Life's Questions Answered? Part I

7 Questions

Why does it say "shake well" on ketchup bottles, but not ketchup packets? (Contacted Heinz Co.)

The Heinz Consumer Resource Center said:
"The separation that you described may occur naturally in any homogenized product, such as ketchup. When the container stands on the shelf (either in the store or in the home) for a period of time, the liquids and solid ingredients may separate. Shaking the bottle brings the liquid and solid ingredients together, while that occurrence is not an issue with the packets."


Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale? (Asked numerous mattress suppliers)

Basically no, but I could not get anyone to officially say that. Frankly, mattress people are meanie heads.


Is eating a mermaid considered cannibalism?

I asked Heinz Insu Fenkl this question. Heinz is an author, editor, translator, mythology scholar, and the director of the Creative Writing Program at the State University of New York, New Paltz. He is also the director of ISIS: The Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY, New Paltz. He was named a Barnes and Noble "Great New Writer" and Pen/Hemingway finalist in 1997.

Heinz said: "That is pretty weird as questions go, but probably not as outlandish as the discussion about Ariel's genitalia. From what I gather of mermaid folklore, and about the definition of cannibalism, I would say that eating one is NOT cannibalism. If you are working under the definition of cannibalism as the eating of a member of the same species, it gets a bit trickier, since it appears that humans can breed with mermaids. (If a human and a mermaid could have a child together, this suggests they are of the same species, by some definitions).

If one says that cannibalism is eating another HUMAN, the issue is simpler, since mermaids are not human (and for the religiously-minded, do not have souls). I suppose the simple solution, if you are ever faced with the stigma of cannibalism, would be to cut the mermaid in half and eat the fish part. A pretty gruesome and technical solution, to be sure."

Perfect answer, Heinz.


If you're on an American airline, and you land in Canada and stay on the plane, is the drinking age still 21 or does it change to 19?

While you are on the American airline's plane, the American laws are still in place. So no drinking if you're under 21. But just so you know, the drinking age is 18 in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba, but 19 everywhere else in Canada.


What happens if every team in the NFL goes 8-8? (Emailed a couple ESPN and Yahoo! sports people)

With a 1/120,000 odd of it happening, the chances are slim; but anything is possible, right? If it was to happen, the NFL would just move down the totem pole until there was a determining factor. The order of factors in determining division standings are:

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.

I asked Matt Mosley, ESPN Writer, what he thought would happen in this scenario. He said, "That question gives me tired head. I assume you would first go to head to head tiebreakers in the divisions. Then you have to look at point differentials. Now I'll go bang my head against the wall several times."

I would probably do the same thing too, Matt. More than likely, it would come down to victory strength and schedule strength . And it would lean heavily on point differentials because schedule strength can be debatable. But let's not stress our brains too much though; this will never happen. Not as long as the Patriots continue to dominate like they have.


If a Jewish person goes to court and is asked to put their right hand on the Bible, do they use a Torah instead?

Most court systems do not use a formal Bible or religious text to make people swear by anymore. In fact, in court you are not required to swear at all if you claim to not believe in God, or even swearing itself. A 1961 U.S. Supreme Court decision guaranteed oath-takers the freedom to conscientiously object to religion or the swearing of oaths.

But in a case where a Jewish person is in court and wants to use the Torah instead of the Bible, judges have allowed it. The use of the Torah and Quran have been used numerous times in court.

"At the 1945 court-martial of a U.S. Navy captain, a Japanese submarine commander testified after swearing an oath tailored to his belief in Shintoism. And in a 1997 federal terrorism case, a Washington, D.C., judge permitted witnesses to swear to Allah before taking the stand."


Why is it written "May contain traces of peanuts or other kind of nuts" on peanut butter jars. Are people stupid enough not to realize it themselves? (My own opinion)

I grew up on a nice street in a bad neighborhood; and in bad neighborhoods, the education levels are lower than Barry White's voice when he sings "Let's get it on." I know people that would eat peanut butter thinking that there were not any real nuts in it. That's a scary thought, huh? So the answer, in my opinion, is yes. Some people are stupid enough to not realize that peanut butter contains traces of peanuts or other kinds of nuts. Sad, I know.

What's the difference between a novel and a book? (my research supplemented by Dr. Dinty W. Moore from Penn State)

In Wikipedia.com, a novel is described as "a long prose narrative set out in writing," and a book is described as "a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side." It seems that a novel is a literary form of writing while a book is just a medium of principle expression.

When asked this question, Dr. Dinty W. Moore, a Professor of English, Arts & Humanities from Penn State University, replied, "A book is simply words between two hard (or soft) covers. It might be a true story, a collection of poetry, a series of unrelated chapters, or instructions on how to build a hang-glider out of pipe cleaners. A novel, on the other hand, is specific: a book-length fictional story, usually more than 175 pages."