# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1455 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1456 --- ## [When I open a new tab in Chrome, it doesn't bring up Google automatically](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-open-a-new-tab-in-chrome-it-doesnt-bring-up-google-automatically/942301)
**Author:** [@Something](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Something)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2021, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-open-a-new-tab-in-chrome-it-doesnt-bring-up-google-automatically/942301 "2021-05-18T05:16:55Z")
When I open a new tab, it brings up a blank page, and only when I type something in the search bar at the top of the page does it take me to Google. I want Google to come up every time I open a new tab. --- ## [Capital One Bank, any opinions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-one-bank-any-opinions/942263)
**Author:** [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2021, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-one-bank-any-opinions/942263 "2021-05-18T04:27:05Z")
I no longer have a mortgage, and don’t carry a big balance in my checking, so I’ve been notified that when my savings and checking combined balance goes below $20K, I will be charged $12/mo. for “servicing.” I have a Cap… --- ## [How are local churches funded?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-local-churches-funded/941760)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2021, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-local-churches-funded/941760 "2021-05-18T03:49:09Z")
I’m seeing more churches closing because of dwindling membership. How are local churches funded? I know there’s the donation plate passed around during service. Some people tithe regularly. Is that really enough to pay … --- ## [How Do Other Languages Describe Our 'R'?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-languages-describe-our-r/942107)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2021, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-languages-describe-our-r/942107 "2021-05-18T03:41:06Z")
In most languages, the letter R is trilled or rolled. Not so in English. So how do other languages hear and describe our ‘R’? And while we’re at it, are there any other languages that don’t roll their R like we do? (I s… --- ## [Do you like the smell of peonies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-the-smell-of-peonies/942226)
**Author:** [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2021, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-the-smell-of-peonies/942226 "2021-05-18T01:32:46Z")
The peonies are in bloom at my in-laws’ house, so when my wife goes to visit she has been bringing some back home to put in a vase on the kitchen table. For me, peonies have an overpowering smell, and not a pleasant one… --- ## [The origin of the Charlie's Angels pose](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-charlies-angels-pose/942286)
**Author:** [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [May 18, 2021, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-the-charlies-angels-pose/942286 "2021-05-18T00:39:54Z")
I’m having a bit of a Berenstein Bears moment. Everyone knows the famous Charlie’s Angels three-person pose. One in the middle, standing straight and facing forward, hands in an action pose (typically holding a gun, ext… --- ## [A Godfather question for photographers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-godfather-question-for-photographers/941560)
**Author:** [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-godfather-question-for-photographers/941560 "2021-05-17T23:31:23Z")
At the wedding party, everyone lines up for the group picture, and Michael grabs Kay. IRL, would that photographer have been able to get everybody in the shot from as close as he was? Looked to me like he would have had … --- ## [I'm Looking For A Linguistic Term](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-linguistic-term/942243)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-linguistic-term/942243 "2021-05-17T23:27:30Z")
I was just thinking of Mark Anthony’s eulogy for Julius Caesar, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Mark Anthony talks about Caesar lying in his ‘coffin’. Neither in the play, nor in the records of the actual event, is there… --- ## [Any tales of Trumpists having their insanity leak into other areas of their lives?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tales-of-trumpists-having-their-insanity-leak-into-other-areas-of-their-lives/941705)
**Author:** [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tales-of-trumpists-having-their-insanity-leak-into-other-areas-of-their-lives/941705 "2021-05-17T23:07:20Z")
It’s kind of hard to have that kind of thinking (as such) remain hermetically sealed off from the rest of someone’s life, or so one would think. Excepted would be those who were already nuts, and were thus likely drawn … --- ## [Can You Identify This Rockabilly Song?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-rockabilly-song/942321)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-rockabilly-song/942321 "2021-05-17T22:03:56Z")
