# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1240 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1241 --- ## [Test error trap thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-error-trap-thread/957097)
**Author:** [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-error-trap-thread/957097 "2022-01-02T21:52:34Z")
– Error trapping thread. --- ## [Blackout emblem overlays — Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackout-emblem-overlays-why/956860)
**Author:** [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackout-emblem-overlays-why/956860 "2022-01-02T21:19:35Z")
I just learned of the existence of blackout emblem overlays. I found out what they are. I found out how to install them. But I can’t find anything that tells my why anyone would want to use them. Anybody out there know? --- ## [Dan somebody explain NFTs to me?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-somebody-explain-nfts-to-me/941126)
**Author:** [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dan-somebody-explain-nfts-to-me/941126 "2022-01-02T20:07:02Z")
I keep wondering what buyers of NFTs get out of it? There was news recently about somebody who paid thousands of dollars for the original photo of a meme. What do they get? Everybody can see the meme online, the owner… --- ## [So I found this browsing a Chinese restaurant menu](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060)
**Author:** [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060 "2022-01-02T20:07:01Z")
https://i.imgur.com/BtStjRg.png My question is what do you get for a dollar? --- ## [1970s/80s Inflation Question (US)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1970s-80s-inflation-question-us/956853)
**Author:** [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1970s-80s-inflation-question-us/956853 "2022-01-02T19:10:55Z")
This Politico article about Thomas Hoenig includes this statement about inflation in the US during the 70s and 80s “This was the period that has come to be known as the Great Inflation, a period in the 1970s charact… --- ## [Props for Canadians](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/props-for-canadians/956997)
**Author:** [@civilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/civilis)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/props-for-canadians/956997 "2022-01-02T18:39:41Z")
The rest of the world doesn’t pay much attention to Canada, but I just crunched some numbers that blew me away and gave me a sense of pride and comfort for my fellow citizens for whom I feel grateful. This morning I rea… --- ## [What advantage does white bark provide for a birch tree?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advantage-does-white-bark-provide-for-a-birch-tree/957084)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advantage-does-white-bark-provide-for-a-birch-tree/957084 "2022-01-02T17:20:20Z")
Thinking about evolution and the features that lead to continuation of species, and wondering about the whiteness of a birch tree. I think it must confer some type of advantage to the organism or it wouldn’t have surviv… --- ## [Would you feel compelled to make a deathbed confession?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-feel-compelled-to-make-a-deathbed-confession/956872)
**Author:** [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-feel-compelled-to-make-a-deathbed-confession/956872 "2022-01-02T17:08:07Z")
Inspired by having just read about this guy, but not specific to those details. Essentially, suppose you had some deep dark secret that you had successfully kept for decades. Now you’re dying. Do you have some burning d… --- ## ["Tech Free" Holidays Part 2](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-free-holidays-part-2/956989)
**Author:** [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tech-free-holidays-part-2/956989 "2022-01-02T16:26:13Z")
So, in about three hours, the SIGO and I are going to enjoy our second Tech Free holiday (Christmas Day was our first try). We’d spent 24 hours with nothing newer than 35-years old: music CDs are fine, but no DVDs, Wi-F… --- ## [Economist Predicting Return To Civility in 2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economist-predicting-return-to-civility-in-2022/956995)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economist-predicting-return-to-civility-in-2022/956995 "2022-01-02T15:54:32Z")
Every year, The Economist puts out an edition offering predictions of the upcoming year. In one of the columns, they predict that there will be a return to civility in 2022. Things are cyclic, and they are right this w… --- ## [Dalek brand label?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalek-brand-label/957064)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalek-brand-label/957064 "2022-01-02T15:26:21Z")
The current Daleks have some sort of label/badge under their head stalks. What does it say? --- ## [What would you do? (work related, using time off)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-work-related-using-time-off/956994)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-work-related-using-time-off/956994 "2022-01-02T15:16:16Z")
