# Top **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=40 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 41 --- ## [What is a 'murder book'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-murder-book/1031278)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-murder-book/1031278 "2026-07-01T17:47:47Z")
We were watching a crime show last night and in it they made reference to, and showed, a murder book. It was a folder about an inch thick. This wasn’t the first show we’ve seen referring to this. But what exactly is a m… --- ## [Could home (whiskey) distilling cause low blood pressure and a heart attack?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-home-whiskey-distilling-cause-low-blood-pressure-and-a-heart-attack/1029209)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2026, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-home-whiskey-distilling-cause-low-blood-pressure-and-a-heart-attack/1029209 "2026-04-23T10:36:30Z")
A late, former coworker died a couple of years ago. I think he was 62 or 63. He was taken to the ER and was found to have low blood pressure. He was admitted, and died of a heart attack a couple/few days later. He ha… --- ## [In Beetle Bailey what was up with the weird officer's helmets?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-beetle-bailey-what-was-up-with-the-weird-officers-helmets/1029368)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2026, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-beetle-bailey-what-was-up-with-the-weird-officers-helmets/1029368 "2026-04-23T11:32:46Z")
First they didn’t look like helmets but rather just globes on people’s heads, but I chalk that up to artistic style. But they were red on top white on bottom with a giant officers rank symbol in the dead center of it, t… --- ## [Why are Russian/former Soviet aircraft only referred to by their NATO reporting name?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-russian-former-soviet-aircraft-only-referred-to-by-their-nato-reporting-name/1028190)
**Author:** [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 9, 2026, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-russian-former-soviet-aircraft-only-referred-to-by-their-nato-reporting-name/1028190 "2026-03-09T09:34:57Z")
Since the Cold War, Russian / Soviet aircraft are typically referred to be their NATO reporting name. That is to say, the name that the USA and our NATO allies call them, not what the actual Russian military or aircraft… --- ## [$15 billion iron smelter proposed for rural southeastern Iowa](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-billion-iron-smelter-proposed-for-rural-southeastern-iowa/1033493)
**Author:** [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-billion-iron-smelter-proposed-for-rural-southeastern-iowa/1033493 "2026-10-03T20:57:44Z")
I’ll believe any of this is going to happen when I see it. Why aren’t they building it in Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin, where iron ore is actually still mined? And the biggest question: Which Third World country … --- ## [Raccoon breaks into liquor store and samples the wares](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raccoon-breaks-into-liquor-store-and-samples-the-wares/1025381)
**Author:** [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raccoon-breaks-into-liquor-store-and-samples-the-wares/1025381 "2025-12-08T16:51:31Z")
I thought about posting this in Cafe Society, but decided it fit better here. And it passed out right next to the toilet! They are smart creatures, after all. --- ## [Tangled ropes and cables](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tangled-ropes-and-cables/1033346)
**Author:** [@dcbwhaley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dcbwhaley)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [September 27, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tangled-ropes-and-cables/1033346 "2026-09-27T02:48:59Z")
When you put two loosely coiled lengths of rope or cable in a cupboard they are invariably tangled when you come to retrieve them. Where does the energy for this entanglement come from and could it be harnessed in som… --- ## [Zionism, Antizionism, antisemitism, etc](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zionism-antizionism-antisemitism-etc/1034557)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 71\ **Last updated:** [November 9, 2026, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zionism-antizionism-antisemitism-etc/1034557 "2026-11-09T03:23:29Z")
This is an interesting post. You could flip it almost word for word by replacing Antizionism with Zionism, and Jews with Palestinians. Like it or not, tons of Palestinians see Zionism nearly exactly as you see Antizioni… --- ## [How quickly do you stop wearing the ring, after the death of a SO?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quickly-do-you-stop-wearing-the-ring-after-the-death-of-a-so/1026478)
**Author:** [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quickly-do-you-stop-wearing-the-ring-after-the-death-of-a-so/1026478 "2026-01-09T17:51:59Z")
My sister told me of a funeral she recently attended. A couple had been married 50 years, and the wife died and was cremated. At the memorial, the husband said some words to the effect of, “The best day of my wife was … --- ## [Boondocks. Out in, or down in?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boondocks-out-in-or-down-in/1033789)
