Perhaps those delicate souls feel that bluntly saying "I need some help" is too demanding, and so phrase their need as a question in order to empower you with the implied option to say no.

I get annoyed with authors who call up and ask diffidently if I will please help with something. "Can you please help me to correct these minor errors in my paper?" I'm not helping you. That would imply that you are doing it and I am assisting. Just tell me what you want.

It's also a form of politeness/social lube, especially when the person feels sheepish or is just really confused. I very often preface inquiries for help with "I'm hoping you can help me" or "I was wondering if you could help." It's partly about acknowledging that I may be an imposition. Also, in my experience on both ends of the line, sometimes the answer is "No, I cannot help with this" and it's easiest to get that out of the way early, especially in phone tree hell.

I mean, I'm spending half my life at Home Despot, and every time I can't find something in that maze, I creep up to an orange shirt and go "I was wondering if you could help me find the X?" Sometimes they can, sometimes not their department.

Well, it's not like they're asking me how to cook a turkey. They're asking how to install the update to the program whose technical support line they just logged into. It just strikes me as obsequious and "Please abuse me, I'm probably not worthy of asking for help," which does not trigger my empathy when the backlog for support is making management bring in lunch so we can stay at our desks and eat between talking to people. It ties into "You've known for three months that you needed this upgrade! And they've given you an extension! Why did you wait till the last minute!"

This doesn't really make sense to me. These things seem unrelated to me. But, whatever, I guess you're just venting. I always nicely explain the problem I'm having (or the upgrade I want, etc) and then ask if the CS person can help me. I don't think I'm going to change that practice.

Also, in my experience on both ends of the line, sometimes the answer is "No, I cannot help with this" and it's easiest to get that out of the way early, especially in phone tree hell.

Good god yes! This.

My cat is trying very hard to jam her nose into my armpit.

She's weird.

Something mauled my tigerlily. I fear it is done for. Bah.

8 Starship Enterprise Facts Every Trekker Should Know

That's right - the iconic starship wasn't always named USS Enterprise ... in the original draft, Roddenberry named it USS Yorktown after a World War II aircraft carrier. The starship was commanded by Captain Robert April, then Christopher Pike, before Roddenberry settled on James Tiberius Kirk.

Huh.

But they don't say which WW-II Yorktown aircraft carrier (there were two, the second named after the one sunk at Midway).

I get what Connie is saying. People apologizes for asking me questions at the library. I sit at the desk covered with question marks. Sometimes I just don't want to go through the ritual. I forestall the apology part ( which is followed by the 'that's what they pay me for . haha)by trying to ask if I can help them first

I don't know. We live in a pretty rude world. I am always glad whenever someone is polite. And I do see the question as a way of trying not to impose.

Helicopter has been circling my neighborhood for 45 minutes. Wonder why? Should I turn the news on?