# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=677&state=tracking [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 678 --- ## [How do \*you\* use email 'aliases' productively . . .?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-use-email-aliases-productively/994013)
**Author:** [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-use-email-aliases-productively/994013 "2023-12-10T22:29:37Z")
This week, I just learned about email aliases, where, apparently, your host service can allow you to sign up for more than one email address and link it to your main account . . . For example: Main Account: Tripler@xyz… --- ## [What stories about ferrypersons of the dead would you recommend?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stories-about-ferrypersons-of-the-dead-would-you-recommend/994366)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stories-about-ferrypersons-of-the-dead-would-you-recommend/994366 "2023-12-10T22:23:35Z")
I’ve been listening to the Desert Skies podcast and watching the anime series Death Parade, both about modern day versions of Charon, the ferryman of the dead from Greek mythology. I’m enjoying them both, and it seems t… --- ## [Product packaging](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/product-packaging/994333)
**Author:** [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/product-packaging/994333 "2023-12-10T22:12:57Z")
Why were my paper towel rolls triple packaged in plastic? I tore open the outer plastic with some difficulty. Thick stuff. On the two ends, 3 rolls were wrapped together in less thick plastic wrap. The middle 6 were no… --- ## [How Large and Competent is the Philippines' Armed Forces?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-large-and-competent-is-the-philippines-armed-forces/994367)
**Author:** [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-large-and-competent-is-the-philippines-armed-forces/994367 "2023-12-10T20:01:13Z")
IF this should be in IMHO so be it, but I feel like there should be a factual answer. Reading this morning that a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided with one from the Philippines, and having recently been reading about i… --- ## [Songs I Never, Ever Get Tired Of](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-never-ever-get-tired-of/317130)
**Author:** [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-never-ever-get-tired-of/317130 "2023-12-10T18:35:55Z")
Alison, by Elvis Costello Moonlight Mile, by the Stones I Am Yours, by Derek and the Dominoes Soul Sacrifice, by Santana Sing Sing Sing, by Benny Goodman --- ## [Tacks and wood, this needs explaining, please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tacks-and-wood-this-needs-explaining-please/994343)
**Author:** [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tacks-and-wood-this-needs-explaining-please/994343 "2023-12-10T18:35:39Z")
I was wanting an old style wooden screen door for the back of my house. Found and bought a beautiful old door, all the curlicues and it’s green. It was covered in over a quarter inch of dust, it was hard to see parts in … --- ## [Have you read the Connie Mack trilogy by Norman Macht?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-connie-mack-trilogy-by-norman-macht/994375)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-read-the-connie-mack-trilogy-by-norman-macht/994375 "2023-12-10T18:00:11Z")
Mods: I put this in the game room rather than the café as the topic is about baseball and 700 page books on early baseball history are definitely a niche interest. As the weather gets colder and baseball season seems… --- ## [New Wallace & Gromit movie coming to Netflix, 2024](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wallace-gromit-movie-coming-to-netflix-2024/958134)
**Author:** [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wallace-gromit-movie-coming-to-netflix-2024/958134 "2023-12-10T18:06:34Z")
Big fan of W&G! --- ## [Long passwords](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-passwords/994102)
**Author:** [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Replies:** 75\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-passwords/994102 "2023-12-10T17:41:34Z")
What’s the best way to create long passwords one can actually remember? --- ## [Botticelli - November 2023](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-november-2023/992551)
**Author:** [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Replies:** 228\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/botticelli-november-2023/992551 "2023-12-10T16:54:57Z")
I am T that is. Link from October: Botticelli October 2023 - #303 by Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle --- ## [What was the most shocking turn on series TV? \[LOTS OF OPEN SPOILERS -- edited title\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-shocking-turn-on-series-tv-lots-of-open-spoilers-edited-title/706586)
**Author:** [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Replies:** 151\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-shocking-turn-on-series-tv-lots-of-open-spoilers-edited-title/706586 "2023-12-10T14:46:49Z")
These days, it’s almost impossible for a television show to have a surprise turn without it being telegraphed - f’rex, everyone knew that someone was going to die in the last episode of Walking Dead; the only surprise wa… --- ## [Smart phone/keyboard search question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-search-question/994360)
**Author:** [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-search-question/994360 "2023-12-10T14:28:06Z")
Back in 2000/2001 my work place loaned us Palm Pilots and the compatible folding keyboard to those who wanted one. I absolutely loved that piece of kit and when I left that organization I bought my own Palm but it was a … --- ## [Western route to Asia if no Americas](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/western-route-to-asia-if-no-americas/991156)
**Author:** [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Replies:** 123\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/western-route-to-asia-if-no-americas/991156 "2023-12-10T13:13:31Z")
If the Americas did not exist when would Columbus’s idea of a western route from Europe to Asia have been feasible? You may assume all Pacific islands would still exist. --- ## [What is Procol Harum's "Homburg" about?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382)
**Author:** [@Don\_Logan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Logan)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382 "2023-12-10T07:24:22Z")
I could have sworn I posted this last night- If I did and it sank, please delete this- I could not find it in a general search. If not, does anyone have any ideas on the meaning of the lyrics? Is it a metaphor for somet… --- ## [What's your favorite "haunting" song?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-haunting-song/751741)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 141\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-haunting-song/751741 "2023-12-10T04:53:40Z")
For me, it’s a tie between Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” or Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Define haunting however you please. --- ## [Storage Batteries?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-batteries/994321)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-batteries/994321 "2023-12-10T00:37:50Z")
