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Who sang the song that goes "...Let's leave Jamaica and go to Coconut Grove" or something like that? Voice sounds like Rodney Crowell w/ Linda Ronstadt as backup/harmony singer. Need title and singer. It's called "Voila, an American Dream", and it was written by Rodney Crowell. He recorded it in 1978 with Emilou Harris. Most people, including me, are much more familiar with a recording by Linda Ronstadt and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band--I think they just called it "American Dream"--that was a fair hit. One list I saw ranked it at #13 in 1980. So maybe you're thinking...

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Will filing for an assumption get my name off a home mortgage. So far as I know, the only way to get your name off the mortgage is to get your name of the deed or title to the proeprty. That is, you give up any ownership. The mortgage company won't agree to this unless the other owner or owners are sufficiently creditworthy without you. I'm not an attorney or real estate professional.

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How can I borrow against the equity in my property with the consent of the other co-owners, but they are not legally or financially liable for the equity loan? You can't. Legal and fiancial liability extends to having the property foreclosed. It's not possible to foreclose and liquidate just your part, so it's not possible to borrow against your equity without putting the co-owners' equity at risk too. They would have to sign onto the mortgage. I am neither an attorney nor a real estate professional, but that doesn't stop me...

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AM I SUPPOSE TO HAVE MY OVERDRIVE ON OR OFF IN MY 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER? AND AM I SUPPOSE TO HAVE ECT ON POWER OR NORMAL? I DON'T HAVE AN OWNERS MANUAL...SORRY!!! Under most driving conditions, and I mean well over 99 miles out of 100, Overdrive should be on. At certain speeds and loads, you may notice the transmission shifting up and down every few seconds. Not a problem briefly, but if you expect it to go on for a few minutes or more, turn off Overdrive and let it stay in the lower gear. Turn Overdrive back on as soon as it's appropriate. It...

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Do you think that Gerald Ford was really in that casket for 6 days fermenting....or was the casket empty and on display for ceremonial purposes and he was buried or cremated some time ago? The embalming will prevent fermentation or other decomposition for a long time; there may even be special techniques when a longer funeral process is anticipated. If the body is then kept as cool as possible, then 6 days would not be too long for it to stay presentable. I'm not in the funeral business, this is a lay opinion.

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My name is on the title and there is a lien holder on the title (the bank)can another creditor have the car be seized by the sheriff's dept. to auction for the money owed? I'm not an attorney, but if I understand the law, the short answer is no. There might be a way for someone to get a judgment against you by which they could do that, or seize other assets that weren't originally used to secure the loan, but I suspect that it might cost too much to be worthwile. And, I suspect that the bank would have something to say about it. This sounds like an idle...

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In Physics, how amplirude is related to period in a pendulum... It's an "elliptical integral". Here's an interesting site which gives the formulae for pendula of various types. For smaller angles/amplitudes, the length of the pendulum is what matters, the amplitude can be ignored, and the motion can be approximated with algebra. As amplitude increases, or if there is considerable mass in the rod, more complicated equations involving...

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Can a bulging disc just go away...or fix itself? Or will it just keep getting worse? The news isn't all that bad. Check this article, for example: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=77678

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Origin of the phrase - "pick up your mantle" It has to do with succeeding, or desiring to succeed, some notable person. Try II Kings 2 in the KJV translation of the Bible, where Elijah is carried to heaven an drops his mantle (cloak) for Elisha. I think verse 13 is where the phrase comes from.

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What are the top ten crossing the road jokes ever written? A favorite of Southerners: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" "To prove to the 'possum* that it can be done!" (*depending on where you live, substitute armadillo)

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Do HP Laser printers need a drum unit? The drum, or "photoconductor" is part of the toner cartridge. There is no separate drum unit in most LaserJets.

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The pointer on my Logitech optical mouse will randomly "scoot" across the desktop screen without warning. Is this a windows issue, or a cheap mouse? I just learned something new on this. My new Dell Optiplex has been doing this. I checked Dell's online knowledgebase, and they said it can be casued by the reflectivity of the mousepad surface. Ironically, it can even be a problem with the Dell mousepad that comes with the PC--which was what I was using. I switched to a dull, fabric covered pad and have had no more problem. The mouse doesn't...

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What is \"deet\"? Should I buy a bug spray that doesn\'t have it? Check the june '06 Consumer Reports. They checked for effectiveness of insect repellents, and it looks like the ones with DEET are still the most effective in general.

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Is it legal to ride a bicycle on the highway? USA-centric answer: It depends on what you mean by highway. Bicycles are not permitted on Interstate and other controlled access highways. Most other highways and roads do permit bicycles, in general requiring them to abide by the same regulations as motor vehicles, and requiring motor vehicles to give them the same right of way. Where they are usually not permitted is on sidewalks. Bicycles...

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Is it safe to plug-in 2 surge protectors into the same wall outlet? Two surge protectors can coexist on one outlet safely. What matters is that the circuit, including what's plugged into other outlets on the same circuit along with what's plugged into the surge protectors, isn't overloaded. So add up the total amps or wattage of everything that might be turned on at one time, and make sure it doesn't exceed 15 amps or 1800 watts--assuming this is typical...

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How do portable air conditioners work (the type that can go in the middle of a room, not window air conditioners)? They seem to violate the laws of physics. There are evaporative coolers that lower air tempeature by evaporating water. It seems that those would have a point of diminishing returns, when the relative humidity in the room makes it feel muggy. There are also portable A/C units that work like conventional ones but do not mount in a window. They still need a place to exhaust hot air, and usually do it by means of a flexible duct--like...

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How many sperm are able to fertlize an egg? Only one. Once it has successfuly penetrated the wall of the egg, a near instantaneous change will prevent others from doing so. Recent research, though, indicates that a single sperm could not do it alone. It seems to take the activity of a large number of sperm to weaken the wall so that one finally gets through.

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What difference is there between amoxil and amoxicillin? Amoxicillin is an antibiotic in the penecillin category. Amoxil is a brand name owned by Glaxo SmithKline for amoxicillin they produce. There are other brand names, and probably generic formulations as well.

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If the sun is closer to the Earth in the winter, why is it colder out? Distance doesn't actually have much to do with the change of seasons. It has to do with the fact that the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. At one side of the orbit, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away. That means that the Northern hemisphere receives more hours of sunlight at more direct...

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If a window is open when the air conditioning is running, is the exhaust from this air conditioner harmful to the persons in the house? No. It's nothing but air which is being blown across the condenser coils. Pearl49-My answer doesn't mention the harm to your budget which might be caused by running the air conditioner with a window open. You are adding to the air conditioner's load by allowing additional hot, humid air in--similar to leaving the window open in winter when the heat's running. You might be better off to open...

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What are all the ways an egg can be ordered in a restaurant? My definitions--they can vary: Sunny Side Up--the egg is cracked carefully into the pan, and cooked slowly without being flipped. The yolk will be liquid except at the bottom where it may begin to cook and set, and the white may be only soft set on top. Over Easy--The egg is cracked into the pan without breaking the yolk, and will be flipped once. The yolk will be mostly liquid but the...

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If salvation is gained through grace and not through "works", why does it matter what you do here on Earth? In terms of salvation, it doesn't matter. But, there's more to salvation than just heaven or hell. There is the "new birth"/"new creature in Christ" that changes one's relationship with and attitude toward sin. The desire to fellowship freely with God in this life, and to enjoy eternal reward beyond just escape from hell, come more and more to override the relatively puny, temporary enticement...

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Who pays the title search and insurance on a real estate purchase, buyer or seller? It is considered a cost for the buyer, since he is the one receiving the protection. In practice, it's one of those closing costs that the seller may pay as an enticement to a buyer.

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Why are problems with static electricity more common in winter than at other times of the year? The lower relative humidity makes the air and many other materials less conductive, so that charges can build up more. Remember that static electrical charges are a phenomenon of insulators, not conductors.

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Why does the earth not become charged when so many electrons are constantly flowing into it as various devices are grounded? Becasue they're just completing a cycle. They had been removed from the earth as the charge built up. Static buildup and dicharge are constanly going on; it's essentially a zero-sum or equilibrium process.

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How is a gasoline tank truck protected from static discharge? The common way is to have chains or conductive straps hanging down at a length to allow them to be just above the road surface when in motion, and touch when they stop. This keeps static continually disipated.

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When did Pooky, Garfield's teddy bear, first appear in the daily comic strip Garfield? See: http://www.ucomics.com/garfield/characters.phtml Pooky First appearance: October 23, 1978 Found in a dresser drawer and adopted by Garfield, Pooky is a teddy bear extraordinaire: lovable, huggable, and always there when Garfield needs him. Garfield shares his deepest thoughts (and his deepest sleeps) with his fuzzy friend.

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What is the name of Garfield's female feline friend, the stripeless one with a long neck? Arlene

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Is an medical intern the same as a first-year resident? I don't think so. If I understand the terms, an intern has not yet completed medical school,and is not an M.D. A resident has graduated and received his M.D.

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Why do people working on electronic equipment have metal wires clipped to their bodies as they work? Many modern integrated circuits and semi-conductor devices can be destroyed or damaged by discharges of less than 200 volts, and the highly insulated nature of these circuits means that static charges can build up much faster than they can be disipated, to a damaging level. Older technologies were "leakier"; they would bleed away static before it became a problem, and could withstand higher...

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When people began using electricity in homes, copper wire was used. Then in the 1970s aluminum wire largely replaced copper. After a few years, aluminum was replaced by copper again. Why did each change occur? Aluminum was--and is--used because it is less expensive than copper. Aluminum does take some special handling, and it got a bad rap as a fire hazard. The problem is that the aluminum surface can oxidize into a poor conductor, compromising the quality of connections at outlets and switches, leading to heat buildup. It is necessary to coat the aluminum which is exposed by insulation stripping...

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Can I chare my cell phone from my computer using the USB cable Depends on the particular phone, but if it supports USB, probably so. My Blackberry charges that way.

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What is the maximum safe distance for a residential 20 amp 120 volt circuit when using 12/2 AWG NM Romex wire? I'm not a licensed electrician, I'm an electronics technician who's done some of his own home wiring. Please confirm my answer before depending on it. Best I can tell, 12ga can carry 20A "safely" most any distance--that is, without dangerous heat buildup. However, there could be issues with voltage drop and power quality. The charts I saw put the voltage drop at 20A about 1V per hundred...

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My car is fitted with 17" rims.It has alot of uphill drag. What can I change or accesorise to bring it back to normal/better performance? Check the overall diameter of the tire at the tread. It is possible that the tire/rim combination is now bigger than the stock tire/rim, which would effectively gear your car up, making it sluggish. You should probably consider using a lower profile tire which will give you the closest possible match to the original overall diameter.

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What percentage of each lottery drawing goes to the winner? In general, the state-run lotteries pay out about half of ticket price in winnings. The winner, of course, will pay about half the winnings in income tax. So the winners are taking home about a fourth of the amount paid for tickets.

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Our offer was turned down by the seller, but now we are having a problem getting our escrow money back. How long should this take and what legal action if any do I have? Answer from a non-attorney: By "escrow" perhaps do you mean "earnest money" or "binder"? "Escrow" usually refers to money collected by an attorney at closing which is to be disbursed to the various parties involved. If you gave a binder or earnest money, it should have been accompanied by an offer to buy/sell signed by both parties. It is then too late to change the selling price or...

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What kind of digital camera do I need for really close photos of flowers Actually, most of the current model digital cameras beyond the cheapest ones can do a pretty good job. You'll want to make sure it has a "micro" or similar focusing mode for getting close in, along with a choice of shutter speed, aperture, and (simulated) film speed settings to deal with various lighting conditions. 4-6 megapixels will be adequate for anything up to poster size enlargements.

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If the military draft were reactivated, would illegal immigrants have to enlist and serve? No. The fact that they lack documentation means that it would be impossible to know that they had not registered for the draft, and impossible for them to register or enlist if they wanted to.

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Where are the fuses located for the brake lights on a 1996 accord There are generally two fuse boxes, one under the dashboard and one under the hood. The brake light fuse is probably in the one under the hood. They are generally clearly labelled.

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How can I kill off the weeds that are growing around my apple tree without hurting the tree? You can use something like Roundup. Shield the trunk of the tree from the spray with a sheet of plastic. These types of herbicides are absorbed through the leaves and kill the root of the plant, but are not active in the soil.

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Since the Pill supplies hormones that tell your ovaries that you're already pregnant, do your breasts start producing breast milk? No, the hormone that stimulates milk production, prolactin if memory serves, is not produced until after the delivery, and it is not a component of the birth control pills. What does sometimes come with the pill is some of the breast changes preparatory to milk production which normally occur during pregnancy.

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If I started drilling a hole in my backyard, in what direction am I drilling? None, best I can tell. You are drilling vertically, same as if you launched yourself straight up in the air. The compass directions relate to movements across the earth's surface.

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When my car is idling it shakes real bad. What could the problem be? Prime suspect for rough idling is usually a vacuum leak. Check the hoses and make sure they're all sound and firmly connected.

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Can triplets or higher multiples be conceived naturally? It can happen, even without fertility medications. The odds of conceiving triplets "spontaneously" according to one source I read is about 1 in 8100 pregnancies. For quadruplets, 1 in 750,000 pregnancies. Spontaneous quintuplets, I suspect, would be on the order of 1 in several million.

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Do any of the texts in the Bible contradict scientific principles? Well, yes...and we refer to them as miracles. There are any number of instances recorded where God overrides scientific principles for his own purposes and does something scientifically impossible. But that, I don't think, is what you are asking about. The Bible does on occasion speak of matters of the operation of the world, and there it does not contradict scientific priniciples. It...

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Does the Bible accurately report historical events which can be verified by secular research? Here's a "ferinstance" extracted from this article at ChristianAnswers.net: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a008.html "The Hittites were once thought to be a Biblical legend, until their capital and records were discovered at Bogazkoy, Turkey. Many thought the Biblical references to Solomon's wealth were greatly exaggerated. Recovered records from the...

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How did Adam and Eve know how to reproduce? Even before Eve was created, Adam had been given the opportunity to note the male/female complement in the animals and realize that he as yet had no such counterpart. This does not speak of any oversight on God's part, but of God's plan to provide the female human in such a way that Adam would realize that their relationship had a different quality from that of the animals. Beyond...

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Is Bill Watterson going to revive the Calvin and Hobbes series? Not as a regular comic strip. In retiring from that, he declared that he had done all he felt he could do with the characters within the restrictions of the format. He said that he intended to work "at a more thoughtful pace, with fewer artistic compromises". Meaning that we may see Calvin and Hobbes from time to time in other formats when Watterson feels that he can offer something...

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Why didn't Watterson branch out into calvin and hobbes merchandise? Bill Watterson made any number of financial sacrifices to maintain the integrity of his creation. He was adamantly opposed to any kind of licensing, which he, probably rightly, believed would have cheapened the characters and taken some control of them away from him.

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How do I remove the pop up window that says, "when you send information to the internet, it might be possible for others to see that information. Do you want to continue."? That window normally includes a checkbox for "Do not show this window in the future" or something like that. just check that before you click continue.

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Which college has the cheapest tuition? There may be surprise answers to that question. There's not a straightforward answer; it often depends on whether you're the type of student a particular college is looking for. Frequently, the schools with the low stated tuition can be more expensive to go to, because they lack resources to offer much financial aid. Other schools, which show a high tuition, collect that from their...

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Where can I find information on the proper maintenance of a gas-fired water baseboard heating system? The helpful term to know is "hydronic". That refers to hot water heat systems. Here are a few places with some info. On the AskRed site, search for "hydronic baseboard". http://www.eweb.org/home/energy/heatsheets/hydronic.htm http://www.greatheat.com/fyi.html http://fhaspapp.ittind.com/askred/SearchAskRedQA2.asp

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Where could I purchase lightweight thin flexible plastic or rubber tubing? Unless you're looking for something exotic, most of the home stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) have a pretty good assortment that you can buy by the foot.

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Is there any point in refinancing if I plan to move soon? I doubt it. Generally, refinancing is for a house you plan to stay in for several more years. Otherwise, you won't have time to recover the cost. Saddened, that's why I used the terms "doubt" and "generally". My answer is entirely true because it internally allows that it might not be entirely true.

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If an employee is terminated by a company, is he/she entitled to the funds invested in a profit sharing plan? PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT AN ACCOUNTANT, ATTORNEY, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS NOT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. The important term here is "vesting". Somewhere there is a schedule under which an employee becomes vested, which is a special term for how much the employee owns. So if the employee is 50% vested, he/she is entitled to half the funds in his/her account. Once the employee is 100%...

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How do I remove an interior door and door frame, and replace it with a new one? Most likely, the door frame is nailed to the rough framing of the doorway. Remove the moulding around the doorway, and you should be able to see where it's attached. You should be able to run a hacksaw between the door frame and the rough frame to cut the nails or screws that are holding it. Remove the old door frame and set the new one in place; it may already have the moulding attached...

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Can the human ear differentiate between .flac and .mp3 files? It probably depends. 1) On the quality of the original digital file they were created from. 2) On the quality of the playback equipment 3) On the refinement of the ear of the listener. 4) On the bias of the listener, if he knows which he's listening to. I'm with you, MP, I don't think I'm one of those people who can tell the difference. I know some folks with really good...

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How is hard drive recovery performed when dealing with corrupted hardware? If the data on the drive is worth the expense, the drive can be disassembled under clean room conditions. The magnetic platters can then be read bit by bit by special equipment where they are not totally destroyed, and sometimes missing data can be reconstructed by analysis of the readable data. It is then written to a new drive. Obviously, this can cost many thousands of dollars. My son had...

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Is it possible to convert my 1992 BMW to biodiesel, or does the car have to be a diesel to start with? A gasoline engine can not be converted to any sort of diesel. It takes a different block casting to start with to deal with the pressures and stresses of the diesel cycle. The simliarity of a gasoline component to its diesel counterpart is superficial in most cases; they must be designed for the particular engine.

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Who invented Gatorade? It was developed in the mid '60's by doctors at the University of Florida for their football team--the Gators--when it was determined that the players were suffering from serious dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the often brutal Florida heat and humidity. The Gators' performace improved noticably in subsequent seasons, and that magic concoction in their cooler was given a...

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Is it true that root beer actually contained root in it at one point? According to www.root-beer.org, Sassafras root was where the original flavoring extract came from. So, it was a beer (carbonated by yeast fermentatation) from a root.

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How do I clean up my address bar and toolbars so that only the things I want to use regularly stay? Assuming Internet Explorer here. Click Tools/Internet Options. On the General tab, set your Days to Keep Pages in History to 1. That should keep your address bar fairly clean. For search history lists and such, go to Connections and uncheck Forms under Use Auto Complete For. That should come pretty close to doing what you want.

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Can I sell software which I bought to someone else? Yes. To stay legal, you must uninstall it.

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What are .flac files? Free Lossless Audio Codec It's an open source audio compression that is supposed to avoid compromising audio quality, as can happen with other compressions such as MP3. Info and links at Sourceforge: http://flac.sourceforge.net/

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I'm thinking of getting a 2006 Cobalt SS. It says it recommends Premium but regular grade gas is fine. Will filling it with regular grade and then sometimes Premium hurt it? If the owners manual says regular is OK, there shouldn't be a problem. Using a lower octane than the engine needs can casue problems long term, but higher won't. Switching won't make a difference so long as the engine doesn't knock.

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Is it bad for an engine to mix fuel grades, for example sometimes give it regular and sometimes premium? Not so long as you use at least the minimum octane the manufacturer recommends. There's really not a good reason to use a more expensive grade than is called for.

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How much commission will I have to pay to my real estate agent? Generally on the order of 5 or 6 per cent of the selling price. It can vary or be negortiated under some circumstances.

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Is it possible to sell my home without a real estate agent? Yes, but it can be labor intensive. I'm not a real estate agent, but I've sold a home both ways, and agents do provide a valuable service, and can even end up costing liitle or nothing by helping you get a better price for your house. You need to decide if you are willing and able to adequately perform a number of services for yourself. If you decide to go "fizbo"...

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What is a leap second? A leap second is a second added to or subtracted from the official time as kept by the atomic clocks, to keep them synchronized with the solar day which results from the Earth's rotation. More than you probably wanted to know from the US Naval Observatory: http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/leapsec.html

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Are there any illustrations or explanations that I could use that would help me visualize or imagine what 4 Dimensions would look like? In relativistic/Einsteinian physics, time is usually counted as the 4th dimension. I assume that is not what your question is about, but that you are asking about the extra dimensions which sometimes show up in quantum physics or string theory. One illustration I have heard imagines an orange, particularly its surface, to show that a 4th dimension may have a different scale. If you look at...

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If everyone who believes in Christ goes to heaven, and everyone who doesn't goes to hell, what happened to the people who died before the birth of Christ? Christ is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". Rev 13:8 Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness". Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6 The Scriptures establish the pattern of salvation by grace through faith. The sacrifice of Christ was known--had the quality of an accomplished fact--to God before the world was created. All men of all...

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In the Western World, is embalming always carried out before burial or cremation? No. It is not generally required for either. Health regulations may specify slightly different handling for a body which is not embalmed, though.

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Why are the roofs of some school buses painted white instead of yellow like the rest of the bus? It reflects the sunlight, making them cooler inside.

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At what voltage is electricity generated? According to this article at Encarta, the generators at power stations typically output at between 1,000 and 26,000 volts. This of course is stepped up to as much as 1,000,000 volts to lower the current for more efficient transmission over distances. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761566999/Electric_Power_Systems.html

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I have dry-clean-only pants that went through the washer and dryer. They seem okay, maybe just shrunk a little. Have they been damaged in some unobvious way? Probably not. Many of the dry-clean-only articles can be machine washed successfully. It's the manufacturer's way of saying they're not responsible for any shirinking or fading that might occur if you do.

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What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Since the Moon and Sun appear to be the same size in the sky, the Moon can completely block the Sun if the relative positions of the Moon and the viewer are just right. Even though any place on Earth is subject to seeing an eclipse at one time or another, the area of the Earth which will perceive any particular eclipse...

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Why do churches not pay taxes? On the theory, I think, that "the power to tax is the power to destroy." That is, the tax code is frequently used as a form of regulation. Exempting churches is a way of avoiding "prohibiting the free exercise of religion." What that means, though, is that churches are watched to some exent to make sure they are not hiding political activity behind that tax exemption. That...

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Is it possible for an insect to become resistant to DDT (inseticide) by eating it? Probably not that directly. An insect which is not killed by DDT already had a genetic variation which made it less susceptible to it. So long as the insect population did not encounter DDT, the resistant insects had no particular survival advantage. The resistance would exist among some small percentage of the population, even long before DDT was developed, but it was, you might say,...

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How does one correctly pronounce the word 'niche'? Usually when I hear it, it rhymes with fish.

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When I turn on computer, it makes a series of beeps, but I do not see anything on the screen. What could be wrong? You have a rather sick PC. Beep codes are the motherboard's last way to cry out for help, when it's unable to complete the Power On Self Test, and can't display anything. You may have a problem with video or memory. Some beep codes are more or less generic, some require you to know the make of your motherboard. Here's one list, you can find others if you Google PC Beep...

