# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=762 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 763 --- ## [Asymmetric usage of "long" and "short" in time expressions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asymmetric-usage-of-long-and-short-in-time-expressions/988318)
**Author:** [@Stego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stego)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2023, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asymmetric-usage-of-long-and-short-in-time-expressions/988318 "2023-08-16T04:05:44Z")
I am not a native speaker, so maybe the question is based on biased or plain wrong observations. However, it seems to me that “long” and “short” cannot be freely substituted in English time expressions. For example, y… --- ## [Would a person with great eating habits even know if they were diabetic?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-person-with-great-eating-habits-even-know-if-they-were-diabetic/988541)
**Author:** [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2023, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-person-with-great-eating-habits-even-know-if-they-were-diabetic/988541 "2023-08-16T02:42:00Z")
This could probably go in FQ, but it’s medical and I welcome informed speculation, so … I eat very little refined sugar, and not even much fruit (I try to have a modest serving of berries most days, but that’s it). I do… --- ## [Television and film trivia by memory only](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-and-film-trivia-by-memory-only/988580)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-and-film-trivia-by-memory-only/988580 "2023-08-16T01:48:38Z")
I was trying to remember a bit of trivia, realized I couldn’t, and then wondered who would actually be able to recall it from memory without looking it up. That sounds like a fun game thread so if anyone else thinks so h… --- ## [Low(er) Cost CGM Options?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-er-cost-cgm-options/988577)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2023, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-er-cost-cgm-options/988577 "2023-08-16T01:44:36Z")
I’d like to monitor my blood glucose level to see how various foods impact my blood sugar for health reasons. I only want to do it for 6 weeks. I don’t have diabetes or prediabetes, so insurance doesn’t cover the cost as… --- ## [Tricks your brain plays on you](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tricks-your-brain-plays-on-you/988477)
**Author:** [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2023, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tricks-your-brain-plays-on-you/988477 "2023-08-16T01:21:49Z")
For the 1st one, I’d like any Americans who have visited England as tourists to play along: Try to recall a car or bus ride that you took when you visited England. Picture the scene as you’re driving, perhaps looking a… --- ## [Little details you notice in creative works](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-details-you-notice-in-creative-works/988626)
**Author:** [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-details-you-notice-in-creative-works/988626 "2023-08-16T00:21:14Z")
This thread is for minor details you notice in films, TV shows, books, etc. The might be in-jokes, Easter-eggs, little historical details they got correct, things they actually got right about your profession, etc. For… --- ## [Covid test outdated or not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covid-test-outdated-or-not/988624)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covid-test-outdated-or-not/988624 "2023-08-15T23:59:08Z")
I took a home covid test using a kit that was past its expiration date. When I did it, the control line showed up bright pink, leading me to think that the test was actually still actively valid and no part of it had ex… --- ## [Fool's errands and devices](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fools-errands-and-devices/988561)
**Author:** [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fools-errands-and-devices/988561 "2023-08-15T23:18:41Z")
Beats me what forum this belongs in. The thread Turnbuckle belt tensioner has brought up the subject of left and right handed crescent wrenches and screwdrivers. A common fool’s errand is to send a n00b out to get a left… --- ## [Taxonomy of music. Can we make a "phylogenetic tree" of music?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxonomy-of-music-can-we-make-a-phylogenetic-tree-of-music/988563)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taxonomy-of-music-can-we-make-a-phylogenetic-tree-of-music/988563 "2023-08-15T21:14:06Z")
I don’'t know how feasible this project is, but I think it’ll be interesting to try, and hopefully in the process educate myself on the history of music. Let’s try to make a taxonomic tree of music from the western trad… --- ## [Are US people like Europeans concerning the habit of kicking tires? A couple of polls](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-people-like-europeans-concerning-the-habit-of-kicking-tires-a-couple-of-polls/988535)
