# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=378 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 379 --- ## [There should be a strategic/RPG Star Trek ship captain game](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-a-strategic-rpg-star-trek-ship-captain-game/1013855)
**Author:** [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-a-strategic-rpg-star-trek-ship-captain-game/1013855 "2025-02-04T19:11:28Z")
There have been a number of Star Trek games. Most are much shootier than Star Trek is. I’ve always wondered why there wasn’t a really solid career mode game where you have to command a series of ships, with the ships n… --- ## [Is anything made out of actual cellophane anymore?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anything-made-out-of-actual-cellophane-anymore/1013848)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anything-made-out-of-actual-cellophane-anymore/1013848 "2025-02-04T18:49:03Z")
Cellophane, a clear somewhat brittle substance made from processed cellulose (hence the name) used to be THE substance that envelope and cardboard food box windows was made of. Apparently it’s been long superseded by alt… --- ## ["Do You Remember These": Things I don't understand](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-these-things-i-dont-understand/764996)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-these-things-i-dont-understand/764996 "2025-02-04T18:33:12Z")
In the Statler Brothers’ novelty hit with this title, they mention a couple of things I couldn’t quite make out, even after finding a website that showed the lyrics. Specifically: Sticks no plugs and aviator caps with f… --- ## [I just realized that I live in a political bubble…](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-that-i-live-in-a-political-bubble/1013731)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-that-i-live-in-a-political-bubble/1013731 "2025-02-04T17:08:52Z")
Well, not necessarily just now, but the extent kind of struck me differently today. I read all the time of leftist folks having to cut conservative people out of their lives. I’ve never had to do that, or even think of … --- ## [Maybe We Should Just ALL Join The Republican Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-should-just-all-join-the-republican-party/1013642)
**Author:** [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-should-just-all-join-the-republican-party/1013642 "2025-02-04T17:06:52Z")
OK, so hear me out. Only about 20% of eligible voters vote in primaries. If we all just became Republicans, we could do a reverse Trump and put the candidates on the ballot we find to be more normal. Then vote D in the … --- ## [Please recommend a path to learning chess](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-path-to-learning-chess/991867)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-path-to-learning-chess/991867 "2025-02-04T16:16:49Z")
I learned the chess rules and moves in the 1990s. I bought a chess set with a vinyl chess mat. I purchased Sargon on my PC. I upgraded it once. I never grasped strategy and thinking five moves ahead. I went to the local… --- ## [Mod communication/biased modding](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-communication-biased-modding/1013696)
**Author:** [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Replies:** 132\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-communication-biased-modding/1013696 "2025-02-04T15:23:53Z")
I was recently suspended for two days by @What\_Exit for linking to a site that’s against board rules (and I’m still pretty unclear what those rules are). I’ve got two complaints about this: a) Lack of communication. I h… --- ## [What is the word for 250th anniversary?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-250th-anniversary/1013799)
**Author:** [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-250th-anniversary/1013799 "2025-02-04T14:20:40Z")
In 1876, America celebrated its centennial. In 1926, she celebrated a sesquicentennial, and in 1976, a bicentennial. Is there a commonly accepted word to designate a 250th anniversary, or are we going to be stuck with f… --- ## [Is my life worth anything anymore? (Venting of emotions from Election Day)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-life-worth-anything-anymore-venting-of-emotions-from-election-day/1009764)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 99\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-life-worth-anything-anymore-venting-of-emotions-from-election-day/1009764 "2025-02-04T12:44:43Z")
(I wasn’t sure where to put this. Mods, feel free to move if needed, I didn’t think this was Pit-y enough.) As of the writing of this post, the end isn’t guaranteed, but seems pretty final. I know I’m just emotional ri… --- ## [Vincent Price dialect (including vid clip)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vincent-price-dialect-including-vid-clip/1013769)
