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What is John Steinbeck's most famous work? I think "The Grapes of Wrath" is probably his best-known novel, since it is often taught in high school English classes. It tells the story of a family who migrates from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression. "Of Mice and Men" and "East of Eden" are also very well-known Steinbeck novels, though. My personal favorite is "Tortilla Flat,"...

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How did Canada get its name? Well, since Kim's already done such a good job providing the serious answer, there's nothing left for me to do except offer up this joke etymology that you sometimes hear in the USA: The story goes that Canada was actually named by drawing letters at random out of a hat. The letters were drawn in the order C, N, D. The man drawing the letters was recorded as saying, "C,...

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This girl has said she has strong feelings for me, but she refuses to leave her boyfriend of 3 years. Is she just leading me on? This depends on the specifics of what she told you. It is possible to be in a long-term, committed relationship and have "strong feelings" for someone else. One might choose to tell one's friend about the strong feelings simply in the interest of maintaining the friendship, since hiding one's feelings from a good friend can lead to tension and discomfort. But "strong...

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How do girls decide to approach a guy? I'd like to be that guy, but I don't want to wait around forever. How do guys decide to approach a girl? If you don't want to wait, try making a move yourself! Okay, I'm sorry if that sounds mean or unhelpful. Frankly, I'm a girl who always had some idea that the guy was supposed to make the first move. So I spent eight months analyzing my "friend's" every move, trying to decide if he was flirting or not. I was scared to...

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In order to attract a girl, should I start liking the same stuff she likes? Expressing a polite interest in things she likes is different from forcing yourself to like them too. You don't have to have all the same interests as another person to have a successful relationship. And if you try to force yourself, that's a recipe for resentment and conflict later on. But there's nothing wrong with trying to learn a little bit about something that's...

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If you have a bank account in a foreign country, can you transfer money to your account in the US? Yes, but there are hefty fees involved for such a transfer. I'm not an expert, and I can't tell you about every country. You'll have to ask someone at your bank (both of them) to be sure. But I live and work in France, and will soon be returning to the USA with the money that I have earned in France. My French bank told me that they could have the money transferred to my...

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Where would I be able to find the American School Terms/Semester dates for 2005? If you're talking about university level, every school sets its own calendar. Some start the semester in late August, others in early September. Most have their first semester exams just before the Christmas break, but I went to a college where we had them in mid-January. But the good thing is that nearly all American colleges/universities have excellent websites where you can view the...

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How can I petition to get a teacher fired? Probably not much. I'm both a graduate student and a teacher at the moment. It is very difficult for schools to force teachers out. There are certainly cases of bad teachers who benefit from this. Unfortunately, some people that just shouldn't be in the classroom are there and are likely to stay there. But there are also just as many cases where the school administration is...

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Why do Greeks and Americans have different Easters? It's not specifically a Greek/American difference. It is a difference between the Orthodox and Catholic churches, which do not use the same calendar. Most Greeks are Orthodox Christians, so they follow the calendar of the Orthodox Church. Russians, Syrians, and plenty of other national/ethnic groups that are Orthodox would do the same. On the other hand, most American Christians are...

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How long can a person live on dialysis? I believe that a person with kidney failure can live pretty long with dialysis, which just takes over the work that a healthy kidney should be doing. I hesitate to say "indefinitely," though, when I can't prove it. There are likely other side effects of kidney disease, especially effects on other organs, that come into play and cause death regardless of dialysis. I don't...

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Was Shakespeare gay? I don't think there are enough written sources about Shakespeare and his life to answer that question for sure. It is known that he had a wife and three children, one of whom died young (possibly the reason why he started putting ghosts in his plays). Because of his work, though, he probably wasn't at home much. Whether he engaged in sexual relations with other men, or whether he...

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How did the Spanish language lose its lisp and the informal plural when the Spaniards colonized America and taught Spanish to the Indians? It didn't exactly "lose" either of these things. I assume that what you mean by "lisp" is the tendency to pronounce soft "c" or "z" like a "th". This is not a uniform feature of Spanish. It is most common in the Andalusian (Southern Spanish) dialect, and different regional varieties of Spanish use it differently. Some don't use it...

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Is there a holy city or site for the Islamic religion? Where is it? There are a few. I'll try to explain why each is significant, as well as where it is located: 1. Mecca (Saudi Arabia) is by far the most important, and the site of the annual Hajj (pilgrimage), which all Muslims are expcted to undertake once if they are physically/financially capable of making the trip. Muhammad (pbuh) came from there, as did all of the first Muslims who heard the...

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Our cat knows that I am the alpha female of the house, but she attacks my 8 year old daughter. What can I do about this? As mentioned by someone else, a quick squirt of water is usually the best deterrent. Stamping your foot on the floor not too far from where the cat is and saying "no" loudly and forcefully is also a short-term solution you can use when there's no water handy. But you might want to ask yourself if your daughter is doing anything special (maybe completely unintentionally) to...

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Do all countries use Daylight Savings Time? Just for the record, countries do not always decide as a whole to use or not use DST. For example, the vast majority of the United States does, but some states choose not to. I know Hawaii doesn't, because I once had a Hawaiian college roommate who had never "turned the clock back" before. I know there are other states that don't use DST, and I want to say that Arizona is...

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My 1 year old female cat randomly attacks my younger female cat, but just minutes later she'll be cuddling with her and grooming her. Why is she doing this? They're playing. Cats have natural predatory instincts, and this is how they "keep in shape". In a litter of kittens, for example, it's not uncommon for the kittens to play at attacking each other to practice their hunting skills. Mother cats will even encourage their kittens in these games. The older cat is really just acting like a big brother or sister to the younger...

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What is "Grimm's Law"? Grimm's Law (yes, formulated by one of the Grimm Brothers!) is a systematic explanation of how certain consonant sounds evolved in Germanic languages (including English). It accounts for some of the major differences between Germanic languages and other Indo-European languages. For example, English "foot" and German "fuss" have an "f" whereas French...

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What is morphology? Morphology is the study of how words are put together. It all revolves around things called "morphemes," which I'll try to explain: Words are composed of morphemes. A morpheme is basically the smallest possible unit of meaning in a language. Words can consist of one morpheme (e.g. "the". You can't break the word "the" down any further without it...

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Was one of the Titans on the Olympians' side during the fight to overthrow Cronos? If so, who was it? If I remember correctly, Rhea (wife of Cronos and also a Titan) sided with her children against her husband.

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What is the religious significance of the Jewish "kosher" dietary laws? As another answer states, observant Jews follow kosher laws "because God said so" in the Old Testament. I won't repeat what has already been said well, but I will mention that I heard a different account of why chicken and milk cannot be mixed even though chickens don't give milk. As a chicken parmesan-loving, non-Jewish girl trying to respect the practices of the...

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When was Judaism founded? Something about the verb "founded" bothers me... mainly because I associate that word with things that men invent. And when you believe in a religion you either believe that it was always there or that it was given to you by a higher power, not that a person invented it. But I'll leave the semantic dispute aside... Judaism began with Abraham's covenant with G-d (out of...

