies come from. Of course, the three of us giggled and snickered a little about it, but essentially we filed the matter… --- ## [You don't get to vote unless:](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-get-to-vote-unless/627971)
**Author:** [@greenslime1951](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenslime1951)\ **Replies:** 165\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-get-to-vote-unless/627971 "2012-07-15T07:18:44Z")
How about this: you are only eligible to vote if: You can demonstrate English competency at at least the eighth-grade level. You can pass the equivalent of a eighth-grade civics test. 2a. Specifically, you can’t vote … --- ## [Firefox usage/version questions...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-usage-version-questions/627552)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-usage-version-questions/627552 "2012-07-15T06:55:07Z")
Since I have a laptop (Macbook Pro), I tend to leave it on all the time (albeit asleep). Thus, my browser tends to stay open a long time. In that time, its memory usage goes slowly up from around 400 MB to over a gig. … --- ## [If someone built a truth machine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-built-a-truth-machine/628051)
**Author:** [@L.mo5rg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/L.mo5rg)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-built-a-truth-machine/628051 "2012-07-15T04:54:26Z")
What do you thing the world would be like if a perfect lie detector was built? If every job you did, you had to have been screened by a truth machine first? If in court a truth machine was used? What if this truth mac… --- ## [SD Doctors and/or Pharmasists, why is this a bad idea?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-doctors-and-or-pharmasists-why-is-this-a-bad-idea/627867)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-doctors-and-or-pharmasists-why-is-this-a-bad-idea/627867 "2012-07-15T04:48:03Z")
First a little background. Mrs. Cad has been battling weight for years and is at least 100 lbs overweight. However, the two times that she has been pregnant she’s lost weight - like being 50 pounds lighter at nine mont… --- ## [Companies making it damn near impossible to pay them without paying a fee for the pleasure!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-making-it-damn-near-impossible-to-pay-them-without-paying-a-fee-for-the-pleasure/626792)
**Author:** [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Replies:** 71\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-making-it-damn-near-impossible-to-pay-them-without-paying-a-fee-for-the-pleasure/626792 "2012-07-15T04:20:14Z")
Has anyone else noticed this trend? A company that provides services with a monthly bill makes it almost impossible to actually pay your bill without using their pay by phone option which costs$7-10 USD? It is really the… --- ## [Is Libertarianism the same as Anarchism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-libertarianism-the-same-as-anarchism/627498)
**Author:** [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-libertarianism-the-same-as-anarchism/627498 "2012-07-15T02:53:24Z")
In your mind, is Libertarianism the same as Anarchism? No, I should not have added a third option. No, I will not redo this with more options. Some things really are yes-or-no questions. --- ## [How much would you miss the Internet if it crashed for several months?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-miss-the-internet-if-it-crashed-for-several-months/627832)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-you-miss-the-internet-if-it-crashed-for-several-months/627832 "2012-07-15T02:00:42Z")
I lived quite happily without the “Internet” for the first thirty years of my life. Even when computer bulletin boards emerged they never were much more than a minor interest in my life. Could society go back and carry … --- ## [Wellbutrin side effects - glad to know I'm not going crazy!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellbutrin-side-effects-glad-to-know-im-not-going-crazy/628035)
**Author:** [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 15, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellbutrin-side-effects-glad-to-know-im-not-going-crazy/628035 "2012-07-15T01:25:06Z")
This definitely falls into mundane and pointless, but I felt like telling someone. I’ve been suffering from depression related to an unexplained injury that won’t heal (which I’ve posted about in another Dope forum). Abo… --- ## [Best seat in the planetarium](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-seat-in-the-planetarium/628218)
**Author:** [@Little\_Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Cloud)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-seat-in-the-planetarium/628218 "2012-07-14T22:32:55Z")
Living in NYC, I gaze up at the clear night sky and see (maybe) 4-10 stars. I’m planning a trip to the planetarium to satisfy my cosmic craving. Will I get the best view seated against the wall, down near the center, o… --- ## [How to make a career change](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-a-career-change/628077)
**Author:** [@deryk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deryk)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-a-career-change/628077 "2012-07-14T22:27:23Z")
I’m usually just a lurker around here, but I would love some advice, so I’ve finally registered. How, exactly, does one go about making a career change without completely throwing their already-established life out the … --- ## [You get one of a choice of superpowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-get-one-of-a-choice-of-superpowers/627979)
