The Wall

Posted on

Does God exist?

Does God exist?
Does God exist?

The number of arguments for or against the existence of God capital G (the supreme deity of the Abrahamic traditions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) is so vast that it would be a challenge even to fit the *types* of arguments on a post-it. I recommend searching “existence of god” in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for starters: bit.ly/stanford-philosophy. You can also see what we have in BC Libraries for books & other items:  bit.ly/does-God-exist. I would also recommend talking to a religious professional you trust, if this is a crisis of faith.

Posted on

Where do old questions go?

Where do old questions go?
Where do old questions go?

Do you mean the questions you ask me? They’re all on my blog: answerwall.domain.bc.edu. Other questions are something of a mystery. Many of the answers are in libraries. You could reverse engineer the answers to find the questions. But those are all answers in writing, which are historically probably the minority of questions. If one day someone in ancient Carthage asked a wise man when the rains would come, well, that question is kind of… gone. Blowin’ in the wind, you might say.

Posted on

Cake or bagels?

Cake of bagels?
Cake or bagels?

Why not both? Bagels for breakfast and cake for dessert at dinner? Or cake for breakfast and bagels for dinner? That would be the simple way. There are some folks who try to combine the two, for example, The Bagel Store (http://www.thebagelstoreonline.com/) offers rainbow bagels with funfetti cake sprinkles mixed in the cream cheese. And there are many recipes online for sweet cakes that look like bagels. I’m a Wall and can’t eat but I’m feeling hungry … let me know what you decide on!

Posted on

What is the origin of pie?

What is the origin of pie?
What is the origin of pie?

Food history is a fascinating topic. We have several resources in the TX353 call number range (Floor 3, Shelf 141.) One gets bogged down in the fierce controversies about “what is pie?” The short answer is that some form of pie-like baked good existed in ancient Egyptian and Greek culture – not your typical dessert dish of today, though! Here’s a fun blog post about it from the Library of Congress: bit.ly/PieHistoryLC

Posted on

How do you measure the circumference of a horse?

How do you measure the circumference of a horse?
How do you measure the circumference of a horse?

First assume the horse is a perfect sphere…. But seriously, if you mean the girth, that is measured with a tape measure “just behind the slope of the withers,” according to the Leatherdale Equine Center at UMinnesota. See (bit.ly/HorseySize) for more detail, and measuring neck circumference, etc.

Posted on

学习太好了! 怎么办? (My studying is so great! What do I do?)

学习太好了! 怎么办? (My studying is so great! What do I do?)
学习太好了! 怎么办? (My studying is so great! What do I do?)
学习太好了! 怎么办? (My studying is so great! What do I do?) Become a stripper Go [redacted] a [redacted].
学习太好了! 怎么办? (My studying is so great! What do I do?) Become a stripper Go [redacted] a [redacted].

Translation: My studying is so great! What do I do? Unfortunately, one of the things you’ve found out is that one potential response to announcing you’re doing well is a rude response. I congratulate you on your success thus far. One thing you can do is help other people succeed: offer encouragement, study strategies that have worked for you, or even tutoring. Depending on the subject, the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors) might be looking for tutors.

Posted on

Why is [redacted name] better than [redacted name]?

Why is [redacted name] better than [redacted name]?
Why is [redacted name] better than [redacted name]?

According to what criteria? I don’t think people can really be compared that way. Not only might you make a mistake in judgement (a certain man was poor at math in school & then changed the world as a brilliant physicist), but you risk overlooking someone’s virtues. Everyone’s worthy of love. What the world needs is love, not comparisons, not even in jest.

Posted on

Whats the best flavor of pie?

Whats the best flavor of pie?
Whats the best flavor of pie?

I favor walnut of course, though one of my helpers put in a vote for rhubarb (once known as “pie-plant!”) Here’s a recipe for walnut pie from HathiTrust, a fantastic source of public domain material, from the amusingly-titled “Pink Ladies Prescribe Cookbook” (one of those delightful mid-20th century cookbooks created to support a cause): bit.ly/HathiPie. Enjoy!

Posted on

What to do as a single on Valentine’s day?

What to do as a single on Valentine's day?
What to do as a single on Valentine’s day?

