you have students asking silly questions?

Danny Yee (danny@STAFF.CS.SU.OZ.AU)
Tue, 5 Mar 1996 17:41:24 +1000

Bob Graber writes:
> PS: May I suggest things we advise students not post to anthro-L: "I
> have a paper about ____ due tomorrow. Does anybody have ideas or
> references?" And may I suggest we not encourage such use of the list be
> responding helpfully?

I have what seems like the whole population of the Internet asking me
silly questions! Apart from the usual requests asking me to write
their assignments for them, there are also some much stranger things.
I thought I'd share with you some of the more amusing ones. (These are
culled from the 70 odd "query" items I've received so far this year.)

Danny.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Those wanting their assignments written for them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you read the Iliad? Can you think of illistrations of the Greek's
belief i n fate as "at the whim of the gods?" I am working on a paper
and I am in need of a few more iill astrations of this theme. I
greatly apprecaite any help you may be able to offer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you tell me what happens to the Raven, Moses, in Animal Farm.. I know he
represents the Russian Orthodox Church.

How did Orwell distort history in Animal Farm. What were some of the
differences between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are clearly a lot of children (people) out there who don't know
how to use their local library...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Whom It May Concern:
Hello! My name is Alison Irving. I attend
the Accelerated Learning Laboratory in Worcester Massachusetts. I am in
the eighth grade and I am doing a report on pigeons. I was sufring the
internet and your e-mail address came up. I was wondering if you could
send me some information on pigeons. I need the life span, the age at
which they have their first baby, the incubation period, how many babies
pigeon can have in a lifetime. If you could send me any of the information
listed above, it would be GREATLY appreciated. You can send the
information to my school or through the e-mail. I will list the addresses
below. Thank you very much!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would like to know more about the early history of France. Please send
information at your convience.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The triva questions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Danny,
Can you tell me the title of an Agatha Christie mystery on arsenic?
Thanks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why don't fireflies glow or bioluminescence in California?

Please advise asap. Thanks.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The outright bizarre
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: APPROACHES TO THE HISTORY OF SPAIN

READ YOUR INFO ON THE AOL CURIOUS AS WHAT YOUR APPROACH IS TO THE HISTORY OF
SPAIN. ONLY HISTORY WE KNOW IS THE ACTUAL WHICH DATES FROM 992 TO THE
PRESENT. AS DESCENDANTS OF THE ROYAL HOUSES OF NAVARRE/HABSBURG WE ARE
CURIOUS OF THIS NEW APPROACH PLEASE ADVISE FAMILY OF
KING GARCES RAMIREZ
THE
RESTORER DECENDANTS OF


RAMIRO
1 AND SANCHO III
---------------------------------------------------------------------------