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What is an RF Choke and why would I use one? "RF" of course means "Radio (high) Frequency" and "choke" refers to choking it off or blocking it. It would be used in series with a circuit that will be adversely affected in some way by the presence of RF, but must operate in the presence of it. It will be a coil or possibly a more sophisticated circuit, which does not present a significant impedance up to...

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My 1994 Chevy S-10 Blazer won't shift out of Park. How do I fix the problem, and is the linkage a cable or rod? There is a solenoid that locks the shifter in park until you press the brake. I think I'd be checking that solenoid and its associated circuitry. I believe the linkage is a rod.

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Does the Bible say the fearful will have their place in the lake of fire? That's in Revelation 21:8. The fearful have not experienced perfect love, according to I John 4:18, and thus are synonymous with the unbelievers mentioned in Rev 21:8.

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According to the Bible, is it wrong for a Christian to wear gold or any jewelry? This is one way of applying I Peter 3:3-4. While I don't think it necessarily declares any amount of jewelry sinful, it does call for women to examine their hearts in their attitudes toward it, or any other items of fashion which they might rely on for outward beauty. The Christian ideal of humility--for men and women both, really--is to avoid unnecessarily drawing attention to our own...

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Why do we call it a 'cold' when the fever from having one makes you hot and sweaty? A couple of possible reasons. One is that it's (not necessarily correctly)associated with cold weather, and getting cold, and thus it is the "cold" that you caught. This association is reinforced by the fact that you start out feeling cold (or chilled), as your body is raising its temperature. You feel hot and sweaty later, when your body decides it's time to bring your...

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Did John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas have any descendants? From their one son, Thomas, due to prodigious reproduction in the 3rd and 4th generations, their descendants are now numbered as many as 100,000. From http://members.aol.com/lredtail/poca.html : Within seven successive generations many Educators, Ministers, Statesmen and Lawmakers descend from Pocahontas...several surnames associated with her line are; the BLAIRS, the BOLLING’s, the...

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My 1999 Grand Am sometimes accelerates itself without my foot on the gas pedal. When I pull over and put it in park, the RPM rose like I had my foot on the gas. What could be wrong? Can you put your foot under the gas pedal and lift it to return to idle? If so, I'd say look for something sticking in the accelerator linkage. I had a frayed accelerator cable on a Chevy Astro of about that age that caused that.

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Why do rays of light invert when passing through a lens aperture? The rays themselves don't actually invert. It's just their relative position. Light is being reflected from every point on an object in all directions. The aperture passses only those that are traveling in the straight line between their point of origin and the aperture. The rest of the reflected light is simply not involved with the aperture. Light from the parts of the object...

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Why is the word "colonel" pronounced "kernal"? One of those oddities of the way a word can enter the language. From Wikipedia: The odd pronunciation of the word comes from the British adaptation of the rank; when it was incorporated into their military in the mid-1800s, the spelling was taken from the French military rank Colonel while the pronunciation was a Spanish loan word, Coronel. Gradually, slurring of the word lead to Coronel to...

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Were there dinosaurs on Noah's Ark? There had to be. The dinosaurs were part of God's original creation. Size would not have been a problem; the average size of dinosaurs was about that of a sheep. Juveniles, rather than full grown adults would actually have been preferable for the task of repopulating the earth afterward. They don't seem to have coped with the post-flood evnironment so well, though. However, if we...

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Where do cavemen fit in relation to what is said in the Bible? "Cavemen" in the most common sense of the word, with the assumptions of evolution as baggage, do not fit in at all. That people sometimes did, and do, live in caves is a given. It is not a given that they were some sort of primitive pre-human/sub-human creatures. The Bible does for God's purpose of revelation focus on a small geographical area. That there were contemporaneous...

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Do you immediately go to heaven or hell when you die, or just "sleep" until Jesus comes back? Even though the body is in the ground, the Scriptures are pretty clear that the spirit is already in the next world, either for comfort or torment. I Corinthians 5:6-8, Luke 16, Luke 23:43 Later, at the resurrection, body and spirit are reunited for eternity, either for punishment or reward. Revelation 20-21

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Does every Biblical reference to the name "Queen of Heaven" condemn it and bring God's judgment? I'm aware of this phrase only 5 times in the Bible (KJV in this case), all in Jeremiah. 7:18, and 44:17, 18, 19, and 25. I would say they all are in the context of judgement on idolatry. The queen of heaven here probably refers to Ashtoreth or Astarte or Ishtar, wife of Baal or Moloch, depending on whose particular false religion they were going after. The Bible presents God as being...

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I know Jesus is God's son, but where in the Bible can I find an answer to help me tell my 8 year old son how God was created? The Bible won't help you there. The Bible presents God as eternally existent, the First Cause without a cause. Genesis 1:1 simply opens with God, already there "in the beginning". It is one of His attributes that we can neither share in nor truly comprehend.

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If you approach an isolated intersection, is it legal to treat a red light as a stop sign and proceed through the red light when safe? No. You should wait for it to change. The exception might be a motorcycle, which often can't trigger the sensor to make the light change. In some states it is legal for a motorcycle to proceed with caution against a red light after a specified wait time.

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I removed my interior drywall to add insulation, but in the process I also added Reflectix foil (double-sided foil separated by air). Should I worry about a possible moisture problem? I would expect Reflectix to act as a vapor barrier. As such, it should be placed toward the interior, just behind the drywall, to control moisture properly.

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Is there a rule of thumb about how high from the floor I should hang pictures? If I understand correctly, the usual recommendation is to put the focal point of the picture at about eye level.

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Can you take both Tylenol and Advil together? According to my doctor a few years back, yes. They way each works is sufficiently different that they don't get in each other's way, and can complement one another. I don't do it routinely, but for really bad pain, like if my back goes, I'll use the combination. I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN. THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.

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How does one use prepasted paper? I'm going to mention only those points that are different from tradidtional wallpaper. I'm assuming you know those basics. There is a special tray made for this, it's very helpful and doesn't cost too much. If you don't get that, you'll need some other water container into which you can immerse a roll of wallpaper in a horizontal position. you'll also need...

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On the front console of my 1998 Toyota Corolla LE, there is an indicator for the hand brake. When I drive, sometimes this indicator starts glowing on its own then goes off. What could be wrong? Check your brake fluid. In addition to indicating that the parking brake is set, this light also serves the very important function of alerting you to potential problems with the brake system. I believe this car has a brake fluid level sensor which will alert you if it is low. If the brake fluid in the reservoir is correct, and you still get this light, have it checked out by a mechanic....

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Does parking a car on a slanted driveway have any negative effects on the brakes lifespan? If so, how can I resolve this? Not really. Once the car is stopped, and being held by the parking brake, there's no other wear going on, regardless of slope. It's while the car is moving that the brakes are wearing.

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Can I deduct the realtor's commission from my taxes? It's probably been done at closing. The comission would have been deducted from your proceeds as a part of the cost of sale, and would not be included in the profit you report.

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My adult daughter loaned her car to someone and it got totaled in an accident. The driver of the car was issued a citation for careless driving. From where should I seek payment for the car? I'm not an attorney or insurance professional, but here's my understanding. This may vary some by state. If the driver of your daughter's car was at fault in the accident, then your daughter is liable, and her insurance on the car will hopefully cover the other parties. If she had collision insurance on her car, then she can claim it against that. Whether she has any legal claim...

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Why do some people call PCs "PC compatible"? My understanding/recollection: This goes back to the days when IBM created their "Personal Computer" or "PC", and essentially kicked off the personal computer era. For a long time, "Personal Computer" or "PC" evoked the IBM brand. IBM had adopted certain industry standards in building their PC, as opposed to inventing propietary hardware. So other...

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How can you get a former spouse's name off of a mortage without refinancing your home? You may not be able to. Talk to the finance company. The ex may still have some stake in the ownership of the home, depending on the settlement. If his/her income was considered as part of your creditworthiness, it will be necessary for you to document your own independent creditworthiness to get his/her name off. And that would mean a new application. If you now have total ownership of the...

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Why are human testes located in the scrotum? Sperm production takes place a couple of degrees below body temperature. The scrotum is a temperature regulator. In warm environments, the skin thins and the scrotum lengthens to move the testicles away from the body and allow cooling. In cold environments, the skin thickens and draws them in close.

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Why does our breath smell after periods of sleep? The bacteria in your mouth are able to colonize and reproduce more successfully when there's less activity--eating, drinking, swallowing, etc.--to disturb them. The odors are produced by these bacteria.

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Why would a Bunn coffee maker leak water from the bottom? The leak may actually be at the top. When mine did that, I discovered that the plastic piece which guides the water into the tank had deteriorated where they are fastened together. Then when I checked in with Bunn for the part, I found out that there was a repair kit which fixed it rather easily. It was either free or cost very little, and is designed to be installed without disassemling the...

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If your tires are underinflated, does it affect your speedometer? I don't think so. The length of the tread area does not change, so the amount of rotation for a given distance would remain the same.

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Do commercial jet planes dump fuel, in flight, before landing? If so, why? Not normally. That stuff costs money. Planes normally take off carrying sufficient fuel for the planned flight, plus some reserve, so that they will expect to land with nearly empty tanks. A fully fueled plane is quite heavy for landing safely, so if some emergency condition requires a premature but not immediate landing, fuel might be dumped to lighten it for an easier landing, or to reduce...

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Does medication actually expire? Yes. Medications are not always stable compounds. They can indeed deteriorate even under good conditions, even faster in high heat or humidity. The expiration date is a conservative estimate of how long full potency and safety will last under proper storage.

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What does red clay consist of? I can't tell you the complete makeup, but I understand that it is iron oxide (rust) which gives the charateristic red color.

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Can you sell property for which taxes are still due? Sort of. Taxes due will have to be collected and remitted at closing. Who is going to pay them can be a matter of negotiation between buyer and seller.

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Why isn't Alaska considered to be in the continental US? I think it's because of a frequent misuse of the word. Alaska would be in the "continental" United States, but it's not one of the "contiguous" states. What I'm saying, Anonymous, is that Alaska, unlike Hawaii, is in the same continent with the "Lower 48", so it could--and I think should--be thought of as part of the "continental US"...

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Can demons hurt Jesus? No. Look at His encounters with them while on earth. He would shut them up and send them packing.

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If a mistrial is declared, can the accused be tried again for the same crime? Yes. A mistrial is not the same as a verdict, and another trial will be scheduled in most cases.

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What if i was one or two hours off a few days of taking my pill will the increse my chances of getting pregnant?? I'm not aware of it being that critical. it would probaly take 12-24 hours.

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How do birth control pills decrease the chances of getting pregnant? In a nutshell, they supply hormones that tell your ovaries you're already pregnant. That shuts down egg production.

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I need to determine polarity. How do you read the polarity symbols above the DC ports for portable electronics? I think you're asking about the DC power input. These are usually referred to in terms of "tip" and "ring". The symbol you see looks like a solid dot with a "C" around it, and a line leading from each. The solid dot represents the "tip" of the power plug, or the inner portion of a hollow plug. The "C" represents the ring, the rear section...

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My car was recently hit by a driver with just a learner's permit. Should I consider taking legal action against the driver if my insurance doesn't cover all of the damages? I am not an attorney or insurance profesional. This is just a free layperson's opinion. Your claim should probably be against the owner of the car that hit you. I think in most states, the insurance is attached to the car rather than the driver, and the owner is responsible for those whom he allows to drive. Presumably this will be the parent or guardian of the person with the permit....

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Are there any places on the Internet where one can access different Bible translations? I've been using The Blue Letter Bible at http://blueletterbible.org/ It lets you search on KJV, and then jump to other translations. Also offers several commentaries and other resources.

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Is 000 a number? From a non-mathemetician: It probably is and isn't. The character 0 is usually more of a place holder when used with other numbers. It is actually its placement relative to the other integers which gives the entire number its value. I can't think of anything which 000 alone would represent which is not represented by the single 0 to indicate no quantity. That is...

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The area near the bottom of my nose the skin is inflammed, red and sometimes flaky. Recently it started to hurt and bleeds at night. What are some remedies for this? "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on Answerbag." It could be sort of a cycle where it got irritated for whatever valid reason, you rubbed or scratched it, irritating it more, and so on. Usually the first approach for something like this is just to break the irritated-scratch-irritated cycle. If you're sure there's no infection, get an OTC 1% hydrocortisone cream and...

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What is the secret behind pi? Please note: I am not a mathemetician, but I do have a technical education. I present this as a "lay" answer.. There's no particular "secret" behind pi. It's a very interesting number because it can never be calculated absolutely, but only with varying degrees of precision--"so many decimal places". It's an "irrational number", one that...

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What is "stomach flu"? Actually, it's not clear that there is such a thing. It's most often a case of food poisoning unrecognized.

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How long does it take for wood to petrify? "How long does it take?" is not the same question as "How long ago?". Recent experiments support the hypothesis that it can take place relatively rapidly, over a few years to a couple of centuries depending on the thickness of the wood involved, and the particular conditions. And scientific common sense tells us it has to, otherwise the wood would simply decay. ... The...

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Does the Bible say anything about political justice in Heaven, such as freedom of speech, etc? Political justice, freedom of speech, etc., are the vocabulary of sin. There will be no sin in Heaven, so those concepts will have no relevance beyond the realization that justice and liberty exist in their perfect form. There will no longer be any inclination to rebel or dissent, but instead there will be complete unity and harmony under the just rule of God.

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I own my car, but currently don't have insurance on it. If my brother, who does have insurance, drives my car, will he be covered if an accident were to occur? I doubt it. In most states, the insurance is on the car, not the driver. If you had insurance, it would cover him driving with your permission. I don't know if his insurance would help him at all.

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Is an ethernet switch a good choice for a simple home network with a dial-up connection? A switch may be a bit of overkill for a small network, particularly if it's running 100Mb/s. It won't cause any problem, but it's not likely to offer any performance gain over a standard hub. Switches become beneficial on networks with a lot of nodes and traffic. Then, the avoidance of collisions from passing packets only to the node for which they are intended can greatly...

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If I'm connecting two computers together, can I just run a cross-over cable between them and still be able to share a printer and dial-up Internet connection? Yes. For just two computers, no hub is needed. A cross-over cable is all it takes for full network connectivity. From someone who has done just what you are describing.

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I recently saw a pair of authentic red tab Levi's that did not have a number, and did not say Levi's, but did have something like a tiny circle around a letter on the tab. Does anyone know what that symbol is and if it has a meaning? I suspect that the letter was the "R" of the Registered Trademark designator. It is altogether possible that Levis has trademarked the red tab on jeans, even without their name.

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A tree fell on my property and caused damage to the shingles and other items before I moved into the home. The HOA hasn't done anything to repair these problems. Is the HOA responsible for fixing this damage? I doubt that the HOA has any responsibility here. The responsibilty will lie with the owner at the time the tree fell. That is, if it fell after the closing, you were the owner, and you will be the one to get it fixed. Hopefully, you insured the house at the time of closing, and can get help from your insurer. If the tree fell before closing, the previous owner should have fixed it, or adjusted...

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Does the Bible say anything specific about birthdays? Not that I can think of. The ages of many people are recorded, so the records were being kept, but I don't think we ever see anyone observing a birthday as it passed. --Well, Alatea has identified two occasions that I overlooked. And a word search indicates that these are the only two in the Bible. So, the Bible doesn't forbid the observance of birthdays, these two don't do...

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According to the Bible, should we pray to Jesus or directly to God? If your prayer is in faith, with an attitude of humility and repentance, depending on the sacrifice of Christ to atone for your sin, it doesn't matter. You are free to address any person of the Trinity, as They are in perfect communion (which is how the Three are One in my understanding), with no rivalry. Your prayers, and anything else you do, are mediated and perfected through...

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What does the Bible say about premarital sex? I Corinthians 7 is one place where morality is discussed. It prescribes marriage as the proper provision for sexual desires. It begins like this: 1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his...

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Can CRT televisions be exposed to winter temperatures for several days without damage? Funny, I checked several manufacturers of televisions, and none of their spec sheets show temperature ranges. Unplugged, I'd guess that most of them would be OK down to maybe 0 deg F. That's assuming no sudden temperature changes, and avoidance of frost or condensation. The operating temperature might be limited to no lower than 40 or 50 deg F.

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My parents have green cards and live with me. They are over 70 years old and have never worked in the US. Can I claim them as dependants on a tax return? Probably, if they're not filing a tax return and claiming themselves as dependents. If they are filing a return, they should indicate that someone else is claiming them as dependents. I AM NOT AN ACCOUNTANT OR ATTORNEY. THIS IS NOT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

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I am having medical consultation and bloodwork done by a naturopathic doctor from a certified lab. Can I receive a medical deduction? As far as I know, this expense can be part of a medical deduction (assuming USA, here). But remember, your medical expenses must total some percentage (7% maybe) of your AGI before any deduction can be taken. I'M NOT AN ACCOUNTANT OR ATTORNEY. THIS IS NOT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

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What percentage of the value of an item donated to the Salvation Army is tax deductible? If I understand it right, the value of an item donated like this for tax purposes is the amount you expect they could reasonably sell it for. You can deduct that full amount as a charitable donation. I'M NOT A TAX PROFESSIONAL OR ATTORNEY.THIS IS NOT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

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In the Beatitudes, what exactly did Jesus mean when He promised that the "pure in heart" will see God? Does salvation make your heart pure? Jodie44, in commenting on Anonymous' answer, hit the nail on the head. We are indeed to be driven to despair by the righteous requirements of God, both in the law expressed in the Old Testament, and in the substantial raising of the bar by Jesus. We have to recognize that there is no one righteous. We then are driven to call out, with the publican, "God be merciful to me, a...

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Can you be "born again" twice? I think the parallels between physical birth and spiritual birth (which is what is meant by "born again"--see John chapter 3) are quite apt. And just like physical birth can be neither reversed nor repeated, the spiritual "new birth" can not be reversed or repeated. Now, there are plenty of cases of someone who believes falsely that he has been saved or born again, who...

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I recently gave a down payment on a car and was told by the dealer that the money was going to be applied toward taxes, inspections and other fees. Shouldn't the down payment be put toward what is owed for the car? It's really only a mental or paper distinction. What you owe for the car includes these taxes, inspections and fees. Once the arithmetic has been done to add them all up with the purchase price, the total really is the only number that matters, the amount of money you have to come up with either through down payment or financing. Now the dealer may use the taxes, inspections and fees to...

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Do earwigs really crawl inside people's ears? From the BBC's Science and Nature section: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/421.shtml The name earwig is derived from the old English 'earwicga' which means 'ear beetle'. It was once commonly believed that earwigs would burrow into people's ears at night and lay eggs in their brains. In fact the story still circulates as an urban myth. Earwigs...

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Does the Bible predict when Armageddon will occur? Not so that you could fix a date, in my opinion. Even when, in the scheme of things, differs according to interpretations. I beleive it is at least 1003 1/2 years from now. I'll explain. My escahatology (doctrine of future things) is post-millenial--not a majority view at the moment. I believe the order of the major prophetic events to be 1)binding of Satan into the bottomless pit for...

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What is the difference between jams, jellies, and preserves? My general understanding: Preserves are made with chunks of fruit, or whole fruit in the case of smaller fruit like berries. Jams are made with crushed fruit, but with nothing removed, and will retain some texture. For jellies, the crushed fruit is strained, and only the juice is used. They are usually cooked to a thicker "jelled" state. --- Right you are, Grandma...

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How much does the government return on a W-2 form for a minor? Unless the minor in question made quite a bit of money, s/he will probably owe no income tax. Thus, all the state and federal income tax withholding will be refunded. Social Security (FICA) and Medicare will not. A minor who expects to owe no income tax at the end of the year should file a new W4 form marked "exempt" so that there will be no tax withheld. Check the instructions on the...

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How and when do I use the overdrive (OD) feature on my automatic transmission 1994 Toyota Corolla SE Limited? What exactly is OD? In most cases you'll leave the overdrive on. The automatic transmission usually manages it fairly well. Even at low speeds in the city, it's not a problem, it'll just never go to that gear so off or on doesn't make any difference. The time to turn it off is if you notice it "seeking", that is, shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th every few seconds, due to...

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My 1995 Toyota Corolla 1.8L 4cyl needs an alternator belt. Do have to loosen the alternator? Or is there just a simple tensioner pulley somewhere else that I can't see? I had a 94 Corolla, which I believe was the same design, and my recollection is that the belt is tensioned by moving the alternator. It was pretty straightforward and accessible.

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Can I paint latex base paint over oil base paint? Not directly, usually. Sanding the gloss from the surface may be enough, but for best results follow that with an oil based primer, which will adhere to the existing oil paint and create a surface to which the latex can adhere. If there are several layers of oil based paint, then good results become less likely. Here's a source of lots of painting info not tied to a specific brand: ...

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Where in the Bible does it state that suicide sends you to hell? Nowhere. There are some traditions which teach this, but it doesn't come from the Bible. It is very likely that someone who commits suicide will end up in hell, but not because of the mode of his death. What ultimately sends one to hell is the refusal to confess one's sin to God and place one's faith in the sacrifce of Christ to cover it. This is a once for all transaction,...

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I thought that I had read somewhere that an officer cannot pull you over if he has not kept you in visual contact. I was pulled over after 5 miles on a winding road. Can I fight this? I doubt it. If the officer observed you committing a violation, so that he can identify you when he catches up, that is sufficient. The officer must maintain a concern for safety while in pusuit, so that there might be any number of circumstances where continuous visual contact might impose an unnecessary burden.

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How do you know that you're not underfeeding your fish? One sign of underfeeding can be that the fish spend a lot of time poking around the surface of the water, as if looking for food. For most fish, they will consume an apropriate amount for the day in 5-10 minutes. If it's gone in a minute or two, it probably wasnt enough. If there's any significant amount left after 10 minutes, it was probably too much and will just load the filter...

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What safety measures are in place to prevent elevator cars from falling down their shafts? It was the demonstration of such a device that made Elisha Otis's name synonymous with elevators. The company he founded on this invention is still the largest manufacturer of elevators. His first device was a spring loaded brake mechanism on the car which was held back by the tension of the lifting cable. If the cable lost its tension, the brake instantly gripped the shaft and stopped the...

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Are CDs ruined if they get wet? Red John I think has put his finger on the likely problem: the mold has damaged the label side in some way. A quick damp wipe, or even a dousing, would not damage the CD, unless it had a paper label. There is a very important point about CD care which RJ alluded to but which can't be overstressed. The working surface of the CD is actually just under the label. The underside that we...

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Why would Device Manager report a CD-RW drive works properly when, in fact, its response to all appropriate media indicates it would make a better paperweight? The interface electronics of the drive could be working fine, insofar as communicating with the driver is concerned. Device manager is not a genuine diagnostic beyond that, and is not evaluating the functionality of the harware. It would not be able to tell you about a dirty lens or a sticky mechanism, until, as you did, it finds that it can't read a CD. Then, all it knows is that it the...

