# 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:** 371
**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:** [October 11, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7404 "2023-10-11T19:48:15Z")
I always take all the soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. They get tossed into a box under the bathroom sink. When the box gets full, I give it to a woman I know who volunteers at a women’s shelter. They always need stuff like that, and the hotels I stay at use high-quality product. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7405 "2023-10-11T20:40:11Z")
In my live action Ned Flanders poll, I had to go with David Hornsby. If William H. Macy was 20 years younger (or this hypothetical live action Simpsons was being made 20 years ago) he would be a shoe in, but I think if it was made today Macy is a bit too old to play Ned. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7406 "2023-10-11T21:21:27Z")
I realized, talking about the hotel shampoo and like, that almost every trip in like … 8 years involves staying with friends or family. The last time I stayed in a hotel was after a flight cancelation and the airline most reluctantly put me up in a hotel for a night. So I’m always bringing my own anyway… ---
**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:** [October 11, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7407 "2023-10-11T21:25:30Z")
I don’t know who either of those two actors are. How about Jason Sudeikis? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7408 "2023-10-11T21:32:51Z")
Ted Lasso practically is Ned Flanders, without the Christianity. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7409 "2023-10-12T00:21:44Z")
Came here to post my pick for Ned Flanders, looks like I’m third one in: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/6BPzxNR.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/6BPzxNR) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7410 "2023-10-12T00:33:56Z")
> Why didn’t Mean Mr Mustard include _The Andy Griffith Show_ in his poll? H: He put the quasi-sequel Mayberrry RFD in and thought it would cover both. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7411 "2023-10-12T02:36:34Z")
Everyone would know if i won a billion dollar lottery prize, because I would become a real-life embodiment of the George Soros boogeyman reviled by the far right. Marc Elias, you get ten million dollars! ACLU, you get ten million dollars! Planned Parenthood, you get ten million dollars! NPR, you get ten million dollars! World Central Kitchen, you get ten million dollars! Basically anyone defending democracy and doing good for all the people MAGA hates. Yeah, they’ll remember me. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7412 "2023-10-12T03:02:23Z")
A couple of close friends would know, and my financial advisor (which latter I would rapidly acquire). But not all of my family. If I could figure out a plausible way to explain it (hey! financial advisor! advise me on this!) I’d tell them that I had a smaller win; enough to be comfortable, not enough to be rich. – I marked all the things I can put in the recycling bin and have picked up. Whether they’re actually getting recycled I have no idea. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2023, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7413 "2023-10-12T03:05:20Z")
I have a couple of good friends who could use some money, so they’d know. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7414 "2023-10-12T03:26:05Z")
If I won a billion dollars, I’d be unknown to the general public. I’d have told my family and close friends (all of whom would have received substantial funds), my NAME would be known to several big groups (ACLU as mentioned above, plus others) and even a University or two (endowments). And you’d guys know, because I’d OWN THIS PLACE. BWAHAHAHAHA. Oh, and the Old Doper’s Home? Yeah, I’d throw 10-20 million at building/buying that. Hope you guys like Colorado. I’m pretty sure the Mods would at least get a t-shirt. Something like “I helped fight ignorance for 50 years and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt”. Maybe a mug. Oh, and boot polish. 😜 ---
**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:** [October 12, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7415 "2023-10-12T12:50:31Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Oh, and boot polish. I first read that terminal “t” as a “b”, and was thoroughly confused for a second. I need more coffee. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7416 "2023-10-12T13:24:08Z")
In my state, the lottery helps support public education. State law requires sources of school funding to be open to the public, so winning is not allowed to be anonymous. But even if I could be anonymous, I expect I would be doxxed pretty quickly, by left-wingers who disapproved of my politics. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7417 "2023-10-12T13:35:58Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > State law requires sources of school funding to be open to the public, so winning is not allowed to be anonymous. It may be that the law in your state requires winners to be named, but I don’t follow the reasoning here. The person who wins isn’t funding public education, it’s all of the people who buy tickets. Those are the people who should be named (according to this logic) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7418 "2023-10-12T13:37:30Z")
Presumably the winner purchased a ticket. But yeah, following the logic, they should be publishing a list of literally everyone who bought a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7419 "2023-10-12T14:22:33Z")
A person who buys a losing ticket is not in a position to influence public officials. A person who buys a winning ticket might suddenly have influence. Suppose you win a big jackpot, and you turn out to have a friend on the textbook selection committee. The law does not necessarily prevent conflicts of interest, but it does require that they be disclosed. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7420 "2023-10-12T14:25:31Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > A person who buys a winning ticket might suddenly have influence. > > Suppose you win a big jackpot, and you turn out to have a friend on the textbook selection committee. The law does not necessarily prevent conflicts of interest, but it does require that they be disclosed. That’s true of any very rich person. The fact that their riches came from lottery winnings doesn’t seem related. Again, I’m not disputing that some states prohibit anonymous winners, I’m just not getting the connection between that policy and a desire to keep funding for public education transparent. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7421 "2023-10-12T14:26:01Z")
My wife and I both follow people on YouTube, and we will watch boardgame videos, or the game show only connect. I also watch a lot of live chess tournament streaming there. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7422 "2023-10-12T14:36:15Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m just not getting the connection between that policy and a desire to keep funding for public education transparent. Lawyers have a phrase, “Avoid impropriety, or **even the appearance** of impropriety.” It’s not that they think you’re corrupt, it’s that they want to make sure that their own backsides are protected if anyone ever accuses you of corruption. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/7423 "2023-10-12T16:49:05Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > A person who buys a losing ticket is not in a position to influence public officials. A person who buys a winning ticket might suddenly have influence. I always thought that the reason they make lottery names public was to try to keep the lottery honest, both in that it’s possible for the public to tell that somebody actually did win it, and that it’s possible to show that the winners aren’t, say, consistently connected to the people running the lottery. Nothing to do with what happens to the state’s share of the ticket money. The likely effect on the winners seems to me however to be drastic enough that they should allow keeping names private. It seems to me that there are other ways to make sure the lottery actually pays out, and to whatever ticketbuyer randomly got the right ticket. I probably watch something on Youtube several times a week on average, so I chose that – but that’s an average. I might easily go a week or significantly more without watching it. But when I do, it’s not usually for how-tos, though I do occasionally do that; so that option didn’t seem right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=370) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=372)