Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
![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).
We are well situated for day trips! Even NYC or Montreal are arguably do-able in a (long, exhausting) day. Closer to home, I’d recommend: the coast of Maine including Portland and one of the beaches within an easy drive; the Berkshires for some art, music, theater or dance; or Mystic Seaport if you like ships and history. Or try some of the quirkier trips suggested here: bit.ly/DayTripsOuttaBoston… Beer Can Museum?
This is one of those questions that won’t ever have a right answer and that people will argue about forever. Generally speaking, PS4 has more exclusives titles than XBOX. XBOX Live and Playstation Network are basically the same. However, XBOX live Gold allows users to keep the games they got for free even if their subscription lapses, which is pretty nice, but costs extra. XBOX also has interoperability with Microsoft Windows, allowing you to play some games on your laptop wherever you are, which I think is pretty clutch. And the XBOX controller just feels more comfortable than playstation. So I say XBOX.
If you mean “mans” as in “Mans Not Hot,” the satirical song released last September, the performer is the British comedian Michael Dapaah, who performs as fictional rapper “Big Shaq.” Here is an entertaining video of him describing the song & lyrics: bit.ly/neverhot
I like Emma Peel a lot, but suppose you probably mean the Marvel movies. I admire the steadiness and good cheer of Captain America. You should also read Matt Fraction’s run of Hawkeye if you haven’t: great small-scale stories and fantastic art, with lots of purple. bit.ly/bc-avenger
Are we talking specifically shows produced by Netflix? Comedy: Bojack, Friends From College, Master of None, and Grace & Frankie. Action: Marvel’s Luke Cage and Marvel’s Jessica Jones (don’t let the Marvel tag fool you, these are great shows in their own right). Drama: Stranger Things (of course), The Crown (of course), Narcos, and The Get Down. I’ll also plug Chef’s Table as a wonderful Docu-series on some of the world’s most influential chefs.
Apple Music boasts more individual tracks than Spotify, and has far more exclusive content. Also, if you already use a Mac/iPhone, Apple Music will integrate seamlessly compared to Spotify. However, Spotify’s discovery tools (like Discover Weekly) make finding new artists easier and requires less intervention from you. That same discovery allows for better radio stations than Apple Music. Spotify also has a free tier, which Apple music doesn’t. Personally, I like Spotify for the radio reason alone. For a more detailed rundown, check out bit.ly/AppleSpotify-BC.
It’s hard to recommend a movie without knowing what you like. I love the movie Wall Street (PN1997.2 .W35578 2010). Great tale of corporate greed, and any movie about walls is going to be good. Nothing good on Netflix? Check out movies.bc.edu for free streaming movies including recent films like Baby Driver, The Big Sick, or Dunkirk. It even has The Wolf of Wall Street. You can check out DVDs from the Library as well!
So many great places to picnic around Boston. Beaches, parks, squares… Here’s a list to get you started: http://bit.ly/PickUrPicnic. Once the ferry starts back up in spring, try the Boston Harbor Islands at low tide, so you’re actually picnicking on the bottom of the harbor. Right now, you could picnic just about anywhere in a gorgeous winter wonderland, if you’re a hardy soul.
My moves are pretty limited, except for walltz, so I’m kind of a wallflower. Check the library catalog for books and videos on learning to dance. Also there are dance classes at the Plex: bit.ly/PlexDance and course offerings through the Theatre Department (look in Agora Portal Course Information and Schedule).. You can find opportunities in the local area that include instruction at Dancenet: bit.ly/Dancenet.
Depends on free agency. The Browns desperately need a QB that isn’t terrible, but Allen isn’t the safest bet. It’s tempting to think of him as the next Aaron Rodgers – QB of exceptional talent that didn’t get the attention he deserved by college recruiters. He could also be the next Matt Leinart – lots of talent and size, but just can’t read the field. Rumor has it that Jackson is pursuing AJ McCarron. If that deal works out, there’s probably some pressure off them to draft a QB first. They also need a Cornerback, and have the #4 pick. Bottom line: if they get McCarron, then they pass on a QB at 1. If they don’t, then I don’t think one good combine workout makes up for a season’s worth of gameplay. Josh Rosen is still the better pick if the Browns do want a QB at 1.1.
Fall in love? Make a really big difference in someone’s life by helping them overcome a major problem of some kind? Broker a peace deal in the Middle East that satisfies all parties? Or maybe you should just take a vacation, which means disburdening yourself of the need to do the best possible thing.
The team with the best combination of very competitive players, good coaching, a will to win, and luck. Oh, do you want the name of a team? You must have mistaken me for my old friend, the Oracle of Delphi. Good luck with that. It’s a process: bit.ly/Delphi-supplicants
