# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=58&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 59 --- ## [Mystery box/packages](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-box-packages/1031451)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-box-packages/1031451 "2026-07-14T16:52:15Z")
Are there any legit mystery box/package companies out there? It seems that every time I see a video of a mystery box unpacking, I later find out that the company being featured is on everybody’s scam list. Are there an… --- ## [Girl-led adventure series for young kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-led-adventure-series-for-young-kid/973078)
**Author:** [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-led-adventure-series-for-young-kid/973078 "2026-07-14T16:09:50Z")
My great niece is a bit over three years old and has fallen in love with the Dinosaur Cove books, which center on the adventures of two young boys who surreptitiously explore a world full of living dinosaurs. The books a… --- ## [Literary coincidences](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-coincidences/1031617)
**Author:** [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-coincidences/1031617 "2026-07-14T16:07:49Z")
What are some examples of something that was portrayed in a work of fiction (book, play, movie, etc), and then later something very similar happened in real life? I’m interested in cases where the prediction was sheer co… --- ## [Anniversary fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anniversary-fun/1031580)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anniversary-fun/1031580 "2026-07-14T15:25:18Z")
I am taking My Beloved on a two hour train ride on a 1920s style train ride in Chehalis this Saturday for our 39th Anniversary, and later this year we are going to Worldcon in Anniheim. What were/are your anniversary pl… --- ## [Why not make Cuba our 51st state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600 "2026-07-14T14:25:21Z")
Since I doubt Canada would agree under any circumstances to become the 51st US state, and Greenland wouldn’t add much to the US economy, why doesn’t Trump take over Cuba? I’ve never heard him talk about making it a state… --- ## [The best \ in the universe is:](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-fill-in-the-blank-in-the-universe-is/1031608)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-fill-in-the-blank-in-the-universe-is/1031608 "2026-07-14T14:19:20Z")
I was just reminiscing about the ice cream at the University of Maryland. When I was a kid, it was a huge treat for my folks to take us up to the university (we lived five or so miles down University Blvd.) and get an ic… --- ## [A Bluey question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bluey-question/1031653)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bluey-question/1031653 "2026-07-14T12:49:31Z")
I’m visiting family this week and I’m being exposed to more children’s television than I usually am. So are all of the talking characters on Bluey dogs? Or are there characters on the show who are talking cats or talkin… --- ## [Why did Fetterman and McCormick’s campaigns team up to raise money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-fetterman-and-mccormick-s-campaigns-team-up-to-raise-money/1031595)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-fetterman-and-mccormick-s-campaigns-team-up-to-raise-money/1031595 "2026-07-14T11:13:01Z")
I’m just an interested observer of politics (meaning I don’t have any education or experience in it) but why would the campaign of a Democrat and a Republican team up in this way? It won’t help Fetterman’s image in PA, f… --- ## ["False" noises like the camera noise that cell phones make](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-noises-like-the-camera-noise-that-cell-phones-make/837183)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 87\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-noises-like-the-camera-noise-that-cell-phones-make/837183 "2026-07-14T09:46:13Z")
Are there any other noises made by technology that mimic a past noise that was an intrinsic part of the action, like the subject noise? --- ## [Windows 10 Going on 11?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-going-on-11/1023292)
**Author:** [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Replies:** 106\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-going-on-11/1023292 "2026-07-14T03:02:52Z")
I got this message saying that in late October WIndows 10 will not be supported anymore with automatic updates, and that my PC/computer is not compatible with Windows 11. So presumably I will have to buy another PC? Can … --- ## [Tell me about cooking on induction stovetops](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-cooking-on-induction-stovetops/1031483)