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If a person doesn't go to church or have a religion, but still believes in God, will they go to heaven? From the general tone of the question, I'm assuming that even though you use the word "church" you are not necessarily talking only about Christianity. My apologies if it's an incorrect assumption. My inclination as a Muslim is to tell you "probably." But, as a Muslim, I'll also be quick to point out that only God is qualified to make that decision. We...

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What are some things a Baptist man can do to appeal to the parents of a Catholic woman he'd like to date? I know that when people recommend conversion they are trying to help. But conversion to please or accommodate others is conversion for the wrong reasons. I am Muslim and my boyfriend of four years is Jewish. We're both fairly religious people, so while my advice is not perfect for everyone understand that it comes from lots of personal experience, prayer, and sincere discussion with...

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Is there a god, and either way, how do we know? Along the lines Glenn and Kim mentioned: I know God exists, but HOW I know is a matter of personal faith. I could try to explain, but it's an understanding each person has to reach on their own. My personal feeling is that the very strength of God's presence lies in the fact that I can know and feel it without the visible or tangible proof I would require for lesser things. To put...

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Is there any sin you can commit and not be accepted into heaven? Well, I'll give the Muslim perspective because it's the one I know best and we already have some eloquent Christian explanations up. Muslims traditionally believe that certain acts are so good that they will carry you to heaven (especially dying in the middle of a religious act like fasting or pilgrimage or inspiring others to accept Islam). But in general we avoid the...

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Why does it matter which religion you are? Aren't most of them about being the best person you can, and helping others to the best of your ability? That is exactly what life is about. But being "the best you can" is subjective, and we all pursue that differently. I think that people who identify strongly with one religion will say that their religion is what helps them to be "the best they can". I'm Muslim. For me, the guidelines of Islam help me to live a good life and be a good person. Sometimes when...

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Would a male Libra and female Sagittarius make a good match for a relationship? Neither I nor anyone else is in a place to "judge" a Libra-Sagittarius relationship. People who don't believe in astrology will say the whole question is irrelevant. People who do believe in astrology and have studied the subject in any depth will say that it's more complicated than just knowing birthdays. If you believe there's something to astrology and are...

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What kind of jobs could I get if I were to major in languages (college)? What language is the most sought after by employers? You can be lots of things. You can become a teacher (like me!), a translator, a guide or other worker in the tourist industry... there are too many possibilities to just make one list right here. You can be an etymology researcher for dictionaries (obscure, yes, but I always thought that sounded like a fun job!). You can also get jobs that don't necessarily have an immediate link to...

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What are some words that have multiple, opposite meanings? The word "inflammable" also comes to mind. I'm not sure if the dictionary authorities will ascribe multiple meanings to it, but history and common usage have. I believe the reason for the confusion has something to do with hydrogen being labeled "inflammable air" and then, after the Hindenberg explosion, people realized that they had been mistaken and hydrogen was...

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Is there an Islamic version of God? Who or what is it? Yes, there is one God that Muslims believe in. Many Muslims call Him "Allah" because that is the Arabic word for "God." But we believe that when Jews, Christians, and Muslims talk about "God" we're all talking about the same One. As an English-speaking Muslim, I personally prefer to call Him "God". For me, this emphasizes that Jews, Christians,...

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What can help with constipation? Taking a tablespoon of mineral oil works wonders, although the stuff tastes absolutely disgusting. Coffee, as others have pointed out, seems to clean out your system, but I really wouldn't recommend medicating yourself with caffeine just because you're constipated. I would recommend adding fiber to your diet. Eat Bran Flakes cereal (Kellogg brand?) in the morning (it tastes...

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Have the Red Sox ever won a World Series? If so, in what years? Excuse me for this display of regional pride.... It's been a long time, as the other answer shows. We've been waiting for over 80 years, but finally in 2004 the Red Sox won their first World Series in quite a long time! And we the proud people of Boston will be walking on air for many years to come!

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In general, who is more powerful/important/prestigous - a state governor or a US Senator if they belong to the same state? It's hard to say... it depends on what you consider to be "powerful/important/prestigious". I would say that the governor is more important to residents of a particular state; a senator is more important on the national scale. At the risk of repeating the obvious, a state governor will have more control over state government. He/she is likely to be a more familiar figure to...

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Does Puritanism still exist? Well, it would be difficult to find a group whose twenty-first century practitioners closely resemble the Puritans who went from Old England to New England in the seventeenth century. So, in that regard, no. One of the main characteristics of the Puritans was their opposition to the Church of England. And by now there are so many Protestant groups in America that "not being...

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Was Marilyn Manson an actor when he was younger? I don't think so. At least, not according to http://www.imdb.com, which is the most reputable source of movie/actor information that I know. According to them, he is a musician, a writer, and a painter. They list all his movie and TV appearances, and it would seem that the vast majority are song credits where his music was used and instances where he appeared as himself (e.g. Bowling...

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Is it possible to safely lose 100 pounds in two months? No. Even removing the word "safely," I'm not sure if it's even physically possible. I'm no weight loss expert, but I've read my fair share of women's magazines, and whenever you see quotes from a doctor (as opposed to a ridiculous fad diet), they seem to agree that a few pounds a week is best. Making for about 10 pounds a month, maybe 15 if you're...

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What is the difference in meaning, if any, between "Israeli" and "Israelite"? Edit in response to comment: Actually, today's Jews are descendants of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (who did not found his own "tribe," but some of whose descendants formed the hereditary Jewish priesthood line). These are the descendants of the inhabitants of Judea. The descendants of the other tribes, those of the original Kingdom of Israel, have been "lost," hence...

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What is Ashura? Ashura literally means "ten". It's a holiday that falls on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Muslim lunar calendar. This means that it will not always fall in January, February, etc. but rather move around relative to the Christian calendar. The explanation of the holiday itself is a little complicated and requires a small history lesson, so forgive the long...

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Where and when did coffee drinking become popular? Check out: http://www.koffeekorner.com/koffeehistory.htm for more information. The legend has it that the actual coffee beans were discovered c. 850 in Ethiopia, when goat herders noticed that goats got hyperactive upon eating them. The goat herders tried it themselves, and thus coffee was discovered. Around 1100, Arabs in the area of what is now Yemen began to roast/boil the coffee beans...

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Why do you see ants carrying other dead ants around-- what do they do with them? Ants are social insects, meaning they live in colonies where each ant has a certain social role to play, as well as specific chores to carry out. You wouldn't think ants were so interesting, but reading about them to answer this question was fascinating! Anyway, some ants just have the job of taking out the trash. They remove all trash (and this includes the bodies of dead ants) from...

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Can chocolate harm cats? Yes. Aside from the tooth decay and obesity problems that chocolate poses for all species, there is a serious risk here. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which acts as both a diuretic and a cardiac stimulant. It may not do much to humans, but it has a much stronger effect on dogs and cats. It will speed up their heart rate, with possibly fatal results in the case of larger...

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If the Greeks call their country "Hellas", why do we call it "Greece"? The Latin name for Greece is Graecia. I'm not sure where the Romans got it from, but I'm almost positive that we got our modern "Greece" straight from them.

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I find it difficult to meet girls who have my interests (video games, books/comics, anime... stuff some people consider 'geeky'.) Where can I meet a girl with those interests? MP1116's advice is excellent and probably all you need, but I thought of a few other things, for what it's worth: -- You could meet people in the stores where people buy all that stuff, although it's not something you would set out to do intentionally. That could work if you're an outgoing sort of person, but I know it's not for everybody. -- If you're a...

