What are the 10 tallest buildings in LA?

Q: What are the ten tallest buildings in Los Angeles?

A: Here's the list of the top ten tallest in LA:

1 U.S. Bank Tower
2 Aon Center
3 Two California Plaza
4 Gas Company Tower
5 Bank of America Center
6 777 Tower
7 Wells Fargo Tower
8 Figueroa at Wilshire
9= City National Tower
9= Paul Hastings Tower

What does the word 'mulaka' mean?

Q: In the movie W., where Josh Brolin plays George "Dubya" Bush, the actor playing CIA director George Tenet shouts "Mulaka!" at one point. What does it mean?

A: Mulaca is Greek slang that's the equivalent of the British "wanker." You can translate the word as asshole, dick, bastard or son of a bitch, depending on the context.

The more standard variation of mulaka is malakas μαλάκας. It is an interjection that foreigners in Greece pick up easily.

Former CIA director George Tenet is of Greek heritage. It is very likely George Stephanopoulos also knows what the word malaka means, and has probably used it a couple of times as well.

Which country executes the most number of people?

Q: Which country executes the most number of people in a year?

A: The country that ranks second in executing the most number people of the year is Iran.

Having the most number of people in the world, the government of China is the one that kills the most number of people.

In the United States, the state of Texas performs the most number of executions.

Who is the highest-paid reality host on television?

Q: Who is the highest-paid reality host on American television?

A: One of the regular celebrities on American Idol. Is the AI judge Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul or Randy Jackson the highest-paid on reality television?

Nope. With a new contract that's worth a reported $45 million over three years, the distinction goes to Ryan Seacrest, who seems to have undisputably earned the title Hardest-Working Man in Entertainment.

Paula Abdul hasn't yet been signed to return for the new season, Simon Cowell is in negotiations to renew his contract, and Randy Jackson is attached to the show till 2011.

How long was GM in bankruptcy?

Q: How long was General Motors in bankruptcy?

A: You mean, how short a duration of time was General Motors in bankruptcy?

GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 1 and emerged from bankruptcy on July 10. That's around six weeks.

It was five days before on July 5 that a federal judge allowed GM to sell its Cadillac brand and other assets to a new company owned primarily by the US government.

Other landmark dates in the recent history of GM:

December 19, 2008. The government announces that General Motors will received $13.4 in federal bailout funds.

March 29, 2009. Fritz Henderson takes over as CEO after Rick Wagoner was ousted at the behind-the-scenes urging of the executive branch.

May 15, 2009. General Motors declares that it plans to close 1,200 of its dealerships.

How much were Goldman Sachs' Staggering Profits?

Q: Everyone seems agog about the recent profits of Goldman Sachs How much was the number in dollars? Was it really too much?

A: Just the facts. In ninety-one days (from March 28 to June 26), Goldman Sachs made more than $3.4 billion dollars. It is the most the company has ever earned in a quarter.

The figure translates into $1.6 million per hour, $117,000 per employee.

Goldman Sachs has paid back, with interest, the $10 billion that American taxpayers gave the company back in October 2008 under the presidency of George W. Bush.

Why were Goldman Sachs profits so high? Among the reasons cited:

1. Many of its competitors are gone because of the financial crisis.

2. Goldman Sachs did a better job of guiding itself through the crisis.

3. It took great risks, and with great risks come great rewards.

Where will Michael Jackson be buried?

Q: Where will Michael Jackson be buried?

A: In 1990, Michael Jackson attended the funeral of his grandmother Martha Bridges at the cemetery known as Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Now he will be buried there.

How many people watched Michael Jackson's memorial service?

Q: How many people watched Michael Jackson's funeral?

A: Reports are that 31 million people in the United States watched the Michael Jackson memorial on television. That's one in ten!

Held Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, the service was shown on over 19 networks: ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Telefutura, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Headline News, BET, E!, MTV, VH1, VH1 Classic, TV Guide Network, TV ONE...

That's two million fewer viewers than those who tuned in for Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, which was on a Saturday when most people were at home and not at work.

The record for most-watched TV event still belongs to M.A.S.H., whose 1983 finale drew 105 million total viewers.

What was Michael Jackson's height in inches?

Q: How tall was Michael Jackson?

A: The King of Pop was probably around five feet and ten inches in height. That's seventy inches total.

Michael Jackson's height is variously given as between 5'8" and 5'11". With the way an adult's height fluctuates throughout one's life, he could have been as tall as five feet as eleven inches at one point.

Michael Jackson Memorial Service Televised Live

Q: Is Michael Jackson's Memorial Service going to be televised live? What time is the funeral?

A: The Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service takes place Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. at STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles and simulcast inside to Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE across the street.

Fans are being asked not to go! The LAPD won't be able to handle the massive influx of people into the city center.

Jackson will be buried at Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood Hills. UPDATE: LAPD chief William Bratton has just announced that MJ's body will be at the Staples Center memorial.

BE PART OF TELEVISION HISTORY!

Many networks are skipping their regular programming and airing the Michael Jackson Memorial Service instead.

The music stations MTV, BET, VH1, MTV.com, VH1.com, VH1 Classics and VH1 Soul are all providing coverage and airing the Memorial at 12:00 p.m. Eastern and 9:00 a.m. Pacific. MSNBC begins covering the Memorial Service at 8:00 a.m. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The anchor is Chris Jansing.