**Author:** [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [October 15, 2026, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boondocks-out-in-or-down-in/1033789 "2026-10-15T18:22:52Z")
According to the song “Down in the Boondocks”, released in 1965 by Billy Joe Royal, boondocks were something to be down in. Not only that, but they were considered to be an undesirable part of town. Being raised in a ve… --- ## [Hereditary peers will no longer sit in the House of Lords](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hereditary-peers-will-no-longer-sit-in-the-house-of-lords/1028354)
**Author:** [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 28, 2026, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hereditary-peers-will-no-longer-sit-in-the-house-of-lords/1028354 "2026-03-28T03:32:31Z")
Per the Guardian and the BBC, the Lords have agreed to a bill already passed by the Commons which eliminates the right of hereditary peers to sit in Parliament, following up on the 1999 legislation which greatly reduced … --- ## [I'm taking another Amtrak adventure. Also, seeking tips for Glacier National Park](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-taking-another-amtrak-adventure-also-seeking-tips-for-glacier-national-park/1031695)
**Author:** [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-taking-another-amtrak-adventure-also-seeking-tips-for-glacier-national-park/1031695 "2026-08-16T20:19:57Z")
I enjoyed my last Amtrak trip so much, I decided to take another one. This time, I booked a whole vacation package to Glacier National Park through Amtrak Vacations. Besides the trains, the package includes a stay at t… --- ## [Literary coincidences](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-coincidences/1031617)
**Author:** [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-coincidences/1031617 "2026-07-14T16:07:49Z")
What are some examples of something that was portrayed in a work of fiction (book, play, movie, etc), and then later something very similar happened in real life? I’m interested in cases where the prediction was sheer co… --- ## [Time Person of the Year 2026](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-person-of-the-year-2026/1031963)
**Author:** [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [October 16, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-person-of-the-year-2026/1031963 "2026-10-16T19:52:32Z")
Okay, it is a little early for this, but I just saw what claims to be a Polymarket graph on Facebook that says that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has just passed President Trump as the favorite. Up until this point, I h… --- ## [Any easy rules for the pronunciation of the -al- syllable in English?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-easy-rules-for-the-pronunciation-of-the-al-syllable-in-english/1029536)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [May 2, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-easy-rules-for-the-pronunciation-of-the-al-syllable-in-english/1029536 "2026-05-02T18:49:35Z")
As a non-native speaker, I find this one of the most frustrating features of English. Sometimes it rhymes with “call”, sometimes with “shall”. Some words, like “mall”, appear to have both pronunciations, and usage differ… --- ## [ZZ Top has lost its Beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-has-lost-its-beard/1032405)
**Author:** [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [August 28, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-has-lost-its-beard/1032405 "2026-08-28T18:05:31Z")
ZZ Top’s Frank Beard, ironically the one without a beard, has died. --- ## [Rifftrax doing four new episodes of MST3K](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rifftrax-doing-four-new-episodes-of-mst3k/1027326)
**Author:** [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2026, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rifftrax-doing-four-new-episodes-of-mst3k/1027326 "2026-09-10T19:53:50Z")
Here’s Mike and the two robots telling us about it. I watch a lot of Rifftrax shorts on youtube, but have never gone to their website to see how it works. Can anyone here tell me about it? I’d love to see Mike and the… --- ## [Replacing home windows](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-home-windows/1028029)
**Author:** [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2026, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-home-windows/1028029 "2026-03-01T06:26:53Z")
I’m about to start looking into getting the windows replaced in my house. The house has the original ~75 year old single-pane wooden windows, most of which no longer function properly. It also has storm windows, which I’… --- ## [Buying Snacks At TJ Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-snacks-at-tj-maxx/1025699)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-snacks-at-tj-maxx/1025699 "2025-12-22T12:32:04Z")
I’m not going to knock the retailing smarts of TJ Maxx, nor its cousins Marshalls (and in Canada, Winners and Homesense). I like to shop at all these places, and so do lots of other people. But I’m curious who buys the… --- ## [Optical illusion or clickbait](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optical-illusion-or-clickbait/1028309)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [March 11, 2026, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optical-illusion-or-clickbait/1028309 "2026-03-11T07:50:40Z")
