Answerbag: MatrixFrog's answers

Answer to What are some funny urban legends?

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:44:11 -0700

What are some funny urban legends?

Probably the biggest name in Urban Legends is snopes.com - browse around there for a while, and you'll definitely find something interesting, and possibly even something that turns out to be true!

Answer to How are twisties made?

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:42:35 -0700

How are twisties made?

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, I'm no expert but they certainly seem to be thin metal wire and a little bit of paper.

Answer to Are there awards specifically for comedians (like theatre has the Tonys, movies has the Oscars, music has the Grammy's, etc.)?

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 00:48:51 -0800

Are there awards specifically for comedians (like theatre has the Tonys, movies has the Oscars, music has the Grammy's, etc.)?

Comedy Central had a show called "The Commies" once although I don't think it would be considered anywhere near as prestigious as something like the Oscars. In fact, it may have been more a parody of awards shows than an actual awards show itself. I'm not sure.

Answer to What is a 'leitmotiv'?

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 20:35:08 -0800

What is a 'leitmotiv'?

The example my music theory teacher likes to use is Star Wars. In the Star Wars movies, each of the major characters/concepts has their own them music. There's a theme for Luke, one for the Princess, one for Darth Vader, one for the Empire in general, one for the rebels in general, one for...

Answer to What is the difference between electrics and electronics?

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:12:20 -0800

What is the difference between electrics and electronics?

I don't know a general answer to this question, but I can tell you the difference between an electric guitar and an electronic piano, which may shed some light. On an electric guitar, a string vibrates at a specific frequency, just as on an acoustic guitar. The difference is that in the...

Answer to Has there ever been a point in history when being overweight was considered a positive thing, and if so, why did that change?

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 17:54:13 -0800

Has there ever been a point in history when being overweight was considered a positive thing, and if so, why did that change?

As has been mentioned, yes it was a good thing. Interestingly, being tanned, which is now a good thing, was in the time of, say, Shakespeare, a bad thing, because it meant you had to do some sort of manual outdoor labor, and weren't rich enough to have someone do it for you. To clarify,...

Answer to Which casino games have the best odds?

Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:49:15 -0800

Which casino games have the best odds?

I was reading recently in some magazine (Scientific American, maybe? I wish I could remember) that some video poker machines actually pay out 102% of what you put in, over a long enough period of time.

Answer to Can all "Freecell" games end successfully?

Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:41:18 -0800

Can all "Freecell" games end successfully?

Game #11982 is unwinnable. If you play with actual cards, you will probably get an unwinnable game from time to time.

Answer to What is the dice game called that has 5 dice, and on each die there are the following: nine of spades, ten of diamonds, jack, queen, king and a club symbol?

Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:30:21 -0800

What is the dice game called that has 5 dice, and on each die there are the following: nine of spades, ten of diamonds, jack, queen, king and a club symbol?

Never heard of it. But a little googling turns up: http://www.impactgames.biz/free/poker_dice.html It appears that it might be called "Poker Dice"...

Answer to Sometimes when I sing, I get a headache or I can't hit a note I usually hit. Is this normal?

Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:26:59 -0800

Sometimes when I sing, I get a headache or I can't hit a note I usually hit. Is this normal?

I don't really know what's happening, but here's what I'd recommend. Make sure you're warmed up before you sing. Do some scales or similar exercises. Also, drink lots of water.