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What was wrong with Doll on the Island of Misfit Toys in the stop motion Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer special? Here's a website writeup by someone who's supposed to be an expert, that has a huge writeup: http://www.tvparty.com/xmasrudolph.html According to this source, it's not really revealed in the program, and Arthur Rankin, one of the producers, simply says it's more psychological than physical. She wasn't in the original script apparently, and only got a few seconds of...

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According to the American Constitution, would freedom of speech still be given to a group who are against freedom of speech? Ironically, yes, so long as they aren't inciting a violent overthrow of the government to achieve it. Bizarre and surreal though it were, they could exercise their first amendment rights in an attempt to have a constitutional amendment enacted which would repeal the first amendment. I don't think it would get very far.

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Why does only one sperm make it into an egg? What if two get there at the same time? Does the surface of the egg change, or are the other sperm signaled in some way? It actually seems to take numerous sperm going after the egg cell wall or membrane in order to render it penetrable by one. As soon as one sperm penetrates the wall of the egg, it triggers an near instantaneous change to the wall which stops others. Even others which may be partially through are stopped. If I have understood what I have read correctly, occasionally two sperm may penetrate...

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Why does North America call Sunday Sabbath or day of rest, yet use it as the first day of the week? Glenn is right, this oddity is not exclusively North American. It probably has its origin in European Christendom, even though it may be less commonly observed there now, as that society has become somewhat more secularized. Not everybody calls Sunday "Sabbath". Many Christians still understand Saturday to be the "Sabbath", but see the laws of Sabbath observance as not...

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Is it normal for a car to vibrate after the timing belt has been changed? Seems unlikely. What occurs to me is that the one of the timing pulleys is mispositioned by maybe one cog on the belt.

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Can cats give you "cat scratch" fever? Yes, but not all cats carry the bacteria which cause it. What I have found says that 40% of cats carry it at some time in their lives, most often as kittens. It does not cause any symptoms in the cat, and it is not a permanent resident. Fleas seem to be the most common mode of transmission from one cat to another, but not to humans. A scratch or a bite can trmsmit it to humans. Here's a...

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What is white tea? White tea is made from tea leaves that have been minimally processed. It has not been fired or roasted. The flavor is described as "grassy". Here's a chart of the various tea processes: http://www.teatalk.com/general/steps.htm

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What is the difference between green tea and black tea? Green tea and black tea, of course, are leaves from the same plant, but are processed differently. For black tea, the leaves are processed in such a way as to allow fermentation, resulting in the dark brown color. For green tea, the leaves are processed and dried in such a way as to avoid fermentation. Oolong is partially fermented. here's a flow chart which outlines each: ...

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My DVD player is not recognizing the disc. It shows the LOADING message for 5 minutes, then no disc. How can I fix this? If you haven't done this already, try a different disc, preferably one it has played successfully before. If another disc works, then take a look at the working side of the disc that doesn't work and check for scratches or smudges. Or, if it's a recordable disc, it may just be a brand that your player can't handle. Every now and then, I even get a factory DVD that my player...

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Was Bono, of U2, a married man in the year 2004? Yes. He married Allison Stewart in 1982, and they are still together, far as I know.

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Is there any scientific merit to the theory of intelligent design? Depends on who you ask, of course. I think so. Intelligent Design insists that the scientific/mathematical analysis of all the combinations of chance occurences required to produce life as we know it shows that the probablilty is too small to to expect in trillions of years, let alone billions. Thus, according to ID, it is actually MORE scientifically reasonable to allow that there is some...

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How does the theory of evolution explain why there are still monkeys around? I can't suppress the old joke: "Some of them were given a choice!"

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What is the difference between creationism, intelligent design, and evolution? This gets a little tricky. Intelligent Design (ID) can overlap onto either/both Young Earth Creationism (YEC) and Naturalistic Evolution (NE). I hope I may be allowed these abreviations for simpler typing. And I hope I may be allowed these labels for clarity. Not everyone in these camps cares for them, but I think they will serve my purpose here. My conclusion, which is copied here for the...

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Do morticians still put a perfumed cream under their nose when preparing a corpse? Is there a name for that cream? So far as I know, it's still a valid trick when there has been some decomposition and odor. I think it's usually something like Mentholatum, which can overpower just about anything.

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What are the beliefs of a Christian not associated with any denomination regarding the immortality of the soul? I doubt that there's any particular doctrine that hasn't given rise to some denomination, however small. Most non-denominationals I know of are more or less in the Reformed tradition on such matters, meaning that they do hold to the immortality of the soul, either for eternal reward or eternal punishment.

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Does a non-denominationalist accept any of the books not in the "Protestant Bible", but that are included in Catholicism/Mormonism? Non-denominationals are, by definition, a varied lot. Most will be fairly conservative theologically; I doubt any of them give any credence to the Book of Mormon. There may be some acceptance of the Apocrypha in whole or in part in some circles. The individual churches speak for themselves on this and any other issue.

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Do non-denominational Christians believe in the trinity? Some, if not most, would be trinitarian, I would say. Non-denominational means each church defines itself, so only the indivivdual church could give you a defeinitive answer on any particular question.

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Do non-denominational Christians believe we are saved by faith alone or works? Are works the demonstration of faith? I would say that for the most part, non-denominational Christians do believe in salvation by faith, with works as an evidence or demonstration. Of course, non-denominational means non-monolithic by definition. Each individual church will have to speak for itself; you can't take anything for granted.

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Who is thought to be the author of the Book of Job? The authorship of the book of Job is probably the most uncertain of any in the Bible. Not only can we not determine WHO wrote it, it's not even certain WHEN. Most commentators I know of believe the events to have taken place around the time of Abraham, maybe 2000 BC. The lifestyle wherein the father is the priest of the family, and wealth is measured in livestock, are such indications....

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How many ounces equals 750 ML? According to this chart http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Metrics/factors.htm, one fluid ounce = 29.57353 ml. so 750 / 29.57353 = 25.36 oz.

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What is an "ash potato?" I grew up hearing that term, too, and finally determined that it's a slurred pronunciation of Irish Potato.

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Is the "evolution theory" a scientific fact? Upfront, I will identify myself as a "young earth" scientific creationist. Facts are, well, facts. Not really debatable. In the context of the question, an example of a fact would be "fossils exist which are the remains of animals which lived sometime in the past". This fact is available to both evolutionists and creationists. Theories are scientific statements,...

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Can science prove a theory, or can it only disprove a theory? Technically, what science deals with are hypotheses. A theory is a hypothesis which has been well supported by experiments. However, hypotheses, and even theories, are most always considered to be tentative. That is, it is always allowed that some valid experiment could show that the hypotheses is incorrect, either wholly or in part (referred to as falsifiability), so that it must be rejected...

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What is the scientific method? From the article at infoplease.com:http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0860972.html "The scientific method has evolved over many centuries and has now come to be described in terms of a well-recognized and well-defined series of steps. First, information, or data, is gathered by careful observation of the phenomenon being studied. On the basis of that information a preliminary...

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I have a 48" Viking range with double ovens that requires a 1/2" gas line. The problem is that I am not getting enough gas pressure to keep both ovens lit at the same time. Any ideas? Check to make sure the pressure at the meter is set according to the spec for the range. That can have a big effect on the volume of gas that can be pushed through the line. If it's some distance from the meter and regulator to the range, then the piping should be maybe 3/4" or 1" up to the gascock at the back of the range to keep from eating up your pressure before it gets...

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Why does my computer keep saying I have used more disk space each day, when I have not downloaded anything new to the computer? I'm assuming that you have not created any new files, either. If it's XP, System Restore is the first suspect. A restore point is created automatically each day, so that if something goes wrong, you can go back to an earlier confguration. Each restore point can take up a megabyte or two, maybe more. Run Disk Cleanup: My Computer, right click on the drive, choose properties. Click the...

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Are spices fattening? No. They contribute little in terms of food value, so they are negligible in terms of calorie/fat/protein/carb counting. They can be very valuable in keeping your weight loss diet interesting, enjoyable, and satisfying, and thus helping you stick to it. If anything, some of them are thought to be beneficial in terms of digestion and metabolism, but I wouldn't bank on that.

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Some prescriptions specify them not to be used in direct/indirect sunlight. What would happen if someone were exposed to sunlight while taking this drug? Some medications do indeed increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight or other UV light. While taking them you can sunburn or experience other reactions very easily. Here's an article about it: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/0009.Newton.photosensitiv.html

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Is it safe to take penicillin that is one year past its expiration date? The expiration dates of medications should be taken seriously. The big problem with medications, and penicillin maybe even more so than most, is loss of potency. So, maybe it's still safe, but not as effective as it needs to be. Throw it out. Another note about penicillin: you should NEVER have leftover penicillin or other antibiotic. They should be taken as directed until the...

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Can anti-psychotic medication cause breathing problems and throat irritation and tightness? I wouldn't be surprised, but without knowing the particular medication, it's impossible to say. There should be a patient information sheet which came with the prescription which describes known side-effects along with the appropriate response. If you don't have it, you can enter the name of the medication at one of the many prescriptioin drug reference sites, like...

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When I mistype a URL, IE sends me to a porn site instead of giving me an error. Obviously, I'm the victim of some mischief/spyware. How do I reset IE to work normally again? It's not necessarily malware. A great many possible typographical errors for popular websites have been registered by porn operators. So the mistyped URL can be resolved and you end up somewhere you didn't mean to go. One of the most egregious ones, for example (finally taken down, under enormous pressure), a couple of years back, was www.whitehouse.com. The official web site of the...

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I keep getting a window that reads: Internet Explorer Compatibility Mode, "This is being run in compatibility mode and not all features are enabled." How can I get out of this "mode"? It may be a setting in the shortcut. Right click on the icon you use to launch Internet Explorer, and choose Properties. If it's a shortcut, there will be a tab labelled Compatibility. Click on that, and if Compatibility Mode is checked, uncheck it. OK that, and then start IE and see what happens.

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Are there any species closely related to humans that a human could produce offspring with? If there were, it would have been done by now. Interfertility is what defines species. If a human can produce offspring with it, it's another human.

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Where can I locate Idaho renting and leasing laws? I want to know what is expected of the owner of an apartment. This looks like what you're looking for: http://www2.state.id.us/ag/consumer/tips/landlordtenant.pdf

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Are there any free websites that can assist me in finding places to rent in Los Angeles? Absolutely! rentwave.com apartmentguide.com apartmentfinder.com http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/rentals/ Just to name a few.

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I gave 30 days notice to my landlord, but before that time expired and before I'd moved my things out, other people are living there. Is this allowed? The only real answer is, check the terms of your lease. Assuming it is in compliance with your state's laws, it should detail how the lease is to be terminated.

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Are there any negative repercussions on a pregnant woman and child if both the mother and father have the same blood type and Rh factor? If I understand the question and medicine right, that is the best situation. There are a few copmlications which can result when a baby gets its blood type from the father, and is different from the mother. Rh differences can cause the grater proble, but even that is fairly readily managed in most cases these days. Here's a fairly thorough discussion: ...

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Can static electricity buildup in house wiring prevent you from connecting to the Internet? No. Static electricity does not build up in wiring. Even the presecence of a strong static or DC voltage outside the wire should not affect the connection. High frequency electrical fields near the phone wire or cable (as the case may be), such as might be caused by the wire running too close to a flourescent fixture, might cause problems.

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What is macaroni made of? Wheat, usually durum semolina, like other pastas.

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Is it true that the late actor Lamont Bentley was the brother of actor Blair Underwood? IMDb says yes. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0072840/bio

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What type of boat is a "ships boat"? There's not a single answer to that question. Any smaller boat carried by a ship for utility purposes is a ship's boat. Here's an fairly thorough article which discusses some of the boats which have been so designated over the years:http://website.lineone.net/~d.bolton/Ships/boats.htm

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Does using the defroster in a car lower your gas mileage? Most auto defrosters these days engage the A/C compressor automatically. Not for the cooling, but for the dehumidification. If you just blow hot air on a cold window, the moisture in the air will condense and fog it up on the inside. So the air is first dehumidified by the A/C evaporator, and then heated by the heater unit. So in most cases, the defroster will impact your gas mileage the same...

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How painful is it to give birth? This answer from a MALE, not a physician, but a father of 9 who has assisted in the birth of every one. It is often more painful than it has to be. It's not possible for me to quantify it, of course, but there is much which can be done to help, and I'm not meaning with drugs. Our first two were born using the more traditional hospital method with epidural anesthetic. The last 7,...

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What is the diagnosis for someone who scores low on IQ tests, does not accept the results, and says the tests are flawed? Why does there have to be a diagnosis? The tests are flawed, don't fully measure intelligence, and can be impacted by the subject's cultural background. If he/she seems to be otherwise successfully navigating his/her environment, he/she could be right.

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Are there laws regarding mandatory engine replacement over a specific interval of mileage in Japan? If I understood correctly when I briefly visited my son who was stationed there, they have a pretty stringent emissions test. I believe it's that which might prompt, due to repair costs to meet the standard, replacing the engine or entire vehicle at some point. I didn't hear any mention of a specified mileage. You won't see wheezy, smoky old clunkers running around there.

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We have 2 dogs and rented a house with a fenced yard. The fence was torn down so we told the landlord we needed it for our dogs, but he has shown no interest in our concern. Can we break our lease and move? Probably not, unless the fence was covered in the lease. The fact that he allows you to have pets does not obligate him to provide the containment, unless specified in the lease. If you're good tenants that he wants to keep, let him know that you will be looking for a more suitable place to move to as soon as the lease expires. Maybe he will be inclined to do something to keep you. But...

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Is decaffeinated coffee less harmful than regular coffee? Most of the issue with coffee is with caffiene. In fact, coffee is recently being recognized as a pretty potent source of antioxidants. Decaffienated coffee does still seem to have the antioxidant benefit. Choose water decaffienated if you're concerned about the solvents. It's generally considered to produce a better tasting result, too.

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How do I eliminate body odor even after bathing several times a day and washing my clothes constantly? If you're bathing several times a day, and washing your clothes constantly, and still have body odor, you have a medical condition which needs attention. More likely, nobody thinks you have BO but yourself, and if you can't relax about it, you may need some counseling before you run off everyone who might care what you smell like. Excessive bathing can do more harm than good by...

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Does exercising shrink the size of the penis? Never heard of it. There's no fat tissue that I know of. Actually, the flattening and toning of the muscles in the surrounding area can give the appearance of an increase. And being in better physical condition can make everything work better. So nothing to lose, lots to gain.

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What kind of oil should I use to stir fry vegetables to minimize smoke and to prevent the vegetables from burning on the edges? Peanut oil seems to be the preferred oil for stir frying, due to its high temperature tolerance, and neutral flavor. Sesame oil is used when its added flavor is desired, but its smoke point is a bit lower. Here's a nice article on cooking oils, including a chart with their smoke points, flavor characteristics, and preferred uses: http://missvickie.com/howto/spices/oils.html No oil...

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Is there a natural way to heal ear infections in small children? Maybe, maybe not. These middle ear infections, behind the eardrum, are not directly accessible from the ear canal. We generally tried to give any infection a few days to clear up on its own, rather than rushing to the doctor. Our idea was to give the child's immune system the chance to go at it, and hopefully to be stregnthened. We felt that we had some success with garlic oil as ear...

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Do some cultures express numbers differently than others? I teach English in Mexico, and my students are convinced that one billion should have 12 zeros, not 9. True? Poking around in the translator at dictionary.reference.com, it doesn't look like Spanish normally uses the word "billion". So it's probably just one of those mixups of language and culture, something like an idiom. The translator makes "thousand", "mil"; "million", "milones"; "billion", "mil milones"; and...

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Why has Charles Manson not been executed? The death penalty statute which was in effect at the time of the Tate-LaBianca murders was ruled unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court the year after Manson was convicted, so his death penalty was commuted to life in prison.

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Are electric guitars easier to play than acoustics? I find electric guitars easier to play than acoustics for two reasons. One is that electric guitars usually have lighter strings, making them easier to press to the frets. Additionally, the height of the strings above the frets is reduced on an electric, again requiring less effort. As set of ultra light guage strings with a neck angle that has them almost touching the frets (the adjustable...

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What ever happened to Kristy McNichol? Did she really have a nervous breakdown? I didn't find where she had a nervous breakdown. She did have recurring problems of bipoloar disorder (what used to be called "manic-depressive"). She finally thought it best for dealing with her condition to leave show business. At last report she was a high school drama teacher. Source: http://www.nndb.com/people/891/000025816/

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When making natural gas connections on home appliances, is it better to use 'plumbers putty' or teflon tape when installing these, and why? There may not be an absolutely correct answer, but I for one find the teflon tape more agreeable to work with. Look for the type made for gas lines. It's usually yellow. I'm not sure, by the way, if "plumber's putty" is suitable for gas connections; check the label for that application specifically. For gas connections, it's usually called "pipe dope",...

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What utilities (if any) are typically included if you rent a slip in a typical trailer park? It can vary a lot. Most common thing to include is water/sewer, since the water utility will rarely install a meter at each site. Electricity, maybe; trach pickup, maybe; phone/cable probably not.

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Why do mobile homes sit on blocks instead of being tied down for more security and safety? Sitting on blocks doesn't keep a MH from being tied down. It should be, and the only reason I can think of that it wouldn't is that the local building codes don't require it. I can't imagine anyplace where that's true anymore, but I suppose it's possible. maybe you should check. Underpinning is helpful and may also be required; it helps prevent wind from getting...

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My 4 year old daughter takes at least an hour to eat a small amount of her meal and will often regurgitate her food so she does not have to eat anymore. What is wrong her? Probably what's wrong with her is that she's a normal 4 year old. Food is one of the most basic power or control items for kids. Swallowing something is about the hardest thing for you to make her do, and consciously or subconsciously, she knows it. Do what you can to hollow out the victory. Don't stress over it. Maybe you can't make her eat something when she...

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What is the proper way to lift a toddler? In general not suddenly, to avoid a whiplash-like head movement. And especially, not suddenly by the hands--good way to dislocate a shoulder in the bargain. Most toddlers can support themselves for most anything within reason, if they have a chance to know it's coming and brace for it. That's not to excuse carelessness. The most secure lift is with both hands around the ribcage,...

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I lived in my parents' house for six years after their death, then sold it. Do I owe capital gains on the difference beteween the sale price and the value of the home at their death or the actual sale price? The difference. Your basis in the house will be its value when you inherited it. Any tax liability on that value would have been taken care of at the time. The tax rate will be a little more merciful since you held it more than two years and (I assume) it was your principal residence. I'm not a tax professional. This advice is worth what you're paying for it.

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If a hooded rat is nocturnal, does this also mean they can see in the dark? No animal can actually "see in the dark". Nocturnal animals do tend to have eyes which manage small amounts of light very efficiently, along with acute smell and hearing.

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How would one become a presidential speech writer? I'm not really being facetious when I say, get to be good friends with somebody who is going to be president in 10 or 20 years. During that time, you can hone your skills to know how to understand what he/she wants to say, and to word it skillfully, effectively, and memorably. Hopefully you will have plenty of opportunities to feed him/her good lines for the myriad speeches he/she will...

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How many people thought that they were the discoverer of America? From my understanding of history, I'm not sure anybody thought himself the discoverer of America. The original inhabitants, as well as the Vikings, and maybe others, don't seem to have had an image of the entire world in mind which would would have caused them to think of this particular body of land as different from any other. Of course, the idea that the world was round was well...

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My Windows XP system doesn't boot up correctly. It shuts down and restarts during start up. The problem occurred after I tried to install anti-spyware software. How can I fix this? Watch for the opportunity to use last known good configuration, or boot to safe mode. Then, either uninstall the anti-spyware, or use system restore to return to the state before the install. Double check to make sure the software is written for XP before you try to install it again, or get a fresh copy, in case the one you have is corrupted.

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In Windows ME, when I try to run disk defrag, the computer says that it cannot run because it is locked by a disk utility. What do I check for? From the Microsoft Knowledgebase: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/286810/EN-US/ SYMPTOMS When you attempt to run the Disk Defragmenter tool in Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), you may receive the following error message: Windows cannot defragment this drive now because it has been locked by a disk utility. Quit any utilities that may have locked this drive, and then try...

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Whatever happened to Michael Treanor from the 3 Ninjas movies? He was a talented karate student when he was recruited to do the first movie. After the second one, he decided he didn't care for acting, and has pretty much dropped out of sight. Here's about the most detailed info page I can find on him: http://www.geocities.com/threeninjafans/rockymt.htm

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Does coffee lose any caffeine if it sits out for a long time? Caffeine is a solid which is in solution in the coffee. Its sublimation point is 178 deg C, while the coffee will be less than 100 deg C, so no, the caffeine will not leave the liquid.

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Can they take you to jail for hiding a car from a repossessor? I suspect that they could. Assuming the repossessor is acting under the terms of the finance agreement, you might be accused of stealing or attempting to steal it. The finance company will have gained possession of the car by a court order, so you might be in contempt of court. At least, that is the opinion of this non-attorney.

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In layman's terms, what is the basic premise of John Nash's Nobel prize winning work Equilibrium? The Wikipedia article on the Nash Equilibrium puts it pretty well: "In game theory, the Nash equilibrium (named after John Nash who proposed it) is a kind of optimal collective strategy in a game involving two or more players, where no player has anything to gain by changing only their own strategy. If each player has chosen a strategy and no player can benefit by changing their strategy...

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If you are to be buried in the ground, must you be buried in a coffin? Nope. Coffins, vaults, and embalming are primarily for the comfort of the living, as a matter of cultural conditioning, and don't really have much practical value. Health Department requirements can be satisfied in other ways. "Green" or "natural" burials may be on the verge of becoming trendy. Check this article: ...

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Will closing an unused credit card account adversely impact my credit rating? Assuming the account has a zero balance, and was kept current when you used it, it could even help.

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I got a speeding ticket driving my father's car. Our names are the same except for our middle name, and the cop wrote my dad's name on the ticket since that's the name on the registration. Is this grounds for dismissal of the ticket? A minor typographical error of that sort isn't usually grounds for dismissing a ticket. It doesn't put any facts of the case in dispute.

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What is the difference between a second cousin and a first cousin, once removed? From Genealogy.com: Your second cousins are the people in your family who have the same great-grandparents as you., but not the same grandparents. The words "once removed" mean that there is a difference of one generation. For example, your mother's first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This is because your mother's first cousin is one generation younger...

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When is hurricane season for the Carribean islands and for the American Gulf coast? From the NOAA website: "When is hurricane season? Globally, September is the most active month, and May is the least active month of the hurricane season. In general, however, most tropical cyclones occur during the summer and autumn: July - October for the Northern Hemisphere and December - March for the Southern Hemisphere, when all of the necessary hurricane ingredients become most...