Both lines are moving smoothly at the same rate. Or so is the claim. I’m sure it’s true but I can’t think of a way to test. --- ## [On Pakistan, Islam and cannabis](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-pakistan-islam-and-cannabis/1026085)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-pakistan-islam-and-cannabis/1026085 "2025-12-29T15:50:42Z")
In this video, two Pakistani Muslims eat cake that is broadly at as being made with cannabis. The guys get baked and have a good time. The comments are all over the place. Putting aside the matter that it … --- ## [Toy Story 5: Rise of the LLMs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toy-story-5-rise-of-the-llms/1024790)
**Author:** [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [October 19, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toy-story-5-rise-of-the-llms/1024790 "2026-10-19T18:07:17Z")
Toy Story is on tap for summer, 2026, and it looks like the main cast will all be back! Logline: Bonnie is going to get a new toy called Lily Pad, a touchpad ‘friend’ who will try to separate her from her other toys. #Me… --- ## [Is there a way (free) to make a program in Python code into an executable for a Mac? (I am on a PC and it says no)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-free-to-make-a-program-in-python-code-into-an-executable-for-a-mac-i-am-on-a-pc-and-it-says-no/1028205)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-free-to-make-a-program-in-python-code-into-an-executable-for-a-mac-i-am-on-a-pc-and-it-says-no/1028205 "2026-03-17T21:54:26Z")
I am amazed at how hard it is to turn a program into an executable even for a PC. You have to type in some arcane script into a command window (and be sure you are in the right directory and all that) to poop out a prog… --- ## [RIP Bob Weir](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-weir/1026546)
**Author:** [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-bob-weir/1026546 "2026-01-15T14:52:39Z")
Announcement on his website Sad news indeed. RIP Bob. I wasn’t a huge fan but really enjoyed the Grateful Dead shows I saw in the 80s. --- ## [Mobile phone problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phone-problem/1033652)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [October 21, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mobile-phone-problem/1033652 "2026-10-21T19:17:50Z")
I’ll readily admit I have a poor knowledge of technical issues. I have a mobile phone (a Samsung A12). The storage is almost filled up and the phone is telling me there are some functions I can’t use because storage is … --- ## [When do you like to get on the road (or otherwise start your travels?)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-like-to-get-on-the-road-or-otherwise-start-your-travels/1025207)
**Author:** [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [December 1, 2025, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-like-to-get-on-the-road-or-otherwise-start-your-travels/1025207 "2025-12-01T03:07:26Z")
My husband and I tend to be early starters when we have the option. Back in the days when we had to drive to Florida to see his parents, we’d be on the road in the dark of the morning, and do the same for the return trip… --- ## [Weird optical illusion (photo I took)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-optical-illusion-photo-i-took/1029357)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [April 20, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-optical-illusion-photo-i-took/1029357 "2026-04-20T19:49:10Z")
This photo was taken by me a day or so ago. I liked the font and wanted a memory of it. Here’s the weird part. That 5 is projecting out from the door. It was taken in bright sunlight, and it’s on a vertical surface. But… --- ## [Where the hell was this seed? (Slightly gross)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-was-this-seed-slightly-gross/1027849)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-was-this-seed-slightly-gross/1027849 "2026-02-25T00:33:47Z")
65 years this never happened to me. I ate some citrus fruit. A bit afterwards I started coughing and wheezing. I was coughing and wheezing through the night, even in my sleep. This morning I was coughing up a storm ho… --- ## [What is your car internet go-to for fast and easy cheering up?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-car-internet-go-to-for-fast-and-easy-cheering-up/1034179)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [November 7, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-car-internet-go-to-for-fast-and-easy-cheering-up/1034179 "2026-11-07T00:43:41Z")
The day is crappy, people have been irritating and/or useless, your favorite coffee cup broke and you have to go in to work. You get in the car and say “Oh, great God of Music, please play…?” You are looking for someth… --- ## [Tour de France 2026](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tour-de-france-2026/1031427)
