Top 10 Most Popular “Ask An Expert” Websites

The internet has been responsible for completely changing the way we look for information. We no longer have to open bulky encyclopaedias to gather data or to get the answer for any queries which we may have. All we need to do is do a search on the net and Mr. Google will be available within a few nano seconds with all the information we need. Not only that we now have many websites where experts are available to provide solutions or answer any particular question that pertains only to our circumstances. These websites are known as “Ask An Expert ” websites and are among the most visited sites on the web.

1. DoctorsLounge.com

They are a large online network of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. They claim to have answered over 30,000 medical questions online, and offer a free service. They are all certified professionals hence you are assured of valid and competent answers. They are a good source for a quick query, but they are not a substitute for a face-to-face visit.

2. Able2Know

This website covers a wide range of subjects and all their experts are volunteers who have offered to help. They claim that they do not provide professional or medical advice, and that they only provide information for informational purposes.

3. Askmehelpdesk.com

Self-appointed experts at this site provide answers on varied subjects. The volunteers need to have answered at least 200 questions before they can termed as experts. The answers are given in a simple layman fashion and you can check up on the credibility of the expert by reading the feedback on them.

4. Techsupportforum.com

One of the best sites to visit when you need any information about any technological glitches. They are enthusiastic, very well informed and someone or the other will be able to –provide a solution for any problems that you may be facing. The discussions on their forums are very interesting since everyone there seems to be an expert!

5. Yahoo! Answers

Probably the world’s most popular answer site, it has an amazing number of people who ask the oddest of questions. There are many open questions which can be answered by anyone, and you have to select the best answer and thus give the “answerer” some points. Points and levels also help you determine who is a good person to rely upon, since someone with a lot of points has obviously given many satisfactory answers!!

6. Ask.com

Just ask and you shall be answered. If you are looking for some local information, check out Ask Local, if you are looking for any trivial answers, someone is sure to have asked it before and got an answer. They do not answer the questions through experts sitting on their panels, but they give you the URL’s of all the sites where your question has been answered.

7. Justananswer.com

This is a paid website – ask a question and name your price. You are expected to pay only if you are satisfied by the answers. They have some really good experts on their teams, so your problems are solved by those in the know. They claim to have over 1.5 million happy clients.

8. Askfromexpert.com

This is also a paid site, but the payment has to be made before the answers are provided. They guarantee client satisfaction and also provide increased time efficiency since answers are provided as soon as possible. They specialise in legal questions but have experts who can cover a range of subjects.

9. Liveperson.com

With over 8,500 satisfied customers, they are market leaders in intelligent online customer engagement. They have over 30,000 experts available in real time and provide business solutions to many companies. As is evident they specialise in business problems and solutions.

10. Life123.com

This is a very popular website about life and it’s varied subjects. They have begun a section known as Life123 Answers, where their experts review and answer questions on subjects such as fashion, lifestyles, weddings fitness and many other mundane day to day issues. They claim to give us answers “at the speed of life”.

Source : top-10-list.org

Top 10 Excuses People Use To Hate America

It is a very easy thing to hate the United States of America right now. But why? We stormed the beaches at Normandy, saved Europe from economic ruin with the Marshall plan (thanks for paying off the loan, Norway. Anybody else? Anybody? Bueller?), invented the Internet, uprooted tyrants, and give foreign aid away like it was candy. We want to be the good guys and thought we were. Yet we just can’t seem to get any love these days. How’d we get here? Well… [JFrater: as the representative of Listverse, I would like to say that we don't hate America - in fact, I had one of my greatest holidays there. This list will no doubt cause a storm - be calm and debate nicely!]

1. Center of the Universe

The first reason: we act like the world revolves around us. America presumes much for a country generously dated at 300 years old. China has latrines ten times older than that. A quick example: many countries play baseball, but only we have the “World Series”. We’re getting better about our egocentrism, but it’s been a loooong time coming. And don’t get me started about our tourists. Just smile and take the money- they’re loud, but they’ll be gone in a week.

