Page 289 – The Answer Wall

June 21, 2018June 21, 2018

Who will win the World Series?

I happen to be acquainted with a game theorist. He applies game theory to football pools and wins big every year. Hardly anyone will let him into their pools any more, because word has gotten around that with him in the pool, nobody else stands a chance. But he never bets on baseball. He says there are too many variables: too many games, too many potential pitcher-batter match-ups, winds & humidity that affect home run potential, minor injuries… I mean, a hangnail can kill a pitcher’s ERA! There’s just no way to tell, which is why baseball is the best sport: just as in life, you never know what will happen. Go, Sox! (In the meantime, I why not read The fix is in: A history of baseball gambling and game fixing scandals, by Daniel Ginsburg. O’Neill Library GV863.A1 G58 1995.)

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018

My cousin the Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis University’s Goldfarb-Farber Library

Please enjoy these pictures of my cousin the Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis University’s Goldfarb-Farber Library. I visited earlier this summer. We had a great time! As you can tell, Express Yo’self is a little more freewheeling and adventurous than me.

"We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of the decadent American society. We want education that teachs us our true history and our role in the present day society." -- Blank Panther Party, 10-point program, point #5 — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: cartoon character with speech bubble: I dunno what to tell you man — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Though my soul must set for darkness/It shall rise in perfect light/I have loved the stars too fondly/To be fearful of the night — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: cartoon bird with speech bubble: "Oh No..." I am the Best! We are the BEST! — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: jumble of illegible words near a series of buttons on the wall. — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: jumble of illegible words, and: We all have both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. that's who we really are. — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: several cartoon figures, including Batman. Illegible text. — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: realistic drawing of girl's face and hair. Chinese writing. Please! Next time I want to have a crush on a non-gay...[illegible, obscured by drawing of girl] — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: We are either our greatest enemies or our greatest friends. Or both. Live Your Life. Love Trumps Hate. [drawing of chameleon] — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: [cartoon figure peering out from behind another] SMAE — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

Express Yo'self Wall at Brandeis: [drawing of palm tree and monkey] Be Happy, DJ Ross, Hour 7! [small cartoon faces] — Express Yo’self Wall at Brandeis

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018

I kind of lost my mojo, how do I find it again?

It’s also possible your mojo is working, but just not working for the purpose you want. Like Muddy Waters, you might explore either going to Louisiana to get a mojo “hand,” or consulting with a Roma soothsayer: bit.ly/mojo-working. (At the very least, listening to his music should spark some mojo.) You might also try the unacknowledged queen of the blues, Ida Cox, who sang about mojo way back in 1927, and later sang about how wild women don’t have the blues: bit.ly/wild-women. Ida’s advice: “You never get nothing by being an angel child/ You better change your ways and get real wild.” Another way to think about mojo is a variant on “lean in”: are you avoiding something? Don’t run away from it; move closer, and turn fear into excitement.

June 12, 2018June 12, 2018

Ales or lagers?

Why not both? Sam Adams’ new Sam ’76 is a blend of an ale and lager designed to appeal to the Budweiser crowd – my human friends tell me it’s pretty good for what it’s trying to be. Generally speaking, if you want fruity or more adventurous beers, you’re looking at an ale. Lagers should be crisper and cleaner on the palette (i.e. they should not have strong aftertastes like a stout or an IPA – both ales). Both have their strengths and both can be delicious.

June 12, 2018June 12, 2018

Will the Celtics be better off if Lebron joins?

Of course. LeBron is a monster. A generational talent. Arguably (and there’s lots of argument) the best ever. LeBron will make any team better. BUT, we need to consider the Celtics locker room. Kyrie left Cleveland, ostensibly to get away from LeBron, so bringing LeBron here would probably bode poorly for how well the team gels. I also don’t know how coach-able LeBron is these days, having basically coached the Cavs himself for the past few years. Personally, I would be excited to see him come, but I also think there would be a lot of adjustment early in the season.

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018

How does one type on a Post-it note??

Number 1 most frequent question on the Answer Wall! Here’s how: My assistants use this template: bit.ly/print-postit to create the ‘document’ and then send it to the printer as a manual feed. Then they put the actual template of sticky-notes into the printer’s manual feed tray.

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018

Why can’t our degrees be in English?

Because tradition, the Wall suspects–lots of colleges and universities do it, and use pretty much the same language. Here’s a brief history of BC’s diplomas from 2013. bit.ly/bc-diploma1. The official English translation is here: bit.ly/bc-diploma2. Think of it this way: if a time machine dumps you out at the University of Paris in 1302 your diploma will still get you into grad school.

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018

What if I contacted Transportation services to ask for increased shuttle times and they are not budging?

I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t had luck in requesting additional shuttle service, but I’m sure that Transportation Services will track feedback on this issue for the future when they develop new schedules. In the meantime, I would recommend taking the shuttle to the Reservoir T-stop, walking from there to the C-Line at Cleveland Circle and taking that three stops to the Star Market. If you don’t have access to a car, that is probably the easiest grocery store to get to from here. Alternatively, you could try to organize trips with friends – either asking a friend to drive you or meeting up with a group of car-free friends to share a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to the grocery store and back. Good luck!

June 8, 2018June 8, 2018

Answer Wall, hello! I would greatly appreciate a bucket list of fun summer activities in and around BC/Boston!

There are so many options for a bucket list, it is tough to contain them to the size of a post-it! Visit the Boston Harbor Islands, go to the beach, head to a Red Sox game. On a hot day, stay cool inside by visiting a museum or the aquarium. Play tourist and walk the Freedom Trail. Plan your own food tour or pub crawl. To see what is happening on a particular day or over the weekend, check out thebostoncalendar.com.

June 7, 2018June 7, 2018

Where did the banners in the atrium go? Are they coming back?

