Social Sciences Questions
Most Recent 15 Questions Answered
Question 1:
Higher Education Act of 1965?
Answer :
Dear Questioner, The Higher Education Act of 1965 (commonly referred to as HEA) was a part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, a collection of domestic programs that Johnson introduced in 1964. The Act was passed to help students from low-income families attend college by providing them with loans and scholarships. Funding provided under this Act includes, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Family Education Loan Program among others. The Act also established a National Teacher Corps and provided “grants for university community service programs; grants for college libraries, library training and research; funds designated to strengthen newer, developing colleges; and establishment of teacher training programs and teacher training fellowships.” ("Higher Education Act" 523). In order to be eligible to receive these federal funds, colleges and universities have to be in compliance with federal law. Since its passage, the Act has been revised numerous times. You can find the full text of the HEA at this site run by the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/uscode/20/ch28.html. Work is currently underway to revise the Higher Education Act again.
Sources :
Field, Kelly. “Compromise Higher Education Bill Takes Shape in Congress.” Chronicle of Higher Education. 23 May 2008. P.18 http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/uscode/20/usc_sup_01_20_10_28_20_IV.html Great Society" The Oxford Guide to the United States Government. John J. Patrick, Richard M. Pious, and Donald A. Ritchie. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. 14 June 2008 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t89.e386 Long, Richard. "NCLB, higher education, and funding are key issues.(WASHINGTON UPDATE)(No Child Left Behind Act)." Reading Today 25.5 (April-May 2008): 23(1). Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 14 June 2008 “Higher Education Act of 1965.” American Education. Ed. Harlow G. Unger. 2nd Ed. 2001.
Call Number :
370.973 Un32e 2001
Location :
Undergraduate Library
Date Answered :
6/15/2008
Question 2:
What is the main job of the legislative branch?
Answer :
Dear Politicker, The main job of the legislative branch, at the risk of being cheeky, is to legislate. That means that the legislative branch makes the laws that will govern a given nation. In the United States, our national legislative branch is collectively referred to as the Congress. The Congress is bicameral, which is not nearly as exciting as it sounds. The two branches are the House of Representatives and the Senate. All Congresspeople are elected by the voters in their state, with the exception of the Speaker of the House, who is also the Vice President of the United States. If you are interested in keeping up with acts of legislation, www.thomas.gov can help keep you informed. Whether a bill is in consideration or has become law, you can search for it by phrase or bill number. You can find full texts of bills that have been signed into law, as well. As to the process of a bill becoming a law, QB strongly recommends the School House Rock cartoon/song, "I'm Just A Bill On Capital Hill." QB hopes that you feel more sure of the role of the legislative branch. If you find yourself asking more questions, please feel free to bring them here. Lobbying for more questions, QB
Sources :
How Government Works
Call Number :
Q.320.473H83
Location :
Undergrad Reference
Date Answered :
5/28/2008
Question 3:
How do you teach a toddler the difference between yes and no?
