Got this from http://www.wikihow.com/Ask-a-Question-Intelligently:

1. Define exactly what it is you want to know. This involves categorizing all the concepts in your head. Once you have the concept you are unsure of clearly in your head, then you can begin. Don’t ask a question just for the sake of it.
2. Never ask a question in an aggressive manner that indicates you are only asking the question to prove to the other person that you are right and they are wrong, unless they are wrong and refuse to admit it. Ask because you are genuinely interested.
3. Start off with something simple that lets them know that you are about to state your opinion, but realise it is not complete and you are hoping they can fill in some gaps.
4. Lay your concepts/ideas and assumptions on the table taking care to make sure that the other person is fully aware of exactly what your current thinking is, and why you think it.
5. Pleasantly ask for the gap in your knowledge to be filled, and if appropriate, ask them how they know this and what the general trend is that would short cut path to that knowledge. i.e. no use in asking “is that alive? is that alive?” to everything you see, when the general trend is “if it grows and/or moves independently, then it is. otherwise, you can take it as a given that it is not.”
6. Thank the person. Try and return the favor sometime.

Tips:

• Example: “well, up to now, i’ve always thought that classical music was awful music and not worth listening to. Maybe it’s because all my friends hated it. But if musicians and educated men and women enjoy it, there must be something to it. I know you like it, so can you tell me what there is to appreciate?”
• Incorporate the audience into the question. Invite them in with phrases such as- “did you think about..” or “Have you considered this question…”
• Try and read more so you have substance to what you are actually saying.
• Don’t use huge words. They’ll make you sound pretentious. Just tap into your intellectual but friendly side, and don’t worry too much about coming off as brilliant.

Warning:

Watch out for getting aggressive at the response you get if you don’t like the answers you get. If you’re not willing to receive any and all answers, don’t ask the question. Sometimes a person can answer aggressively to your innocent query. Don’t fret. They just think the question was beneath them, and that you are stupid to ask it. You’re not. They are just bitter and have forgotten what it’s like to search for answers. Basically they think they know everything. You know you don’t. You’re the tortoise. They are the hare.

Thanks to Lisa for tipping me off to this.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoy the food network. One of the new shows that has aired this year is Ham on the Street hosted by George Duran. I never quite figured it out, but one of the reasons I liked George is because he looked so familiar. I did not figure it out till tonight! He is the Mark Driscoll of the culinary world. Like Piper and Koch, these guys are parallel down the line. George is a French trained chef, so he is generally the highest pedigree in his field, yet has chosen to appeal to the common American regarding some of the oddest and coolest food out there. He has had episodes from gourmet microwaving to banquet style camping. Mark did his undergrad work with a minor in philosophy and chose to narrow his emphasis on epistemology and the historical epistemological shift that took place after the life of Descartes. He has chosen to appeal to the unchurched young culture of Seattle while maintaining a Reformed theological perspective, which is (pardon my bias) the highest pedigree of his field. But more than that, these two guys looks identical. I swear, if Driscoll had a soul patch in his picture to the right there would be no telling them apart.

Let’s set the context. Kalila’s mom is a contradiction in terms. She has homeschooled Kalila and her siblings, she is very conservative theologically (she wears a headcovering to church, which obviously indicates that she dresses conservatively), and is very careful about what the kids are exposed to (they used to edit every movie they watched to take anything close to a “negative” influence; Kalila had never seen ‘Saved By the Bell’ because her mother thought is was too negative). She is what you think of when you think of a christian mother. Very sweet, always encouraging, gentle, and positive. She has the perfect motherly tone of voice (like Cartman’s mom on Southpark) and is classy. YET, she is generally up-to-date with much of pop culture. She loves Coldplay, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Dave Matthews Band, Third Eye Blind, The Verve, Lenny Kravitz, Yellowcard, The Beatles, The White Stripes, The Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, and many more that I don’t know about. She took my 18 year-old brother-in-law to see Dave Matthews and Coldplay.

With that in mind read her email to Kalila today:Last night was the Train concert. I was dead-center balcony with a good view, and they played all the great songs from all four albums. After the show, I wanted to get my CDs autographed so I was hanging around the stage with a small crowd. Someone came out and said the band wouldn’t be coming out, but a small backstage party was being held for people with backstage passes.Since there was alcohol no one under 21 was allowed, and they were carding . One girl with a backstage pass (How DO they get them???) was 16 and couldn’t get in, so I altruistically offered to get her pass and ticket autographed for her, if she gave me her pass. So there’s your mom, schmaltzing backstage, drinking beer with the band. The room was tiny, so they only let 15 people in! The only down side was that not all the band showed up! I got autographs from the lead guitarist (excellent) and keyboardist. Still, it was pretty cool! LOL, Mom

I have no idea how she did that, but my homeschooling, headcovered, conservative-minded mother-in-law is a groupie.