**Author:** [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2026, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tour-de-france-2026/1031427 "2026-08-30T13:28:30Z")
Consensus is either Vingegaard or Pogacar will win it, which is is one reason why I tend to follow the polka-dot (climbing) jersey – at least there is some variation on that. Green (sprinting) also, but that doesn’t inte… --- ## [What Biden Executive Orders are now void?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-biden-executive-orders-are-now-void/1025215)
**Author:** [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [November 29, 2025, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-biden-executive-orders-are-now-void/1025215 "2025-11-29T03:59:34Z")
And what are the consequences? This is kind of a big deal. --- ## [Books, books, books, and more books!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-books-books-and-more-books/1026234)
**Author:** [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [January 13, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-books-books-and-more-books/1026234 "2026-01-13T14:17:51Z")
We’re doing it with movies & TV, so I thought maybe books would be fun too. Propose a category, and after 10 entries, it’s done. Last entrant posts a new one. Since it’s books, please, no in-fighting. If poster 1 thinks… --- ## [The end of IMDB "I Need to Know"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-imdb-i-need-to-know/1031134)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 4, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-imdb-i-need-to-know/1031134 "2026-07-04T22:26:26Z")
In 2017 IMDB pulled the plug on its message boards. One of the most useful ones was “I Need to Know,” where you could post a fragmentary memory of a movie or TV program, and the experts could usually identify it pretty … --- ## [Your fondest remembered Halloween costume](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-fondest-remembered-halloween-costume/1033895)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-fondest-remembered-halloween-costume/1033895 "2026-11-01T00:00:14Z")
Yours from childhood or one of your kids. --- ## [Recommend Me Some Bad Poetry (Need Answer Fast)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923)
**Author:** [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923 "2025-12-24T02:25:22Z")
Should have started this sooner. Anyway, tomorrow I’m hosting a holiday party for my writers group. Unfortunately, one of our members passed away on Thanksgiving Day, and it’s our first time meeting without him. He alway… --- ## [If You're Still Pissed About the Library of Alexandria Being Torched Just Wait](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-still-pissed-about-the-library-of-alexandria-being-torched-just-wait/1026225)
**Author:** [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [January 4, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youre-still-pissed-about-the-library-of-alexandria-being-torched-just-wait/1026225 "2026-01-04T23:25:32Z")
Since everybody’s some kind of nerd here, I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume that 99% of the folks here are still pissed off about the Library being torched. Whelp, because of budget cuts, NASA is being forced to clos… --- ## [Worst Voice in Saturday Morning Cartoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-voice-in-saturday-morning-cartoons/1029065)
**Author:** [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [April 8, 2026, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-voice-in-saturday-morning-cartoons/1029065 "2026-04-08T05:16:41Z")
Some legendary voice actors provided the voices for cartoon characters. Some were great (Mel Blanc, Daws Butler) and some not so great. I was watching an old Archie cartoon on YouTube, and I’d forgotten how horrible th… --- ## [Calling Trump stupid to his face](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-trump-stupid-to-his-face/1034446)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-trump-stupid-to-his-face/1034446 "2026-11-06T18:01:31Z")
(I was going to put this in MPSIMS (since it’s pretty mundane), but I was afraid it would venture too close to Ed’s ‘hot-button issues falling prey to hijacks’ warning) Anyhoo, I’m sure we’ve all seen Trump calling repo… --- ## [Makin' Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/makin-bacon/1029121)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [April 9, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/makin-bacon/1029121 "2026-04-09T21:27:04Z")
Minds out of the gutter and into the kitchen, please. :grinning\_face\_with\_smiling\_eyes: I want bacon! Tell me types of meat (pork only, please) and ways to cook it. --- ## [Pronunciation question: "Gemini"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-question-gemini/1033667)
**Author:** [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [October 12, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-question-gemini/1033667 "2026-10-12T21:15:00Z")
On the flight back from London last weekend, I watched the movie “First Man” with Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong. The movie was about the Gemini and Apollo missions up to and including the moon landing. One thing I could… --- ## [Ever heard of a washateria?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-washateria/1030058)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2026, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-washateria/1030058 "2026-05-15T17:26:18Z")
