# Top **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=1265&period=all&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1266 --- ## [Who is Beau Brummel?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-beau-brummel/305122)
**Author:** [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-beau-brummel/305122 "2005-05-25T11:13:12Z")
Who is this mysterious Beau Brummel person? I have heard of him in two places: Garfield cartoon, and a Billy Joel song: You could really be a Beau Brummel baby if you just give it half a chance I get the idea he was e… --- ## [Your fictional namesakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-fictional-namesakes/767090)
**Author:** [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-fictional-namesakes/767090 "2016-10-20T00:37:55Z")
I just downloaded a book and discovered that the main character has my wife’s maiden name (it’s also my great-great-grandmother’s name). The name is not a very common one, though the author used it as a pun and pronounc… --- ## [How to punish douchebags who stop over pedestrian crossings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593)
**Author:** [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593 "2015-02-19T01:18:36Z")
I have almost been hit by a douchebag fuckwhit who thought it was a great idea to cross a red light over the pedestrian crossing. Today, another imbecile douche stopped over the zebra stripes with his SUV. I am getting f… --- ## [Great-Grandchild of the Movie Link Chain Game](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-grandchild-of-the-movie-link-chain-game/102849)
**Author:** [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Replies:** 291\ **Last updated:** [April 17, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-grandchild-of-the-movie-link-chain-game/102849 "2002-04-17T13:17:35Z")
Starting yet another thread: From the previous one Halloween Donald Pleasance --- ## [news crew gets mugged covering the Kate Steinle shooting in San Francisco.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-crew-gets-mugged-covering-the-kate-steinle-shooting-in-san-francisco/724203)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [August 13, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-crew-gets-mugged-covering-the-kate-steinle-shooting-in-san-francisco/724203 "2015-08-13T04:18:21Z")
We’ve had reporters do stand ups in war zones all over the world. Reporters in the midst of riots. This news crew gets mugged in broad daylight, and with cameras live at Pier 60 in San Francisco California? They were… --- ## [Roald Dahl was anti-semitic? Who knew?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roald-dahl-was-anti-semitic-who-knew/927485)
**Author:** [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Replies:** 131\ **Last updated:** [July 20, 2023, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roald-dahl-was-anti-semitic-who-knew/927485 "2023-07-20T19:18:55Z")
30 years after his death (and 2 years after a very lucrative deal selling his work for $1 Billion) Roald Dahl’s grandchildren have apologized on the website representing his work, for his anti-semitism and his public sta… --- ## [Great Movies that Betrayed Their Source Material](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movies-that-betrayed-their-source-material/819821)
**Author:** [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Replies:** 101\ **Last updated:** [August 25, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movies-that-betrayed-their-source-material/819821 "2018-08-25T17:44:54Z")
I’m in the middle of an “Idris Elba as Bond” discussion elsewhere. I think a great movie about a British spy could be made starring Elba, but he shouldn’t play that one particular spy because when you drift too far from … --- ## [If you could attend any ONE sporting event in history, what would it be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-attend-any-one-sporting-event-in-history-what-would-it-be/595545)
**Author:** [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [September 13, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-attend-any-one-sporting-event-in-history-what-would-it-be/595545 "2011-09-13T02:10:20Z")
I’ve invented a time machine! Turns out the rules of time travel are kind of funny, though: I can send you only to the spectator seating area of a sporting venue, and only for the duration of a single event. By “event” … --- ## [2nd Annual Superbowl Commercial Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-superbowl-commercial-thread/390844)
**Author:** [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Replies:** 145\ **Last updated:** [February 8, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-superbowl-commercial-thread/390844 "2007-02-08T00:06:20Z")
So, comment on them in real time! What was your favorite? Is it on YouTube yet? --- ## [Why is the South so conservative?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-south-so-conservative/181972)
**Author:** [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [June 23, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-south-so-conservative/181972 "2003-06-23T03:12:15Z")
Has it always been that way? --- ## [They changed the creepy commercial](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-changed-the-creepy-commercial/778275)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [January 29, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-changed-the-creepy-commercial/778275 "2017-01-29T21:14:04Z")
