Like most people, I do a lot of wondering. Perhaps unlike most people, I tend to give voice to the odd questions which occur to me. My friend termed these “Darren’s Curiosities”. I often think that I’d be a happier man if I had a research team at my disposal, just waiting to answer these quandaries. Instead, I sometimes turn to Reddit’s AskReddit and Answers sections, and sometimes they help.
My friend encouraged me to keep track of these questions. So, I started a Tumblr blog where I store them. For what use? I can’t say. It’s not something I really imagined sharing–it was just a convenient spot to store them and share with my friend. Though I do sometimes think of each of the 5592 blog posts on this site as an attempt to answer a question.
In any case, here are 11 things I’ve been wondering about lately. Maybe you know the answer to one of them?
- Which country has the easiest outline to draw?
I wondered about this after hearing a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Case of You”, in which she claims to draw a map on the back of a “cartoon coaster”. We’re not Norway, but that sounded like no easy feat. As for the easiest country, I’m leaning toward Angola. - In North America, parents sometimes give their newborns traditional names, but spell them unusually. Does this happen in other parts of the world as well?
If William becomes Wyliem or Caitlin gets the bonus apostrophe with Kate’Lynn, then does Sergio become Serjioh?
- When I hear a repeated clap in a song, has one or two claps been recorded, or did somebody clap through the entire song in a recording session?
I got a rambling, fascinating answer to this one on Reddit. - Why are animated GIFs still so popular?
- Which Manhattan street is most referenced in song?
Broadway? Lexington? Fifth Avenue? This was prompted by Regina Spektor’s new single, who frequently mentions New York geography. - Do married NHL players father more children than the average man?
- Why aren’t there more TV shows set on college campuses?
I just remembered that I asked this question back in 2005. - Where is his bodyguard when the Prime Minister is at a hockey game?
At the first Winnipeg Jets home game, he was apparently only seated with his daughter in the crowd. Tickets were very hard to come by. - What are recent innovations in elevator technology?
- How many private, corporate gigs does the average successful band do in a year?
By “successful”, I mean “a band whose name you’d recognize”. - Would a cat, falling at feline terminal velocity from a 30th floor balcony, kill a human if it landed on one?
DarrenBarefoot.com 
I would have gone with Italy for the easiest to draw as it’s not overly craggy edged and follows the basic image of a high-heeled boot kicking at a triangle. In Grade 7, for some unknown reason, we were taught how to draw Canada (in very crude form) in under a minute.
As for no. 4, I’d amend to ask: why are they still so popular and, actually, seemingly more popular than ever. Feel there are a lot of Tumblrs dedicated to making funny posts based solely on animated gifs, such as http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/
For no. 6, I’d say no, just that we hear about it more. I’d say rock stars and other Hollywood celebs have more children (but maybe that’s not just the men?).
Which country has the easiest outline to draw?
Not sure of country but Saskatchewan is the easiest province / state to draw!
In North America, parents sometimes give their newborns traditional names, but spell them unusually. Does this happen in other parts of the world as well?
It happens a lot in India and in my state in particular which has a lot more Christian population than most.
When I hear a repeated clap in a song, has one or two claps been recorded, or did somebody clap through the entire song in a recording session?
As far as I know they are recorded and looped throughout the song.
Why are animated GIFs still so popular?
Cause it’s still funny
Which Manhattan street is most referenced in song?
Broadway.
Do married NHL players father more children than the average man?
Errr…..seems like it.
Why aren’t there more TV shows set on college campuses?
I hope there aren’t more.
Where is his bodyguard when the Prime Minister is at a hockey game?
Indian PMs can bring their whole extended family and an army into a sports / cultural event.
What are recent innovations in elevator technology?
How many private, corporate gigs does the average successful band do in a year?
From one US based PR agency owner I spoke to, pop bands / artists could end up doing 10-30 such shows.
Would a cat, falling at feline terminal velocity from a 30th floor balcony, kill a human if it landed on one?
If the cat was Garfield then probably!