These are the facts: You plan on retiring in 14 months. You receive 11 hours of Combined Time Off (CTO) per 2-week pay period. You currently have 300 hours CTO in your bank (which maxes out at 360). Upon retirement, … --- ## [Diatomaceous Earth bath mat - yea or nay?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755)
**Author:** [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diatomaceous-earth-bath-mat-yea-or-nay/949755 "2022-01-02T14:57:55Z")
My wife hates the feeling of stepping out of a shower onto a wet bath mat. I was just reading about diatomaceous earth bath mats, which seem to dry nearly instantaneously. That would seem to make her happy, but I’ve neve… --- ## [Does Amazon Prime send random Christmas presents?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amazon-prime-send-random-christmas-presents/956487)
**Author:** [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amazon-prime-send-random-christmas-presents/956487 "2022-01-02T14:09:28Z")
I have gotten two packages of chocolate, on singular pair of socks from Amazon in the last two weeks. I have ask the few people I know who might do something like that, and the strongly denied having anything to do with … --- ## [The NFL’s Dan Reeves has died; he was 77](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-s-dan-reeves-has-died-he-was-77/957038)
**Author:** [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-s-dan-reeves-has-died-he-was-77/957038 "2022-01-02T13:27:11Z")
R.I.P. Coach Dan Reeves. You won your only Super Bowl as a player back in Super Bowl VI, the first Super Bowl I ever watched. --- ## [Netflix's The Crown S3 (open spoilers)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflixs-the-crown-s3-open-spoilers/840274)
**Author:** [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflixs-the-crown-s3-open-spoilers/840274 "2022-01-02T10:54:50Z")
A thread on the previous season: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=844235 Official website: Watch The Crown | Netflix Official Site Wiki page: The Crown (TV series) - Wikipedia FWIW, Buck House deni… --- ## [The Getaway (1972 version)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-getaway-1972-version/957052)
**Author:** [@Roger\_That](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_That)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-getaway-1972-version/957052 "2022-01-02T09:41:14Z")
TCM just showed this one, and since I hadn’t seen it for decades I sat down, and I came up with a terrific plot hole that rendered it kind of implausible to me: Doc McCoy is a super-brainy bank robber, but when the plan… --- ## [What happens if you get an air purifier thats too small for the room you're cleaning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-get-an-air-purifier-thats-too-small-for-the-room-youre-cleaning/957065)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-get-an-air-purifier-thats-too-small-for-the-room-youre-cleaning/957065 "2022-01-02T09:38:09Z")
Lets say you get one rated for 200 sq ft or 400 sq ft but use it in an 800 sq ft room. Will the air purifier still cycle all the air in the room, just do it slower than it says it will, or will it not have the power to … --- ## [NHL Dec. '21](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-dec-21/955600)
**Author:** [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-dec-21/955600 "2022-01-02T08:23:10Z")
Is there a thread for this yet? If not, why not kick it off with the coaches on both my teams - Philly and Van - splitting the scene, like, on the same freaking day? Not sure when that will happen again - hopefully not… --- ## [Warhammer 40,000 (Lore & Discussion on related books & stories)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warhammer-40-000-lore-discussion-on-related-books-stories/851213)
**Author:** [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Replies:** 111\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warhammer-40-000-lore-discussion-on-related-books-stories/851213 "2022-01-02T04:39:57Z")
I’ve always been intrigued by Warhammer in it’s various incarnations, but to be honest I didn’t know much about the lore besides what little I gleaned from their association with one of the greatest bands of all time, Bo… --- ## [I love my wife dearly but she is a brainwashed Evangelical Trump supporter](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-my-wife-dearly-but-she-is-a-brainwashed-evangelical-trump-supporter/956477)
**Author:** [@damarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/damarp)\ **Replies:** 189\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-my-wife-dearly-but-she-is-a-brainwashed-evangelical-trump-supporter/956477 "2022-01-02T04:39:15Z")
My wife got ‘saved’ in 1974 during a period in our short marriage when we were separated. It was of no concern to me at the time but now she had been deluded by her Evangelicalism into supporting the evil monster, Dona… --- ## [When did LASER become laser?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-laser-become-laser/957041)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-laser-become-laser/957041 "2022-01-02T04:20:33Z")
