What’s a safe amount of coke?

What's a safe amount of coke?
What’s a safe amount of coke?

Coca-Cola? Though it is delicious, there is no safe amount to drink. It is loaded with sugar and has been linked to many health conditions including diabetes, obesity, and cavities. Water on the other hand is wonderfully healthy and hydrating. I do hope you weren’t asking about cocaine, but if you were the only safe amount is nothing – zero, zilch, nada.

What’s the best burger you’ve ever had?

What's the best burger you've ever had?
What’s the best burger you’ve ever had?

As a wall, I’ve never eaten anything, much less a burger. But my helpers inform me that taste is very context-dependent. One helper had been camping and hiking for 2 months straight eating only pre-packaged food before winding up at a burger joint in Washington DC. He remembers that burger was the best thing he’d ever tasted. But when he went back there a couple years later, it was very mediocre. There is no best burger – smash burgers, fancy burgers, fast food, greasy diners – all of these burgers have their place. If you’re really itching to hunt for the best one in Boston, check out this list from Eater: bit.ly/bostonBurgers

Why are so many vending machines on campus not taking IDs anymore?

Why are so many vending machines on campus not taking IDs anymore?
Why are so many vending machines on campus not taking IDs anymore?

The folks in Auxiliary Services said Coke is in the process of replacing all the Eagle Card readers with new ones that accept both credit cards and Eagle Cards, and that they’re about halfway through the process. If there’s a particular machine that should accept Eagle ID’s and doesn’t (accepted payments are identified with stickers), contact the vending company via the phone number on the machine. Soon, the snack company will also be updating their machines to accept Eagle IDs.

What’s the recipe for the bean counter mac n’ cheese? It’s my favorite!

What's the recipe for the bean counter mac n' cheese? It's my favorite!
What’s the recipe for the bean counter mac n’ cheese? It’s my favorite!

I’ve contacted BC Dining and asked them. If they dish about your dish, so will I.

Update, 2-6-19: Dining Services responds, “We love to help give answers to your wall, unfortunately, this request is not that simple. The mac and cheese at the Bean Counter is an item that we spent two years developing with a co-packer. This means it is specific to BC Dining, but made at an enormous volume. We do not have a viable recipe to share.”

What is the best seafood restaurant nearby?

What is the best seafood restaurant nearby?
What is the best seafood restaurant nearby?

Alas, the only seafood restaurant close by is Legal Seafood over at the Street, which fortunately does do a good job. Other possibilities that are nearby (but may be difficult to get to without transportation) are Steamers at 311 Watertown Street in Newton, and Shaking Crab, also in Newton at 203 Adams Street. There are many good seafood restaurants if you want to hop on the T and go in town though, such as the classic Union Oyster House.

How do you like your potatoes?

How do you like your potatoes? Are we talking mashed, baked, fried, hash-y, ball-y? What do we think? Or sweet potato?!?!
How do you like your potatoes? Are we talking mashed, baked, fried, hash-y, ball-y? What do we think? Or sweet potato?!?!

Being a wall, my diet is composed almost entirely of post-its, though I do also enjoy the scents of food wafting through the library, and potatoes are a favorite in that department. Many of my human assistants enjoy potatoes. One has a partner who claims to have eaten potatoes prepared 52 different ways. The Potato in the Human Diet (O’Neill Library TX558.P8 W63 1987) says potatoes are grown in 132 of 167 independent countries. For the potato-obsessed, I must recommend reading Potato: a history of the propitious esculent. (O’Neill Library SB211 .P8 R43 2009).

Why is there a lack of diversity of food choice at the student dinning hall? Shouldn’t the dinning hall honor student’s diverse background and food preference? :)

Why is there a lack of diversity of food choice at the student dinning hall? Shouldn't the dinning hall honor student's diverse background and food preference? :)
Why is there a lack of diversity of food choice at the student dinning hall? Shouldn’t the dinning hall honor student’s diverse background and food preference? 🙂

Let Dining Services know what you’d like to see by leaving them a comment: bit.ly/BCDiningComment. Please keep in mind that cost and how easy it is to cook for LOTS of people are just a couple of the things they’re juggling in planning menus.

How to lose weight when BC food is so unhealthy? :(

How to lose weight when BC food is so unhealthy?
How to lose weight when BC food is so unhealthy? 🙁

If I ate, I think I’d be drawn to the fries and those chocolate chip cookies the size of your head in the dining halls, but there are healthier choices available, like the soups and salad bar at Lower. You might want to make an appointment with the Office of Health Promotion (bit.ly/BC-health-promo); they can set you up with an Individual Health Plan (iHP) to eat healthier.

Can we get snacks in the employee lounge?

Can we get snacks in the employee lounge?
Can we get snacks in the employee lounge?

Do you mean the employee lounge in O’Neill? I’m afraid it is limited to those who work at the library. And I have heard (we walls have a way of communicating amongst ourselves, you know) there are no snacks there except for those that staff bring in. (Which is why you will see staff at the same vending machines you use for snacks!)

Is it bad to drink coffee at 3 am?

Is it bad to drink coffee at 3am?
Is it bad to drink coffee at 3 am?

According to this article in Science Translational Medicine (bit.ly/CoffeeZzz), late night coffee can really throw off your sleep patterns. I understand, sometime you have to stay awake, and coffee is very effective for that, but I wouldn’t do it on a regular basis.

Are yall gonna fix the vending machines so they take Eagle Bucks again??!!? #Needmycoffee

Are yall gonna fix the vending machines so they take Eagle Bucks again??!!? #Needmycoffee
Are yall gonna fix the vending machines so they take Eagle Bucks again??!!? #Needmycoffee

Coca-Cola has finally finished setting up all of their machines to accept Eagle Bucks. BC has looked into getting the coffee machine to accept eagle bucks, but unfortunately, that machine is incompatible with the card readers that read BC ID’s. You’ll need to bring cash or a credit card to use the coffee vending machine. 🙁

When are you going to fix the vending machines on the 2nd floor?

When are you going to fix the vending machines on the 2nd floor? :( I want drinks!
When are you going to fix the vending machines on the 2nd floor? 🙁 I want drinks!

Ta Da! They’re fixed. They should now work with cash, Eagle Bucks, and Credit Cards. Sorry about the delay: we needed a new electrical outlet, parts from Coca-Cola, and card readers from BC’s IT department installed. Never a dull moment in the world of vending machines! (Please call the number listed on the machine if you continue to run into problems.)