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I think there are some girls in my school who fancy me but don't have the nerve to speak to me. How do I make myself more accessible? Good advice has already been posted, but let me add two things, from the point of view of one of those girls who was always too reserved to make the first move: 1. Are you interested in any of these girls who like you? It's great to be friendly to them all, but if they're already shy around you please do make sure that you're not leading on any girls who you're...

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My friends have been advising me to break up with my new girlfriend because she is a "Princess." What exactly do they mean by that? This could depend on the ethnic and religious makeup of your group of friends. There exists a term "Jewish American Princess" or "JAP," which is a negative term used to describe any Jewish girl who is somewhat spoiled, thinks highly of herself, and expects others to cater to her whims. While "JAP" is the common abbreviation, I have heard Jews use the word...

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I have been told that "in choosing a boyfriend, you should go for a guy who loves you more." Is this true? Not necessarily. I have a friend who made this choice, but her relationship didn't last longer than a few months. It's hard to say what would have happened if she'd gone out with the guy she liked, instead of the guy she had lukewarm feelings for but who happened to really like her. There is a distinction between love and compatibility. Both are important for successful...

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Is it out of the question for a 17 year old to be interested in or fall in love with a 23 year old? Absolutely not, although sexual relations (even if completely consensual) would be illegal until the 17-year-old turns 18. There is nothing "wrong" with this. I will, however, repeat some cautionary words from my answer to a similar question. Age 18-21 is a period of incredible change and growth, intellectually and emotionally (take it from me-- I recently turned 22 and am...

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My kitten is afraid to use the litter box in the basement by herself. What can I do to help her not be afraid? When my younger sisters got bunk beds, they did train the cat to climb up and down the ladder, basically by holding her and guiding her less and less until she was doing it by herself. Frankly, though, I would just advise you to move the litter box somewhere more agreeable. Cats are picky in general, and incredibly fastidious about where they relieve themselves. If she doesn't like...

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For how long was Russia a communist country? There's often a little window for debate when it comes to history, but I would say 1917-1991. 1917 is the year of the Russian Revolution, which overthrew the Tsar and brought Vladimir Lenin and his followers to power. As for the end of Russian communism and the Soviet Union . . . Boris Yeltsin resigned from the Communist Party in 1990, shortly after being given the top spot in the...

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Did anyone speak English in The Passion of the Christ? As far as languages spoken by the characters, no. The Romans were speaking Latin (albeit with "Church Latin" pronunciation) and the Jews were speaking Aramaic, an ancient Semitic language. Most of the Old Testament of the Bible is written in Hebrew, although there are some bits in Aramaic. Because of when and where it was spoken, it is generally believed that Aramaic would have...

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What is the origin of the surname Haddad? "Haddad" is Arabic for "blacksmith". So, in a nutshell, it's like our last name "Smith".

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What is the largest land mass on earth? The largest land mass is the supercontinent of Africa-Eurasia (i.e. all the land comprising continental Europe, Asia, and Africa). To break it down, Asia is the largest of the seven continents even without taking into account the fact that it is connected to Europe. Africa is the second largest continent, and it is connected to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula. So it stands to reason that...

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Why do some people consider Mormonism a cult? "Cult" is a loaded word, and it's too subjective to have one definition. People love to use it as a pejorative term for any religion that they dislike, especially if it's a minority group compared to that of the person using the word. My college roommate was Mormon, and we have discussed religion. Some of the history and beliefs of the LDS Church make no sense to me and...

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Why do Orthodox Jews (men) dress in black and wear their hair in long strands in the front? I should point out that not all Orthodox Jewish men dress like that. The black suits and side curls are specifically associated with Hasidic Jews. Then there are some other Orthodox groups who dress similarly, but their names escape me at the moment (it's awfully hard to remember Hebrew words when you don't speak the language at all!). However, there are also lots of Jews who would...

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Red and green are the traditional colors of Christmas. What are the traditional colors of Hanukkah? Hanukkah does not have traditional colors in and of itself. But if you were to buy Hanukkah decorations you would see lots of blue and white (the colors of the Israeli flag and thus "traditional colors" for Judaism as a whole). Maybe some gold, especially regarding representations of the letters on the dreidel. Of course, Hanukkah is not a major holiday from a theological...

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When I type in a number, how can I set it so it doesn't move to the right? Aligning numbers to the right is the default setting for Excel. If you would rather have them aligned to either the left or the center, you have two options. The easiest is to go to the formatting toolbar. Next to those buttons with B, I, and U (bold, italics, and underline) are three buttons with horizontal lines to represent text. One is aligned to the left, one is aligned to the center,...

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Do the fingernails of your left hand and your right hand grow equally fast? Based on my personal experience, yes. But sometimes it seems like certain nails grow faster than others because they just don't break as often and it's easier for them to get to a longer length. For example, I'm left-handed. The index finger on my left hand gets a lot of use, and the nail chips and breaks more frequently than, say, the ring finger of my right hand. So if I...

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How do you type a forward accent (ex: over the e in resume)? If you're using Microsoft Word, go to the "insert" menu and select "symbol". You'll get a lovely chart with every accent mark and foreign character you can imagine. In addition to the "traditional" accent marks of western European languages, you can get the entire Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic alphabets as well. Just choose the one you want. I...

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What is a curriculum vitae? How does one differ from a traditional resume? What types of careers would you use a CV instead of a resume? Edit: I wrote this answer before spending a year abroad as a teacher. I realize now that my answer is correct for the USA, but it may not hold true for other countries. Other answers to round out our knowledge with international perspectives are welcomed! A curriculum vitae is longer and more detailed than a resume. A resume ideally fits on one page, definitely never more than two. A...

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What the difference between a bacteria and a virus? Bacteria are single-celled organisms, capable of reproducing on their own. Different kinds of bacteria thrive in a variety of different environments (our bodies being just one of many examples), but they are all "alive" by anyone's definition of the word. Because they are alive, they can be killed. Therefore, in addition to your body's own immune responses to get rid of...

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Does it really take more muscles to frown than it does to smile? Actually... (oh dear, this isn't going to be a popular answer!), the jury's still out on this one. It's a saying that has been around for so long and penetrated our culture to the extent that everyone assumes it's true without remembering specific details or sources. You will find many seemingly reputable sources swearing that it's true, but interestingly enough they...

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What verses in the Qu'ran (Koran) deal specifically with Muhhamad's flight from Mecca to Medina (the Hijira/Hijra)? What do they say? I didn't want to reply that there aren't any such verses until I had checked several English translations... but having been through four of them without finding anything I do think it's safe to say that there just aren't any. There are occasional references to the cities of Mecca and Medina (e.g. the importance of making the pilgrimage), but nothing specifically dealing...

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What are the risks involved with breast reduction? Are the risks greater for teens? No surgery is risk-free... anesthesia-related complications are always possible. But that's all I can think of in this case. I've never heard of breast reduction being dangerous in itself. And there are benefits to breast reduction surgery that speak in its favor. Whereas breast enlargement is really more of a cosmetic issue, breast reduction is often recommended by doctors to...

