# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=654&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 655 --- ## [Paypal rocket/hot air balloon choice](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-rocket-hot-air-balloon-choice/995888)
**Author:** [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paypal-rocket-hot-air-balloon-choice/995888 "2024-01-12T11:26:48Z")
When I withdraw money back to my bank from Paypal I get 2 choices, the “rocket” which is instant and free or the “hot air balloon” which will take 2-3 days and may charge a fee. As I’ve never chosen the hot air ballon I … --- ## [Family dog eats $4,000 in cash](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-dog-eats-4-000-in-cash/995729)
**Author:** [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-dog-eats-4-000-in-cash/995729 "2024-01-12T11:12:49Z")
And guess how they found out? Yeah, the hard way. I wish Dave Barry still wrote his weekly column. This is right up his alley. --- ## [C, K, G, J, Q, X: which would you call the most pointless letter?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-k-g-j-q-x-which-would-you-call-the-most-pointless-letter/820092)
**Author:** [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/c-k-g-j-q-x-which-would-you-call-the-most-pointless-letter/820092 "2024-01-12T04:58:23Z")
When I was a young Rhymer, only an apprentice in the ways of evil, I used to love reading the encyclopedia. It was the pre-Wikipedia era, of course, meaning I am talking about print volumes (the World Book in my parents’… --- ## [(Old) It is getting cold in the MMP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405)
**Author:** [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Replies:** 306\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405 "2024-01-12T01:09:33Z")
Winter has kinda showed up here, the water in the shallow bird bath has started freezing at night and we are bringing the hummingbird feeder in at night (it goes out just after dawn). We lost the tomatoes two nights and… --- ## [We’re number three! (Toronto and slow traffic)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-re-number-three-toronto-and-slow-traffic/995967)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-re-number-three-toronto-and-slow-traffic/995967 "2024-01-12T00:48:09Z")
London is claimed to have the world’s slowest traffic, with Toronto following Dublin. If taking an average of half an hour to cover six miles is slow… How is traffic in your region? --- ## [Cleanliness](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleanliness/995505)
**Author:** [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Replies:** 239\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleanliness/995505 "2024-01-12T00:24:18Z")
Every day there are articles in various mainstream media which purport to distill the sage advice of Scientists on the subject of hygiene. Not only how and when to clean one’s body, but also how often to wash your towels… --- ## [Things people say - maybe too often](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-maybe-too-often/995877)
**Author:** [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [January 12, 2024, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-maybe-too-often/995877 "2024-01-12T00:10:38Z")
I’d like to list here a few japes or turns of phrase I encounter often (mostly in text, not used in conversation so much) that may or may not be transitioning into cliches and becoming tiresome, to me at least. I’m sure … --- ## [(Chess) Strategic trade of knight/bishop for pawn-rook](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-strategic-trade-of-knight-bishop-for-pawn-rook/995931)
**Author:** [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-strategic-trade-of-knight-bishop-for-pawn-rook/995931 "2024-01-11T23:26:12Z")
Not tactical. There’s no immediate advantage. Just seeing the title, I assume a lot of people know what I’m talking about. My thinking was a lot of his major pieces are shoved into the upper right corner. And I wanted t… --- ## [When has boycotting an election ever worked out for the opposition?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-has-boycotting-an-election-ever-worked-out-for-the-opposition/995758)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-has-boycotting-an-election-ever-worked-out-for-the-opposition/995758 "2024-01-11T22:29:45Z")
Here is a very recent headline from the NBC News website: “Sheikh Hasina wins in Bangladesh as opposition boycotts election, saying it’s unfair”. Outside of rare situations where a quorum is needed, when did a boycott … --- ## [How Do I Change Email When Old Address Is Gone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-email-when-old-address-is-gone/995963)