Answer :
Dear Toddler Teacher, According to "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development" a child is considered a toddler anywhere between the ages of one year and three years of age. Usually, this stage in development is recognized when the child begins to learn to walk (to toddle means to walk unsteadily). The toddler stage is momentous due to the sheer number of new things a child is encountering and learning during this time. It is during this stage in development that children begin to recognize more objects, their vocabulary increases at an incredibly fast rate, begins to establish problem-solving skills and begins to relate to others; however, a toddler is completely egocentric at this stage in development. A toddler wants to be independent and has his or her own idea on how a thing should happen. This stage is typically characterized by the mood swings and frustration toddlers express; there is the common reference to the "terrible twos." Toddlers are very concerned with their own needs, wants and ideas and often get frustrated because they do not have the language skills to express themselves. Often they have difficulty separating themselves from their parents and other people who are important to them. Since they are learning so much during this stage in development, it is important that the child be able to explore and experiment on her own and also with a caregiver. As mentioned earlier, a toddler’s vocabulary is increasing each day, and it is important that the children’s caregivers talk with them and repeat words and activities, so the child begins to understand and make connections. For example, the caregiver might talk about size differences by comparing two objects and asking the child which is bigger. Or the caregiver might point to pictures of animals and ask, "What is this?" As for teaching a toddler yes and no, you are essentially teaching them the difference between a positive and negative reply. "Do you want more food?" -Yes, a positive response. "Do you want to go to sleep?" -No, a negative answer. "Is this ball bigger?" -Yes. Unfortunately, this stage is characterized by seems to many caregivers as a surplus of negative answers. "No!" seems to be many toddlers favorite word. Just remember that the child is learning a great deal of new things each day and frustration is likely to occur. Thank you for your question and good luck with your toddling friends! Sincerely, QB
Sources :
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development 305.23103 C144 Sigler, Ellen and Aamidor, Shirley "From Positive Reinforcement to Positive Behaviors: An Everyday Guide for the Practitioner." Early Childhood Education Journal Feb2005 Vol. 32 Issue 4, p249-253 Vaughn, Brian, Kopp, Claire and Joanne Krakow "The Emergence and Consolidation of Self-Control from Eighteen to Thirty Months of Age: Normative Trends and Individual Differences." Child Development Jun84 Vol. 55 Issue 3 p990-1004 Miller, Susan A. "Why Kids are ‘Egocentric’" Scholastic Parent & Child; Sep2002, Vol. 10 Issue 1, p54-54
Call Number :
Location :
Undergraduate Library Reference Collection
Date Answered :
4/10/2008
Question 4:
What sort of people were responsible for the growth of interest in classical study?
Answer :
In QB’s view, the people most responsible "for the growth of interest in classical study," were travelers and poets. Lynne Withey, the author of Grand Tours and Cook’s Tours: A History of Leisure Travel, 1750 to 1915, credits the growth of leisure travel as the engine behind the renewed interest in the classics. Bernard Herbert Stern, the author of The Rise of Romantic Hellenism in English Literature 1732-1786, credits the movement of Romantic Hellenism for the growth in classical study. The works of Byron, Shelley, Goethe, Poe, Pushkin and William Cullen Bryant evoke the spirits of the classical world. QB highly recommends the works of these poets. Maybe you will be inspired to bring back the ideals of Romanticism to our pessimistic world. Also, please see Marshall Hodgson's work, The Venture of Islam, which will give a different perspective on the classical civilizations.
Sources :
Lynne Withey, Grand Tours and Cook's Tours, 1997 Bernard Herbert Stern, The Rise of Romantic Hellenism in English Literature, 1969 Marshall G.S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, 1974
Call Number :
910.9W776g 820.9ST45R1969 915.6H66V
Location :
Undergraduate Library Undergraduate Library Undergraduate Library
Date Answered :
2/27/2008
Question 5:
Why do women act coldly, or give you an unpleasant look, and avoid looking at you when they have never spoken to you? Does that mean they feel threatened or annoyed by you?
Answer :
Your question touches upon much more complicated topics, such as social behavior and psychology, than simple etiquette. Depending on the situation and the individuals involved, there could be any number of reasons why a woman avoids eye contact or appears to give you an unpleasant look. If you are interested in learning more about facial expressions, you might like The Encyclopedia of Human Emotions in the Undergraduate Library reference section. This source tells us that most people rely on facial expressions as the starting point for gaining more information about a person. And here’s where your problem might be: a contradiction arises between what a person says they are feeling and what their face projects. Facial expression, body language and tone are all variants. Furthermore, decoding and interpreting non-verbal cues is tricky. What one person considers "anger" another person may consider "disgust." It is very contentious. As for feeling threatened or annoyed, either is possible, along with any number of other emotions. The Encyclopedia tells us there are eight basic emotions. Annoyance is a part of the category known as rage/anger/annoyance and is considered a mildly negative emotion. Environmental psychology research has observed that people become angry with unexpected and personally significant events but become annoyed about relatively impersonal trivial events; annoyance is frequent and fleeting. QB’s best advice for you is to try not to take passing expressions too sincerely. Just think about a photograph that caught you at the wrong moment (one where you could swear you were smiling at the time only to have the photo reveal you were half asleep and confused!). Thanks for the question! Sincerely, QB
Sources :
Encyclopedia of Human Emotions Q 152.403 En19 Vol. 1&2 cop. 2 Bateson, Melissa "Eyes Reveal Our Paleo-Brain in Action" Science, 7/7/2006, Vol. 313 Issue 5783, p25-2
Call Number :
Q 152.403 En19 Vol. 1&2 cop. 2
Location :
Undergraduate Reference Collection
Date Answered :
2/13/2008
Question 6:
Would you please clarify the difference between the two versions of Satanism (the hedonistic one vs. the devil-worshipping one) and why the former is referred to as Satanism?
