The Straight Dope 11/07/2003

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com
You are subscribed as: [[email protected]]
To unsubscribe CLICK on the URL below this line:
mailto:[email protected]
If you can't "click" above, then send a blank email to:
[email protected]
____________________________________________
THE STRAIGHT DOPE 11/07/2003

Dear Cecil:

Did John F. Kennedy really write Profiles in Courage? I 
read that there were rumors at the time of its publication
that it had been ghostwritten, and that the Kennedy family
later conceded as much. Recently I visited Amazon.com and
was surprised to see online reviews posted by readers
praising the president for his fine writing. Is there any
consensus about Profiles in Courage and who the real 
author is? --Kevin West, Los Angeles

~~~~~~
Looking for the perfect gift for that wedding, birthday, or
bar mitzvah? Straight Dope books are the very thing! See
http://www.straightdope.com/store.html
~~~~~~

Cecil replies:

Yes, there's a consensus about Profiles in Courage (1956),
which established JFK's intellectual credentials and
helped make him a credible presidential candidate. We'll
get to that. Yes, we know who did most of the heavy
lifting for the book--we'll get to that too. The principal
controversy, apparently, has been what to call the curious
process by which the book came to be. Even Garry Wills, a
Kennedy critic, writes that JFK was the author of the book
in the sense that he "authorized" it. Come now.

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/031107.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

Let's say you're alone on a raft in the middle of the South
Pacific, with no fresh water to speak of. What are the
health implications of drinking salt water-- will it make
you vomit, will it make you delirious, will it dehydrate
you further, etc.? --Jesse Sussell

SDSTAFF Dex replies:

"Water, water, every where,   Nor any drop to drink." 
 --Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,
Part II, Stanza 9

We need water to live, and we need salt to live, so what's
the big deal about sailors not being able to drink
saltwater?

The answer is that we only need a small amount of salt to
live. According to the Salt Institute (a non-profit
association of salt producers, founded in 1914), the
recommended daily dose is around 500 mg/day--around a
quarter of a teaspoonful. The optimal amount of salt
varies based on the person's lifestyle and genetic makeup
and geographic location (basically, all factors that affect
how often and how much you sweat). Most Americans consume
much more than they need, like around 3500 mg/day.

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

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 03/28/1980

Dear Cecil: 

What does the G in G-string stand for? Is it related to the G
in G-men (the FBI), or should that be gee!-string? The origin
of this name isn't the local common knowledge I expected.
-- Suzanne S., Baltimore 

Cecil replies:

Dear Suzanne:  Modern lexicography, believe it or not, is
at a loss to account for the origin of the term G-string
(which actually is often spelled geestring). One writer
offers the thesis that a G-string resembles a capital G
in shape. Makes perfect sense to me. I can't tell you
how many times I've gone to a burlesque show and thought,
goodness, the apparatus keeping this young lady from
getting arrested resembles a capital G when viewed from
above. I must notify the Smithsonian. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_296b.html

____________________________________________
Here's how you can get your OWN FREE Subscription:
Send a blank mailto:[email protected]
____________________________________________
Copyright 1995 - 2003 Chicago Reader, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
You may forward this document by email ONLY if you
include the entire document INCLUDING the information
at the bottom of this publication
____________________________________________
Visit our good friends at Joke A Day http://www.jokeaday.com
They're kind enough to mail THE STRAIGHT DOPE for us.
Join the World's Largest Daily Humor List and receive daily
laughs in your email by sending mailto:[email protected]