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.

What percentage has the minimum wage decreased or increased in the past thirty years (accounting for inflation) in the USA?

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: The Bureau of Labor Statistics historical table of the Consumer Price Index [ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt]–probably the best overall indicator of inflation, especially for those on minimum wage–was 45.6 in October, 1973, and 185.0 in October, 2003. That is a change of 405%. During the same period, calculating the “minimum wage” is problematic, because it has evolved to include many different categories. For the sake of argument, let’s use the basic standard, which went from $1.60 in 1973 to $5.15 in 2003, or and increase of close to 320%. If the 1973 MW had kept pace with the CPI, it would now be about $6.48.

Hi, answer person! I hope I am asking an appropriate question…
My dad loved reading the Patrick O’Brien nautical series (Master and Commander, etc). He was also addicted to C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower series for a time. Another favorite was Colleen McCollough’s Ceasar series. Unfortunately, he’s completed all three series, and my never-fail holiday gift idea of the past three years is now defunct! Can you suggest another series/book he might enjoy reading?
Thanks!

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Answer Person suspects your father may have already read the Alexander Kent books; if not, go for it. Other possibilities: Dewey Lambdin’s Alan Lewrie tales, Edward Cline Sparrowhawk series, and the works of James Nelson.

Where did the city in Russia called St Petersburg get its name? Why is it not called simply Petersburg? Was Peter the Great considered a saint then or now? And finally, why not call it Petrograd, since we used to call it Leningrad? Giving it an English/German name is so confusing!
Cheers!

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Peter the Great may have considered himself a saint, though his family relations would have had a few objections, but has he founded St. Petersburg he is not the saint in question. Rather, it was St. Peter, the apostle. It was given the more Russian name Petrograd at the beginning of World War I–a more patriotic call for defenders. After Lenin died it became Leningrad. Finally, in 1991, a vote by citizens of the city brought back the original name. So take it up with the city council.

Hey,
Wouldn’t it be much better if we had run-off elections for governors and presidents and other single-person positions? Then we could choose between more than just two lame candidates, and interesting people like you could run for office and get thousands of votes based on the merits of your ideas and without worrying about wasting votes on a candidate that won’t win.

ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Answer Person doesn’t understand how you still don’t have “more than just two lame candidates” with a run-off. With a run-off the idea is you have the top two from the primaries–which often have even more candidates to chose from. If only the lame survive to that point, a run-off won’t help. And considering the high costs of elections, Answer Person doesn’t see the need to extend the process.