From 00:00 until 00:07, a fun rockabilly song plays in the background before it fades out. Anyone recognize it? --- ## [Pilot on a hot mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-on-a-hot-mike/938792)
**Author:** [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-on-a-hot-mike/938792 "2021-05-17T21:40:49Z")
According to Reddit, here’s a slightly obscured version of what he said: https://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/mclmvj/pilot\_on\_hot\_mic\_goes\_on\_a\_vulgar\_rant\_against/ Actual recording: --- ## [Hyperinflation - why Zimbabwe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperinflation-why-zimbabwe/941973)
**Author:** [@Gruppen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gruppen)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyperinflation-why-zimbabwe/941973 "2021-05-17T20:51:41Z")
This may be more of a Great Debate than a General Question, but I’m hoping someone knows enough about economy to understand something I don’t. So Zimbabwe went through a period of massive hyperinflation in 2007-2009, and… --- ## [If your cell phone might cause brain tumors, what would you do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-your-cell-phone-might-cause-brain-tumors-what-would-you-do/942294)
**Author:** [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-your-cell-phone-might-cause-brain-tumors-what-would-you-do/942294 "2021-05-17T19:56:37Z")
Continuing the discussion from What is the evidence that radiation from cell phones poses a risk to human health?: So a new report that seems to be legitimate says you have a 1% chance of developing an serious and often… --- ## [A charge of voting fraud has been brought! (Against a Trump voter, natch)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charge-of-voting-fraud-has-been-brought-against-a-trump-voter-natch/928683)
**Author:** [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charge-of-voting-fraud-has-been-brought-against-a-trump-voter-natch/928683 "2021-05-17T19:20:13Z")
https://thehill.com/homenews/531242-pennsylvania-trump-supporter-charged-with-voter-fraud A Pennsylvania man has been charged with illegally casting a ballot for President Trump in the name of his deceased mother in th… --- ## [What is a 'spell fixed effect' in this economic paper?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-spell-fixed-effect-in-this-economic-paper/942114)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-spell-fixed-effect-in-this-economic-paper/942114 "2021-05-17T19:05:27Z")
It’s a paper, way over my head as a layman, about the economic effects of unemployment insurance on job search behavior based on data from the French Pôle emploi (public employment services). I vaguely understand that fi… --- ## [Will Covid turn a lot of people into permanent germ freaks?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-covid-turn-a-lot-of-people-into-permanent-germ-freaks/942012)
**Author:** [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-covid-turn-a-lot-of-people-into-permanent-germ-freaks/942012 "2021-05-17T18:37:42Z")
I’ve read a significant amount of Americans plan on wearing masks a good amount of time even after mask mandates are dropped, East-Asian style. Then I read articles like this, things I would have scoffed at pre-Covid bu… --- ## [So snakes can hear?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-snakes-can-hear/939114 "2021-05-17T17:47:19Z")
I have already read that snakes can’t hear air borne sound. This article while not in a scientific journal claims some snakes can hear air borne sounds. What’s the scientific consensus? --- ## [What does rubbing eyes accomplish, physiologically?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-rubbing-eyes-accomplish-physiologically/942101)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-rubbing-eyes-accomplish-physiologically/942101 "2021-05-17T17:45:48Z")
It’s SOP for people facing short term eye-stress and such to rub their eyes, and it does work much of the time (at least short term). What exactly is being done from a physiological standpoint? The only possibilities I … --- ## [Airline vouchers - is there a way to keep them active?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-vouchers-is-there-a-way-to-keep-them-active/942266)
**Author:** [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-vouchers-is-there-a-way-to-keep-them-active/942266 "2021-05-17T17:15:25Z")
Like a lot of us, I had 3 trips booked and paid for when the shit hit the fan. Cancelled all of them. Now we can travel, so rebooked 2 of them and saved about $800 which I have in vouchers. One of them was our annual mus… --- ## [Do they sing "doned" in "Carry on Wayward son?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-sing-doned-in-carry-on-wayward-son/942110)
**Author:** [@LauderdaleFort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LauderdaleFort)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-sing-doned-in-carry-on-wayward-son/942110 "2021-05-17T17:10:29Z")
On just the second line of “Carry on Wayward son”, it seems to me that they say “doned” instead of done. Am I just crazy or maybe a problem of editing? Carry on, my wayward son There’ll be peace when you are done Lay… --- ## [If you tattoo a baby, what's the long term prognosis for the tattoo?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-tattoo-a-baby-whats-the-long-term-prognosis-for-the-tattoo/729302)