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Are there any proven non-surgical ways to enlarge breasts? Aside from surgery and altering your hormone balance (e.g. birth control pills), neither of which I recommend, I don't know of any way to enlarge breasts. However, there are exercises that in the past were recommended for breast enlargement. Basically, you lift your arms and thrust your chest in and out repeatedly... I've never done it, so if someone has an easier/more accurate...

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Are female swimmers attacked more often by sharks than male swimmers? Apparently they are, according to this answer that was posted to a different question. As I'm just reporting another poster's information, if you found this answer helpful and would like to rate it please head over to the section on women's health/menstruation and give credit where credit is due, to exup25th. Why does menstruation cease when a woman is in the water? (0...

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What's the difference between American soccer and British football? What Americans call soccer is called football everywhere else in the world (football in British English and French, futbol in Spanish, fussball in German, etc.). There is in an international body governing this sport, so it's safe to say that American soccer and British football are exactly the same sport, even if attracts far more fans in Britain. :) The official name of the sport is...

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What is the difference between the religious and commercial definitions of halal meats? This is complicated, even more complicated than it seemed when I first started reading up on it. So I'll do my best, but I expect not all Muslims will agree with everything. I'm going to deal specifically with land animals, although bear in mind that the Qur'an mentions in passing that "game of the sea" is allowed as well. Let's start with the primary source: ...

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What percentage of the population of Utah is Mormon? According to a Time Magazine article about the 2002 Olympics, 73%, showing a slight decrease from 77% in 1990. So, assuming no drastic changes in the past two years it should still be somewhere in the low 70s.

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I know this question isn't specific to Aoife, but what is the meaning of "Ni" as the middle name of many Irish women? It's not really a middle name. "Ni" basically means "daughter of" and precedes the name of a girl's father. Similarly, "Mc" or "Mac" (I can never remember which one is Irish and which one is Scottish!) goes before the name of a boy's father. And "O' " would go before the name of an male ancestor removed by a few generations.

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I've just joined a Masters course at a new college, and I have friends whom I really like, but there are guys and girls who won't talk to me. What can I do to become more popular? I was in your shoes a few months ago. To make matters worse, I had just graduated froma college that I really loved and was sure I'd never find friends who could come close to the standard set by my college crowd. So, in my case, if it was hard to meet people, I probably deserve a good portion of the blame. Anyway, I really wouldn't worry about becoming popular with everyone....

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Is there a home remedy to reduce the itch from mosquito bites besides calamine lotion? Baking soda! Mix baking soda with water until you have a plaster that you can apply to the itchy area. It will dry on. After it's been on for too long, though, it starts to crumble... so keep track of children if you don't want baking soda all over the furniture! I've also had occasional success with rubbing soap over the bite, but that was less reliable.

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Why do some people's mosquito bites not itch? If people take steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs for various health problems, then they will not experience the normal swelling/itching reaction if bitten by a mosquito. An example that I'm familiar with from family experience is organ transplant patients, who take prednisone as part of their anti-rejection treatment. If anyone knows of other reasons, feel free to add to this answer.

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What will happen if impacted wisdom teeth aren't removed? Not all impacted wisdom teeth are the same. I was lucky that mine were only touching soft tissue... it made their removal easier, and they weren't causing any immediate damage to the rest of my mouth. Some wisdom teeth are tilted to the point where they are at risk of burrowing straight into your other teeth. In those cases, if they are not removed you risk plenty of pain and damage...

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Where does the name Atkins originate from and what does it mean? From http://www.last-names.net "At" is an abbreviated form of Arthur "kins", analagous to German "kind" refers to "children of" (they provide Wilkins as another example) So: children of Arthur. A fine, old English name. You must have had an ancestor named Arthur a long, long time ago.

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What was Congo's previous name? Kim's right, but just in case anyone needed clarification on this: There are two separate countries: 1. The current Republic of Congo, more commonly known as Congo. This one's on the southwestern coast of Africa. 2. The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire, even more formerly Belgian Congo, and in case you aren't confused enough it was also called the Republic...

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Which African countries used to be Belgian colonies? And for those young people who never heard of Belgian Congo, it's that country that was called Zaire for a little while and recently become the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's in south-central Africa, so don't confuse it with the country further west that also has "Congo" in its name!

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What is the relationship between China and Hong Kong? Hong Kong was colonized by the British, but it was returned to China in 1997 (as agreed in a 1984 treaty between China and the UK). It is now part of China. Many residents of Hong Kong were apprehensive about this move (I know some who immigrated to the USA because of it), but in general things seem to have gone more smoothly than originally expected. Some cultural differences exist (Hong...

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How did Saddam Hussein come to power in Iraq? Response to rating: Yeah, you can take it as a given that Americans have had a hand in just about everything in the Middle East for several decades. So that probably includes Saddam Hussein's rise to power... but I think it would have happened on its own regardless. I don't like Saddam Hussein; I don't like America's Middle East policy. So I chose to keep my answer more...

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What American colleges or Canadian universities are considered to be good for a degree majoring in physics? There are just too many for me to give you a comprehensive answer. There are big-name science institutions like CalTech, MIT, and Harvey Mudd, but you can also get a good physics education at a liberal arts college (of which there are many!). Head to a bookstore or your local library and check for the college guides published by organizations like Barron's or the Princeton Review. For...

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Why does Rome have so many cats roaming about? Stray cats are very well-protected in Rome. Italy has a no-kill law, meaning no euthanasia for stray animals. Combine that with the fact that spaying and neutering are less common in Europe than in the USA, and you get . . . lots of stray cats! Apparently, the cats hang around tourist attractions in Rome and have become something of an attraction themselves. The city council in Rome has...

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At what age should a cat be declawed? Are there alternatives to declawing (I can't be at home 24/7 to catch her and train her not to claw the furniture)? My family chose to declaw a destructive cat once. We have always regretted it. I would never do it again and would discourage anyone else from doing it. For the most eloquent explanation I know of, see http://declawing.com. For convenience sake, though, I'll give you the high points of the article here: -- declawing is an American practice, but it's actually illegal in several...

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Do cats get high or stoned on catnip? Check out http://science.howstuffworks.com for more specific information. I'm just going to paraphrase what I found from the site and a few links that it mentions, in case you can't access it yourself. I don't think cats actually get high in the way a marijuana smoker gets high, although the effects of catnip on cats have been compared to those of hallucinogenic drugs on...

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What type of cat is a "lipicat"? Where do they come from? Wow... let me just say that I tried very hard to research this question, and I still haven't got a very satisfactory answer. But I've done all I can, so here goes: Lipicats are Asian cats. The fact that they are from Asia is the only solid piece of information that I have. Supposedly (to the extent that one can trust a random Google search), they resemble European cats. I...

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Some states call themselves a "commonwealth." What is the difference between a state and a commonwealth? All of the fifty states are "states", as defined in the federal Constitution. Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky are also commonwealths, because this is the official name used in their state Constitutions. So the simple answer is that commonwealths are commonwealths because they chose to be so, but let's try to understand why . . . it wasn't a choice that...

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My best friend who is 16 just started dating my cousin who is 26. I'm very concerned about this... am I over-reacting? In general, age differences become less important as both parties get older. A relationship between a 56-year old and a 66-year old seems fine, but it would be completely ridiculous (not to mention disturbing!) for a 20-year old and a 10-year old. This particular relationship falls into the middle ground between those two extremes. I don't know your friend, but it's not...

