# In My Humble Opinion **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=256 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 257 --- ## [Mesial Temporal Sclerosis experience, anyone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mesial-temporal-sclerosis-experience-anyone/942963)
**Author:** [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 27, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mesial-temporal-sclerosis-experience-anyone/942963 "2021-05-27T20:18:18Z")
I have a friend who, 5-ish years ago told me he was having episodes where he would suddenly not recognize where he was. I had heard of that as something like déjà vu, and after doing some googling I saw the term jamais … --- ## [How do you make maximum profit from something magical you discovered?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-maximum-profit-from-something-magical-you-discovered/942841)
**Author:** [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 27, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-maximum-profit-from-something-magical-you-discovered/942841 "2021-05-27T15:59:42Z")
This thread is entirely hypothetical. Say I’ve made a really improbable discovery of something that seems genuinely magical. I could use it to easily win the JREF million dollar challenge prize if it still existed. Sadl… --- ## [New Info On The 1918 Origins Of The Spanish Flu \[Article is from Jan 2014\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-info-on-the-1918-origins-of-the-spanish-flu-article-is-from-jan-2014/942921)
**Author:** [@shh1313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shh1313)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [May 27, 2021, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-info-on-the-1918-origins-of-the-spanish-flu-article-is-from-jan-2014/942921 "2021-05-27T02:47:23Z")
" Historian Mark Humphries of Canada’s Memorial University of Newfoundland says that newly unearthed records confirm that one of the side stories of the war—the mobilization of 96,000 Chinese laborers to work behind the… --- ## [U.S. forests are too dense, and fires are good?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-forests-are-too-dense-and-fires-are-good/942903)
**Author:** [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-forests-are-too-dense-and-fires-are-good/942903 "2021-05-26T18:16:40Z")
I read this article which makes a couple of interesting claims: Our forests in the U.S. have too many trees. Occasional fires are (were) good for our forests. I say “interesting,” because we’ve been hearing about the … --- ## [Products where you expect the price to decline as the pandemic (hopefully) comes to a close](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-where-you-expect-the-price-to-decline-as-the-pandemic-hopefully-comes-to-a-close/942848)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-where-you-expect-the-price-to-decline-as-the-pandemic-hopefully-comes-to-a-close/942848 "2021-05-26T17:10:47Z")
So there are multiple threads on what products have you seen shortages or price hikes due to the pandemic, but as the pandemic hopefully ends (at least in vaccinated nations) what products do you expect to see price decl… --- ## [This nerd taught me to be careful with my jokes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-nerd-taught-me-to-be-careful-with-my-jokes/942474)
**Author:** [@KennyT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennyT)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-nerd-taught-me-to-be-careful-with-my-jokes/942474 "2021-05-25T19:24:21Z")
This nerd has convinced me that people are annoyed with my dumb jokes, winks and self-referential jokes, and The Simpsons/Family Guy/American Dad references. Good dude but his jokes fall flat: Should You Run Coilovers o… --- ## [Amy Coney Barret and Atheists?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amy-coney-barret-and-atheists/942720)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 134\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amy-coney-barret-and-atheists/942720 "2021-05-25T19:16:08Z")
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, one of the first groups to worry about President Trump’s replacement for her was atheists. I have nothing against atheists. Frankly I’m halfway there myself at the present time. So no sarc… --- ## [Recommend a (cheap) graphics card](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-cheap-graphics-card/942808)
**Author:** [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-cheap-graphics-card/942808 "2021-05-25T17:35:03Z")
My windows box has been cobbled together, mostly from discarded parts. The motherboard is a Dell Optiplex 9010 SFF, but it’s in a full size case with a decent PSU. The card in there is an AMD FirePro v4900. It’s fine. I… --- ## [Where do I find local Auctions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-local-auctions/814307)
**Author:** [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-local-auctions/814307 "2021-05-25T13:14:28Z")
Well, this turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Who here has experience of going to auctions IN PERSON? How do you find them? My Google-Fu is surprisingly weak in this area as I don’t feel like wading throug… --- ## ["Women know men better than men know women" - true?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-know-men-better-than-men-know-women-true/941861)
