# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1017&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1018 --- ## [Do NYC MTA Employees Pay Into Social Security?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nyc-mta-employees-pay-into-social-security/971562)
**Author:** [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nyc-mta-employees-pay-into-social-security/971562 "2022-09-16T17:18:47Z")
Long story short, my father was an MTA employee (management) from the mid-1980s until his retirement about 10 years ago, and worked in another sector of the railroad industry before that. My parents have been divorced si… --- ## [Hole in ceiling; any danger in putting plastic over it until it can be re-drywalled?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hole-in-ceiling-any-danger-in-putting-plastic-over-it-until-it-can-be-re-drywalled/971574)
**Author:** [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hole-in-ceiling-any-danger-in-putting-plastic-over-it-until-it-can-be-re-drywalled/971574 "2022-09-16T16:48:53Z")
We had an air conditioner leak that damaged our ceiling drywall. The leak has since been repaired, the drywall and insulation removed, and appropriate moisture mitigation completed by a restoration company. However, the… --- ## [Cool girl: the trope that isn't](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-girl-the-trope-that-isnt/971454)
**Author:** [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-girl-the-trope-that-isnt/971454 "2022-09-16T16:05:17Z")
Spoilers for Gone Girl Every now and then, somebody will post Amy Dunne’s the Cool Girl monologue from “Gone Girl” on Reddit or Tumblr or some other site (it is in both the book and the movie, albeit slightly different)… --- ## [Future of the MAGA movement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-the-maga-movement/971401)
**Author:** [@SharltoCopley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharltoCopley)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-the-maga-movement/971401 "2022-09-16T15:27:38Z")
Like most stupid things, the MAGA movement is here to stay. It will stay past Trump and will become its own thing until new joiners two hundred years from now won’t even know what MAGA means until they read the pamphlet … --- ## [Trying to remember a 60s-70s song?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-60s-70s-song/971477)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-remember-a-60s-70s-song/971477 "2022-09-16T14:34:16Z")
Someone made me a music mixtape years ago and I am trying to place one of the songs. Much of it wasn’t even music - it was the charismatic lead singer on stage at some large concert - and he was mostly talking, and givi… --- ## [What's an appropriate concession speech when losing to a fascist or someone similar?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-appropriate-concession-speech-when-losing-to-a-fascist-or-someone-similar/971160)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-appropriate-concession-speech-when-losing-to-a-fascist-or-someone-similar/971160 "2022-09-16T13:58:50Z")
I don’t mean the sort of speech Hillary gave when losing in 2016 to Trump, who is a wanna-be fascist that probably couldn’t even define fascism in any dictionary sense, but losing to someone who is a true Hitler 2.0 or t… --- ## [What was the last "generation defining" band or artist?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-last-generation-defining-band-or-artist/971589)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-last-generation-defining-band-or-artist/971589 "2022-09-16T13:37:05Z")
So in this post I opined that the last “generation defining” band in the UK at least was Oasis in mid 1990s. My thinking behind this is to be “generation defining” a band has to be: Firstly a very commercially success… --- ## [Inventions that went backward](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-that-went-backward/962852)
**Author:** [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Replies:** 183\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventions-that-went-backward/962852 "2022-09-16T11:53:19Z")
What are some progressive inventions that lacked key components of what they replaced? For example, black and white photography added realism and immediacy, but it replaced paintings, which were in color. --- ## [Countries with exactly one island state/province](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-with-exactly-one-island-state-province/971556)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-with-exactly-one-island-state-province/971556 "2022-09-16T11:18:03Z")
I got to wondering which countries have a single state/province/region/1st level administrative unit that’s an island or island group. The island state must have the exact same status as the country’s mainland states, so… --- ## [Ohhhh, What\_Exit... that's not what doxxing is](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ohhhh-what-exit-thats-not-what-doxxing-is/971641)