**Author:** [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-email-when-old-address-is-gone/995963 "2024-01-11T22:01:48Z")
Tried to change my account to a new email address, but the board is sending a confirmation message to the old (deleted) address. Best address to send queries about this? --- ## [Those "nodding" oil pumps scattered about the oil fields](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-nodding-oil-pumps-scattered-about-the-oil-fields/995838 "2024-01-11T20:25:00Z")
There aren’t too many here in Ohio but I notice an occasional one when driving the back roads. Not many of them are running, though. They are officially known as pump jacks it seems.Most use an electric motor if they are… --- ## [Tell us some place you lived using only cultural references](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-some-place-you-lived-using-only-cultural-references/995736)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 94\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-some-place-you-lived-using-only-cultural-references/995736 "2024-01-11T20:22:53Z")
Try for ones that only people familiar with your city would be know. For example you could say Thomas Guides SIG Alerts Traffic breaks “The” freeway Or maybe one unique cultural icon that again, only people familiar … --- ## [New Year's Feud](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-years-feud/995517)
**Author:** [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-years-feud/995517 "2024-01-11T15:38:04Z")
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. If you … --- ## [UK Jeopardy! hosted by Stephen Fry](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712)
**Author:** [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-jeopardy-hosted-by-stephen-fry/995712 "2024-01-11T14:31:49Z")
Here’s a YouTube link to the first episode. It’s a 50-minute format with 3 rounds. Much slower paced than American Jeopardy! at this point, and the monetary amounts aren’t comparable. Stephen Fry is always worth watchin… --- ## [Let's talk about Quinfall (upcoming MMORPG)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-quinfall-upcoming-mmorpg/995840)
**Author:** [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-quinfall-upcoming-mmorpg/995840 "2024-01-11T14:05:55Z")
If you haven’t heard, Quinfall is an MMORPG being produced by Turkish developer Vawraek. And it’s… controversial. So a bit of history. Vawraek previously developed a game called Kayra Online, which was being devel… --- ## [“Messages in this conversation”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/messages-in-this-conversation/995940)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/messages-in-this-conversation/995940 "2024-01-11T13:23:30Z")
Outlook, and possibly other email clients too, include a “messages in this conversation” feature. If you have a lengthy chain of correspondence with people ping-ponging emails to each other, you can open any one of them,… --- ## [Navigation (driving)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navigation-driving/995723)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navigation-driving/995723 "2024-01-11T11:28:27Z")
We’re watching an episode of NCIS. ‘McGee’ tells ‘Gibbs’ he’d printed out directions. When I lived in L.A., I relied on my Thomas Guide. It was indispensable. When I started coming up here to northern Washington, I h… --- ## [Longest and shortest solar day?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-and-shortest-solar-day/995569)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-and-shortest-solar-day/995569 "2024-01-11T10:31:43Z")
By the longest solar day I mean the longest time from one solar noon to the next. And similarly for shortest. My google-fu seems not up to the question although I found one site that claims December days are generally … --- ## [Spending a day in Seoul, Korea](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spending-a-day-in-seoul-korea/995917)
**Author:** [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spending-a-day-in-seoul-korea/995917 "2024-01-11T05:01:57Z")
I have a 12+ hour layover in Seoul in a few weeks, and I’d love to get out and explore a little. It looks like it’s pretty simple to get through immigration (no visa required) if your stay is less than 24 hours. Has any… --- ## [Sitcoms filmed in front of a live audience](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcoms-filmed-in-front-of-a-live-audience/995925)
**Author:** [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitcoms-filmed-in-front-of-a-live-audience/995925 "2024-01-11T02:55:06Z")
I was watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air and started wondering about how many sets they have and how the filming is done in practice. You have the main set that is the house, and then you have quite a number of other loca… --- ## [Limits on words/characters per post, and on consecutive posts by the same poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limits-on-words-characters-per-post-and-on-consecutive-posts-by-the-same-poster/995015)