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Does anyone make an R/C model 747 airliner? Here's one painted as Air Force One: http://www.estesrockets.com/Air_Force_One_RC_Jum1268.html Here's another one, but it seems to be available only in the UK: http://www.gadgets.co.uk/boeing-747-300-radio-remote-control-jumbo-jet-plane.html

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The way Heaven is described in the Bible is streets of gold and rivers of crystals and jewels. Would the average person who is used to trees and flowers and home want that kind of setting? C. S. Lewis expressed it very colorfully when he compared it to a child who would not leave off making mud-pies in the slums because he could not imagine what was meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. (I did not put that in quotes, because I may not have it verbatim.) Those who reach that marvelous place will be so transformed in the process that they will be perfectly at home, supremely...

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Why is the Edsel considered the biggest "lemon" of all-time? Because the enormous resources and hype invested in it by the Ford Motor Company made it a very high profile failure and a huge embarassment for Ford. It was actually modestly successful during its short life by some standards. The car itself did have some quality control problems, but they don't seem to be what ultimately doomed it. It seems to be more a matter of terribly clumsy planning...

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How does gasoline dissolve asphalt to form potholes? Asphalt is a petroleum-based product used to bind an aggregate, usually gravel. So it can be dissolved in gasoline, and then it lets go of the aggregate.

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Does Air Force One really have an escape pod for the President like in the movies? From the Wikipedia article on Air Force One, referring to the movie of that name: " The film was noted for its fancifully exaggerated depiction of the plane's capabilities; for example, the real Air Force One does not carry an escape capsule." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_One Let me recommend the National Geographic video on Air Force One--your local library...

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Why do some people's mosquito bites not itch? The mosquito leaves behind traces of saliva, digestive enzymes, etc., which cause an allergic reaction. As with any allergen, different people vary in sensitivity. In fact, an individual's own sensitivity can vary over time. Informative, brief writeup here: http://www.drgreene.com/21_60.html

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Why do mosquito bites itch? They're not intentionally injecting a venom, like a bee sting, it's more inadvertent. Essentially, it's an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva, digestive enzymes, etc. For a little more thorough description, look here: http://www.drgreene.com/21_60.html

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What is PVC? I'll just add to what's been said that you should pay attention to the temperature and pressure ratings. PVC is generally only good for cold water. Get "Schedule 40" for water supply lines. For hot water, you'll need CPVC, which can be used for cold water as well. Here's a website with more infor than you'll probably want on the various plastic piping: ...

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My neighbor ran into my yard chasing his pups that had come onto my property. When my pitbulls saw the pups they chased my neighbor and bit him, and now he is threatening to sue. Am I at fault? I am not an attorney, and this is not legal advice. Its the opinion of some stranger on some website. You must decide if it has any value. It would seem to me that if your dogs were sufficiently restrained so that they could not cross your property line, you are in a pretty good position. The fact that this happened on your property, while your neighbor and his puppies were technically...

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My new landlord wants me to sign a lease, though I've lived here 10 years and have never been on a lease before. Do I have to sign it? No you don't have to sign it. Not unless you want to keep living where you are, that is. He's the property owner, and you are his guest, not a tenant. What he says goes. Without a lease, you don't really have any rights. You should be the one insisting on a lease. Assuming that you understand the terms, and they are consistent with the laws of your state, you should sign. ...

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What is the easiest way to cut the laminate on our countertops for resurfacing? You can simply do a rough cut with a circular saw with the blade reversed. Once the laminate is glued down, the final trim is done with a router and a special blade made for that purpose.

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What education is required to be an obstetrician? My understanding: You would go to medical school for your MD (that much is obvious, I guess). That would be followed be a residency, two years I think, in internal medicine. At that point, you could begin practice as an obstetrician. Most likely though, you would want to do an addtional residency, or fellowship, in obstetrics and gynecology.

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What can one do when a motor vehicle insurance company will not pay off when a vehicle was stolen and destroyed? If the insurance company is not living up to the terms of your policy, and you've already appealed up through their ranks, it's probably time to talk to your state's insurance commission. This will be the body which regulates their license to operate in your state.

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My car was damaged in a hit and run, then stolen, and my insurance company is combining the two claims. Is this legal? Probably. I guess what they're going to do is compensate you for the total loss of the car, essentially ignoring the earlier accident damage. If that's where they're headed, I think you'll be OK.

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Where can I find a world map that shows seismic fault lines? Here's a link to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazard site. Mostly focused on US and Wester Hemisphere, but it has some global maps, too. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/products/maps.html

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Is it common for kittens to fight all the time? Assuming they're not really hurting one another, yes. Stalking, pouncing, and scuffling is practice for adult hunting behaviors. Enjoy the antics.

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What is the difference between pastrami and corned beef? They are, as your question implies, very similar. They both start out pickled in brine. Corned beef is then boiled. Pastrami is smoked, and often encrusted with peppercorns. Pastrami comes form a word refering to preservation. The "corn" in corned beef refers to coarse grains ("corns") of salt. From articles at Reference.com: ...

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What is a silk opera? I can't find anything on a "silk opera" in terms of a musical form. It seems to be used only to refer to any number of elegant or formal pieces of apparel--top hats, scarves, gowns, gloves, and such--made of silk, as one might wear to the opera.

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Do Christians believe that people who have died go to heaven or that no one will go to heaven until "judgement day"? Along with Thom64, I see a sort of two-stage aspect to heaven. The Bible indicates that the saved dead are in a place of rest and comfort, but that there is a different, final, place--the new heaven and new earth. The dead--both saved and unsaved, in fact--are now souls separated from their bodies, and are now in places suitable for that condition, comforted or tormented. After the judgement,...

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If a person doesn't eat for 3 or more days will it be difficult for him/her to make him/herself eat again? That will depend on the reason for the not eating. There are lots of people who fast for 3 days and longer for religious and health reasons. For them it is purposeful, and they retain a healthy attitude toward food, so it's not really an issue of "making" themselves eat again, once they decide the purpose has been served. The reintroduction of food after this period of time must...

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Would it be possible to get deep vein thrombosis during sleep? It may be possible, but not likely, assuming you're not sleeping sitting up or in a tight space. When you're lying down, the effect of gravity pulling blood into your legs is reduced, so that the circulation will be better. Assuming you're in a relaxed position so that your legs aren't tightly bent and the veins aren't being constricted, the major culprits in DVT have...

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What did the "New Coke" of the late 80s taste like and how could I reproduce that taste? New Coke was a sweeter formula, more like that of PepsiCola, which seemed to be preferred in a number of taste tests. Here's a pretty good handling of that whole fiasco at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke

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What is the difference between an acoustic and a classical guitar? I learned this only recently myself, when my son took a liking to the classical style guitar. The primary difference--there could be other minor differences--is that the classical guitar has a slightly wider neck to accomodate slightly wider string spacing. This string spacing facilitates the classical style of play, with thumb and fingers, no pick.

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How did the first person to make a clock know what the correct time was? The sun. Simply set it by a sundial, or by some direct observation of the sun. And then you let your clock run, and see how close it is at noon the next day. The more precisely you can observe the sun's position, the more accurately you can calibrate your clock.

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What are the names of the Seven Seas? I think SilentSerenity's on the right track. Lists will vary with time and culture. The quantity seven would be favored because of its association with the idea of completion or totaltiy. I wouldn't be surprised if the person using the phrase rarely knows what he has in mind, but is simply using a picturesque phrase for "the entire world".

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Why do Atlantic hurricanes tend to move northwest, then turn north, and then northeast? From an article at the NASA kids' page: http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/hurricane/movement.html "The major steering wind influence of most U.S. hurricanes is an area of high pressure known as the Bermuda High. This high pressure dome is over the eastern Atlantic Ocean in the winter, but shifts westward during the summer months. The clockwise rotation of air associated with...

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Two days after I purchased a new car in Florida I found the price on the sales contract was different than agreed. Can I do anything about it? If you're saying the contract was altered after you signed it, then you have a fraud action. Presumably you got a copy of what you signed. If you're saying you signed something without reading and/or understanding it, you may be stuck, unless you can make a good case for a fraudulent intent on the part of the dealer.

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I bought a car without a drivers license after the dealership told me I could, but after I signed the contract they told me I need to get my license. Can I cancel the contract? I hope the car dealership isn't trying to give out legal advice, and that you don't think that's what you're getting. It may be that it is legally, technically possible for you to buy the car and transfer the title. But it may also be that you can't register it with your state. If you are required to show that you have liability insurance before you can register it, you...

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How do you fix scratched CDs? Depends on which side is scratched, of course. The working layer is actually on "top", the label side. If this surface becomes scratched, so that you can see light through it, there's no fixing it. The underside, which the laser of the reader shines through, is relatively thick, but is just clear plastic, so some pretty ugly scratches can be repaired. The goal is to smooth out...

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Is it true that WWE wrestlers cut themselves to make wrestling moves look more realistic? If so, why? I have read that they do indeed. But we're talking small, inconsequential cuts in strategic places. When you're hot and sweaty, you can get a scary looking stream of blood mixed with sweat, with no more than you might do to yourself shaving. Just givin' the fans what they pay for.

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Is the blood in the WWE real? I can't say always, but very often it is. I read an article about this a while back. Turns out that when you're exerting and hot and sweaty like these guys, a tiny cut in the right place, like on the forehead at the hairline, will produce a scary looking, but inconsequential, stream of blood, with no significant pain or risk. Some people's body chemistry makes them really good...

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What are the consequences if you win an eBay auction but don't pay? Your privileges can be restricted or teminated. http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/unpaid-item.html From eBay: Unpaid Item Policy Buyers automatically enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller if they win the online auction or use the Buy It Now feature. eBay's Unpaid Item policy requires buyers to pay the seller for the items that they commit...

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Why can't you sell lottery tickets on Ebay? Essentially, what eBay is saying is that laws vary so much from state to state, that it would be impossible to comply with all of them within their format. From the source: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/lottery.html Lottery Tickets eBay does not allow the sale of lottery tickets. Why does eBay have this policy? eBay urges its sellers and buyers to comply with all...

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If Adam and Eve were the first humans, did they look like monkeys, as that's where evolution tells us we started? The theory of evolution precludes the idea of personal, identifiable, Adam and Eve. If you accept the book of Genesis at face value, then Adam and Eve looked more or less like the average human. Well, the average human--by which I mean average of all the variations that we call "race" along with other physical variations--minus all the flaws related to genetic and environmental...

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What is a lobbyist and its role in governement? "Lobbyist" of course is not an official or constituonally established position. It is simply an outgrowth of our representative form of government. The term itself refers to the image of these special interest agents hanging out in the lobby of the Capitol, watching for the opportunity to speak to legislators on behalf of their cause. Lobbyists may be volunteer, non-profit, or for...

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Are US Navy Seals considered the most highly trained of the US armed forces? Maybe not. Most highly trained may be the Pararescuers. Check this training regimen: http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0200/pjsb2.htm And this quote: One Army Special Forces sergeant major, who asked not to be identified, said, “PJs are the best trained special ops forces in the Defense Department — bar none — but you’ll never hear me admit that in public.” From this...

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What is the most elite military force in the US armed forces? There's probably no right answer here, there will be many opinions, and there might be different ways of scoring. One often unsung unit is the Air Force Pararescue. Disclosure: I have a son in the Air Force, who's not a PJ himself, but could be in a position to depend on them for his life sometime. As for elite, there are only about 300 in active duty. I found this at...

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How do you measure the height of a tree? Here's something from high school geometry that I've actually used. Go out mid-morning or mid-afternoon on a sunny day, and measure the length of the tree's shadow. Then measure the length of the shadow of something short enough to measure readily, like a post or a person. The ratio of the length of the shadow of the known object to its actual height will be the same as of the...

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Is it true that in the US more people are born on September than any other time of the year? I did find this US Dept of Health and Human Services report for the year 2000, the latest they seem to have available. It shows births for every day of the year. It puts September third, behind August and July. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/statab/t001x16.pdf

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What version of Windows is recommended for a computer with a P3 933Mhz processor? That processor probably came in a PC with Windows 2000 or Me originally. But it can run XP Home or Pro just fine. Lots of them are doing it. I might add that if they haven't been upgraded, the original hard drive and RAM are probably smallish by today's standards. An OS upgrade might also be a good time to get a bigger drive--you'd have hard time finding anything smaller than...

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I own a home I want to sell. If I find a new home, buy it, move out of first home and into second home but can't afford both notes before the first home sells what happens? The mortgage company for your new home will very likely make satisfying the mortgage on your previous home a condition. That is, you will have to close on the sale of your previous home before you can close on the puchase of another. What you will do if you find a home you want to buy is that you will make an offer which will be contingent on the sale of your home by some date, maybe 60 or 90...

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When spacecraft visit other planets, why can't they take colour photos? JackScotty and IntellectualCritic are correct in their discussions of technological difficulties, but those have been overcome in the case of the Mars Rovers, which are taking color photos.

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How long would it take for a radio signal to complete a round trip between Earth and Saturn? Radio signals travel at the speed of light. The distance from the Earth to the Sun is counted as one Astronomical Unit (AU), and the light from the Sun takes about 9 minutes to cover that distance. Saturn is measured at 9.5 AU, so that the closest Earth and Saturn ever get would be about 8.5 AU. I'm ignoring irregularities in the orbits and simply assuming they're round, which...

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My 1964 Chevy Impala with 283 cubic inch engine has developed a high speed miss/sputter. Changing the fuel filter didn't fix the problem. What could be wrong? If your car still has the original, non-electronic ignition, you might look to the points. If the spring which closes the points has weakened, then they may not be closing reliably at high speed (point float).

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Why do babies like to grab at your groin area? I don't know that it's a matter of preference. I think that the way we frequently hold babies simply puts that area at the end of their arm. In other positions, it might be your ear, glasses, or nose.

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Are there any causes for constant baby crying other than hunger, illness or the need to be changed? A baby crying for no obvious reason is very possibly just colicky, as other answers have already suggested. But do make sure, check him/her over. We once found a loop of thread from a sleeper caught around a toe and cutting in pretty tight. Ouch! The reason there is so little known about colic is that there do not seem to be any lasting ill effects once the baby grows out of it--usually by...

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Are a babies breasts supposed to stick out and feel like two little marbles? Babies do frequently experience a little breast enlargement as a result of hormones transferred from the mother. It's temporary and will subside over time. See the earlier question about breast buds.

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What is the soft spot on a baby's forehead after birth and is it harmful to the baby to touch it? Here's a fairly straightforward answer from ZeroToThree.org: "Don't be afraid of the soft spot The soft spot ("fontanel") represents the area where the unconnected skull bones come close to each other, but don't actually attach. The area between the bones ("the soft spot") is lined with a tough, canvas-like material that protects the brain. This...

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How often must a new mother hold her infant to promote the infant's good mental health? I don't know that it's possible to define a minimum, and there's probably no such thing as too much. Just the necessity of regular care--feedings, diaper changes, baths--will probably dictate an appropriate amount. Breast feeding is a big boost to mother-infant bonding. Anonymous, the question didn't say anything about the mother's attitude, so I assumed it was in...

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How do you make Common Crackers? All I could find was this recipe at Food Network, which looks to be a quick recipe for a substitute. The only reference I could find to making them at home said that nobody does it, because it's too tedious, and they rarely turn out as good as store bought. Common Crackers Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence Ingredients 2 to 3 cups crushed saltine crackers (crackers wrapped in a tea towel...

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What car company produces hearses? Of course, none of the automobile manufacturers build hearses at their factories. Custom body and coach builders, such as those who produce stretch limos and buses, build hearses on chassis primarily from Cadillac and Lincoln. Other large, luxury car chassis, such as Mercedes Benz, are also used. Here is one list of limo builders. You'll find that many but not all of them also prepare...

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Why do graphing calculators still use graphics from outdated times? I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "graphics from outdated times", but I assume you're talking about low resolution monochrome. The reason is rather straightforward: they still perform a useful function at a price people will pay. A high resolution color display exacts a price in processor power, memory, battery life, and cost. For less than $150, there is still a market...

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Can you convert your trailer/mobile home into a permanent home after moving it out of a trailer park? It might depend on how you define "permanent". Here's what you can do: Set up the home on your own land, with a good, solid footer and tie-down system. Remove the suspension and tongue, and underpin with brick. That is as near to a peramnent installation as you will come. The final step is to have the home and land titled as one. You can get the instructions at your county...

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I just started renting a house and signed a lease for six months, but now the homeowner wants to sell. What are my rights? Your lease contract will include the terms and conditions under which he, or you, can terminate the agreement early. It will cover such things as notifications and penalties. Presumably that contract will comply with the laws of your state. If not, your state's laws will govern.

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Can I tell my car dealer I don't want to finance the tax, but will pay it separately from the financing amount? All it will really amount to is that you increase your down payment by that amount.

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How did "cruellers" get their name? I had to Google the Americanized spelling "crullers" to find this item on Food Network: "Sometimes a cruller is a doughnut dough leavened with yeast or baking powder that's shaped into a long twist, deep fried and sprinkled with sugar or glazed with a thin icing. The traditional French cruller is made from pate a choux and is basically hollow. The word "cruller"...

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How did Napoleon ice cream acquire its name? You're thinking of "Neapolitan", no doubt. It of course refers things or people from the city of Naples, Italy. I'll let Wikipedia take it from there: "Neapolitan is a kind of ice cream, or more precisely, of ice cream packaging. The box (or tub, bar, etc.) is divided into three flavors, usually strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. Other combinations are possible,...

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Are female gymnasts typically flexible and short from training or do they have these traits from birth? As in most athletic endeavors, there is a combination of natural gifting and development through training.

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My wife wants me to get a vasectomy. After the surgery will I feel different sexually? In my experience, and that of most other men, no. I didn't experience this personally, but I understand that there's a period of mental adjustment for some guys.

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When does a man's penis stop growing? At about the time his other final adolescent growth stops.

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Can you ejaculate too much fluid? Not that I know of. The amount will vary depending on how long it's been since last time. And of course there might be considerable variation among individuals.

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Can a person evicted in under 30 days according to Virginia law given that he pays a nominal rent and there is no written lease? In most cases, if you do not have a lease, you don't have the normal tenant's rights. You are essentially a houseguest, and the owner of the property can have you to leave at any time. To establish that there was some sort of verbal agreement which would be legally binding would be a real chore. That there has been some money changing hands might be to your advantage there. But I...

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Do born again Christians believe that dinosaurs once existed? It is a common mis-apprehension or even mis-representation of the Biblical creationist position that we reject science. What we reject is non-empirical speculation masquerading as science. The Biblical account has no problem with the existence of dinosaurs. We do not discount the fossils. We do question the time scale and scenario proposed for them. The fossils exist in the present, are dug up...

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My computer won't power on after a lightning storm. It wasn't plugged into a surge protector, but can I still repair my computer? There's not a simple answer to that question. You may have suffered damage to more than one component. Hopefully, it's only your power supply which is damaged, and just replacing that will take care of without tremendous expense, or data loss. There is a possibility your motherboard is damaged in addition, or instead. That will be more expensive. The worst case scenario would not...

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If 2 identical vehicles were accelerating on dry pavement, one with standard tires and the other with oversized tires, would it take the same amount of time for both vehicles to stop? Your question asks about both acceleration and stopping, so I'm not sure which you really meant, but both are essentially the same thing, so I can answer both simultaneously. In theory, the tire which is placing more rubber into contact with the pavement will have more friction, and thus would be able to make use of greater acceleration or deceleration force, thus resuslting faster...

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When and who first used the word "dinosaur"? From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur The superorder or clade "Dinosauria" was formally named by the English scientist Richard Owen in 1842. The term is a combination of the Greek words deinos ("terrible" or "fearfully great" or "formidable") and sauros ("lizard" or "reptile"). Contrary to popular perception, the...

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Why aren't new levels added to an existing building when more space is needed? Unless the building was designed with possible expansion in mind, the foundation and framing would not likely be able to properly support the extra weight and wind resistance. Upgrading those components after the fact would be prohibitively expensive if not impossible and dangerous. Our local hospital, by the way, WAS designed and constructed to allow for additional floors, which were indeed...

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I inherited a property, paid the required inheritance taxes and now want to sell it for more than it was appraised for. How much capital gains tax do I have to pay? Your "basis" should be the amount it was appraised for, and on which you paid the inheritance tax. That will be subtracted from your selling price, along with other associated expenses, to come up with the capital gain, on which the tax will be calculated.

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Modern politics aside, why did Jesus live in "Palestine" but call himself an Israeli? Modern politics aside, this question wouln't exist. I'm not sure the term "Palestine" was much in use in Jesus' day. Israel had a national existence in this land since the time of Joshua. Even though they were now only a province of Rome, that identity was still recognized. In 70AD, that nationalist spirit finally became more than Rome could bear, and it was brought to...

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Modern politics aside, why did Jesus live in "Palestine" but call himself an Israeli? Modern politics aside, this question wouln't exist. I'm not sure the term "Palestine" was much in use in Jesus' day. Israel had a national existence in this land since the time of Joshua. Even though they were now only a province of Rome, that identity was still recognized. In 70AD, that nationalist spirit finally became more than Rome could bear, and it was brought to...

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I keep finding almost brand new, but used, cars for incredibly cheap prices. Why would someone sell at such low prices and should I consider buying one? A car which is selling for considerably below book value, or considerably below other similar cars in the area, is a may have some hidden problem. You might consider one if you have engaged some expert, disinterested opinions. Ask the seller a lot of questions, including "Why are you selling this car so cheap?" Check out the serial number on Carfax.com. Take it to a reputable mechanic...

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Does running multiple programs instead of one on my computer consume more energy? The one thing I can think of that might increase energy consumption, though only slightly, would be additional hard disk activity. The drive will be called upon to support the needs of both programs, and to manage memory swapping for virtual RAM unless there is plenty of system RAM for both.

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Why is Australia considered an island and a continent, but Greenland is not? Here's a pretty good, thorough answer from http://users.erols.com/jcalder/CONTISLAND.html There is an important point made here that may raise questions in some minds: that Australia is considerably larger than Greenland. On a flat map, they usually look very similar in size, but this is a distortion due to Greenland's proximity to the poles and Australia's proximity to the...

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What is wireless networking? Just what the name implies: computer networking without wires. It's done with radio transmitting and recieving, using the same frequencies as cordless telephones. Rather than having a network cable plugged into the back of the computer or other device, there's just an antenna.

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What determines the length of a man's penis? Genetics. Your father, mostly. Which means, as I have read, that if he had enough to get the job done, you probably do, too. True inadequacy in that department would be eliminated from the gene pool pretty quickly. All rather reassuring, don't you think?

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Why do you tend to see fewer flies in the winter? Cooler temperatures lower their metabolic rate and thus their activity and reproduction. Many will be frozen to death. This is true of insects in general, which are cold blooded.

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How does the act of killing Jesus Christ redeem us? Because there's much more to it than that. Even though it was the sinful hands of sinful men that did the deed, it was Jesus willingly offering His life for the sins of all men. He said that it was within His own power to choose to lay down His life or not. God laid all our sins on Him; as He was dying physically He was also suffering in His soul for sin. Now, redemption can be offered...

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Why does the US government think it is unacceptable for other countries to have nuclear weapons, while the US can have them? It's actually fairly simple in principle: we think we can be trusted to use or not use them for the right purposes, we're not so sure about anybody else. Now to some folks, this makes perfect sense, and to others it's ludicrous.

