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De préférence des nouvellistes français ou en tous cas francophones. Merci d'avance.

Hi. This is a long shot because I admittedly don't have much of a lead to provide you with. This is all I know: this is a British band (whose name I don't recall), this song must be relatively "recent" (i.e. last 10 or 20 years tops - not a classic rock track), and in the video, there's a shot of the lead singer singing the lyrics, while a woman behind a desk "takes notes". At one point they show what she's written, and it says something to the effect of "Agenda: Take over the world" or perhaps "Mission: world domination". The song can more or less be described as primitive garage rock, I suppose. Thanks in advance!

Hi everybody. I'm sure you've all seen this commercial countless times by now, and are probably just as tired of it as I am. Having said that, I was wondering if any of you recognize the music - presumably a classic rock piece - which starts playing 19 seconds into it? If you could tell me the name of the artist and song, and/or provide a link for said song, that would be great. Thanks in advance. Here then is the commercial I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3P-X8vcK3I

Hello. We recently got a kitten, and as is often the case with cats, he doesn't drink much water. We're looking to get a drinking fountain to encourage him to drink water regularly, but all the models we've found on Amazon and similar sites have gotten very mixed reviews. Some of them apparently break down shortly after arriving, while others are too noisy. Also, it would seem that the manufacturers don't sell pumps separately, preferring to oblige customers to buy a new fountain altogether when something goes wrong with the pump. Can any of you share your experiences with ceramic or stainless steel drinking fountains for cats, i.e. are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your purchase, and are there any makes and models you would specifically recommend, or to the contrary advise me not to get? Any pertinent information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Bonsoir à toutes et à tous. Il me paraît évident qu'il y a une certaine nostalgie pour les voitures anciennes devenues mythiques, vu le succès des "mises à jour" de la Mini Cooper, la Fiat 126, la "Coccinelle" de Volkswagen, etc. Vu que la quasi-totalité de la gamme Citroën des 30 dernières années me semble assez quelconque et n'inspire pas franchement la passion ou l'enthousiasme, je ne vois pas ce que la direction de PSA Peugeot Citroën attend pour en profiter en faisant pareil avec la 2CV et la DS? D'autant plus que visiblement, ils y ont songé...

2CV

http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2007/05/03-ci...

http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2007/05/03-ci...

DS

http://static.blogo.it/autoblog/CitroenDS5_render....

Je sais que Citroën propose actuellement une ligne "DS" (DS3, etc.), mais celle-ci n'a strictement rien à voir avec l'originale.

Alors, vos avis?

Good morning.

Yesterday as I was driving home in my Nissan Versa sedan, I noticed an indicator light reading "OD OFF" on my dashboard. I had no idea what that refers to, and therefore opted to keep driving. When I got onto the highway, I noticed that the engine was revving and making significantly more noise than usual - at approximately 65 - 70 mph, it sounded as if I were going at least 20 miles above that. At this point I became worried, but being clueless about mechanics and not wanting to give in to panic by pulling over and having the car towed, I once again elected to proceed. Finally, I pulled into a supermarket parking lot and consulted the owner's manual (which, granted, I probably should have done right away). In any event, I discovered that "OD" stands for "Overdrive", and that it had evidently been turned off. I couldn't tell where the on/off button for that was based on anything I found in the owner's manual, but eventually located it, roughly three inches down the gear shift lever. Everything went back to normal after that. When I got home, I checked the "Overdrive (mechanics)" article on Wikipedia, and discovered the following: "Overdrive (OD) is a term used to describe a mechanism that allows an automobile to cruise at sustained speed with reduced engine RPM, leading to better fuel economy, lower noise and lower wear." I therefore have three questions:

-Why is there even the option to turn the overdrive feature off? Are there ever any circumstances wherein it's advantageous to do this?

-I trust having driven roughly 30 miles with OD turned off (I still can't for the life of me figure out how I accidentally did this, by the way) isn't likely to have any long-term effects on my car?

-Should this ever happen again, is it safe to turn OD back on while driving, or is it necessary to pull over first?

Thank you in advance, car people, for indulging my cluelessness.

Hi. I'm looking for an old Tom and Jerry episode (not the recent "Tom and Jerry Tales" series, but the classic Tom and Jerry franchise from the forties, fifties, and sixties). The only distinctive thing about it which I remember is the following: Tom and Jerry are both being chased (perhaps by Spike the dog, though I honestly don't remember), and both try to hide in a display of toy mice. Jerry of course blends in; Tom, not so much. Anyway, when whoever's chasing them - again, I'm guessing it's Spike - sees this, he pulls the tails of the mice, which prompts them to say "Mama!" Jerry manages to stay out of trouble by simply mimicking the toy mice. Tom, on the other hand, says "Poppa!", and his voice is noticeably deeper than Jerry's. This of course blows their cover, at which point the wacky hijinks resume.

If anybody can provide the name of the episode and, if possible, a link, I'd be grateful. I've tried to find it but to no avail. Ten points to first correct answer.

Thanks in advance!

Good morning everybody,

I have a couple GPS-related questions. First off, does it involve some sort of membership and/or monthly payments, or does it simply work indefinitely and free of charge the moment it's paid for and plugged in? Secondly, are there any particular models you would strongly recommend, or for that matter models with which you were disappointed and which you would therefore advise me not to get?