I know Valentine’s Day can seem like it’s only for those in romantic relationships, but there’s plenty to do with friends or flying solo. Did you know BC students get free admission to a number of museums in the Boston-area? bit.ly/BCMuseums If you’d rather hang out with Olympians (or at least enthusiasts), this list of Winter Olympics-themed spots and events in Boston looks like it might be fun: bit.ly/BostonOlympics. Whatever you end up doing, you’ve always got an admirer in me!

Posted on

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine’s Day

I love all the love you students give a wall! Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too Check out the Education Resource Center (in Campion) in the TT900 .V34 range for all kinds of Valentine’s Day craft ideas….

Posted on

How do I tell my meat loving girlfriend that I’m vegan?

How do I tell my meat loving girlfriend that I'm vegan? [reply] Don't be a vegan.
How do I tell my meat loving girlfriend that I’m vegan? [reply] Don’t be a vegan.

If being a vegan is an important part of your identity, you must tell her. If you can’t tell her about an important part of your identity, that’s a problem, and it has to do with trust, not with veganism. If it’s not really all that important to you, then telling her shouldn’t be a problem. Right? (But wait… don’t you ever eat together? why wouldn’t she already know? Have you actively been hiding it?) As to the reply, “Don’t be a vegan”: Hm. Well. I’m a post-it-arian, so far be it from me to criticize or attempt to manage someone else’s dietary practices.

Posted on

When will I land an internship? :(

When will I land an internship? :(
When will I land an internship? 🙁

Finding an internship or job can be very stressful. It is not unlike applying to colleges. The key is to know what you really want, have one or more backup plans, and stay calm. Luckily, the BC Career Center has experts in helping you find a job or internship. If you haven’t already spoken with them, do so right away (they’re great people!) They also have a website with helpful info on the job/internship process- bit.ly/BC-career

Posted on

How do I stop getting f’d over by BC Housing?

How do I stop getting f'd over by BC Housing?
How do I stop getting f’d over by BC Housing?

If you mean room selection, it’s an unfortunate truth that many students will not be able to get their choice of housing. Often students do find they are quite happy in their not-first-choice housing, according to my sources in Res Life. If you have more specific issues with housing, I suggest their FAQ (www.bc.edu/offices/reslife/faq.html) or giving them a call: 2-3060.

Posted on

你会写韩语吗? (Do you write Korean?) Please Show me.

[Chinese & Korean awaiting translation] Please show me.
你会写韩语吗? (Do you write Korean?) Please Show me. In Korean:  I don’t know how to do it. Hello, how are you?

It’s so gratifying (and helpful!) that other visitors to the wall have obliged me by writing Korean on my behalf. And I love the irony: what the visitor wrote in Korean was “I don’t know how to do it.” And also a friendly “Hello, How are you?” 네, 안녕하세요. 반갑습니다. 글 남겨주셔서 감사합니다.

Posted on

Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone’s* “problem”?

I attended 5:30 mass today 2/7/18 and there was an AA mtg after. A man was very ill, coughing & wet his pants. BC PD said "not our problem."
I attended 5:30 mass today 2/7/18 and there was an AA mtg after. A man was very ill, coughing & wet his pants. BC PD said “not our problem.”
Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone's* "problem"?
Why is a very ill old, homeless man in a church not *everyone’s* “problem”?

It might be worthwhile inquiring at the church (was it St. Ignatius?) what they do when people who seem to be sick and unable to care for themselves come to the church. Some churches provide some care (such as food or temporary shelter), and many can refer people to social services (such as the ones listed by Boston Public Library: guides.bpl.org/guide4help). Policing is also mixed on its relationship to social services: some departments have tried closer links with social services, but many haven’t. It’s a widespread problem (bit.ly/police-social-work) owing to changing policing priorities as crime falls and substance abuse and poverty and homelessness rise. I’d like to think that officer meant BCPD wasn’t equipped to solve that kind of problem, not that they shouldn’t be expected to be humane.

Posted on

Why is [redacted] (2021er MCAS) so nice!!!!!

Why is [redacted] (2021er MCAS) so nice!!!!! [phrase in Chinese]
Why is [redacted] (2021er MCAS) so nice!!!!! In Chinese: and old.

There’s just no explaining some people, whose nice-ness (niceousity?) is so radiant that you just have to stand back and appreciate it, and hope you can absorb some yourself. I recommend giving your friend a shout-out in person. (Sorry I had the name redacted: I follow a privacy policy so strict that it makes my assistants think I’m a little obsessive.) “And old”? Is that an in-joke in Beijing or something? I don’t get it.