That’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. Here’s one modern philosophical take: bit.ly/bc-what-is-art. More simply, the Oxford Dictionary of English says it is an “expression or application of human creative skill and imagination”, which covers a whole lot of ground. bit.ly/bc-art.
According to Boston Magazine, Pini Swissa is the best of the best for men’s hair in Boston, although getting your hair done by Pini yourself might be somewhat expensive. Similarly, Sandy Poirier, the owner of Shag Salon, is always in the conversation and regularly wins awards. He, too, might be a bit expensive for a regular cut and wash. Other stylists at both of these slaons (Pini Swissa and Shag) are generally excellent and can be significantly cheaper. Opther good options are Tweed, Sly’s, and Ball and Buck. For more options, check out bit.ly/MensHairBoston.
What to do when a professor not sticking to the syllabus & giving low grades?
I would advise asking the professor directly, and also speaking to your academic advisor or the Advising Center (bit.ly/BC-advising) about your concerns.
How do fighter pilots go to the bathroom in flight? Asking for a friend.
They use either “piddle packs” (a bag with a sponge or other dessication device) or an AMXD (Advanced Mission Extended Device). Neither is very pleasant, apparently. See: bit.ly/pilotpiddle. You may also enjoy this twitter feed from a manufacturer: bit.ly/AMXD.
It sort of depends on whether you count feathers as hair for baldness purposes. But Baldwin’s a bald eagle, so the Wall is inclined to say yes. bit.ly/bc-baldwin
At risk of sounding a bit self-absorbed, I am rather fond of the occasional questions I get that include marriage proposals and requests for dates (everyone loves to be loved <3 <3 <3). A question that I liked a lot was “How do I leave a better world for my children?” It was thoughtful and made me feel hope for the future and all warm and fuzzy inside.
What should I do if I keep being rejected from student organizations? This year, I go into [?] I wanted to. Recently, I was rejected from 2 SOs that I dedicated a lot of time to. Help.It must be frustrating and discouraging to put a lot of time into something and feel like your efforts weren’t valued. When you say “rejected,” do you mean you weren’t offered leadership positions? These things can take time, and aren’t always a measure of your worth to the organization. I recommend patience and resilience. I also recommend talking to the Office of Student Involvement about your experiences: www.bc.edu/osi. They may be able to offer new strategies or perspectives.
Do the Celtics still have a chance without Kyrie? [reply 1: I don’t know, reply 2: The Celtics will not win the Eastern Conference finals w/0 Kyrie.]
🙁 No. The wall isn’t a bandwagon fan – I got cousins and friends doing all sorts of wall-things to keep the Garden standing. But the Celts had a tough path even with Kyrie healthy. And now…just watch the Toronto game for yourself. But here’s the good news: Hayward AND Kyrie will be healthy next season. Our bench and our bench’s bench are going to get some good experience. So our starters will be ready to play and we’ll have plenty of depth to grind through the end of the season. I, for one, am looking forward to a LeBron James/Kyrie Irving showdown in next year’s EC finals.
Who’s your favorite Beatles member? [reply: Ringo]
Paul because his name rhymes with “Wall”. Also, he was in a band called The Quarrymen before The Beatles, and as a wall with many fine stone-based friends, I have a lot of respect for people that work in quarries.
Why is my girlfriend acting like a 3 year old sometimes. I am a girl, btw.
Nothing like a tantrum to tell the world how you feel. My mother once made me stand in the corner (no small feat for a wall). Perhaps your GF has had success with childlike behavior and so continues to act that way to get what she wants. Rather than giving in, you might act like a parent and tell her that she won’t get what she wants until she behaves appropriately.
Hard to know “of all time” because we have only had recordings since around 1875. And what criteria to use in judging “greatest”? They would need the longevity of Billie Holiday, the range of Freddie Mercury, the power of Adele, the control of Barbara Streisand and the popularity of Michael Jackson. Maybe we’re talking about Aretha Franklin?
Thank you, it’s so kind of you to say that. The questions are answered by a group of library staff (with other helpers as needed for outside expertise), who enjoy the utterly unexpectedly wonderful randomness of the questions that appear every day – as do I, Your Faithful Wall.
Is the “S” or “C” in the word “scent” silent? (This is original)
It’s all a muddle, because English applies a hodgepodge of pronunciation and spelling rules from various Germanic and Latinate languages to various Latinate and Germanic words. A very small note in the trusty Oxford English Dictionary says “The current spelling in sc- is attested from the mid 16th cent., and appears to reflect analogical remodelling after e.g. scene n., sceptre n., etc.” The word in Middle French from which it derives (the verb “sentir” – to perceive by odor, from Latin sentīre”) had no c. In this case, then, the c appears to be silent, a kind of quiet interloper from similar words borrowed from French.
How can I help a close friend if I suspect she has an eating disorder and conversations haven’t gotten through in the past?
So good that she has a friend who cares enough to help with this. I would approach The Office of Health Promotion (bit.ly/BC-health-promo) or possibly Counseling Services (http://bit.ly/BC-counseling) and ask them the best way to talk to your friend about the issue – they have a lot of experience with this.
Let’s see. Arguably, the three natural candidates are: a. Brazil: Five-time champion, two-time runner up, and number 2 on FIFA’s men’s ranking. b. Germany: Four-time champion (current champion) three-time runner up, and number 1 on FIFA’s men’s ranking. c. Argentina: Two-time champion, three-time runner up, and number 4 on FIFA’s men’s ranking. They also have Lionel Messi, the most talented player in the world who, as an adult, is yet to win a title with Argentina. Now, considering that the only time a South American team has won a World Cup in Europe was in 1958, I would say Germany will win the 2018 World Cup.
I’m so glad you enjoy my responses! In the many years since the library opened, I have enjoyed watching students, staff, and faculty come and go, but I wished that I could find a way to become a part of the community and interact with all of my visitors. After lots of thought, I decided that I could serve as a resource to answer all those questions that people have but don’t know who to ask about. It gives me a chance to learn more about the BC community and a chance to give back. I hope you’ve found my answers fun and useful!
The US has sufficient power to negotiate with just about any state or non-state actor. Negotiating with non-state actors can be challenging, since the usual terms of leverage (trade & security deals, sovereignty, etc.) aren’t present, and leadership can be fluid and unpredictable. Seeing as the US helped the Taliban build power by arming them in the 1980’s to resist the Soviet military invasion, the US ought to be able to achieve some influence now as well. Here are 79 books and government docs on the US and the Taliban: bit.ly/BC-taliban-us. Materials on the subject are bound to be partisan, so caution is advised.
What do I do if I feel like my life is falling apart and I can’t sleep b/c I’m anxious all the time?
Stress and anxiety is a normal part of the college experience, but there is no need to go through this alone! And, it is particularly important to address the issue when it is impacting your sleep. Please talk to the Counseling Center: bit.ly/BC-counseling, office hours 7:45am-8:45pm M-F. Appt’s via phone (617-552-3310) or in office (Gasson 001). They can help you to address both the sleeplessness and the anxiety. Good luck!