# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=678&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 679 --- ## [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 … --- ## [Bystanders halt attempted arson of MLK's birth home](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bystanders-halt-attempted-arson-of-mlks-birth-home/994305)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bystanders-halt-attempted-arson-of-mlks-birth-home/994305 "2023-12-09T02:28:46Z")
The perpetrator is apparently a veteran with mental health concerns. Thankfully, people stopped her before it progressed to a point of no return. --- ## [Are Scientists Downplaying the “Actual Likelihood” of Climate Change?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scientists-downplaying-the-actual-likelihood-of-climate-change/993557)
**Author:** [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scientists-downplaying-the-actual-likelihood-of-climate-change/993557 "2023-12-09T01:58:24Z")
Splintered off from the “Unsupported Science Beliefs That You Hold” topic to avoid derailing that thread: I don’t think of it as a cabal, rather a bunch of decisions by individuals and small groups to downplay things t… --- ## [SDMB banner](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-banner/989991)
**Author:** [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-banner/989991 "2023-12-09T00:30:52Z")
I don’t know if this is described anywhere or if anyone has asked, but is there any way of hiding the “The Straight Dope Message Board” banner at the top of the page? If I’m taking a break at work and I want to read the… --- ## [Help me with some movie programming, please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-some-movie-programming-please/994118)
**Author:** [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-some-movie-programming-please/994118 "2023-12-08T23:11:50Z")
We’ve moved into a new house recently, and I’m getting a proper home theater set up. We’ve decided to have dedicated movie nights a couple of times a week, and I’m taking a cue from my college film club and making Wednes… --- ## [Monty Python & the Holy Grail is back in theaters this coming week](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monty-python-the-holy-grail-is-back-in-theaters-this-coming-week/994021)
**Author:** [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monty-python-the-holy-grail-is-back-in-theaters-this-coming-week/994021 "2023-12-08T20:32:44Z")
The Mrs. and I will be going this coming Wednesday. We saw it together when it was first released, waaaay back when. It’s in our regular rotation of films to be re-seen but we’ve not seen it in the theaters with othe… --- ## [Yet another name this movie](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-name-this-movie/994214)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-name-this-movie/994214 "2023-12-08T19:58:10Z")
About a man spending years underground mistakenly thinking a nuclear war had taken place. But NOT “Blast From The Past”. A clip from this other movie was recently one of YouTube’s shorts but with no identifying informati… --- ## [Crimes of the 20th century; the creepiest true-crime show?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-20th-century-the-creepiest-true-crime-show/994309)
**Author:** [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-20th-century-the-creepiest-true-crime-show/994309 "2023-12-08T19:33:29Z")
NSFW Even though it doesn’t include any reenactments or interviews, just summation over newsreels and crime scene photographs, I think this is it. There is just something nightmarish about the intro, and th… --- ## [Highlighting a relevant part of a quote is NOT selective quoting](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlighting-a-relevant-part-of-a-quote-is-not-selective-quoting/994225)
**Author:** [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highlighting-a-relevant-part-of-a-quote-is-not-selective-quoting/994225 "2023-12-08T18:18:12Z")
Here, I quoted from where @Darren\_Garrison said “Why did they pick a photo that makes it look like she has no neck?” and called out the " she has no neck" part to make a point that he was body-shaming. His defence was t… --- ## [Want to buy part of Wyoming?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-buy-part-of-wyoming/994252)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-buy-part-of-wyoming/994252 "2023-12-08T16:52:17Z")
All you need is to raise at least 80 million dollars once it comes up for auction. Though the price will likely increase. --- ## [I really screwed up and must now pay the price](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-screwed-up-and-must-now-pay-the-price/992602)
**Author:** [@Sadie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sadie)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-screwed-up-and-must-now-pay-the-price/992602 "2023-12-08T14:53:17Z")
I will soon be spending time behind bars. This is because on Friday, I appeared in juvenile court (I’m 17/F btw) to be sentenced for vehicular assault and reckless driving. The long and short of it is I was behind the wh… --- ## [Best Christmas episodes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-christmas-episodes/142967)
**Author:** [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-christmas-episodes/142967 "2023-12-08T13:38:12Z")
Mrs. CaptMurdock has the idea of making a compilation videotape of the best Christmas-themed episodes of TV shows (e.g. WKRP in Cinncinnati’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol). --- ## [Road trips w/ electric vehicles](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-trips-w-electric-vehicles/932148)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 306\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/road-trips-w-electric-vehicles/932148 "2023-12-08T13:24:18Z")
I’ve read that GM intends to make all electric vehicles by 2035. And I recently read an article describing the need to recharge during a relatively short (~200mi) drive. The driver required 1 recharge of (IIRC) approx … --- ## [Can college professors work from out of state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-college-professors-work-from-out-of-state/993145)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-college-professors-work-from-out-of-state/993145 "2023-12-08T10:12:23Z")
I picked up A City on Mars yesterday and I was reading the author bio on the back cover. It said “Dr. Kelley Weinersmith is an adjunct faculty member in the biosciences department at Rice University.” And I thought “Huh… --- ## [Drivers license/relationship](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-license-relationship/993918)
**Author:** [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Replies:** 129\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-license-relationship/993918 "2023-12-08T05:15:39Z")
A friend of my daughter. In her mid-20s. She’s smart, articulate, well-read. College educated Has a great job. Never had a drivers license. She’s in a committed relationship. Lives with the guy. He doesn’t know she c… --- ## [Jacob Collier (jazz vocalist prodigy)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacob-collier-jazz-vocalist-prodigy/748933)
**Author:** [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacob-collier-jazz-vocalist-prodigy/748933 "2023-12-08T02:21:12Z")
Prodigy may be a bit of an understatement – this guy could be one of the most brilliant musicians alive, at least according to some recognized greats, Quincy Jones for example: “Never in my life have I seen a talent like… --- ## [Liz Cheney for third-party spoiler candidate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liz-cheney-for-third-party-spoiler-candidate/994101)
**Author:** [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liz-cheney-for-third-party-spoiler-candidate/994101 "2023-12-08T02:00:38Z")
So I’ve seen Liz Cheney making the rounds promoting her book, most recently on the Today Show this morning, and talking about what a dangerous thing a second trump admin would be for the country. It occurred to me that … --- ## [Why are my bluetooth headphones clicking?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-bluetooth-headphones-clicking/994271)
**Author:** [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-bluetooth-headphones-clicking/994271 "2023-12-08T01:53:19Z")
I bought JLAB bluetooth headphones two months ago. They’re fine when I’m listening to music or a podcast on my cell phone (a Moto G Power), but when I answer or make a call, both the other person and I hear a loud clicki… --- ## [Can someone explain the new NBA "In Season Tournament" for me?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-new-nba-in-season-tournament-for-me/992981)
**Author:** [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2023, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-explain-the-new-nba-in-season-tournament-for-me/992981 "2023-12-08T01:30:25Z")
Does it count for anything towards the teams’ seasons? Are NBA fans excited about it? Is it just a gimmick to boost viewership, and if so, is the NBA struggling? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=677&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=679&state=muted)