# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=526&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 527 --- ## [What would be the long term consequences if Ireland had got independence earlier?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-long-term-consequences-if-ireland-had-got-independence-earlier/1003779)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-long-term-consequences-if-ireland-had-got-independence-earlier/1003779 "2024-07-09T16:50:15Z")
So the history of Ireland is littered with unsuccessful rebellions against British rule, some of them coming fairly close to succeeding, almost one every generation for centuries (Nine Years War, Confederate War, Young I… --- ## [“It’s only treason if you lose.” What does it mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-only-treason-if-you-lose-what-does-it-mean/1003721)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-only-treason-if-you-lose-what-does-it-mean/1003721 "2024-07-09T16:18:12Z")
I get the meaning of the phrase back when Ben Franklin allegedly said it, but what does it mean today? --- ## [What can I do? when information is being traded on fraudulent sites?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-when-information-is-being-traded-on-fraudulent-sites/1003899)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-when-information-is-being-traded-on-fraudulent-sites/1003899 "2024-07-09T16:17:07Z")
My phone got hacked a month ago. I did a factory reset and manual setup. I didn’t want to risk a full restore from Google. I only reinstalled my most used Apps. All online account Passwords changed and new credit card. … --- ## [Who first put forth the idea that splitting atoms would make a powerful weapon](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-first-put-forth-the-idea-that-splitting-atoms-would-make-a-powerful-weapon/1003367)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-first-put-forth-the-idea-that-splitting-atoms-would-make-a-powerful-weapon/1003367 "2024-07-09T15:35:14Z")
And when? (warning: layperson ignorance to follow) I’ve been reading up on it a bit and I kind of get the gist of the progression leading up to it (in a layman kind of way) but who first thought, ‘I could use this to b… --- ## [CFL: Final game for one of the Ti-Cats biggest fans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cfl-final-game-for-one-of-the-ti-cats-biggest-fans/1003940)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cfl-final-game-for-one-of-the-ti-cats-biggest-fans/1003940 "2024-07-09T15:00:42Z")
One of the biggest fans of the Hamilton Ti-Cats has watched his last game. Steve Townsend has been a fan since he was a boy in the 70s. He also has lived his life with spinal bifida. After 111 surgeries and a developin… --- ## [Tell me about your carbonation device(s)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-carbonation-device-s/1002987)
**Author:** [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-carbonation-device-s/1002987 "2024-07-09T14:50:26Z")
My family loves various types of fizzy water, including those we mix with various types of syrup. But I really hate buying those plastic bottles, as they empty quickly and are incredibly wasteful, regardless of how recyc… --- ## [If you have a hidden profile it is more difficult to follow your arguments](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-hidden-profile-it-is-more-difficult-to-follow-your-arguments/973302 "2024-07-09T07:45:17Z")
Continuing the discussion from Why do Dopers start contests regarding grave matters?: I said it is hard, not impossible. The interface may be different for you because you are a moderator, but this is my experience. D… --- ## [Can't get a live person at mortgage company](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-get-a-live-person-at-mortgage-company/1003889)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-get-a-live-person-at-mortgage-company/1003889 "2024-07-09T04:14:01Z")
My Daughter and her Beau bought a condominium last year. About 4 months ago they got notice that their mortgage was sold to another company. They need to talk to someone at that company regarding getting the PMI taken … --- ## [Would you rather have the powers of Superman for a week or the powers of Spider Man for life?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-have-the-powers-of-superman-for-a-week-or-the-powers-of-spider-man-for-life/1003791)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 93\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-have-the-powers-of-superman-for-a-week-or-the-powers-of-spider-man-for-life/1003791 "2024-07-09T03:19:41Z")
Would you rather have the powers of Rebirth Superman for a week or the powers of 616 Spider Man for life? Feats for Rebirth Superman and 616 Spider Man. You’ll have perfect control of either power set. If you choose t… --- ## [Is June bugging you yet? (June mini-rants)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-june-bugging-you-yet-june-mini-rants/1002409)
