How does insurance work for stolen cars? Do they give you only the value of the car, or do the compensate for your need to buy a new car?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Most insurance compensates for the value of the car at the time it is stolen, usually less the deductible. It is possible to get replacement cost insurance for a lot of things, but that varies with companies, state laws . . . and it costs a lot more. All in all, not the best way to update your wheels.
What is the most valuable book in the Duke library and how much is it worth?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: The most valuable book is not necessarily measured in dollars, for its worth may be less in market value to sellers and collectors (and then the book is only worth what people will pay for it) than to scholars and others who treasure its cultural impact. One could easily point to the original Audubon’s in the Rare Book Room, for example, as among those that might fetch the highest prices on the auction market, and we are proud of them, but there are many, many others that could be argued to be more valuable to our historical and continuing cultural heritage.
This is, after all, a library, not a bookstore.
Answer Person, what should I do with my life? Isn’t there some sort of survey that might point me along the way?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: There are a lot of aptitude tests out there, but there is no easy quiz for deciding your life direction. You, like the issue at hand, are a complicated and many layered person, so you may have to work hard at this, and in different ways. A great place to start is at CAPS (214 Page Building, 660-1000, http://caps.studentaffairs.duke.edu/), where they have the people and the tools and the dedication to help you on this phase of your life’s journey.
[If you are not part of the Duke community, there are other university and community resources like CAPS all around the country.]
Believe it or not, Answer Person also faced this same crisis. At one time I thought I was destined to always be a Question Person, but eventually I found my true way!
And keep in mind that whatever you decide as your life’s direction, it will likely change at various times in the coming years. You change, your relationships change, your environment changes–that’s what makes life fun, challenging and interesting.
Bon voyage!
What’s the best way to cook a turkey and keep the breast moist?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: There are a lot of approaches to this problem: hand cream, body wraps, sunshades, oven sprinkling systems, etc. For those interested in edible solutions, however, some advocate NOT putting stuffing in the turkey while cooking–it draws moisture from the breast. Other ideas: basting often, covering the breast with foil while cooking, and, most importantly, don’t overcook!
My brownies are not as chewy as I would like them to be, and I am not sure what ingredient I should be adjusting to make them chewier. I don’t want a recipe necessarily, just some information about the chemistry involved.
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Answer Person thinks that the brownie experience should not be debased by chemical analysis. However, not knowing what ingredients you are using, AP suggests you check out “Baking Brownies Just Right: Cakey, Chewy, or Fudgy,” at www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00014.asp. (It’s the flour, always the flour!) Let me know how they come out–AP may need solid evidence!
What are the current British, French, Canadian and Mexican minimum wages in US dollars? If there is a web site where this is available, i’ll take that too!
Thanks!
I… I love you.
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Part of the problem is that minimum wages across national boundaries lose something in translation. For example, the organization of the UK system, as of October, 2003, is two-tiered: Main (adult) rate for workers aged 22 and over is £4.50 per hour; Development rate for workers aged 18-21 inclusive is £3.80 per hour. (See http://www2.cst.gov.uk/er/nmw/index.htm.) The same issues exist for other countries, often complicated by age, occupation and location. For Mexico, there is a basic MW of 41.53 pesos per hour; see http://www.stps.gob.mx/index2.htm for all the rules. The monthly rate in France is 1,215.11 Euros (the site www.fedee.com/minwage.html also has data for other European countries). In Canada the MW is set by province (http://info.load-otea.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/publications/labour_standards/minimum.shtml); see http://canadaonline.about.com/library/bl/blminwage.htm/ for a list by province (the lowest is $5.90 in Alberta).
Now that Answer Person has had all this fun gathering this together, you can do the latest currency conversions at http://www.xe.com/ucc/.
Did George Bush (the elder) order the CIA to set up a covert operation to assassinate Saddam Hussein? How would you go about finding this information?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: You don’t want to know the truth–it could put your life in danger. So don’t bother driving up to Langley or George’s house. Keep in mind that George had a LOT of friends in the CIA.
What is it about laughter that is so wonderful? Even the memory of laughter improves your spirits.
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Laughter is closely connect with happiness. In some ways it is pure happiness. Even the memory of happiness is soothing and pleasant. No joke.
Does tapping on the top of a carbonated refreshment can actually do anything, like decrease the pressence of undisolved bubbles?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Yes, it annoys the heck out of me. And of course it will burst bubbles–after they rise to the top. But it is still annoying–so stop it!
How long does it take to post a letter to Austria?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Just a few minutes. After I put the stamps on it is a short walk to my mailbox. How long it takes from there is more involved, starting with when the mail truck picks up the mails, and how you send it. There are a lot of options. Call the Post Office. They like the company.