Knitted Hat January 28, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentMy mom knitted me a hat that is too big. Is there a way to shrink it? It is only slightly too big, but enough so that I cannot wear it comfortably.
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: AP checked with a local knitting expert, who said definitely don’t throw a wet wool item in a hot dryer because the shrinkage results would be really dramatic and the hat would be ugly and your mom would disown you. The suggestion was to wash or wet it with warm water and let it air dry while sitting on a table (don’t hang it up to avoid stretching it into a funky shape). It should shrink some (the usual washing rules suggest cold water). If it’s acrylic, you’re probably out of luck, althugh you could cultivate a bushy hair style.
Washington DC January 28, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentI am moving to Washington DC next year, where is the coolest place I can live?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Like beauty, coolness is in the eyes of the beholder. Are you going to be a congressional intern, work for the World Bank, or work for a K-Street law firm? Georgetown is a little staid. The Dupont Circle or Woodley Park areas along Connecticut Ave. are, I suppose, quite hip, but maybe too much so. There’s a lot of nightlife, restaurants, and shopping, that’s for sure. You can buy books at the same bookstores where Monica L. bought gifts for Bill. A more edgy, and less expensive, area might be on the east side of Capitol Hill, towards the Eastern Market area. Not yet as gentrified (or as lively). At least as a residential location, I’ve heard positive things about Takoma Park, MD, just over the border from the District. Good luck!
Meteora vs. The Black Album January 25, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentWhich album has sold more copies, Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” or Lincoln Park’s “Meteora”?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified both of these as “multi-platinum,” but Meteora seems to be more multi-platinum than The Black Album.
The Black Album was giving an M(2) certification, which AP assumes means at least 2 million units (there doesn’t seem to be a key at the RIAA website). Regular “Platinum” is a million units. Linkin Park’s Meteora was given an M(4) certification, which sounds like more to me. (Meteora also had earlier certifications of M(1) and M(3).) The Black Album M(1) and Meteora M(3) certifications date back to February 2004, and they must not have sold an additional million units since then, or the record companies involved haven’t asked for further certification.
Zoos January 20, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentIs one zoo commonly accepted as the best in the world? What makes it outshine its counterparts. What are some other great zoos? I was recently at the Ashboro zoo and they had the Savannah animals in for the winter (elephants and rhinos among others)? Is this an every-year thing or were they just renovating this year?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: AP can’t find that there is any acknowledged “best” zoo. Each will have its own specialties (hopefully related to the city’s climate), and there is more than one way to measure quality. According to one website (rankings unconfirmed), the top “animal collection” based on “the number of species and population” (whatever they mean by that) is the Berlin Zoo.
http://www.carousel-press.com/zoo.html
The three in the USA listed in the top ten are Bronx (among 3 tied at #2), San Diego (also tied at #2), and San Antonio (among 6 tied at #5). This is from *The Zoo Book* by Allen W. Nyhuis, available in the Durham County Library, NC State, or via Perkins’ Interlibrary Loan Dept. Specialized exhibits are another facet by which to measure zoos, although this can hardly lead to rankings.
At zoos with cool or cold winters, it’s common practice to shelter warm climate animals during the winter. Inadequacy of such shelter can lead to controversy, such as the elephant in Anchorage who must be cooped up all winter (and that’s long!). Detroit recently relocated their elephants to other zoos. Likewise, Phoenix doesn’t have polar bears, although AP has seen some pretty miserable looking shaggy animals in southern climes.
Nom de guerre January 17, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentWhat is a nom de guerre? How does one get one? Are there rules? What are the rules? How can I get one?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: It’s often used almost synonymously with “pseudonym,” although technically is more specific. I’ve never heard of any rules, but I think the idea is to choose something that sounds cool, yet hides your identity. Although obviously originating in the area of war and other such violent activities (Carlos the Jackal; Subcomandante Marcos; Mr. T), it’s sometimes used more broadly today to conceal one’s identity in other endeavors, like entertainment (i.e., a stage name) or other professions. Henri Donat Mathieu became the designer Yves Saint-Laurent. With writers, you usually say nom de plume, or pen name. You’re free to use your imagination, and that of your agent, but since there isn’t a registry like with internet addresses, you’ll have to check around to make sure your name isn’t taken, and I don’t recommend becoming a famous assassin just so you can adopt such a name. If you broaden the definition, some noms de guerre are given by the media (e.g., the Boston Strangler), not by the individual.
Boomerang January 17, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentWhy are inspirations non-existant when seeked, yet they sneak out unexpectedly when unrequested?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: You wouldn’t call it an inspiration if you knew how you could get it, if it were a mechanical process, if you were staying inside the box. True inspirations must be serendipitous. Unexpected things can be the most satisfying.
Pay Roll Tax January 11, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentWhat is the difference between pay roll and income tax. Is the former just the weekly form of the latter or are there differing rates, measurements, etc? Which is least regressive?
Cheers!
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: This looks familiar. In fact, I’d recommend that you look back to a question submitted on September 20, 2004, which appears to be the same question. AP provided an answer back then.
Coolest sights? January 11, 2005
Posted by Library Answer Person in : Uncategorized , add a commentWhat is the coolest thing to see in Japan, the absolute don’t-miss-it sight in the country? While you are at it, aside from Perkins Library, what is the absolute, don’t-miss-it sight in the United States? In North Carolina? At Duke?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: The Ramen Museum in Yokohama.
The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, CA. There are other mystery spots in the USA, but this one gives you the opportunity to travel to California and see them all on the way, along with a few snake farms.
World’s largest chair in Thomasville. It’s big.
The elevator that goes up the Chapel tower. Unfortunately, it’s now closed to visitors.
Or, to be more boring, Mt. Fuji, the Grand Canyon, Stone Mountain, and the Chapel sanctuary.