If size were not an issue could reliable storage batteries be built cost effectively. --- ## [Nikki Haley now backed by Koch Bros. APA political organization. Impact on GOP race?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828)
**Author:** [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Replies:** 114\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828 "2023-12-09T22:59:13Z")
CNN analyst says this is a “big deal” that could really move the needle for Haley because of the huge amount of money that Americans for Prosperity Action has and will use to influence elections. “Millions and millions a… --- ## [When did you see a cockroach for the last time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-see-a-cockroach-for-the-last-time/994128)
**Author:** [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-see-a-cockroach-for-the-last-time/994128 "2023-12-09T22:44:12Z")
Inspired by this article (gift link, works for five weeks, they say) I put this in IMHO because it includes a poll, and tag it food-drink-cooking for lack of a better idea. Feel free to share anything you want related … --- ## [What are the chances of the Russian Federation breaking up?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-the-russian-federation-breaking-up/980209)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-the-russian-federation-breaking-up/980209 "2023-12-09T20:37:23Z")
I don’t know enough about Russia’s demographics and ethnic composition to venture a guess, but then I read posts from @Stranger\_On\_A\_Train and @LSLGuy in the “End-game” thread and I start to wonder: what are the chances… --- ## [Chewy, the pet food company, no longer takes responsibility for shipping damage?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274)
**Author:** [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274 "2023-12-09T17:20:11Z")
We have been ordering pet supplies from Chewy for years and never had an issue on those rare (maybe once a year) occasions when something arrived damaged. We would send them pics and they would send a replacement. Just … --- ## [How much current does a refrigerator use?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-current-does-a-refrigerator-use/993873)
**Author:** [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-current-does-a-refrigerator-use/993873 "2023-12-09T15:20:51Z")
I am not talking about “average” or “normal” running. What I want to know is, what is the largest amount of current (i.e. amps) that a refrigerator will draw at once, presumably when the compressor is running? If you nee… --- ## [How did pre-GPS spacecraft manage attitude during reentry?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-pre-gps-spacecraft-manage-attitude-during-reentry/994142)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-pre-gps-spacecraft-manage-attitude-during-reentry/994142 "2023-12-09T15:05:01Z")
Thinking here of spacecraft that are designed for high-speed reentry, with prime examples being the Apollo return capsule and the space shuttle. When a spacecraft is just barely beginning to enter the atmosphere, or eve… --- ## [Ever wonder what could happen if you bring a gun into an MRI machine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wonder-what-could-happen-if-you-bring-a-gun-into-an-mri-machine/994264)
**Author:** [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wonder-what-could-happen-if-you-bring-a-gun-into-an-mri-machine/994264 "2023-12-09T14:55:00Z")
Neither have I. But the answer is that it can be triggered to fire. It can also fire if you just bring it near an MRI machine. So on balance it is probably best that you accept the small risk of being attacked by a… --- ## [Integrated combat system used by the U.S. Navy before Aegis](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/integrated-combat-system-used-by-the-u-s-navy-before-aegis/994327)
**Author:** [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/integrated-combat-system-used-by-the-u-s-navy-before-aegis/994327 "2023-12-09T13:09:50Z")
A few years ago, I read an account of a naval combat management system that was developed for the U.S. Navy in the 1950s and used in the Vietnam war. The system integrated radar information from multiple ships as vector … --- ## [Question about Blood Work \*Spoiler Alert\*](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blood-work-spoiler-alert/123246)
**Author:** [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blood-work-spoiler-alert/123246 "2023-12-09T08:44:22Z")
OK, They kind of breezed past it. Either that or my wife was talking too damn much at the move, and I didn’t hear key dialog. The ‘code’ murder left a code. The kid notices there are no 1s in the code. Is that Jeff … --- ## [Some questions about gambling for a friend scenarios](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-gambling-for-a-friend-scenarios/993803)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-gambling-for-a-friend-scenarios/993803 "2023-12-09T07:30:58Z")
I’m suffering from some insomnia, thinking about various things to make myself sleepy, and this scenario popped into my head. Let’s say Bob and Tim are good friends and take a vacation to Las Vegas. Tim doesn’t gamble … --- ## [Urban Coyotes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-coyotes/994311)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-coyotes/994311 "2023-12-09T07:20:14Z")
I have kind of a fascination with the urban coyote and the role he plays in urban America. The one thing I find the most puzzling is how it seemed to adapt to city life somewhat suddenly and even more strangely almost si… --- ## [Bouncing Telephone Lines](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bouncing-telephone-lines/154237)
**Author:** [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bouncing-telephone-lines/154237 "2023-12-09T05:28:41Z")
I was on my way home from somewhere today, and while sitting at a red light I noticed that a telephone line (between two poles about 40 feet apart) was bouncing. Like the shape of a sine wave several periods long. I at… --- ## [How many shots, scenes and sequences in an animated short film and feature film?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-shots-scenes-and-sequences-in-an-animated-short-film-and-feature-film/994318)
**Author:** [@Amber13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber13)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-shots-scenes-and-sequences-in-an-animated-short-film-and-feature-film/994318 "2023-12-09T05:00:18Z")
The number of shots, scenes and sequence in a animated film, be it a short film or a feature film depends on the style and pacing of the film, though it takes whether hundreds or thousands of drawings and renders (or pho… --- ## [Has the meaning of spouse changed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-meaning-of-spouse-changed/974178)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-meaning-of-spouse-changed/974178 "2023-12-09T04:37:19Z")
I just saw one of those celebrity pop-ups that said “Billie Eilish Goes Instagram Official With New Spouse” and I thought “Isn’t she really young to be getting married?” So I clicked on the link and I found that Eilish … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=676&state=tracking) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=678&state=tracking)