**Author:** [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-cooking-on-induction-stovetops/1031483 "2026-07-14T00:50:27Z")
Continuing the discussion from Renter's insurance - questions/advice?: So I’m just about a week away from moving into my new studio apartment! As I’ve mentioned in the thread I’m linking above, this is the first time I’… --- ## [Seriously. Don't laugh at me (bargains at the Dollar Store)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-dont-laugh-at-me-bargains-at-the-dollar-store/1030874)
**Author:** [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-dont-laugh-at-me-bargains-at-the-dollar-store/1030874 "2026-07-13T23:17:14Z")
I’m a cheapskate. If I find a product, I don’t care where it’s made, or purchased. Or cost. The cheaper the better. Bargain bin, and I’m ecstatic. The only game in my little village is Dollar General. I’m not real fond… --- ## [Did the Soviet Navy ever get close to closing the submarine technology gap with the U.S. Navy before the Cold Wars end?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-soviet-navy-ever-get-close-to-closing-the-submarine-technology-gap-with-the-u-s-navy-before-the-cold-wars-end/1031642)
**Author:** [@spacecadet86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spacecadet86)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-soviet-navy-ever-get-close-to-closing-the-submarine-technology-gap-with-the-u-s-navy-before-the-cold-wars-end/1031642 "2026-07-13T20:05:23Z")
What was the status of Soviet submarine development around 1989-1990? How great or small was their technological inferiority? Did Soviet submarines ever outperform U.S. submarines in any way? --- ## [Games like Baldurs Gate with more custom character backstory options?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-like-baldurs-gate-with-more-custom-character-backstory-options/1031624)
**Author:** [@Old\_Sport17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Sport17)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-like-baldurs-gate-with-more-custom-character-backstory-options/1031624 "2026-07-13T19:16:32Z")
Honestly, what the title says. I’d like a game LIKE Baldurs gate, but I can customize my Backstory for my character. I wanted to be able to customize my character more, and be able to have more control over making pre-ex… --- ## [Blood and Ivy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-and-ivy/52532)
**Author:** [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-and-ivy/52532 "2026-07-13T19:11:46Z")
It’s been four days since Half and Susanne Zantop were murdered, and their faces are everywhere. I didn’t know them. I’m told that they were gentle and kind. People tend to be made noble when they die. It seems like the … --- ## [Grover Cleveland was an asshole](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grover-cleveland-was-an-asshole/1031593)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grover-cleveland-was-an-asshole/1031593 "2026-07-13T18:52:06Z")
(I figured this is a P&E topic, since it deals with a politician. But he’s not a modern day politician, so maybe “great debates”? Or the Pit? I’m afraid it is a little “ranty”. I defer to the mod loop on whether this s… --- ## [How do you pronounce VEHICLE?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-vehicle/1031293)
**Author:** [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-vehicle/1031293 "2026-07-13T16:57:07Z")
Just watching a US YewTube video, and the narrators are pronouncing vehicle as ‘VeeHICCLE’. Which to my Aussie ears sounds weird and somewhat backwoods. In Aus, the H is discarded, it’s a ve-icle. Is that pronunciation… --- ## [How does a mariner arrange to have a rarely used drawbridge opened?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-mariner-arrange-to-have-a-rarely-used-drawbridge-opened/1031465)
**Author:** [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-mariner-arrange-to-have-a-rarely-used-drawbridge-opened/1031465 "2026-07-13T16:50:16Z")
So I went down a rabbit hole of reading about the historic draw bridges around California’s Delta Region, which led me to this video of the Miner Slough Bridge opening. While the bridges on the main channel of the river… --- ## [How do you like your clothes to fit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-your-clothes-to-fit/1031586)
**Author:** [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-like-your-clothes-to-fit/1031586 "2026-07-13T16:37:48Z")
Maybe this is a choice between comfort and appearance, too. What say ye? poll My weight has gone up and down a lot over the years, so I’ve dealt with all of these options, and I find I prefer just a wee bit loose. Excep… --- ## [How many Black people during slavery/Jim Crow didn’t look Black?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-people-during-slavery-jim-crow-didn-t-look-black/1031542)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-people-during-slavery-jim-crow-didn-t-look-black/1031542 "2026-07-13T16:16:42Z")
I don’t think there’s an objective, factual answer to this question, and I’m interested in anecdotes as well as data, so I put it here. In antebellum America, through Jim Crow, the concept of Blackness was defined by th… --- ## [Help me buy a watch](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-watch/1031613)
