What I miss about being a toddler is that I could ask any question that most adults could answer.

“Doggy?”
“Yes, that’s a doggy. It’s a very big doggy, and that one over there is a very small doggy.”

“Why can’t I put my fingers in the socket?”
“Because you’ll get shocked, and you might die. That’s not a good thing.”

“How do radios work?”
“Well … there’s a tiny little orchestra playing in there.”

These days, my questions aren’t as easy to answer. H.E. does a pretty good job answering them, though, being the Human Encyclopedia that he is.

“Who was that guy who played the male lead in that one movie we saw the other week, who was also in that other movie we saw where he played the doctor?”
“That was James McAvoy.”

“Is it just me, or does the guy who crashed, the one they’re looking for, look a little bit like Richard Branson in that video?”
“You mean Steve Fossett? It’s just you. The one who looks like Richard Branson is Richard Branson. The other guy in the video is Steve Fossett. They’re friends who fly together.”

But H.E. can’t answer all of my questions, try as he might. I have quite a few that remain unanswered, and I wish I could find an expert who could answer them because even H.E. is dying to know the answers now.

Today’s top three are the following:

What is that tree called, the one with the beautiful purple blossoms in the spring? There were a bunch of these trees on my high school campus, and every year these purple flowers would bloom on the limbs, covering the trees in vibrant color and carpeting the ground below them. I’ve asked, and I’ve asked, but I’ve never encountered anyone who knew the answer. I would dearly love to know what these trees are called because when I have my very own house, I’d love to be able to plant one or two or them in my own backyard.

Why do birds congregate only in certain places? At the intersection of Yorktown and Beach are four lamp posts, and the birds always crowd at the one above northbound Beach Boulevard. I’ve seen that particular lamp post filled from end to end with sitting birds, and sometimes a stray bird will hover with flapping wings, waiting for an opening to crowd right in with the rest. The other lamp posts at the intersection, meanwhile, are usually completely bare. No birds on them at all. Lots of space to sit, but no birds deign to do so. This is something I see everyday, rain or shine. The lamp posts and the immediate areas all look the same, so what’s so special about the always crowded one?

What is the difference between nonetheless and nevertheless? Can they really be used interchangeably? Or are there situations where it’s better to use one over the other? None and never could never be used interchangeably (or could none be used interchangeably?), so why isn’t that the case with nonetheless and nevertheless? Is there a difference?

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