no.stupid.answers

On Answers.com, you’ll find doctors, dentists, arborists, lawyers, cosmetologists and even the occasional burgomaster or tidewaiter (go ahead, look em’ up!). This week, however, we are presenting ye’ with a recipe for greatness – Petera88 - one of our resident Chef superstars!

Bon appétit!

What is your Answers.com user name and the history behind it?

My user name is Petera88 and, quite simply, it is made up of my name (Peter Alton) and my favourite number (8).

Are you a Floating or Category Supervisor (which categories)?

I am a Category Supervisor supervising Individual Ingredients, Spices and Herbs, Ingredient Substitutions and China and Chinese Territories.

What other badges do you hold on Answers.com?

I am a Bronze Contributor.

Would you care to tell us about your family?

I am married to Eden, and we have a young son Christian who is 2-years-old.

Where do you live, how long have you lived there and why do you like the area?

We live in Portsmouth on the South Coast of the United Kingdom. We have lived here for the last 2 years and love the peace and quiet and friendly neighbourhood.

Where did you grow up and do you have any special memories of your childhood?

I grew up in Waterlooville and have great memories of home cooked dinners with my Mum.

What educational information would you like to share?

I studied Professional Cookery at Highbury College when I left school gaining a Distinction in my final year. I also passed a BA Degree in English Literature in 2007 after 6 years part-time study with the Open University.

What are some of your past and/or present occupations?

I am a qualified Chef and have worked in the industry for 25 years - working in the UK and away at sea in the Merchant Navy for P&O. I am currently a Fresh Food Buyer supplying Fresh Produce to several of the major supermarkets in the UK.

What are your key areas of knowledge, interest or expertise?

Having trained as a Chef, I have a love of food. I enjoy cooking and read anything food related. I like Asian food and, in particular, the food of Hong Kong, which is amongst the best in the world. I love Hong Kong having been there many times and also having met and married my wife there. I am also currently writing a book about the food and culture of Hong Kong, which I hope to complete later this year.

Do you have any collections or hobbies?

I enjoy cooking and reading anything to do with Asia or Hong Kong.

What do you like to do for recreation?

I enjoy playing with my son and watching sports as I am getting too old to play anymore!

What are a few random facts about yourself?

I had a trial for England Schoolboys and played rugby for Hampshire as a boy. I am a big fan of Alice Cooper. I can speak a little Cantonese.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

Qualifying as a Chef in 1984 and passing my degree 23 years later.

What are your special goals or dreams?

To make my Mum and Dad proud and to be happy and healthy and to have a good life with my wife and son.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

I am easygoing and warmhearted.

What brought you to Answers.com?

The desire to share knowledge and help others.

What keeps you coming back to Answers.com?

The fun of meeting and helping new friends from all over the world.

What is your favorite Answers.com activity?

I enjoy answering questions and discovering new things.

With the announcement this morning about Google’s taking on the world of sharing via Google Buzz, Answers.com has created a brand new Google Buzz Q&A category to answer the questions buzzing around inside your head.

Here are a few Q’s to get you started:

• What is Google Buzz?
• Why did Google create Buzz?
• Is Google Buzz available in Gmail?
• Does Google Buzz work on the iPhone?

Once upon a very long time ago, I was a cheerleader. And of course, everyone knows it’s the job of a cheerleader to pump up the crowd and get them standing on their feet. So pull out your pom poms and get ready to cheer for this week’s Featured Contributor: Give me a J. Give me a J. Give me a J. Give me a J. No. I haven’t gone wacky for the letter J. I’m just giddy because this Contributor Corner rock star is 4Jays (Get it?). He’s a Floating Supervisor, Gold Contributor and Mentoring Program graduate who once worked at Walt Disney World as a monorail driver! Wut wut? Yep. Read on for more:

What is your Answers.com user name and the history behind it?

4Jays refers to the first names of my family members: Jeff (me), Julie (wife) and two daughters, Jessica and Jennifer. Once we started with the J’s there was no turning back!

What is your first name?

Jeff

What is your age?

50

Would you care to tell us about your family?

Wonderful wife and two lovely daughters.

Do you have any pets?

Two Westies (Scruffy and Sophie) and a cat (Stormy).

