I’ve just started my membership at The Straight Dope and would just like to say Hello to Everyone and Everything on this Message Board. 
I found this site by chance: Doing some research for an article I was writing on the “Mole People” (Jennifer Toth’s wild allegations of “communities” living beneath the NYC subways which are so richly disproved by Joseph Brennan), I wound-up here. Not being very familiar with the Dope (maybe I’m a dope), I liked what I saw and have entered on my 30 day trial…which I will most likely upgrade to a Full Subscription. :eek:
That’s my initial modest offering of “mundane pointless stuff”…I threaten everyone with even more of it in the days to come. :smack: Regards From NYC,
Octave9 
welcome aboard!
We enjoy fresh meat!
Our previous hazing policy has been completely shut down, due to restrictive international laws regarding thew shipment of live stock, so you will get the easy way in.
I remember the day i signed up… two days later , UPS showed up with a box of paraphanalia that is best left undescribed (according to our lawyers).
Luckily, the squid has been fed recently and the new goat seems to like meeting people, especially since the cybernetics implant. Bring plenty of sparkles, some chemical resistnat gloves, some lab grade eye protection and a haz mat suit and you should get off with only minor inconvienience. The bathroom problems will pass quickly, and some dopers even find they come to enjoy the noises!
All kidding aside, this is a pinnacle of what the internet can be… you will see fine minds, huge wit and exerience the immense pleasure of watching inconsiderate dumb-asses get what they deserve from our moderators.
Enjoy, and welcome aboard!
FML
Welcome. There seems to be some tradition involving pie, I assume your offering will be forthcomming?
Thanks for the Welcome, Full Metal Lotus and A.R. Cane. I’m pretty well-advanced in years and miles down the Road to Eternity. :eek: The “fresh meat” side of my life is blowing somewhere in the wind, but I still can offer some crudely smoked and roughly cured meat 
Living all of my life in New York City made this inevitable…along with the “protective gear.” However, it just occurred to me that I’ve been awake for nearly 18 hours…it’s off to the Land of Nod for yours truly. Thanks again; see you soon,
Octave9 :o
Hello Octave9. Be welcome. Enjoy your stay.
Hi Khadaji,
Sorry I missed you earlier :smack: ...thanks for the welcome and I'm sure that I'll be very happy here posting my various (but with a "method" in my madness) rantings/ravings. Ciao!
Welcome!
The first rule of the Straight Dope is ‘Don’t Be A Jerk.’
The second rule is when you post about your cats, if you have any, is that you MUST provide a link to a picture of said cats.
The third rule is when you come back, bring pie.
What’s your favorite color?
Hey, Octave, welcome! Thanks for coming along and joining our band of merry people and squid.
Are you allergic to squid suckers?
We’ve got talk about all sorts of interesting things here at the Dope…
Moves you on the trap door, clearly marked with an “x”
I hope you find something that appeals to you.
are you allergic to goat fur?
Welcome again!
pulls the handle that opens the trap door and drops you into the squid tank
Welcome, Octave9! Please step this way. We have a welcoming banquet for you on the second floor.
You’re so lucky to remember what happened after you joined, FML. I don’t remember anything between clicking the ‘Join’ button and waking up on a stranger’s couch wearing only a blue sweater and–thank Og–a bathing suit. A radio was playing news reports of ‘unexplained disturbances in the western suburbs’, and the entire left side of my body was sticky.
Welcome.
I remember a book about folks living in the subway, although I cannot recall the author. Perhaps it was MS. Toth.
Allow me to be the first to ask you for a cite. Please provide a link to Joseph Brennan’s disproving. I would enjoy reading about it.
Ah, a brand-new Squiddie, all paid-up and everything. I am a little confused though - I thought you got 30 days free as a Guest, then you paid up to be a full Member for a year. ???
Welcome aboard. Is there any fun stories behind the name?
Who knows, we’ve got a new squiddie and that’s what’s important.
Hello to All and thanks for the extended welcomes. Those are a lot of strange questions and remarks to which I hope to give some equally strange replies. 
–Least Original User Name Ever:a) I’m not allergic to squid suckers…if they don’t suck. b) trap doors marked “X” are really “downers.” c) I’m not allergic to goat fur…only goats.
–Autolycus: My favorite colors range from blue to red based on my moods in relation to the terror alert scale. But actually, my favorite color tends to be black and I “paint it” that way.
–CarnivorousPlant: Fantasy in The Mole People is where this insanity could be found.
–BiblioCat: Don’t be a jerk!!! But that’s second-nature to me. And I don’t have a cat, but I do have a goldfish and a wife.
–Sunspace: I’ll just love the banquet…if its going to be a Stones’ Beggars’ Banquet–Splendid!!!
–TokyoPlayer: There are, of course, only eight notes in an octave (do,re, mi…); but not the way I tend to play piano–to the frustration of my long ago music professors.
–FeatherLou: I just got bored with the Guest stat (and the pop-up reminding me to subscribe) and just went for the full-effect Member status. Now that I’ve encountered some of you people, I’m happy I did!!!
And I just love pie, squiddies and sunspots…so there. Regards and Thanks,
Michael (Octave9) :)
Yes, but do you have your bacon salt yet? 
Bacon salt? Now that’s certainly overkill which would certainly “spice-up” a person’s case of ultimate “big sleep” high blood pressure. :eek: