The Straight Dope 08/12/2005

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 08/12/2005

Dear Cecil:

A friend and I have a running disagreement on which type
of natural disaster causes the most deaths and
destruction in the U.S. and worldwide--hurricanes,
tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, etc. In a
given year any one of them could cause massive
destruction (like December's tragic tsunami disaster),
but how about on average, and how has this changed over
time (for example, floods in 1900 vs. tornadoes now)?
--Andy B., via e-mail

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Cecil replies:

No offense, Andy, but you've got a pretty narrow idea of
what constitutes a natural disaster--although I'll grant
you it's one that's widely shared. The World Almanac, for
example, has entries for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods,
earthquakes, and the like but omits famines and
epidemics, which generally are of natural origin, kill
more people, and alter history to a substantially greater
extent. One may argue that a natural disaster is a brief,
impersonal convulsion in which humans are mere roadkill,
whereas famines and epidemics take place over a longer
period of time and human involvement is more central. But
this seems to me a silly distinction that serves chiefly
to eliminate the most shocking cases. Since the topic is
dismayingly large, we'll take it in chunks:

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/050812.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

Why exactly do TV sitcoms have recorded laughing--to
remind us to laugh or what? --Chris Hill

Guest contributor MsRobyn replies:

I realize this doesn't say much for TV viewers, but the
answer to your question essentially is yes--the purpose
of a laugh track is to cue the audience to laugh. 

Just For those who were not raised on the boob tube, a
laugh track is a pre-recorded effect that is inserted
into some television shows, particularly those that
aren''t taped in front of a live audience. They''re
generally added in post-production; that is, after the
show is taped, while it''s being edited for air.

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlaughtrack.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 08/10/1984

Dear Cecil: 

I read a lot of my "junk mail" with interest, so I'm not
trying to end it all. But there are some junk mailers
that really annoy me enough to make me want to make them
pay, and pay, and pay. What's the best way to do this?
The easy way, of course, is to send back their reply
envelope ("no postage necessary if mailed in the United
States") with no signature, address, etc., which makes
them pay the business reply postage. But I keep wishing
there was a better way. What if I stuff all the junk
material that came with the mailing into the reply
envelope, so that it weighs more than will go for the
standard 20-cent rate? What if I enclose a sheet of scrap
iron, or paste the envelope cover onto a brick? Surely
there must be a legal method to make some of these
villains think twice before they buy just any mailing
list. --Winfield S., Chicago  

Cecil replies:  

Obviously, Winfield, you're a person who is consumed with
cunning and wickedness. In short, you are my kinda guy.
Come on over sometime and I'll buy you a brew. Unfortunately,
your bricks-for- business scheme, admirable though it is
in theory, won't work in practice. According to rule
917.243(b) in the Domestic Mail Manual, when a business
reply card is "improperly used as a label"--e.g., when
it's affixed to a brick--the item so labeled may be
treated as "waste." That means the post office can heave
it into the trash without further ado.  

Once upon a time, they tell me, things were different. . .

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_356.html

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