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How old should a cat be before it is spayed / neutered? Our veterinarian told us to wait until the cat was six months old. If you adopt a cat from an animal shelter, the exact date of birth is often not known. In this case, the shelter and/or a veterinarian can often estimate a kitten's age within a range of 2-3 weeks, and you should assume the youngest possible age for the kitten when scheduling an operation. If the cat is female, you...

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What's the difference between American "fries" and English "chips"? What Americans call "fries" or "French fries" (even though they really come from Belgium!) are referred to as "chips" in British English. What Americans call "chips" or "potato chips" are called "crisps" in Britain.

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My cat likes to lick the walls and eat toilet paper off the roll. Is she missing something from her diet or just bored? If she's licking the walls and toilet paper, I don't think it's a nutrition question, because those won't be helping her much. Outdoor cats often eat grass, which some say is because cats have a very meat/protein-oriented diet and don't take in very much fiber. And sometimes they lick salty things, but I wouldn't expect your toilet paper to be salty! Cats just...

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My cat attacks me (only me) violently and without provocation. His pupils dilate and he latches onto my arm or leg. Why does he do this and how can I get him to stop? Cats often jump people or things that, to the average human observer, do not necessarily deserve such an attack. Often they think they're playing. Cats have thicker skin than humans, and they don't realize how much their claws hurt. My cat has fairly regular periods of hyperactivity (signaled by dilating pupils) around sunrise and sunset, as well as occasionally around what she has...

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Besides "what's your sign?", what are some good pick-up lines that appeal to either men or women? An easier question to answer would be what pick-up lines don't appeal to me. The answer would be every pick-up line that anyone has ever tried on me. And I've had them in four languages. What appeals to me most, as a woman, is a man who has already proven himself to be a good friend. There are plenty of physically attractive and charming men out there, but I won't take...

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I am about to meet my girlfriend's young daughter for the first time, and I am a little apprehensive on how to relate to her. Any advice? It depends on how old a "young daughter" is. If you're talking about a toddler or a pre-schooler, things might be easier. Really young children might be harder to relate to if you've never had any of your own, but they're also less likely to judge or resent you. She might be shy at first, but try to follow any lead you can perceive from her. Does she have a favorite...

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What does it mean to be a "born-again" Christian? I find all these answers interesting, because none of them refer to the way I have always heard "born-again Christian." Every time that I have heard the term used, it was to describe someone who either (a) was nominally Christian but did not practice the religion or believe strongly, but who had a life-changing experience and found religion later in life or (b) was not Christian but...

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Is there any doctrinal basis for Christian boys being circumcised? Jews and Muslims continue the practice of circumcision because both religions emphasize their direct descent from Abraham. Abraham had both his sons Isaac (progenitor of the Jews) and Ishmael (progenitor of the Arabs and thus the first Muslims) circumcised as a symbol of their covenant with God. But leave the Muslims out of the equation because they didn't factor in until a long time...

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I really like this girl, we're together all the time and her and her boyfriend are on the verge of breaking up, but everytime it's about to happen, they find another reason to stay together. Should I just give up? Well, I don't know you, the girl, or the boyfriend but this far from being a new and unheard-of situation. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice not to interfere with the girl and her boyfriend. I'm not telling you to give up or to declare your feelings right away, but I am telling you that she has to make up her own mind and you have to give her the time and space to do so. She...

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How often should a boyfriend call you? This depends on a lot of factors. Case in point: my boyfriend and I attended the same college. That meant that we saw each other in person almost every day, and we usually talked on the phone every day, either to make plans to see each other or to make up for not having been able to see each other. Calling on-campus numbers was free. I studied in Europe for a semester. Calling France...

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The guy I am with has invited me on a vacation that is seven months away! Is this his way of telling me that we are serious? Well, what kind of a vacation is it? Did he intend for just the two of you to go on vacation? Or is he inviting you on a family vacation? If there are other people involved, his family might just want to know if you're coming because it will influence their planning. Your host might need to know how many people to accommodate, if there are airplane tickets involved they might want time...

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How can I spend time with a possible girlfriend if our only meeting time is in school, and neither of us can go out until we're older? It sounds like you had time to meet this girl in school, so you probably can find time to get to know her better and build up a friendship in school. If you're really serious about looking for ways to spend more time together (and she feels the same way), you could ask for permission to hang out with a larger group of friends. That might be less threatening to your poor parents than...

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Is it wrong for a girl that is 16 to be seriously thinking about marriage when she knows she loves the boy she is with? Depends on the girl. Depends on the kind of upbringing the girl had. Before anyone jumps on me for that response, I will say that I have never met a sixteen-year-old girl in the United States who seems ready for marriage. American society doesn't expect women to be wives or mothers at age sixteen, so it doesn't prepare them to be. Most Americans go to college, so...

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What qualities do most people consider "good" when choosing a mate? Well, I tend to think "would I want to raise children with this man?" before anything else. But we all have different cultural and religious backgrounds, so after the rest of you finish laughing at me we'll move on to the serious part of my answer. Everyone has their own preferences, and there's no magic formula to follow. I knew a girl who never dated men under 5 foot...

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I like a girl who used to like me, but now she's into the popular guys in school and I'm not really popular. What can I do to get her attention again? I agree with the advice to wait it out and see if she comes around. And that if it just doesn't happen, then you should move on because you surely deserve (and can find) better. I won't make any guesses about your age because of the embarrassment that it will cause both you and me if I'm wrong, but I will say this: about six to eight years ago I was at an age and in a school...

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Should my shoes match the colour of anything else I am wearing? Do not wear brown shoes with black pants or vice versa. Articles of clothing can often be divided into the "goes with black" group and the "goes with brown" group. Then you have a pair of black shoes for one group and a pair of brown shoes for the other group. Of course, giving this advice is probably a waste of time, since the gentleman I have in mind is not an...

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How do you remove blood stains from clothes? Hydrogen peroxide works. If you catch the stain soon enough and the blood isn't fully dry (ladies, remember this one), soap and water is often sufficient. Most of the blood will rinse right off once you squeeze. The trick is to start with cold water, get what you can, and then increase the water temperature. Unless the blood has fully dried, you'll get almost all of it out that...

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How do you convert European sizes to US sizes? Regarding women's sizes... Kim's answer is an excellent explanation of the theory. Now on to the practice: "European sizes" differ from European country to European country. I'm a size 4 in the United States (in the petite department, unfortunately, where there is less choice...). When I lived in France I could be anything from a size 34 to a size 38 depending on...

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What makes a dance a ballroom dance? I suppose that, throughout history, people have done all sorts of things in ballrooms. But there are people for whom ballroom dancing is a competitive sport, and in this situation there are certain dances classified as "ballroom," just like there are certain pieces of apparatus used in competitive gymnastics. The five standard ballroom dances are the waltz, the tango, the Viennese...

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I was told that you have to have 2 years of ballet experience before you can do toe ballet. Is this true, and why does it take so long? Going en pointe (the official ballet term) is tough on your feet and your ankles. So it's important to have a certain level of strength so that you don't injure yourself or hamper further bone development. I've never heard of waiting 2 years, but my ballet teacher preferred to have you wait until the age of 13, after girls finish their major growth spurt. I started ballet...

