# Straight Dope 36th Anniversary Extravaganza **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 2, 2009, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102 "2009-02-02T10:46:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102/1 "2009-02-02T10:46:28Z")
February 2, 2009 marks the 36th anniversary of that day when Cecil Adams teamed up with his then-editor Mike Lenehan to produce the [first Straight Dope column](http://www.straightdope.com/pages/faq/firstcolumn). Mr. Lenehan eventually went the way of Pete Best. After a short Andy White-like run by Dave Kehr, in 1978 an innocent Ed Zotti was lured by the promise of magic beans into becoming Cecil’s current long-suffering editor. Also, at some point an escaped mental patient – if you have a better explanation for his work, I’d like to hear it – irascible Slug Signorino was drafted to illustrate Cecil’s magnificent work. Cecil’s reign enters its eighth U.S. presidential administration – Nixon / Ford / Carter / Reagan / Bush I / Clinton / Bush II / Obama – and although inexplictly he has never been referred to – at least directly – in any inaugural speech, I like to think he was up there somewhere in among the dignitaries on the reviewing stand. He has now outlasted Fidel Castro, and during this timespan the Chicago Cubs professional baseball team has racked up as many World Series wins as the Cleveland Spiders. Fighting Ignorance has an special importance in economic development, so I hope that Congress votes Cecil a big basketful of money as part of the stimulus package. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102/2 "2009-02-03T14:30:28Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > He has now outlasted Fidel Castro… What can this mean? Anyway, congratulations are in order. Also, I am curious to know whether Cecil still offers a long-playing record for the best question of the week. I ask this because I don’t have a copy of the Beach Boys album _Holland_, and I smell an improbable opportunity to get a free addition to my record collection. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102/3 "2009-02-03T18:59:08Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > > [@whitetho](#): > > > > He has now outlasted Fidel Castro… > > What can this mean? In date, not in term. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102/4 "2009-02-03T19:34:49Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > What can this mean? It used to be common to list all the U.S. presidents that Castro had outlasted (Eisenhower through Clinton). A variation is the now the number of Cuban leaders that Cecil has outlasted. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102/5 "2009-02-03T23:39:09Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > Anyway, congratulations are in order. Also, I am curious to know whether Cecil still offers a long-playing record for the best question of the week. I ask this because I don’t have a copy of the Beach Boys album _Holland_, and I smell an improbable opportunity to get a free addition to my record collection. Alas, no. > [@](#): > > Note: The above “blurb” is that originally published with the column and is included only for historical interest. The offer of an LP (a what?) is no longer valid. from [Cecil’s First Column](http://www.straightdope.com/pages/faq/firstcolumn) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-36th-anniversary-extravaganza/484102/6 "2009-02-03T23:59:44Z")
And, a special _thanks_ to Mr. White for bringing up this anniversary. **whitetho** ’s been here since antediluvian times, and he was the first to [question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=2&highlight=radio) Cecil’s omnipotence(well, Cecil’s help, actually). His thread is perhaps one of the oldest extant on the board. March of 1999. **whitetho** has always been a supporter of the Board, Cecil, (reluctantly) slug, and is the perfect model of what a doper should be. All Hail! **whitetho**.