Most people here (but, maybe not all) know that LASER is an acronym. It stands for Light Amplified by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. When LASERs were first invented, the name was always capitalized. But, at some point… --- ## [We are not alone, we’re here together. Happy Holidays to all Dopers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-not-alone-we-re-here-together-happy-holidays-to-all-dopers/956635)
**Author:** [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-not-alone-we-re-here-together-happy-holidays-to-all-dopers/956635 "2022-01-02T04:16:20Z")
I’m glad we are all here as a community of Dopers. We are the same. And we are all different. But mostly, we are all similar. In many ways, like a family. I am grateful that we are here with each other. A big inclusiv… --- ## [How should I use GPS and mapping for long trips](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-use-gps-and-mapping-for-long-trips/855644)
**Author:** [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-use-gps-and-mapping-for-long-trips/855644 "2022-01-02T03:22:15Z")
Don’t need answer fast (in fact, I’m not sure there is a definitive answer). A little background: I live in Los Angeles. Every Christmas, I spend a few days with my family in Northern California, about 2 1/2 hours nor… --- ## [Are there scams that originate from Instagram?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scams-that-originate-from-instagram/956934)
**Author:** [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-scams-that-originate-from-instagram/956934 "2022-01-02T03:16:28Z")
This may be a dumb question, as scams are everywhere it seems, but if this is one, I’m not seeing the angle. Okay, so I am selling off a bunch of stuff and one of the places I post these items is on Facebook Marketplace… --- ## [Any dangers in cooling down a hyperthermia victim too quickly?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dangers-in-cooling-down-a-hyperthermia-victim-too-quickly/957011)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dangers-in-cooling-down-a-hyperthermia-victim-too-quickly/957011 "2022-01-02T03:09:02Z")
NOT a “need answer fast” question, thankfully. I know it is not recommended to warm up a hypothermia victim too quickly, and wonder if it applies the other way around - is it dangerous to cool down a hyperthermic (over-… --- ## [Lee Kaufman (Swiffer commercial with husband Morty) has died at 99](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-kaufman-swiffer-commercial-with-husband-morty-has-died-at-99/957027)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lee-kaufman-swiffer-commercial-with-husband-morty-has-died-at-99/957027 "2022-01-02T02:09:16Z")
Morty are you listening? Was the tag line for the Kaufman’s Swiffer commercial. They were a couple in their nineties that tried the product. The ad-libbed banter between Lee and Morty was priceless. Their 15 minutes of … --- ## [Pooh goes off copyright today in US](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pooh-goes-off-copyright-today-in-us/957047)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pooh-goes-off-copyright-today-in-us/957047 "2022-01-02T02:08:22Z")
The copyright on Winnie the Pooh expired yesterday. The House at Pooh Corners still has a couple years to run. The situation is different in UK since it depends on the author’s death, not the publication. My grandson … --- ## [How does this person-sending-us-a-check scam work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-person-sending-us-a-check-scam-work/956451)
**Author:** [@Dadtheinhaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dadtheinhaler)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-person-sending-us-a-check-scam-work/956451 "2022-01-02T01:38:14Z")
Earlier this month my son answered a job ad for a personal assistant. Recently he started receiving texts from Dr. X, provided our address, and a check for $1950 was sent by his “financial officer” from another state. … --- ## [Should people be forced to work by the government?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-be-forced-to-work-by-the-government/956325)
**Author:** [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Replies:** 213\ **Last updated:** [January 2, 2022, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-be-forced-to-work-by-the-government/956325 "2022-01-02T00:46:15Z")
AP story here: Can the government force people to work? Should the government force people to work? Are flesh & blood citizens merely servants to the non-corporeal persons who exist amongst us, via state control? W… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1239) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1241)