Every so often, theres a commercial that’s just… creepy. Either it runs through the entire campaign, or there’s enough backlash that it gets pulled, or… they change it to not be so creepy. I know I’ve seen a few of the… --- ## [Are drugs legal in international waters?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-drugs-legal-in-international-waters/45077)
**Author:** [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-drugs-legal-in-international-waters/45077 "2000-12-13T00:26:43Z")
Can I set up a “heroin cruise” - take a boat about 400 miles off-shore and start dispensing LSD, pot, etc., to my paying customers? Or do the laws of the country in which my boat is registered apply on the boat? Sua --- ## [When a poster is suspended, they get a thread. What about..](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-poster-is-suspended-they-get-a-thread-what-about/689456)
**Author:** [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [June 2, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-poster-is-suspended-they-get-a-thread-what-about/689456 "2014-06-02T17:49:34Z")
…posters who have racked up a warning about problem behavior? How does word get out in those cases? Handy, for instance, had an injunction against posting in medical threads. Several posters have been instructed to only… --- ## [Have you joined, or considered joining, a country club?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-joined-or-considered-joining-a-country-club/551947)
**Author:** [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-joined-or-considered-joining-a-country-club/551947 "2010-09-01T22:50:20Z")
The thread about jeans and country clubs got me thinking about country club membership in general, and baby boomers and country clubs in particular. My grandfather, a Kansas lawyer, belonged to a country club. My fathe… --- ## [I never read Fleming's "James Bond" books. Are the movies true to the books Bond character or not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-read-flemings-james-bond-books-are-the-movies-true-to-the-books-bond-character-or-not/723051)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [June 22, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-never-read-flemings-james-bond-books-are-the-movies-true-to-the-books-bond-character-or-not/723051 "2015-06-22T15:48:21Z")
Just curious. I have seen most (not all) of the James Bond films but I have never read any of the Ian Fleming novels. Is the literary character markedly different from the movie character or not? --- ## [RR user names](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rr-user-names/591538)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rr-user-names/591538 "2011-08-08T15:26:14Z")
I’ve noticed we have several conservative posters who have user names with the initials RR: RaleighRally, Rand Rover, and Recovering Republican (and maybe others that don’t come immediately to mind). Is this just a coin… --- ## [Cirrus pilot pops the 'chute](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cirrus-pilot-pops-the-chute/710978)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cirrus-pilot-pops-the-chute/710978 "2015-02-15T22:32:21Z")
I did a search on ‘parachute’ and didn’t see a thread. Apologies if I missed it. Pilot Pulls Parachute in Dramatic Plane Escape Over Ocean A pilot ran out of fuel over 200 miles from Maui. He deployed the ballistic p… --- ## [Destroying a Sudanese pharmaceutical plant -- priceless](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/destroying-a-sudanese-pharmaceutical-plant-priceless/542484)
**Author:** [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [June 12, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/destroying-a-sudanese-pharmaceutical-plant-priceless/542484 "2010-06-12T14:05:40Z")
Or maybe “uncompensatable.” In El-Shifa Pharmaceutical Industries Co. v. US, the owners of a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan sued the United States after the factory was destroyed an the President announced publicly tha… --- ## [Top Ten Classical Composers of All Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-ten-classical-composers-of-all-time/568926)
**Author:** [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [February 9, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-ten-classical-composers-of-all-time/568926 "2011-02-09T02:02:55Z")
Anthony Tommasini, the New York Times’ music critic, has been writing recently about compiling a list of the all-time classical composer greats. His list appears on page two of the article, and here it is: \[ol\] \[li\]JS… --- ## [Why haven't they done this yet \[product suggestions\].](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-done-this-yet-product-suggestions/628200)
**Author:** [@Zep\_Tepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zep_Tepi)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [July 20, 2012, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-they-done-this-yet-product-suggestions/628200 "2012-07-20T12:05:50Z")
I just wish that a manufacturer of disposable razors would have 20 or so small plastic webs on the side of the handle that one can nick out a web with your finger nail after each use so that you know how many shaves you … --- ## [Anyone using Gigwalk?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-using-gigwalk/596652)