I kinda miss them, too. Let me check my sources and I’ll see what I can find out.

June 7, 2018June 7, 2018

Is it harder to STAY or LEAVE? :(

Sigh… I’m sad that you’re in a situation where going and staying both seem hard. But know that you aren’t alone in this predicament; it’s something everyone has to face at some point, one way or another. As Joe Strummer of the Clash so succinctly put it, “Should I stay or should I go now?/ If I go, there will be trouble/ And if I stay it will be double.” Whatever you do, don’t be hasty, and talk it through with a lot of people. Sometimes growth means persisting, and sometimes growth requires a change. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, try Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling) or Academic Advising (bit.ly/BC-advising), depending on the nature of the decision you’re facing. And if you need to vent, especially if the conundrum is romantic, I recommend the Clash on volume 11: bit.ly/clash-should-I

June 6, 2018June 6, 2018

Cavs or Warriors? WHO YOU GOT?

Warriors. The wall is a big fan of LeBron (not a hater at all) and his ability to get to the finals through sheer force of will with what is actually a D2 college team coached by a high school BB coach. But championships should go to the better team, and the Warriors are for sure the better team and more fun to watch. Plus, the Celtics deserve to be there anyway.

June 6, 2018June 6, 2018

does BC offer any counseling services for the summer?

Yes! Counseling Services is open for the summer Mondays – Thursdays, 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. and Fridays, 8:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. They can be reached by calling 617-552-3310, by going to their website (bit.ly/BC-counseling), or by going to their office in Gasson 001. If you need/want to talk with someone outside of those hours you can call BC Police at 617-552-4444 and they will connect you with someone off hours. Please call. There are times when everyone needs to talk with someone and Counseling Services is here to support you during this time.

June 5, 2018June 5, 2018

Bar suggestions? {:þ

Oh man. So many options: Tiki Bar (it is summer): Blossom in Brookline, Bar by the Elevator near MIT Traditional Cocktails: Alden & Harlow in Harvard Square, Drink in Seaport, The Hawthorne in Kenmore Beer Bar: Lord Hobo near MIT, Publik House in Brookline, Deep Ellum in Allston Wine Bar: Spoke in Davis Square, Troquet in the Theater District Dive(ish) bar: Bukowski Tavern in Back Bay, Biddy Early’s in the Financial District, The Silhouette (or “The Sil”) in Allston Sports Bar: Game On in Fenway, Sullivan’s Tap in the North End (Bruins), Buff’s Pub in Newton Irish Music: Try Greenbriar in Brighton on a Monday night, there’s a cool traditional Irish music jam session starting around 7pm.

June 5, 2018June 5, 2018

Am I going to pass?

No matter what sort of test you are trying to pass, it is perfectly normal to get stressed. I can’t guarantee you that you will pass, but I can tell you two things: 1) I have confidence that you are talented and will be prepared for this test, and 2) even if you don’t pass any given test in life, the wonderful thing is that there are other chances. No test is determinitive of the success of your life. My advice is that you should go in with confidence and remember that sleep and relaxation are also important parts of the test prep process. You’ve got this and the whole library is rooting for you!

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

What are you doing this summer?

Thanks for asking… Now that the stress of preparing for my talk at the BLC Networking Day is over, I’m not planning on doing anything else out of the ordinary; just hanging out in the library and answering questions. One fantastic thing about this summer is, since I don’t get to go to the beach, the library has brought the beach to me. Turn around, you’ll see it. Can you hear the waves?

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

To be or not to be?

Being is definitely better than not being. Please recall that this quote, in Act III, Scene 1 of Hamlet, was asked by a young man who suspected that his mother and stepfather had arranged the murder of his father. He was thinking that not-being would “end/ The heartache and the thousand natural shocks/ That flesh is heir to.” If you’re suffering heartache that makes you think about not being, please get help immediately: call the counseling office at 617-552-3310 (8:45-4:45 M-F) and ask to speak to the Psychological Emergency Clinician (PEC), or visit the office in person in Gasson 001. (If you’re just quoting Shakespeare’s Hamlet to show your appreciation for a fine play, here’s a 3-minute version you might find entertaining: bit.ly/3-minute-hamlet. Click “show more” for the lyrics, so you can understand the thick Glasgow accent.)

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

Writing pains me. Not writing pains me. Having written and re-reading what I produced pains me. Which one is more painful or are they even comparable?

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: The only thing worse than writing is not writing. I think I’d say they’re comparable but different in quality, not just degree. The pain of writing is equivalent to the pain of stumbling blindly through the dark. The pain of not writing is the pain of avoiding doing the thing you know must be done, which only grows bigger the longer you avoid it. The pain of re-reading is the pain of your own vulnerability magnified by self-doubt. Offset the first by taking breaks as rewards, the second by setting a schedule, and the third by telling your internal critics to enjoy a vacation. It also helps to find a friendly, trusted audience, even of one. I look forward to hearing about what you’ve written!

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

Is there a bus that runs to the BC property on hammond Pond Parkway/the Chestnut Hill Mall during the summer? Can there be, if there isn’t :)?

There is not (and shuttle service is greatly reduced in summer), but I would suggest you let Transportation know of your unmet needs. They can be reached at (617) 552-0151 or transportation@bc.edu. I feel for you!

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

Can the temp of the library be reduced? I’m so hot!

It looks like the problem with being too cold on June 1 may have been overcorrected! You can report any problem anywhere on campus by logging into your Portal account and clicking on the link for Facilities Work Ticket. Allow the App to find your location and you can report that the building is too hot. If you want a cooler place to study visit the Theology and Ministry Library on the Brighton Campus. My cousin, the bulletin board in the lobby, tells me it’s 63 degrees there!