Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 2, 1995 TAG: 9507030130
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: Contact either of the two organizations that compiled the report: National Taxpayers Union, 202-543-1300; or Friends of the Earth, 202-783-7400.
Q: Is there any truth to the oft-heard advice about not eating oysters in a month without an ``R''? A recent article said oysters are unsafe to eat at any time. Why is that?
A: If you mean raw oysters, health experts say you should never eat them. Estes Reynolds of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service said the ``R'' month theory evolved in the days before refrigeration because contaminants and bacteria in oysters and shellfish increased to unhealthy levels in warmer months. When refrigeration became common the distinction lost its importance, but by then the ``R'' month tale was lore. The Food and Drug Administration says raw oysters should be avoided because of bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, that can cause serious illness or death. The bacteria are found naturally and are common in Gulf of Mexico oysters, the FDA says. The only safe way to eat oysters is after they are fully cooked. The FDA recommends checking with a doctor, because some people are more susceptible to the bacteria than others.
The FDA operates a Seafood Safety Hotline, 800-332-4010. Consumers can listen to recorded information and can order free material by mail or fax.
Q: What is the longest regularly scheduled nonstop flight in the world?
A: It's between New York and Johannesburg, South Africa - a 7,967-mile hop operated by South African Airways. Flying time averages 14 hours, 25 minutes. Because of wind variations, flight times don't necessarily correspond to flight distances, said Lorra Morrill, a spokeswoman for South African Airways. Other long-distance nonstops: New York-Taipei, Taiwan, 7,788 miles; Miami-Cape Town, South Africa, 7,650 miles; and Los Angeles-Sydney, Australia, 7,489 miles.
Q: What are the vital statistics of the Statue of Liberty?
A: From the base of the pedestal to the tip of the torch, the statue is 301 feet, 1 inch tall. The figure itself is 151 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 225 tons. The statue was presented to the United States on July 4, 1884.
Q: World leaders at the recent economic summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia, were greeted by Canadian Mounties. I didn't know they still existed. What do they do?
A: Immortalized by Hollywood, the red-coated, broad-hatted Mounties are one of the most widely recognized symbols of Canada. The ``mounted'' refers to horses. In 1873, officers of the North-West Mounted Police, as it was then called, covered their territory on horseback. Today, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has more than 16,000 peace officers and 5,000 civilian employees. It acts as a municipal police force in about 200 cities and towns and provides police services in the Yukon and Northwest Territories and eight of Canada's 10 provinces. It enforces federal statutes dealing with narcotics, counterfeiting and other crimes, as well as immigration and passport control and national security. .
Q: Where does the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup get its name?
A: In 1893, Baron Stanley of Preston, the governor general of Canada, donated a silver bowl to be awarded annually to the amateur hockey champions of Canada. Professional teams in the National Hockey Association began competing for it in 1910. The NHA reorganized and became the NHL in 1917.
Q: A recent article mentioned 80-million-year-old bone fragments found in Utah. Where can the public view dinosaur digs?
A: Several sites let you get an up-close look. For information on Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail and Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks in Moab, Utah, call 801- 259-8193. For Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Price, Utah, call 801- 637-4584. For Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Utah, call 801-789-2115. Other possibilities: Dinosaur Provincial Park in Patricia, Alberta, 403- 378-4342; Badlands National Park at Interior, S.D., 605-433-5361; and Fossil Butte National Monument at Kemmerer, Wyo., 307-877-4455.
Q: What position of the sun, with respect to the horizon, is used to determine the exact time of sunrise and sunset?
A: Jim Noffsinger at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga., said the Naval Observatory defines the times of sunrise and sunset as the instant when the upper rim of the sun appears to lie on the horizon to an observer at sea level. It's a theoretical calculation, rounded off to the nearest minute, as determined by the observatory. Because the horizon is not flat, and because of variations in light refraction based on the height of the observer in relation to the horizon, the observed times at any location may differ, Noffsinger said.
Q: Years ago, I always heard that on March 19 every year, swallows would return to Capistrano, Calif. I don't hear about it any more. Does it still occur?
A: The Feast of St. Joseph - the day swallows traditionally return to Capistrano - was observed on schedule March 19. But because of preservation work on the deteriorating 225-year-old Mission of San Juan Capistrano, fewer birds returned than in years past. Some nests were removed when workers erected scaffolding at the mission, scaring some birds away. However, a spokesman for the city's Chamber of Commerce said the mission is luring them back by using decoys and releasing insects for food.
Q: I see that Coca-Cola opposes the current sugar price support system. Why is that, since Coca-Cola uses corn syrup as a sweetener?
A: Coca-Cola Co. is a leader in the fight against federal subsidies to sugar growers, but it isn't acting alone. According to the National Soft Drink Industry Association in Washington, the entire soft drink industry wants to end price supports. Association spokesman Jim Finkelstein said all soft drink manufacturers use high-fructose corn syrup as a major sweetener in addition to some sugar. Although the price of corn syrup is lower than that of sugar, it is artificially pegged to sugar's price, he said. The association believes that if price supports were ended, sugar's price - and that of corn syrup - would drop. The U.S. price for sugar is about 8 cents a pound higher than the world price, which translates to a cost of $900 million a year to the soft drink industry, Finkelstein said.
Q: Why wasn't the Canadian anthem played at the first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs, since most of the players are from Canada?
A: Although it could be played, it isn't required, since both teams (Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils) were from the United States.
Q: Is there a way to stop unwanted telephone sales calls?
A: You may be able to reduce the number of unwanted sales calls you receive, but you won't be able to eliminate them. Send a letter stating that you do not want such calls to: Telephone Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9014, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735-9014. The association will advise its members not to call you, but that won't stop nonmembers.
Q: Who is the elegant-looking man on the Infiniti TV commercials?
A: He's British actor Jonathan Pryce, who's currently performing the role of Fagin in ``Oliver'' at the London Palladium. He played the lead in ``Miss Saigon'' in London and New York. You also may have seen him in the movies ``Glengarry Glen Ross'' and ``Brazil.''
by CNB