**Author:** [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-us-people-like-europeans-concerning-the-habit-of-kicking-tires-a-couple-of-polls/988535 "2023-08-15T19:21:17Z")
My wife observed the other day that men over here (Germany), when regarding a car, sometimes kick the tires as if to check whether they have the right pressure. And added that no woman would do that, because it is absurd… --- ## [Gravity at large scales - measurement?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-at-large-scales-measurement/818414)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-at-large-scales-measurement/818414 "2023-08-15T18:47:00Z")
The question is inspired by Quantum mechanics, where the laws we find intuitive at our scale of perception are not applicable at the quantum level. From Newton’s gravitational laws, F= GM1M2/R^2. Now I remember readin… --- ## [Glasses with progressive lenses, or LASIK?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-with-progressive-lenses-or-lasik/988505)
**Author:** [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-with-progressive-lenses-or-lasik/988505 "2023-08-15T17:10:36Z")
I’m nearsighted, and I’ve worn glasses since I was 12 years old. I wore contact lenses when I was younger, but I ultimately decided they weren’t worth the trouble (my optometrist once told me that I have “oily tears”, wh… --- ## [Help me recast "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"...with Muppets!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-recast-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-with-muppets/988587)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-recast-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-with-muppets/988587 "2023-08-15T16:28:36Z")
Also, one of the characters(you pick) should be human, ala “Muppet Christmas Carol”. --- ## [Clerk beats thief with stick - can clerk and store be sued?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerk-beats-thief-with-stick-can-clerk-and-store-be-sued/988068)
**Author:** [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerk-beats-thief-with-stick-can-clerk-and-store-be-sued/988068 "2023-08-15T16:08:05Z")
Ran across this video today of a 7 - 11 clerk beating the heck out of someone robbing the store. With all the anger and frustration over retail crime lately I’m not surprised this happened. However, I am wondering what… --- ## [Three people arrested for pro-Russian spying in UK](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-people-arrested-for-pro-russian-spying-in-uk/988608)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-people-arrested-for-pro-russian-spying-in-uk/988608 "2023-08-15T15:21:44Z")
It seems like we’re seeing a real uptick in these stories since the invasion, doesn’t it?. Certainly not a coincidence. --- ## [Will an iPhone produce good-enough video for showcasing our foundation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-iphone-produce-good-enough-video-for-showcasing-our-foundation/988266)
**Author:** [@Caribbean\_cruiser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caribbean_cruiser)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-an-iphone-produce-good-enough-video-for-showcasing-our-foundation/988266 "2023-08-15T14:11:17Z")
I serve on the board of a small charitable foundation that helps low-income families. As board chair, I am encouraging the executive director to produce several brief videos (90 to 120 seconds) that outline our history, … --- ## [What can someone do with a photo of my passport?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-someone-do-with-a-photo-of-my-passport/988579)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-someone-do-with-a-photo-of-my-passport/988579 "2023-08-15T12:34:28Z")
Have stayed in hotels in Japan many times, and it’s typical for them to take a photocopy of my passport for their records. If a miscreant grabs a copy of that photo, it won’t be good enough quality to make a passable fa… --- ## [Metal properties of a knife with a durable edge](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-properties-of-a-knife-with-a-durable-edge/987811)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metal-properties-of-a-knife-with-a-durable-edge/987811 "2023-08-15T11:37:12Z")
I use draw knives frequently in wood working. Sometimes several hours per day, day in day out year after year.I can often go more than a year without sharpening my draw knife and I am cutting on some of the hardest woods… --- ## [Sharing a PPT presentation locally using a portable wifi router?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-a-ppt-presentation-locally-using-a-portable-wifi-router/988490)
**Author:** [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-a-ppt-presentation-locally-using-a-portable-wifi-router/988490 "2023-08-15T11:16:06Z")
I periodically teach licensing classes in different cities. The company I do this for rents a variety of conference rooms and facilities. I take along a nice LED projector or use the monitor in the conference room when… --- ## [Cereal question and yogurt improver](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-question-and-yogurt-improver/988500)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-question-and-yogurt-improver/988500 "2023-08-15T10:29:16Z")