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How can I determine the tax liability on a second home that I have sold? You will need to calculate "basis", which is the term for the amount of your investment. That will be subtracted from the "proceeds to seller" to determine your capital gains. The capital gains tax rate will depend on how long you have owned the property. Additionally, some of your gain may be ordinay gain rather than capital gain. This publication from the IRS is sure to...

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Why are motorcycles called "crotch rockets"? Scymitar72 has found the description of the motorcycle which usually gets this designation, but I think the term itself taps into the Freudian/phallic symbol quality of motorcycles in general and these especially virile ones in particular

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What US states and countries that Jack in the Box has operations in? This map fron their website indicates that their operations are restricted to the US at present. They are big along the West Coast and Texas, sparsely represented or non-existent in the midwest, and are having some success in the Southeast. They do have operations in Hawaii. http://www.jackinthebox.com/locations/index.php?section=5

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The electrical system in my 69 Camaro died. The battery measures 12.72V, but when I turn on any electrical item the volt meter drops 0.5 to 5V. Fuses are fine. What could be wrong? If you're truly measuring just the battery--by which I mean that your voltmeter probes are contacting the lead of the battery posts, then it sounds like the battery itself. If you're probing at the back of the terminals, where the wires connect, then you have a high resistance--probably corroded--connection. Place one probe on the negative post of the battery and one on the frame. If...

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How do I add an SCSI interface to my computer? It's an expansion card. You just plug it in to a slot and, depending on the card and your OS, it will be plug and play or you may manually load the driver. There may be a little BIOS setup if you want a SCSI device to be bootable. Make sure you know which particular flavor SCSI the device you have needs: SCSI I, SCSI II, Fast, Wide, Ultra, etc, and make sure the SCSI card supports at least...

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How do you remove the odor of smoke from a sofa and love seat? A good sunning and airing will help, if you can get them outside. Additionally, or instead, Febreze is pretty good stuff and definitely worth a try.

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If faster-than-light propulsion existed so we travel at FTL speeds, how can we cancel out the effects of the Theory of Relativity? If you had FTL propulsion and could travel FTL, you would have already cancelled the effects of Rleativity.

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If my name is on the deed but not the mortgage notes on a home, how will that affect my credit? I don't know that it would directly affect your credit one way or the other, as the credit agency reporting would not involve your credit record. However, the lien or encumberance against the property would, I think, reduce its value as one of your assets.

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What is the minimum age to own/rent a home and why? I'm neither a real estate agent nor an attorney, but here's my understanding. Once you've reached the age of 18, and can sign legally binding agreements on your own, you could buy or rent a home, at least technically. Few 18-year-olds, however, have the credit history, job stability, life stability, down payment, or income level to be considered a good credit/security risk,...

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Why are pizzas packed and delivered in square boxes rather than round boxes? As a former pizza delivery person, I'm going to guess it's simple economics: Square boxes are the cheapest to produce. It's a simpler, more natural shape for folding flat cardboard. It might involve a little more paper, but less labor. Occaisionally, a premium, higher margin product, calzone or some such, does merit a distinctive box. Now, if a round box cost say, an extra two...

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Why doesn't Taco Bell have operations south of the US border while other American fast food chains do? I'll hazard a couple of guesses. One, they already have plenty of Mexican food, so Taco Bell would almost be a mockery. Two, Taco Bell's "Remember the Alamo" design theme might not play so well there.

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Why doesn't Jack in the Box have operations anywhere east of the West coast? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm in South Carolina, about as far east of the West Coast as you can get on dry land, and Jack in the Box has been quite successful here for several years My apologies, Schultz. I can see that my answer could be taken as demeaning or insulting. I assure you it wasn't intentional. I should have looked at this first: the location map...

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Can a woman really have a male friend with no romantic tension? Let's just say it's a minefield. A strong friendship of respect and trust will lead to an emotional intimacy. Romance easily blossoms in that environment, as is appropriate; what better foundation for lasting love? So while it might seem to be staying Platonic for a while, one or the other or both of you might one day discover that a strong romantic or sexual attraction has developed....

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What is cardiovascular exercise? The term cardovascular refers to your heart and circulatory system. Any exercise which raises your heart rate significantly or simply encourages circulation should help your cardovascular fitness. Aerobic exercises generally would fit that category, but not exclusively. Walking for example, while not aerobic, is good for your circulation.

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What are kegels? Nice, concise answer from Wikipedia: A Kegel exercise, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, is one designed to exercise the pubococcygeal muscles. These muscles are sometimes called the "Kegel muscles" in reference to the exercise. The aim of Kegel exercises is to restore muscle tone and strength to the pubococcygeal muscles in order to prevent or reduce pelvic floor problems. Kegel...

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Why do items have a "Made in..." label on them? In the USA, Customs, FTC, and USDA have "country of origin" labelling requirements, as do similar departments of many other countries. For example, here is the FTC requirement for the use of the "Made in USA" label: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/madeusa.htm

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What type of criminal/civil suit charges could I file against the person involved in an affair with my husband? Whether it's progress or not is another question, but there is little you can do along these lines anymore. "Alienation of Affection" is generally considered a quaint relic of a bygone era, and there are only a handful of states left where you can even begin to file such a suit. It's doubtful that she has broken any criminal law, unless she has taken anything without your...

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How can I create an e-mail program that will automatically send a confirmation e-mail back to the sender upon receipt of a message? Relsqui is right, it's easier said than done. It's an issue of security. In Internet mail, the email server, the sender's mail client, and the receiver's mail client are all independent. In order to get the receiver's mail client to automatically send a confirmation, the sender would have to be able to gain some level of control over the receiver's mail client. A...

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What software is used create Flash games? Macromedia is the developer of Flash. They have a number of creative products which you can see at their website: http://www.macromedia.com/

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What does the Bible say about reincarnation? About reincarnation--a soul returning to earth in an unrelated body--nothing. The consistent teaching of the Bible is that death is final, so far as this earth is concerned. For example, Hebrews 9:27-28 (NKJV) "27) And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28) so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will...

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What happened to the Pharisees later in their lives? I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I assume you mean, how did they fare after Jesus' time? They went on more or less as usual, maintaining there position and image, and attempting to suppress the early Christians. Saul of Tarsus, of course, was one of them initially, but the Savior had other plans. Then, he had to contend with them. Their way of life would have pretty...

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There was a fire in a condo, caused by a child playing with matches. Can other condo renters sue the child's renter for liability and damage to their unit? Possibly. Actually, your own insurance company probably can guide you on this as well as anybody. In fact, once they have taken care of getting your place fixed, they may attempt to recover from the other party, without your having to bother--and looking like the bad guy.

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When are you generally supposed to change your seasonal wardrobe? Traditionally, where I'm from, it's Easter and Labor Day. The end of summer and warm weather wear is less rigidly fixed than the beginning. You wear your first pastels to church on Easter Sunday.

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How can I find the date my house was built (as the date is not listed on the deeds)? Here's a trick I learned a while back. Lift the lid off the toilet tank. There should be a manufacure date on the inside wall of the tank. That date will probably be only a few months before the toilet was installed. If the toilet hasn't been replaced--and you can usually find out or tell if they have--that will give you a pretty good fix on the construction date.

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Does a neighbor or post office have the right to force us to leave the neighbor's mailbox on our property? A certain number of feet from the edge of the road is considered to be public right of way. The Postal Service does have the right to determine mailbox placement. So long as the mailbox is within the right of way, you are obliged to share that space, even though it is technically yours.

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If a piece of land is covered in high tide, does the landowner own that area of water? My understanding of real estate law is that the property line is usually defined by the high tide line. So land covered by high tide would usually be public property. This is a frequent issue on beachfronts. No matter how exclusive the neighborhood, anybody can walk down your beachfront below the high tide line. Or walk out to a sandbar that's exposed. I'm not an attorney, there...

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What is the origin of the name "MAILER-DAEMON"? I think the "mailer" part will be self explanatory once we deal with the word "daemon". It's pronounced the same and is from the same root as "demon". One of the senses of the word "demon" is "a skillful and helpful spirit". That is the sense in which it is used in programming. There might be any number of "something-daemons" in a...

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What cars are best suited for tall people? There's not actually an easy answer for this. It may be generally so that large cars have more room, but you can't count on it. And some small cars are intelligently laid out to fit a surprising range of driver dimensions. It will depend on whether you're long-legged, long-armed, long-torsoed. You'll probably want to study several good ratings and reviews, like Consumer...

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If you no longer can afford a car and want to surrender the vehicle how do you go about doing this? A voluntary reposession should be your last resort. Is there any chance you could sell the car yourself for the amount of the loan? The lending institution doesn't want your car, they want the money. Maybe they will work out some revised payment schedule. Even in a voluntary reposession, they will sell the car for what they can get, and you will still owe any shortfall. And your credit...

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I've just purchased a used vehicle for much more than its book value. Can I somehow get the difference back? If you've already signed all the paperwork and handed over the money you may be stuck. "Buyer beware" is certainly the watchword in buying used cars. The time to be checking book values was before doing the deal. You can always ask the dealer; if he's interested in maintaing goodwill, he might work with you. If you can show some sort of fraud or bad faith on his part, that...

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Did the Soviet Union ever successfully send men to the moon using their own spacecraft? No. The only men ever to reach the moon were NASA astronauts--American citizens all. There were six landings--Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17--thus twelve astronauts who have walked on the moon. Apollo 13 of course, made history in its own way. If memory serves, the Soviet Union was making only token efforts to reach the moon by the late 60's, when it was clear they were being...

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If my credit rating is low and I'm in a bad credit status, can I still get financed having been on my job for eight years? Being in a stable employment situation is a definite plus. If you haven't moved often lately, that's good too. But you will be a poor credit risk until you have brought your debt situation current, and have kept it that way for a while, and have reduced your debt load to a manageable amount. You can probably still get financing, but you will pay a high interest rate, and may need a...

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When you have a linear graph with a positive slope the x and y variables are said to be directly proportional, what If you have a linear graph with a negative slope? Is it inversely proportional? I thought the moderators had removed my embarrasingly incorrect answer, but it just turns out that the question is repeated. This has spurred me to look for a correct answer. In my technical field, we sometimes use the term "inversely proportional" in the situation you describe, but that is sloppy at best, and just wrong at worst. I can't find any term for the negative linear...

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My 1990 Honda Accord over heated and split the top hose from clamp to clamp. I've replaced the t-stat, sensor, and fuse, but the fan will not kick on although it has power going to it. What's wrong? If you're saying you can measure 12 volts accross the wires going to the fan motor, then it's the motor itself, either siezed or burned out.

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Can a person believe in both the evolutionary theory and Creationism? It is apparently possible, for many people do it, or at least claim to. I think that it sets one up to live with any number of logical inconsistencies, and if one claims to believe the Bible, Biblical inconsistiencies as well. The evolution theory, as best I can tell, exists to explain our existence without reference to God. Richard Dawkins in "The Blind Watchmaker" said that...

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Is man truly made in the "image" of God? Thom64 handled this pretty well, but I think there is one other interesting aspect in which man is in God's image: the design of our bodies. I think the incarnation of God in the Man, Christ Jesus, was anticipated in creation. So our bodies were designed to suitably house God. Among the requirements, the capacity for complex speech, to express abstract ideas, would be absolutely essential...

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What's the longest documented time (non-biblical) that someone has survived without food and water? Without water you will last about 2 1/2 days at 48°C (120°F) if you spend the whole time resting in the shade, though you could last as long as 12 days if the temperature stays below 21°C (70°F). From www.WildSurvival.com I was unable to find any actual documented cases. With water, but no food, hunger strikers have survived a little over 40 days; some people put 8 weeks as the upper limit.

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What is the fuel mileage of a 747 while it carries the Shuttle? I didn't find an outright answer to that question, so I'm surmising one. I found this related to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), as NASA calls it: Range : Typical mated, 1000 nautical miles (with reserves); maximum unmated, 5500 nautical miles Fuel Capacity 47,210 gallons (316,307 lbs) jet fuel So let's say that allowing for the reserves mentioned, it uses 40,000...

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Why can't the Space Shuttle land on its own when returning to Earth? I going to guess the question has to do with why the Space Shuttle makes a "dead stick" glider landing, rather than a powered landing as a jet. That non-powered landing is inconvenient at times, and means that there is only one pass to get it right, no wave off and try again. It's a matter of weight and other practical factors. In order to use the Shuttle's rocket engines...

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How much UV light escapes from a plasma tv and is it a hazardous level? According to this item form a plasma display promotional site, it's less than given off by a traditional CRT tube. This rings true to me, based on the nature of the technology. UV is used internally to cause the color phosphors to glow, meaning that the UV is mostly absorbed internally. Misconception #7: Plasma TVs give off a lot of radiation. This rumor just might be the most...

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I have a 82810e chipset motherboard. Can I install 1gb ram in it? Here's a link to the Intel specs. If I read it right, this chipset is limited to 512Mb (4x128Mb). ftp://download.intel.com/design/chipsets/datashts/29067602.pdf

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Does the motherboard determine what type of CPU can be used in a the PC? How? The motherboard's job is to support the CPU with all manner of services. It provides the system clock, and access to the RAM, among others. Different CPU's have different requirements for how these are handled, so they must indeed be mated to an appropriate motherboard. What you will typically find is that the motherboard will support a particular class of processor, say PIII or PIV,...

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What is the origin of the term to "jerry rig"? Already answered. Enter the term "jerry-rigged" in the "Find Answers About" box.

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I like to take pictures of people in the street. Is there a law forbidding this practice? If you are on your own or public property, and the people you photograph are in the open so that they have no "reasonable expectation of privacy", then it's probably not illegal. If you're targeting or following a person in particular for a lot of pictures, you might at some point be accused of harrassment or stalking, I suspect.

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How can a previously homeschooled child adjust to public or private school? S/He should be OK with some parental support and understanding. Homeschooled children usually have learned some flexibility and adaptibility, so if the change is approached positively it should be manageable. Here's one article with some encouragement: http://www.familyeducation.com/experts/advice/0,1183,25-26091,00.html

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Are humans predisposed to associating the color white with good and the color black with bad, therefore making us innately racist? Hmmm...this one could be tricky. I think the white/black good/bad association is fairly natural, because of the association of light with good and darkness with evil. Evildoers prefer the darkness to hide their deeds. The one-off association then, to light and dark people may be a sad corollary, but I don't think it is inevitable. I think it is mostly a matter of conditioning, one way or...

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Why did the US attack Iraq, but not attack North Korea? In a word, China. North Korea's close relationship with China means that a conflict with North Korea could easily involve China. More positively, though, China's influence has some stabilizing effect on Kim Jong Il; he is less likely to actually do anything except bluster, since China wants to maintain good relations with the US. Sadam Hussein was not seen to have any such big brother...

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Now that the Cold War is over, where are the US and former-USSR nuclear missles aimed? Officially, at least, nowhere. Over the past decade or so, there has been quite a bit of talk involving the US, former USSR, and China, about "detargeting". These countries claim to have removed targeting information from their active missiles. Of course, this detargeting is virtually impossible to verify, and retargeting takes just minutes.

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How can I tell if software includes spyware or adware? It will take a careful reading of the End User License Agreement (EULA). You should be given an opportunity to read it before doing the install. That's a long, tedious read, so most people don't bother, and just OK past it. "Free" software should always be suspect.

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Is it okay to have an interest only mortgage for 6 months to 2 years, if you are on a fixed income or retired? If you're on a fixed income/retired, and your home is paid for, maybe what you want is a "reverse mortgage". They can be a good option for some folks in that situation, and provide a regular flow of cash. Here's info from AARP: http://www.aarp.org/money/revmort/

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Is it possible to transfer real estate property to my son? Is there another way to secure personal property from liability? If there's already some established liability, it's too late. Or if there's something you anticipate in the very near future, it's probably too late. Otherwise, you can give your son property, probably for some amount like "One dollar, love and affection". You will want an attorney to advise you about the tax and liability implications.

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Can a home owner leave money in their escrow account and borrow from it later? If you can, it would be a poor way to save money, and a hassle. Why not put this extra money in your own savings account, CD, or Money Market? That way, you'll earn a little interest, maybe at least keep up with inflation, and have easier access to it.

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Is it legal to buy a 4 units build with 80% loan from the bank and the 20% with the seller financing? Legal, probably, unless you're witholding from the bank the fact that you're borrowing the other 20%; then it could be fraud. The bank is likely assuming that the 20% is from your own pocket, and may not agree to your financing that portion. If they do, they will insist that the seller be the "second mortgage", so that their interest is protected first. So long as...

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I got a ticket by illegally driving in the carpool lane for only a few seconds. Can I contest the ticket? Did you get the ticket for driving in the lane, or for entering or exiting at the wrong spot? If it is your contention that you were initially unaware the you were in a carpool lane, and that you got out as soon as you found out, it might be worth your time to tell that to the judge. He might give you a break.

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I got two speeding tickets. If I put off the court date until I turn 18 will the tickets be dismissed? Traffic tickets are not like criminal charges. There is no juvenile/adult distinction. When you get a driver's license, regardless of your age, you are responsible for abiding by the law. Putting off the court date until you're 18, assuming you could even do it, wouldn't make any difference.

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If I tell a lie in my dream, does God still consider this a real lie? I can't see in the Bible any suggestion that we have conscious control of our dreams. So, I doubt that a lie in a dream would "count" as a specific sin. However, don't let yourself off the hook yet. What the lie in the dream does is reveal and reflect your sinful nature. It is this "pervasive" (to use the theological term) sinfulness which I believe to be the big...

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Must I have good credit to lease a home? Your credit score will be a factor in evaluating your ability to fulfill the conditions of your lease. It will affect the amount of rent you will be able to sign for, and you may find yourself needing a cosigner.

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Is there such a thing as a cooling unit (as in A/C) that I can plug into my car's lighter? If so, where could I buy one? As you can see from the answer to the question about the window unit, the amount of power required for a unit sufficient to cool the interior of your car could not be supplied by the lighter. The little thermoelectric coolers you can get take 6 or 8 amps. The lighter is probably wired and fused for 15 or 20 amps--not enough for the purpose. The entire output of your car's electrical system...

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When I am stuck in traffic the temperature of the radiator rises very high before the fan comes on. What could cause this? The first suspect would be the thermostatic swith itself that turns on the fan. It is probably screwed into a fitting at the bottom of the radiator. I don't know of a good way to test it, about all you can do is replace it and see what happens.

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Are there scientific studies to support the phrase, "A Sucker Is Born Every Minute"? There are no studies to support this statement, because it did not originate in the psychological, or any scientific community. It is often attributed to famed showman and huckster P. T. Barnum, but may have originated with one of his competitors, as a bit of sour grapes hyperbole. From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_is_a_sucker_born_every_minute The phrase, "There is...

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There was mold inside the ceiling between the floor boards and insulation but dried out. Will it grow back later? Very likely. Unless there was some sort of treatment to kill them, there are probably spores there just waiting for a little moisture to get them active again.

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What good are pop-up lights on sports cars if they cause more drag? Presumably, they cause less drag when they're down. You wouldn't usually be going as fast at night anyway. And they are protected from rocks and such. Pop up lights were used a lot more when sealed beam headlights were required. The newer headlight standards and advanced plastics allow the manufacturers to design the headlight enclosures and reflectors to integrate into the body lines.

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Do Baptists believe that women shouldn't work and stay home? Like just about any question which begins "Do Baptists believe...?", the answer is "Some do." On social questions such as this, people calling themselves Baptist run the gamut. Some do interpret the phrase "keepers at home" to require the women to be full time homemakers and nothing else. Most would be a little more toward the middle, but still right of center,...

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Expressed in degrees fahrenheit, one out of how many people have an IQ high enough to boil water? The standard IQ tests lose their meaning as they approach 200. According to this chart, it's really not possible to define an IQ above 202. So, in degrees farenheit, nobody has ever measured 212. You'll have to stick to the places on the metric system to get your water boiled. http://members.shaw.ca/delajara/IQtable.html

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Has anyone in the history of man ever had an IQ of 0? Here is a table showing the probabilities of IQ's from 1 to 202. If I read it right, the probability of a 1 is less than 1 in 100 billion. As has already been mentioned, a 0 by definition indicates no mental activity, a vegetative state. So, while there are people whose IQ would be technically or effectively 0, they aren't actually capable of being tested or taking the test. ...

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How do erasable pens work? As I understand it, the ink in an erasable pen is somewhat like rubber cement. It adheres to the surface of the paper, but does not soak in much. And since it is rubbery, it can be peeled loose and rolled up by an eraser.

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I've committed minor sins (e.g. stealing, lying). Am I going to be damned to hell for this, or will confession save me from this? All I can add to Thom64's reply is that I want to make sure we define the word "confession". The only confession that will save you is a repentant confession of your sin (that is, your general sinfullness along with any speific sins which come to mind, knowing that you'll never remember all of them) to God, with faith in His grace through Christ. There are dead rituals that...

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What makes a Weeble Wobble wobble, but not fall down? It's hollow, except for a weight directly in the rounded bottom. That places the center of gravity lowest when it's standing straight up. The rounded shape makes it possible for it to always right itself.

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Why aren't all court cases heard only in the Supreme Court? Too many cases. There really can be only one Supreme Court, so the lower courts handle the huge bulk of cases, with only a few progressing to the next level, and a very few reaching the level of importance to require an opinion of the Supreme Court.

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If an atheist has to testify in court, must s/he swear on the Bible? Yes. The point of the oath is to place the witness on notice that he is under a legal obligation to tell the truth.

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If an atheist has to testify in court, must s/he swear on the Bible? It's not just atheists who who might have this isue. There are any number of Christians who believe that the Bible forbids them to swear on it or by it. Others also object to the use of the word "swear". So the Bible is now optional in court, and may not even be offered. Additionally, the witness may use an alternate oath involving the word "affirm". The effect is the...

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If God created man to be equal why do people have different skin colors? The differences in skin colors are simply genetic variations that have developed over time as people groups have become isolated from one another, largely as a result of the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. That was a result of judgement on sin. So we should say that it is sin has caused us to have different skin colors. It is also sin that causes discrimination on the basis if...

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Why does God consider a simple act like stealing as much a sin as a serious act like genocide? In a nutshell, God's perfect holiness allows Him a justified absolutist position on sin. Any sin is the same in principle: a rebellion against His law. And it is that rebellion principle which is bigger than the distinctions in degree between individual acts of rebellion. The initial test for Adam and Eve was simple in that way. It was really just a question "Will you obey God because...

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After I brake, the pedal will slowly continue to move to the floor and the car begins to roll. I have to pump the brakes to stay still, and it tends to happen more when the air conditioner is on. What is causing this? A pedal which moves slowly to the floor as you hold it is most often a sign of wear in the master cylinder, in my understanding.

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Why does the right rotor of a car always wear out first? I've not observed that. Under normal circumstances, the rotors and other brake components should wear fairly uniformly on the two sides. Pads or rotors wearing faster on one side would be a sign of a sticking caliper or piston.

