# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1160 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1161 --- ## [I think the pandemic has made everybody a little bit crazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-pandemic-has-made-everybody-a-little-bit-crazy/958764)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-pandemic-has-made-everybody-a-little-bit-crazy/958764 "2022-02-02T21:05:16Z")
Yelling at flight attendants who ask you to put on your mask. Assaulting Walmart associates who ask for same. And now, a report that a 40-person brawl broke out at Golden Corral when they ran out of steak. You think… --- ## [What arcade game could you crush everybody at?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-arcade-game-could-you-crush-everybody-at/953634)
**Author:** [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-arcade-game-could-you-crush-everybody-at/953634 "2022-03-25T12:07:29Z")
I saw something about another abandoned mall today and I was reading the comments, which were invariably nostalgic, which is bullshit. If people liked malls so much, why did they die? But I digress. A lot of the comment… --- ## [North Korean missile launch](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korean-missile-launch/950703)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korean-missile-launch/950703 "2022-03-25T10:36:15Z")
Does North Korea have a particular beef with Japan, or is it just a convenient place at which to shoot? --- ## [Why is Carrot Cake considered a cake and Bananna Bread considered a bread?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-carrot-cake-considered-a-cake-and-bananna-bread-considered-a-bread/961149)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 75\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-carrot-cake-considered-a-cake-and-bananna-bread-considered-a-bread/961149 "2022-03-25T06:57:02Z")
They both contain essentially the same ingredients (eggs, sugar, baking soda, etc.). And “because it’s tradition” is not an acceptable answer. --- ## [No more Freedom of Speech](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-freedom-of-speech/659006)
**Author:** [@sbright33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbright33)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-freedom-of-speech/659006 "2022-03-25T05:57:21Z")
This is what we have to look forward to in our Society without basic rights like Freedom of Speech. How can a judge disagree? Stupid is not a crime! --- ## [Bill and Teds Bogus Journey had one of the best endings in film](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-and-teds-bogus-journey-had-one-of-the-best-endings-in-film/961674)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-and-teds-bogus-journey-had-one-of-the-best-endings-in-film/961674 "2022-03-25T05:25:08Z")
They achieved their goals and made the world a better place with their music. Its too bad the third movie screwed it all up. --- ## [How are puns and wordplay translated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-puns-and-wordplay-translated/926560)
**Author:** [@Smudge777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smudge777)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-puns-and-wordplay-translated/926560 "2022-03-25T04:38:38Z")
I was recently watching an episode of Raised By Wolves in which a character tells that good ol’ joke: When is a door not a door? When it is ajar. The subtitles read “When it is a jar \[ajar\]” to make the pun clear in w… --- ## [Receiving PayPal or Venmo $](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-paypal-or-venmo/961516)
**Author:** [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-paypal-or-venmo/961516 "2022-03-25T02:52:55Z")
A friend suggested setting up PayPal or Venmo so I can receive money rather than use ATMs while traveling. Generally speaking, how does this work? E.g., do the funds need to go to my bank account, or is it like a virtual… --- ## [Did I miss something in the news today (3/24) - flags at half-staff?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-miss-something-in-the-news-today-3-24-flags-at-half-staff/961668)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-miss-something-in-the-news-today-3-24-flags-at-half-staff/961668 "2022-03-25T02:50:48Z")
I stuck my head out the door today (Th. March 24), and noticed a number of flags at half-staff around town. I didn’t see anything in the news to explain that. Did I miss something? --- ## [Laser Engravers Anyone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-engravers-anyone/961103)
**Author:** [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-engravers-anyone/961103 "2022-03-25T02:24:19Z")
I’m considering the purchase of a laser engraver with the accessory permitting usage on cylindrical items such as glassware, mugs etc. Currently looking at Makeblock xTool D1 Anyone have this, or perhaps a better reaso… --- ## [What's the purpose of that black strip on a windshield?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-purpose-of-that-black-strip-on-a-windshield/961345)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-purpose-of-that-black-strip-on-a-windshield/961345 "2022-03-25T01:58:22Z")
