Yahoo! Answers

Hey Guys,

One of the surest ways to tell that a movie you’re watching is a steaming pile of goo is whether or not it uses the “slow clap.” You know what I’m talking about–there’s a scene where a character puts his or her butt on the line by making a daring speech. After finishing, there is silence. But then one guy starts clapping slowly, and then another, and then another, until the room is filled with applause. In the book of Hollywood clichés, this may be the gold standard.

There are a surprising number of sites dedicated to the slow clap, and the myriad films that have abused it. Some sites are careful to point out the difference between the slow clap and the sarcastic clap. The sarcastic clap is often used in spy movies. The hero explains the bad guy’s plans to his partner. But then the villain emerges from the shadows, clapping but clearly not impressed, because the hero fell into his trap perfectly.

The slow clap, meanwhile, is what happens at the end of “Revenge of the Nerds” and “Hoosiers.” The clapping is sincere and usually involves a lot of smiles and nodding of heads. On occasion, the person receiving the applause is lifted on to a group’s shoulders as physical proof that he or she truly rules for having the guts to speak the truth.

It may not have been the first movie to do it, but most blogs I came across give credit to the ’80s flick “Lucas.” Tirico Suave calls its climactic scene the “the standard,” the one in which all other slow claps are to be measured.

TV Tropes lists several other films that, for better or for worse, used the technique. “Shakespeare in Love,” “Rudy,” “Strictly Ballroom,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” all had slow clappers. Some films that used it in a subversive way include “The Producers,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and the otherwise laborious “Not Another Teen Movie.” Sometimes the slow clap isn’t even a clap, as in the case of “Dead Poet’s Society,” when the students climb atop their desks one by one.

And, believe it or not, filmmakers are still using the slow clap today. This weekend’s “Love Happens” apparently features the groan-inducing cliché. How about some sarcastic applause for the filmmakers?

Thanks for reading,

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Photo by Joe Penniston

In the last few weeks, my roses have been blooming like crazy in a riot of color. I wish I could take credit for how well they’re thriving, but it’s my husband who prunes and cares for them. While I will occasionally go out and cut some roses to brighten up the house, I only really see the blooming things as I am dashing in and out of the house going to and from work. One day last week, my husband filled the front passenger seat of my car with roses from our garden, and I decided to share them with my fellow Yahoos. I was shocked at how much a small rose could brighten someone’s day!

This made me think about the whole “Take time to stop and smell the roses” saying. Despite how busy we are, moment to moment, there is always time to pause, reflect, and appreciate some of the scenery around us or a quiet moment.  I’ve been trying to incorporate mindfulness practices into my daily life, and pausing for a moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the landscaping works well towards that goal. With the start of the new school year, and fall bringing shorter days, I think it’s especially important to add balance to our to-do list with a few tasks that feed our souls. For example, when I make my morning coffee, I take a moment to smell the grounds, and since I use a French press, I look forward to depressing the plunger, feeling the resistance of the coffee, and watching the brewing in action. Small things that give you a little mini-break can make a big difference in your day.

When studying, taking regular breaks can actually help with content retention. I set a timer (many cell phones come with them), and do  45 minutes of a task, then get up and get a glass of water, a snack, or do a couple of yoga sun salutations. Regular breaks aren’t limited to students- -FlyLady recommends tackling large household tasks in 15 minute increments with the aid of a kitchen timer, to break up seemingly monumental efforts into something more manageable.

How do you find time to balance chores and leisure?

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Update: 11:30 a.m. PDT – Yes, still down. Sorry about that. We’re working through the last stages and we will be back online as soon as we can.

Update: 9:00 a.m. PDT – The maintenance took longer than we thought, but we hope to be back up soon. Thanks for your patience.

Hello, everyone-

Yahoo! Answers is undergoing some planned maintenance on Friday, September 18, starting at 9 p.m. PDT that will last a few hours. Answers will be unavailable during that time. If there is any change to the schedule, we will inform you here with updates.

If you’re looking for something to do during the downtime, here are some ideas:

• Explore something interesting on Flickr
• Find a deal on Yahoo! Shopping
• Watch music videos on Yahoo! Music
• Check out the new Fall shows on TV

Thanks for your patience.

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Hey Guys,

One of my most common dreams involves me being sent back in time to the 1700s. There, I meet Ben Franklin, who says he can help get me home. I just need to explain how a very simple modern-day invention works. Any halfway intelligent human being from the 21st century could do it. Of course, I never know the answer, much to Dr. Franklin’s disgust. The dream ends with me realizing that I’m destined to live my life in the 1700s as an apprentice to a second-rate blacksmith.

Now that’s a long-winded way of saying A) I have some issues and B) I obviously have a lot of respect for Ben Franklin. And, after looking around Yahoo! Answers, I see I’m not the only community member who either admires Dr. Franklin or has questions regarding some of his inventions. One of the most common inquiries — did Dr. Franklin really “discover” electricity?

The answer, in a word, is no. According to various sites across the Web, electricity (specifically static electricity) was discovered centuries earlier by a Greek mathematician named Thales. A site from ThinkQuest explains that Thales observed that “amber rubbed with animal fur attracted light objects.” Others may have noticed this phenomenon before, but Thales was the first to write it down.

Franklin is given credit for “discovering” electricity due to the “tall tale” of his flying a kite in a lightning storm as well as his invention of the lightning rod. The Franklin Institute hosts an excellent article on the invention’s impact and even includes a photo of the original. Something tells me it’s going to be in my dreams tonight.

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A month ago, we presented a blog outlining the five golden rules for asking questions on Answers. After receiving positive feedback from the community and based on your suggestions, we have put together the five golden rules for answering questions. After all, what would a great question be without a great answer? Here are the rules for giving high-quality answers, which will certainly improve the site’s content.

1.      Remember that you are answering to help the asker: Don’t answer just for the sake of getting points, or to advertise your own questions to the community. If you don’t know the answer, skip to a question that you’re more knowledgeable about. And remember, we now have suggested questions for active users (these are questions that automatically appear on your homepage).

2.      Be polite and respectful: No one likes to be ridiculed and insulted. If you don’t agree with the wording or subject matter of the question, offer your point of view in a constructive and respectful way. Yahoo! Answers is a diverse community where everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If you feel that a question or answer violates the Community Guidelines, report it. Learn more about the reporting system here.

3.      Use correct spelling: Avoid SMS or texting language and grammatical errors. An answer filled with spelling mistakes and typos is confusing and doesn’t improve the quality of Answers. The more understandable your answer is, the better its chances of being chosen as Best Answer or making an impression on someone else.

4.      Be relevant: Don’t digress or change the subject when answering a question. Give a concise answer that sticks to the point.

5.      Link to existing sources that have the answer to the question: If you know an excellent website or book that might help, mention it—as long as it’s not spam, of course. Also cite your sources; they are always helpful if anyone wants more information.

If you want to know more about this topic, don’t hesitate to visit our Community Guidelines and our Help pages. Feel free also to share with the community some tips of your own.

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