Answer :
Dear Religious Studies Student, The Undergraduate Library has quite a large selection of religious books in its Reference Collection. If you are interested in learning about the many religions of the world, feel free to browse them in the upper level of the Undergrad in the South-West corner. QB began this question with some research on Satanism. It appears that Satanism, or the worship of the modern Christian devil, first appeared in the fifteenth century when its so-called practitioners came under the scrutiny of the Church Inquisition. During this time, Satanism can be associated more with acquisitions, rather than actual witness, textual documentation or practice. Organized satanic groups did not actually appear until the 1960s. Around this time, there were a number of books published describing satanic worship, as well as the formation of the Church of Satan. The Church of Satan was founded in California by Anton La Vey in 1966. This is when Satanism departed from the traditional "devil-worshiping" version into the more hedonistic practices you mentioned in your question. Hedonism is the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good, and hedonistic practitioners are devoted to finding and experiencing pleasure. When creating The Satanic Bible, Anton La Vey wrote the following first two statements as a part of the Nine Satanic Statements: 1. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence! 2. Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams! La Vey carefully worded these statements, so that Satan is not represented as an actual being; instead, Satanism is portrayed as a way of life. The Church of Satan does not encourage the worship of a devil-being, but alternately, it encourages self-exploration and self-gratification. It is important to note that during and after the 1960s, there have been numerous individuals and/or groups that have claimed to be Satanists. Since there is no way of proving which individual or group is a "true" Satanist, the title is often associated with various practices and beliefs.
Sources :
Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions Cults in America World Religions
Call Number :
299.03 En19 cop. 2 200.3 L587e 291 C899 cop.2 200 On24w v.2
Location :
Undergraduate Library Reference Collection
Date Answered :
11/8/2007
Question 7:
My boyfriend is 18 and i am 16. he is 2 years and 2 days older than me. We live in Idaho. What is the age of consent in the state of Idaho? If we had sex would either of us get into trouble?
Answer :
Dear hot and bothered in Idaho, Your legal worries are over! Although the age of consent in Idaho is 18, a gap of 5 years must exist between the "perpetrator" and the "victim" of statutory rape there. Laws covering the age of sexual consent have also used gender-neutral language in all states since 2000, so age gap applies if you're in a homosexual or heterosexual relationship with an older female partner. A strange fact about age of consent laws is that governments implemented them to protect the valuable commodity of a young girl's virginity, from which a father might profit when she wed. Thus, "statutory rape was a property crime" (Cocca, 16). Because girls married young, that precious virginity only needed to be protected until they were ready for matrimony. In 1890, the age of consent for an Idaho girl was only 10! Statutory rape laws still do not apply to married young women, and 16-year-olds can marry in Idaho with parental consent. If you decide to have sex, rest easy in the knowledge that your boyfriend won't be prosecuted for it. QB applauds you for considering the legal ramifications of choosing to have sex in your teens and hopes you're thinking about other consequences as well. Your friend, QB
Sources :
Cocca, Carolyn. Adolescent Sexuality: A Historical Handbook and Guide. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006. HQ27.A3617 2006, Eastern IL University Library Levesque, Roger JR. Adolescents, Sex, and the Law. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000. 346.730135 L577a, Education and Social Sciences
Call Number :
HQ27.A3617 2006 346.730135 L577a
Location :
Eastern IL University Library Education and Social Sciences
Date Answered :
10/29/2007
Question 8:
Question: Given recent trends of slash and shonen-ai as a device in manga and young-adult oriented material, is the male form beginning to be as objectified as many feminists claim the female body is in popular culture? Or, to put it more succinctly: what are your thoughts on yaoi?
