Why were the Grateful Dead called the Grateful Dead?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Most internet music sites, such as Allmusic.com, rehash over and over that Jerry Garcia took the name “from an Egyptian prayer discovered in a dictionary.”

A more detailed discussion can be found in the essay “The Ripple Effect” by Joseph Holt in *Perspectives on the Grateful Dead: Critical Writings* Robert G. Weiner, ed. Westport, Conn: Greenwood, c1999. The author states that in 1965 “the band at that time was calling itself the Warlocks, but later discovered that this name was already in use by another rock band. So they all met at Phil Lesh’s house to discuss new names. Nothing seemed to work, and then they turned to the dictionary.” It was Funk and Wagnell’s *New Practical Standard Dictionary of the English Language*, 1955 ed. “Jerry Garcia opened it at random and the first entry he saw in the dictionary was ‘Grateful Dead.’ It turns out ‘Grateful Dead’ is the name folklorists have given to a genre of European folktales that all have a common motif. Someone is charitable to the widow or orphan of a person who has recently died, or perhaps just helps to pay for the funeral. At a later time and in an unexpected way, this person is assisted out of a crisis by the ghost of the ‘grateful dead,’ who has come back from death to repay the favor. At first no one in the band much liked it, but the name was so compelling, so haunting, that it stuck (Shenk and Silberman 120).” This cite is: Shenk, David, and Steve Silberman. *Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads*. New York: Main Street Books, 1994.

AP is attracted to this more detailed story rather than the Egyptian prayer story, although there’s perhaps some connection between the folktales and spirituality of Egypt and of Europe. The Rev. Dr. Holt, an Episcopal minister, incorporated “sacramental reflections on the Grateful Dead” into his Ph.D. dissertation, according to the abstract.

Is Will Ferrell fun to hang out with? I know you don’t hang out with him, AP, but what do you think?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: I didn’t think I’d ever hang out with Will, either, but imagine my surprise a few months ago when I was chilling out with my buddy George W. in Crawford … it actually turned out to be Will Ferrell, who had infiltrated the ranch! None of W’s advisors or Secret Service agents (or AP) had noticed the difference. Once the secret was out he was hustled away, so we didn’t get to chat much, but entertainment types frequently do strike me as being somewhat superficial (or maybe just too busy) and probably not much fun to hang out with. And it might be annoying if he starts to impersonate you.

How are transit tunnels made, like the one on I-95 North between Washington and Baltimore? Are they dropped into the water the tunnel passes through or do engineer’s dig under the water?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: There are several different tunneling methods. The 1985 Fort McHenry tunnel (the I-95 tunnel under Baltimore Harbor) and the 1957 Harbor Tunnel (I-895) use the “immersed tube” method, in which a tube is floated to location and sunk to the bottom of the body of water, into a trench that has been dredged in preparation. It’s then covered by various fill and protective materials. Here’s a website about the 1985 tunnel: http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Fort_McHenry_Tunnel.html

Shallow tunnels on land commonly use the comparable cut & cover (or open cut, or covered excavation) method of tunneling, in which an open cut is made and then covered over. This is common on subway lines that are just below street level. Deeper tunnels require excavation with a ferocious-looking tunnel boring machine (TBM), usually with some sort of shield to keep the hole from caving in after being drilled, until the tunnel lining can be installed. Older nineteenth century railroad tunnels used more manual excavation techniques, not up to current OSHA standards.

Here’s one of many online article about tunnels, with links to tunneling shields, boring machines, and what-not: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel
AP has always regretted not pursuing an engineering career!

