Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508120004
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: It's very inexpensive - about $1 - according to a spokesman for Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.. Markey introduced the v-chip amendment, part of a massive telecommunications bill passed recently by the House.
Q: My daughter-in-law told me that cayenne pepper mixed with birdseed will keep squirrels away. It works, but is it safe for the birds?
A: It won't hurt them. But a wildlife agent at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service said a commercial product may be a better choice because it's much more concentrated. The product, Squirrel Away, is ``hundreds of times'' stronger than common peppers, according to a spokesman for the manufacturer, Scrypton Systems of Annapolis, Md. It works by changing the squirrels' behavior. Squirrels - as well as raccoons, chipmunks, rats and bears - quickly learn that the ``backyard bird feeder is not the place to eat, and they go on to other food sources in the area,'' he said. Birds are not affected because they don't have receptors for capsaicin, the chemical that makes pepper hot for mammals. Squirrel Away costs about $3 an ounce, enough to treat 20 pounds of birdseed. It's available in pet stores.
Q: How can I contact the National Horseshoe Association?
A: Write: National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America, Box 7927, Columbus, Ohio 43207.
Q: Where does the Concorde fly? How much do tickets cost?
A: Air France and British Airways are the only airlines operating the supersonic aircraft. Air France flies it between Paris and New York; British Airways, between London and New York. A few other routes have been attempted but were abandoned because of lack of demand. British Airways quotes ``normal'' fares of $4,509 each way but says a ``special'' fare of $7,574 round trip is available. Air France quotes a fare of $5,540 round trip.
Q: I'm interested in knowing the cumulative inflation from 1980 to now. For example, if I were making $20,000 in 1980 and my salary kept up with inflation, what would I be making today?
A: You'd be earning $35,970.87, according to Mary Kassis, research coordinator at Georgia State University's Economic Forecasting Center. She arrived at that figure by calculating the Consumer Price Index of 1980 (82.4) and the CPI for the last full year, which was 1994 (148.2).
Q: Has the Ebola virus been totally contained?
A: No new cases have been reported for the past several months in Kikwit, Zaire, where the outbreak occurred this spring. Tom Skinner, spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said about 300 cases of the virus had been reported in Zaire, with about 233 deaths. The CDC continues to work on the case, he said, testing tissue samples of insects and animals trapped at the site, 375 miles east of Kinshasa, Zaire's capital.
Q: Hank Aaron is to be the chairman of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Negro National League at the Negro League Baseball Museum. Where is that? Is the event open to the public, and are tickets available? Where can we get more information?
A: The museum is in Kansas City, Mo. The anniversary celebration will be Oct. 27-29. Most events are for athletes and their families, but a Saturday-night ``gala'' on Oct. 28, with dinner and celebrity entertainment, will be open to the public. Visions USA, an Atlanta company, is handling promotions. Tickets cost $150 a person. Information: Visions USA, 404-880-0002; Negro League Baseball Museum, 718-221- 1920. .
Q: Ten movies took in a total of $75 million one recent weekend. How much money has ``Gone With the Wind'' earned?
A: The book ``The Top 10 of Everything,'' taking a long-range view factoring in inflation since the film's release in 1939, declares ``Gone With the Wind'' Hollywood's all-time money maker. In cash terms, the Vivien Leigh-Clark Gable classic has earned almost 20 times the then-record $4,230,000 it cost to make, the book says. Over the 56 years since its release, GWTW's rental fees have topped $80 million. Indexing those earnings would establish the figure at more than $500 million in today's money, the book says.
Q: Why are 21-gun salutes used to honor our president and heads of state? Why not 18 or 50?
A: Gun salutes began in the early days of the British navy. A gun was fired to signify that the person doing the firing - the ``saluter'' - had disarmed himself in deference to the other person or people being ``saluted.'' It was only one shot for the simple reason that, at that time, guns could not be loaded quickly for more than one shot. Since 21 guns were mounted on one side of the larger naval vessels, firing all of them became the highest mark of respect, reserved for heads of state. Smaller numbers of guns were fired to salute people of lesser importance. This form of saluting was first used in the United States in 1875. As commander-in-chief, the president is accorded the highest salute: 21 guns, by tradition.
Q: How can I contact Newt Watch?
A: The organization, which describes itself as ``a coalition of critics of House Speaker Newt Gingrich,'' can be reached by calling Public Citizen, 404-451-2901.
Q: Weather patterns traditionally move west to east. Why does a hurricane move east to west?
A: In northern latitudes, air movement is generally west to east because of prevailing westerly winds. But when the tropical latitudes are reached, south of the Tropic of Cancer and north of the Tropic of Capricorn, air movement is generally east to west because of complex thermodynamic interactions and the Earth's spin. As a hurricane moves away from the tropics, its clockwise curve propels Atlantic hurricanes into the eastern United States. Pacific typhoons move across the coastlines of Japan and onto the Asian mainland.
Q: How can I contact the Job Accommodation Network?
A: Write or call: Job Accommodation Network, 918 Chestnut Ridge Road, Suite 1, P.O. Box 6080, Morgantown, W.Va. 26506; 304-293-7186. The organization offers a free consulting service that figures out how employees can overcome functional limitations at work.
Q: When will the Emmy awards be announced?
A: Sept. 10, on Fox.
Q: How can I contact Attorney General Janet Reno about the Waco hearings?
A: The address: The Hon. Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States, Department of Justice, 10th St. and Constitution Avenue N.W., Room 4400, Washington, D.C. 20530. The salutation should read: Dear Madam Attorney General. Fax: (202) 514- 4371.
Q: Do you have an address for Mickey Mantle? I also would like to write Hank Aaron.
A: Send mail to Mantle in care of his attorney, Roy True, 8080 North Central Expressway, Suite 900, Dallas, Texas 75206. Write to Aaron in care of the Henry Aaron Foundation, One CNN Center, Suite 1416 North, Atlanta, Ga. 30303.
by CNB