# 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:** 338
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6744 "2023-09-12T15:23:11Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > What a strange trip to go onto Google Maps and see street views of schools I had not thought about in many decades. Yep, mine even has a Wikipedia page! I assumed it had been toen down decades ago. It was an old building when I attended. Any other alumni? > **[Colfax Elementary School](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colfax_Elementary_School)** > > The Colfax Elementary & Middle School is a public school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Its building, built in 1911, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. As of October 1, 2017, there were a total of 890 students enrolled in the school. The school's Principal is Dr. Tamara Sanders- Woods and the Vice Principal is Joan Murphy (middle school). The school is one of oldest schools still open in the City of Pittsburgh. The school added a new building with The... ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6745 "2023-09-12T15:26:42Z")
Indeed. I had to look up my elementary school; though I just looked for the school district instead of going through Maps. There was only one applicable picture, and from that angle I wasn’t sure; but there was a history page, and I recognize the principal’s name; though it’s a little odd to read that they were building a new wing when I was in first grade and I don’t remember the construction. Also, new wing or no new wing, the school was seriously overcrowded while I was there, to a degree that seems unlikely if they’d just built a lot of new space. I wonder whether the date is a misprint for a new wing built ten years later after I was gone. In any case, it’s still there, and still a school; though now it’s K-2 instead of K-6. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6746 "2023-09-12T15:27:00Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Oh, sorry to hear that, even though it sounds amicable as those things go. Yes, my son’s spouse left him. He was crushed, and I’m still sad about it, but it’s fairly amicable. No one cheated, no one tried to hurt anyone. I think the pandemic exacerbated some underlying differences, and also his spouse has come out as non-binary and has reevaluated a lot of their life choices, including the idea of being married. It sucks, but bad marriages also suck. Despite how over-the-top the last wedding i attended was, the couple have been together 10 years and everyone thinks they are good for each other. I mean, you never know, but it seems like a good match. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6747 "2023-09-12T15:58:05Z")
My high school hasn’t changed much since it was founded in 1558 ! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6748 "2023-09-12T16:14:54Z")
I know the wedding poll said “in general,” but I had to go the “other/more complicated” route. The last two weddings I’ve been to were my nieces’, and they were both a blast. Fun times with people I love. I’ve been to other very fun weddings. I’ve also been to some excruciatingly dull ones, mildly tedious ones, a couple eye-rollingly ostentatious ones, and at least one wildly narcissistic exaltation of the bride. There really is no “general.” I don’t go to many weddings anymore, and unless one of my other nieces gets married, I’d probably decline any more invitations. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6749 "2023-09-12T16:15:25Z")
The school district decommissioned my elementary school pretty recently. As of Google’s most recent Street View imagery, the building is still there, and there is a “for sale” sign out front. Seeing your old school for sale is kind of a weird scene. Not sure what a buyer would so with an old school building; most likely demolish it and build a housing development on the land. I voted that my middle school has been rebuilt, but really it was rebuild while I was attending it. During my 8th grade year they started building a new school building right next to the old building. About halfway through the school year they opened that first section of the new building, and we moved over there, and they demolished the old 1930s building (that was fun to watch!). Then they built the rest of the new building on the spot where the old building once stood. So I spent half a year in the new school building, while it still technically wasn’t complete, but the building where I spent the majority of my time in middle school isn’t there. High School is still there, and still a high school. There are some new additions that weren’t there when I was attending, but the original buildings are still there. The did build another high school closer to where I lived, though, so if I were a teenager living in the same place now I’d attend a different school than I did then. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6750 "2023-09-12T16:26:25Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I’ve been to other very fun weddings. I’ve also been to some excruciatingly dull ones, mildly tedious ones, a couple eye-rollingly ostentatious ones, and at least one wildly narcissistic exaltation of the bride. By “wedding” are people referring to the reception or the ceremony? I generally eschew the ceremony if it is in a church. Sorry, but I’m uncomfortable in a church. I have officiated several weddings, but they have been in parks, venues, or in one case a cemetery. I will show up for the reception unless it is dry. Then again, I do not think I’ve ever received an invite to a dry reception (not the crowd I roll with). ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6751 "2023-09-12T16:43:40Z")
I used to like weddings a lot more. Lately they are a lot more expensive to participate in. I still enjoy the fancy meal but I’m kind of tired of dressing up. I can never compare to the other people in terms of style or elegance so it feels awkward to me. I like many people in my husband’s family but I’m much more of a small group person. So I guess I’m neutral. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6752 "2023-09-12T16:46:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > By “wedding” are people referring to the reception or the ceremony? I generally eschew the ceremony if it is in a church. Sorry, but I’m uncomfortable in a church. I’ve been to so many Catholic ceremonies they are terribly boring. It’s a full Catholic mass where people get married at the end. I’m thinking we skip the ceremony next time. My husband has a big Catholic family so everything is Catholic but he personally despises Catholicism to the point that he refuses to attend baptisms, so I don’t think skipping the ceremony will be a hard sell. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6753 "2023-09-12T16:53:06Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I’ve been to so many Catholic ceremonies they are terribly boring. I attended a catholic wedding. WTF? Stand up, sit down, stand up, now KNEEL. Who the heck kneels? OK, now stand up, sit, back up…now if you are in good standing line up for wine and crackers, sorry, no cheese. And everyone is doing this with a straight face… ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6754 "2023-09-12T16:59:12Z")
