VeggieTart -- Let's Go Caps!

During the NHL lockout, my boyfriend and I got into AHL and, to a lesser extent, ECHL hockey. We still watch a bit of AHL. But we've noticed that unlike the NHL, players' jersey numbers never go above 40. Is there a reason for this?

When I adopted my cat in April 2010, she was a two-year-old silver tabby with brownish eyes. I did change her diet from what the shelter fed her (sort of transitioning her). She is now a brownish tabby with green eyes.

What causes this? Is it common for cats to change color over time like this?

After the 5.8 quake that was centered in Virginia, several aftershocks were recorded, with magnitudes considerably lower than the initial earthquake. The Pacific Coast of the U.S. (and the Western Pacific Ocean, for that matter) experiences frequent seismic activity, much of it too weak to be detected by humans.

How do scientists determine what is an aftershock and what is a whole new earthquake?

Jewish holidays, as you may know, begin at sundown--Passover begins tonight, but the first "day" is tomorrow. The sabbath begins about 18 minutes before sundown on Friday to when the first three stars appear in the sky on Saturday. And so on. This is something I learned growing up Jewish (although I no longer practice), but I'm curious as to why. Does it have something to do with the verse in Genesis that says it was evening and then it was morning, the first day?

...then why do some of them get violently angry at what they perceive as threats to their religion. Salman Rushdie endured death threats for "The Satanic Verses". Theo Van Gogh was murdered for making a film critical of Islam. Danish cartoonists faced sanctions for their cartoons of Mohammed. A woman who suggested "Draw Mohammed" day had to go into witness protection because of violent threats. There have been many acts of violence in the name of Islam.

Yes, people of other religious beliefs--Christians, for example--have engaged in violent behavior, too, but to be fair to Christians, they tend to boycott something they find offensive, not put a fatwa out for them.

And maybe it's reporting, but it seems violence done in the name of Islam gets far less condemnation from its leaders than violence done in the name of other religions.

The Supreme Court struck down a law that banned the dissemination videos depicting dogfighting, an activity which is illegal in all 50 states. In his argument to overturn the law, Chief Justice John Roberts brought up the First Amendment. But I thought the First Amendment did not apply to criminal behavior, depictions thereof, or incitement thereto. Am I wrong?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/us/21scotus.html...

I recently adopted a two-year-old female DSH from a local shelter. She seems to be adjusting well, and is playful and affectionate. Sometimes, however, when she's on a tear and playing, her tail will get very puffy. She doesn't show any other signs of aggression; her fur isn't raised, and her ears aren't back. It's just her tail. Is this normal when cats are overstimulated or excited?

I ask because, well, all cats are different, and I've never seen this in a cat before. It's also been a long time since I've had a playful cat, as older cats are more affectionate and less playful (I adopted my cat a couple weeks after saying goodbye to my 18-year-old cat).

Thanks for any guidance.

Easter, which commemorates Jesus's resurrection--for those who believe that--falls on a different day every year because it is based on the lunar calendar. It falls on the Sunday following the first full moon of spring. This year, the first day of spring was March 20, the full moon will be on March 29, and Easter on April 4.

Christmas, on the other hand, is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus--again, for those who believe that. It falls on the same day every year, December 25, a few days after the winter solstice.

I understand both days are quite holy in the Christian religions. I don't know too much about the religious aspects, as I grew up Jewish and am now a secular humanist. But why is one calculated per the lunar calendar and the other per the solar?

Sometimes when I'm watching hockey on TV, the announcers will refer to a "deke". What does that mean?

If I read correctly, the flight originated in Amsterdam and was bound for Detroit, Michigan. Wouldn't this be a failure of Dutch security and not American security?

John Allen Muhammad, the so-called DC area sniper, was recently executed in Virginia for the murder of Dean Meyers. He and his accomplice, Lee Malvo, killed 10 people in Maryland and Virginia (only one victim was in DC) and are believed to have committed murders in Washington State and Alabama. Both Muhammad and his accomplice were also tried in Maryland, presumably to ensure that if something went wrong with the Virginia convictions, they'd be on the hook in MD. I recall the legal wrangling between jurisdictions, as the crimes crossed state lines, and ultimately Virginia prosecuted "first".