**Author:** [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limits-on-words-characters-per-post-and-on-consecutive-posts-by-the-same-poster/995015 "2024-01-11T02:03:07Z")
Is there a limit to the number of words or characters in a post under Discourse? Does Discourse prevent a single poster from posting more than a certain number of posts in a row? IOW, if I want to create a fairly lengt… --- ## [Another dishwasher question: soap dispenser not working; can I put the pod in the dishwasher?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-dishwasher-question-soap-dispenser-not-working-can-i-put-the-pod-in-the-dishwasher/995847 "2024-01-11T00:28:07Z")
The little pod-holder on my dishwasher door isn’t working. It only opens half-way, or not at all, and when I open the dishwasher after running a cycle, the pod is hard; hasn’t melted and dispensed any soap. I’ve got a… --- ## [Brian DePalma's "Carrie": great movie and adaptation... except for the ending](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-depalmas-carrie-great-movie-and-adaptation-except-for-the-ending/995789)
**Author:** [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brian-depalmas-carrie-great-movie-and-adaptation-except-for-the-ending/995789 "2024-01-10T23:47:59Z")
Spoilers I am, of course, talking about the ending where Carrie White’s hand shoots up from the grave. The ending truly misunderstands the point of Carrie White’s character, and the novel. She is supposed to be a tragi… --- ## [Plagiarism, Claudine Gay, a Zionists' wife, and Business Insider's German owner](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarism-claudine-gay-a-zionists-wife-and-business-insiders-german-owner/995870)
**Author:** [@InfraBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InfraBlue)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarism-claudine-gay-a-zionists-wife-and-business-insiders-german-owner/995870 "2024-01-10T23:43:36Z")
Business Insider published a story about Bill Ackman’s wife, Neri Oxman, plagiarizing Wikipedia articles along with other texts, as a comparison with ousted Harvard President Claudine Gay’s plagiarism and Ackman’s push t… --- ## [Why is the music at Starbucks so obnoxiously loud?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-music-at-starbucks-so-obnoxiously-loud/954213)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-music-at-starbucks-so-obnoxiously-loud/954213 "2024-01-10T23:37:03Z")
It’s like walking into a goddamn nightclub whenever I go into a Starbucks. You know, maybe I just want to relax and enjoy conversation with my friends without having to raise my voice; did you ever think of that? Shit! … --- ## [Biblical word for dead beat dad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904 "2024-01-10T22:25:03Z")
Just as the title states, does anyone know if the bible had a word for dead beat dads. --- ## [Tell Me About Your Life Without Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-life-without-sugar/995751)
**Author:** [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-life-without-sugar/995751 "2024-01-10T22:22:05Z")
I’ve been feeling pretty crap lately, and I don’t think it’s coincidental that I’ve been ingesting large amounts of sugar. I believe it’s disrupting my sleep. However, I can’t really imagine my life without it. It’s a pa… --- ## [Help changing the region on my Android phone](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-changing-the-region-on-my-android-phone/995919)
**Author:** [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-changing-the-region-on-my-android-phone/995919 "2024-01-10T22:21:38Z")
I moved from Israel to the states, and I am having problems installing some apps because Google Play Store says these apps are not available in my region. I have a Motorola G7 Android. I’ve looked for the region settings… --- ## [Inheritance / Will question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inheritance-will-question/995908)
**Author:** [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inheritance-will-question/995908 "2024-01-10T22:01:21Z")
My MIL is redoing her will, and has two conflicting desires with respect to her residence. First, she has stated repeatedly that she wishes to leave her home to her only child, my wife. Second, she wants her husband (t… --- ## [Shutting down iMac interrupts power on surge strip?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shutting-down-imac-interrupts-power-on-surge-strip/995914)
**Author:** [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2024, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shutting-down-imac-interrupts-power-on-surge-strip/995914 "2024-01-10T20:51:20Z")
I was on the phone doing remote tech support with my 83-year-old mother today. At one point, I asked her to shut down her iMac (a model at least 10 years old by now) and then power it back up again. She selected “Shut Do… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=653&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=655&state=muted)