I actually haven’t been to that many weddings. Mostly people in the family. Generally I like them, because I like my extended family and have a good time with them. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6755 "2023-09-12T17:02:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > And everyone is doing this with a straight face… Last time I was wearing a pair of new shoes, with a little bit of a heel, and they were agonizing. Every time I stood up, I was in pain. I think it was the final straw for me. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6756 "2023-09-12T17:03:23Z")
I can’t answer the schools question because my situation is complicated: I went to five different public elementary schools. Three are still public schools in the same district. One is a public school but now in a different school district. The last is now a private school. I went to two different public high schools. One is still a public high school. The other is private. (Yes, our family moved around a LOT when I was a kid.) ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6757 "2023-09-12T17:08:23Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > By “wedding” are people referring to the reception or the ceremony? I generally eschew the ceremony if it is in a church. Sorry, but I’m uncomfortable in a church. I have officiated several weddings, but they have been in parks, venues, or in one case a cemetery. I tend not to differentiate. [I attend random religious services for fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-religious-tourism/921011) , so it wouldn’t occur to me to skip the ceremony. And i don’t think I’ve ever been invited to one without the other. Well, except for couples who eloped but then got dragged into receptions anyway. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6758 "2023-09-12T17:10:01Z")
The school poll is somewhat timely. My elementary school was still functioning in more-or-less the same building until this year (maybe last year?). Now it’s closed and I’m not sure what will happen to the site. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6759 "2023-09-12T17:31:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > > I’ve been to so many Catholic ceremonies they are terribly boring. > > I attended a catholic wedding. WTF? Stand up, sit down, stand up, now KNEEL. Who the heck kneels? OK, now stand up, sit, back up…now if you are in good standing line up for wine and crackers, sorry, no cheese. > > And everyone is doing this with a straight face… Pew-robics. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6760 "2023-09-12T17:37:03Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > > I’ve been to so many Catholic ceremonies they are terribly boring. > > I attended a catholic wedding. WTF? Stand up, sit down, stand up, now KNEEL. Who the heck kneels? OK, now stand up, sit, back up…now if you are in good standing line up for wine and crackers, sorry, no cheese. > > And everyone is doing this with a straight face… Fwiw, i never kneel, and certainly don’t line up for communion. I usually do stand when the congregation stands. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6761 "2023-09-12T17:46:37Z")
My junior high school’s building still exists, and is still a public school, but it’s been made into a high school, one of two. A new junior high school was constructed some years after I graduated. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6762 "2023-09-12T17:48:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I attended a catholic wedding. WTF? Stand up, sit down, stand up, now KNEEL. Who the heck kneels? OK, now stand up, sit, back up…now if you are in good standing line up for wine and crackers, sorry, no cheese. At a football game, a Catholic friend of mine described a Catholic service: Pray to the left, Pray to the right, Stand up, sit down, Fight, fight, fight! ---
**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:** [September 12, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/6763 "2023-09-12T17:53:39Z")
In the summer when I get home from work, I immediately put my cellphone, court keycard and wallet on my desk; don’t need them around the house. Then I put on shorts and a T-shirt, and transfer my housekeys and penknife to my shorts. I rarely wear hats (and even then, it’s almost always baseball hats), and never, ever indoors. Not really into sports myself, but I’m glad when a local pro team wins because it seems to make folks happier around town. I don’t hate _any_ team bad enough to root for 'em to lose. Also not great at home repairs. If it’s much more complicated than tightening a screw or replacing a lightbulb, I’d just as soon call a pro who can do it right. I like pumpkin spice but don’t seek it out. I really, really like pumpkin pie, though - one of the best parts of the fall and winter holidays! I usually enjoy weddings, for the chance to visit with family and friends, to help celebrate a happy occasion, enjoy good food and drink, listen to music, dance, etc. > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > The last two weddings I went to (both in the last five or so years, both for my brother’s kids) ended in divorces pretty quickly, and I felt like you could already see it coming. > … > btw, one of those two kids (did I say kids? he’s 37) is already engaged again, and I’m definitely not traveling to that one, wherever they hold it… My cousin T.K. has been married, I think, five times. A story went around the family that two of his college buddies were talking about his (next) upcoming nuptials and one of them said, “I only attend his even-numbered weddings.” The three things I recently posted in the Polls Only thread, BTW, are by Washington (preparing for war), Churchill (democracy) and Dorothy Parker (a bottle in front of me), respectively. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=337) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=339)