found out how to remove it. those folks at microsoft are some tricky buggers.
Show or hide the Ask a Question box
On the Tools menu, click Customize.
Click the Options tab.
On the menu bar, right-click the Ask a Question box. .
Select or deselect Show Ask A Question Box to show or hide it.
Note If you are hiding the Ask a Question box, it will still display until after you close the Customize dialog box.