**Author:** [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Replies:** 420\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-june-bugging-you-yet-june-mini-rants/1002409 "2024-07-09T02:07:15Z")
Two things on my alleged mind: It’s after 10pm on 1 June, and no one else has bothered to start this month’s mini-rants. It is June 1st. I am hearing fireworks outside. --- ## [Are you familiar with a tradition/superstition/"rule" about the first child born in a generation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-familiar-with-a-tradition-superstition-rule-about-the-first-child-born-in-a-generation/998659)
**Author:** [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-familiar-with-a-tradition-superstition-rule-about-the-first-child-born-in-a-generation/998659 "2024-07-09T00:46:54Z")
I was waiting in an audience for the show to begin and casually listening to conversations around me. (Yes, I eavesdrop, I confess it. Beats watching those ads they play.) Two women behind me were loudly talking about … --- ## [Two flags on parking meters](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-flags-on-parking-meters/440801)
**Author:** [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-flags-on-parking-meters/440801 "2024-07-09T00:39:14Z")
I’ve wondered this since I was a tot, so I guess it’s time to ask. I’ve passed by jillions of mechanical parking meters that have expired (with or without a car parked at it) and there’s a red Expired flag showing, like… --- ## [I think my SO (of the past few months) is a terrible driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-so-of-the-past-few-months-is-a-terrible-driver/1003837)
**Author:** [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-so-of-the-past-few-months-is-a-terrible-driver/1003837 "2024-07-08T21:45:44Z")
inattentive, changes lanes without looking at cars in that lane, sits on green lights for 5-10 seconds or until prompted “It’s green,” confuses left with right, drives 15 MPH in a 35 or 45 MPH zone, gets pissed off when … --- ## [Is there any scientific support for the idea that you can program the mind while sleeping?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-scientific-support-for-the-idea-that-you-can-program-the-mind-while-sleeping/1003836)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-scientific-support-for-the-idea-that-you-can-program-the-mind-while-sleeping/1003836 "2024-07-08T20:56:59Z")
From what I can glean online, listening to positive affirmations while sleeping may have an influence on the subconscious mind, theoretically helping a person become more disciplined, self assured, or optimistic. But th… --- ## [I'm hatching salamander eggs!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-hatching-salamander-eggs/990171)
**Author:** [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-hatching-salamander-eggs/990171 "2024-07-08T20:23:59Z")
I have no idea which species this is. We have salamanders and newts here. I was doing yard work and got rid of the small, plastic pool that I originally got for my dog for hot days but she hates it. It had a small bit of… --- ## [This doesn't look like self defense to me](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-doesnt-look-like-self-defense-to-me/1003201)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 158\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-doesnt-look-like-self-defense-to-me/1003201 "2024-07-08T19:46:07Z")
So this guy has become a bit of local Twitter celebrity in the DC area for defending himself against a burglar with a frying pan: The thing is, that doesn’t look like self defense to me. Once the guy has left his hous… --- ## [Simon In The Land Of Chalk Drawings](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simon-in-the-land-of-chalk-drawings/1003534)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simon-in-the-land-of-chalk-drawings/1003534 "2024-07-08T19:10:07Z")
Watching England struggle against Slovakia reminded me of an old cartoon where a soccer team played a group of numbers, and lost because they didn’t realize the ball was a zero. Hadn’t thought of this in decades. Does … --- ## [Personal Stuff I Must Share: 50 years today!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-stuff-i-must-share-50-years-today/1003538)
**Author:** [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-stuff-i-must-share-50-years-today/1003538 "2024-07-08T18:37:37Z")
On this date (June 30), fifty years ago (1974), Mr VOW and I were married. Like, WooHOO, people! We planned no party, cruise, spa day, or any biggie deal. That fits in with how we go through life. We had tentative plan… --- ## [Fallout Episode 8: The Beginning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-episode-8-the-beginning/1000143)
**Author:** [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Replies:** 192\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fallout-episode-8-the-beginning/1000143 "2024-07-08T18:29:57Z")
Spoiler policy: Anything in this episode and any previous episodes are open spoilers. Please do not discuss what happens in later episodes in this thread. Rather, go to the thread for that episode and discuss it there. A… --- ## [Neuromancer Was Published Thirty Years Ago](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neuromancer-was-published-thirty-years-ago/687698)