**Author:** [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ohhhh-what-exit-thats-not-what-doxxing-is/971641 "2022-09-16T07:15:59Z")
Continuing the discussion from Claims of "Ritual Abuse". Whats the reason?: Put everything back, please. Thanks. --- ## [Why do large swaths of the Internet seem to vanish sometimes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-large-swaths-of-the-internet-seem-to-vanish-sometimes/971563)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-large-swaths-of-the-internet-seem-to-vanish-sometimes/971563 "2022-09-16T07:02:47Z")
At the moment I can’t access any pages I try that end in .edu (I tried about a dozen at different schools), though the ones I’ve tried that end in .com (such as this one and many news sites) seem fine. This happens from … --- ## [Better Call Saul season 6](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-6/963063)
**Author:** [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Replies:** 1624\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-call-saul-season-6/963063 "2022-09-16T06:59:51Z")
I will not be watching this until the half season is over, as I prefer the bingewatching model, but I figure that some people may, so I’ve started a thread to i)head off any attempt to bump a mega thread from a previous… --- ## [Matthew McConaughey soccer movie based on true story suddenly canned](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matthew-mcconaughey-soccer-movie-based-on-true-story-suddenly-canned/971607)
**Author:** [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matthew-mcconaughey-soccer-movie-based-on-true-story-suddenly-canned/971607 "2022-09-16T06:31:52Z")
The only thing I could think of is that would derail this is maybe the girls on the team were assaulted or abused in some way and it was hushed up. “Set in 1984, the movie was supposed to be about the true story of a gi… --- ## [Apple watch heart monitor: Is it possible to download the data for use in a spreadsheet or similar?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-watch-heart-monitor-is-it-possible-to-download-the-data-for-use-in-a-spreadsheet-or-similar/971145)
**Author:** [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-watch-heart-monitor-is-it-possible-to-download-the-data-for-use-in-a-spreadsheet-or-similar/971145 "2022-09-16T05:35:38Z")
Apple watch SE, if that makes any difference. --- ## [Suppose Texas Succeeds in Seceding?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-texas-succeeds-in-seceding/966496)
**Author:** [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Replies:** 187\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-texas-succeeds-in-seceding/966496 "2022-09-16T05:16:38Z")
I think it unlikely the referendum succeeds, and even if it does it seems to me you Americans fought a war to decide if a state could unilaterally secede. But let’s ignore all that and suppose Texas does secede. What a… --- ## [A modest proposal: South Korea buys North Korea](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-modest-proposal-south-korea-buys-north-korea/971097)
**Author:** [@EdwardFound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardFound)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-modest-proposal-south-korea-buys-north-korea/971097 "2022-09-16T05:15:55Z")
Say envoys make an offer to Kim Jong-on and his top generals: immunity from prosecution for any and all crimes for yourself and your family; a luxurious, palatial estate to retire in; $1B a year family stipend for the ne… --- ## [Can't access some education sites from my house](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-access-some-education-sites-from-my-house/971381)
**Author:** [@longtry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longtry)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-access-some-education-sites-from-my-house/971381 "2022-09-16T04:30:41Z")
I live in Vietnam, and I’m building applications to colleges in the US. Things were going well until about a week ago. I can no longer access several websites, for example https://apply.mitadmissions.org/ But the strange… --- ## [What to ask the gastroenterologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-ask-the-gastroenterologist/971578)
**Author:** [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-ask-the-gastroenterologist/971578 "2022-09-16T03:12:11Z")
need answers fast-ish So, 3 months after my endoscopy/colonoscopy, I finally have an appointment to talk to the guy who did it. I’m seeing him tomorrow, Sept 15, at 1PM ET What should I ask him? background: the colono… --- ## [Once in a lifetime talents](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-in-a-lifetime-talents/971289)
**Author:** [@CastletonSnob1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastletonSnob1)\ **Replies:** 112\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-in-a-lifetime-talents/971289 "2022-09-16T03:01:47Z")
What athletes, musicians or entertainers do you consider once in a lifetime talents, that we’ll never see again? Michael Jackson for me. --- ## [Any hope for this dashboard?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-hope-for-this-dashboard/971337)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-hope-for-this-dashboard/971337 "2022-09-16T02:27:55Z")
