# Ask the guy who's got a lot of time on his hands and enjoys talking about himself **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 1, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702 "2005-02-01T01:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/21 "2005-02-01T07:10:28Z")
I once read an essay called _The Roger (something) Theory of Nomenclature._ It said, among other things that a guy named Nick will be sharp-eyed and know how to play the point spread, and a guy named Roger will be a little pudgy and wear thick glasses. I always wished I had “hill” in my name. How did you choose your moniker? Is it true that most Hong Kong folks save 80% of their income, in hopes of starting their own business? Hong Kong has this _image_ of untrammeled capitalism, sort of Monty Burns on steroids. Is that BS? ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/22 "2005-02-01T07:21:43Z")
> [@](#): > > I always wished I had “hill” in my name. How did you choose your moniker? Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to heaven. Yes, it’s a brilliant name, isn’t it? I would actually say that rather than me choosing it, it chose me. Women who don’t compare me to Gregory Peck or Robert de Niro tend to compare me to Cary Grant. (That should serve to answer the bit about pudgy and glases.) > [@](#): > > Is it true that most Hong Kong folks save 80% of their income, in hopes of starting their own business? Hong Kong has this _image_ of untrammeled capitalism, sort of Monty Burns on steroids. Is that BS? Never heard of Monty Burns, I’m afraid. Own business? BUSINESS? No self-respecting Hong Konger would admit to having only one business. **Inigo** , you’re welcome, baby. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/23 "2005-02-01T07:39:38Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Cricket is a silly game. Not as silly as whatever game \*you \*like. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/24 "2005-02-01T07:50:21Z")
Whoosh. Silly on, silly off. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/25 "2005-02-01T08:19:01Z")
Hey, take your spat elsewhere. This is meant to be about me. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/26 "2005-02-01T15:08:18Z")
Then tell us about cricket. Inquiring minds, et al. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenchslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@Wrenchslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenchslinger)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/27 "2005-02-01T15:10:28Z")
No really what is cricket? I’m dying to know. I can’t stand listening to the BBC sports reports and hearing that so and so from the Australian squad beat up on the Pakistanis by a tally of 350 runs or bats or flys or whatever the heck you call them. And if I don’t get a real answer mister I’m gonna track down your fully qualified umpire boss type person and tell on you. You just watch if I don’t Wrenchslinger PS Why do you have so much time on your hands, if cricket matches take days to play and you have a full time job? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/28 "2005-02-01T15:16:56Z")
Who do you want to bat if your life depended on it - Kallis or Tendulkar? Do you think that cricket is dying in the state sector? Twenty-twenty; saviour of the game or false messiah? What ever happened to white dog poo and spangles? Can you get spotted dick in HK? With custard? Have you got bird-flu yet? Is it true that they’re sideways? ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/29 "2005-02-01T15:17:11Z")
Any chance you’ll be in the race for **Attention Whore 2005**? You might make a worthy opponent…once you come out of your shell. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/30 "2005-02-01T16:51:16Z")
Do you have any embarrassing stories that will make me laugh and cringe simultaneously? (I love a good simultaneous laugh-and-cringe, extra points if it makes me mutter “Ooh, that had to have hurt!”) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/31 "2005-02-01T17:17:30Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Never heard of Monty Burns, I’m afraid. Own business? BUSINESS? No self-respecting Hong Konger would admit to having only one business. Montgomery Burns is the ruthless, heartless boss of the nuclear power plant where Homer Simpson works. Monty would sell his employees’ organs on EBay if he thought it would help the bottom line. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/32 "2005-02-01T17:25:57Z")
Since Roger has so far declined to explain the wonderful game of cricket, here’s my contribution: You have two sides, one out and one in. Each man that’s in the side that’s in goes out, and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he’s out. When they are all out, the side that’s out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game. Howzat?! ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/33 "2005-02-01T17:26:19Z")
[He wouldn’t be the first to try.](http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/hedge/archive/hedge-20050129.html) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/34 "2005-02-01T17:27:58Z")
That was in response to **AskNott** ’s post. **Dead Cat** snuck in on me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/35 "2005-02-01T18:02:39Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Since Bob doesn’t know any eggs, I’ll try this one. It’s been a while since I’ve poached an egg (in the cooking sense). > > Take a large skillet and fill an inch or two deep with water. Salt the water and bring to very light boil. Stir the water so that it’s moving in the pan in a circular motion. Add 1-4 eggs to poach (depending on pan size and the hunger of diners). Keep the water moving, gently, in a circle around the pan. When the eggs are “done” (to taste) use a slotted spoon to remove them. For whatever reason the swirling water keeps the egg shape cohesive. > > Of course it’s probably easier to just use a poacher, but the above method will work anywhere you have eggs, water, salt, a frying pan and fire. Not sure if it will work in your neck of the woods, though. What’s the boiling temperature or water on Mars? Another way I know (And yes, this is a hijack, but I love poachies, so I must, I must…) Heat on HIGH a saucepan of water to boiling. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the water. Back off the heat a bit and water for the water to roil down a tad. Add the egg, wait, and remove with a slotted spoon/pierced spatula/whatever. No need to stir the water, and you really can’t taste the vinegar if you drain the egg well. So. Roger. How _you_ doin’? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/36 "2005-02-01T18:24:11Z")
> [@harmless](#): > > [He wouldn’t be the first to try.](http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/hedge/archive/hedge-20050129.html) 😉 Well, I stole the joke from Scott Adams’s _Dilbert._ ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/37 "2005-02-01T18:36:48Z")
Wait a minute… :dubious: So who is ripping of who? Or is it everyone’s secret wish at some point that they could sell a body part on ebay? ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/38 "2005-02-01T18:43:15Z")
> [@Daithi Lacha](#): > > …Back off the heat a bit and water for the water to roil down a tad. Stupid QuickReply! “WAIT for the water…” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/39 "2005-02-01T19:48:22Z")
Which way do the toilets flush down there? Is it true that the natives have to pipe in sunlight via fiberoptic cable? SO what part about you do you enjoy talking? ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702/40 "2005-02-01T22:47:41Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Who do you want to bat if your life depended on it - Kallis or Tendulkar? Kallis (but Dravid would be my first choice) > > Do you think that cricket is dying in the state sector? (state schools in England? died years ago) > > Twenty-twenty; saviour of the game or false messiah? (Middx v Surrey was sold out last year. Would that happen for another one day game these days?) > > What ever happened to white dog poo and spangles? (pass) > > Can you get spotted dick in HK? (when it’s humid, yes) With custard? (bee-have!) > > Have you got bird-flu yet? (it’s battling it out with SARS, hepatitis B and dengue fever. Me personally? probably immune) > > Is it true that they’re sideways? (depends which way you look at it) We love United, we do [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-whos-got-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-and-enjoys-talking-about-himself/287702.md?page=3)