When a flock of geese is sleeping, one or two of them will remain awake to act as sentries. What process, if any, does the flock use to choose which geese are the sentries?
For millennia, it was Rock, Paper, Scissors. But their webbing made every throw Paper vs. Paper. Consequently, nobody was assigned sentry duty and geese evolved to sleep with one eye open. True story!
What is gelitan made of?
First of all, it’s spelled gelatin. Secondly, see post of 12 March 2007 and elsewhere.
How do you climb baldwin?
I don’t and neither should you. It’s dangerous and against the law.
Am I wrong to decide to fight for and defend something, freedom, anything, this country, a person I love, life in general? I am a male engineering major. I have an outstanding job offer. I’ve been accepted to multiple graduate schools. But I want none of it! The 9-5 job, cubicles, research — my very soul recoils at the thought of them; they infuriate me. I’ve decided to join the military, to endure some of the most difficult training it has to offer, and to become a combat medic. I’ve read Catch 22, Once an Eagle, All Quiet, Birdsong, etc etc, but I’m not dissuaded. Absurdly, insanely, unbelievably, these works compel me, drive me on! So many keep telling me it’s wrong, that I shouldn’t fight, that no one should fight — even if I’ll be training to save lives first. Are they right? Isn’t this all worth defending?! Or will I be defending anything in today’s military? What do you think?
Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. I’m a bit confused, though. You talk about fighting, but say you’re going to train to be a medic. If you want to save lives, seems like you could put some of that terrific engineering education to good use. I know a young engineer who designed MRI devices; his work probably saved a lot more lives than you would on the battlefield. Working in a cubicle doesn’t need to crush your spirit.
did the titanic have chapel ?
You’d think so, wouldn’t you? I found incredibly detailed floor plans for the Titanic at The Discovery Channel’s web site and went through floor by floor looking for the chapel and couldn’t find one. Here’s how detailed the plans are: they show separate compartments for east bound beef and west bound beef (!), as well as a Potato Wash Place and Dough Trough (the latter two on F Deck). I seem to recall a scene from the movie in which there’s a church service, but perhaps one of the lounges was converted for the occasion.
What is the meaning of life without love? [3586B]
[written in answer space: There’s so much to life beyond love. Look harder to find meaning. Love is a complement and not a necessary criterion to giving life meaning.]
What life means has been considered and debated by countless philosophers, theologians, artists, and assorted weirdos. If “love is a complement and not a necessary criterion to giving life meaning,” as the Secret Scribbler asserts, the lemon next to the pie, so to speak, let me live in a grove of lemon trees.
what is my girlfriends name?
Rosie.
11/16/09 How long does it take you to answer these questions (in the book) vs. the blog? [3592C]
Aren’t you clever, posing this question online and in the book on the same date? I answered the former the next day, and am just getting to the latter. So the short answer is that online submissions are answered faster. My Personal Elf retrieves pages from the book every couple of weeks and I answer as quickly as time permits. We intend to put ourselves on an rigorous espresso regimen to pick up the pace.
Then again, I might’ve delayed answering the book version just to mess with you!
What do I need to do to get a job these days? I am so worried about not getting one by the end of my senior year. [3588B]
You’re going to want to talk as soon as possible with Bill Wright-Swadel and his terrific staff over at the Career Center.
Why did most of us get rejected from Yale? [3585C]
Most means more than 50%, which is ludicrous to even suggest. In your case, it might have something to do with your inability to pose a reasonable and articulate question. Don’t project your insecurities on the entire community.