Answer :
Judging form your question, you are familiar with yaoi and are interested in what it reveals about social constructions of gender and relationships of power and powerlessness. As a refresher, recall that yaoi is "derived from the first syllables of each word in the expression, "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi," which means "no peak, no point, no meaning, and originally referred to badly drawn self-published fan comics (doujinshi)" ("yaoi-con"). Perhaps you already know that yaoi, a subgenre of manga that employs homosexual relationships between male-ish characters largely written by and for women, is said to have its beginnings in shojo manga known in Japan as romance comics for girls and women which was first acknowledged in the 1970s when a group of young women cartoonists took over the genre of girls’ comics, previously run largely by men, and began producing comics that spoke intimately to the desires and concerns of teenage girls (Shamoon 83). In many ways, Shojo manga signifies a rupture in the social bedrock of Japan, when women began exploring their sexuality in comics. It is typical that the images in these comics depicted women’s desires. These forms primed the canvas for bl (boys love), shonen-ai,or Yaoi manga which grew out of this style. As Deborah Shamoon articulates in Office Sluts and Rebel Flowers: The Pleasures of Japanese Pornographic Comics For Women: [B]ishonen, or ‘boy-love’ comics constitute a distinct subgenre of shojo manga, but share all of the same visual elements (85). Yet the social, cultural, and political aspects of Boys’ Love or Yaoi manga is as complex as it is compelling. Some critics of popular culture argue that women view the boys of yaoi manga as displaced female protagonists who are enabled to experience sexuality in ways previously unparalleled. In other words, Yaoi becomes an expression of female sexual desire actualized as girls identify with the androgynous boy character and experience a kind of sexual playfulness and freedom that was not normally extended to Japanese women as foremost child bearers (McLelland 1). To return to your question about whether or not the male form is beginning to be objectified as the female body has been objectified in popular culture, one critic is noted as saying that ladies comics, and presumably yaoi, is just another example of patriarchal oppression (qtd. in Berndt 99). Another writer, in a scholarly essay titled: Female Subjectivity and Shoujo (Girls) Manga (Japanese Comics): Shoujo in Ladies’ Comics and Young Ladies’ Comics asserts that shouja manga uses the male body and that it seems to challenge the pornographic discourse of male-oriented publishers. In one concise statement, this writer epitomizes, however, that: "we cannot say that the texts do not reinscribe the man/woman power relationship because they are written for female readers alone and thus do not affect male readers in any way"(Ogi 784). As one idea, you may perform a dialectical reading of your preferred yaoi comic, such as "Single Cell Organism" which is available in the Undergraduate library. To clarify what I mean by "dialectical," whereas objectification in one instance could signify liberation in another, it is not apparent without exhaustive analysis as to whether or not the presence of male-on-male comics for the pleasure of women represents objectification on a par with that of female bodies in artifacts of popular culture. How should we think about objectification in this particular case? In other words, it is certainly difficult to qualify the objectification of men and women’s bodies without taking notice of the very fine differences between the two. There is a lot of gray space within this spectrum that accounts for the complexity of your inquiry. However, the popularity of yaoi is certainly remarkable and signifies an interest in the formulation female sexual desire. Perhaps this desire has always been present, but was not given proper voice. You seem to be asking several questions here, all of which are the focus of much recent scholarly study and popular enjoyment. For instance, maybe you are interested in how yaoi gained acclaim and a wide readership as a revolutionary form with traces of its beginings in "ladies' comics." Or perhaps you are interested in comparative literature studies that examine the similarities and differences between both Japanese and English versions of yaoi. Another option that you point out would be to do a feminist reading of yaoi manga. In this case, you could select a few comics such as "Only the Ring Finger Knows" and look specifically at depictions of gender roles and relationships of power enacted in each plot. As you can see, your interests are far-reaching and you have many options for scholarship on these subjects. Choose a path, and pursue its mysterious course!