2. We Win Everything

Okay, I’ll concede Vietnam, tennis (but we don’t care) and Kenyan marathon runners. But we win damn near everything else, eventually. The Space Race. The Cold War. Tour de France. The list goes on and on. Even we hate the Olympics now that our professionals are allowed to participate straight up with the underaged/doping communist nations. It’s boring for us, but as a Red Sox/Bolton Wanderers fan, I know the angst that chronic losing against bigger and better funded opponents generates. And if we don’t have the best athletes/scientists/entertainers, we’ll make sure they get a chance to immigrate while others wait in line. That’s gotta sting. Oh, Yao Ming and Ichiro say “Hi”.

3. We Eat Everything

Why? Because we can. Americans are the second fattest industrialized nation per capita (sorry, Australia). But as always, we make up for it in volume. We can afford automobiles so we don’t ride bikes or walk anywhere except for fun, and thanks to abundant agricultural surpluses, ANYTHING we want to eat is readily available from takeaway restaurants and convenience stores. Some of our refrigerators could hide an entire human body. And we like the fatty stuff, because fat tastes good. This is NOT a good thing, and our global franchises (KFC, McDonald’s) are already infecting nations that traditionally had healthier diets (are you listening, Japan?)

4. We Made and Have Nukes

The United States is the inventor and only wartime practitioner of nuclear weapons (never mind that using them prevented an invasion that would make the Iraqi insurgency look like a blowjob. “Operation Downfall”, the now-declassified US plan to invade Japan, estimated 1 Million American casualties alone). Lax security protocols (and clever spying) spread the secret to the USSR and after that the genie got out of the bottle. Many countries now have atomic weapons, and with no clear Cold War counterpart to US supremacy, the balance has shifted, and the peace dividend has not been kind post 9/11.

  

5. Natural Resources

Though accounting for only 5 percent of the world’s population, Americans consume 26 percent of the world’s energy. (American Almanac), and we are the world’s largest single emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for 23 percent of energy-related carbon emissions worldwide. (U.S. Department of Energy). This, while worldwide, some 2 billion people are currently without electricity. (U.S. Department of Energy). The good news is that among industrialized and developing countries, Canada consumes per capita the most energy in the world, and the United Sates is only second. Italy consumes the least among industrialized countries (that’s because they still drive Fiats, which “conserve” energy by breaking every other day).

6. International Meddling

The United States has the most advanced army in the world. We station our military in other countries at their “request”, which is a source of much seething and hurt national pride. From Banana Republics, to the Cold War, to the War on Terror, we routinely interfere in the business of other countries to make the world safe for our interests, whether anybody asked for it or not. Even if the intentions are both right and good, many countries resent our involvement in their affairs on sheer principle: they’d rather f*** it up themselves. Are you listening, North Korea?

7. We Export Trash Culture

A thriving market economy and near total freedom of expression liberate Americans to pursue almost every endeavor imaginable, resulting in some of the greatest discoveries and inventions in the history of man, from the first practical light bulb to powered flight, polio vaccines, radio and TV, space exploration, the Internet, and unfortunately, everything in between. So that means ubercrap like Jerry Springer and Britney Spears gets exported worldwide. No, I’m being too kind there– “force fed” worldwide. Other cultures despise this with a mix of dread, envy, and loathing. They can’t figure out how to cull the good from the bad out of this torrent (neither can we, btw)—but once it takes hold, it won’t let go. This what the Islamic world fears most. Tanks, they understand. An educated, employed woman horny and clubbing on Friday night they simply can’t fathom. And it scares the crap out of them.

8. It’s Fashionable

Despite the hyperbole bandied online, strong political opinions won’t get your door kicked in at 3 AM like in the Gulag Archipelago. There are no Stalinist purges or killing fields here. And the FBI/CIA/ATF/DEA/PTA will not shoot you on sight simply because you speak against The Surge or march against the Economic Stimulus Plan. But it’s certainly fun to claim a fear of it! You become an instant radical and feel intellectually enlightened to boot– patriotism is an uncritical, reflexive act, right?– only a deep thinker would hate his country (yet stay on to enjoy its privileges). And don’t worry about proof, because all that matters is the accusation. Volume and conviction win the day, so toss that bibliography—grab half the story and make the rest up. If you get caught in a logic box, claim satire. Other countries see this lack of consequences and pile on.