**Author:** [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Replies:** 174\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2021, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-know-men-better-than-men-know-women-true/941861 "2021-05-25T03:01:27Z")
Not me saying this, but Will and Ariel Durant wrote the above sentence which caught my eye last night while reading one of their works\*. Do you think it’s accurate? Why or why not? \*(Volume 9 of their The Story of Civi… --- ## [Do you have any anecdotes about the PPP feeding trough?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-anecdotes-about-the-ppp-feeding-trough/942618)
**Author:** [@KennyT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennyT)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-any-anecdotes-about-the-ppp-feeding-trough/942618 "2021-05-24T23:36:00Z")
I know of a few bussinessessses that have done better due to pandemic conditions that are taking PPP money and no doubt applying for forgiveness. You can check them out here: Tracking PPP: Search Every Company Approved … --- ## [Scammy stores on Facebook](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammy-stores-on-facebook/942754)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2021, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammy-stores-on-facebook/942754 "2021-05-24T07:13:06Z")
When I see an obvious scam store posting on Facebook, I report it(with the reasons I think a scam is being run and the evidence I’ve collected to back up the claim). Facebook has never pulled any of the scammers that I … --- ## [Learnt or Learned](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learnt-or-learned/942705)
**Author:** [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2021, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/learnt-or-learned/942705 "2021-05-24T03:03:30Z")
Which sounds more correct to your ears, “learnt” or “learned”? A cursory Google search indicates that both might be considered to be correct. To me, “learnt” sounds rather archaic unless spoken by a hillbilly, e.g., “I… --- ## [Stuck bristlenose pleco half inside an ornament, any ideas how to help him get out? Probably need some ideas pretty quickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-bristlenose-pleco-half-inside-an-ornament-any-ideas-how-to-help-him-get-out-probably-need-some-ideas-pretty-quickly/942712)
**Author:** [@kaiwik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaiwik)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2021, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-bristlenose-pleco-half-inside-an-ornament-any-ideas-how-to-help-him-get-out-probably-need-some-ideas-pretty-quickly/942712 "2021-05-24T01:43:25Z")
The title says pretty much all of it. My bristlenose plecostomus stuck his head into the underside of a skull ornament, and he is now stuck. We are not having much success trying to help him wiggle out backwards, fins an… --- ## [Have you ever encountered a person who hated/disliked you for no reason?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-encountered-a-person-who-hated-disliked-you-for-no-reason/942411)
**Author:** [@Flamedame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamedame)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-encountered-a-person-who-hated-disliked-you-for-no-reason/942411 "2021-05-24T00:05:53Z")
Have you ever came across a person who seemed to despise your presence for no real reason, even though you never wronged them in any way? I had a 7th grade teacher who absolutely despised me. I was a well behaved kid b… --- ## [Re-capping an old audio amplifier... help me find these caps!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-capping-an-old-audio-amplifier-help-me-find-these-caps/926841)
**Author:** [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-capping-an-old-audio-amplifier-help-me-find-these-caps/926841 "2021-05-23T23:19:31Z")
Now I’m finally getting down to starting my restoration project I mentioned in my thread about getting a good multimeter. I am an electronics noob, so I have no idea what to do about these 1960s sizes that seem to be ra… --- ## [Calibrating the laptop battery...worth the trouble?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calibrating-the-laptop-battery-worth-the-trouble/942702)
**Author:** [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calibrating-the-laptop-battery-worth-the-trouble/942702 "2021-05-23T03:59:45Z")
(Note: Discourse popped up a “similar questions” text box about batteries, but nothing seemed to fit.) I bought a new HP laptop recently, and have had no issues with it. The HP Assistant tells me I should calibrate my … --- ## [Calling Portland (OR) Dopers!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-portland-or-dopers/941440)
**Author:** [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-portland-or-dopers/941440 "2021-05-22T17:28:07Z")
I will be visiting Portland for two days in late June with my three boys (18, 15 and 12.) Staying at an AirBnB in the Buckman neighborhood (and will have a car.) Looking for recommendations for things to see on a short v… --- ## [Why are all pickup trucks now 4 door sedans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-pickup-trucks-now-4-door-sedans/942552)
**Author:** [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-pickup-trucks-now-4-door-sedans/942552 "2021-05-22T04:48:02Z")
with half size cargo beds? Do pickups really need to be exclusively a family vehicle? It seems that no manufacturer has a two door truck in its line up. --- ## [What's a quick and simple way to explain "passive aggressive?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-quick-and-simple-way-to-explain-passive-aggressive/942080)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-quick-and-simple-way-to-explain-passive-aggressive/942080 "2021-05-22T02:43:58Z")
Passive-aggressive behavior is one of those things that everyone recognizes immediately when it happens in real life, yet is very difficult to define or convey verbally. What’s a quick and concise way to get the concept … --- ## [I have a 2021 Corolla, and a time machine. How far back must I go to win the Indy 500?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-2021-corolla-and-a-time-machine-how-far-back-must-i-go-to-win-the-indy-500/942571)
**Author:** [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-2021-corolla-and-a-time-machine-how-far-back-must-i-go-to-win-the-indy-500/942571 "2021-05-21T17:30:58Z")
I know the title’s whimsical, but I’m curious about the improvement in handling, braking, tire technology and acceleration in modern sedans – as compared to race cars of the past. Ignoring pit stops, it seems like even … --- ## [What's your favorite bot on Reddit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-bot-on-reddit/942396)
**Author:** [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-bot-on-reddit/942396 "2021-05-21T15:49:52Z")
I just ran into this bot on r/fountainpens. cookie\_bot It says: ╤ Thank you for being kind \["\]🍪 and spreading positivity! /\[\_\]┘ Please take this cookie \] \[ as a token of appreciation. Then I saw a… --- ## [Travel question: Gulf of Mexico](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-question-gulf-of-mexico/942580)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-question-gulf-of-mexico/942580 "2021-05-21T12:01:56Z")
I’ve got 2 weeks of comp time at work that I have to use up, and amazingly they’ve allowed me to use it all at once along with a week of vacation. We Have our son to manage a store we own so we’re taking the entire 3 wee… --- ## [Any ideas on how to survive homelessness?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185)
**Author:** [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Replies:** 162\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185 "2021-05-21T02:42:22Z")
Hi all. I’ve been having a lot of trouble finding a place to live, so it looks like I’ll soon end up homeless. I haven’t been homeless before, so does anyone have any advice on how to survive while homeless? Please not… --- ## [Don't call your mother "she"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-call-your-mother-she/505057)
**Author:** [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Replies:** 183\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-call-your-mother-she/505057 "2021-05-20T22:51:43Z")
When I was growing up in La República de Tejas, the stories included in our elementary school reading textbooks were often slightly mystifying to me as they were often set in New York or New Jersey or somewhere and talke… --- ## [How bad is it for an employee to fake the employer's signature on a govt. form?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-for-an-employee-to-fake-the-employers-signature-on-a-govt-form/942099)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2021, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-for-an-employee-to-fake-the-employers-signature-on-a-govt-form/942099 "2021-05-20T22:46:25Z")
No permission was sought or given before faking the signature. The form is “verification of employment/loss of income”, to be filed with the state department of children and families. It is used for the government to de… --- ## [Have you seen the Berliner Uhr aka Set Theory Clock?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-the-berliner-uhr-aka-set-theory-clock/942096 "2021-05-20T17:48:11Z")
poll It was built in 1975. Somehow, I had never read anything about it. It’s easy to read after you’ve looked at a few examples. --- ## [Bedspreads](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bedspreads/506999)
**Author:** [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [August 23, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bedspreads/506999 "2009-08-23T03:14:31Z")
I’m looking around for a new bedspread, and I’m having trouble finding one that fits my requirements. I want a colorful bedspread with an irregular design, and not a lot of white in it. The reason is that I don’t want a… --- ## [Kids have too much homework! Hasn’t this argument been around forever?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-have-too-much-homework-hasn-t-this-argument-been-around-forever/942326)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 104\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-have-too-much-homework-hasn-t-this-argument-been-around-forever/942326 "2021-05-20T15:37:05Z")
The Atlantic has the 2021 version of, ‘Kids have too much homework!’ Homeroom: How Much Homework Is Too Much? - The Atlantic These arguments have been around forever, certainly since I was in high school in the 1980s. I… --- ## [Fermentation and COVID](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fermentation-and-covid/942339)
**Author:** [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fermentation-and-covid/942339 "2021-05-20T12:51:54Z")
Hubs is a trumper and thinks that COVID is just a different flu. Needless to say, he has taken no protections during this whole thing. Hubs is also a hobby brewer. On Saturday, he bottled 5 gallons of beer which will fi… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=255) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/in-my-humble-opinion/14.md?page=257)