Sources :
Berndt, Caroline M. “Popular Culture as Political Protest: Writing the Reality of Sexual Slavery.” Journal of Popular Culture. Camper, Cathy. “Yaoi 101: Girls Love ‘Boys’ Love.’” Women’s Review of Books. Vol. 25. Number 3. May/June 2006. (Includes Yaoi Sampler) McLelland, Mark J. “The Love Between ‘Beautiful Boys’ in Japanese Women’s Comics.” Journal of Gender Studies. Vol 9. Number 1. 2000. Shamoon, Deborah. “Office Sluts and Rebel Flowers: The Pleasures of Japanese Pornographic Comics For Women.” Porn Studies. Ed. Linda Williams. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2004. 77-103. Ogi, Fusami. “Female Subjectivity and Shoujo (Girls) Manga (Japanese Comics): Shoujo in Ladies’ Comics and Young Ladies’ Comics.” Journal of Popular Culture. Websites: http://yaoireview.blogspot.com/ http://www.yaoicon.com/whatisyaoi.html http://www.guidemag.com/temp/yaoi/a/mcharry_yaoi.html http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/may02/ao_0502_4.shtml http://www.onemanga.com/ Slasher: http://slum.slashcity.com/rsm/index.html
Call Number :
Location :
Date Answered :
9/25/2007
Question 9:
What goes on in a woman's mind?
Answer :
So, What DOES go on in women's minds?... Obviously, there is no exact answer to this question. However, if you find yourself on a quest (one could say the Mother of all quests) for more information on women's cognation, interests, biology, achievements, literature, art, etc., you could start this rigorous journey by looking on the Online Research Resources. Here are a few Journals available to you through the ORR: Advancing women in leadership Feminist review Feminist studies Gender issues Psychology of women quarterly Women, a cultural review Women & aging Women & disability Women & environments international Women & language Women & politics Women & therapy Women in action Women in Business Women in Higher Education Women in the Military Women's health Women's Studies Women's Writing Or you can look in the Undergraduate Reference Collection at some great resources, such as: The International Encyclopedia of Women or The Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. However, all these resources almost certainly only represent a very small portion of what goes on in women's minds. The answer to your question is as unique as the woman in question. Therefore, QB will send you off on your quest with a few quotes by women. "Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should just live next door and just visit now and then." Katharine Hepburn (1907 - 2003) "I've yet to be on a campus where most women weren't worrying about some aspect of combining marriage, children, and a career. I've yet to find one where many men were worrying about the same thing." Gloria Steinem (1934 - ) "The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing demands of motherhood, still flabbergasted by how a job can be terrific and torturous." Anna Quindlen (1953 - ), O Magazine, May 2003 "Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size." Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941), A Room of One's Own (1929) "God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met." Farrah Fawcett (1947 - ) "Eleanor Roosevelt understood that every one of us every day has choices to make about the kind of person we are and what we wish to become. You can decide to be someone who brings people together, or you can fall prey to those who wish to divide us. You can be someone who educates yourself, or you can believe that being negative is clever and being cynical is fashionable. You have a choice." Hillary Rodham Clinton "Instead of getting hard ourselves and trying to compete, women should try and give their best qualities to men - bring them softness, teach them how to cry." Joan Baez (1941 - ), Sexism Seen but not Heard, Los Angeles Times, 1974 "I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself." Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine "It's an historic moment for the Congress, it's an historic moment for the women of America. It is a moment for which we have waited over 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women weren't just waiting, women were working, never losing faith we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling. For our daughters and our granddaughters, the sky is the limit. Anything is possible for them." Nancy Pelosi [January 4, 2007, in her first speech to Congress after her election as the first woman Speaker of the House] "My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition." Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984 (1917-1984) "Love is doing small things with great love." Mother Teresa (1910-1997) "Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won you earn it and win it in every generation." Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) "There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing." Maya Angelou (1928 - )
Sources :
International Encyclopedia of Women Encyclopedia of Women and Gender
Call Number :
305.403 R765 V.1 305.403 En19 V.1 and V.2
Location :
Undergraduate Reference Collection
Date Answered :
9/22/2007
Question 10:
If Bookishness is the be all and end all, as academia would like to think it is, how come we have a president who's such an idiot? I mean, didn't he go to Yale?