**Author:** [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [June 5, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-using-gigwalk/596652 "2014-06-05T21:47:52Z")
I got this program a couple weeks ago and have made a surprising amount of money so far. It’s a huge help now that I’m unemployed; I do gigs while I’m out looking for jobs or to and from interviews. I wouldn’t rely on i… --- ## [Are there songs the artists regret making?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-songs-the-artists-regret-making/485363)
**Author:** [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Replies:** 84\ **Last updated:** [February 20, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-songs-the-artists-regret-making/485363 "2009-02-20T04:15:41Z")
I am looking for examples of songs that the artist wishes he or she had never done and why. Perhaps it’s a song that is not representative of their genre, but yet it’s the one song, perhaps the only song that everyone as… --- ## [Hillary: Obama's losing support with "hard-working Americans, white Americans"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576)
**Author:** [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Replies:** 115\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576 "2008-05-12T23:46:25Z")
Um…wow. That was an inartful way to phrase whatever the hell it was she was trying to say: From here: Yikes. --- ## [Incest. Then and Now. What Attitude Is Correct?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incest-then-and-now-what-attitude-is-correct/42793)
**Author:** [@Serendipity28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serendipity28)\ **Replies:** 97\ **Last updated:** [December 3, 2000, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incest-then-and-now-what-attitude-is-correct/42793 "2000-12-03T06:49:28Z")
I know all about the current views on child molestation and the current penalties there of and what is considered molestation but for some stupid reason, I happened to recall some stuff from decades before these laws wer… --- ## [What's a graven image?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-graven-image/592295)
**Author:** [@G35S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G35S)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [August 18, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-graven-image/592295 "2011-08-18T20:27:21Z")
Regarding the second commandment. Is a graven image any statue/image as I would gather from a reading the “King James Bible” or an idol as per the “The New Oxford Annotated Bible?” --- ## [Most Bizarre ... RO](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bizarre-ro/496663)
**Author:** [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-bizarre-ro/496663 "2009-05-23T01:38:25Z")
Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the creepiest, freakiest, most fucked up news story you will likely ever read. This rivals the guy chops another guy’s head off in a bus and eats him story. Fair warning, this is… --- ## [How do Walmart/K-mart still exist?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-walmart-k-mart-still-exist/475420)
**Author:** [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Replies:** 90\ **Last updated:** [December 5, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-walmart-k-mart-still-exist/475420 "2008-12-05T19:17:49Z")
Target has better (some even higher end) brands, greater selection of quality products and lower prices. The ones that carry food are amazing: They don’t carry as much food as a grocery, obviously, but the food that th… --- ## [Can you tell me who the pornstar on the left is?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-who-the-pornstar-on-the-left-is/642927)
**Author:** [@jmoney\_84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmoney_84)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [December 6, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-tell-me-who-the-pornstar-on-the-left-is/642927 "2012-12-06T22:16:42Z")
NSFW link:\[spoiler\]http://www.google.com/imgres?q=pornstar+cleavage&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&tbo=d&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=ii9pCeiZ8dT7aM:&imgrefurl=http://epicboobs.me/2012/05/27/pornstar-cleavage/&docid=\_PFo89b… --- ## [What is the purpose of the earphones worn by singers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-earphones-worn-by-singers/586425)
**Author:** [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [July 16, 2011, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-earphones-worn-by-singers/586425 "2011-07-16T07:15:09Z")
What is the purpose of the earphones worn by singers during a performance. Is it a noise cancellation device to protect their hearing or is it for them to hear the music better or some other function? Thanks - I’ve lon… --- ## [Rock n Roll Urban Legends](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769)
**Author:** [@revolver\_4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revolver_4)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [October 28, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769 "2005-10-28T21:05:42Z")
I’m not sure if this story has been circulated on the net before but I’ve heard this one years ago from two sources: one was an old friend who was a teenager in the ‘70’s. Story goes a stoned Jimmy Page was onstage playi… --- ## [How far back is history accurate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-is-history-accurate/556771)