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My dad applied for a petition for alien relative for me. We received a letter from the INS stating that my application is in progress but not accepted. Can I visit Canada in the meantime? Post-rating edit: Okay. As acknowledged in the original answer, I'm no specialist in immigration Iaw. Sorry if I misled anyone with an answer that was, admittedly, an educated guess at best. For what it's worth, though, the information in the second paragraph of my answer is true. I have helped immigrants prepare for naturalization interviews, and you do need to give information...

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Which degree program -- that doesn't lead to a career in academia, like Physics -- is considered the most difficult? Any degree program can lead to a career in academia, by definition. How else do you train the next generation of professors to teach that degree program? Most law school graduates become lawyers, but some become law school professors. Most medical school graduates become practicing physicians, but some stay on as university faculty. And so on... Let's assume for the sake of argument...

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Are there English words that contain the letter 'q' without a 'u' following it? My two cents on the debate: If you count words that English has borrowed from other languages, most notably Arabic, then definitely. Arabic has a "k" sound that is like the one in English, and we write "k" when we borrow words with that sound. Arabic also has a sound that is made much further back in your throat (a uvular stop for the linguists among you; the rest will...

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What makes Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen not identical twins? I actually thought they were identical for quite some time although, admittedly, I don't spend much time watching their show or looking at pictures of them. But I recently saw a photo where I was struck by the fact that they are different heights. They do look an awful lot alike, don't they? I think it's kind of interesting that, even though they've been fraternal twins...

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Where is the Simpsons' "Springfield" supposed to be? A running joke on the Simpsons is that they never tell you exactly where Springfield is located. Indeed, they picked the name because so many American states have a town called Springfield. And names like "Capital City" are contrived to keep up the joke. They'll never explicitly tell you where it is. A friend from Indiana once told me that he had placed Springfield in...

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Strictly speaking, if someone is said to be Jewish, does that refer to their religion or their nationality? Both. And for all that it doesn't seem like a satisfactory answer, that's just how it is. It doesn't even really matter if you're Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform, so don't worry about trying to distinguish among them if you don't know the difference. "Nationality" is a recent invention. Forgive me, but I'm going to discard that word because...

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Do the Atkins diet or other protein diets work, or does everyone gain the weight back later? The principle behind the Atkins diet, from what I've heard, is that your body normally burns the calories you get from carbohydrates first. It's only by cutting the carbohydrates that you're sure to really burn those fat calories (which, I think, are burned at a higher rate... that's why you lose weight faster and everyone raves about Atkins). The problem is that, after...

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How can you tell if a long distance, long-term, online relationship is serious or just fueled by mystery? The debate over long-distance relationships in general. They work for some people; they don't work for other people. My parents come from different countries-- they had a long-distance relationship for about 5 years before they could be together permanently, but they've been married for over 25 years now. I know several couples who are married to each other and spend most of their...

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My boyfriend refers to me as his 'friend' when he talks to his ex-girlfriend, who has since married. He acknowledges to her that he's "seeing someone," but we've been dating for 2.5 years. Does this seem weird to anyone else? Yes, it's weird. In that I would be very uncomfortable if I were in your shoes. But I agree with Andersen777 that it's important to consider how he refers to you around others. Let me tell you a story: I've been at the 2.5 year mark in a relationship myself... I noticed that my boyfriend did not refer to me as his "girlfriend" in public, and I obsessed and worried...

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Which is healthier, caffeinated tea or coffee? By "healthier," are you referring to their caffeine contents? (Otherwise, I'd just give you the non-answer that herbal teas are best!) Regarding caffeinated tea, the tea leaves have a higher concentration of caffeine than coffee. But we don't just chew and swallow tea leaves! When you take into account the fact that our tea is only flavored with what seeps through the...

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My child wants to live in the dorms, but I'm afraid he'll get into trouble. Are the dorms a good place for college freshmen? I recommend it wholeheartedly. Let me just add that most American universities have an excellent support system in place, and you can ask about it when visiting colleges with your child (preferably in such a way that you won't embarrass him :) ). Lots of schools have some form of RA (resident assistant), who is either a graduate student or an upperclassman who lives in the dorm and is...

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While visiting Civil War monuments, I noticed acorns carved on almost every monument. Is there some significance to this? Acorns and oak leaves are traditional symbols of victory and, as such, often find their way onto military graves. If you're interested, lots of books and (I would imagine) internet sites list various plants and their symbolic associations. While checking up on this to answer your question, however, I also discovered that the acorn is a particular symbol of the 15th Infantry Regiment...

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How did Ariel Sharon come to power as prime minister? There's a good historical synopsis of Ariel Sharon's career up already, but it doesn't deal with why he was elected prime minister. Here are my specific thoughts on why he was elected at this particular moment in history, as fair and balanced as possible. Conversations with Jews/Israelis of several political orientations have contributed to my opinion, so I hope none of this...

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Who sang the theme song for "Are You Being Served"? According to http://www.imdb.com (where I always go for random questions like this), the lady who sang the theme song is named Stephanie Gathercole. The song was written by David Croft, the executive producer of the show.

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I've heard that the movie "The Passion of the Christ" is based on a play from the middle-ages that was written to promote anti-semitism in Europe. Is this true? I don't believe that "The Passion of the Christ" is based on anything except Mel Gibson's (controversial) personal interpretation of the New Testament. From the interviews I recall, he seems pretty open about the fact that he's presenting his personal take on the matter. Many people who were offended by the movie and considered it anti-Semitic have noted...

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Do Amish people have to pay property tax? Here's an answer from a website called "Ask the Amish FAQ page," where the answers supposedly come directly from the Mennonite Information Center. "Do the Amish pay taxes?" "Self-employed Amish do not pay Social Security tax. Those employed by non-Amish employers do pay Social Security tax. The Amish do pay real estate, state and federal income taxes,...

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I heard that in a restaurant a woman should always sit facing the room. Why is this? The idea behind this is that when a man takes her out to dinner it is courteous to offer her the seat with the better view. It is assumed that facing the room is a better view because one can see the rest of the restaurant instead of being "isolated" at the window. Even if it is not a man/woman question, if you invite someone to dinner the person who is considered the...

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What is Kaseteilet in Switzerland? Kaseteilet is German for "dividing of the cheese". As to what this means... a google.com search yielded five results, four of which proclaimed that something with that name occurs sometime in September in Switzerland. Not so helpful... The other hit I came up with is an account of someone's travels in Switzerland and describes "the dividing of the cheese" as when...

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What is Cure Salee in Niger? The Cure Salee (Salt Festival) is a nomadic festival that takes place in Niger just before the beginning of the rainy season (end of August/beginning of September). It celebrates the migration of nomads (most notably the Tuareg tribe) and their herds of camels to land that is rich in water and minerals (most noticeably salt, hence the name of the festival). It is a time that is accompanied by...

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What are kegel exercises? Kegel exercises involve the muscles in your pelvic area. The exercise is basically contracting and relaxing the muscles repeatedly (a couple hundred times a day). There are variations on the length and intensity of the contraction, but I've never done them, so I can't say what works best. The idea behind them is that they can help combat incontinence, strengthen your pelvic area...