Answer :
A Reply from An Anonymous Official in the Executive Branch Dear Liberal Agitator: Congratulations! You have just won a vacation to Camp X-Ray’s massage and spa facilities in Cuba or if you prefer Cairo, Egypt. In the words of America’s greatest warrior-poet, Richard Titus Tiberius Cheney, "you have provided aid and comfort to the enemy." Anonymous Official, Washington D.C Dear Future Organizer of the Bastille Fireworks Party: You are correct! President George W. Bush did attend Yale University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History (His professor has gone into hiding and never returned!) in 1968. In 1975, President Bush graduated from Harvard Business School with a MBA . You are absolutely correct in the "be all and end all" mantra of higher academia. Higher academia has the "branches of learning," and as Henry David Thoreau would say, "none of the roots." QB has observed over the years the alliance between higher academia and the political establishment. One needs the recognition and the other needs legitimacy. It is an incestuous relationship that needs to end. If our president is an idiot, then what are we? Didn’t we elect him once? We are the real idiots in this comedy. We fall each time to the same trick. We drool too much. So if you decide to change the cycle, and you are ready for Bastille, send QB an email. QB would be proud to join you at the show. PS: QB recommends that you watch, "The War Behind Closed Doors," Frontline, PBS.
Sources :
www.whitehouse.gov/president/biography.html McMichael, George, ed. American Literature. New York: Macmillan, 1989.
Call Number :
810.8AN8631989
Location :
Main Stacks
Date Answered :
9/6/2007
Question 11:
I have a question concerning the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II. I heard that when he recovered he went to see the culprit and the criminal repented. He was even said to have become a priest. Later another source said that the man had NOT accepted the pope’s forgiveness and he died obdurate. Which is the truth? Thanks!
Answer :
According to QB’s sources, your first source is the most accurate, but QB did not find any information about him becoming a priest. What QB did find is that according to the Canadian National Post, the assassinator did repent, however in 1996 the Vatican said it has "some doubts" about the sincerity of Agca's statements of repentance. QB will give you the details, and you can decide what you think. On May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Agca attempted to assassinate the Pope by shooting him in St. Peters Square. The pope publicly forgave him days later, and Agca publicly expressed repentance. The Pope then visited Agca in December 1981 to offer his forgiveness and visited him again in 1983. During the first visit, the two men spoke for 20 minutes. The New York Times reports that when asked about the conversation, John Paul replied ''What we said to each other is a secret between him and me. I spoke to him as I would speak to a brother whom I have forgiven and who enjoys my confidence.'' According to Kwitny’s biography, it is also rumored that Agca said, “First of all, I ask your forgiveness.” This statement was based on lip-reading and scratchy sound from a distant television recording filmed during part of the visit. The author, Szulc, also mentions that during this visit, Agca kissed John Paul II’s hand when he entered and when he left the cell. In 1996, the pope was also photographed with Agca’s mother. These accounts suggest that the two became friendly. Agca is still alive today. He was released in January 2006, only to be sent back to jail for a robbery and murder he committed in the 1970s. He is scheduled to be released in 2010, according Canada’s National Post. Although Agca is not a priest, he is apparently very religious. CNN reports “Agca claims that he is now a man of peace specially chosen by God. The Vatican newspaper quoted him on Thursday as saying he would write a "new Bible" after his release from jail.” In 2006, he also asked for a days leave to discuss theology with Pope Benedict. It’s possible you heard something about a priest because on May 12, 1982, a Spanish priest named Juan Fernandez Krohn unsuccessfully tried to stab the Pope in Fatima, Portugal. According to Australia’s The Daily Telegraph, “The young priest believed the Pope was responsible for the decline of the Catholic Church and blamed him for what he viewed as the Church's increasing liberal stance. The ultra-traditionalist Catholic Fernandez Krohn received a seven-year sentence for his attempted attack on the Pope. He was released early and moved to Belgium where he has been in trouble for distributing anti-Semitic tracts.” QB has found no evidence of repentance by Krohn. Hope this helps clear things up!
