If by chance you can not access #StraightDope via Opal’s java applet, you can get on through: http://www.mircx.com
This is not the mIRC chat client, but rather a java based chat program operating through your web browser. Just fill in your name, #StraightDope as the channel and an Undernet server for the server…
…should suffice.
“I guess one person can make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
I can’t get it to work.