# In My Humble Opinion **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=21 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 22 --- ## [Does my car really \*need\* all the services the dealer is suggesting?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-car-really-need-all-the-services-the-dealer-is-suggesting/1027947)
**Author:** [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 4, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-car-really-need-all-the-services-the-dealer-is-suggesting/1027947 "2026-03-04T00:22:02Z")
So my car is approaching 30,000 miles, so I figure it’s probably due for an oil and filter change and tire rotation. Mazda happened to send me an email with a coupon for an oil change at one of their dealers, so I went … --- ## [Ventilation question (under house)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ventilation-question-under-house/1028164)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 3, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ventilation-question-under-house/1028164 "2026-03-03T22:19:34Z")
Recently, there was a water leak under my house. Unfortunately, the pin-hole leak was on the top of the pipe (spraying upward) and by the time I discovered it, it had soaked the subfloor material. The crawlspace access … --- ## [In YOUR opinion, when’s the best time to get cataract surgery?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-when-s-the-best-time-to-get-cataract-surgery/1003189)
**Author:** [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Replies:** 191\ **Last updated:** [March 3, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-when-s-the-best-time-to-get-cataract-surgery/1003189 "2026-03-03T21:38:22Z")
I have cataracts in both eyes, but only one has become an issue, mainly with my distance vision. For now, I have glasses that can correct it, but the day will come when that isn’t possible any more. It’s disturbing to h… --- ## [What wild animals do you see more-or-less routinely (and where do you live)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animals-do-you-see-more-or-less-routinely-and-where-do-you-live/1027892)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [March 3, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animals-do-you-see-more-or-less-routinely-and-where-do-you-live/1027892 "2026-03-03T15:13:39Z")
Missouri, USA, in the southeastern, Ozark Mountains portion: Birds: Besides the routine and mundane (sparrows, crows, robins, ducks, geese, doves, pigeons, etc.) I occasionally see a bald eagle (about 10 or so per year)… --- ## [Why is Summer blend gas more expensive than winter blend?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-summer-blend-gas-more-expensive-than-winter-blend/1028162)
**Author:** [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 3, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-summer-blend-gas-more-expensive-than-winter-blend/1028162 "2026-03-03T15:11:49Z")
Continuing the discussion from What happens politically if gas prices go through the roof?: @wolfpup, I started a new thread so as to not hijack the prior one. I thought summer blend meant cut with ethanol, why does t… --- ## [Poll: US attacks on Iran](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-us-attacks-on-iran/1028088)
**Author:** [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Replies:** 75\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-us-attacks-on-iran/1028088 "2026-03-02T17:08:18Z")
poll --- ## [Prepaying for your own "after-death arrangements"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepaying-for-your-own-after-death-arrangements/1027932)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2026, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepaying-for-your-own-after-death-arrangements/1027932 "2026-03-01T23:58:14Z")
I’m guessing some of you smart and practical people have done this. (There’s a 2006 thread on the subject but it was quite short.) What have you set up? I put “after-death arrangements” in quotes, because those might be… --- ## [They moved it back](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-moved-it-back/1027956)
**Author:** [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-moved-it-back/1027956 "2026-03-01T14:55:11Z")
If someone said, “The event was on March 5th but we moved it back.” Is the new date before or after March 5th? You have no other context. --- ## [Replacing home windows](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-home-windows/1028029)
**Author:** [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2026, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-home-windows/1028029 "2026-03-01T06:26:53Z")
I’m about to start looking into getting the windows replaced in my house. The house has the original ~75 year old single-pane wooden windows, most of which no longer function properly. It also has storm windows, which I’… --- ## [How does Canadian health care work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-canadian-health-care-work/1028005)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2026, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-canadian-health-care-work/1028005 "2026-03-01T05:27:02Z")
