Not unless the president or the governor directs it. Those are the only two people authorized to order the lowering of a flag, said Terry Troutman, department adjutant for the Wisconsin American Legion.

Nerdy grammar note: A flag that is flown on land would actually be lowered to "half-staff" rather than "half-mast." For more details on the flag code, check out the Web page at http://www.wilegion.org/flagetiquette.

I've heard of Medicare parts A and B to cover medical costs, and now Part D, the prescription drug plan. Why isn't there a Medicare Part C?

It's there, just a little less publicized. It's an optional Medicare package that allows people to get their insurance through a private insurer, said Mary Kahn, spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a division of the national Department of Health and Human Services.

Legislation passed in 1997 gave Americans the extra option of Part C - or the Medicare Advantage Plan, as it is often called. Participating companies offer plans like typical HMOs or PPOs, Kahn said. The allure is that a certain plan might offer a person better prescription benefits or more coverage for eyeglasses than traditional Medicare, Kahn said.

Rather than me confusing you further, I'll let the government do it. For more information on the various Medicare options, go to http://www.medicare.gov.

Squirrels are living in a hole in my roof. How many times a season does a female squirrel give birth?

I can sense you're cringing at this answer. Count on gray squirrels to have two litters per year with an average of three babies each time, wildlife biologist Marty Johnson of the state Department of Natural Resources' Sturtevant center wrote in reply.

Your roof might not be a maternity ward for another few months. Heaviest breeding times are January and June, Johnson wrote. With a 44-day gestational period, that puts births most often in February or early March and the end of July or August.

As a kid, we received a packet in the mail for Nielsen ratings in which we had to record every show we watched. Then we had to mail the paperwork back. With all the technology today, I am sure it is still not done that way. Can you explain how television ratings are measured?

The Nielsen Web site lays out its methods for determining which of the 37 "Law & Order" spinoffs is most watched. Believe it or not, the low-tech paper diaries you remember are still used in smaller TV markets.

Much of the work, though, is done by electronic devices. The so-called People Meters are described on the Nielsen site:

"The People Meter is a 'box' - about the size of a paperback book - that's hooked up to each television set and is accompanied by a remote control unit. Each family member in a sample household is assigned a personal viewing button, which is matched to that person's age and sex. Whenever the TV is turned on, a light flashes on the meter, reminding viewers to press their assigned button and to indicate that they're watching television."

Mike Moore compiles the Glad You Asked column, which seeks answers to questions of local interest. Want something answered? Call us at (262) 631-1758 or e-mail: ask@journaltimes.com