Dear treasure hunter,

Go to http://www.museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/handbook/hb161.html to see our Were-Jaguar with Half-Mask Olmec, Mexico, ca.150 B.C.­A.D. 250 Ceramic jar. The shaman's transformation into a jaguar through his wearing of the skin of the beast is represented on this Olmec ceramic vessel, from Veracruz. His mask, with lolling tongue and pointed fang, clearly only covers half his face, showing that he is in the process of change. This hollow vessel may have been used to contain a potent hallucinogenic liquid made from plants that helped the shaman enter a trance and complete his transformation. The personage represented on the vessel might also have been noble.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Research Associate,

Welcome to our world!  Your husband would not be eligible for an ID, but he can get a general ID for check-cashing, etc. through the Ithaca City Police. Student benefits are offered because students have lower incomes. You can contact the Human Resources Office for any questions you have about benefits of being a Cornell employee.  The Office of the University Registrar actually creates the ID.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Constitutional,

Professor Steve Jackson, who teaches in the Cornell in Washington program, shared this response with you.  He is not a Constitutional-scholar or lawyer, but through his experience was able to provide the following thoughts:

"Let me preface my reply with the following observations-

"1) I do not believe Bill Clinton will run for the Vice Presidency.  I cannot imagine him willing to be the Vice when he's already tasted the real thing.

"2) I do not believe Bill Clinton should run for the Vice Presidency.  The two-term limitation on the presidency is one small way in which the American political system seeks to provide incentives for the emergence of new leadership and disincentives for the concentration of political power.  These incentives are so rare that they ought to be protected, whenever possible.

"3) The question posed about Clinton's eligibility to run for the Vice Presidency has not been addressed directly by the Supreme Court and ultimately, that is where the legal answer will be found.

"Nonetheless, I would argue that the plain meaning of the texts of the 12th and 22nd amendments to the Constitution, along with the 2nd article of that Constitution, suggest to me that Clinton could be nominated constitutionally to stand for the Vice Presidency.  Let me sketch that argument out here.

12th Amendment

'But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States.'

"The above cited 12th amendment provides the strongest argument against Clinton's eligibility to run for the VP job.  If Clinton is 'ineligible to the Office of President' then he is ineligible to that of Vice President and thus, should not be allowed to seek the office.  But is Clinton ineligible to the Office of President?

Article 2

'No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

"Article 2 sets out the basic eligibility requirements for the President.  Clinton satisfies all of these.  However, isn't he ineligible because he has already served 8 years as President?

22nd Amendment

'No person shall be elected to the Office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the Office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the Office of the President more than once.'

"The 22nd amendment does not appear to make Clinton ineligible to the office of President; rather, it makes him ineligible to be elected to the office.  Is this a difference worth distinguishing?  It probably is.  The amendment does not appear to prevent a person from succeeding to the Presidency whether from the Vice Presidency or further down the line of succession should that come to pass.

"This analysis does not address the original intent of the amendments, nor the historical contexts either at the time of adoption nor today.  Nonetheless, as much as we can derive from the plain text of the Constitution and its amendments, it suggests to me that, unwise as it might be, Bill Clinton could constitutionally seek election to the Vice Presidency."

I hope that Professor Jackson's argument begins to clarify some of your questions, and provides additional ammunition for debate amongst your friends, or some ideas for where to start further research on the subject.  Thanks Professor Jackson for your help!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear skin crawling,

Please check the Ezra archives to find out about the famous fistulated cows.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear concerned,

It sounds like you are concerned about these bumps. There are many kinds of skin conditions and many causes.  I hope you will make an appointment with a doctor to get these bumps evaluated.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to cease worrying about them and start treating them. 

Although some conditions may come and go without medical intervention, the key is to pay attention to your fear. Your own knowledge of yourself tells you when a condition is scary and deserves special attention. I hope you will be feeling better soon.  

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Ed,

I appreciate your wanting to help out with this job. I could certainly use your assistance. However, at this time, there are not any students working on the Dear Uncle Ezra questions. We are hoping to develop the program to allow students to do some research,
writing and editing, as we have had them do in the past. If you see a question that you wish to add to in response, please write in.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Olsen fan,

Sorry, the Olsen twins, who gained notoriety growing up on television by sharing the role of kid-sister Michelle on Full House, are not students at Cornell.  Although now that they have graduated from high school I hear that they've set their college sights on NYU.  Perhaps you heard the rumor from a fellow student, or stumbled upon it while searching the web?  There are sites out there with links and home pages made to look like real CNN sites with this type of fictitious information.  When you find these pages, look carefully: is the spelling and grammar consistent with a news organization? Are you able to link to other pages from that news organization? Don't let them pull your leg off.   I hope you have a great fall semester and are able to find another set of twins to befriend.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear not afraid of hard work,

Good questions.  If indeed you are not afraid of hard work, you can start to research the answers, and consider it a learning process. Make some personal appointments with people who might be good resources, and use the opportunity to start your business contact black book. Browse a magazine store like Borders for literature on entrepreneurship.  Good luck.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear best idea,

It was a great sermon. Janet Reno has an extraordinarily strong and gentle presence and is gracious to be around. Usually within 2 weeks after a sermon is aired (one week delayed from pulpit), tapes can be obtained at a cost of $7 through CURW at 255-4214 (Melissa Flood). At no costs, within the same time frame, one can access the CURW website and listen to an audio link on the Sage Chapel page. Enjoy!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Curious,

Here it is, the end of July, I suspect the stores will putting our their Halloween candy soon (sigh)!  One October morning in 1997, a pumpkin mysteriously appeared on the lightening rod of 173-foot tall McGraw Tower.  The pumpkin garnered local and national media attention and even inspired a live internet pumpkin camera for viewers worldwide to tune in and see.  According to Cornell Police, the case is still open since the perpetrator was never found.  The Cornell Daily Sun did publish a plausible confession some time afterwards but no names were revealed.  To learn more about what occurred, read Q18 from the 5/29/01 posting.

Uncle Ezra