I think everyone here knows that I am a big proponent of universal health care (UHC). I often read posts by Canadians (and people in other countries) saying how much they love their free-at-point-of-delivery systems. B… --- ## [What do we need to invent?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-need-to-invent/1006980)
**Author:** [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Replies:** 173\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-need-to-invent/1006980 "2026-02-28T22:59:46Z")
Not Pie-in-the-Sky level stuff, things that would be GREEEEAAAAT to have, but most likely we won’t get – like time machines, or Faster Than Light space travel, or an OmniElixir that cures all ills. Just smaller things, … --- ## [Why don’t you eat better (now that you lift weights)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-eat-better-now-that-you-lift-weights/1027958)
**Author:** [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-eat-better-now-that-you-lift-weights/1027958 "2026-02-28T20:01:32Z")
. You can’t outrun a bad diet, is a truism… so if you eat in a piss-pour manner, there is no way you can compensate for that in a gym. So I try to create a thread about (just slightly) better eating to complement the -… --- ## [Which Macallan (whisky) should I bring to my old best friend's house in the USA from the UK?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527)
**Author:** [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Replies:** 71\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527 "2026-02-28T04:58:46Z")
Which Macallan (whisky) should I bring to my old best friend’s house during my tour of ALL THREE Massapequas on Long Island, New York, next week? I’ll be visiting mainly to sign closing documents for my Mother’s house. … --- ## [What search engine should I use for this question?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-search-engine-should-i-use-for-this-question/1028059)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2026, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-search-engine-should-i-use-for-this-question/1028059 "2026-02-28T03:44:24Z")
…And how should I ask it? I am trying to find out what company sells the oldest aged cheddar cheese, and I want to avoid multiple pages of “age” and “cheddar” and “cheese” and “stores that sell cheese”…and adverts in ge… --- ## [What to do about a Medicare Advantage Plan that's being terminated](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-medicare-advantage-plan-thats-being-terminated/1027980)
**Author:** [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-medicare-advantage-plan-thats-being-terminated/1027980 "2026-02-28T01:46:36Z")
My father is a 77 year old man with numerous serious health conditions, none of them imminently fatal. They include: kidney stones, reduced kidney function, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, Myasthenia Gravis, cataracts, mod… --- ## [Hypothetical: a modern Zippo lighter on a Caribbean pirate ship of the classic period (early 18th century)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-a-modern-zippo-lighter-on-a-caribbean-pirate-ship-of-the-classic-period-early-18th-century/1027936)
**Author:** [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-a-modern-zippo-lighter-on-a-caribbean-pirate-ship-of-the-classic-period-early-18th-century/1027936 "2026-02-26T22:43:34Z")
Let me first explain how this question came about: my dear Doper friend @The\_Butterfly\_s\_Ghost and I are both smokers, they only occasionally while I have been addicted for decades. We both have and love our Zippo lighte… --- ## [How long will Trump ramble on at the this years SotU?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-trump-ramble-on-at-the-this-years-sotu/1027941)
**Author:** [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2026, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-trump-ramble-on-at-the-this-years-sotu/1027941 "2026-02-25T04:04:43Z")
He’s been on a tear lately jamming up captive audiences for hours on end at seemingly innocuous events. How long do you think he’ll ramble on tonight? Also, how many times will he mention Biden? poll --- ## [Best EVs to buy now](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-evs-to-buy-now/1027839)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-evs-to-buy-now/1027839 "2026-02-24T21:59:56Z")
Continuing the discussion from Is the US EV market dead?: By class. Small. Luxury. Truck. Whatever class strikes your interest. I’m looking at small. Personally want less controls requiring screens use. --- ## [The mysterious Bronze Age Brotlaibidole (bread loaf idols)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-bronze-age-brotlaibidole-bread-loaf-idols/1027917)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-bronze-age-brotlaibidole-bread-loaf-idols/1027917 "2026-02-24T21:05:25Z")
Bread loaf idols (Brotlaibidole) are mysterious, fired clay or stone artifacts from the Early Bronze Age (approx. 1750–1550 B.C.) found across Central Europe, from Poland to Italy. Shaped like small loaves, they are cove… --- ## [Re: John Davidson's outburst at the BAFTAs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-john-davidsons-outburst-at-the-baftas/1027910)