The dashboard of my 2008 Toyota Solara convertible seems to be chemically degrading. It is black. The surface has become sticky to the touch and the edges are showing signs of disintegration. Cleaning doesn’t help. The … --- ## [The Princess and the Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-princess-and-the-frog/521033)
**Author:** [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-princess-and-the-frog/521033 "2022-09-16T01:53:36Z")
Just got back from seeing it with my wife, we don’t have kids. We both really enjoyed it. It was nice seeing classic Disney animation and a return to fairy tales. Also, the villain was awesome. --- ## [Illogical or contradictory metaphor pairs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illogical-or-contradictory-metaphor-pairs/971606 "2022-09-16T01:35:11Z")
A bomb is an explosive device. A blockbuster is colossal bomb, capable of demolishing an entire city block. In film industry parlance, the term “bomb” is used metaphorically to describe a movie that fails at the box of… --- ## [Cob for a wood oven](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cob-for-a-wood-oven/971517)
**Author:** [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 16, 2022, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cob-for-a-wood-oven/971517 "2022-09-16T00:58:30Z")
So I was watching Townsend’s making a wood burning beehive oven, and I got to wondering, he makes cob with hay/straw as the fiber fill in the mix. Could one use lawn clippings? I would think one could, but was hoping som… --- ## [Could D.B. Cooper be Howard Hughes, the aviator?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-d-b-cooper-be-howard-hughes-the-aviator/759820)
**Author:** [@Michael\_Varn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Varn)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-d-b-cooper-be-howard-hughes-the-aviator/759820 "2022-09-15T22:22:50Z")
I believe D.B. Cooper is Howard Hughes, the aviator. First of all he had a very eccentric personality. Wouldn’t put it past him. Also, at the time of the hijacking he was in hideing, and for a time his whereabouts wer… --- ## [What do you consider a small town?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-a-small-town/971406)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-a-small-town/971406 "2022-09-15T20:15:30Z")
What’s the maximum population that you would say still qualifies as a small town? poll --- ## [Weed and Mexico](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-and-mexico/971281)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-and-mexico/971281 "2022-09-15T19:02:41Z")
Now that marijuana has been legal in many large states for many years, I was curious to see if the original hypothesis that legalized drugs here would reduce crime in Mexico. This is the first study that I found (look fo… --- ## [Things you don't "get" anymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-dont-get-anymore/970197)
**Author:** [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Replies:** 309\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-dont-get-anymore/970197 "2022-09-15T18:41:57Z")
topic possibly age related, hence the “anymore” in the title cosplay … don’t get me wrong - Im happy that peeps seem to enjoy it, and all but I don’t get it … is it just dressing up as some real or unreal persona? or … --- ## [Could the Arizona Audit be a Means to an End?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-arizona-audit-be-a-means-to-an-end/945197)
**Author:** [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Replies:** 95\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-arizona-audit-be-a-means-to-an-end/945197 "2022-09-15T18:35:46Z")
There is no doubt what the former president and certain other boot-lickers in his camp want from this recently concluded but not yet published audit. But genuine, long term Republican power brokers might have a better g… --- ## [Waiting for Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waiting-for-toast/971447)
**Author:** [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waiting-for-toast/971447 "2022-09-15T17:47:30Z")
This is truly mundane and pointless, but I think about it every morning. I am a very bad waiter when it comes to toast. I am always pressing the button to pop it up before its scheduled pop-up. I flip the bread around, p… --- ## [Background music ID help plz?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-music-id-help-plz/971583)
**Author:** [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [September 15, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-music-id-help-plz/971583 "2022-09-15T17:36:37Z")
Okay, this is driving me mental–there’s a bit of music that Kaiser Permanente uses in its hold music and I always just assumed it was one of those generic bits that IVR systems use to avoid paying royalties. Then I caugh… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1016&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1018&state=muted)