**Author:** [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-watch/1031613 "2026-07-13T16:05:23Z")
TLDR: I want it cheap, analog, easy to read and does not require a battery. going on Amazon or Walmart and searching is just too annoying, for example no matter how hard I try, the results bring up watches that require … --- ## [RivkahChaya update](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivkahchaya-update/1031636)
**Author:** [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rivkahchaya-update/1031636 "2026-07-13T15:59:43Z")
I have filled the prescriptions for the first time. The sample CGM the doctor gave me was a dud, so I had to use one of the ones from the pharmacy right away, which is slightly concerning, because it means that the seco… --- ## [Do people in different US regions have different psych profiles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-different-us-regions-have-different-psych-profiles/1031623)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-different-us-regions-have-different-psych-profiles/1031623 "2026-07-13T14:27:39Z")
What to make of this Atlantic gift link suggesting the US has three personality profiles by region, or that Trump voters are linked to neuroticism? --- ## [The Pleasures of Replacing a Drill-out Deadbolt](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pleasures-of-replacing-a-drill-out-deadbolt/1031633)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pleasures-of-replacing-a-drill-out-deadbolt/1031633 "2026-07-13T13:52:45Z")
House is elderly by suburban Long Island standards: built in the 50s. Back door had a key-operated deadbolt lock, the kind that requires a key from either direction. It had gotten looser and floppier and harder to ope… --- ## [Why do conservatives (in the US) hate the left so much](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-in-the-us-hate-the-left-so-much/1031251)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 154\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-conservatives-in-the-us-hate-the-left-so-much/1031251 "2026-07-13T11:22:36Z")
So I feel like it is more clear why the left hates the modern right. Because the right wants to oppress and victimize marginalized and vulnerable groups who need protection and inclusion. Because they place their racia… --- ## [(Old) Your first furniture in the MMP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-your-first-furniture-in-the-mmp/1031453)
**Author:** [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Replies:** 359\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-your-first-furniture-in-the-mmp/1031453 "2026-07-13T07:30:06Z")
What was the first piece if furniture you bought for yourself? When and what were the circumstances? My answer will follow in a bit. Carry on, and Happy Moanday! --- ## [Liberland - A brand new country in Europe!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838)
**Author:** [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838 "2026-07-13T06:45:44Z")
In case you missed this important international development, last Monday saw the birth of a new country in Europe: The Republic of Liberland! The BBC has extensive coverage \[1\], there is a Wikipedia article \[2\] and Libe… --- ## [Happy 100th Mel Brooks. Funny, I thought he was already over 2000 when I was a kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-mel-brooks-funny-i-thought-he-was-already-over-2000-when-i-was-a-kid/1031242)
**Author:** [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-mel-brooks-funny-i-thought-he-was-already-over-2000-when-i-was-a-kid/1031242 "2026-07-13T05:21:31Z")
Mel Brooks is 100. He’s been entertaining professionally since just after WWII. A few days ago AFI announced changes to the top comedy list and Blazing Saddles is now #1. He is one of the rare EGOT winners. --- ## [Devastating floods in Southeastern Missouri](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devastating-floods-in-southeastern-missouri/1031604)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devastating-floods-in-southeastern-missouri/1031604 "2026-07-13T02:53:37Z")
Is MPSIMS the place for posts about disasters? Anyway Thursday night into Friday morning parts of Southeastern Missouri, particularly parts of Iron and Reynolds Counties, endured severe flash flooding due to hours of to… --- ## [Mycelium belt](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mycelium-belt/1031577)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [July 13, 2026, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mycelium-belt/1031577 "2026-07-13T02:30:33Z")
I’m in need of a new belt, my current belt looking like it’ll break at the point it buckles. So I decided to find the most Earth-friendly leather-substitute. That seems to be mycelium, a material made from mushrooms. OK,… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=57&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=59&state=muted)