Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
So many candidates. A few of the Wall’s favorites: 1) InfoSec Taylor Swift. bit.ly/bc-swift1. 2) 80s rock anthem Taylor Swift. bit.ly/bc-swift2. And remember: The Wall’s got a blank space, baby. But please, no names.
You’re in luck because this area is rich with opportunities! The question is, how near do you mean by near? For really near, and accessible without a car, I’d vote for the Boston Harbor Islands. You can catch a ferry from Boston and camp for $8 a night. One of my helpers describes Bumpkin Island camping as “idyllic.” Here’s a great article with all the details: bit.ly/fishcampbhi.
The bird has been the word since the 1962 hit by The Rivingtons (bit.ly/rivingtons-bird), an African American doo-wop group from LA. After the Minneapolis-based Trashmen covered it in 1963 (combined with elements of the bigger Rivingtons hit, “Papa Oom Mow Mow”) as a surf song that became a runaway hit (bit.ly/trashmen-bird), the song has gone through many incarnations, mostly among surf (The Beach Boys) and punk (The Ramones, The Cramps) bands, and got renewed attention in The Family Guy. For an interesting review of surf records, see The Illustrated Discography of Surf Music by John Blair (O’Neill Library ML156.4.R6 B6x 1995). For more on doo-wop, see Forever Doo-Wop: Race, Nostalgia, and Vocal Harmony, by John Michael Runowicz (O’Neill Library ML3527 .H47 2010).
Jim’s character is supposed to be liked, and Dwight’s is supposed to be hated. But Dwight is committed, orderly, and passionate. Jim never seems to take his job or others seriously. Depending on the situation, Dwight might be just the person you want around. Thankfully, real people are not as one-dimensional as most Hollywood characters.
Ed Helms, and the writers of The Office clearly understand their craft well! Because at least with you, they’ve succeeded. It would be interesting, I think, to analyze what features of characterization universally seem to cause annoyance. People say Andy is insecure, self-centered, and arrogant. I can see how that would be annoying! I wonder what other film & TV characters annoy you, and what they share.
In most online polls, Tzuyo seems to be the favorite but they are all talented women. Difficult to pick just one; it should be possible to have nine favorites, no?
“Strongest” is pretty hard to define. Physical Strength? Emotional Strength? Do we get to include super powers like Wolverine’s super-healing ability? The University of Leicester in the UK did a pretty good look into which superhero would be the “most powerful” which can be our definition of strongest. In their study, Superman is probably the most powerful. bit.ly/strongestHero
Maybe Zola wears Abercrombie perfume because it reminds him of a simpler time, when he was 12 years old and not under the kind of public scrutiny where people paid attention to what perfume he was wearing.
It’s way too early in the NBA process to know. Bowman and Robinson both declared for the draft, but didn’t hire agents. If they return for next season, then I think we’re almost a lock for the tourney. I don’t think Robinson is coming back, but Bowman might. Still, there’s a lot to be excited about. A lot of great players are returning (Mitchell, Kraljevic) and the freshman class looks strong. I think there’s a very good chance BC MBB makes it next year. At the very least, the team shouldn’t set their sights lower than that.
I want to avoid sounding cheesy, but this is an answer with many layers. (I had to get special parmesan just to answer this question.) This lyric (From Lil Wayne’s “6’7”) has spawned a pedantic discussion as to whether or not the ‘g’ in lasagna is actually silent, since it does actually change the pronunciation of the word. Regardless, I think we can all agree that the line is saucy. Further discussion here: bit.ly/LasagnaSound
There are so many great options, it is hard to choose just one! If you’re a science fiction fan, check out Y, The Last Man (PN6728 .Y2 V38 2003). They recently announced that it is being turned into a TV show, so you can be ahead of the curve. Plus, it is a great read! If superheroes are more your speed, check out Planet Hulk (PN6728.I47 P35 2008) to check back in with the Hulk before the upcoming Avengers movie. Or, if you like a good memoir, how about Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (TX715 .K6985 2013)? It is a great read (though warning, it may make you hungry!). If you want us to get any other comics for the collection, just let us know!
![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.]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AW04092018-10.jpg)
🙁 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]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AW04092018-9.jpg)
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.
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?
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.
A terribly subjective question. The best The Wall can muster is to provide you with three of our favorites and some tips for further reading: Spiritualized (Album Recommendation: Lazer Guided Melodies) Verve (Album Recommendation: A Northern Soul) The Auteurs (Album recommendation: After Murder Park) Further reading: Britpop! by John Harris (O’Neill Library ML3534.6.G7 H37 2004) & Retromania, by Simon Reynolds (O’Neill Library ML3534 R4915 2011)
Only one? How about “Love Runs Out” to dance to, “Good Life” for great lyrics and overall message, and “Apologize” because who doesn’t love cello in a pop song?
Good work, right? We are given the clue that the lyricist thinks it’s a man (“I’d like to shake his hand”). For the record, Leonard Nimoy did not actually have the answer (bit.ly/NimoyInt)…
Well, they just reunited in Miami so the odds are greater than if they hadn’t just played together. That said, their Miami set was celebrating 20 years of Ultra, so maybe that was their final gig. Perhaps in another 10 years?
Wow! Superheroes are popular today! As I mentioned in another response today, I’m a fan of Captain America and Vision (when he isn’t walking through walls). What I can add for you though is my least favorite superhero: The Hulk. He smashes far too many walls for my taste…If you want to get a sense of what I mean, stop by the graphic novel collection on the first floor of O’Neill and pick up Planet Hulk (PN6728.I47 P35 2008).