Two questions: Trader Joes used to have a house-brand cereal called Toasted Oatmeal Flakes. It was my favorite flavor. Unfortunately, they dropped it a while back. House brand cereals are often a copy of some other br… --- ## [Anyone here ever flown commercial prior to 1971?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-ever-flown-commercial-prior-to-1971/987201)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 99\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-ever-flown-commercial-prior-to-1971/987201 "2023-08-15T06:32:59Z")
What was flying like out of a commercial airport pre-DB Cooper? I remember what it was like pre-9/11 and there was a lot of jerking off, but not as much as the last 20+ years. But before 1971 what was it like? Was there… --- ## [Moving to a new state when you retire? Great or selfish?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-a-new-state-when-you-retire-great-or-selfish/984299)
**Author:** [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Replies:** 101\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moving-to-a-new-state-when-you-retire-great-or-selfish/984299 "2023-08-15T06:16:22Z")
You’re retired. You can afford to move somewhere else (you may even NEED to, to a place that’s more affordable than where you currently are). The new place has more congenial weather, or better transportation, or better … --- ## [No More Lifers: A Happy Shelter Story (and not-so-stealth brag)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-lifers-a-happy-shelter-story-and-not-so-stealth-brag/988537)
**Author:** [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-lifers-a-happy-shelter-story-and-not-so-stealth-brag/988537 "2023-08-15T03:41:20Z")
As you may know, I work for a no-kill animal shelter. When I started (10 years ago!) as a caretaker in the adult cat area, it was the absolute norm for cats to be in the shelter for years, if not their whole lives. The … --- ## [I Took a Wild Guess about Why Some Psycho Fatally Shot an Eight Year Old Girl...AND I WAS RIGHT!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204)
**Author:** [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Replies:** 133\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-took-a-wild-guess-about-why-some-psycho-fatally-shot-an-eight-year-old-girl-and-i-was-right/988204 "2023-08-15T00:36:07Z")
Murders are almost routine in Chicago, let’s be honest, but this one had people shaking their heads. A man shot an eight year old girl to death. The girl’s father who was there tackled the shooter and shot him in the fa… --- ## [My Foot Elbow!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-foot-elbow/988514)
**Author:** [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-foot-elbow/988514 "2023-08-14T23:33:16Z")
waves happily hihi! it’s been a minute :slight\_smile: I was reading through Witnessing My Own Mental Decay and a few dopers were commenting about not being able to think of a word, even though you can see it in your min… --- ## [Did DeJoy create the USPS slow down?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-dejoy-create-the-usps-slow-down/931135)
**Author:** [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-dejoy-create-the-usps-slow-down/931135 "2023-08-14T22:58:50Z")
I have nothing more than anecdotal evidence that USPS mail delivery is more slow now than prior to Louis DeJoy’s appointment in June 2020…but…is it true that USPS service is degraded, and if so, did Louis DeJoy create th… --- ## [Live-in/Daily Household Help](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-in-daily-household-help/987807)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-in-daily-household-help/987807 "2023-08-14T22:25:48Z")
I’m curious about people’s experiences, both as children and adults, with live-in or daily help (servants). Cooks, maids, housekeepers, valets, butlers-- whatever terminology fits (or fit in the past) your situation. I’… --- ## [Getting a credit card so I can rent vehicles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-credit-card-so-i-can-rent-vehicles/988364)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 98\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-credit-card-so-i-can-rent-vehicles/988364 "2023-08-14T21:53:33Z")
I haven’t had a credit card, or any kind of loan, in many years. I’m retired and have lots of assets. But I hear it is difficult to rent a car or other vehicles such as an RV if you don’t have one. I do use debit cards a… --- ## [Can an employer force employees to work from home?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-force-employees-to-work-from-home/988340)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-force-employees-to-work-from-home/988340 "2023-08-14T21:38:54Z")
So now that the Covid19 pandemic has officially ended and so have any restrictions can employers force employees to continue working from home? Can they also force employees to provide the company with free internet serv… --- ## [Pitting Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-cartooniverse/962157)
**Author:** [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-cartooniverse/962157 "2023-08-14T20:26:24Z")
Cartooniverse is a racist fuck. In the Will Smith Oscar thread he said this, There are some truths at play here. Pointing them out would get me permanently banned. I would encourage one and all to Google who the Pro… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=761) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=763)