Both CNN and HLN are covering the Memorial service live. Anderson Cooper begins at 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN International and CNN en Espanol are also airing the service. CNN is streaming the service live on the Internet too.

CBS begins coverage with the Early Show, and ABC’s Good Morning America is also providing special coverage. Martin Bashir, who did the infamous interview with Michael Jackson, co-anchors the ABC coverage. There will be a special 20/20 hosted by both Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer at 9:00 p.m.

NBC is doing a special, ‘split’ coverage on the Today show. Brian Williams begins covering the Staples Center at 10:00 a.m. while Meredith Vieria is running coverage during the Today Show.

Fox’s Great Van Sustern is live in Los Angeles and will have a special feature at 10:00 p.m of “On the Record.” Fox is also be streaming live on the web, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Pacific and 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

TV.com is hosting a live online stream of CBS News' coverage beginning at 9 a.m. PT/Noon ET/5 p.m. GMT. Their servers like those of many other sites providing live streaming of the event are likely to be overloaded.

About 85 theaters across the country, from Los Angeles to Topeka, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., are broadcasting the memorial live, for free.

Streaming live online at this Yahoo! page http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20090707/en_ynews/ynews_en429

Where can I buy eco-friendly charcoal briquettes?

Q: Where can I buy "green" charcoal briquettes to use in barbecuing?

A: You can buy eco-friendly briquettes from Wicked Good Charcoal. The Forest Stewardship Council certifies that Wicked Good's hardwood lump charcoal comes from sustainable timber operations.

Wicked Good's charcoal products contain no additives. It's 100% natural hardwood.

You can order a truckload and have it delivered anywhere in the United States.

What is Bobochacha?

Q: What is bobochacha?

A: More commonly known in Malaysia as bubur cha cha (also as momo chacha), BOBOCHACHA is a dessert/soup/drink/porridge consisting of yam and sweet potato cubes served in coconut milk. It is also popular in neighboring countries such as Singapore.

Bobochacha may be served hot or cold.

It is also known as Bocha in Vietnam.

The Hong-Kong version of bobachacha (磨磨查查 = momochacha, "touch touch grasp grasp) can have taro, kidney beans, red beans, white beans, white wheat (Bubur Terigu), sago, sugar, coconut milk and evaporated milk as ingredients.

Bubur means 'porridge' in Malay.

What is the Wimbledon Trophy called?

Q: What is the name of the Wimbledon trophy?

A: The Gentlemen's Singles champion of Wimbledon receives a silver gilt cup 18.5 inches in height and 7.5 inches in diameter. The trophy bears the inscription: "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World."

What makes the Wimbledon trophy unique? A fruit sits atop the cup! The symbol of the pineapple harks back to 17th century England where it was a sought-after commodity. Today, a silver pineapple is atop the Wimbledon trophy.

The men's trophy has been awarded since 1887 but has no formal designation or nickname.

In contrast, the sterling silver salver awarded to the Ladies' Singles champion is called the "Venus Rosewater Dish." The salver is 18.75 inches in diameter and is decorated with figures from mythology.

In the middle is the figure of Sophrosyne (the personification of temperance and moderation) seated on a chest with a lamp in her right hand and a jug in her left. A sickle, fork and caduceus are present. Around this center are four reserves each containing a classical god. There are seven reserves around the plate inside the outer rim showing Minerva presiding over the seven Liberal Arts: Astrology, Geometry, Arithmetic, Music, Rhetoric, Dialectic and Grammar.

The winners of the Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups.

The Wimbledon trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club. In 2009, that person is Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

Roger Federer won his fifth straight Wimbledon men's title on July 5. Serena Williams won the 2009 Wimbledon women's final on July 4 over her older sister Venus.

What does the word 'uffa' mean?

Q: What does the word 'uffa' mean? It was in an article about Japanese tourists being overcharged in Italy.

A: 'Uffa!' is an interjection in the Italian language.

It can be translated as 'Phew!'

'Uffa' is used to express discomfort or mild disgust or disdain.

Are banks open today? July 3, 2009 (Friday)

Q: Are banks open today? It's July 3, 2009 (Friday), the day before the 4th of July weekend.

A: Yes! Most banks have regular business hours today, the day before July 4 (Saturday). But just to be 100% sure call before going.

It's the post offices that will be closing early today. Most will close at 3 PM, a few as early as 12 noon. But there will be at least one in the general area that will have regular hours. Your local branch should have a sign on the door telling you where the nearest location is. Call ahead to make sure!

Who's the highest-paid person in the White House?

Q: Who's the highest-paid person in the White House?

A: You mean, aside from the president who earns $400,000 a year and Vice President Joe Biden who earns $227,300 a year?

Unexpectedly, the highest paid employee at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is NOT senior adviser David Axelrod, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, press secretary Robert Gibbs or Obama's head speechwriter Jon Favreau, although each of them does make $172,000.

David Marcozzi, the Director of Public Health Policy, earns more with a salary of $192,934 a year. He's the highest-paid person in the White House.

Other salaries of White House employees

— $102,000 salary of Reggie Love, the president's personal aide and "body man"
— $113,000 salary of Desiree Rogers, the White House social secretary
— $84,000 salary of Catherine Lelyveld, press secretary to First Lady Michelle Obama,
— $36,000 salary of Darienne Page, the White House receptionist