This one might be a tough one AP, but I believe that if anyone can help me it will be you. Where can I find information about the “article 5 hearings” that happened during/after the first gulf war? Specifically, I am trying to find out if these trials were recorded in any way. Thanks, bd

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Thanks for your faith in AP, but I’m unfortunately unable to engage in lengthy research projects! As I’m sure you did, I found references to the existence of the 1991 hearings (named after Article 5 of the Third Geneva Convention), but no evidence that anything had ever been published or released to the public. (See, for instance, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/636/sc3.htm or http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/usa/pow-bck.htm ) My experience is that this sort of information is kept classified or at least unpublished, but I do suspect that some record of the hearings were kept. Once declassified, some government records are eventually filmed by commercial microfilm companies, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. I didn’t see any collections relating to the 1991 Persian Gulf War in the catalogs of several major micropublishers. If the records are no longer deemed sensitive for national security reasons, you may be able to retrieve them through the US Department of Defense Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/

Hey,

Could you enlighten me on whether or not government employees have to pay taxes on their wages? I worked for the government last summer, and didn’t receive a w-2 form, so I assume I’m not supposed to pay anything. If not, do I even have to bother filling out a 1040?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Just like the librarians who work in Public Documents and Maps, Answer Person cannot give tax advice. However, federal employees do pay income tax, and if you didn’t a W-2 see “What to Do If You Haven’t Received a Form W-2” (http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=106470,00.html) and “What do I do if an employer has not provided me a W-2 form?” (http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq1-15.html).

And, please, please, check with the IRS if you have questions. Citing Answer Person at your audit won’t carry any weight.

Do hovercraft actually exist? Where and for what are they in use? Also, what is a hydrofoil, and why, if it is not a hovercraft, does it have such a cool name?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Hovercraft and hydrofoils are, strictly speaking, both terms for craft that are supported over water (and ground). They are supported by a cushion of air, usually using propeller or jet engines to provide horizontal motion. They exist all over the world, and are used for fast, relatively smooth transportation over smaller bodies of water (channels, such as the English Channel, river crossings, etc.). See, for example, the Hovercraft Museum Trust inventory (http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/inventory.html).

Related types of vehicles are air-cushioned trains, helicopters(!) and VTOLs (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) planes such as the British Harrier jet–they can all hover.

I was taught that gentleman always shoot scissors first in Rock, Paper, Scissors. My friends think this is ridiculous (and some go rock every time to punish me). Is this an actual rule?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Now isn’t that the silliest thing you have ever heard! Maybe the home team at a football game should spot the visitors a touchdown, or in baseball a home run, or in basketball a three-pointer. This is a cutthroat sport, with three deadly weapons: a sharp cutting tool, and heavy blunt instrument, and a legal document capable of tying at least one of them into futile litigation. So when your friends meet you again on the field of battle, pull out that restraining order!

Why don’t people vote in elections even if they have in other years? Is it their income/financial stability or things like education, health care status that makes people decide to vote in a certain election? Or is it the weather?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: You hit the nail on the head with the topic of your question. When people are apathetic, it takes special efforts to make them do something for others, the masses, sometimes even themselves.
Excuses, well, there are always plenty of those.

why did the Spanish conquer Central America from the west coast and not the east?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: It was easier to recruit soldiers, especially when they knew they would get R&R in Acapulco. (Cancun was too crowded with college kids.) In fact, the issue was more north-south than east-west, as the Spanish entered Central America from both Mexico and Panama. That far down you had fewer severe storms on the west coast. It also depends with where you want to start your conquest timeline; perhaps with Columbus first arriving in in Central America in Honduras–from the east.

Who are the six men on either side of the main entrance to the chapel? If one of them is indeed Gen. Robert Lee, isn’t that a bit sacreligious?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: One of the men is indeed the South’s most revered general, who, while not a religious figure as such, brought a host of other admirable qualities and accomplishments to the table. On his side of the entranceway are two other honored southerners, poet Sydney Lanier and Thomas Jefferson. The gentlemen on the left are Dominican friar Girolamo Savanorola, John Wycliffe and Martin Luther. Up above them you may have missed the seventh figure, John Wesley. The placement at the entrance, and outside the church internal, by the way, does not imply religious reverence, but respect and honor.