9. We Don’t Finish the Job

From Vietnam to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski to “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq to finding Osama Bin Laden, we seem to do most of the work, but keep a lot of things hanging on, never quite finished. Eventually the answer makes itself known, but it usually takes time, and involves help from others after a lot of (necessary) heated discussions. Maybe we should try this as as a first course of action more often…

 

10. We Act Unilaterally

We are a nation of doers, and our errors (when they occur) will be from acts of commission, not omission (Hypocrisy Alert: Darfur). Sometimes that’s a great thing, like sending Kruschev’s missiles back home, breaking Gaddafi’s/Qaddafi’s/Kaddafi’s nuclear ambitions (his nukes are now safely tucked away in Oak Ridge, Tennessee), or winning the Cold War. Other times, it blows up in our (and often, YOUR) face. Our attempts to spread democracy worldwide, intended to let others enjoy the same freedoms and advantages that we have, sometimes result in innocent people dying. We must stop to remember the Somalia embassy, Madrid and Fiji and Lockerbie 101 bombings, along with the millions of nameless others who suffered and died in countries that are not free. The US is the biggest face opposing these things that actually does anything (not just talk, FRANCE. You railed about Guantanamo but when it came time to release prisoners you took ONE.), but our allies often bear the brunt of our “foreign” wars, because the enemy cannot reach us. That has changed recently, and while it has altered our perspective, it has not altered our resolve.

Source : listverse.com

Most Outrageous 31 Wacky Holidays In March

Well, you all knew it…Americans are truly weird. We have some of the most outrageous holidays for each day of the year! I chose the current month of March to start with and picked only one holiday per day as some days had 2 or 3! So here (for you all to poke fun at) is March’s Holidays in all their glory, in order of date.

  

March 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day

Just when you thought it was safe to eat the peanut butter. What a sticky subject. Is your PP&J safe? Millions of American children are currently without their favorite sandwich due to the recent peanut scare in which peanuts have been found to contain salmonella. Of course that is not stopping some companies to start advertising based on that. Some are even saying that “their” peanut butter is safe to eat. You can see more on that here. Americans on average eat about 3 pounds of peanut butter per person per day.

Joke of the day: What do you get when you cross peanut butter with an elephant? – Peanut butter that never forgets or an elephant that sticks to the roof of your mouth.

March 2 – Old Stuff Day

The most boring day of the year. True! When asked, “What’s up?” or “What’s new?” most of us respond with “Nothing much, same old, same old”. So in response to this, we made a holiday out of it. This is not a day to do the “same old” stuff… it is more a time to reflect on what has made life so boring that you can’t answer the question “What’s new?”.

March 3 – If Pets had Thumbs Day

Don’t you ever wonder what the world would be like if your dog or cat had thumbs? At least I wouldn’t have to get up at 5am in the morning to feed them! This is the day to let your imagination run wild.

March 4 – Holy Experiment Day

Nope, not a day for you to switch religions or vote if Creationism should be taught in schools… . (cough) It’s actually a day to try being more religious than you currently are. Pray for something different than you have before.

March 5 – Multiple Personalities Day

My favorite, and mine and mine and the rest of us too! This is a day to get in touch with our inner self (selves).

March 6 – Frozen Food Day

JFrater’s worst day… as it involves the microwave! This is a day to treasure those oh so yummy snacks that get shoved into our freezers to take out and have at a moments notice. ZAP! Instant food! (that is soggy and has the taste of the cardboard box it came in) but… oh so good!

March 7 – Crown Roast of Pork Day

Not much on this day other than it’s a day to celebrate pork… especially Crown Roast of Pork!

March 8 – Be Nasty Day

Boy was this true on the list universe! Nice day to go over signs of a tyranny. Just a day to be grumpy without being cruel.

March 9 – Panic Day

Now… everyone remain calm, except today. This is the only official day to panic.

March 10 – Festival of Life in the Cracks Day

Did your life slip through the cracks? Not today it didn’t! Celebrate a day of life in the cracks (no plumbers, please)

March 11 – Worship of Tools Day

Song choice: If I had a Hammer

Men can relate to this one! This is the perfect day to spend in the garage staring at those gadgets and gizmos that you just had to have… so when will the fence get fixed?

March 12 – Alfred Hitchcock Day

Ok… so not so wacky but how cool is it to have a day devoted to this famous filmmaker!

