Yahoo! Answers

Welcome to Answers on the Streets: Episode 6!

We know you dread, the “talk.” Parents, moms, dads — we want to know how you told (or plan to tell) your kids about well…the birds and the bees. No kids? That’s OK! We’d love to hear your clever ideas and future tips, too.

Think you have a better answer? We definitely know our community has some great answers. You’ve heard their answers, now we want to hear from you! Give us a shout and tell us what you think. Just click the question below to submit your response.

Question: How do you tell kids about the “birds and the bees?”

Episode 5 Winner

Congrats to Chris Chan for Episode 5’s Best Answer. Here’s his answer:

The etymology behind “The Big Apple” actually goes far beyond the Jazz era. Keep Asking was on the right track. The phrase does come from literal apples. However, it can be speculated that the term actually comes from the “original” settlers of New York. That’s right, the Dutch! Think about it. Dutch Apple Pie? The Dutch settled New York or New Amsterdam as they called it in the early 1600′s. One of the things they brought over from Holland were apples and apple seeds. They then began to cultivate the land. A good portion of this land became occupied by apple trees. After New Amsterdam was seized by the British in 1664 the area became New York, after the Duke of York. The Dutch briefly regained control over the region and renamed it after a very delicious fruit. They called it “New Orange”. But after realizing they couldn’t really compare The Big Apple to the New Orange they permanently ceded the land back to the Brits. So, in conclusion the “Big Apple” was born from the love of the Dutch for apples and their longing to maintain and retain the area of New York City.

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Hey Guys,

September 28 is “Ask a Stupid Question Day.” It’s a day when students are encouraged to, well, ask their teachers stupid questions. The point is to show that there is no such thing as a stupid question, because the only stupid question is the one not asked.

That’s all fine and dandy for kids, but as adults, we all know that there are, in fact, plenty of stupid questions being asked every day. Many community members on Yahoo! Answers have asked for opinions on the stupidest question ever asked. Here are some very strong contenders for that dubious distinction.

Questions that answer themselves…

How big is the 12″ pizza?

What kind of metal is in gold?

Are all circles round?

When you write fiction, can you make stuff up?

Questions with no answer…

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

What happens with an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why’s it still #2?

Why does Donald Duck wear a towel when he gets out of the shower, but never wears pants? (A riddle worthy of the Sphinx.)

Questions from celebrities…

“Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish?” — Jessica Simpson, while eating tuna fish (aka the chicken of the sea).

“What’s Wal-Mart? Do they sell, like wall stuff?” — Paris Hilton

“Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” — George W. Bush

Those are just a few classics. What are some of your favorite “dumb” questions? Now’s your chance to ask, so sound off in the comments below.

Thanks for reading (and asking smart questions),

Mike

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Welcome to Answers on the Streets: Episode 5! Many cities have their original nicknames or are known for something special. Chicago is called the Windy City, Las Vegas is Sin City, and of course New York City is the Big Apple. The others make sense, but we wanted to ask you: Why is NYC nicknamed after a fruit?

Think you have a better answer? We definitely know our community has some great answers. You’ve heard their answers, now we want to hear from you! Give us a shout and tell us what you think. Just click the question below to submit your response.

Question: Why is NYC called the Big Apple?

Episode 4 Winner

Congrats to Kiki for Episode 4’s Best Answer. Here’s her answer:

You can start preventing a hangover the moment you start drinking. Pace yourself. Sprinkle snacks throughout the night. Alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic ones (especially water). Don’t keep drinking right up until you hit the hay. Stop drinking. Have something to eat. Have something to drink besides alcohol. (Water is a good bet, but I have found I’m in the clear even if I just have milk or soda or something.) It doesn’t hurt to take a couple Ibuprofens before you go to bed, if you think you’re likely to be hung over the next day. Then sleep late the next day (sleep through it) if you can.

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You can be the next winner and get 200 EXTRA POINTS and get recognized on our Answers Blog. Heck, if you have a webcam and we like your video, we may even feature a video of you on our Answers Blog! We’re not the only ones that can make videos. Simply upload your video here. In submitting your video keep in mind your obligations under the Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. Also, you must be at least 18 years old to submit a video.

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Photo by Ian BC North

In August, we did a special initiative in the Travel category where we invited you to share your fondest memories of landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes and skyscapes through your travel stories.

Spread over four weeks, with each week catering to one particular theme, this initiative showcased the best holiday destinations and the most awesome travel stories that came from you!

The four questions we asked on each category received plenty of really great responses. So we’d like to thank you all for your responses to this initiative as we announce the winners of each question whose best answer won 50 bonus points.

Our first question was about landscapes – What was your most picturesque and idyllic holiday in the countryside? – This question received 230 answers!

The question, What was your most memorable beach or seaside vacation? This question received 816 answers!

Our readers had many interesting plane stories and advice on where to catch the best sunrise/sunset. We received 372 answers for the question - Do you have a special story about air travel or an unforgettable skyscape you have experienced?

What was your best memory in a foreign city? Why was it so memorable? The last question received 884 answers!

Congratulations, winners! Read all the winning stories here.

Did you enjoy this initiative? Leave us a comment. And once again, thank you all for making this Travel initiative a success! And if you are inspired enough by this and are preparing to set off somewhere anytime soon, Bon Voyage!

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Hey Guys,

I loathed taking the school bus as a kid. I would try anything to convince my parents to drive me. I quickly learned that the best tactic was to remind them that the school bus didn’t have seat belts. “What if there’s an accident,” I would moan.

Little did I know that beneath my shameless pleas, I was actually raising an interesting point. Cars, pickups, and SUVs have seat belts. School buses, on the other hand, are notorious for not having them. Few people know why.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a government agency, explains on their website that school buses use a different safety technique to protect riders called “compartmentalization,” a “protective envelope consisting of strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs.”

That description should sound familiar to anyone who has done time on the school bus. Those high-backed green seats with less legroom than even the stingiest airline apparently serve a purpose — to protect kids. The NHTSA goes on to explain that because buses are heavier, “the crash forces experienced by occupants of buses are much less than that experienced by occupants of passenger cars, light trucks or vans.”

Despite the NHTSA’s findings, there are those who feel school buses should still have seat belts. The National Coalition for School Bus Safety argues that compartmentalization doesn’t protect riders against “rear-end, lateral and rollover collisions.”

What do you guys think about school bus safety? Does compartmentalization strike you as being the way to go, or should all school buses have seat belts? Keep in mind, that according to the NHTSA, studies have proven that seat belts would add “little, if any” added protection. Thoughts? Sound off below.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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