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Can a person look at your license plates, report to a police officer you were driving recklessly and give you a ticket or warrant for arrest? Jenniferproffitt is mostly right, I think. But there might be particularly egregious cases where an eyewitness other than an officer might be able to do what you mention. And for the record, it's reckless driving that's bad. Wreckless driving is good.

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Is it impolite or illegal to draw up and request a signature, if I was at fault in a car accident, stating the conditions and terms of expenses? It probably is impolite. And it could be legally binding. Those two reasons add up to say it's probably not smart. It requires you and the other driver to play lawyer on the spot. Either one of you could inadvertently compromise your position regarding later liability. That is, you might accept more liability than is rightfully yours, or the other driver could lose his ability to require...

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If I've entered the crosswalk on a yellow light and it turns red as i am going through it, can I proceed? There's probably not a categorical answer here. In general, yes, it is the color of the light as you enter the intersection that governs. There should be enough delay between the red light for your lane and the green light for the intersecting lane for you to clear the intersection. However, if you stepped on the accelerator to get there while it was yellow, then you could be in trouble....

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How can you unlock a verizonwireless online account without having the new pin sent to the cell phone? Try a live call to customer service from that phone. That's the only other possibility that I can think of. I'm a Verizon customer, but I've always just had the PIN TM'd to me, so I can't say for sure that there is any other way.

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How did the idea that aliens inhabit Mars get started? Just to add a little to what has already been said. The mindset of the time seems to have already been primed for the possibility of life on other planets, perhaps because the recently popularized (by Darwin and others) theory of evolution made it seem inevitable. Mars was most readily observable, particularly given the astronomcal equipment of the time, and in many ways seemed most...

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Is there an add-on item that maintains radio presets, time, and other "memorized" items, when you replace a battery in a car? Yep. It uses a 9-volt battery and plugs into the cigarette lighter to keep memories alive while the main battery is disconnected. Here's one at J.C. Whitney: http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/showCustom-0/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2008097/c-10101/Nty-1/p-2008097/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-10101/tf-Browse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=battery Actually, if you have a basic...

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Jesus said "what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Is this a self-fulfilling prophecy? My flip--but nonetheless true--answer is that with God, all prophecies are self-fulfilling. What I mean is, God both makes and fulfills prophecies. In this particular instance, Jesus knew that He would inspire Matthew and Mark to record this incident, and that He would then preserve these accounts. The term "self-fulfilling prophecy" really has relevance only in regards to people....

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Each second a rabbit moves half the remaining distance from his nose to a head of lettuce 10m away. When does he get to the lettuce? I am adding an additional answer to what I have already said, because it takes another tack. I have recently learned that what you are describing is known as "Zeno's (or Xeno's) Paradox. It was originally a philosophical argument against motion as anything but illusion. There's a fairly thorough treatment at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno's_paradoxes ...

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What is the difference between a listing/selling agent and a buying agent? The listing/selling agent is the most common. He/she is contracted by the seller of the property to market it on his/her behalf, and will be paid a commission by the seller proportional to the final selling price. Many people who contact a real estate agent to look for a house don't realize that the agent isn't actually working for them, but is essentially a salesman for the seller,...

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I purchased software online from one of Amazon's third-party's vendors. The software will not install, and the vendor refuses to refund my money. What are my legal options? Of course, Amazon can't do much directly for you, but they should be informed. Presumably they will not want to continue doing business with a poor performing vendor, and that threat may carry some weight. If you used a credit card (not a debit or check card) check with your credit card company. They may have some sort of buyer protection assistance available.

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How hot is steam? When it's not under pressure, steam is essentially at the same temperature as boiling water, about 100 deg C. However, its heat content in relation to mass is many times greater. That is why steam can, for example, produce a much more severe burn than boiling water, as it must release that heat in the condensation process. As hot water turns to steam, it absorbs, I understand, about 5...

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Many retail stores display signs that warn of hidden cameras. Are they required by law to notify their customers that they are being videotaped? I couldn't find much on this, so I'm going to hazard an informed guess. I suspect that it has to do with an "expectation" of privacy. So, in the public areas of the store, where anyone is free to observe your actions, I doubt that they have an obligation to inform you. In a private area, say a dressing room, you would have to be informed that you may be observed or taped. I...

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Is it legal to allow minors to drink alcohol at home under adult supervision? Speaking for the USA-- No. I'm not aware of any normal circumstance or place where it is legal to give alcohol to minors. The one exception would be the small amount taken at communion. There may be a few similar exceptions, but none which would allow a noticeable elevation of blood alcohol. In some cultures, I know that a little alcohol consumption for children is not a problem, and...

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Why does malnutrition cause anovulation? I can't give you the particular biological mechanism, but in a nutshell, a malnourished body is not in a position to support a pregnancy. It's essentially a defensive reaction, as is slowing down metabolism. I believe it has to do with the role body fat has in the production of estrogen, so that if body fat is below some ratio, there is not enough estrogen to trigger ovulation.

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My dog seems is shaking and very warm as if she has a fever. Can you give dogs human medication to help relieve the symptoms? I don't know about Advil in particular, but you shouldn't give an animal any medication that wasn't developed for the specific species. Differences in body chemistry and metabolism can make a medicine helpful for one but dangerous for another, or can have surprising effects on dosages. If you can't find an over the counter fever reducer for dogs, you'll need to talk to...

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Why is customer service in small businesses lacking compared to that in larger corporations? I don't think that it's a given that it is worse. Large corporations ostensibly have greater resources, and can dedicate personnel to customer service. Small businesses sometimes lack resources, but often make up for it with more of a human touch, and a sense of urgency; they can't so easily absorb the loss of even one customer. Large companies' customer service can be...

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I understand the Coast Guard sinks cars (with added boat components) when they intercept Cuban refugees en-route to FL. Why don't they just remove the boat parts & sell the often-vintage cars in police auctions? I can't say anything about policy, but I'll hazard what seems the common-sense analysis. I suspect that the Coast Guard has its hands full just looking after the people removed from these vessels. There would be more risk, equipment, and manpower involved in implementing your suggestion than might appear at first glance, making it a dubious speculative investment.

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Was the U.S. State of Georgia named after the former Soviet Republic of Georgia (which was also a country before the USSR) or is it the other way around? The State of Georgia was named for King George II of England. From the History section of georgia.gov: http://www.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,4802_4987_15252413,00.html "On June 9, 1732, King George II granted a charter to Oglethorpe and a group of 20 friends, organized as trustees, to establish a colony named for the king." The Republic of Georgia seems to have taken its...

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If a woman gives birth to a child on an airplane, does the child get free airtrips on that airline for the rest of his life? I can't find anything on that. It sounds like an "urban legend" to me. Maybe it's even happened once somewhere, but I can't imagine an airline having that as a policy, or that there could be any such law. It could get really messy, all those women trying to give birth in flight.

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What is the difference between 5W-40 and 10W-50 oil? Contrary to the other answer, the lower number is the cold viscosity; "W" stands for "Winter", not "Weight". Through the wonders of chemistry, these oils actually get THICKER as they heat up. A 5W-40 might be used in the winter, and a 10W-50 in the summer. I think the two numbers are measured at 0 and 100 degrees C, respectivley. That is, at freezing temperatures,...

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Which motorcycle would be more safe to learn on the road a 2 stroke 250cc Dirt/Road or a 4 stroke 250cc Road bike? I think you'll find the 4 stroke road bike better for learning. The center of gravity should be a bit lower, and I think the 4 stroke engines are a little less tempermental, which should make it overall more forgiving.

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If I am a person in the midst of a family seperation(i.e. If i become involved with a married person) can the state of Arizona prosecute me to do with "Alienation Of Affection" ? Alienation of Affection, for good or ill, is seen as a relic of a bygone age by many people. According to this list, Arizona is among the majority of states which have removed it from their books. I might go on, but this is the place for law questions, not ethics questions. http://www.lifemanagement.com/fsa7.1.2015/

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In America, where is the best place to speed? On a racetrack. My family might be on the road. I don't really think Answerbag means to be a place where you can get advice on how to break the law.

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I was issued a citation in Wyoming and the ticket has the wrong license plate number on it. Can this citation be dismissed? If you're saying that you were given a ticket that was meant for somebody else in another car, then probably so. If the policeman made a typographical error in writing down your tag number, but otherwise has the facts of the case right, I doubt it.

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If I was pulled over by a county patrolman at night and he was not visible until after i passed him is there any way to fight the ticket in court? You seem to be suggesting that you are required to obey the law only when you can see a policeman. I can assure you that defense will get you nowhere. Pay your fine, and go and sin no more.

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How would you best fight a speeding ticket that you got because the cop was using a laser instead of radar and you hadn't installed laser shifting equipment yet? Certainly not by mentioning that little tidbit. If you concede that the policeman measured your speed acurately, pay the fine. And if you will forgive the semon, don't speed. This is not a game between you and law enforcement, as I infer from the tone of your question. My family's safety is on the line. ... Au Contraire, I think I did answer the question. The only concrete...

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Can you use a coffee maker to brew tea? We do it all the time. Just drop the tea bags in the funnel in place of the coffee filter. I usually spread them out in a pattern that I think will give them maximum exposure to the water flow, and if they have tags, I leave them hanging over the side. Use the same number you normally would for the amount of tea you plan to make, and run a couple of pots of water through (assuming you're...

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If there are Articulated Buses (or "Bendy Buses"), why aren't there bendy motorhomes? Especially when many people want more living space? In addition to the economics, there is the addtional skill level required to maneuver an articulated vehicle, which whould mostly restrict them to professional drivers.

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Why are big rigs/18-wheelers called "semis?" An additional point in the definition of semitrailer is the rearward position of the wheels, so that the towing vehicle supports approximately half the weight of the trailer. Travel trailers and many other utility and equipment trailers, with their more central wheels, load only about 10% of their weight on the tongue, and thus are not semitrailers even though they also lack the steering axle.

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In trucker talk, where did the term "10-4" come from? It's from the common list of 10 codes, used as a verbal shorthand in radio transmissions originally by law enforcement. 10-4 means affirmative, or OK. Good article at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_codes

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Mathematically, how do degrees, alone, indicate the radius of a curve (as is done by railroads)? Here's the introductory part of an article that answers just that question. The rest can be found here: http://www.steamlocomotive.com/model/curve.html Just how sharp is that curve? We all know that the curvature of railroad tracks is measured by its radius, right? Bzzzzt -- wrong! Well, not in the "real world" anyway. Prototype railroaders use a different measure of...

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What is the gender of God? In the absolute sense, God has no gender. He is simply, God, and there is none other like Him. We speak of Him as masculine, because He has presented Himself to us in those terms. It is politically correct to imagine that we have somehow imposed masculinity on God. I propose quite the opposite, that God created male and female with their respective characteristics and roles, partly to give a...

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Are domestic partners covered by the 5th amendment in the same way spouses are? Best I can tell, that question is not really settled yet. So, probably not just now, but it's probably only a court decision away.

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How do you become a candidate for an election? Unless you plan to run as an independent, don't forget about the local political party which best aligns with your values. They are always interested in folks who might have the right stuff. You will have to make yourself known within that party's organization and activities in order to gain their support. That might take a bit longer than filing as an independent, but the advantages...

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Why do some Christians reject evolution? I am qualified to answer this question because I am one of those "some Christians". Don't downrate it because you are not, I'm just answering the question I reject evolution because it opposes both the direct teaching of the Bible on origins, and because it undercuts the foundation of Christianity, that one man (Adam) brought sin into the world, and death by sin, and one...

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If a person is born into a culture where s/he is never exposed to religion or given an opportunity to know the Lord, is s/he doomed to eternal damnation? This question assumes a certain happenstance regarding the fate of men's souls.The thrust of the Bible is that there is a sovereign God who knows, even determines, who is where when. And that He is present by His Spirit everywhere. In the last judgement, I believe it will be made clear to those who never heard the Gospel that they wouldn't have believed it if they had heard. A soul...

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Why did God 'test' Job? I think that a reading of the book will reveal that it was not God that tested Job, but Satan. God allowed Satan to see that Job's faithfulness was not for material or physical comfort, but was a real faith. It is a mistake to attempt to find some fault in Job which brought the trial about. In fact, God's assessment of Job at both the beginning and the end of the book is that he is...

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If I am in the process of being evicted, do I still have to pay rent? If you're being evicted for non-payment, you still owe rent for the time you were there. If your lanlord is terminating your lease early for some other reason, you probably still owe rent until you move out, but it will depend on the terms of your lease. Personal opinion from a non-attorney.

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The tenants living in a house that I rent out have not paid their rent for 2 months. There is no writtten agreement or lease but can I still give them 30 days notice to evict? With nothing written down, you can't prove they owe you any money, but neither can they prove they have a right to be on your property. You don't have to give them any notice, but as a courtesy give them a reasonable time to be out, and have law enforcement remove them as trespassers if necessary. Personal opinion from a non-attorney.

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Can I divorce my husband so I do not have to pay his medical bills when he dies? That might work. Then again, it could be interpreted as fraud depending on the circumstances. And that still wouldn't make his medical bills go away. Someone would have to pay them. I suspect that would include me contributing a few cents in the form of taxes or higher medical bills.

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I bought a 110 volt air conditioner (small one). It's a 5000 btu. Is it possible to use a 1000 watt power inverter and use it in my automobile? I have no reason to doubt notmrjohn's figure of near 1500 watts to run this A/C. Let's assume you had a 1500 watt inverter (you would really want a larger one for a little reserve capacity, maybe 2000). What will it take to power this thing? Just for round numbers, let's say your alternator can output 15 volts--which it probably can under very light loads. That would mean your...

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Does running the heater in a car effect gas mileage? If so, how does it compare to running the air conditioning? As as been mentioned, the electricity used to run the blower for the heater does affect gas mileage, but it is typically negligible. The amount of effect from the air conditioner will depend on the size of the engine and car. The amount of power needed to run the A/C compressor will be about the same for any car, but the relative effect will be greater for a small car. In a small car, it...

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Is it normal for a car A/C to leak water to the ground? Yes. An important part of the air conditioning process is dehumidification. All A/C's have a drain system to dispose of this water which was removed from the air inside your car. When the relative humidity is high, this drainage can become a steady stream. It can continue for several minutes after you turn off the engine.

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I used a can of coolant from the parts store to recharge my A/C. The meter on the can said I was in an appropriate level of coolant, however my A/C is now leaking and my floors are getting soaked. What is the problem? What's leaking? If it's clear water, there is no problem, it just means your A/C is working better now. What you're seeing is the condensate drain; that is, water removed from the air as part of the normal process. That would be a good sign. If what's leaking is oily, then you may have a serious leak in your refrigerant line somewhere. ... Kendra684: If it's...

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Does Hadleyville, PA exist where the 1986 film "Gung Ho" takes place? I tried Mapquest, and it couldn't find one.

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Why do we blow on our hands to warm them up but blow on our tea to cool it down? Because your breath is warmer than your skin, but cooler than your tea.

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Why are GM's vehicles usually "behind" in technology, reliability and features-for-the-price compared to competing brands? While there are probably the usual corporate arrogance and hubris, GM also has to support pension deals made with the unions in the 60's, which now suck up billions of dollars which might otherwise be used for R&D. One such assessment: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64599-2005Apr18.html

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Is it true that Coca Cola used to contain cocaine? If so, did they do it intentionally to get people hooked? I'll just add a little to EJ's answer, which matches my understanding as far as it goes. I have had occasion to tour the CocaCola museum in Atlanta, and they have a little to say about it there. They naturally pretty emphatically downplay the cocaine content angle, and assert that their processing of the coca never produced a high grade or level of cocaine, but that it did contribute...

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Is it true that the inventor of the Cola drink sold his invention for a dollar? Here's my understanding. John Pemberton, who developed the recipe, achieved only modest success before selling off his business to various investors. The most notable of these was Asa Candler, who seems to have gained a controlling interest in the company by 1891. He successfully deveoped Coca Cola as a fountain drink, but failed to see the value of bottling his product. It was the right...

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If you buy a home do you have to go through mortgage/escrow, or can you assume full responsibility for buying the home, paying insurance and taking care of real estate taxes? It will depend on your creditworthiness, and the particulars of the mortgage. If you look like a good risk, then the escrow account will be optional, otherwise, it will be required. It might be reason to choose one lender over another, if one requires it and one doesn't.

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What are the benefits of a Interest Only Mortgage that turns to regular mortgage after 10 years? There is only one possible benefit: lower monthly payment to start. For that you will probably pay a higher interst rate. And you will assume that your income in 10 years will support the sudden leap in payment, or that the home will appreciate enough in a few years to net you some cash on a sale. If you keep the loan, you will pay much more over the life of it. Better, I think, to get the home...

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Is it possible to get a mortgage for a new home based on the equity of the present home? If you're planning to sell the present home, I doubt it. If you're going to keep the present home as well as the new home, then maybe. You can borrow against the equity of a home for resons unrelated to that home. Any loan secured by a particular property will have to be satisfied when the propery is sold. It would be better to get the mortgage on the new home based on its own value,...

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Is a surviving spouse legally required to pay off the deceased spouse's medical bills? I suppose we might ask, if not, then who? Let's say the surviving spouse is the wife, and the deceased husband, as is traditional, was the breadwinner, and was considered the responsible party. She is his heir, inheriting both his assets and his liabilities. In the case of joint assets and liabilities, they now become her assets and liabilities. In the case of assets and liabilites...

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What is Schrödinger's Box? Timbugtoo is close, but implies that it is the act of opening the box that kills the cat. Actually, there is a device inside the box which will release a poisonous gas upon the first release of a decay particle from some radioactive material. It is not possible to know precisely when the decay will occur, only the probablility by a given time. Because the wave function in quantum mechanics...

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Each second a rabbit moves half the remaining distance from his nose to a head of lettuce 10m away. When does he get to the lettuce? This reminds me of the one about the engineer and the technician who are given that challenge to reach a prize. The engineer says, "We'll never get there." The technician says, "I'll get close enough." That illustrates the issue. At some point the rabbit will get close enough to the lettuce that he'll just reach out and take a bite. Mathematics has a way...

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Even though I am Baptist and my boyfriend is Catholic, can we still get married? Sure, long as neither of you ever takes your faith seriously. The Bible asks, "how can two walk together except they be agreed?" You are asking this question because you know there are deep and long standing differences between the doctrine and practice of Baptists and Catholics. Either one of you will drift toward the other's faith, or you will both drift toward nothing....

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I'm stationed in VA and whenever some whacky law passes, everyone always says "well, that's the commonwealth for ya". Are they misguided, or is there really a difference? There is often a notion that the word "commonwealth" as part of the state's name means something peculiar, but it doesn't. It's just a term heldover from an earlier time. Every state enacts some goofy law every now and then, we just have to come up with something else to blame it on. Here's what I found in Wikipedia: Four states in the United States officially...

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Do pedestrians always have the right of way, even if they're not using a crosswalk? Pedestrians do not necessarily have the right of way, even at a crosswalk. They do have responsibilities to motorists to walk in a manner that is conducive to everybody's safety. You will not automatically be at fault if you hit a pedestrian who is in the roadway, if it can be seen that you were operating your vehicle properly, and could not have reasonably avoided it.

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In some states, I often see signs on the highway saying "entering drinking water protection area" or similar signs. What is the purpose of putting them there for motorists to read? It notifies you that the runoff from the roadway will directly enter a drinking water source, such as a watershed or river. It will likely mean that you cannot pull off onto the shoulder except for emergencies, and that laws and fines regarding littering are more stringent. You're being asked to be on your best behavior in consideration of the people who drink the water you have the...

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Who numbers the freeways in the United States, and what method is used to do so? This is the beginning of an article at http://www.us-highways.com/usbt.htm It goes on to give even more detail, including a chart with information on all the US numbered highways. The Interstate Highway System uses a variation on the system below, and is Federally regulated, as best I can tell. A writeup on the Interstate System, including the numbering scheme, can be found here: ...

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Did Darwin come up with the idea of "the missing link" or was it someone else? The term "missing link" often refers specifically to an animal representing an evolutionary transition from monkeys or apes to modern man. This usage is based on a misunderstanding of basic evolutionary theory, as biologists do not propose that such a link exists; rather, man has a common ancestor with other primates. The missing link is a popular and not a scientific concept....

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How much did the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" have to do with starting the Civil War? Given that it was a work of complete fantasy, does the author have any responsibility for all those war deaths? It is said that when Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said something like "So this is the lady who started the war." What her book did, in my understanding, was to help fan anti-slavery sentiment to the point that abolition looked like a real possibilty under Lincoln, leading to the wave of secession following his election, leading to Fort Sumter, leading to the rest....

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In the Civil War, did they really have explosive cannonballs like in the movies? Henry Shrapnel, a British officer, is generally credited with bringing exploding shells to a point of practical usefulness by about 1804, and is often thought of as their inventor. So yes, they were available in the War of 1812, as well as the Civil War. It apparently was the sight of this awsesome new weapon that Francis Scott Key included in his poem. It also played a major role in the...

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Did the Founding Fathers (and Mothers) speak with an English accent? When did the American 'dialect' emerge? In addition to what has already been said, some linguists speculate that the southern Applachian dialects may be the nearest we have to preserved examples of "The King's English", owing to the ancestry and subsequent isolation of the inhabitants of the mountains. I don't understand the downrate, KK. I did not make a categorical statement. Phrases like "...some...

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What did American slave masters do with albino black children? I wasn't able to find much. There was probably a good deal of variation, just as there was a range of treatments of slaves in general. Since an albino African is still distinguishable in other characteristics, many of them may have been treated as any other slave. Other owners may have given some special treatment to one who seemed to share their color. Here are a couple of anecdotes...

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Who were the Buffalo Soldiers? My comment to an earlier answer ran too long, and I inadvertently submitted it. I wanted to add that the Native Americans tended to admire the black sodiers, because of their seeming kinship with an animal they counted as noble. Of course, this would occasionally chagrin the white soldiers.

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How old should an infant be before you apply sunscreen? What sunscreens are safe for infants? Until your baby is able to get around a bit on his/her own, just arrange to keep him/her shaded. Then use a childrens' sunscreen. I'm for avoiding and delaying chemical exposure as much as possible.

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We recently noticed that our two month old has a "crooked crack" his butt is straight until it reaches his back, then it angles. Why is this? Assuming there's no underlying skeletal misalignment, which I assume your pediatrician is watching for, this will probably be just one of those goofy variations which make the human body so interesting, and which our Maker allows to keep us humble.

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What are some creative ways to get your baby interested in walking when they've already taken their first steps? Assuming no clear physical or mental disabilty (your pediatrician would have mentioned it), just seeing you walk is enough. Don't be taken in by anybody's idea of when your baby should walk, or by what any other baby is doing. Your baby will try to imitate you as his/her body and brain are up to it. A baby who doesn't walk until say 18 months will by the age of two be...

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Is there any home remedy for relieving my one month old baby of gastric pain? (She is on breast milk.) I'm not a physician, but I am a dad of nine, seven of which were breastfed. We dealt with a good bit of colic--just don't blame it on the breast milk, we had the same thing with formula; probably a genetic predisposition. One day, I wondered if it might just be heartburn (which I experienced plenty of as well), so I crushed 1/4-1/2 a regular Tums and just kind of spooned it into the...