 

March 13 – Ear Muff Day

When the next time you put on a pair of these, you can thank the big-eared Chester Greenwood for creating them in 1877. Of course, he called them the Champion Ear Protectors. Thankfully the name was shorted to the ear muff.

March 14 – Potato Chip Day

So many overweight Americans can now proudly celebrate the best day of the year! Potato chips are the number one snack food in America. So to show your appreciation on this day of the deep fried chip, sit back on that couch, grab your remote and a tasty bowl of crispy spuds!

March 15 – Everything You Think Is Wrong Day

Story of my life. This is the day to blame it on the day! Nothing goes right today and now we celebrate it. Go figure.

March 16 – Everything You Do Is Right Day

(Did you see yesterday?) But today… no matter what you do it’s the right thing on this day. (of course that excludes illegal stuff) So, today is your day!

March 17 – Submarine Day

Song choice: Yellow Submarine

This is the day to celebrate the submarine (boat not sandwich). A suggestion is to watch “The Hunt for the Red October” on this day. As a side note: For any of you who might have enjoyed the thread on 10 Great Atlantic Ocean Liners, you might know that I suffer from Megalophobia-fear of large objects. So I didn’t go out searching for any pictures of subs for this list.

March 18 – Supreme Sacrifice Day

Ok… so not a wacky one, but nice to have. This should be a better celebrated holiday. This day is to recognize those who have given up the most for others. This includes: fireman, policeman, soldiers and of course Jesus.

March 19 – Poultry Day

Most famous chicken: Foghorn Leghorn

A day to celebrate your favorite bird! (no, not your finger) Turkey, quail, duck and chicken. This is the day to eat your fill and try to answer the age old question: What came first? The chicken or the egg?

March 20 – Extraterrestrial Abductions Day

So I had to do a lot of probing on this one… Only in America would we have a day to celebrate something like this. So keep your eye on the sky and don’t forget to grab a towel!

March 21 – Fragrance Day

Armani, Dior, Boss, Claiborne, Liz … .put on your favorite this day. Just remember this one tip: Don’t marinate in it.

March 22 – Goof-off Day

Sweet! I actually have an excuse. (Don’t think it will fly with the boss however) So who will be the first one to call off on this day? This is the day for you to relax and to make sure you don’t do what you are supposed to do.

March 23 – Chip and Dip Day

So you had your potato chip day. Now what could be better? Something to dip it in… ranch, cheese, salsa… just to name a few. My favorite is bean dip!

March 24 – Chocolate Covered Raisins Day

A great combination of fruit and chocolate. If you are watching your weight, this isn’t the day for you. Celebrate this day by having a handful of this tasty treat!

March 25 – Waffle Day

“Lego my Eggo” No waffling on this holiday. It’s not only celebrated in America but also in Sweden. It originated in Sweden as Våffeldagen. The holiday coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation and it is considered to be the start of spring for both Sweden and France.

March 26 – Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Try searching for an unrecognized trait, topic or event that hasn’t been touched upon to celebrate! Then enjoy! (I don’t think cable TV has been taken yet)

March 27 – National “Joe” Day

Nothing to do with coffee! This is the first holiday to celebrate you … as someone else. Today you are “Joe”. What would “Joe” do today? This is the day to be who you want for the day under the name of “Joe” and then you can blame it later on “Joe”.

March 28 – Something on a Stick Day

This day is celebrated by Jose Jalapeño on a Steeeck (pictured above). Actually it’s a holiday to celebrate anything on a stick. Popsicles, corndogs or jalapenos… this is the day for you!

March 29 – Festival of Smoke and Mirrors Day

David Copperfield day…just kidding. This is the day of illusion and mystery. This is a great day for a masked ball or magic show. (no creepy clowns, please)

March 30 – I Am in Control Day

Oh really. Sounds like one of the 5 Signs That You Are Turning Into a Dictator. Actually, this started when Secretary of State Alexander Haig was quoted to have said “I am in control here” on the day that President Ronald Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt. This led to Haig eventual resignation. This also a great day to celebrate after Panic Day!

March 31 – Clams On the Half Shell Day

This is a day to celebrate those rubbery friends of ours… the clams! So tonight dine at your favorite seafood restaurant, or if you are lucky to get them yourself, enjoy them at home! But, make sure they are on the half-shell!