# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 222
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4423 "2023-05-25T21:45:02Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > if you kill 90% of the population, we could be back to 8 billion in 200 years, unless you make some other changes to human repoduction. We have made considerable changes to human reproduction, in the form of a lot better availability of birth control. Whether we could or would keep that available at only 10% of current population I don’t know, of course; but we wouldn’t necessarily just replicate human history from the late 1700’s, in this or in anything else. I would hope that the “10% best” would make at least a somewhat better job of it; though one of the things they’d have to be best at would be dealing with the immediate trauma. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4424 "2023-05-25T21:46:43Z")
Yeah, but without modern medicine and all that, 10% would probably mean humans go extinct-ish. Relying on my subconscious to make the decision will leave entire continents humanless. Would Q just cause everybody to drop in their tracks, or would they just disappear? That will have a major impact, not only on disease but on morale of the survivors. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4425 "2023-05-25T23:09:21Z")
10% of 8 billion is 800 million. That’s still a good-sized base, depending on where they’re located. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4426 "2023-05-25T23:11:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > without modern medicine and all that, 10% would probably mean humans go extinct-ish. We started off with a whole lot less than that; and of course with a whole lot less modern medicine than we’d have even if only a basic anatomy book and a general knowledge of how infection works survived. I don’t think the species was in any danger of imminent extinction due to lack of population in 1700, or in 1700 BC for that matter. > **[Historical Estimates of World Population](https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/international-programs/historical-est-worldpop.html)** > > View table on historical estimates of the world population. > [@silenus](#): > > Relying on my subconscious to make the decision will leave entire continents humanless. I suppose that would depend on how it works; but I certainly don’t know 800 million people individually, let alone 8 billion so I could compare them all to each other – not to mention that subconscious or not, they’d all be dead of extreme old age long before I was done. I took it that Q would be taking the criteria for ‘best/better human’ from my mind, and then Q would be applying that to everyone, all over the world, in some magically short length of time. I really doubt that the criteria in my head are so set up that they wouldn’t fit people on every reasonably populated continent. At any rate, I certainly hope not. > [@silenus](#): > > Would Q just cause everybody to drop in their tracks, or would they just disappear? That will have a major impact, not only on disease but on morale of the survivors. That’s true; and I’m not sure which would be worse. All those bodies would be very hard to deal with, and you’re right about the disease problems. But if they disappeared, I think a significant number of people, probably most to start with but somewhat decreasing over time, would start off by frantically hunting for the missing; and nobody would ever be entirely sure that their loved ones were actually dead. At least, unless Q instilled the knowledge into all the survivors’ minds. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4427 "2023-05-26T04:36:12Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I have to clarify, here in New England rotary and roundabout are interchangeable as terms, though pretty much anything is called a rotary, and roundabout is highfalutin’. I’ve never heard a New Englander use roundabout (isn’t that a term from England, merry olde?) and rotary only rarely. It’s a traffic circle. I don’t mind the ones with just one lane, but the new ones with two lanes suck. Redesigning the Lee circle to two lanes has just increased accidents due to the idiotic signage, and the new one on route 4 heading to Durham from Portsmouth isn’t a circle but an oval so if you’re in the outer lane you go so far right it’s a really awkward turn onto the bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4428 "2023-05-26T14:11:57Z")
We have a couple of two lane traffic circles near me. As long as you follow the signage and the road lines, they work great. Clear signage is the key. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4429 "2023-05-26T16:50:37Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I’ve never heard a New Englander use roundabout (isn’t that a term from England, merry olde?) and rotary only rarely. It’s a traffic circle. Hmm, we have several in our town, and when I put roundabout in our FB page as a search term, I got a ton of hits (stopped counting at 20).(in fairness, rotary and traffic circle also got \>20 hits). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4430 "2023-05-26T20:06:14Z")
Plain potato chips are %^&\*! boring and an absolute waste of ingredients, as all right-thinking people would agree. Gimme just about kind of flavored chip, every time (my preference would be for BBQ, sour cream and onion, sharp cheddar or pickle). Eggnog is one of my Christmas pleasures - with a generous dollop of rum and some nutmeg on top, please! > [@NinthAcolyte](#): > > IMO there’s no winning move in that scenario, the best move is to accept death and die with clean hands. Yeah, even though I’ve met several people over the course of my life whom I’ve been _sorely_ tempted to kill, and even though I can now think of, for instance, more than a few heads of state and political figures around the world (former and current) whose demise would clearly benefit humanity, I just wouldn’t want that on my conscience. > [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Not enough people are voting for Wrathe, and that make me angry. Yeah, and misspellings in Dope threads make me _furious_. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4431 "2023-05-26T21:29:41Z")
I vote for Wraith. I want a Ring of Power. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4432 "2023-05-26T22:35:35Z")
Yeah, I was unsure about that, but Chrome didn’t give me the one-finger-salute, so I figured I was (one again) wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4433 "2023-05-26T23:19:26Z")
Good old Sloth for me. I also move at a rate of about two inches per hour. I could get up with my alarm and go for a walk, but this bed is so comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4434 "2023-05-27T00:36:00Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Plain potato chips are %^&\*! boring and an absolute waste of ingredients, as all right-thinking people would agree. Gimme just about kind of flavored chip, every time I would argue that “potato” is a flavor, and a damn fine one. mmm ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4435 "2023-05-27T00:59:37Z")
When I worked, I’d often bring back “gifts” for coworkers. But it would be something like chocolate covered Macadamia nuts, if I’d gone to Hawaii – that kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4436 "2023-05-27T01:12:44Z")
Ditto. One box of nuts for the team to share. Also, mmmm, pheasant. I haven’t had pheasant in years i had to vote for that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4437 "2023-05-27T09:03:36Z")
Especially when my kids were younger, bringing them gifts from my travels was fun. In Memphis I bought my son a fake driver’s license with Curly’s picture (3 Stooges). My son was in kindergarten and loved it. He told his friends he used it to go to bars. From a NOLA voodoo shop I brought my daughter anti-envy soap that had been blessed by a voodoo priest ($2 extra). I got my son a lucky chicken foot that he carried for awhile, but then it started to stink. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4438 "2023-05-27T14:08:32Z")
Working backwards: Either catty corner or kitty corner. I’m not even sure which one I’d say myself. I don’t remember whether I voted in post #4. Do high school performances of Shakespeare count? I’m mildly surprised when I find that my response to something is in the majority; though that does depend somewhat on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4439 "2023-05-27T14:15:51Z")
I saw _Coriolanus_ performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and _Othello_ performed in a little cafe with folding chairs and minimal props. They were both fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4440 "2023-05-27T14:19:53Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Do high school performances of Shakespeare count? I counted high school performances of Shakespeare, since the question just said live performances and did not specify professional. Though in my case it doesn’t matter. The 2 plays which I’ve seen performed in high schools, _Dream_ and _Twelfth Night_, I’ve also seen in professional theaters. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4441 "2023-05-27T14:41:48Z")
The poll just says “live,” so I’m including not only plays I’ve seen but also ones I’ve acted in or otherwise been involved in. I saw Merry Wives of Windsor done by RSC at Stratford. Saw them do Othello (I think) in London. I am also counting the versions I’ve seen [The Troubies](https://www.troubie.com/) do: [Fleetwood Macbeth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfJgjqvS_AI), [Hamlet, the Artist Formerly Known as the Prince of Denmark,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HOMw8hnFzk) A Midsummer’s Saturday Night’s Fever Dream, Two Gentlemen of Chicago and the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/4442 "2023-05-27T15:12:35Z")
I had never heard of the Troubies. OMG. Die Heart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=221) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=223)