I have come across a couple of them while identifying aerial photos. I have only found this term in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. --- ## [What happened to frozen sliced beef and gravy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-frozen-sliced-beef-and-gravy/1030603)
**Author:** [@chalybeate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chalybeate)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [June 27, 2026, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-frozen-sliced-beef-and-gravy/1030603 "2026-06-27T13:41:55Z")
When I was growing up in the 1980s, I ate a lot of frozen food. One of my favorites was sliced beef and gravy. The beef was real beef with visible grain. You could get sliced beef and gravy TV dinners, family sized trays… --- ## [An expert in avalanches works in the \[x\] department at the university?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-expert-in-avalanches-works-in-the-x-department-at-the-university/1024768)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [December 17, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-expert-in-avalanches-works-in-the-x-department-at-the-university/1024768 "2025-12-17T19:02:40Z")
Geology? Meteorology? Orology? --- ## [The Mystery of the Mojave](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-the-mojave/1025905)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mystery-of-the-mojave/1025905 "2025-12-23T20:19:54Z")
I like to follow this guy, Steve. He goes to some interesting places. In this video, he discovers what looks like to be a bear canister with a set of numbers in it. I don’t believe it’s a plant by Steve. But these days, … --- ## [How did the US telegraph system work during Civil War?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-telegraph-system-work-during-civil-war/1031311)
**Author:** [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [July 3, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-telegraph-system-work-during-civil-war/1031311 "2026-07-03T16:08:56Z")
Bruce Catton says “On December 24 \[1864\] Sherman sent Lincoln a whimsical telegram, offering him the city of Savannah as a Christmas present.” Had North and South agreed to keep the nationwide system working, or what? H… --- ## [Good place to get generic bulk Dayquil WITHOUT Nyquil?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-place-to-get-generic-bulk-dayquil-without-nyquil/1027556)
**Author:** [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-place-to-get-generic-bulk-dayquil-without-nyquil/1027556 "2026-02-14T00:58:26Z")
Is there a good place to get a multi-symptom cold medicine, like Dayquil, but without the drowsy nighttime version that’s usually bundled with it, and preferably as a caplet instead of a gel? e.g. Walmart has Robot or h… --- ## [Conservatives are souring on Trump, but does this mean what anyone hopes it means?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-are-souring-on-trump-but-does-this-mean-what-anyone-hopes-it-means/1031247)
**Author:** [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-are-souring-on-trump-but-does-this-mean-what-anyone-hopes-it-means/1031247 "2026-06-29T21:36:58Z")
Of course not! But… It’s been getting harder and harder over the last few years for me to keep a pulse on conservative viewpoints; partly because the places I get my information keep getting more polarized and conservat… --- ## [Asshole lawn care company employees](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asshole-lawn-care-company-employees/1033096)
**Author:** [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [September 18, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asshole-lawn-care-company-employees/1033096 "2026-09-18T20:02:24Z")
I’m not even talking about those idiots with their gas backpack blowers that sound like a jet plane taking off 6 feet from my ear, although they deserve a special place in hell too. What I’m mad about is lawn care trucks… --- ## [What's the potential for automating air traffic control?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-potential-for-automating-air-traffic-control/1032927)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [September 13, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-potential-for-automating-air-traffic-control/1032927 "2026-09-13T19:57:10Z")
I don’t want to denigrate the admirable skill of air traffic controllers, but it seems to me that this work is highly suitable for automation by computers. The movements of planes with known bearing, altitude and speed a… --- ## [How to specify bifocal glasses?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-specify-bifocal-glasses/1025300)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [December 7, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-specify-bifocal-glasses/1025300 "2025-12-07T23:22:03Z")
In my family (parents and 5 siblings) I’m the only one that never needed glasses. But for some time (I’m 79) I do use over the counter reading glasses for close work. I use +1.75 for using the computer and I just went u… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=39&per_page=50) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/top.md?page=41&per_page=50)