Category: Random

Posted on

Lebron or Harden for the MVP?

Lebron or Harden for the MVP?
Lebron or Harden for the MVP?

Harden leads the league in points, is 3rd in assists, and has led the Rockets to a first place overall playoff berth. Which is not to say LeBron has played poorly – the Cavs had some personnel issues in the middle of the season and LeBron led them through that like the legend that he is (one can also argue that he’s responsible for those issues, but that’s another post-it). Harden has been solid all season long, and his stats are better than LeBron’s across the board. Which is important because consistency is critical for an MVP and Harden has just shown that more than LeBron this season. Also, anyone who can dance like Harden (bit.ly/HardenDance) deserves the MVP.

Posted on

Quando iniziera’ a far caldo?

Quando imitiere e for caldo?
Quando iniziera’ a far caldo?

Soon, it will come. I am predicting my harbinger of Spring – no, not the red robin, but the flap-tic, flap-tic flap-tic sound in the library lobby as soon as the students swap out their boots for flip flops, to come tomorrow, if anyone is still around, or else as soon as Easter Break is through.

Posted on

Why are off campus landlords allowed to overcharge fro poor living conditions and stand by as we are robbed? It’s like they are robbing us in two different ways.

WHy are off campus landlords allowed to overcharge fro poor living conditions and stand by as we are robbed? It's like they are robbing us in two different ways.
Why are off campus landlords allowed to overcharge fro poor living conditions and stand by as we are robbed? It’s like they are robbing us in two different ways.

It’s unconscionable, but it’s what the market will bear. However, you do have rights, and you should fight for what you need. The Mass Attorney General’s Office has some useful info for student renters: bit.ly/StudentRenterHelp. Also, check the BC help: offcampushousing.bc.edu/resource.

Posted on

Why do we keep getting Nor’easters when I try to fly home?

Why do we keep getting Nor'easters when I try to fly home?
Why do we keep getting Nor’easters when I try to fly home?

According to this article (bit.ly/NoNoNoreasters), meteorologist Elliot Abrams says it’s due to a blocking pattern up North and the temperature differences between Canada and the Southeast US right now, rather than due to your flight bookings. Actually, he didn’t mention if your flight plans were a factor. I hope you get to get home soon!

Posted on

Will the vending machines downstairs ever work?

Will the vending machines downstairs ever work?
Will the vending machines downstairs ever work?

How frustrating. One of my helpers assures me she uses them all too often, and they usually work. She does think  it is unnerving that a coffee machine is occasionally down for “updates” – that’s a little too futuristic! The machines are tended to frequently, but If you ever lose money, call 800-696-1188 for a cash refund, or go to bit.ly/EagleRefund if you used your Eagle Card. Snack on!

Posted on

Why do we put the $ sign before the amount?

Why do we put the $ sign before the amount? I don't say "dollars 45": I say "45 dollars." Shouldn't I write "45$"?
Why do we put the $ sign before the amount? I don’t say “dollars 45”: I say “45 dollars.” Shouldn’t I write “45$”?

Tradition, it seems. Many European countries place the euro sign (€) after the number. One interesting theory is that it follows from British usage for the pound (£) from the pre-decimal era of pounds/shillings/pence, when amounts were written with slashes, e.g. £ 3/5/6, or “three pounds, 5 shillings, sixpence.” It was understood that £ referred to the whole assembly of numbers denoting a system of currency, not just a qualifier of the first number. Interesting side note: the word “dollar” derives from Low German “taler,” short for “Joachimstaler,” the name of a coin from the silver mines of that name, once in Bohemia, now a town in the Czech Republic; it was adopted in the US because it was the British English word for the Spanish Peso, a common currency in the colonies at the time of the Revolution. bit.ly/whence-dollar

Posted on

Why isn’t Spring break longer?

Why isn't Spring break longer?
Why isn’t Spring break longer?

Doesn’t it seem short? Sigh. But there is so much learning to be done before the end of the semester. I’m committed to staying here after mid-May, but you probably have other things to do then, so extending the semester to get a longer Spring Break wouldn’t be a great idea.

Posted on

How do you draw a pony?

How do you draw a pony?
How do you draw a pony?

Not well. I’m a wall! But if you google, you will find there are many sites on the internet that will guide you in creating your diminutive equine artwork – caution that some are NSFW (or S)! Or, you could head to the Education Resource Center in Campion, where they have several books on drawing animals (for kids, but why let that stop you) in the NC600-900 call number ranges. But I can’t promise you a pony…

Posted on

What do you think about Italians?

What do you think about Italians?

Italians invented the word “graffiti,” so as a wall, I’m a little mixed. Then again, they also were expert practitioners of “sgraffito,” an artistic close cousin of graffiti with well-known practitioners from the workshop of the artist Raphael. Here’s an example from Firenze: bit.ly/sgraffito-firenze. They knew how to treat a wall! I hear the food is also good, and the music. And did you see the Italian Olympic skating team? What a good-natured bunch, full of camaraderie!

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

Hi powerful Wall, Do u know what is WMD short for :)

Hi powerful Wall, Do u know what is WMD short for :)
Hi powerful Wall, Do u know what is WMD short for 🙂

Did you write WMD? I love Wikipedia for those pesky acronyms and initialisms. Search Wikipedia, and you will likely land on a disambiguation page like this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMD. Which, in this case, tells me it might be short for: weapon of mass destruction or weighted mean in statistics or wiggle-match-dating or wiggle matching in carbon dating or Westmead railway station, Sydney, Australia, station code or Wymondham railway station, Wymondham, England, station code or World Malaria Day!

Posted on

Answer Wall! It’s so good to be back!

Answer Wall! It's so good to be back! I was just abroad and feel so grateful to have the resources the B.C. Libraries offer back at my disposal. Truly a privilege!
Answer Wall! It’s so good to be back! I was just abroad and feel so grateful to have the resources the B.C. Libraries offer back at my disposal. Truly a privilege!

It’s wonderful to have you back! We don’t like to be left behind when you travel, so do know that many of our resources are available across the globe. Go in through the library homepage (library.bc.edu), and you should be able to access our ejournals, eBooks, and databases. Reference help is also available by email, phone and 24/7 chat at libguides.bc.edu/ask-a-librarian.