**Author:** [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vincent-price-dialect-including-vid-clip/1013769 "2025-02-04T12:23:15Z")
Here is an interview on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 1974, just as an example xttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZwTYPv359U What i am wondering about is, he was born in Missouri, but in all hes interviews and mayb… --- ## [Oil changes and used cars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-changes-and-used-cars/1013077)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-changes-and-used-cars/1013077 "2025-02-04T12:02:41Z")
Suppose one is looking at a used car that has little or no documented history of oil changes. Would a compression test or (any other test) be indicative of proper maintenance? Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t a sensor … --- ## [State-to-state negotiations that erupted into violence](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-to-state-negotiations-that-erupted-into-violence/1013781)
**Author:** [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-to-state-negotiations-that-erupted-into-violence/1013781 "2025-02-04T06:32:58Z")
As we know, diplomatic meetings are governed by elaborate protocol. We take it for granted that negotiators will stay calm and maintain decorum no matter how angry they might be at each other, and no matter what kind of … --- ## [Have any governments transitioned from democracy to authoritarianism via the judiciary or legislative branch, not the executive](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-governments-transitioned-from-democracy-to-authoritarianism-via-the-judiciary-or-legislative-branch-not-the-executive/1013850)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-governments-transitioned-from-democracy-to-authoritarianism-via-the-judiciary-or-legislative-branch-not-the-executive/1013850 "2025-02-04T04:10:11Z")
A lot of nations are currently or in the past have undergone democratic backsliding where the nation becomes more and more authoritarian and inhumane. But from what I can tell, pretty much every example is spearheaded b… --- ## [Error trying to add user to ignore list](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-trying-to-add-user-to-ignore-list/1013775)
**Author:** [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/error-trying-to-add-user-to-ignore-list/1013775 "2025-02-04T01:02:41Z")
There is a user whose posts have become too toxic for me to read. But I get an error when trying to add them to my ignore list. Any help? (Please remember not to discuss in this forum what posters are or are not ignored… --- ## [Mexico responds to US declaration of economic war](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexico-responds-to-us-declaration-of-economic-war/1013765)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexico-responds-to-us-declaration-of-economic-war/1013765 "2025-02-04T01:02:31Z")
The President of Mexico has announced that Mexico will also respond with retaliatory tariffs. She did not yet provide much detail, but says that the tariffs will range from 5% to 20% on a range of goods. Auto industry w… --- ## [Kids rec sports question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-rec-sports-question/1013844)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-rec-sports-question/1013844 "2025-02-04T00:56:54Z")
My 10 yr old niece plays in a park district basketball program. Either 10-11 yr old or 4th-5th grade girls. They played their first game yesterday. The other team was a team from a parochial school that was allowed to… --- ## [Another What\_Exit & Acupuncture Modding issue](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-exit-acupuncture-modding-issue/1013832)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-exit-acupuncture-modding-issue/1013832 "2025-02-04T00:42:35Z")
Czarcasm talked about not accepting woo in medicine in favor of science. I gave my reply. Why is his post appropriate and mine not? And also, very unprofessional for a mod to talk about someone’s opinion as “crap”.… --- ## [Should we dry out our coffee maker before adding filter & coffee?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-dry-out-our-coffee-maker-before-adding-filter-coffee/1013770)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-dry-out-our-coffee-maker-before-adding-filter-coffee/1013770 "2025-02-03T23:44:25Z")
Our coffee maker looks like a rain forest inside, hours after the coffee’s finished and everything has cooled down. Every surface is wartier than a toad with big fat droplets. Is it OK to load a new paper filter and meas… --- ## [Cataracts!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataracts/1009588)
**Author:** [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Replies:** 140\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cataracts/1009588 "2025-02-03T23:00:10Z")
So my vision has gotten awfully bad – hard to see faces across a room, hard or impossible to read my phone in low contrast (bright light) situations. I figured my prescription had changed (it’s happened before, and no I… --- ## [Response to David Cross's Quote Re: the Bible](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/response-to-david-crosss-quote-re-the-bible/735501)
