# White smoke! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 19, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066 "2005-04-19T15:51:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/1 "2005-04-19T15:51:28Z")
We have a Pope! Who is it? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/2 "2005-04-19T15:54:30Z")
Where’d you get that report? CNN says the [smoke is still black](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/19/pope.tuesday/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/3 "2005-04-19T15:55:00Z")
Watching MSNBC. Smoke is white. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/4 "2005-04-19T15:55:41Z")
Can’t they burn some fuel or something along with the slips to get a good soot going? I’m a little disillusioned by all of this harlequin smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/5 "2005-04-19T15:57:04Z")
I’m watching a live feed on [washingtonpost.com](http://washingtonpost.com), and I’d swear the smoke was white and people are cheering, but I don’t hear the bells that are supposed to accompany the smoke (to alleviate any confusion). ---
**Author:** ![AsecretK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ab992/32.png) [@AsecretK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AsecretK)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/6 "2005-04-19T15:57:41Z")
Are the bells ringing? I heard that is a sign as well. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/7 "2005-04-19T15:59:20Z")
For the six-o’clock hour, yes, so says MSNBC. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/8 "2005-04-19T15:59:25Z")
> [@Joe K](#): > > Can’t they burn some fuel or something along with the slips to get a good soot going? I’m a little disillusioned by all of this harlequin smoking. The smoke isn’t actually colored by the slips. They have black or white smoke bombs they put in the furnace along with the ballots. I’m also seeing recent news pieces about them having had trouble with the smoke bombs and using Italian army flares. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/9 "2005-04-19T16:00:12Z")
> [@Joe K](#): > > Can’t they burn some fuel or something along with the slips to get a good soot going? I’m a little disillusioned by all of this harlequin smoking. No bells yet, so that’s kind of weird. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/10 "2005-04-19T16:00:30Z")
The bells rang a little, but it turns out it was just because it’s six o’clock! But that smoke is pretty white! Wolf Blitzer is worrying about the absence of bells–might be a false alarm? But people in the square are psyched! ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/11 "2005-04-19T16:01:21Z")
Now the big bell tolls. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/12 "2005-04-19T16:01:22Z")
There goes the bell. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/13 "2005-04-19T16:01:22Z")
The bells are ringing. Seems we have a new Pope. ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/14 "2005-04-19T16:01:26Z")
There go the bells. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/15 "2005-04-19T16:01:37Z")
Wait, here we are, I think this is it! ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/16 "2005-04-19T16:01:48Z")
It’s white. It’s official. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/17 "2005-04-19T16:03:45Z")
Six simulposts. Is that a new record? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/18 "2005-04-19T16:04:42Z")
When do they announce who it is? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/19 "2005-04-19T16:05:49Z")
Ummmm, I love that new Pope smell. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066/20 "2005-04-19T16:05:54Z")
uh…is this just in preparation for the inevitable white smoke? :dubious: Everything I am reading says it’s still black. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-smoke/300066.md?page=2)