**Author:** [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [October 13, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-is-history-accurate/556771 "2010-10-13T22:43:20Z")
Future historians looking back to 2010 will undoubtedly have an accurate picture of everything from here on in. But what about us, right now? How far back can we go with absolute certainty? The 20th century? Yeah, pre… --- ## [What's the difference in size of car wheels?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-in-size-of-car-wheels/582542)
**Author:** [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-in-size-of-car-wheels/582542 "2011-05-24T13:47:17Z")
The question is in the subject, What’s the difference in size of car wheels? I’ve been looking at cars to buy once I graduate school, and I notice in many cars they offer a larger size wheel, 19" vs 20" for example, as a… --- ## [Do Something Thread May 16th](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-something-thread-may-16th/539804)
**Author:** [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Replies:** 61\ **Last updated:** [May 31, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-something-thread-may-16th/539804 "2010-05-31T17:57:39Z")
Newcomers: The Do Something Thread is to encourage you to work on those projects you’ve been meaning to do. Projects can be anything. While we’re in Cafe Society, which implies certain things, and while I encourage yo… --- ## [So what happens if a cadet passes up the Kobayashi Maru?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-a-cadet-passes-up-the-kobayashi-maru/659467)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 76\ **Last updated:** [May 31, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happens-if-a-cadet-passes-up-the-kobayashi-maru/659467 "2013-05-31T12:08:47Z")
Seriously, to stick with the treaty a cadet could say, “Sorry, Maru. We can’t cross the neutral zone. Good luck in the future.” The cadet would have been operating within established boundaries and no official censure… --- ## [How many modern soldiers do you need to fend off the French!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-modern-soldiers-do-you-need-to-fend-off-the-french/762191)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 124\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-modern-soldiers-do-you-need-to-fend-off-the-french/762191 "2016-08-11T14:09:42Z")
For reasons we won’t get into here the entire allied armies have disappeared and the French are moving on Waterloo in strength. It’s June 17th, 1815 and there is nothing standing between the French and regaining their e… --- ## [YAAID (Yet another animal identification.)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yaaid-yet-another-animal-identification/687419)
**Author:** [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [May 3, 2014, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yaaid-yet-another-animal-identification/687419 "2014-05-03T09:54:38Z")
I’m going with GQ, because I’m hoping there’s an easy factual answer. Anyways, this animal was found somewhere between Branson, Missouri, and Harrison, Arkansas, by a friend. He’s trying to figure out what it could be. … --- ## [Most Despised/Loved Cartoon Character](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-loved-cartoon-character/153214)
**Author:** [@MemoryGongs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryGongs)\ **Replies:** 97\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-despised-loved-cartoon-character/153214 "2003-03-22T23:00:12Z")
Since the Peggy Hill thread got me thinking… Despise Bart Simpson He has his moments but I find him mostly annoying and the perfect example of why I dislike children so much. Mr.Waternoose Bad, bad monster Po… --- ## [We gotta a little thing we do down here in Houston, Texas...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-gotta-a-little-thing-we-do-down-here-in-houston-texas/168272)
**Author:** [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Replies:** 179\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-gotta-a-little-thing-we-do-down-here-in-houston-texas/168272 "2003-05-30T12:19:37Z")
Ba-bump Ba-bump Confirmed! The SDMB HouDope Society has a heartbeat! Proposed: A gathering of the HouDopes on the weekend of May 3rd, which will be about the right interval since our last round-up in February and will… --- ## [What do condo fees generally cover](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-condo-fees-generally-cover/269161)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [October 16, 2004, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-condo-fees-generally-cover/269161 "2004-10-16T10:25:49Z")
I’ve been reading up on the subject and I think many midwest condos charge about $200/month in fees. Can anyone give a vague idea as to what these fees cover? I know it varies from place to place but is there a general l… --- ## [LOTR question {On Bilbo's Ring}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-on-bilbos-ring/996181)
**Author:** [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2024, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-question-on-bilbos-ring/996181 "2024-02-01T18:20:09Z")
If the ring Bilbo found wasn’t the One Ring what other ring could it have been? Gandalf acts like there are magical rings hidden in every nook and cranny of Middle Earth. --- ## [50-Caliber Machine Gun v. M-60](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-caliber-machine-gun-v-m-60/150964)
