no.stupid.answers

Congratulations to all the graduates out there! That’s a pretty awesome achievement. What are your plans now? Have you mapped out the next 5 years of your life? Ten?

…

No? Why not!?

I kid. I kid. I will tell you that I’m incredibly jealous of you at this moment. You’re young and ambitious. You’re still optimistic and haven’t become jaded by the industry. You’ve got fresh ideas and your whole life ahead of you. Not that I’m THAT much older than you but seriously, 9 years makes a lot of difference.

I remember my graduation from UNC (GO HEELS!) like it was yesterday. Those Carolina blue robes and all that sunshine…

*sigh*

In honor of your big day, I wanted to highlight one of the best commencement speeches ever given. It’s not from MY graduation, but I’ve heard people talk about it and I feel like everyone needs some good advice from time to time. The quote is from Jerry Zucker…he talks about the art of making mistakes.

If you’re going to fail, fail big. If you don’t, you’re never going to make a difference. Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Ask yourself one question: If I didn’t have to do it perfectly, what would I try? For many of you, the biggest obstacle to getting there will be a fear that you have carried with your since childhood — the fear of humiliation, of embarrassment, of ridicule. That is SO stupid!

Jerry Zucker
University of Wisconsin
May 17, 2003

So that’s it, guys. Get out there and fail a little. It’ll help you succeed.

Speaking of succeeding…have you decided yet what you’ll do with the rest of your life? Still no!? Ugh. Fine. So in the meantime, go and ask or answer questions about Job Training and Career Qualifications!

March has gone mad. It’s that season…the one that every college basketball fan waits for. The only reason we get up some mornings.

The NCAA tournament.

It’s March Madness.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a die hard Tar Heel fan. It began at a young age…being raised in North Carolina, one must choose early on. You’re either a Tar Heel or you’re a Blue Devil. And every now and then you meet someone who just doesn’t have a clue…and we call those folks “Wolfpack fans.”

Anyway, every year, practically from birth, North Carolinians get riled up in March and the fierce competition comes to head. Luckily for me…I am on the right team and I often find myself pointing and laughing at Dook fans. Bless them. They just don’t know any better.

Have you filled out your bracket yet? To be honest…the whole thing is a waste of time. Just write “UNC” in the center square and the rest is really irrelevant. You’ll see.

With all the time you’ll save from this abridged way of filling out your brackets, check out the March Madness topic on WikiAnswers. Ask and answer all your NCAA tourney questions there!

What kinds of things are people wondering about?

• Which two teams have played each other the most in the NCAA tournament?
• What is the lowest seed to ever win a NCAA basketball title?
• How many Division I basketball teams are eligible for tournament play?
• How did the phrase ‘March Madness’ originate?
• Which school had the most appearances in the NCAA men’s tournament before winning a championship?
• And of course… How many NCAA titles has UNC won?

Obviously, that last one will have to be updated next month when the Heels bring it home again!

Who are the people who contribute to WikiAnswers? What’s their story and what drives their generous nature? And where do they get all their knowledge from?

This is the first interview for a series we’ll be posting here called Contributor Corner. It’s with Wholelotsarocker — a certified financial planner, big time music buff and rock star dad of one of our team (me).

I recently asked my dad about his involvement with WikiAnswers and why he gets such a kick out of it. He’s got a long history of volunteering his time so this kind of activity is right up his alley.

…and yes, that is a banana on his head.

How did you hear about WikiAnswers?

Well, it’s only the leading wiki Q&A site on the Interweb. Who hasn’t heard of it? And where are they so I can school them?

What motivates you to volunteer your time to the community?

My desire to give back to people who haven’t had the many advantages in life that I have enjoyed. That’s also what inspired me to join the Peace Corps right after graduation from UNC-CH.

What is your area of expertise?

Useless rock and roll trivia, primarily from the fifties and sixties. I have far too much of that stuff rolling around in my head, and it is constantly trying to get out!!

What is the funniest question you’ve seen on WikiAnswers?

When was music discovered?
Duh. Everyone knows it was May 13, 216 BCE in what is now near Burkina Faso!

What’s your favorite song? Favorite band?

Whispering Bells by the Del Vikings.
Can’t name just one band… My top three are Moody Blues, Alan Parsons Project and Little River Band.

Share a random fact about yourself.

My right eye is nearsighted and my left eye is farsighted. But that won’t stop me from contributing on WikiAnswers!