ELuhnAbroad

I know it's a stupid question, but I cannot get it to work. Tapping on the item in the inbox does nothing. The only options that come up are to trash, move to another folder, mark as read, etc.

I changed for some British pounds recently, and noticed that on the five- and ten-pound notes there's an empty cameo in the lower center. Can anyone tell me the reason/history/significance of this? It bugs me a bit, because that's where the portrait goes on American bills; so it looks a bit "unfinished" to me. Help this Yank; why is it blank?

How do we know if Hawaii really is a state? There are several things that leave me in doubt:

- They were invaded by the Japanese at one point during World War 2.

- They're almost never in the country; they're usually out at sea somewhere.

- Hawaii is just one of several islands. How did the rest of the islands get in? Shouldn't they be separate states?

- Almost none of their street signs is in English.

- It costs at least $500 to go there. Why so much? When's the last time anybody paid $500 to go to, say, New Jersey?

- Hawaii supposedly became a state on August 21, 1959; but Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. That can't be right, because as we all know, Obama is Unamerican.

- Alaska became a state on January 3, 1959. Isn't it a rather large coincidence for America to gain two states in the *same year?*

- Hawaii's state flag has a British flag in the corner. (You may remember from your history books that the British were the very first Unamericans.)

- They're just too darn dusky.

These are legitimate grounds for concern. Sure, somebody in Congress could show us a piece of paper *claiming* Hawaii to be a state, but what kind of proof is that? It could be a fake.

Are there any other "staters" out there who share my concerns?

I believe that everyone has some kind of superpower; just not the kind you usually associate with superheroes.

Besides having an almost superhuman sense of modesty, I also have the amazing ability to make my life go any way other than the way I want it to.

So, what's your superpower? What's your uniform like? What's your "bat signal?"

Is it "goodj" or "good-gee?" I'm going to be staying near there, and I don't want to make an *** of myself.

When you light a cigarette with a butane lighter, it of course does not always light on the first try. Your thumb holds the paddle down for a moment between tries, so some butane must be drawn into the tube of the cigarette. So why, when it finally lights, doesn't the cigarette explode?

...The plastic thingies in the middle of pizzas, that keep the box lid from sticking?

Shown on PBS some years ago. What I remember is a stunning woman, dressed as a peacock, in the Arabian Dance. I haven't been able to find the video, but knowing which production it was would greatly narrow the search. Thanks.

...The technique where you tap the strings of a violin with the back of the bow or a pencil or such. Often used in horror movies. I believe it's pronounced "colleenia," but no idea how it's spelled. Google is no help. Thanks.

The essence of center, the symbol for core,

When my march has ended, you shall be no more.

All that you are, were, or ever will be

Depends on my unceasing monotony.

...what color is the bear?

...every time somebody uses this forum as a free soapbox by obviously twisting an opinionated statement into the form of a question, thereby abusing the purpose of this service on a technicality, God kills a kitten?

I hope not, I like kittens.

Is there a word or term for the kind of rhyme in which the poet settles for a word that's spelled similarly but pronounced differently? There's a lot of this in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," e.g.:

DEMETRIUS

You spend your passion on a misprised mood:

I am not guilty of Lysander's blood...

(III,ii)

1. What is this kind of rhyme called?

2. What is the proper way to handle this in performance and recitals (Not just Shakespeare)? Are you supposed to pronounce 'blood' to rhyme with 'mood,' or do you use the usual pronunciation? Or do you pronounce 'mood' to rhyme with 'blood?'

DEMETRIUS

You spend your passion on a misprised mud:

I am not guilty of Lysander's blood...

(?)

Ta.