Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 11, 1993 TAG: 9304110232
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETTY PARHAM and GERRIE FERRIS COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEWS
Q: Why is there no letter Q on the telephone dial?A: W.G. Blauvelt, a name that will live in telephone history, designed the dial in 1917 without the Q or the Z because they got little use.
Q: What countries are Israel's primary trading partners, and what is its chief export?
A: The United States and the countries of the European Community. Israel's primary export is electronics, according to the Israeli Consulate.
Q: Is Bill Clinton a Mason?
A: No, but as a youngster he was active in DeMolay, a Masonic-sponsored fraternity designed to provide guidance for boys and young men ages 13 to 21.
Q: I was disheartened to see that it is not uncommon for trees up to 600 years old to be cut down for lumber. What is the oldest living tree?
A: A bristlecone pine in California not only is the oldest tree, but with the possible exception of certain clones of older plants and some fungi and lichens, several sources say it is the oldest living thing on Earth. Named "Methusellah," the tree - which is being well taken care of in Inyo National Forest, 10,000 feet up in California's White Mountains - is nearly 5,000 years old. In 1974, it reportedly produced 48 live seedlings.
Q: Is it possible for non-Muslims to visit Mecca?
A: No, only Muslims are permitted to enter Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed. It is in Saudi Arabia.
Q: Why doesn't somebody at the newspaper handicap the economists like they do ballplayers? Anytime an economist predicts what will happen, it should be indicated how many times he was right or wrong in the past.
A: It couldn't be done, because economists are never wrong, says Atlanta Journal-Constitution chief economics writer Bill Hendrick. "Notice that whenever economists speak for publication, they always are careful to give themselves a well-crafted out in case they don't hit the mark - much like weather forecasters who can always rationalize in hindsight why their prediction did not pan out," he said. It's been said that the motto of economists is "Seldom right, but never in doubt."
Q: Is Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat married?
A: For much of his life, the bachelor Arafat said he was married to "a woman called Palestine." But in 1991 he wed his 28-year-old secretary, Suha Tawil. He delayed an announcement for months, reportedly fearing criticism from Muslim leaders because his bride is a Christian.
Q: When did the process of using radiation to preserve food begin, and how is irradiated food labeled?
A: America's first astronauts ate irradiated foods. After 40 years of government research, the first approved use occurred when the Food and Drug Administration permitted its use to kill insects on wheat in 1963. But industry never adopted its use because cheaper methods of preservation were available. In the early 1980s, the FDA went further in permitting irradiation of fruits, vegetables and meats. Labels on packaged foods must state clearly that the product has been irradiated, and a logo must be placed on the item. When food is irradiated, most of the radiation passes through without being absorbed. The small amount absorbed is what kills insects and bacteria, extends shelf life and retards ripening.
Q: As nonsmokers, the Clintons have banned smoking in the White House. Do they drink, and is alcohol banned or allowed?
A: The chief usher's office at the White House told us that no mention has been made of an alcohol ban. Although the Clintons have hosted no state dinners as yet, traditionally champagne and wine are served on those occasions. It has been reported that the president drinks very little alcohol and is partial to Clausthaler, a nonalcoholic German beer. Nothing on whether the first lady takes a sip every now and then.
Q: If a patient dies on the operating table does his family still have to pay for the procedure?
A: Yes - the family or the insurance company.
Q: Could you please print the lyrics of the song about Hillary Clinton that is so much requested on Washington radio stations?
A: Here is "I Am Hillary," written by Rob Izenberg and sung to the tune of Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman."
I am Hillary, hear me roar
I'm more important than Al Gore
I could run this country if I had the chance
Got an office down the hall
Now Bill can't fool around at all
In this White House family I wear the pants
Chorus:
Oh yes I'm his wife, but I'm in love with politics
Yes this is the life, I might run in ninety-six
If I want to I will say anything
I'm so strong, I'm undivorceable
I am Clinton
I am Clinton, I'm undivorceable
I am Clinton, I'm undivorceable
Q: I read about a proposal before Congress that would require the Commerce Department to include the value of all unpaid housework as part of the gross domestic product. If this passes, what will it do for homemakers?
A: Money-wise - nothing. Respect-wise - a boost.
Q: How did Mohammed Said Hirsi, a Somali warlord, come to be known as Gen. Morgan?
A: The State Department found there are two stories about how Hirsi became Gen. Morgan. The first is that he became enchanted with Morgan the Pirate, a swashbuckling character he saw in a movie. The second is that he came away very impressed after seeing a stallion of the breed of horse called a Morgan.
Q: I noticed that John Grisham not only had the No. 1 best seller on the New York Times list but also had the top three paperback best sellers. Has this ever been duplicated?
A: The best-seller list for the Times could not recall that it had, though authors Robert Ludlam, Stephen King and others have had the top-selling hardback and paperback at the same time.
Q: Who was Dorothy Chandler, for whom the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - where they held the Oscar ceremony - was named?
A: Dorothy Buffam Chandler is a civic-minded Los Angeles resident and member of the family that owned the Los Angeles Times. She raised and provided most of the money for the building that bears her name.
Q: When was the British constitution written, and who signed it?
A: Britain does not have a single written document. The British constitution consists of many documents written over time. They include the Magna Carta in 1215, the Petition of Right in 1628 and the Act of Settlement of 1701 along with laws of Parliament, court decisions and common law.
Q: What causes a person's organs to fail after seven to 10 days on a heart pump? It would seem that if the pump were substituting for the heart, the organs wouldn't know the difference.
A: Dr. John T. Watson, chief of heart assist devices at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said the bio pump only has stability for seven to 10 days. It develops thromboses or blood clots, which can dislodge and enter a patient's body. "There is no clock limit on the patient," he said. "Fresh pumps can replace the old ones, depending on the condition of the patient."