Sources :
(1) "Assailant's Mother Meets Pontiff." St.Petersburg Times (Florida) May 16 1996: 2A.
(2) "CNN.com - Man who shot pope freed - Jan 12, 2006." 8/25/2007
Call Number :
(5) 262.130924 J61K ; (7) 282.0924 P613S
Location :
(1, 3, 4, 6) Lexis-Nexis Academic (5, 7) Undergraduate Library
Date Answered :
8/31/2007
Question 12:
It maybe sounds like an idiot question. When will one find the meaning of life since we came to the world without choices? What will you do to it if it is a shit life?
Answer :
Dear Restless Soul: QB applauds you! Your question is not "an idiot question." As a race, we rarely pause to ponder these questions---your questions. We are too busy. After months of research, QB Headquarters has concluded with certainty that life is "kaka"(FCC regulation states that "shit" is too offensive for the educated crowd, they prefer not see it or hear it). After thousands of years, we are still struggling with pigmentation issues, marking one’s territory with nationalistic pornography, perfecting the art of killing, and QB’s personal favorite, cultural narcissism. You are correct in stating that we come into this world without choices. The "choices" we encounter after our birth, shape our lives, and the cycle continues to produce more "kaka." Unfortunately, we are far from finding the meaning of life. DO NOT DESPAIR! HELP IS ON THE WAY! The yahoo race has managed to produce magical souls, who have attempted to show us the way to the "meaning of life." Like fireflies, they come and brighten our dark cave. QB recommends that you read the works of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. His work, A Confession and Other Religious Writings, will provide comfort that you seek. Lev Nikolayevich spent most of his life exploring the questions that have troubled you. QB is not qualified to answer your questions, for we are part of the "kaka" world. QB also recommends that you read Mark Twain’s essays on the "damned human race." Mr. Twain turns our tragedy into a great comedy. You will benefit greatly from his essays on human interaction. These two researchers of human evolution are wonderful guides for your journey. They will answer your questions and give you an escape plan from this crater. If you successfully find the meaning of life, QB will use litigation to share in the commercial benefits from such a discovery. QB wishes you a safe journey.
Sources :
Tolstoy, Leo. A Confession and Other Religious Writings. Translated by Jane Kentish. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1987. Twain, Mark. Mark Twain on the Damned Human Race. Edited by Janet Smith. New York: Hill and Wang, 1962
Call Number :
891.73T58LK419 817C59M1962
Location :
Date Answered :
8/27/2007
Question 13:
Dear QB, I am an extrovert and love technology but why is it everyone I know has a cell phone, ipod, laptop and are members of facebook/myspace? Different
Answer :
Dear Different, According to Barry Wellman and Caroline Haythornthwaite, computer mediated communication is becoming completely integrated into daily life. They argue in their book, The Internet in Everyday Life, that people rely so much on the internet, cell phones, and other computerized communication, that it's become almost invisible. The way people communicate also influences the way their friends decide to communicate and the trend spreads. Therefore, people who do a lot of coordinating on a cell phone or through facebook messages will have friends who become used to expecting phone calls or to check facebook to see what’s going on. Since these communications are instantaneous, they are changing the way people think about life. For example, if you both have a cell phone, you don’t need to have a set time/meeting place – “just call when you get here, I’ll let you know where we are”. This mentality creates a need to have these types of technologies in order to keep up with the expectations of friends. Extroversion has also been linked to computerized internet use in interesting ways. At first it was thought that computers would be a great way for introverts to communicate since they did not have the same interaction as face-to-face communication. However, one study found that people find the communication that is comfortable for them and their purposes. Therefore, extroverts have thrived on the internet in social situations, while introverts have found uses for the internet as well. Article databases on psychology, sociology, communication, and library and information science can all provide recent research on this topic. Keywords you can use include the specific media (e.g. cell phone, MP3 player, laptop, etc.) or social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.) or the terms "social networking", "computer-mediated communication", "technology and communication".