Lots of newer cars now come with a windshield that has a 2 or 3 inch black strip around the edge. Does that strip have a function? Maybe it’s supposed to enhance the appearance, but beyond that, is there a reason for it… --- ## [What's the deal with Dr. Strange? (some MCU spoilers I guess)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dr-strange-some-mcu-spoilers-i-guess/961569)
**Author:** [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dr-strange-some-mcu-spoilers-i-guess/961569 "2022-03-25T00:56:07Z")
I’m more of a Star Wars nerd so my frame of reference for my question is the nebulous amount of training required for The Force. In the OT, Luke gets what basically amounts to a crash course from Yoda even though he’s “t… --- ## [Acceleration vs gas mileage](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceleration-vs-gas-mileage/961297)
**Author:** [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceleration-vs-gas-mileage/961297 "2022-03-24T22:57:46Z")
Hello Everyone, With gas prices as high as they are I was just wondering, is it better for fuel economy to quickly (not flooring it) accelerate up to cruising speed or to accelerate very slowly? I’m torn, because while… --- ## [When Are Cites Necessary, And When Are They Not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-are-cites-necessary-and-when-are-they-not/961364)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-are-cites-necessary-and-when-are-they-not/961364 "2022-03-24T22:37:33Z")
Now, I do see people post all kinds of stuff here, and clearly without citations. So I know some of the time, it is permitted. So, when are cites necessary? And when are they not? And what about something you just saw … --- ## [Name of this comic strip?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-this-comic-strip/961629)
**Author:** [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-this-comic-strip/961629 "2022-03-24T22:30:30Z")
I don’t think it’s published any more, but is not an obscure strip. Central character is a smart blond kid with glasses and pursed lips, he has an older teenage brother who wears a cap and I think dates a blind girl… I… --- ## [Question about death by asphyxiation from thermobaric bombs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-death-by-asphyxiation-from-thermobaric-bombs/961659)
**Author:** [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-death-by-asphyxiation-from-thermobaric-bombs/961659 "2022-03-24T22:21:47Z")
I’ve read that, besides killing people through conventional means, thermobaric bombs will also kill by asphyxiation. Given that it takes quite a bit of time for someone to die that way, why doesn’t air rush right in a l… --- ## [Hurray! It's World Tuberculosis Day!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-its-world-tuberculosis-day/961630)
**Author:** [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurray-its-world-tuberculosis-day/961630 "2022-03-24T21:06:39Z")
We celebrate the discovery on this date in 1882 by Robert Koch of the tubercle bacillus, that wriggly little red snapper that has caused so much trouble around the world. You are urged to support TB eradication efforts,… --- ## [Bad Motivational Posters and Symbols](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-motivational-posters-and-symbols/961652)
**Author:** [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-motivational-posters-and-symbols/961652 "2022-03-24T20:29:09Z")
I used to work in a place with a Motivational Poster like this on the wall: I know what they’re trying to suggest – one bright idea can be communicated to others. But there are several things wrong with this. If they… --- ## [Missouri suggests women guilty of ectopic pregnancy must die](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-suggests-women-guilty-of-ectopic-pregnancy-must-die/961457)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 146\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-suggests-women-guilty-of-ectopic-pregnancy-must-die/961457 "2022-03-24T20:26:53Z")
According to an op-ed piece in today’s Times, Missouri has proposed making it a felony to end an ectopic pregnancy. Not only will the fetus inevitably die but so will the mother. “Missouri alone has in recent weeks tri… --- ## [Volcano eater?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volcano-eater/837372)
**Author:** [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volcano-eater/837372 "2022-03-24T19:59:22Z")
Today an old comic crossed my mind–there is an erupting volcano, and something is convinced to eat the volcano, saving the people around it and having a mildly spicy snack. Any clues? --- ## [Travel souvenirs - do you have a favorite type?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-souvenirs-do-you-have-a-favorite-type/960750)