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I can easily function on 5-6 hours of sleep, but some say that I could suffer in the long run for not getting more sleep. Is that true? Well, they say that you should get an average of 8 hours of sleep per night. Then again, that's a statistic quoted by Jordan's Furniture when they want to sell you their beds! Seriously, though... I've heard the magical "8 hours" in a lot of places. It's definitely true that getting "enough" sleep is important, however much that may be. If you...

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What is Animals' Day in Curacao? Animals Day is on September 4, on the island of Curacao. It is organized by the Association for the Protection of Animals. It involves animal shows with awards given to best kept pets in a variety of categories (birds, reptiles, etc.).

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What is "Finlandization"? According to Wikipedia (the encyclopedia entry is long, so I'm paraphrasing): Finlandization is a negative term that came out of 1960s and 1970s West German politics (Finnlandisierung in German). It refers to a country's decision to remain neutral, that is to not challenge powerful or potentially threatening countries nearby. The term comes from a reference to Finland's...

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What percentage of Iceland's electricity is provided by geothermal power plants? I haven't found an answer with specific mention of "electricity." If I do, I'll edit this posting to add the new information. I did, however, get some information from http://www.iceland.is that might be useful: as of 2000, 53.9% of Iceland's "total energy demand" was being met by geothermal energy. I have also seen that this figure is much higher if you...

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In France, what is Pffiferdaj (Day of the Flutes)? Pfifferdaj (French name: Fete des Menetriers) is an Alsatian holiday. Alsace is a region of France that lies on the border with Germany and has been traded back and forth between the two countries throughout history. While it is part of France, they speak a regional langage (Alsatian) that is very like German, and their food/cultural customs are very Germanic. Anyway... Pfifferdaj, as...

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Is it true that Jesus was not actually born on December 25th, the day that is commonly celebrated as his birthday? All of the answers I have seen to date are very thorough... it's definitely true that the December 25 date was meant to accommodate one or more pagan festivals. For what it's worth, a friend who knows way more about astronomy than I do told me that if the three wise men were really following a star in the east that was bright enough to stand out from all the rest, then we're...

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What is the origin of the story of Santa Claus / Saint Nick? There was a Saint Nicholas who, according to Catholic tradition, was a patron of children in particular. However, every source where I have read this has gone out of its way to explain that the real Saint Nicholas was not fat, did not have a long white beard, did not wear a red suit, etc. I'm not sure where we got the other stuff that we have come to associate with Santa Claus.

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Why does Judaism not acknowledge Jesus Christ the same way that Christianity does? To put it as simply as possible: Jews do not believe in a Trinity. They don't think Jesus is God, the son of God, or in any way related to God. So Judaism could not possibly perceive Jesus the way Christianity does... it doesn't believe certain things about him that are at the very heart of Christianity. To the Jews, Jesus was just another Jewish man. And then he became a...

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My kitten uses the litter box during the day, but at night he continues to poop on the bed or upstairs. How do I fix this? Where do you put your litter box, and how long has the kitten been in your house? We got a kitten a few years ago and placed one litter box in our upstairs bathroom and another in the downstairs bathroom. When she was little, she used both. As she got older, she started using only the downstairs box. It could just be that your kitten doesn't like going up and down the stairs at night,...

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What was the platform of the former Federalist Party? In very simple terms, the Federalist party preferred a highly centralized government. The Democratc-Republican party preferred to leave more power to the states, keeping it closer to the common people. George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton were some of the most famous Federalists. Thomas Jefferson is the only name that comes to a mind as a famous Democratic-Republican.... it...

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What qualifications do you need to be a grade school teacher? The answer will vary by state. There are also different levels of teaching licensure, each of which requires different qualifications. In Massachusetts, any college graduate who passes the written exam can be issued a provisional teaching license. But that only lasts for a few years, and to move on to the higher levels (which you need if you're making a long-term career of teaching or...

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Why is Turkey considered a European country even though the largest part of the country is in Asia? The short answer: because the government wants it to be. I won't go into detail about Ataturk, because that has already been done very well by somebody else. It is very true that, since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has looked westward, become a secular state, and the prevailing powers really do want to project a European image. As a result, plenty of Turks have started to...

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How close are Yiddish and German languages of the Middle Ages? Yiddish and German are closer to each other than they are to any of the other Germanic languages. Yiddish (from "judisch" or "Jewish") is a mixture of German and Hebrew-- a kind of German dialect with Hebrew words mixed in. Here's a quick breakdown of how the Germanic languages are related to one another, both their medieval beginnings and their modern counterparts....

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What the tribes were present in the fallen Roman Empire? I think there are two separate questions here. There are tribes (mostly Celtic) who were the original inhabitants of areas that Rome expanded into. Then there are lots of tribes (Germanic this time) who profited from the fall of the Roman Empire. So you have three waves of expansion: Celtic, Roman, and Germanic. The poor Gauls (ancestors of the French) fell well before the Romans did....

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Who is Thomas More? Good answer from wickedwillie although, at the moment, your link doesn't seem to be working. Just one addition that may be mentioned in the link but isn't explicitly stated in your answer: King Henry VIII was the one who dissociated England from the Roman Catholic Church (largely because the Pope wouldn't grant him the divorce he wanted). Henry had Thomas More executed because...

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Why do we tend to eat meat only from animals that don't usually eat meat themselves? The Abrahamic religions have specific rules for which animals are edible and which ones aren't-- observant Jews and Muslims follow these rules very carefully. Christianity has made some changes (Christians eat pork and do not keep kosher per se), but they still have the same roots. One of the rules is that, regarding land animals, humans should only eat those which have split hooves...

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Which is correct, "as if it was" or "as if it were"? Please indulge the linguist in me for a second... :) There are two points of view here: PRESCRIPTIVISM: Kim's answer is correct. The grammatical rule is that you need the imperfect subjunctive "as if it were" in what is called a "contrary to fact" condition... if you say "as if it were," you are implying that "it" wasn't. If you're...

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What is chicken shawarma? Kim's answer is a good one. Let me just add that shawarma is similar to the Greek gyro, which is perhaps more common in the USA. But the thing that sets authentic shawarma apart from its cousins is that you use very thin slices (shavings, almost) of meat.

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I have these coordinates 44.533N and 73.056W. What is the location? I checked a map of the United States. It's somewhere in either Vermont or upstate New York. That makes sense, because I'm from the Boston area and I know that our coordinates are about 42N and 71W (more or less).

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Why were the Nuremberg Trials held in Nuremberg? I don't know why specifically Nuremberg. But Nuremberg is not too far from Munich, which was the center of the Nazi government. I'm not sure if they went so far as to call Munich a capital, but it was definitely the center of the Nazi government and Hitler's place of residence. That's one possibility.

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What are the faculties at Harvard University? Here's the list. You can get it on http://www.harvard.edu as well, with links to the specific schools. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences covers most traditionally "academic" disciplines (English, foreign languages and literatures, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.). It comprises both the College of Arts & Sciences for the undergraduates (Bachelor's degrees) and the...

