Huddy

My windshield wipers stopped working while I was driving. When I turn on the wipers I can hear the wiper motor operating rhythmically, but neither wiper moves. Does this sound like an expensive or unusual repair on a Ford Escort?

Fortunately I was close to home when it happened, but we're expecting rain for the next several days. Tomorrow there is supposed to be a sunny break but I'm really worried that they (the dealership) might not be able to fix the problem right away, leaving me with a car I can't drive to work next week... More worried about having no drivable car than about the money...?

I live in a state that just enacted a law permitting gay marriages. Unfortunately we also have an upcoming referendum to repeal this law. The local bishop has decided that he wants to spend many thousands of dollars in advertising and other propaganda against gay rights. Meanwhile, local churches and Catholic schools are closing left and right. Can somebody please explain to me why the Catholic church finds it a higher priority to fight this losing battle than to rescue the institutions that are literally its backbone and future?

Don't misinterpret me - I am not in any way anti-Catholic and mean no offense. I just don't understand why the Church wants to waste so much of its parishioners' money in this manner, especially on something that is a clear violation of the church/state separation. It's like going out for a latte while you're bleeding to death.

I need something that weighs about 95 trillion tons to use as an example with kids. There's some leeway in the actual number. Just to give you an idea of size, we're talking maybe the mass of the water in a small ocean, or maybe a mountain... But I'd like to get more specific...

9.72800 × 10 to the 16th

I suck at math, but I need to know how to express this in plain English. Is there a word for it like "quintillion" or "googol"?

9.7517568 × 10 to the 13th power

How would this be said in plain English? Is there a word for this magnitude - like quintillion, googol, etc.?

Maybe I'm having a senior moment but I am just not getting this joke. Someone explain it, please...

---

An elderly gentleman, quite well to do, realized that his life was turning down the final stretch, so he summoned the three friends that he trusted the most for some advice. One was a doctor, one a priest, and the other an attorney.

"I've been thinking lately," he said to them, "that perhaps there is something to the ancient Egyptian belief that when we die, we take some things with us to the next world. So, I'm giving each of you an envelope with $1 million cash in it. At my funeral, I ask each of you to slip it into my casket so that I can use it on my journey to the next world." The three agreed.

A few weeks later, he was dead. At the funeral, each of the three went up to the casket, and each placed an envelope into the casket.

Afterwards, the three were talking, and the doctor couldn't keep it in any longer. "I have a confession," he said. "This year has been quite bad for the clinic. My CAT scanner broke, and I had to scrape to replace it. I took $80,000 out of the envelope to pay for it."

As the other two cringed, the priest then added, "I must confess, too. The poor have been especially unfortunate this year, and to provide them with food, I took $120,000 out and used it to feed and clothe them."

The attorney was beside himself. "I am disgusted. Our friend asked but one thing of each of us, and trusted us with his last request. How could you two break that trust and go against his wishes?"

The doctor replies, "You expect us to believe that you, an attorney, didn't take anything out of your envelope?"

"I would never!" replied the attorney. "In that envelope was a personal check for the full amount!"

My resting heart rate is 55-60; I know the low end of "normal" is 60 but isn't that for fit and healthy people? I am quite unfit and obese and a female in my mid-30's. Too slow?

I have to get my thyroid hormones measured. I hate (hate, HATE) needles. Not that people LIKE them, but I have a moderate phobia. How much blood gets drawn for thyroid hormone tests? Is the needle big?

Suppose someone used a friend's blood sugar test kit to test their own blood after 10 hours of fasting, and the result was 110. Is it possible that person could *still* be diabetic? I ask because the person has a couple of other symptoms (odd sensations in feet, fatigue, blurred vision), but it's my understanding that their fasting blood glucose would have to be at least 140 for a diagnosis of diabetes. I know there is also a glucose tolerance test that the doctor can do but if you consistently don't have high fasting blood sugar, doesn't that equal no diabetes?

I'm looking for a specific artist who creates(d) moleskine notebooks in an old-looking style, as if they were ancient manuscripts. They were filled with calligraphic writing, symbols, and diagrams. Can anyone help, I lost the link?

I need to lose quite a lot of weight (as in, 100+ pounds). I have a pretty limited schedule and am very unfit. And, I have a history of getting plateaus on diets. I've been told that varying my exercises will prevent me from getting into a rut/plateau. What do you think of this plan? I already walk 30 minutes a day - and fast, not just a stroll - but I feel like more variety will keep my body guessing and help me develop more strength.

Sunday: 30-60 minutes Wii fit

Monday: 30 minutes brisk walk

Tuesday: 60 minutes Pilates

Wednesday: 30 minute brisk walk

Thursday: 30 minutes cardio boxing

Friday: 30 minutes brisk walk

Saturday: 30-45 minute routine with fitness tubes/bands

p.s. I have a pretty active job, just fyi.

I'd like to start drinking green tea for the health benefits - to increase my metabolism, and to get those antioxidants. Does anyone know if the decaffeination process takes away from those benefits? I want to be able to drink it in the evening, and caffeine is a big no-no for me that time of day.

I read an article saying that tea tree oil is good for your gums. Safe or a scam? http://www.xomba.com/natural_cure_gum_disease

I just bought a Nike+. Works great and syncs fine to my computer. But I can't access www.Nikeplus.com. It's just a blank page. Can somebody try it and see if it works for you? Does this happen a lot?

I know there are different types and sizes, but can someone give me an approximate $ amount for, say, a quart of transmission fluid?

I just found out that my '98 Ford Escort's transmission has a leaky seal. I wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't brought the car in for something else, an I have no idea how long it's been going on. Can someone tell me what specific symptoms would be attributed to having low transmission fluid?

I can't seem to find one anywhere, except maybe on the official site, and they charge for the good videos. I can't believe this isn't on Youtube, CNN, NBC, or somewhere!

I can't find this song title or artist anywhere. The only lyric I remember is that "you are not alone" is in the chorus. It's a newer song, male singer, a Top 40 kind of tune - slow. Not Michael Jackson or Diana Ross. Help!

Would the copyright holder be Apple, or the photographer? Can I use an image (that I took or made myself) of the MacBook keyboard as part of a for-profit publication?

I know I can watch Angel reruns on TNT. Which station carries BtVS?