Thanks in advance!

Good morning everybody!

A bit of background information: As you may know, today marks the 44th anniversary of Otis Redding's untimely death resulting from a plane crash. Otis had that rare combination of a great voice, the ability to convey genuine emotion, charisma, and of course a great band accompanying him. Some people manage to achieve one or two, but to be able to do all of that, thereby giving the world lots of unforgettable songs (in the space of just a few years, to boot) - that's saying something. Almost everyone has heard "Dock of the Bay" at some point, and perhaps "Try a Little Tenderness", not to mention "Respect" (made famous by Aretha Franklin), but he had many great songs. My two personal favorites of his are probably "Cigarettes and Coffee" and "I've Got Dreams to Remember", for which I've provided links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyMg-EhZ1Es

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5q9VgQrmyE

***

MQ: Whats' your favorite Otis Redding song?

BQ: Who if anyone among today's pop stars would you say matches or comes close to matching his genius?

BQ2: How many of you knew that "Respect" was not originally an Aretha Franklin song?

BQ3: If anyone answering is old enough to remember the sixties (I was born in the seventies), were any of you lucky enough to see him perform live, or do you have any anecdotes about the first time you saw him on TV, etc?

Good morning everybody. I recently moved from a town fairly close to NYC to a town about 45 minutes farther away from it (plus it's comparatively rural and at a higher elevation), and my prepaid T-Mobile cell phone no longer gets a signal. I'm trying to avoid going with Verizon, since they're obscenely expensive. Is there anything I can do short of switching to them in order to get a signal - i.e. some sort of antenna I can affix to my phone, and/or place in the house somewhere so as to get a signal? All knowledgeable and relevant feedback is welcome. Thanks in advance.

The lease for my studio apartment expires in mid-January. The place has become infested with bedbugs. (They're not an urban myth, I assure you.) When I brought it to the attention of the super and building management, they attempted to blow me off - the super by simply handing me a can of insecticide, and building management by implying I was the cause of the infestation. I had to get my town's Health Department involved in order to make them get an exterminator. The latter came for a fourth and final time Monday 8/30. I noticed a significant decrease initially, but they're already making a comeback. I'm at my wits' end and have really grown to detest living in these conditions. Are there any legal grounds for getting out of the remaining 4 1/2 months of the lease? Thanks in advance for all knowledgeable and serious answers.

Yahoo defines "Top Contributor" as follows: "A Top Contributor is someone who is knowledgeable in a particular category." I've had that status bestowed on me (for my contributions to the Languages section) and taken away a number of times now. My question, therefore, is this: Would you say that the number of "best answers" somebody receives in a given week is a good indicator as to how knowledgeable that person is or not in a given category, and that the Top Contributor badge should therefore be attributed and revoked ad infinitum? Shouldn't it only be revoked if somebody goes a really long time without being awarded any "best answers", or for that matter without contributing to the Answers forum at all? Am I the only person who feels this whole process lacks coherence and transparency?

Although I can certainly understand why US fans would focus primarily on their opening game against England, does anybody else feel that the American team would be making a big mistake to take victory for granted against Slovenia and Algeria? I feel those are certainly winnable games for the US team, but I think anyone expecting easy, lopsided wins against either of those opponents could be in for an unpleasant surprise. Any thoughts?

Hi. Who do you think will prevail and move on to the semifinal round? More importantly, do you think that club will have a shot of making it to the championship match and possibly even winning it? Why or why not? 10 points for the best answer.

Hi. I'm tempted to get a MiFi for my MacBook Pro, and therefore have a two-part question.

1. Is there any particular make and model that you'd recommend (or that I should stay away from)?

2. Is it much more expensive per month to rent than it is to sign a contract? I just found out via Amazon that renting one is an option, and like the idea of being able to use one on a trial basis without having to make a one or two-year commitment.

Any relevant and informed feedback would be welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hi. I just moved into a studio apartment, and am thinking of getting a Murphy bed at some point this year in order to save space. Are there any especially well-made models you would recommend, and/or some especially bad ones I should steer clear of? Thanks in advance.

Hello. My nephew is about to turn 4, and loves trains. However, space is limited, which rules out a stationary toy that takes up a lot of space. Can anyone recommend a good train set which can quickly and easily be taken apart and put back together, preferably for under $75? Thank you.

Hi. A new Ligue 1 season begins this coming weekend. Any predictions as to who's likely to finish first, second, and third, and who are the likely candidates for relegation to Ligue 2?

I predict Lyon will successfully reclaim the title they lost to Bordeaux last season, and that Bordeaux, Marseille, and Paris will in all likelihood finish right behind them, though not necessarily in that order.

As for relegation, I think Montpellier and Boulogne-sur-Mer will probably make a speedy return to Ligue 2.

What about you? (And please, no insipid comments bashing French soccer. If you're not a fan, please keep it moving. Thanks!)

Amazon should not systematically apply the words "Used and new from [enter price here]" to every product. Surely I'm not the only one who feels that some products, including but not limited to ear plugs or diapers, should only be sold new. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else out there feels this is an anomaly that Amazon could easily fix. (For the record, I do understand that these products are not being sold used... I'm just saying that it's a rather unfortunate "option" to give people, since that's not much of a sales pitch.)