So how did Virginia prosecutors decide to try him for Meyers' murder instead of the murder of one of the other victims? And in such cases like this, where someone is suspected of several murders, is there a process prosecutors use to determine which crime to charge the person with?

I was at an art show over the weekend, where there was someone doing mendhi. I had a design drawn on my wrist, and it looks really nice. I know it should last for a few weeks, but is there any way to keep it looking nice longer?

This is truly a sick story: http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5375029/vatican...

Upshot is a nine-year-old girl in Brazil was raped by her stepfather and wound up pregnant with twins. Her mother arranged for her to have an abortion as she likely would not survive the pregnancy. The church excommunicated the mother and the doctors who performed the abortion, expressing grief for the "two innocent persons" who were "eliminated". Brazil law only allows abortion in cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the woman (or, in this case, girl). The person responsible for the girl's abuse was not excommunicated because his crime was not as serious, as heinous, as the girl having a life-saving abortion.

This is the same group who have conspired for decades to protect priests who sexually abuse children by moving them from parish to parish.

What on earth is wrong with the Catholic Church that raping a child is not as severe a sin as that child having an abortion to save her life?

If you've ever heard the Northern State song "At the Party," one of them says, "I might be short, but I can still party/I can shake it on the floor like Melissa Allardi."

So who is she?

And yes, I became a fan within the last year or so, but I can't find an answer anywhere else.

When I bake a cake, I let it cool in the pan in which I baked it and then try to put it on a plate. I always oil the pan. However, sometimes, the cake will break up as I'm trying to transfer from cake to plate. Does anyone have any tricks that will prevent this from happening? I don't bake cakes much, but when I do, I'd like to prevent such mishaps.

Thanks!

Every two years, and especially every quadrennial presidential election, you'll hear numerous wannabe pols talk about how horrible the culture of Washington is and how horrible government is, that it's the problem. Why would someone who thinks government is so awful want to be part of it? And why would someone want to be part of the problem he decries?

And voters: Why do you trust a guy who says government is the problem as he prepares to join the government?

I'd rather have a guy quote the late, great Molly Ivins when she said government is like a hammer; it can be used to build or used to destroy, and add that he'd like to use it to build.

n.b.: I use the pronoun "he" because most of the U.S. government is male.

My boyfriend and I are going to Orlando to visit family for the July 4 weekend and seeing the Blue Man Group at CityWalk on the 3rd. Is there a restaurant there that has any decent vegan options where the family and I can dine? And by decent, I do not mean an iceberg lettuce salad.

I was diagnosed with mild acid reflux last year, and one thing I've noticed is that I cannot really eat a proper breakfast. I can eat crackers or pretzels--something really carby--and then a few hours later, I can have some fruit with no ill effects. But when I try to have a bowl of cereal with soy milk (I'm vegan), I get a mild burning sensation in my belly an hour or two later. Is anyone else like this, unable to eat anything substantial early in the morning? Is this common with acid reflux?

And should I be concerned that I can't have a proper breakfast?

I tend toward dysthymia, and I have been in a rather low mood for the last month or so since a disastrous family trip. I was in an angry mood for a couple of weeks, but it has morphed into depression.

I'm on no medications whatsoever, and I'm wondering if St. John's wort is suitable for me, or if there's a better herbal antidepressant. I hate would rather work herbally before I have to go the conventional route because I am no fan of conventional pharmaceuticals.

Does anyone have experience using herbal remedies for depreession, and if so, what did you use and for how long?

Thanks!

There are a number of requirements to be eligible for the U.S. presidency. One is that you have to have been born in the U.S. One of the 2008 presidential candidates, however, was born on a military base in the Canal Zone while his father was stationed there with the Navy. Because he was born to U.S. citizens on a U.S. military base, even if he wasn't in the U.S. itself, is this person still eligible?

And what if someone who was born in Alaska or Hawaii before 1959 (I believe that's when they were admitted to the Union) wanted to run? Would this person be eligible?