**Author:** [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-get-one-of-a-choice-of-superpowers/627979 "2012-07-14T21:42:06Z")
Which of the following powersets would you choose and what would you do with them. You’ll be the only person on the planet to get a power. \[ol\] \[li\]Regeneration - you gain the regenetive abilities of aaxolotl salaman… --- ## [November (Thanksgiving) Honeymoon in California & Hawaii (2 weeks)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-thanksgiving-honeymoon-in-california-hawaii-2-weeks/628226)
**Author:** [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-thanksgiving-honeymoon-in-california-hawaii-2-weeks/628226 "2012-07-14T19:47:46Z")
Provided my boyf’s parents’ visas come through to let them enter the US, it looks increasingly like we’ll be getting married the weekend before Thanksgiving and then taking a 2 week honeymoon through California and Hawai… --- ## [Made in the USA Drills, are there any?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-the-usa-drills-are-there-any/628230)
**Author:** [@MareIt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MareIt)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-the-usa-drills-are-there-any/628230 "2012-07-14T19:27:03Z")
A friend is on a quest for a USA made drill, preferably battery powered. Initial efforts have gone unrewarded. When in doubt, crowd source:D --- ## [Fun things to do before / after Tampa Bay Rays game?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-things-to-do-before-after-tampa-bay-rays-game/628241)
**Author:** [@SiouxChief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiouxChief)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-things-to-do-before-after-tampa-bay-rays-game/628241 "2012-07-14T19:22:40Z")
I’m in Tampa on vacation this week and hoping to see the Rays play the Red Sox tonight. My 12-year-old daughter wants to join me and I’d like to make sure it’s a fun evening for her. She’s not the biggest baseball fan bu… --- ## [Help me customize the computer I'm buying](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-customize-the-computer-im-buying/624369)
**Author:** [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-customize-the-computer-im-buying/624369 "2012-07-14T16:36:54Z")
I have two questions: Which graphic card would you get? The most graphic intensive things I do are play games like the Sims 2/3, the occasional simple video editing, and some photo editing with paint shop pro X3 (proba… --- ## [Anyone notice anything... odd about this candid Olympian photo (NUDES)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-notice-anything-odd-about-this-candid-olympian-photo-nudes/627839)
**Author:** [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-notice-anything-odd-about-this-candid-olympian-photo-nudes/627839 "2012-07-14T15:58:16Z")
Yahoo has a feature on nude photos of some Olympians. They’re very tasteful and quite appealing. However, this one looks a little… um,… well, maybe I’m just childish. What do you think? --- ## [Inability to imagine a life without drugs of some kind](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inability-to-imagine-a-life-without-drugs-of-some-kind/628141)
**Author:** [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inability-to-imagine-a-life-without-drugs-of-some-kind/628141 "2012-07-14T15:23:01Z")
It struck me that while I am a pretty functional person and am only intoxicated (on various substances, not necessarily or even primarily alcohol) around twice a week (and apart from say ten times at most a year these wo… --- ## [Gout Pain](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gout-pain/248291)
**Author:** [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Replies:** 85\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gout-pain/248291 "2012-07-14T15:21:09Z")
I am currently suffering through an acute case of gout in my left foot. The pain is quite intense, so much so that even the breeze from an overhead fan registers as stabs of pain. So, I hobble myself off to the doctor’… --- ## [Vacation Planning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vacation-planning/628195)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vacation-planning/628195 "2012-07-14T13:58:30Z")
OK, so we have made cruise reservations for next summer. (You get a huge discount a year out.) We will be going from Amsterdam to Budapest. My lovely wife of course will take the cruise lines’ standard sort of flight fro… --- ## [What percentage of people could do this, if they their life depended on it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-people-could-do-this-if-they-their-life-depended-on-it/627671)
**Author:** [@supery00n](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supery00n)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-people-could-do-this-if-they-their-life-depended-on-it/627671 "2012-07-14T13:30:45Z")
I just read an article about how difficult it is for a person to run a 4:00 mile, and how not just one quality but many, such as natural talent, character, relentlessness, and commitment. I’m pretty sure that if I had t… --- ## [Tips to avoid wasting time on internet](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-to-avoid-wasting-time-on-internet/626722)
**Author:** [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tips-to-avoid-wasting-time-on-internet/626722 "2012-07-14T13:19:01Z")
I have a terrible tendency to come home after work and climb into bed with the laptop. I will spend hours on the internet, not get chores done, and end up going to sleep way later than intended. Also, on the weekend I ha… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=1482) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=1484)