**Author:** [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/response-to-david-crosss-quote-re-the-bible/735501 "2025-02-03T22:15:12Z")
“Because you know, when the bible was written, and then rewritten, and then edited, and then re-edi -ted, then translated from dead languages and then re-retranslated and re-edited again, then re-re-re-edited, and then r… --- ## [The MMP FAQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mmp-faq/599358)
**Author:** [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 11, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mmp-faq/599358 "2011-10-11T23:08:35Z")
The MMP FAQ \*\*What does MMP stand for? \*\*Monday Morning Post \*\*What the $#@& is an MMP anyhow? \*\*Basically a ragtag collection of stuff that is too pointless even for MPSIMS. Sharing our personal observations, the day … --- ## [Note for using AI](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-for-using-ai/1013794)
**Author:** [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/note-for-using-ai/1013794 "2025-02-03T20:50:07Z")
In this thread, I asked for ideas about how to cook the gajillion different cuts of beef I have acquired. @Monty helped by generating an AI response with their “new toy,” an AI assistant. I greatly appreciated the thoro… --- ## [Are our colour terms linked to a contiguous part of the spectrum?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-colour-terms-linked-to-a-contiguous-part-of-the-spectrum/1013617)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-colour-terms-linked-to-a-contiguous-part-of-the-spectrum/1013617 "2025-02-03T19:58:19Z")
Wikipedia tells me that “red” is the colour whose dominant wavelength is between 625 and 740 nanometres; there are similar definitions for other colours (e.g. blue 450-495 nm, green 495-570 nm, etc.). Does this mean that… --- ## [(Old) The MMP is the place to be!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-the-mmp-is-the-place-to-be/1013472)
**Author:** [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Replies:** 415\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-the-mmp-is-the-place-to-be/1013472 "2025-02-03T19:44:48Z")
Ok, I really got nothing other than my ability to rhyme. Jump on in! Swampy, it was called something like a Jalapeño Popper Meatloaf. It had a basic mix of ground beef, onions, paprika, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Th… --- ## [Do you need to pay sales tax on car rental insurance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-pay-sales-tax-on-car-rental-insurance/1013834)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-pay-sales-tax-on-car-rental-insurance/1013834 "2025-02-03T19:42:51Z")
I traveled recently and rented a car. The total cost came with many, many fees/taxes. Reviewing the sales receipt it seems I was charged tax on the insurance coverage I bought from the rental agency (yes, stupidly expe… --- ## [Aspenglow's Modding In Accupuncture Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aspenglows-modding-in-accupuncture-thread/1013778)
**Author:** [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aspenglows-modding-in-accupuncture-thread/1013778 "2025-02-03T19:23:26Z")
Ulfreida said “I’m trying to help you have some empathy for the kind of people who seek out other, unproven methods because they have run out of options in the ‘evidence-based’ world of medicine.” If this is not in fac… --- ## [Favorite Hollywood Stories?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-hollywood-stories/1013172)
**Author:** [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-hollywood-stories/1013172 "2025-02-03T19:02:31Z")
Especially funny and/or audacious ones… I find it hilarious that Coppola faked a seizure in front of Paramount executives when they said “Marlon Brando will never be in this picture”. I think it helped because Coppola a… --- ## [Carry on luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-luggage/1013706)
**Author:** [@mglambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mglambo)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-luggage/1013706 "2025-02-03T18:24:02Z")
I’m trying to.buy a backpack type of luggage for a trip. It appears that the typical dimensions allowed for carry on is 22× 14 × 9. Do all domestic USA airlines stick to these dimensions? Are they very strict? Any reco… --- ## [Fiduciary duty and personal politics (either side)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiduciary-duty-and-personal-politics-either-side/1013779)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiduciary-duty-and-personal-politics-either-side/1013779 "2025-02-03T18:16:17Z")
Another thread about personal finance and the current government triggered a question for me. I was tempted to put this in GQ, but I wasn’t certain it was best. I think I have a rough idea of what fiduciary duty is. A f… --- ## [EBAY Cheats!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-cheats/1013540)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-cheats/1013540 "2025-02-03T17:25:40Z")
I was dumb. I bought clothing on ebay. A cheap pleather jacket, to use like a raincoat. I order two sizes too big, so it will certainly fit. As too small can happen. I order from a shit that ships from North America. … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=377) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=379)