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When a word is underlined because it is mispelled or incorrect grammar, is there a way I can find out why Word flagged it? The quick way is to right-click on the underlined section. Word will then display its suggested corrections. You can click on a suggestion you want to use to replace it, choose ignore if you don't want to change it, or add a new word to the dictionary.

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My 1993 GMC 1500 truck appears to have no power coming from the battery, even though it is fully charged. The truck will start with a boost, but it dies after a few minutes when I put on the turn signal. What is the problem? I'd be looking at the battery cables and terminals. Sounds like a poor connection somewhere, maybe some corrosion or a stripped thread.

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Is that story about the size of the space shuttle's boosters being dictated by the axle length of transportation mechanisms dating back to Roman chariots true? Snopes.com has a fairly thorough writeup, which concludes that: "This is one of those items that -- although wrong in many of its details — isn't exactly false in an overall sense and is perhaps more fairly labelled as "True, but for trivial and unremarkable reasons."" They show that the connection is less direct and more coincidental than the humorous email story...

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If BC means "before Christ", how can Jesus' birth be recorded as between 6-4BC? I have copied my answer from a similar question under Religions>Religions A-Z>Christianity>Jesus Christ: Because of errors made in the calculation of the calendar. The BC/AD year numbering system was developed hundreds of years after the birth of Jesus, and then had to be synchronized with other calendar systems of the time. Research since that time has indicated the error, and...

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If the semaphore method of communication is made up only of words that do not sound like any other words, then why does "delta" (for the letter "d") rhyme with "helter-skelter"? Semaphore is a visual method of communication usually with flags. I think your question has to do with the common phonetic alphabet used for voice communications. It's not so much that the words don't rhyme with anything, but that they don't rhyme with another word used in the particular phonetic alphabet. That's why it's important if possible to use an established,...

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What is Davey Jones' locker? I found this at Dictionary.com: Also, Davy's locker. The bottom of the sea, especially the grave of those who die at sea. For example, Caught out at sea during the hurricane, they thought they were heading for Davy Jones's locker. This term, first recorded in 1726, alludes to Davy Jones, a name given to the evil spirit of the sea. The ultimate origin of both Davy and Jones is...

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Is their any reliable, independent evidence for the existence of Jesus of the new testament as a historical figure? See question #3 above

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What makes time keep going forward? True, newtonian and quantum mechanics have equations that work just as well in either direction. Chaos theorists have proposed that their theories, when applied with laws of mechanics and thermodynamics, can explain the existence of the "arrow of time". I can barely even read the articles, let alone truly comprehend them; I only know of their existence. If you want to run your brain...

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How can you tell how far away gunfire is away between the flash and report? Much like determining the distance for lightning. Sound travels about a mile in 5 seconds. So by clocking or counting the time between flash and report, you can compute the distance from that.

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Does the phrase "Jesus Loves Me" or something similar appear anywhere in the Bible? Actually, nothing similar seems to exist. This phrase, which appears in at least a couple of (mostly) childrens' songs, is more of a distillation of a major theme of the Bible. Romans 5:8 probably comes as close as any to saying it directly, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (NKJV)

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My tenant's rent is over a month late and he is not returning my calls. Without a written lease, how do I collect rent and/or evict the tenant? I'm no attorney, but that can't stop me from giving a non-professional opinion here... If there's no lease or other contract, then they are not tenants, they are guests. A guest may be asked to leave your property at any time, and if he refuses, he is trespassing. Trespassers can be removed immediately by law enforcement officers without further legal process. If...

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In Virgina, how much advanced notice does the owner of a property have to give me before evicting or locking me out? I'm not an attorney, but... I suspect that unless your name is on the deed or some kind of lease or other contract, then you are not a tenant with any kind of legal protection. You are basically a guest, and can be turned into a trespasser at a moment's notice on the whim of the property owner. Your only possibility is that the length of this relationship gives you some sort of...

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What is an eddie? From Dictionary.com: eddy (the singular spelling) A current, as of water or air, moving contrary to the direction of the main current, especially in a circular motion. Eddies (the plural spelling) can be caused by opposing currents, but are also frequently caused by some obstacle in the flow.

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Is it possible for the stream of liquid water to reach supersonic speeds? Joe Speedy is on the right track. I think it would be possible, if difficult, but even if the water were moving at a technically supersonic speed while contained in the pipe and not interacting with free air (and I say technically, because supersonic as a term really has meaning only in terms of movement through a compressible fluid, like air), it would not maintain that for more than an...

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Is water the least viscous liquid? There are some liquids which are less viscous than water. Here's a sampling of viscosities of fluids from Wikipedia. Note that water is the comparison standard, being assigned a viscosity of 1x10^-3 at some time in the past, although the value has been subsequently corrected by just a bit. viscosity (Pa·s) ethyl alcohol 0.248 × 10-3 acetone 0.326 × 10-3 methanol 0.59 × 10-3 ...

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Charles Manson received the death penalty, but the death penalty was overturned, then reinstated. Shouldn't he be executed since he was originally given the death penalty? I believe it will go like this: the death penalty statute which was in effect at the time of Manson's crimes was overturned as unconstitutional, so that his death sentence could not be carried out. Later, a death penalty statute was enacted in keeping with the Consitutional guidance of court decisions. Only capital crimes committed since that statute went into effect can be punished by...

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Is there a medical procedure that exists to remove or "suck out" excess tar from a person's lungs after they have quit smoking? No such procedure exists, but there is good news. The lungs can rid themselves of tar and heal to a remarkable extent if you stop before it's too late. An ex-smoker's risk of cancer or other associated diseases may never reduce to that of a non-smoker, but it can come close. And the sooner you quit, the better. There does seem to be a relationship with the total number of cigarettes...

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Can Baptists swim with members of the opposite sex? The issue for many conservative Christians, including but not limited to (some but not all) Baptists, is not swimming as such, but the near nudity and sensuality which seem to be requisite accompaniments. The strong temptation in this setting for men and women to look on each other lustfully seems a high price to pay for an activity which is not Biblically commanded. If the participants are...

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After the rapture, will there be anyone left who believes in God or Jesus Christ? The question seems to pre-suppose the pre-tribulation rapture/pre-millenial second coming eschatology of "Left Behind". That view does lead to the idea that people will somehow get saved in the Tribulation without any Christians around to preach the Gospel, with associated mental and Scriptural gymnastics to accomodate it ("Tribulation Saints", trumpets after the Last...

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When Jesus died, did he literally suffer hell? I'm not sure if your question means to ask what was happening on the cross, or afterward, but I think I can address both together. The phrase "literally suffer hell" leads me to a yes and no answer. I think the Scriptural indication was that the suffering was over when He died. Thus the cry that God had forsaken Him, the statement that it was finished, and the commending of...

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Where are the Garden of Eden and The Tower of Babel located? Glenn Blaylock gives a good answer to the location of the Garden of Eden: nowhere to be found, since the Flood. And JollyMommy gives the most likely location for the Tower of Babel: the site of ancient Babylon in modern day Iraq. These, I believe, are the most Biblically consistent answers.

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If B.C. refers to" before Christ", how was Jesus born approximately 6-4B.C.? Because of errors made in the calculation of the calendar. The BC/AD year numbering system was developed hundreds of years after the birth of Jesus, and then had to be synchronized with other calendar systems of the time. Research since that time has indicated the error, and it's simpler to adjust our understanding of the relation of Christ's birth to our calendar, than it is to...

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If I was engaged not yet married and he broke off our engagement does the ring need to be returned? If I understand the rules of etiquette, and the law, the ring was a gift, and is yours to keep. To return it in some dignified, non-vindictive, non-humiliating manner, then, would be a gracious gesture of goodwill which would signal your desire to be friends, not enemies. Assuming that's how you would like this to end up.

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Why is it that sometimes I want to choke the very life out of my husband, and sometimes I love him to death and can't live with out him. Do all married people feel that way or is it just me? I've heard that Ruth Graham, Billy Graham's wife, was once asked if she had ever considered a divorce. To which she replied, "Oh, no! Murder, maybe, but divorce, no." You sound pretty normal to my ear. Which is not to say that your relationship can't be strengthened and improved so that the choking desires diminish and the affection and romance grow. That can be a...

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All the ceiling vents of my central A/C are mounted with the louvers to blow the air against the wall instead of toward the center of the room. This seems wrong to me. Is this the way they are supposed to be? Or should I reverse them all? I'm not a pro, but I did research and design a central HVAC for a DIY expansion of my house a few years back. Directing the air toward the outside walls actually may be correct. That's where the heat is coming in. Blowing toward the center of the room could make it cold in the middle and hot next to the walls. I wouldn't want it blowing real hard directly on the wall surface,...

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If a man helped me buy a house in Florida--(his name only on the deed, however), I make the monthly payments--is this house part of his divorce settlement? and if so, should I be entitled to a share if I have to sell? I am not an attorney but I play one on Answerbag. This is not professional advice, just a heartfelt personal opinion: If his is the only name on the deed, and there is no other written agreement between you, the house is legally his asset. You may very well be entitled to nothing legally. Your only hope may be that he and his ex have extrodinarily high principles and count money as nothing...

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What is chaos theory? I'm not able to give a tight definition, but it deals with systems which are impossible to predict because variations in the initial conditions too small to be measurable or detectable can drastically affect their behavior. You will sometimes hear the phrase "extreme sensitivity to intital conditions". The butterfly effect is a theoretical example of such sensitivity, and relates...

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If God is pure goodness, perfect, and muder is evil, how can God kill and still be considered the absolute purest good? Because God is not judged by the same standard as us. He is an altogether different Being, the Creator of all life, and Master over it. His creatures are commanded not to kill one another. It is right, on the other hand, for Him to have power of life and death over His creatures--He doesn't "play God" as we might; He is God. (He does grant some authority to humans under laws...

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When you have a linear graph with a positive slope the x and y variables are said to be directly proportional, what If you have a linear graph with a negative slope? Is it inversely proportional? Correct, that would be inversely proportional. That is, y is decreasing as x is increasing, and vice versa. blahbleh is correct. I was mistaking a casual usage in an applied setting for the real definition--been out of school too long. I thought this answer had been removed, but it's just that the question got repeated. As I have learned, direct proportionality is the term for...

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What is the difference between the Wesleyan church and the Methodist church? Wasn't Methodism founded by John Wesley? Wesleyanism is a branch of Methodism. Best I can tell, the primary difference is over the doctrine of sanctification. They are in the holiness camp, which believes a person can be completely delivered from sin in this life, as opposed to progressively, but never completely, overcoming it. However, it looks like they originally divided from Methodism in the 1840's over the issue of slavery,...

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Why doesn't God talk to us directly? God did talk to the Isrealites directly once. Scared 'em silly, and they decided it wasn't what they really had in mind after all. Exodus 19:1-20:19 God has chosen to give His testimony to men, and we communicate it one to another. One possible reason may be that this way makes it possible for us to close our ears if we're determined to. If God appeared directly and spoke,...

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Why can't we abolish religion once and for all? I take it, from your question, that you think it would be a good idea. But if we truly could, and for now I'm thinking of all religions or faiths, true and false, we would live like animals. Kill or be killed, survival of the fittest, unrestrained. Unless there is a God to whom we must answer, there is no basis for any thing like morality. Words like must/must not, should/should not,...

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Which city is the City of David? All these answers are correct. Bethlehem was the original City of David, from which he first ruled. David eventually, I guess you would say, "annexed" greater Jerusalem so that Bethlehem was contained within Jerusalem. So whether it is Jerusalem in general or Bethlehem specifically within Jerusalem is matter of context.

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What factors led to the snake representing Satan and evil? I would think the fly would be a far more appropriate creature to represent death, decomposition, disgust and evil. It was because of Satan's choice to use the serpent to tempt Eve (Genesis 3:1-14). The created form of the serpent is unknown, but it is described as the most subtle, crafty, or shrewd of the animals. Something about it was suitable for Satan's purpose; perhaps it was the one Eve would be least surprised to find talking to her. Even in its cursed condition, the snake is graceful and...

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Why do different countries have different numbers of digits in the telephone dialing pattern? Their telephone systems were developed independently, before there were international treaties and standards.

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How can I become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant)? It varies some by state, but generally you will need a Bachelors degree with a heavy concentration in accounting, in order to be allowed to take the certification test. Here's an interactive map, where you can click on your state and get more detailed requirements: http://www.gleim.com/accounting/cpa/requirements.php?PHPSESSID=1be4db100241b639464450cda336f665&

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My mouse keeps jerking across the screen when I try to move it. What could be wrong? If it's just your mouse, cleaning it as already suggested should do the trick. If it's assocated with a general sluggishness of the whole computer, then it probably means you've got too much software running in the background. Maybe spyware or viruses. Or maybe just to many legit programs running their quick launch or standby service. Time for some housecleaning.

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When did fax machines begin widespread use? The answer above is on track. The GroupIII standard, which got the transmission times below 1 minute per page with better image quality with true digital processing, coupled with lower long distance rates from the breakup of AT&T around the same time, really made the technology attractive in the early 80's. The business just kind of exploded after that.

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How would it likely alter society if automation and robots did all the work, and thus all basic needs and most luxuries were free for the taking, and no one had to work for a living? We would be lazier and more self centered than we are already, if that's imaginable.Then we would redefine needs and luxuries and some people would do what it takes to get them and some people wouldn't and would be envious. In other words, we wouldn't change much, it would just look different.

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Is there any other historical documentation besides the Bible that mentions Jesus Christ? At the time, Jesus was probably not historically interesting to anyone but the Jews, and there may have been attempts by official Juadaism to ignore, or retroactvely erase, His existence. Contemporary writings, and official records, would have been largely lost in 70 AD when Jerusalem was flattened by the Romans. Biblical manuscripts survived by virtue of being written and/or copied and...

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Can pastors from different denominations preach in Baptist churches? This has been a historical point of contention on occasion for Baptists. Some Baptists don't give it a second thought, but some do. For those Baptists who believe that they are not Protestant, holding that their movement never withdrew from the Catholic Church because it was always apart from it, Protestant pastors present a problem. While these men may hold a Biblically sound doctrine of...

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What are the fundamental beliefs of the Baptist religion? Most of the beliefs already mentioned are not truly unique to Baptists, at least not now; most of them are what is now generally referred to as "Reformed theology". But I say Baptists were holding to Sola Scriptura, salvation by grace through faith, and priesthood of the believer "before it was cool". Here is my take on what would be the Baptist distinctives. Of course,...

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Are the dinosaurs mentioned anywhere in the Bible? Intellectual Critic has identified the two passages which may well talk of what we would consider dinosaurs. The Bible might ignore dinosaurs without denying their existence for the same reason it ignores kangaroos: they just weren't a regular part of life in the Middle East. The large dinosaurs may have been dying out by Job's time because of environmental changes in the aftermath of...

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Are the Merovingians the lineage of Jesus Christ? I answered the question the other day in another section "Did Jesus ever have sex?" I am copying part of that answer here, because it is relevant: The nature of His existence and His mission on earth would seem to preclude marriage or family for Him. He Himself made the case that marriage was appropriate for some and not for others, according to the gift and calling of God. ...

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If Noah and his family were the only ones left after the flood, how did other races develop? Thorough answer to the question from Answers In Genesis: http://answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/AnswersBook/races18.asp I take issue with EJ. Skin color is what we usually have in mind, along with a few other superficial distinctions, when we talk of race. Some people, and I can't say if this is the source of EJ's disagreement, take these distinctions to be associated with more...

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Why is Jesus one of the most controversial persons in history? Because He left us on the horns of a dilemma. His life and teachings allow us to conclude that God came to earth as a man, lived absolutely righteously, and then suffered the unimaginably horrifying penalty of His own law so that He might forgive lawbreakers who would receive Him. Alternatively, He and His disciples were the most pitifully delusional people who have ever lived. I believe the...

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Is Job the oldest book in the Bible? If so, how do we know it predates Moses' five books? Indications of the lifestyle of Job are consistent with the time of the Patriarchs; he may well have been a contemporary of Abraham. It is generally considered to have been written first, but it is not altogether clear when and by whom. Moses of course came about 500 years later, although his five books cover a time span from before, during, and after Job's time.

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Who was King James, and is there any evidence that he edited the Bible to meet his own beliefs? There is one interesting point not of King James' editing, but more of a tribute. It was pointed out to me by a native German speaker who got completely bewildered the first time he heard an English speaker mention the Book of James. His German Bible has no such book. He found that this is the Book of Jacobe (with the J given the Y pronunciation per German). Upon investigation, he learned,...

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How could the Koala, with its fresh Eucalyptus leaf diet, have been fed on Noah's Ark? This article addresses the koala specifically, among other questions of feasibility: http://www.trueorigin.org/arkdefen.asp Here's the paragraph on koalas: “Some, like koalas, require a special diet. How did they bring it along?” Actually, the koala does not require eucalyptus leaves, but can feed on other things as well, including the Monterey pine, not a native of Australia....

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Is there any geological proof of the Biblical Great Flood? Sure, problem is it's the same as the proof for a uniformitarian geology. What I mean is, the evidence for both is the same. Same rocks, same fossils, same oceans and rivers, same canyons. The difference is the scenario, or model, you hold to to explain how it all got that way. The flood and no-flood models are interpretations of the same evidence, based on different assumptions, neither...

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When did John write Revelations? The most commonly accepted dating, inclucing by myself, based on internal and external evidence, places it between 80-95 AD, with the early 90's seeming most likely. Less accepted interpretations and analyses place it as early as the 60's.

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Are Baptists allowed to be in the armed forces? There may be some Baptist groups which oppose military service. Most that I am aware of consider it honorable. Even among those who oppose it, only a portion would actually exclude someone from church membership over it.

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Is a father's legal responsibility to care for his child any different if he and the mother aren't married? Not really. It just means that the mother sometimes has to waste time and money, which would be better spent caring for their child, getting him to fulfill his responsibiltiy through paternity actions. 6/30--I stand corrected, Aminor, thanks. I guess it's not necessary now to say that I'm not an attorney. --True enough, GR. But the mother's position is in theory helped a...

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Was Revelation the last book written in the Bible? The early date for the writing of the Revelation, as alluded to by Michael D, is based on an interpretation that the events prophesied were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, placing its writing in the 60's. This view that all prophecies have been fulfilled is called Preterism. (Michael D, if that doesn't describe you, I will stand corrected.) This is most definitely...

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What is the origin of the racist word "nigger"? wordorigins.org has a pretty thorough writeup: http://www.wordorigins.org/ This most offensive of words in American speech dates back to the late 16th century, although the modern spelling doesn't appear until two centuries later. The OED2's earliest cite of the modern spelling is from 1786 in Burns's Ordination. (The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang,...

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What is the origin of the word "cop" in reference to a Police Officer? Is it a derogatory term? From wordorigins.org: http://www.wordorigins.org/ Several popular etymologies, all certainly false, exist for this word meaning policeman. One says that it is an acronym standing for Constable On Patrol. Another says that the first policemen in London (or another city--it varies in the telling) had copper buttons on their uniforms. Yet another says that it was not buttons, but a copper...

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What is the etymology of the word "highway"? I think the original idea was that of a road built up and paved, normally with rocks, that will drain and never be muddy, making for reliable transport in all weather. This would be in contrast to the normal wagon or foot path, which would tend to wear into a depression, collect water, and make passage miserable if not impossible at times. It literally was the high road (or way). Which is not...

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What is the origin of the phrase "right on"? Citation from dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=right%20on An exclamation of enthusiasm or encouragement, as in You've said it really wellright on! This interjection has a disputed origin. Some believe it comes from African-American slang (it was recorded in Odum and Johnson's The Negro and His Songs, 1925); others feel it is a shortening of right on...

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When did the term "Russian Roulette" originate? This is from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_roulette Various legends abound regarding the invention of Russian roulette. Most of these, predictably, take place in Russia, or occur among Russian soldiers. In one legend, 19th century Russian prisoners were forced to play the game while the prison guards bet on the outcome. In another version, desperate and suicidal...

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Why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway? To give standup comics more material? There is probably not a good answer to this question. It's just one of the oddities of the English language. All languages have these humorous and sometimes poetic peculiarities, but I suspect that English, particularly American English, is particularly prone to these, because it is so heavily derivative of other languages.

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Can the United Nations compel a member nation to change its social policies? I'm reminded of asking my elemetary teacher, "Can I go to the restroom?" To which she would reply, "I don't know. Can you?" Me: "MAY I go to the restroom?" Teacher: "Yes, you may." The United Nations does have means of exerting pressure on misbehaving nations, up to and including a use of force. So the answer is similar: they MAY. The CAN...

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What is the complete NATO official phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo... Zulu)? This one is probably the most widely used, which makes it the one I'd recommend.

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What is the complete NATO official phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo... Zulu)? As you can see, there actually is not much standardization of phonetic alphabets in fact, though there is more in practice. You can make up your own if you want to, but it takes more thought than appears at first glance. It is important that no two words rhyme, so that there is a high probability that they can be properly distinguished even if only part of the word is heard. Intelligibility is...

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I was told that the "Rapture" will happen 'once every human being hears the Gospel'. How will this happen if people keep getting born every second and won't understand the gospel until they're around 5 years old or so? This is based on Matthew 24:12: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come", perhaps coupled with Mark 16:15: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." It is associated with the pre-millenial, pre-tribulation rapture view of eschatology,...

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How should I protect my computer from lightning strikes? Of course, your PC is in very little danger of a direct lightning strike. It's the indirect ones that will kill it. I'll refer you to my answer to the next question. It might actually have been more appropriate here, but I saw the other one first.

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I've heard that you should always turn off and unplug a computer during a thunderstorm. What would happen if I left my PC on and lightning struck my home? It might take you a while to get around to wondering about your PC if your home took a direct lightning strike. Let's imagine a lightning strike merely near (not even directly on) a power or phone line down the street somewhere. This is what actually happens regularly, and we will take it as a given that the closer to the wire and/or your house, the worse it gets. And understand that this...

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What can I do to improve my libido? In addition to being as healthy as you can physically, look at the relationship. A mutually loving, supportive, committed relationship will work wonders.

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Are there any home treatments for acid reflux? If you count lifestyle changes and OTC antacids as home treatments, then yes. These in fact are the front line, before serious medical intervention. I have excerpted that portion from the article at meidcinenet.com: http://www.medicinenet.com/gastroesophageal_reflux_disease_gerd/article.htm How is GERD treated? Life-style changes One of the simplest treatments for GERD is referred...

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What legal recourse does a wife have against the woman who is having an affair with her husband? You have little or no legal recourse against her. Time was, you could sue for "Alienation of Affection", but it now seems to be seen as a relic of a bygone era, and very few states still recognize it. Here's what WorldLaw Direct says about it: http://www.worldlawdirect.com/article/1026/Alienation_of_affections_--_Law_suits.html Alienation of affection(s) is a legal action,...

