# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")

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Continuing the discussion from [Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1) - #10003 by squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/10003).

Previous discussions:

- [Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380)

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/2 "2024-02-16T02:58:28Z")

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@Karen_Lingel come on down! You’ve been selected as the 10 thousandth member of “Polls only discussion” Congrats! Here’s your lovely toaster.

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3 "2024-02-16T03:04:36Z")

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Good job everyone. We couldn’t have done it without everyone working together.

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/4 "2024-02-16T03:06:01Z")

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And the band! And the costumes! And sets! And fog machine and foam party. Wow.

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/5 "2024-02-16T03:10:36Z")

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Man, look at all that empty space!

Oh, the first new there-should-have-been-an-Other-option!: we don’t use sponges.

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/6 "2024-02-16T03:11:28Z")

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Wow! I didn’t realize there was a limit

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/7 "2024-02-16T03:28:19Z")

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I’m thinking Part 1 got to 10k posts pretty fast. Maybe faster than any previous thread?

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8 "2024-02-16T03:32:11Z")

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Is that a challenge?

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**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/9 "2024-02-16T06:35:20Z")

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We do like talking about our polls!

I don’t generally use a sponge because they always seem to get mildewed and they’re a pain to clean. When I do have one, I’ll usually try soaking it in vinegar, then boiling it (in the microwave). Then I throw the whole stunning mess away. We use dish cloths instead. I usually use one for two or three days, rinsing it well, wringing it out, and hanging it to dry. I toss it in the laundry when it starts looking icky or smelling bad. Every couple of weeks, I wash all the cleaning cloths in very hot water with Oxy Clean and vinegar, and I bleach them periodically.

We have our state’s standard red-on-yellow plate on both cars right now, but there are teo other standard plates available: a really snazzy black one with red and green chile peppers on it and a really pretty yellow-on-turquoise one. If our next car is a color that coordinates well with one of those, I’ll go for it.

I know my SSN and my husband’s because it seems like I’m always having to write those down. I know the first five numbers of my DL number and the security code on the back of my main credit card, but not the number. I also remember my late mother’s phone number, but ot has certainly been reassigned by now.

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/10 "2024-02-16T12:52:05Z")

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I enjoy doing yard work. It’s something we all do together (me, my gf, the dogs,even the horses tend to hang out and watch).

There’s nothing like relaxing on a summer evening, drinking/vaping, watching the sun set, after spending the day doing yard work.

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/11 "2024-02-16T16:20:25Z")

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> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> Oh, the first new there-should-have-been-an-Other-option!: we don’t use sponges.

Here’s another: there was no ‘throw it in the washing machine’.

But I’m not answering for standard sponges, anyway. I do use one covered in nylon netting as a dishscrubber; and also some vaguely spongish dishcloths.

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**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:** [February 16, 2024, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/12 "2024-02-16T20:36:30Z")

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Toaster ?! There’s a village in Cornwall, England named in Karen\_Lingels’s  
honor …  
[![](https://i.ibb.co/wJn2Y3h/Polzoni-sign.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/wJn2Y3h/Polzoni-sign.jpg)

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**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:** [February 17, 2024, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/13 "2024-02-17T01:34:54Z")

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We use Swedish dishcloths instead of sponges, and we run them through the dishwasher (they’re kind of a cross between a sponge and a paper towel). Could put in them in with the laundry, but the washing machine is all the way downstairs and the dishwasher is right next to the sink. Just have to wring them out and hang them up when it’s done.

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**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/14 "2024-02-17T03:27:25Z")

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> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> We use Swedish dishcloths

Ugh, lady friend uses those and they get so gross. Why have a 90 micron thick, 8 1/2 x 11 sponge? Ew. It’s like cleaning your kitchen with a “no pest strip” with flies attached. Fuck that.

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**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:** [February 17, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/15 "2024-02-17T03:31:53Z")

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> [@squeegee](#):
>
> It’s like cleaning your kitchen with a “no pest strip” with flies attached.

I’ve never tried that myself.

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**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/16 "2024-02-17T03:31:53Z")

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We use non-scratch scour pads (Scotch Brite), which don’t get hard like sponges when they dry out.

Switzerland doesn’t have vanity plates, but there’s the possibility of buying lower numbers. In fact there are people who’ve inherited their license plate number from their parents. We ended up getting a different number when we changed cars some years back. We chose a number that cost 100 CHF, which was paid by the dealer.

> **[Number plate in Switzerland sold for over 170.000 Swiss francs](https://www.iamexpat.ch/expat-info/swiss-expat-news/number-plate-switzerland-sold-over-170000-swiss-francs)**
>
> SG 4 has become the second most expensive number plate in Switzerland, after it was sold for 179.700 Swiss francs at a road traffic office auction.

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**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:** [February 17, 2024, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/17 "2024-02-17T05:20:22Z")

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I prefer the type of cap with both a front and a rear brim, to keep the sun off better.

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**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/18 "2024-02-17T18:45:54Z")

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> [@InternetLegend](#):
>
> a really snazzy black one with red and green chile peppers on it

Say you live in New Mexico without saying you live in New Mexico, 🙂

I just put up the coffee poll. French press for me. It turns coffee-making into a ten minute ritual so it’s not a daily thing, more like three times a week, and I like the flavor and mouth feel. Unlike the more automated methods it gives you complete control over the process, how hot the water is, how much coffee is used, steeping time, so you can make it as powerful as you want.

Main disadvantage for the fastidious is that occasionally a ground particle and always, some fines wind up in your cup.

I’m old enough to (barely) remember skywriters overhead. More common were skytypers, a squad of five aircraft flying abreast while an automated gizmo synchronized puffs of smoke like an aerial dot matrix printer.

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**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/19 "2024-02-17T18:47:11Z")

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When I was living in Los Angeles in 2006 I spent a day down at the 3rd St Promenade in Santa Monica. I kept hearing a loud plane overhead, and much to my surprise and delight, it was a skywriter! I’ve seen the planes that tow a banner behind, but this was the real deal. Smoke was coming out of the plane and spelling “Who is Kyle XY?” I barely remember the show now, but I’ll always remember seeing an actual skywriter.

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**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:** [February 17, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/20 "2024-02-17T18:56:04Z")

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I’ve seen skywriting a number of times, but I’ve never seen [skytyping](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skywriting#Skytyping). I think that would be cool.

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=2)