**Author:** [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neuromancer-was-published-thirty-years-ago/687698 "2024-07-08T18:14:28Z")
William Gibson’s Neuromancer was published in 1984, 30 years ago. That means that we stand at almost exactly the same historical distance from it as it did to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, which was published in 1953. --- ## [Mt Etna eruption \[July 2024\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-etna-eruption-july-2024/1003770)
**Author:** [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mt-etna-eruption-july-2024/1003770 "2024-07-08T18:05:38Z")
Lots of video out there, I just picked this one: Brian --- ## [Is there a baseline we can agree on to keep DJT out of the white house?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-baseline-we-can-agree-on-to-keep-djt-out-of-the-white-house/1003548)
**Author:** [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-baseline-we-can-agree-on-to-keep-djt-out-of-the-white-house/1003548 "2024-07-08T17:52:57Z")
Floated this in a different thread, and believe it deserves it’s own thread. Let’s establish a baseline please. I think we’re all on the same side. I am deliberately looking to find basics we all agree on, and avoiding … --- ## [Is There a Term for this Quirk of Speech?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-this-quirk-of-speech/1003846)
**Author:** [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-this-quirk-of-speech/1003846 "2024-07-08T17:28:36Z")
I wasn’t sure what else to call it, but you’ll know it when I describe it because everyone does it. You’ll be speaking to someone, get an obvious fact wrong, and then mutter the incorrect fact to yourself before continui… --- ## [Are Monoliths Real?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-monoliths-real/1003744)
**Author:** [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-monoliths-real/1003744 "2024-07-08T15:46:56Z")
This topic has been bouncing around various on-line news sites and such, and I still don’t know whether it’s a hoax or a real phenomenon. To wit: monoliths, these seemingly transparent things that have been spotted, inde… --- ## [Do you care if Chevron is upheld?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-if-chevron-is-upheld/983525)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-care-if-chevron-is-upheld/983525 "2024-07-08T15:11:33Z")
I posted earlier on the significance of the Texas abortion pill case with respect to federal regulatory authority. The Supremes have chosen to accept another case with potentially wider implications. Chevron is well es… --- ## [South Africa election](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-election/1002351)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-africa-election/1002351 "2024-07-08T14:39:18Z")
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-heads-coalition-anc-set-big-fall-2024-05-31/ The ANC has, as was predicted, done poorly, and apparently will need some coalition to stay in power. Any predictions? I’ve… --- ## [Help me find this cartoon/comic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-cartoon-comic/1003855)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-cartoon-comic/1003855 "2024-07-08T14:07:46Z")
A guy I used to work with had a full page, single panel cartoon taped up on the inside of his locker door. It was a birdseye view of a mens restroom. A man was in a booth, sitting on the toilet reading a newspaper and s… --- ## [(Old) Oh, Eh? Can You See? - A Holiday MMP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-oh-eh-can-you-see-a-holiday-mmp/1003555)
**Author:** [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Replies:** 329\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-oh-eh-can-you-see-a-holiday-mmp/1003555 "2024-07-08T12:36:52Z")
So today is Canada Day, and also NHL Free Agency Day(aka, more regret and lost money than a celebrity divorce day), and Thursday is (U.S.)Independence Day. Any Mumpers who aren’t RDOSes getting time off this week? I ge… --- ## [Three actors and a movie](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-actors-and-a-movie/1001717)
**Author:** [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Replies:** 115\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-actors-and-a-movie/1001717 "2024-07-08T12:18:36Z")
Name the movie from three actors in it, then pose your own challenge with your answer. I’ll start us off nice and easy: Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda. --- ## [Let's play a Feud! {It's complete}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-a-feud-its-complete/1003370)
**Author:** [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Replies:** 97\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2024, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-a-feud-its-complete/1003370 "2024-07-08T06:49:59Z")
Object of the game: Give the most popular answer for each category. You want to match the other people in the game. Rules: DO NOT READ THIS THREAD BEFORE YOU POST YOUR ANSWERS , lest you see the other answers. Scroll … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=525&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=527&state=muted)