Sources :
The Internet in Everyday Life
Call Number :
303.4833 In886
Location :
Communications Library or Library & Information Science Library
Date Answered :
7/13/2007
Question 14:
How many people can you have sex with before you're a slut?
Answer :
Zero. You can be considered a slut without even having sex. According to the Complete Dictionary of Sexology, while slut is a "derogatory term for a promiscuous woman, namely a woman with multiple sexual partners," it is also used for "an offensive boldness of manner and personal slovenliness". What constitutes a slut is complicated and often under contentious debate. Since it’s a matter of opinion, and based on social norms, who is considered a "slut" differs from person to person, place to place and time to time. You may have heard many different opinions on this: - A slut is a person who has had sex with more than X number of people. - A slut is someone who is having sex with more than X number of people within a certain time period. - A slut is a person who has sex with one or more people while in a relationship with someone else. - A slut is someone who has one-night stands, or “meaningless sex”. - A slut is a person who engages in experimental sexual positions, partners, etc. - A slut is someone who is not selective about who they have sex with. Typically the determination of whether someone is a slut or not is based on hearsay or rumors spread by others. Women can be called sluts based on the way they dress and for acting more flirtatious than "acceptable" for the time and place, even when they have never had sex before. They can be called sluts for being raped, a situation clearly not under their control. Or, they may be unjustly called sluts out of shear malice. Other women clearly do fit many of these definitions. Men can also be promiscuous and fall into any one of these categories. Slut, however, typically refers to a woman. Although terms exist, such as male slut, man slut, etc. for men, their sexual promiscuity in our society is still not seen as negatively as a woman’s sexual forays. If you’re trying to calculate your slut-rating, stop! There isn't one. If you are comfortable with your sex life, you don’t need a number. On the other hand, if you are uncomfortable with your sexual choices, you do not have to continue them. If you need to discuss these concerns with someone confidentially, the Counseling Center at http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/ can provide assistance with these types of relationship questions. If you are considering becoming involved with someone who has perhaps been promiscuous, instead of determining whether or not they are a slut, determine whether or not you are comfortable with their sexual history and values about sex. Once you’ve made this decision, it doesn’t matter how many people they’ve slept with (whether it's zero or many). You have the right to determine whether or not their sexual values are compatible with your own. If you or your partner have been sexually active, take precautions against sexually transmitted diseases. McKinley Health Center provides health services, exams, and contraceptives. Visit at http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/ for an online birth control education class. Visit McKinley to make an appointment for a check up on your reproductive health and to pick up free contraceptives. Contraception is also available free to students in the Oasis in the Union.
Sources :
The Complete Dictionary of Sexology University of Illinois Homepage: www.uiuc.edu
Call Number :
306.703 D456
Location :
Undergraduate Library, Reference Collection
Date Answered :
7/11/2007
Question 15:
I’m interested in learning about economics; can you recommend a non-textbook, maybe something written for the mainstream audience? I’ve take Econ 102 but I would like to learn more so that when I read about the IMF, WEF, neoliberalism, etc I can follow. Thanks, A Self-Admitted Nerd :)
Answer :
Dear SAN, QB is always happy to hook a nerd up! I started at the library catalog (http://www.library.uiuc.edu/catalog/) typed "economics and neoliberalism" in the box and clicked Boolean (in the "search by" box). Several titles looked relevant, including: DeMartino, George. (2000) Global Economy, Global Justice: Theoretical Objections and Policy Alternatives to Neoliberalism. But QB wondered if these weren’t a little serious for summer reading. So I browsed more recent titles with the subject Economics. QB has enjoyed some of these and the others look promising: Harford, Tim. (2006) The Undercover Economics: Exposing Why the Rich are Rich, the Poor are Poor -- and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car! Beinhocker, Eric. (2006) The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity and the Radical Remaking of Economics. Levitt, Steve. (2005) Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Sowell, Thomas. (2004) Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy. Wheelan, Charles. (2002) Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science. Let QB know if you need more titles!
Sources :
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/catalog/
Call Number :
Location :
Date Answered :
5/17/2007
University
of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLibrary Gateway
Comments/Questions?
This file last modified 5/22/2008 dw