**Author:** [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-tattoo-a-baby-whats-the-long-term-prognosis-for-the-tattoo/729302 "2021-05-17T14:50:40Z")
Does the tattoo stay the same size? Does it grow proportionally along with the baby? Does the ink become so diffuse do to growth that it essentially disappears? Or something else? --- ## [Significant digits in different number systems](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significant-digits-in-different-number-systems/942157)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significant-digits-in-different-number-systems/942157 "2021-05-17T14:38:13Z")
I’m playing around in programming, and one of the projects that I want to do is a function that converts numbers between different number systems. I also want it to be able to handle floating point fractions. That made m… --- ## [Saturday, Sunday, Punday - a New MMP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-sunday-punday-a-new-mmp/941738)
**Author:** [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Replies:** 190\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saturday-sunday-punday-a-new-mmp/941738 "2021-05-17T14:27:14Z")
“The police asked me to help them search the compound of a serial killer who killed and dismembered clowns. I found this humerus.” Have at it. --- ## [Did the Sophia Naturalisation Act apply to Prince Philip](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-sophia-naturalisation-act-apply-to-prince-philip/942231)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-sophia-naturalisation-act-apply-to-prince-philip/942231 "2021-05-17T09:55:58Z")
He obtained British citizenship, before his marriage through a special scheme for those who had served in the UK armed forces. However, the 1705 Sophia Naturalisation Act made all descendants of Sophia of Hanover Britis… --- ## [Sweden do-nothing approach good, US/UK/other countries' early do-nothing approach bad. Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962)
**Author:** [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Replies:** 927\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweden-do-nothing-approach-good-us-uk-other-countries-early-do-nothing-approach-bad-why/850962 "2021-05-17T09:29:33Z")
Why do scientists (and many journalists writing about it) hold up Sweden’s do-nothing herd immunity approach to COVID-19 as a model where “we have much to learn from them”, while the early “do nothing” approaches of the … --- ## [Pension increase](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pension-increase/942192)
**Author:** [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pension-increase/942192 "2021-05-17T08:43:37Z")
I have an index-linked pension from my years in the NHS and today I had a notification of the increase that applies from April this year 0.5%, yes half a per cent increase which amounts to a few pence. --- ## [Minimal pairs for voiced/unvoiced fricatives](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimal-pairs-for-voiced-unvoiced-fricatives/941633)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimal-pairs-for-voiced-unvoiced-fricatives/941633 "2021-05-17T08:16:36Z")
A minimal pair is two words where the pronunciation is identical except that one phoneme is different in one aspect. For this question, that aspect is that one has a voiced fricative and the other unvoiced. Fricatives ar… --- ## [Terminology: vaccine for variant = "booster"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-vaccine-for-variant-booster/942024)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminology-vaccine-for-variant-booster/942024 "2021-05-17T06:28:50Z")
There is talk of possibly needing, somewhere down the road, “booster” shots of COVID vaccine that are targeted at variant(s) of concern for which the original COVID vaccines do not provide adequate protection. Is it app… --- ## [Behavior of LED Bulbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behavior-of-led-bulbs/942223)
**Author:** [@Ptolomy57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ptolomy57)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behavior-of-led-bulbs/942223 "2021-05-17T05:09:19Z")
We buy the Walmart LED lightbulbs, the ones with the shortest life rating. (There are a few choices for life expectancy, and the price increases accordingly.) After a few months of use, several of these bulbs exhibit a f… --- ## [Hilarious pronunciation guide on YouTube](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-pronunciation-guide-on-youtube/942176)
**Author:** [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2021, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-pronunciation-guide-on-youtube/942176 "2021-05-17T04:50:06Z")
I’m geeky enough to know what “synecdoche” means without looking it up, but it’s not a word I ever say out loud, so when I came across the word in an article just now, I wondered, “do I even know the correct pronunciatio… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1454) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=1456)