The Straight Dope 04/09/2004

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 04/09/2004

Dear Cecil:

Recently I found an article on the Web stating that the Children's
Crusade is most likely fiction, and is regarded as an actual event
simply because everyone "knows" it happened. Personally I find this
theory amazingly plausible. However, it seemed best to ask for a second
opinion. --Chris Williams, via e-mail

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Cecil replies:

Chalk this one up to the generation gap, medieval version. The popular
image of the Children's Crusade is of hordes of prepubescent tykes
trekking across Europe to liberate the Holy Land with love. Amazing?
Yes. Plausible? No. However, make the kids teenagers and for "crusade"
substitute "rave," "meetup," or what have you--suddenly it all makes
sense. It wasn't the Children's Crusade, it was the 13th-century
equivalent of touring with the Grateful Dead. The difference between
then and now isn't the kids, it's what the adults let them get away
with. It's hard to imagine one of today's overprotective moms saying:
"Bye, honey, have fun with Frederick in Jerusalem. Make sure you get
back by 1230 AD."

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040409.html

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STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

Where do people get the term "riding shotgun,"referring to the passenger
seat in the car?  Waiting anxiously, Jonathan Lodge

SDSTAFF Dex and SDSTAFF samclem replies:

Older folks (my age) or fans of old westerns may think this is a stupid
question, assuming that the "shotgun" position, next to the driver,
derives from the days of the stagecoach, when an armed guard rode next
to the driver and carried a shotgun for defense against robbers, wild
animals, Indians, and telemarketers. (OK, not telemarketers.) Even
Partridge says the phrase "riding shotgun" is a holdover from stagecoach
days. But it's not so.

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

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 03/18/1983

Dear Cecil: 

A friend of mine who brews beer told me something quite startling
recently. He said he read in a brewer's magazine that Budweiser uses
chicken hearts in their beer. Is this true? Why do they use them? Does
anybody else? I assure you this is not a case of professional
jealousy--we can't stand Bud anyway. --Sparky H., Chicago

Why are alcoholic beverages exempt from having to list their
ingredients? How can the consumer tell if a beer has preservatives,
chemical additives, or artifical flavors and colors? Mass consumption of
alcohol is unhealthy enough without also having to ingest assorted
chemical horrors. --Steve N., Phoenix

Dear Boys:

There is no question that a disquieting amount of chemical crud goes
into the nation's beer (not to mention its wine and liquor), but Uncle
Cecil must humbly confess that he does not know exactly what goes into
which. That's because the booze industry has successfully resisted all
attempts to force it to list ingredients, on the ridiculous grounds that
doing so would be too expensive. 

The real reason, needless to say, is that if you, Joe Consumer, knew
what kind of sludge went into your favorite brand . . .

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_356b.html

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