Where do you live, how long have you lived there and why do you like the area?

We live in Maryland, about 20 miles from Washington, D.C. Our families are all within an hour’s driving time, and that’s a great thing, especially around the holidays.

Where did you grow up and do you have any special memories of your childhood?

I was born in Frankfurt, West Germany and lived in Munich for about three years before coming to the U.S. in 1961.

What educational information would you like to share?

I attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

What are some of your past and/or present occupations?

I once worked at Walt Disney World - I was a monorail driver. Ever since, I’ve joked with my subsequent employers that I’ve gone from one Mickey Mouse organization to another. I became a police officer and served 22 years, retiring in 2004 as a commander. I took one week off, then took a job at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland where I still work.

What are your key area(s) of knowledge, interests or expertise?

I have a love of all things automotive and an interest in movies, television and the Internet. I enjoy proofreading and seem to have a knack for it which I try to put to good use on Answers.com.

Do you have any collections or hobbies?

Cars and computers are my hobbies.

What do you like to do for recreation?

Swim and travel

What are a few random facts about yourself?

6′4″ tall. I memorized Pi to 22 places in grade school to get extra credit for a class. I remember it to this day.

Do you have any special talents you’d like to share?

I am an emergency vehicle driving instructor, scuba diver and writer.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

My family.

What are your special goals or dreams?

Continue to move up in my workplace and retire in good health.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

Outgoing with good humor.

What brought you to Answers.com?

I began when I looked for an answer, then found myself correcting grammar and spelling errors. After a while I received an email from Answers.com asking if I’d like to be a Supervisor, based upon my contributions.

What keeps you coming back to Answers.com?

It’s very satisfying to contribute to providing helpful information to such a large and diverse audience. I have much to learn about the intricacies of being a good Supervisor but I look forward to the challenge. Additionally, there have been some great folks here who have been very supportive and helpful to me.

What is your favorite Answers.com activity?

Correcting grammar and spelling errors and providing informative answers whenever I can.

Extra, extra!

As Steve Jobs and Apple turn the speculation into reality, releasing their latest and, arguably, greatest product into the technological wild, the questions are quickly being answered…

…on Answers.com, of course.

The iPad Q&A category has been set up and is being filled with questions that are being complimented with answers - as I type this.

Visit the category or start here:

• What is the iPad?
• How much will the iPad cost?
• How big is the iPad?
• What is the battery life of the iPad?
• What features does the iPad have?

Gil Reich, VP of Product Management at Answers.com and blogger of Managing Greatness, has written an excellent post on SEOmoz/YOUmoz titled: Q&A About Using Q&A Sites to Build Your Business & Reputation.

The post goes into depth about - you guessed it - using Q&A sites (like Answers.com of course) to build online reputation and thus help build your freelance or small business. The number of companies using social media and Q&A sites is rising.

Gil argues the following three points are what makes it worthwhile:

Direct your customers (and potential customers) to accurate information about your product.

Connect with people in your market, build your reputation, and generate leads.

Provide links back to your site. Some of these links are Follow links, and thus also provide SEO value.

Asking questions to your audience and, more importantly, answering their questions, is not a complicated process and doesn’t require any more training than you already have. All you need is your expertise in your field and to become familiar with - and really believe in - Q&A community culture.

Read the full post to get a sense of what the role of Q&A sites is for professionals looking to expand their reputations online.

For more on the topic, see a similar post on BabeofBusiness, a blog by Crystal Williams, who is one of the Community Coordinators on Answers.com.

Oh, turkey - a glorious word.

Sometimes you’re a country, others - a bird.

A short story as well. Two cities to like.

A Native American…  and a bowling strike.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Keep in mind where to go if you need a video on how to roast a turkey, historical trivia to share at your dinner table, or if you want the final answer as to why eating turkey makes you sleepy.

Hello American citizens! Hope you have voted/will vote/are standing in the elections booth right now on this fine Election Day.

Just because it hasn’t been preceded by a heated and sometimes ridiculous and always lengthy presidential campaign four years in advance doesn’t mean it’s not important!

If you need the details (for any state), you know where to turn: What time do the election day polls close in 2009?

And of course, check out the Elections Q&A category for questions related to the candidates and polls.

Be heard!