# Pretend that the SDMB was around in 1997 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 31, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382 "2012-10-31T00:05:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/21 "2012-10-31T16:08:07Z")
New guilty pleasure: Spice Girls. Yamma-hamma! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/22 "2012-10-31T16:18:57Z")
I’m thinking of decorating my Xmas tree with all those AOL disks I’ve been getting. What do I do with all these SyQuest cartridges, now that I’ve switched to ZIP? I predict that ZIP disks will be around forever, now that new computers have the drives built-in. Some woman just wrote a book about a kid who’s a wizard. How are they gonna get kids to actually READ it? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/23 "2012-10-31T16:30:20Z")
Great news. They’ve scheduled the next two books: _The Straight Dope Tells All_ in 1998 and _Triumph of the Straight Dope_ in 1999. Looks like they’re planning on publishing a new book every year from here on out. Thank God, I hate it when there’s a three year wait between books. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/24 "2012-11-01T18:15:09Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Some woman just wrote a book about a kid who’s a wizard. How are they gonna get kids to actually READ it? The book is over 700 pages long. In your dreams Mr. Rawling (only a man could be so stupid. He’s obviously claiming to be a woman because kids read more female than male authors). ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/25 "2012-11-01T18:23:13Z")
Now that Operation Desert Storm is over, war is obsolete, right? We can all live in peace, Allah be praised. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/26 "2012-11-01T18:33:24Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The book is over 700 pages long. In your dreams Mr. Rawling (only a man could be so stupid. He’s obviously claiming to be a woman because kids read more female than male authors). At least Mr. Rawling has promised never to turn the book into a movie or have any merchandising. Gotta respect his integrity. Have you heard about those cool new pets? They’re electronic. You have to feed them and play with them or they die. The graphics look amazing! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/27 "2012-11-01T18:43:35Z")
Has anybody played that Final Fantasy VII game for the PlayStation? It looks outrageously cool in the TV commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/28 "2012-11-01T18:55:42Z")
The dude is coming to install our new satellite dish out behind the garage this weekend! I sure hope the motors that turn it don’t freeze up with the first cold snap. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/29 "2012-11-01T19:29:19Z")
My parents just bought a crappy humidifier that they’re going to give me in 15 years! ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/30 "2012-11-01T19:32:13Z")
Hi, everybody…longtime lurker, first time poster. '97 is the year of SCIFI! This is the year the HAL-9000 goes online, SkyNet becomes self-aware, “Snake” Plissken escapes New York, the Jupiter-2 is Lost in Space, and a Predator will hunt in LA. Can anyone confirm that this year Charlton Heston will reveal what Soylent Green is, or that a smart chimp named Caesar will lead an Ape Uprising? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/31 "2012-11-01T19:49:20Z")
Can you believe that they’re making a TV spinoff of that cheesy ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ movie? The movie with Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, and Donald Sutherland in it? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/32 "2012-11-01T19:52:56Z")
Metallica continues to suck hard. _grumblegrumble sellouts_ ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/33 "2012-11-01T20:07:38Z")
Steve Jobs is now back at Apple? I heard they named him interim CEO back in September. The company’s in a free-fall. I doubt he can turn things around at this point. The stock is like 20 bucks. It was $80, 10 years ago! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/34 "2012-11-01T20:10:22Z")
Monty Hall Problem - isn’t Marilyn wrong? Isn’t it obvious that you still have a 33% chance of being right whether or not you change doors? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/35 "2012-11-01T20:20:17Z")
Saddam Hussein is refusing to let UN inspectors check for Iraqi weapons sites. What do you think might happen? ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/36 "2012-11-01T20:21:29Z")
Harrumph! Major League Baseball’s newest and most ridiculous fad, _interleague games_ will never last. Players and fans will resent the “World Series” and “All-Star” game being robbed of their mystique and specialness. I predict two seasons–max–of this abomination, and then the MLB will let it die a deserved death. Again I say, “Harrumph!” ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/37 "2012-11-01T20:28:48Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Steve Jobs is now back at Apple? I heard they named him interim CEO back in September. > > The company’s in a free-fall. I doubt he can turn things around at this point. The stock is like 20 bucks. It was $80, 10 years ago! Pffft! Watta losing proposition! Now, if you want a sure-fire investment, you should buy stock in _MCI WorldCom_. it’s a merger of _WorldCom_ and _MCI Communications_. At US$37 billion (the largest merger in U.S. history), MCI WorldCom is too big to fail. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/38 "2012-11-01T20:29:31Z")
Who wants to have a Type II duel of Magic: The Gathering? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/39 "2012-11-01T20:32:51Z")
I’m going to buy stock in this go-go startup, Enron, for my retirement account. They seem to be able to print money, and _Fortune_ has named Enron “America’s Most Innovative Company” for two consecutive years already. Sounds good to me! ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382/40 "2012-11-01T20:59:06Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > We were around, just as a community on AOL. And there is a reason we brought MPSIMS over to this new place with us. I was a regular as far back as 1995… And I remember when MPSIMS started…someone changed a thread title on someone else’s post. And the Rudda Dudda thread [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-that-the-sdmb-was-around-in-1997/639382.md?page=3)