**Author:** [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-john-davidsons-outburst-at-the-baftas/1027910 "2026-02-24T16:24:53Z")
\[I wasn’t sure if this is the right forum, but since the issue is ultimately a medical one I thought I’d try here first. There may follow a “great debate,” but that’s only possible from a place of ignorance, so I didn’t … --- ## [Can you truly empty a box?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-truly-empty-a-box/1027794)
**Author:** [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-truly-empty-a-box/1027794 "2026-02-24T02:00:29Z")
A “box” is a container meant to hold “stuff”. How much “stuff” can you take out of a box? It is a trivial matter to reach in and remove a physical, solid object. What’s left? An empty box? NO. The box still has air … --- ## [Tell me about your experiences with dental tourism!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-experiences-with-dental-tourism/1027903)
**Author:** [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-experiences-with-dental-tourism/1027903 "2026-02-23T18:19:05Z")
As I’m aging, my teeth are crumbling. They were never great to begin with, but now they seem much more fragile. I’d sort of like to get implants for all my molars. However, US dental insurance pays for practically nothin… --- ## [Should we go through with our Mexico vacation in February (poll)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-go-through-with-our-mexico-vacation-in-february-poll/1026886)
**Author:** [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-go-through-with-our-mexico-vacation-in-february-poll/1026886 "2026-02-23T16:08:08Z")
poll Back in December, when it seemed like ‘TACO’ trump was just talking tough about taking military action with Venezuela, Mexico, taking possession of Greenland, etc. etc., et al; before the trump admin started command… --- ## [Easiest way to distinguish Australian accent from British?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-distinguish-australian-accent-from-british/1027553)
**Author:** [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-distinguish-australian-accent-from-british/1027553 "2026-02-23T14:43:45Z")
I was surprised to learn that Leo McKern was Australian. Watching him in Man for all Seasons, Rumpole and Reilly, Ace of Spies I assumed his was just another kind of English accent to go with Henry Higgins and Eliza Dool… --- ## [Who is where in “the K shaped economy”?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-where-in-the-k-shaped-economy/1026058)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2026, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-where-in-the-k-shaped-economy/1026058 "2026-02-23T10:14:53Z")
So allegedly we are in a K-shaped economy. Not sure that’s a new thing? The norm for years at least has been a “hollowing out of the middle” which seems to me to be the same thing? A top group is doing well and a bottom … --- ## [Does ChatGTP diss your American city?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chatgtp-diss-your-american-city/1027627)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 23, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-chatgtp-diss-your-american-city/1027627 "2026-02-23T00:51:10Z")
Some researchers used ChatGTP to suss out which states and cities had the laziest, most uptight, least honest people by comparing places two at a time. Though this reflects many biases and is extremely unlikely to be ac… --- ## [Is Trump facing his mortality and wanting to take the world down with him](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632 "2026-02-22T19:02:44Z")
Trump loves to take revenge, is he taking revenge on the world, mortality even God, by creating as much hurt as possible before he goes. He seems to be the type who if he can’t have it, he will make damn sure no one els… --- ## [How to shrink an exFAT partition in Windows 11?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-shrink-an-exfat-partition-in-windows-11/1027840)
**Author:** [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2026, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-shrink-an-exfat-partition-in-windows-11/1027840 "2026-02-22T06:03:51Z")
I have a 16 terabyte external drive formatted using an exFAT partition. I am using only about a quarter of it and want to shrink the partition to make a second drive. Apparently this is possible using the tools native to… --- ## [I cleared this spot, it's MINE!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cleared-this-spot-its-mine/1027096)
**Author:** [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Replies:** 153\ **Last updated:** [February 22, 2026, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cleared-this-spot-its-mine/1027096 "2026-02-22T04:31:41Z")
The recent snows have re-ignited the annual debate in our fair city about shoveling out the parking spot in front of one’s house and then proclaiming a perpetual “this spot is mine,” even to the point of putting down tra… --- ## [Sore throat treatment](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-treatment/1027781)
**Author:** [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-treatment/1027781 "2026-02-19T16:33:32Z")
First, I know that you are not my doctor and I know enough not to uncritically trust recommendations from you Internet randos. I’m just looking for ideas that I might not have thought of. For the past 3 days I’ve been h… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=22)