What's the best thing you've learned from the Straight Dope?

[hijack] One home tested science experience, that was completely impromptu on my MIL’s part, was to think that her gold fish in a cement pond ( Can the Clampett Jokes,people) would be able to make it another week outside before she moved them to inside tanks. This was late November, in Michigan and she was pushing her luck.We were walloped with a snow storm and,well, forgot about the fifty or so fish.

It was the first year the fish were in the pond and the seal on the drain shrank with the severe cold weather (the pond was dry for years [sarcasm alert]due to Mormons.[/sarcasm alert] all the water drained out except a block of ice with little orange fishicles inside. Our general consensus was, " Oh hell, guess we’ll have to get another batch of fish come spring."

Come spring, fixing the drain, adding water, about ten of the original 50, came back to life. This was about 10 years ago and she still has those original gold fish. [/hijack]


That what does not kill me, postpones the inevitable.

One of my favorite Cecil Columns, and I think of it every time I eat a graham cracker ( I have kids, so it’s alot is the *Where Graham Crackers invented to help keep people from masterbating. *

Every time I try to amaze and astound my friends with this tidbit I forget so major details and come off sounding like a pervert.

There are many others but not limited too:

Are there gay animals in nature. (More of the straight dope, page 199)

Spntaneous Combustion.

Menstrual Syncronicity ( Which us girls knew about long ago, but its nice to have stuff like this in print to *prove * it.

The thing about Catherine the Great - for some reason, my history teachers in high school liked to perpetuate that myth.

Umm…learning about Spam was highly edifying, even before I moved to the town next door to the Hormel plant.

And how to work on a bulletin board - I’m a newbie online writing tutor, and this is helping me to do indirect interaction with others!


Christopher Robin Hood - he steals from the rich and gives to the Pooh.

I have to pick one? Hmm.

Cece pretty much cleared up the mess of info my freshman Economics 101 text and professor attempted on the subject of the Fed and how banks create money. It seems incredibly obvious and easy to follow when he says it, but my eyes still glaze over when I pick up that damn book.

Considering that several posters mentioned finding stories about “anal intruders” informative and entertaining, they may wish to check out http://www.well.com/user/cynsa/newbutt.html

(No, it’s not a gay porn site)