# 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:** 440
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8784 "2023-12-20T13:01:42Z")
I’d happily give up our dishwasher and microwave. I usually prefer to use a knife and not have to clean the food processor. I use my sous vide, immersion blender, and air fryer frequently. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8785 "2023-12-20T14:08:55Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > air fryer Interesting. I don’t own one of those today. I’d have to give up another appliance (probably the toaster oven? Maybe the bread maker?) to get one. We rarely use the breadmaker, but it’s the source of most of our home made yeast bread, and I’d miss it. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8786 "2023-12-20T15:59:56Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Interesting. I don’t own one of those today. I’d have to give up another appliance (probably the toaster oven? Maybe the bread maker?) to get one. Yes, we got some kind of Ninja thing, and I was very much against yet another countertop item, but the toaster was dying and it turns out this thing is really very popular with the family. I don’t use it much, but I do see the value. I am the breadmaker, and so I wanted to keep my stand mixer because sometimes I don’t feel like doing it all by hand. 🙂 ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8787 "2023-12-20T16:16:39Z")
The first field trip lunch poll seemed to say I had to have mayo on my sandwich. If that’s true, I’m skipping lunch. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8788 "2023-12-20T16:35:07Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Yes, we got some kind of Ninja thing, and I was very much against yet another countertop item, but the toaster was dying and it turns out this thing is really very popular with the family. I don’t use it much, but I do see the value. I absolutely adore my Ninja. The only thing that gets more usage in my kitchen is the microwave. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8789 "2023-12-20T16:44:28Z")
Somebody is willing to pay me 25 grand a year to _not_ do laundry? Sign me up! I think I could easily stretch my wardrobe out to a couple of months at least. I have lots of T-shirts, so I can have a clean shirt every day. Enough pants of various types that I won’t have to go more than 3 or 4 days on each. I’d probably have to hand-wash a few pairs of undies for each cycle; that would take a minor enough effort. Laundry day will take about 8-10 loads, but I’m willing to clear my schedule on the first of every even-numbered month. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8790 "2023-12-20T16:49:21Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’d have to give up another appliance (probably the toaster oven? Maybe the bread maker?) to get one. The thing I love about our kitchen is that there is plenty of closet space. My air fryer and its accessories, my two sous vide setups, our blenders, etc are all in a kitchen closet. We also have a separate pantry area where we store our four crock-pots (for soup fest), my tagine, etc, etc. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8791 "2023-12-20T18:51:35Z")
If I never do laundry, I get about $2100 per month. If I do it once every few months (say every 3 months), I get about $2080 per month. If I do it 1-2 times per month, I get about $1995 per month. The differences are insignificant. I’ll do it at least 1-2 times per month. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8792 "2023-12-20T20:53:14Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The differences are insignificant. I’ll do it at least 1-2 times per month. Yup, that was exactly how the math worked out for me. The loss is so small that even without changing habits, I’d be happy. And doing more laundry less frequently works fine for me. It’s like back in college where I’d try to do it all once a month. Sure, my standards (much less my wives!) for clean clothes are higher now, but every two weeks is fine, especially if I can hand wash for emergency needs. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8793 "2023-12-20T21:53:28Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Somebody is willing to pay me 25 grand a year to _not_ do laundry? Sign me up! > > I think I could easily stretch my wardrobe out to a couple of months at least. Yep, same here. I would just hand wash my underwear, and I could go for a month or two. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8794 "2023-12-20T21:55:36Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I would just hand wash my underwear, and I could go for a month or two. I’d forfeit $70 to put my underwear (and work out clothes) in the washing machine. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8795 "2023-12-20T22:45:44Z")
I kind of believed in Santa at the North Pole, and that’s what I put down. But Christmas of 1959, when I was almost five, I learned there was no Santa. Our family was leaving for church in the evening and Mom had to go back inside for something. Through a crack in the curtains I saw her put away the milk and cookies. What I don’t remember is when I was eight and Mom says she tried to break it to me that there was no Santa, whereupon I told her “I know that!” All in all though I’m still glad that my religiously conservative parents saw no harm in stories about Santa. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8796 "2023-12-20T22:49:13Z")
I put at the actual Notrh Pole as that’s the way I imagine him now as a fictional character. I really can’t remember what I thought when, if ever, I actually thought he was a real person. He’s been fictional for as long as I recall. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8797 "2023-12-20T22:50:33Z")
I don’t remember where I thought Santa lived; if I thought about it at all. I don’t remember whether I ever believed in Santa. I know sometimes I got presents that said they were from Santa; but I can’t remember whether I ever thought this meant anything other than ‘the person who gave you this doesn’t want individual thanks for it’. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8798 "2023-12-20T23:14:03Z")
I believed in Santa when i was little. I was too little to care about stuff like geography. I don’t think i ever believed Santa lived anywhere in particular. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8799 "2023-12-20T23:49:41Z")
My favorite item when I was little was a National Geographic globe. I knew the North Pole was in the middle of an ocean. I just figured Santa Central was located in northern Canada. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8800 "2023-12-21T00:18:39Z")
Note that the poll only says that _I_ can’t do laundry - not that nobody can. $70/day can buy a whole lot of dry cleaning. For that matter, I can stay within the spirit of the poll (sorta) and pay someone $100 to wash my underwear by hand every couple of weeks. No problem! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8801 "2023-12-21T00:44:45Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I just figured Santa Central was located in northern Canada. [Canadian postal codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Canada) are six characters (in two groups of three), alternating between letters and numbers. If a kid writes a letter to Santa, the postcode is H0H 0H0. > The H0- prefix is an anomaly: the 0 indicates a rural delivery zone, but H is used to designate [Montreal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal), the second-largest city in Canada. As such, the H0- prefix is almost completely empty. H0M, assigned to the international [Akwesasne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akwesasne) tribal reserve on the Canada–US border, is the only other H0- postal code in active use. > > In 2013, Santa was dragged into the ongoing [Arctic sovereignty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_sovereignty) debate to support Canadian territorial claims extending to the [North Pole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole). During a parliamentary debate, [Conservative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_of_Canada) MP [Paul Calandra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Calandra) accused the opposition [Liberal Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) of “not think[ing] that the North Pole or Santa Claus are in Canada”. Liberal leader [Justin Trudeau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Trudeau) responded by saying, “Everyone knows that Santa Claus is Canadian. His postal code is H0H 0H0.” The [Official Opposition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Opposition_(Canada)) [New Democratic Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democratic_Party) disagreed, insisting that Santa is a “[citizen of the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_citizenship)”.[[42]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Canada#cite_note-42) ---
**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:** [December 21, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8802 "2023-12-21T14:22:49Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I don’t remember whether I ever believed in Santa. I remember my little brother and sister believing in Santa. I also remember keeping my mouth shut. For some reason I thought that once you didn’t believe the xmas presents would stop abruptly. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/8803 "2023-12-21T15:01:53Z")
Depends on who you are and what the advice is. A really close friend, saying that I really ought to take a shower? That’s fine. A total stranger, telling me (accurately) that the bridge is out up ahead and I might want to head somewhere else? Also fine. Same stranger, telling me what they think I ought to wear or believe? No way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=439) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=441)