**Author:** [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Replies:** 105\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-souvenirs-do-you-have-a-favorite-type/960750 "2022-03-24T19:02:28Z")
My mom’s fridge is covered in magnets from all over the world. I know other people get shot glasses or collector spoons from places they visit. I used to make sure to buy a t-shirt and a picture postcard, but not so muc… --- ## [YouTube Variety](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-variety/961641)
**Author:** [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-variety/961641 "2022-03-24T18:58:22Z")
I am often frustrated by YouTube’s recommendation algorithm. It suggests the same videos I’m not really interested in again and again, and rarely shows me anything different from what I’ve watched before. Very occasiona… --- ## [Mama duck is expecting! An urban wildlife odyssey](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-duck-is-expecting-an-urban-wildlife-odyssey/961561)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-duck-is-expecting-an-urban-wildlife-odyssey/961561 "2022-03-24T18:38:58Z")
At my job, the employees pull around to the back of the building to park, then enter the office through a locked back door. Next to that door is shrubbery, and across the way is a little pond that abuts a neighborhood. … --- ## [Retirees: How did you re-arrange your portfolios after retiring?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirees-how-did-you-re-arrange-your-portfolios-after-retiring/961200)
**Author:** [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retirees-how-did-you-re-arrange-your-portfolios-after-retiring/961200 "2022-03-24T18:36:50Z")
Not really a factual question, but if I’m wrong I suppose this could go to General Questions. We’re looking to retire in a little under a year. I’m having a devil of a time finding the type of financial advice I’m seek… --- ## [How does Columbia University treat transfer students?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-columbia-university-treat-transfer-students/961427)
**Author:** [@Roger\_That](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_That)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-columbia-university-treat-transfer-students/961427 "2022-03-24T17:58:27Z")
Specifically, does Columbia require transfer students to take its extensive core curriculum? In my day, the core curriculum was nearly two years’ worth of requirements, after which students could take elective courses. … --- ## [Pot smoke, again](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pot-smoke-again/961467)
**Author:** [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pot-smoke-again/961467 "2022-03-24T17:08:42Z")
This is in the nature of a pointless rant. Someone in one of the houses close to mine (and in San Francisco, houses are VERY close) smokes a perfectly legal substance, pot, from time to time. How do I know this? Because… --- ## [Weird to catch flu (was:Something odd and f\*\*ked up)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369)
**Author:** [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369 "2022-03-24T16:43:51Z")
I managed to get the flu week before last. One of my kids brought it home from school, despite wearing masks and everything. I was convinced I had COVID, went and got tested, and when the CVS tech asked if I wanted the… --- ## [What do you like on Discovery +?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-on-discovery/961541)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-on-discovery/961541 "2022-03-24T16:35:01Z")
Just signed up for my free six months of Discovery + with Verizon. What do you like on the service? I was skeptical about signing up, but I figured six months free was a good reason. As far as suggesting shows to me, o… --- ## [New (used) car stolen via tracker](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-used-car-stolen-via-tracker/961639)
**Author:** [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-used-car-stolen-via-tracker/961639 "2022-03-24T16:33:29Z")
This happened to my wife’s friend’s son, just yesterday. He lives with his parents but is engaged and in the process of moving out. He bought a used car from a car dealer out-of-town (about an hour and a half away). He … --- ## [Are there any spots where granites intrude into plain old sedimentary rock?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-spots-where-granites-intrude-into-plain-old-sedimentary-rock/957087)
**Author:** [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-spots-where-granites-intrude-into-plain-old-sedimentary-rock/957087 "2022-03-24T15:55:57Z")
There are lots of places where granite forms dikes and sills in other rocks. The ‘other rocks’, as far as I can tell, are typically other igneous rocks, or metamorphic rocks of either sedimentary or igneous origin. I get… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1159) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1161)