On the Lighter Side The Answer Man > Mike Jensen, Professor Legal Studies

Welcome to “Mike Jensen, the Answer Man,” a highly popular personality characteristic of
mine wherein you ask me any question that strikes your fancy, and I give you the answer
guaranteed to cause the most possible damage. Enjoy!

Q. Where did the term “strikes your fancy” come from?
A.I just made it up.

Q. You did not. I’ve heard it used in plenty of situations.
A. Like what?

Q. Like when somebody…wait a minute—aren’t I supposed to be asking the questions? Isn’t that
what the “Q” at the beginning of this sentence stands for?
A. Fine, if that’s what strikes your fancy.

Q. Whatever. How about this: What exactly is daylight savings time?
A. Daylight savings time was invented by farmers in the early 1700s. They noticed that there
wasn’t enough daylight to not plant their crops and still get to the county agricultural office to
apply for their government subsidies. So they started saving an hour a day on weekend days
when government offices were closed and then using that extra hour on weekdays when they
were really needed.

Q. I don’t believe that for a second.
A. You know, if you refuse to believe anything I say, this is never going to work.

Q. Okay, how about this: what Greek mathematician came up with the Pythagorean
Theorem?
A. That’s an easy one: John Theorem.

Q. And what exactly does the Pythagorean Theorem say?
A. It says that the sum of the angles of a right triangle, when added to the speed of light
(E=MC2), will equal the length of the hypotenuse multiplied by gravity (as measured in square
meters per hectare) as a percentage of volume.

Q. Really?
A. How the heck should I know? I’m an English teacher, not a math teacher.

Q. Should we end this column with a couple of really bad jokes?
A. Great idea.

Q. What did the first toilet say to the second toilet?
A. You look flushed.

Q. What did the tie say to the hat?
A. You go on ahead; I’ll just hang around.

     And there you have it, readers. If you happen to see me around or are inanely bored, you might
want to ask me the famous question: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” (Hint: the answer
may surprise you! Or not.)

[This article was originally published in our August, 2009 issue.]