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Would it be a crime to suggest to someone else that they should assassinate the President of the United States? It's hard to say if it would be a crime, a lot would depend on the particular circumstances. But there's no doubt that you would get up close and personal with the Secret Service. "I was just kidding" is not in their phrasebook.

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Did Albert Einstein's offspring have above-average intelligence? Hard to say for sure. Lieserl, born before his marriage to Mileva Maric, disappeared from history. It's not known if she was put up for adoption or died in childhood. Hans Albert was the only one to have attained a doctorate. He was a professor of hydraulics at UC Berkely. Probably above average. Eduard suffered from schizophrenia and spent most of his life in a psychiatric...

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From a purely scientific viewpoint, how does matter, arranged in certain complex patterns, become aware of its own existence? We might have a problem with the definition of "scientific viewpoint". I'm going to risk the can of worms here. There is science, an unbiased search for knowledge or truth no matter where it leads; and there's science, a search for completely naturalistic/materialistic explanations for everything without ever making reference to anything metaphysical. The first answer is...

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How many wars is the U.S. currently involved in? All depends on what you mean by war. Technically, there are no current declarations of war that I know of. The actions in Iraq and Afghanistan go under different terms. The military or other US agencies may from time to time engage in cladestine actions in other countries that might be considered acts of war. Conversely, attacks on the USS Cole, American embassies, and the World Trade Center,...

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How did the words 'john' and 'trick' come to describe men who pay for prostitutes? Can't say about trick, but I've alway's imagined that "John" was simply the most commonly used phony name. "So, what's your name?" "Uh, John."

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What is the origin of observing a moment of silence for a dead person? What are you supposed to be thinking about when silence is being observed? I think this is the multi cultural politically correct substitute for a moment of prayer. In that silence, you can do whatever you think is most appropriate, depending on your particular faith. It would even be OK to pray, like we used to.

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How long does the average funeral service last not including drive to burial site and burial? A funeral service is usually a lot like a church service. Say an hour or so.

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A man is standing on the front edge of a semi truck that's 15 feet long and traveling 70 mph. If the man jumps 2 feet into the air, will he land on the truck and if so, where? Except for wind resistance, he would land back in his original position. His momentum would keep him moving at the same speed as the truck while he was in the air. Wind resistance on an upright body at 70mph would be considerable (you've seen those reporters standing out in a hurricane). His speed would slow drastically as soon as his feet left the surface which was pushing him along. Some...

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What are some ways to prolong the life of a central air conditioning compressor? Tip number two, after you've taken care of your filters, is to look at the compressor, outside unit. Bushes or trees that keep it shaded, particularly in the afternoon, are good. If they in any way restrict free airflow all around, they're bad and should be trimmed back. And if the fins for cooling the condenser are dirty, hose them down. Just do it in a way that doesn't force...

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How does an air conditioner work? Very nice job, Thom. I'm on a jag today about not overlooking the dehumidification effect of condensing moisture out of the air as it passes over the evaporator coils. A very important contribution to comfort, and the only thing I could add to your explanation.

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How do I calculate the correct capacity for a central air conditioning unit, given the size of my house? To do it right, and you should, you will need to get some heat load charts. Don't just use somebody's rule of thumb educated guess. An oversized heat system is OK, but an oversized A/C won't run enough to dehumidify. And of course, an undersized unit won't be able to keep your house comfortable. When I did this--and I'm just a D-I-Y'er--I was able to find books...

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Will constantly running a central AC system on a very cold setting, such as 65-F, damage the system? The evaporator in a properly sized and charged system will not get below freezing, and can run contiuously without icing; icing is a symptom of low refrigerant, inadequate airflow, or some other problem. A 65 degree setting will cause it to run a lot, even continuously on a hot day, but I doubt that it would shorten the life of the unit below what would be considered the normal range. A...

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Other than an air conditioner, is there any appliance that will reduce ambient humidity? A dehumidifier lowers humidity without lowering the temperature of the room it's in. In fact it may raise it a bit. It works on the same principle as an air conditioner, using refrigerated coils to condense moisture. Since the warm air exhaust side is also in the room, rather than hanging out the window, like a window unit, it releases the heat back into the room, along with the heat...

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It takes about two hours of continuous running for my central air conditioning to cool the house down. Is this normal? Depends on what the starting and ending temperatures were. It might take a couple of hours to lower the indoor temperature 10 degrees on a hot day. And the cooler you want it the longer it will take. That is, it would take longer to go from 70 degrees to 60 degrees than to go from 80 degrees to 70 degrees. That's because the greater the difference between outdoor and indoor temperature,...

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Does spanking your children teach them that violence is okay to utilize when you are mad and frustrated? Well, if you are expressing anger and frustration, yes. If that's what you're expressing, I would recommend that you step back and reconsider. Spanking can be done in a controlled and loving manner, and does convey the idea of authority and consequences for rebellion. It's over and done with quickly, and allows the relationship between parent and child to be restored. It is...

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Is it true that your breasts can reduce in size when exercising? Remember that breast tissue is mostly fat. If you're lowering your body fat ratio ( good thing to do), then the breasts will shrink too. However, if you're doing some upper body work that tones your chest muscles, the improved support will make what you've got look better than ever. It's a shame that we've been sold this image of a 22" waist and a 38D chest....

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I am losing weight, but now seem to have "male breasts." How can I reduce these? Just keep on losing weight. The breasts are mostly fat. They'll start to go eventually. I understand that fat can be a source of estrogen, even in men, and can contribute to some feminization. So as you lose the fat and the accompanying estrogen, the breasts should shrink. The pec exercises already mentioned will do a lot to improve the appearance too.

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What exercises can someone with a bad back do to lose weight and strengthen their back muscles? The books are starting to show a little age, but my wife and I really like "Callanetics" by Callan Pinckney. Her program is sort of a mix of yoga and pilates, for both flexibility, stregnth, and toning. The exercises are done without special equipment, and are VERY back sensitive, as she herself had some serious back problems. There are books for beginner to advanced, and other...

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Where do the kernels which are used to make popcorn come from? "Popcorn or popping corn is a type of maize which puffs up when it is heated in oil or by dry heat. Special varieties of corn are grown to give improved popping yield. Some wild types will pop, but the cultivated strain is Zea mays L. subsp. mays (Everta Group), which is a special kind of flint corn. First developed by precolumbian Native Americans, popcorn is now a popular snack food all...

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How come McDonald's got rid of the McRib? It's just not part of their core menu. It cycles on and off again like some other items and they use it to try to create a little extra advertising buzz.

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I heard it takes an electric razor three weeks to adjust to your skin. Is this true, and if so, why? I understand that it's the other way around; your skin adjusts to the electric shaver. Your skin takes a little time to heal from the irritation of the blade, and soften some. So if you don't stop the blade altogether, and go exclusively to the electric, you'll never get a good shave from the electric.

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I'm a woman and I have a very thin mustache. Will shaving make it grow back even thicker? How can I remove it permanently? Heather's answer is right on, thanks for dealing with that myth. I just wanted to add that when you shave the hair, you slice off the nice tapered end it grew with, leaving it sharply squared. That makes it feel scratchy and coarse as it grows back out, but it really didn't change. There are two types of hair on your body. Vellus hairs are the soft fine hairs we associate with...

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What is the style called when a man sports a short triangular growth of hair in the small between his lip and chin? I usually hear that called a "soul patch".

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Following the Moore's Law of 18 Months per Doubling, what year do we expect to reach 2.89*10^90 Flops, whose amount is, by the way, the amount of sand grains needed to pack the observable universe solid with sand? Here is Intel's summary of Moore's Law, which is not truly a law, but an observation in the form of a prediction: "Gordon Moore made his famous observation in 1965, just four years after the first planar integrated circuit was discovered. The press called it "Moore's Law" and the name has stuck. In his original paper, Moore observed an exponential growth in the...

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My brother has gone through four brand new computers when each one has fried the motherboard when turned on. Service people for each brand came out and could not find a problem. Any ideas as to why this would happen? Tobester is on the right track. I'd definitely be looking at the power situation at his house. Maybe he has reversed polarity on his outlets or poor gounding. He might save his computers with a good UPS/Power Conditioner, but that may only mask problems which really should be fixed.

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How many years does it take for a high-school graduate to become a police officer? In most jurisdictions, you must be 21 years of age to carry a badge and a weapon. You will probably need at least two years of post high school education for an Associate's Degree, and many departments now require a Bachelor's degree. Once accepted, you will probably spend a few more months in that department's or state's police academy.

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Is it possible that I could damage my computer by placing my subwoofer on top of it? The first thing that comes to mind is that your subwoofer contains a rather powerful magnet, which could cause a problem for the Hard Disk or Floppy Drive. It may also give a CRT monitor a hard time if it's too close. I'd say keep the subwoofer 2 or 3 feet away from them.

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Is it legal to place flyers in people's mail boxes advertising a small, home business? It's not legal to put anything in a mailbox but US Mail, handled by the Postal Service.

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Does the Bible say that sexual relations is only for procreation? Let me recommend a terrific, short book. In "Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God" C. J. Mahaney makes a strong case that a healthy sexual relationship between a man and wife brings glory to God as much as it brings joy to the couple. ... Alatea, thanks for alerting me. They have remodeled their website a bit since I posted this answer. Here's a working link as of 12/27/05: ...

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What does "do not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing" mean? We discussed this recently in our church, and I have come away with a fuller view of this. Just as we are not to do our righteousness to be seen of men, we're not even to do to to be seen of ourselves. I can violate this command by congratulating myself on what a good boy I was to do that kind thing. Once again, it's not just outward righteousness we're looking for, it's...

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Where is it stated in the Bible that thinking something is the same as doing that thing? The central point of the Sermon on the Mount is that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus condemned their righteousness as being only outward. The Old Testament properly understood presented the same standard, but it was mostly perverted into a law of works. Jesus stressed the point that righteousness begins internally, and that message is followed...

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Where do Baptists stand on the pastor announcing an award or an outstanding achievement of one the members from the pulpit? You'll find Baptists that happily engage in this practice and make a it big production, and you'll find Baptists that consider it reprehensible. I think the worship service is about honoring God and celebrating His grace, and I'm not sure there's a way to do that without diluting that purpose. Not one that I've seen, anyway. Doesn't mean there's not.

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What do Baptists believe about having members come forward to be honored for their birthday and singing happy birthday to them during a portion of the worship service? You'll find Baptists that happily engage in this practice and make a it big production, and you'll find Baptists that consider it reprehensible. I think the worship service is about honoring God and celebrating His grace, and I'm not sure there's a way to do that without diluting that purpose. Not one that I've seen, anyway. Doesn't mean there's not.

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Where do the Baptists stand on giving membership to those who earn their living in a barroom setting---such as, selling alcohol, serving alcohol, a performer or entertainer----or a person, who works in a business place where only alcohol is sold? There is variation on this, of course. Many Baptist churches oppose the use of alcohol as a beverage, and include in the church covenant a provision that the members will not be involved in dispensing it as such. So one such as you mention would not be able to agree to the covenant, and thus would not become a member.

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What do Baptists believe about women leading prayer during the public or formal worship service? I am Baptist, and I will tell you what I believe. I am Baptist enough to know that no one can tell you "what Baptists believe" except to tell you that Baptists believe in interpreting the Bible for yourself. There are a number of points of broad agreement among Baptists, and this isn't one of them. Some do not allow any spoken participation by women in public worship, some allow...

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Do Baptists believe that wet dreams are sinful? How can Baptists believe something to be sinful when the Bible doesn't address it, either directly or in principle? Unless there is a Scriptural principle or command involved which is being violated, there is no sin. While our dreams may sometimes reflect our sinful natures, I don't think the Bible suggests that we have the ability to control them. A nocturnal emission suggests that...

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Why do so many people interpret stories such as that of Genesis literally when, for instance, chapter 1 so clearly contradicts chapter 2 chronologically? The accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 have different purposes, and thus are stated differently. That is different from a contradiction. Here is a knowledgeable, well written article dealing with this question: http://answersingenesis.org/creation/v18/i4/genesis.asp

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I've heard of "Southern Baptists" and "Baptists". How many different types of Baptists are there and how do they differ? Whoo-wee what a question! (Coming from one who has spent most of his 50 years as a Baptist of various types) I am still Baptistic in my doctrine, so what I am about to say is not as negative as it may sound. Sometimes your greatest quality can become your greatest flaw. Baptists are generally committed to the highest degree of fidelity to Scripture for faith and practice, and intend to take...

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Do we have any records that tell what Jesus was doing during the time between when he was 12 and when he started his ministry? All that is said is in Luke 2:51 and 52, where we are told He was subject to His parents, growing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Even though He was God on earth, in His humanity he still needed a time of developing His relationship with His Heavenly Father, and preparing for a very intense, short public ministry, which would come to a horrifying end--the earthly...

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Where is Jesus now and what is He doing? The Old Testament passage quoted in the New Testament more often than any other is Psalm 110:1 "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."" (NKJV) Theologically, this is known as the Session of Christ. The New Testament writers consistently show Him with the Father, making intercession for believers, and overseeing the...

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Did Jesus ever have sex? While marriage was indeed the normal course for a Jewish man, let's remember that Jesus was anything but normal. The nature of His existence and His mission on earth would seem to preclude marriage or family for Him. He Himself made the case that marriage was appropriate for some and not for others, according to the gift and calling of God. Children born to Him would have been...

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What are the nine gifts of the Spirit? Who says there are only nine? The Bible has numerous listings of gifts, some of them spectacular and some of them rather mundane sounding. Romans 12:8 lists giving and showing mercy as gifts, for example. Of course, our egos push us to desire the spectacular ones, but dare we belittle any gift of the Spirit? That's why Paul uses the metaphor of the body to show that the pretty, showy parts...

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At what speed does the average commercial jet fly? The larger jets that fly transcontinental and transoceanic routes will have cruise speeds in the 500-600 mph range (around .8 mach). That's airspeed. Headwinds and tailwinds will add to or subtract from that for groundspeed. I once flew in a 747 over the Pacific returning from Asia. We got in the jetstream and picked up a 150 mph tailwind, which put our groundspeed over 700 mph.

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Where can I find reference to infant baptism in the Bible? If you can find a copy of Wall's "Infant Baptism", you may find it very interesting. It was published over 400 years ago, and just about any scholarly work on the subject since makes mention of it. Wall (I'm sorry I don't recall his first name, I don't have anything in front of me at the moment) was a supporter of infant baptism--Presbyterian, I believe--who...

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According to the Bible, is baptism necessary for salvation? Baptism is tied so closely to salvation that it can easily be taken as necessary. However, the message of salvation through repentance and faith apart from works is so strongly stated, that we must reject the addition of anything, no matter how important, including baptism. The thief on the cross was assured of salvation by Christ Himself, without baptism or any other work. He simply turned...

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What can I do to make my over-buffed nails regain their strength and layers fast? Unfortunately, the fingernail that is past the cuticle is done. If it's been buffed away, it won't grow back, you have to wait for the thicker nail to grow out. In the meantime, you'll have to build it back up with something artificial, like the silk wrap. Here's a do-it-yourself repair with super glue and tea bag fabric: http://www.pineapple-girl.com/fingernail.htm

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How do you make a monkey claw that was used to throw to shore from the boats? Here's one diagram: http://www.realknots.com/knots/faqknot.htm#monkey

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I'm 15. Where can I find information about developing healthy eating habits specifically for teens? Try MyPyramid.gov. The USDA's food pyramids of the past have been mostly meaningless or misleading, but the new one actually reflects a good approach to nutrition. MyPyramid.gov will help you determine an appropriate daily calorie intake, help you with portion sizes to achieve that with a good mix of meats, vegetables, grains, fats, and dairy, and even help you track your progress. I...

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Why is there a button on a microwave for popcorn? It helps eliminate guesswork. The oven manufacturer has calculated an appropriate cooking power and time for common package sizes based on the characteristics of their oven. You choose the amount of popcorn in the bag, and the oven does the rest. Popcorn is "pop"-ular enough as a microwaveable item, that making that function simple and reliable is a good selling feature.

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What makes someone lose their voice? The non-medical non-researched answer: Inflammation or mucus coating from an infection, or some other damage, causes the vocal cords to resist vibrating normally in response to the air stream from the lungs. Think of a stretched rubber band which has either become hardened or has been coated with a heavy grease.

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What are the chances of a pregnancy resulting in twins? Triplets? Fertility treatments have resulted in increasing rates of multiple births recently. Excluding those, the "natural" occurence of multiple births of any number is around 3% or 3 out of 100 pregnancies. The bulk of these would be fraternal twins. Identical twins occur about once out of 250 pregnancies, and triplets about once in 8,000. Higher order multiples are truly...

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What are semi-identical twins? Twinsworld.com describes Half Identical or Polar Body Twinning. I had never heard of this either, but I suspect that it is the same as semi-identical. According to them, a single egg can sometimes divide before fertilization, and the resulting identical eggs be fertilized by two different sperm. Check this link: http://www.twinsworld.com/stats.html

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When does puberty end? Hindu.com seems to be giving a particular legal definition. Many cultures have customary and legal ages for puberty, adolescence, and adulthood, but I don't think that's the question. Dictionary.com defines puberty as the time when an individual becomes capable of sexual reproduction. That age can vary widely but is generally 13-16 for boys and 11-14 for girls. That makes puberty a...

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Is it acceptable to spell a name like O'Hara with no apostrophe, like Ohara? I use the same rule as for pronunciation of a name: Do it like whoever it belongs to does it.

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I have a 2005 Kia Optima. The owner's manual states to change the oil every 7500 miles. Should I stick to this or should I change it on the normal 3 month/3,000 mile interval? 3,000 miles is an extremely conservative oil change schedule which does little to help your car, and a lot to help the profits of oil change outfits. I don't know that it was ever "normal", unless it was a long time and a lot of engine and oil technology ago. Assuming you're driving on normal roads under normal conditions, Kia's recommendation is fine. Remember,...

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My 2002 Kia Rio's front left brake pad gets so hot, it melted some of its hubcap. They changed the brake pads about a month ago. What could be wrong? Probably a sticky caliper that's keeping the pad in contact with the rotor. If this problem started after the pads were changed, then it suggests some problem with the reassembly.

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How do psychics help the police find missing people? One possible answer is "not very well". Check this recent article by Clint Van Zandt, in which he suggests that they mostly waste law enforcement resources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7295650/

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Is it illegal to read a note posted on someone else's front door? No, that wouldn't be the same as opening someone's mail. Now, if that note is on the door of a house, you might be accused of tresspass if you come up on the porch for no other reason than to read it. But if you can read it from a public right of way, even with binoculars, I doubt you would be breaking any law. Or if you're walking down the hallway of an apartment building that...

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What does the phrase "losing my religion" mean? As a Southerner, I would say "end of my rope" is only close. That phrase has more to do with running out of hope. Losing one's religion has more to do with running out of patience, becoming angry, and losing that restraint with which our good religious upbringing has provided us. It would generally mean then, turning to cussin' or fightin'.

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When I drive a vehicle off the lot after signing papers, is that vehicle mine right then, or only after the paperwork has gone through the DMV? It's yours when you drive off the lot. You should have a bill of sale, and depending on your state a temporary tag showing that the DMV fees have been paid and the paperwork is in process. These documents establish your ownership. I suspect that that is so even in the case of a so-many-days/miles-satisfaction-guarantee. If you exercise that option, another round of paperwork would be done...

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Why do companies split their stock? It's my understanding that it's customary, though not mandatory, to keep share prices under $100. There are some companies who choose not to adhere to this, but most companies feel that it makes their stock easier to quote and trade. So usually, if a company's stock price is trending upward, somewhere around $90 or so they will declare a 2-for-1 split, or maybe 3-for-1....

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For how long can a company legally claim that their product is "new" or "new and improved"? Words like that are subjective enough that I doubt there can be any meaningful legal regulation. So legally, as long as they think it helps sales.

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How would science prove the existence of God? Nice work, Mr. Blaylock. I think we might add, though, that science might certainly indicate that there is a God, or a Creator. Science has not been able to demonstrate the existence of any creative force or principle in physics. And to simply declare that science can make no reference to a god, and here we are, so there must be such a force (which quite frankly is what often passes for origins...

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When discussing multiple occurrences, such as accidents, attacks, or robberies, is it necessary to point out that they are "separate"? Right, Aminor! Writing is always about clarity. What's clear and obvious to the writer may not always be so to the reader, and he is the object. Unrelated events might seem to gain an asssociation by being discussed in the same sentence or paragraph, or they could in fact be associated. It is the writer's responsibility to see to it that the reader doesn't have to wonder.

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If God is infinite, how can any finite statement represent Him completely? I have one quibble with the previous answer. God in his self-revelation to us (the Bible) characterizes himself as male. The question does not "assign" that, it reflects it. That said, it is indeed impossible to completely represent an infinite God in a finite statement, and I'm not sure who has ever claimed to do so. Not even the Bible claims to do this. It does give us what...

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What is the origin of the phrase "rule of thumb"? Recall that an inch was once defined as the length of the thumb (the king's would be the standard) from the first joint to the tip. It's still a pretty good approximation. And of course the "foot" was the lenth of the king's foot. Which is why the thing you would measure it with was called a ruler.

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What's the origin of "remember it by heart" since it's our brain that remembers things? The brain's fuction has not always been understood. The ancient Egytians, when preparing a body for mummification, would remove and preserve the internal organs seperately in special jars, but would usually discard the brain. The center of your being has been identified with the heart and other internal organs in various times and cultures. Even now, we use the word "heart" to...

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How can game shows afford to give money to their contestants? The amounts of money given away to contestants is actually rather modest compared to salaries for "stars" of scripted shows (remember when the salaries for the six principals on "Friends" hit $1Milllion each per episode?). Game shows turn out to be relatively cheap to produce, compared to the advertising revenue they can generate.

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I occasionally discover ads for real estate loans that claim I can borrow 125% or 107% of a home's value. What is the "catch" with these loans? The previous answer is true only to a point. The catch is that this appreciation doesn't always come. In that case you can end up owing more on the property than you could sell it for, making enormous payments. The catch is that you could be strongly tempted to spend this apparent windfall on something other than increasing the property's value. This is a speculative investment....

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How can I tell how much house I can afford? I agree with the previous answer. You have to look at your whole financial picture, and be brutally honest with yourself. The answer to how much house you can afford is probably "less than you want to think." The best rule of thumb I know is this: your housing expenses--everything, mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, utilities, upkeep (including saving for big ticket repairs down the...

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In what ways, if any, does glass affect exposure to UV rays? Unless it has some special coating for the purpose, glass by itself does not affect or block UV; it goes right through with the visible light and infra-red. It's the UV that causes items sitting by a window to fade.

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My 10 year old lab mix seems to have a hip problem, and she defecated on herself yesterday. Is this common with a hip injury? We had a Lab mix who got to a similar condition. I understand that Labs are particularly susceptible to a condition called "hip dysplasia." In our dog, she seemed to be unable to "squat" properly, so defecation became a rather haphazard affair. I don't know what kind of treatment is available, or the cost, since I wasn't in a position to spend much on vet bills....