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Why do kids develop bad habits, like biting their fingernails for example? I wouldn't presume to understand the situation of every nail-biter, but a lot of people do it when they're nervous. My sisters both assure me that they do it out of nervousness. Some people bite their nails, others are relentless foot-tappers, some go on to be smokers (although there physical addiction combines with the psychological elements). I imagine that once the habit is...

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What is "deuces"? A deuce is a two and a trey is a three. I don't know why, but old-fashioned instructions for card games use those words a lot.

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What's the origin of the word "Philately"? The etymology provided by Webster's Third New International Dictionary is kind of cumbersome, but it claims that English got the word from French, who got it from Greek. The original Greek means "exempt from taxation," because if you had a stamp on your letter you didn't have to pay the mailing tax.

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I am trying to bring a Russian woman and her son to the US. What do I need to know about marrying her? I hope that you're marrying her because you love her and not just to bring her to the United States! (No offense intended, but people do all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons...) There is a special type of green card for people who engage to marry American citizens, although I don't know how easy or difficult it is to obtain. Or, at least, there was in 1977 when my father...

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Do all Belgian cities have both Dutch and French names? The major ones certainly do, although I can't guarantee that every small suburb or village would have two names. Sometimes the difference is minor (e.g. Bruges in French and Brugge in Flemish). Other times it is harder to figure out... it took me a while to realize that the French "Anvers" is the same city that the Flemish-speakers (and English-speakers, for that matter) call...

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What is the official language of Belgium? Not to split hairs... the official languages are Flemish, French, and German. Flemish is pretty much the same as Dutch... I'm not sure whether the "official" designation is that they're two separate languages or two dialects of the same language (although any linguist will tell you that that distinction is almost meaningless). Either way, though, they're not exactly...

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What is Yom Kippur? Little known fact: The Muslim holiday of Ashura (literally: "ten") has become the day when Shi'ites remember the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali. Originally, though, it was Yom Kippur and the earliest Muslims celebrated it alongside the Jews. The Muslim and Jewish calendars are different, so it's not easy to recognize that both holidays started out on the same day. Too bad...

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What is Ramadan / Ramzan? Ramadan is the name of the ninth month on the Muslim calendar. It is important to Muslims because we believe that it is the month when God began a series of revelations to Muhammad (pbuh) which form the text of the Qur'an (the holy book of Islam, confirmation of a lot of established Judeo-Christian tradition plus some new stuff). Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting from dawn to dusk on...

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What are some effective methods for teaching English to infants and young children? Well, babies who grow up with native English-speaking parents will just pick it up from interacting with family. So I'm assuming you refer to learning English as a foreign language, where the child's parents speak something else in the home. Until age seven or thereabouts, children have an innate capacity for language. As long as they receive systematic exposure to a language,...

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Do you have to go to college before you can go to medical school? I'm pretty sure you do, since my friends who are starting medical school were required to take certain college science courses to fulfill their pre-med requirements. In the United States, medical school and law school are graduate programs, whereas in many other countries (I'm thinking specifically of Europe and the Middle East) you start that professional training the minute you...

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Are there more words that start with the letters A-M or N-Z? The exact halfway point in my Webster's Third New International Dictionary (page 1331 out of 2662) is words that begin with "Lo". So I would guess that the distribution is fairly even, with slightly more words that begin with A-M.

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How did the days of the week get their names? If you look at most days of the week in Spanish (French and Italian work too), you see an easy correlation to Roman gods: Monday: lunes (luna = moon) Tuesday: martes (Mars) Wednesday: miercoles (Mercury) Thursday: jueves (Jupiter, aka Jove) Friday: viernes (Venus) Saturday's association with Saturn seems to have gotten lost, as well as Sunday's association with the sun...

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What is a dreidle? There is already a good answer up regarding what the letters mean in Hebrew ("a great miracle happened there"), but those same letters also refer to Yiddish words from which the rules of the game are derived. If you'll bear with me, since I don't actually speak Yiddish, I will provide the German words that are almost exactly equivalent to the Yiddish ones: Hebrew letter...

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What breeds of domestic cat are most known for being friendly? Our tortoiseshell cat is extremely friendly and affectionate, even when my younger sisters are subjecting her to indignities I certainly wouldn't put up with. From what I've read, tortoiseshells in general are considered friendly and good family pets.

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What is the average height of a woman? A man? I seem to remember reading somewhere (don't remember the source, though) that, in the United States, the average woman is somewhere between 5' 3" and 5'4"; the average man, between 5'8" and 5'9". ----------------------- P.S. Okay, I've had this "incorrect" rating for a while... but I've been too lazy to look for sources to back...

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What makes a cat purr? I've also heard that the purring vibration is a means of communication between mothers and their kittens, who are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut. My cat mostly purrs when she wants some form of affection or interaction with family members (if you pet her just before she falls asleep or pick her up after being away from home for the whole day), but she also purrs very loudly...

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Why don't Muslims celebrate Christmas? EDIT: My original answer follows below, but I'd like to answer the feedback my comments have received from some Christians. I think that I could have made myself clearer. Muslims and Christians will never be in 100% agreement about Jesus. Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet, not as the son of God. Some Christians will quote incidences in the Bible where Jesus refers to God as his...

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What is the meaning of "jihad" in Islam? A "jihad" is literally a "struggle." Perhaps one could also use the word "quest". Muslims speak of a greater jihad and a lesser jihad. The greater jihad is a personal struggle or quest to always act according to the ideals of Islam. It refers to monitoring one's personal behavior and habits, displaying the moderation and tolerance advocated by Islam,...

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When you marry a foreigner and apply to change his/her status based on the marriage, what does INS ask in the interview? I believe that when my father immigrated to the U.S. and married my mother he also had his new in-laws come along to serve as character witnesses. Any sort of indications that the marriage was NOT a mere stepping stone to naturalization help... letters exchanged between the couple to show that their relationship had already existed for a while beforehand, etc.

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Why are critics saying that the movie "The Passion" is anti-Semitic? Let me begin by saying that I saw the movie well over a month ago and have still not been able to decide whether or not I consider it truly anti-Semitic. I seek only to clarify the views of those who do hold this opinion, and what follows is the reasoning offered by close friends of mine who did think that the "Passion" was anti-Semitic. I do think they are valid possibilities... ...

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What do you call the hat that Jewish men wear? Yarmulke is the Yiddish name for what could also be referred to as a skullcap in English. The Hebrew term for the same head covering is kippah. Choice of one term over the other may be determined by one's ethnic origins, whether one's family spoke Yiddish or not... Jews with close ties to Israel might be more apt to use the Hebrew term in this day and age. Most Orthodox Jews that...

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Who are the Basques? The Basques live near the border between France and Spain in a region that was long separated from its neighbors because of the mountainous terrain. Because of this, the Romans never subdued the Basques the way they did the Gauls or the original inhabitants of Iberia, and the Basque language (Euskara) survived where Latin took hold over the rest of the area. Basques have resisted being...

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Like many languages, French categorizes all nouns by gender (male or female). Who decides the gender of any new words that enter the French vocabulary? Ultimately, the Academy of the French Language (l'Academie de la Langue Francaise) has the final say in all language matters. My understanding, though, is that they devote a lot more time to saving French from the dangerous influences of English than splitting hairs over noun gender. :) Noun gender is not, however, a completely arbitrary decision. Certain suffixes often suggest a...

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