**Author:** [@tsunamisurfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsunamisurfer)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [January 27, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-caliber-machine-gun-v-m-60/150964 "2003-01-27T02:06:51Z")
I’m not even sure the U.S. military manufacturers .50 machine guns. Do they? And how do they compare with the M-60? Obviously the .50 is larger. Is the M-60 at all comparable to a .30? --- ## [Shia LeBeouf: "We dropped the ball on Indy 4"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shia-lebeouf-we-dropped-the-ball-on-indy-4/539669)
**Author:** [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [May 19, 2010, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shia-lebeouf-we-dropped-the-ball-on-indy-4/539669 "2010-05-19T11:01:02Z")
I guess he is aware of it and he says Harrison Ford was also. Click here to read the original article --- ## [All you fuckers whining about gas prices](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-fuckers-whining-about-gas-prices/317283)
**Author:** [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Replies:** 125\ **Last updated:** [August 18, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-you-fuckers-whining-about-gas-prices/317283 "2005-08-18T02:19:21Z")
Hey driving people! You with the motor idling when you talk on your cell phone! SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THE PRICE OF GAS! The current gas price in the U.S. is what I was paying in Canada 15 years ago. The last time anyo… --- ## [I just found out that Darth Vader is my father.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-that-darth-vader-is-my-father/634466)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [October 9, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-found-out-that-darth-vader-is-my-father/634466 "2015-10-09T00:45:36Z")
Well, not exactly - he might be my father. OK, even that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Even so, I feel a lot like Luke must have felt. Here’s my story: I’m 52 years old. For that last 52 years, I have lived my life ass… --- ## [The 'Dark Souls'-approach to gaming bothers me](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dark-souls-approach-to-gaming-bothers-me/851039)
**Author:** [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Replies:** 112\ **Last updated:** [April 30, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dark-souls-approach-to-gaming-bothers-me/851039 "2020-04-30T22:00:15Z")
Now, just to get that out of the way: I’m not much of a gamer; in fact, I’m probably pretty crap at most of the games I play. But I’d heard good things about the Dark Souls franchise, notably from Zero Punctuation’s Yah… --- ## [Why Ms Clinton instead of Mrs Clinton?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-ms-clinton-instead-of-mrs-clinton/841683)
**Author:** [@HeweyLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeweyLogan)\ **Replies:** 112\ **Last updated:** [October 18, 2019, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-ms-clinton-instead-of-mrs-clinton/841683 "2019-10-18T07:24:15Z")
Politics aside, why the tendency to write it (and say it, as far as I know) Ms instead of Mrs? I routinely see it used either way. For instance, “Kearson: Why do you think Ms. Clinton is unelectable?” https://boards.st… --- ## [Military spending.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-spending/137387)
**Author:** [@Chumpsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chumpsky)\ **Replies:** 150\ **Last updated:** [November 27, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-spending/137387 "2002-11-27T23:16:39Z")
The amount the U.S. spends on war dwarfs what all of our potential enemies in the world spend combined. This wouldn’t seem so inappropriate if we were surrounded on all sides by enemies itching to attack us. But, given… --- ## [Your best hiding place.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-hiding-place/628301)
**Author:** [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [July 17, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-best-hiding-place/628301 "2012-07-17T21:27:26Z")
For things. Back when I was a teen, I spent a summer at my Aunt’s house. I had my own bedroom with an attached bath. I was partaking at the time. Taking a small screwdriver, I could loosen the set screw on the towel … --- ## [Do you know what the word nonplussed means?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-the-word-nonplussed-means/584977)
**Author:** [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2014, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-the-word-nonplussed-means/584977 "2014-11-17T07:08:39Z")
Poll coming. Edit: maybe not I can’t remember how to attach a poll.:smack: I am asking because I thought the word had a totally different definition from it’s actual one until my mid 20s when I was corrected in a rathe… --- ## [Thought Experiment: Do You Like This Artist's Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-do-you-like-this-artists-work/603404)
**Author:** [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [November 23, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-do-you-like-this-artists-work/603404 "2011-11-23T23:44:13Z")
Here’s the link to the artwork: \[Spoiler-boxed; links to explicit content when you click on the artwork —Ellen\] Read the rest of this only after voting in the poll. The artist is none other than Adolf Hitler. Does t… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=1264&per_page=50&period=all&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=1266&per_page=50&period=all&state=muted)