Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
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.
“Wednesday” is entirely a social construct. Which is to say that Wednesday doesn’t exist except in the sense that we say it exists (along with weeks, weekends, and months). So in that sense, it’s Wednesday (or…now Thursday as of this writing) because we all agree it is. There are plenty of calendars that don’t have the concept of Wednesday and therefore it is never Wednesday: bit.ly/AltCalendars. Other time concepts (such as seconds, years, etc.) are derived from the natural world around us and proof for them is a bit more complex.
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
Graduation ceremonies date back to 12th century Europe; for a summary of how various parts of the ceremony originated, see bit.ly/gradhist.
There’s some controversy on the answer to that question. In a last warning to Iraq on March 17, 2003, President Bush argued that Iraq’s program to create weapons of mass destruction was an unacceptable risk and that peaceful efforts to remove it had failed: bit.ly/bc-bush-speech. The Senate Intelligence Committee later determined that pre-war intelligence reports about the Iraqi program were either overstated or wrong: bit.ly/bc-senate-report. BC has a large collection of books and other materials on the war, and the Wall suggests reading a few different viewpoints, including Iraqi ones: bit.ly/bc-iraq-causes
I am so sorry about your poor broken heart. I can say with assurance you deserve better. If you want to read about it, you’ll find a lot of infidelity going on in the stacks in the HQ 806 area. I prefer the answer Olympia Dukakis’ character gave in the marvelous 1987 film Moonstruck, “They fear death”. The film is available at the Circulation desk (call number PN1997 .M652 2006), and is as good as any for when you’re feeling sad.
One Applebee’s mozz stick: 103 calories, 5 grams fat, 293 mg sodium, 9 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein. Sodium’s a bigger worry than calories, TBH. 10 sticks would hit your protein needs for the day and still only be about half your calorie needs. But you’d blow past your sodium needs (2000mg) by about 50%. And if you’re not hungry, ask yourself: what emotional need is this food serving? Finally, the dipping sauce could get a little messy for a library, and staff might frown on that, as in this library patron’s experience: bit.ly/mozza-library
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.
I’d sort of like to believe that there is a concept Wall that exists separately from all the numberless walls that exist, but I’ve always been a Platonist. It’s a hard question, and there are lots of possible answers and arguments to be made. Here are a few from a good source: bit.ly/bc-universals. If you’d like more suggestions, turn around and ask the humans at the desk to your right.
@you. Hi! I’m a wall. I’m 34 years old, but just started answering questions last year. I have a large staff of helpers in the library and around campus who add quality information to my natural good cheer.
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.
The latest release from K-pop girl group TWICE. Watch/listen at bit.ly/twice-whatislove.
If you know you are the GF in the earlier question, then you and your partner must be discussing the behavior mentioned. I am very relieved to know that you and your GF are being thoughtful and open about how your relationship is going. As long as that is the case, you will need very little advice from me or others.
One of the walls on the lower level of Lyons is a great friend of mine, and she will be forwarding your suggestion to the appropriate people at BC Dining. Chicken Dumpling soup sounds delicious and very warming on these crazy cold April days we’ve been having.
You’re quite welcome! It is my ergon to be supportive.
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 Wayneâs “6’7”) has spawned a pedantic discussion as to whether or not the âgâ 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
![Perche' il mio amico Matteo non si fa i cazzi suoi? [Why doesnât my friend Matteo mind his own business?]](http://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aw041018-2.jpg)
I don’t think I’ve ever met Matteo, so it’s hard to say why he won’t mind his own business. Maybe he’s just more interested in your business than his own? And wouldn’t that be kind of flattering? To a point? It sounds like he crosses a line, though. If he’s interested in everybody’s business (an incurable gossip), I recommend discretion and careful listening. (And *never* reveal his sources, or else the well will dry up.) This eagle understands you, though.
With help and support from your friends, family, and community! It is important to know that when you are going through a tough time, you don’t have to go through it alone. Perhaps you can turn to your family for support. If they are far away, consider FaceTime or Skype to get a chance to see them as you get their advice and support. Be sure to also lean on your friends too. Many of them are probably closer to your age and their perspective (and knowing what a large support network you have), can be helpful. Finally, don’t discount the value in getting professional help. If you are feeling down or even just struggling, there are resources at BC for you. Contact Counseling Services (http://bit.ly/BC-counseling) for information about the support they can offer. And of course, you can always come to me for advice or support along the way!
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!
Ask him how he’s doing. If he says he’s fine and he’d really rather just be in the room, that’s up to him. If you want to do something with him, consider doing something together without going out – multiplayer video, board games, cards, stream a film through movies.bc.edu or check out a dvd from the library. If you’re concerned about his well-being, check in with counseling to hear what they recommend: bit.ly/BC-counseling.
