Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509150109
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: Yes, ``Paul Clifford,'' written in 1830 by Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton, a British novelist and playwright best known for ``The Last Days of Pompeii.'' Bulwer- Lytton also served in Parliament and was secretary for the British colonies. Popular in his day, he now is the butt of contests in his name that honor bad writing.
Q: One of the commentators reporting on the China women's conferences for CNN was Andrea Koppel. Is she related to ABC's Ted Koppel? What is her broadcast background?
A. She's Ted Koppel's daughter. Before joining CNN as a correspondent in its Tokyo bureau, she was with WPLG-TV in Miami. Earlier this year she was promoted to chief of CNN's Beijing bureau.
Q: A recent article reported that an ``old-growth virgin forest'' had been discovered near Boston. What does that mean?
A. Age is the factor. The recent discovery of 295-year-old oaks and other ancient trees surviving on Mount Wachusett impressed environmentalists because they exist in a region that has been heavily farmed and logged for most of its 375 years of settlement. At some point, almost every patch of land in the area has been cleared. Peter Dunwiddie, a plant ecologist at the Massachusetts Audubon Society, told The Boston Globe that the Wachusett stand could be much older than 295 years, an age he determined by counting tree rings in core samples from eight trees.
Q: An article about Jessica Savitch, the '70s TV anchor, quoted Leslie Stahl as saying Savitch was a victim of the Peter Principle. Where did that term come from?
A. In their 1969 book ``The Peter Principle,'' Dr. Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull enunciated the idea that in a hierarchy, ``every employee tends to rise to the level of his incompetence.'' Stahl's context was that Savitch, who rose meteorically to become a network anchor, was a victim of the principle because in her day, ``some women were promoted right away, without being given a chance to climb.''
Q: I was surprised to read that 25 percent of all children in the United States have not been immunized against common childhood diseases. One reason cited was cost. What happened to the federal immunization program?
A. It's not correct to say that 25 percent of all children have not been immunized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure applies to preschool children only. By school age, more than 95 percent of all children in the United States are fully vaccinated, the CDC says, so the national Childhood Immunization Initiative, launched in 1993, has been very successful. About 11,000 babies are born each day in the United States, the CDC says, so the vaccination effort is continuous and enormous. Through the immunization initiative, children may be vaccinated for free; for locations, call 800-232-2522 for English, 800-232-0233 for Spanish, or check with your health care provider. Immunizations also are available for a nominal fee at public clinics and some private medical practices.
Q: Cal Ripkin Jr. now holds the record for the most consecutive major league games ever played. Has anyone ever played in more nonconsecutive games?
A. Pete Rose holds the over-all record of 3,562 games, according to the Guinness Book of Records 1995.
Q: When will the Galileo spacecraft arrive at Jupiter? What is its mission there?
A. The spacecraft, launched in October 1989, is scheduled to enter orbit around Jupiter on Dec. 7. It then will receive and relay data from an atmospheric probe that was targeted toward Jupiter and separated from the main spacecraft in July. Galileo will conduct a two-year, 11-orbit survey of Jupiter, its satellites, magnetosphere and the dust environment.
Q: What river was the movie ``Deliverance'' filmed on?
A. The 1972 movie's whitewater scenes were filmed on the Chattooga River along the South Carolina-Georgia line.
Q: A new poison ivy treatment recently was described as being in the experimental stage. When will it go on the market, and will it be available by prescription only?
A. If you're hoping that the lotion, containing quaternium-18 bentonite, will be available soon, scratch that. It still has to undergo approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The process can take a year or several years, according to the developer, Enviroderm Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of United Catalysts. Research into the product's effectiveness was described in the August issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. .
Q: Was the cost of first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's and Chelsea Clinton's trip to India ever made public?
A. No, nor will it be. The White House cites ``security reasons'' for not revealing exact costs of this or any other high-level trip. A reporter asking for an explanation was told that Secret Service teams are involved, so nothing more can be said. In addition to housing, communications, staff, air time for the aircraft and other expenses for such a trip, there are myriad costs for teams of people who travel ahead of time to make arrangements - including security. It's not a Clinton thing, by the way. Reporters have tried unsuccessfully for years to get specific cost information on such trips. The typical response has always been a brushoff, no matter who is in office, the reporter said.
Q: How can I obtain telephone directories for cities such as Los Angeles and Manhattan?
A. Call 800- 682-4000. A current White Pages directory for Los Angeles is $17.20; for Manhattan, $48.80. They can be charged to Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards and will be delivered by UPS. .
Q: Since summer in Australia falls in different months than in the United States, in what calendar months will the Summer Olympics be held in Sydney in 2000?
A: Sydney could be said to be hosting the ``Spring Olympics.'' The International Olympic Committee allows a special dispensation to Southern Hemisphere hosts, because July and August fall during their winter. In Australia, the 2000 Games will be held Sept. 16 to Oct. 1.
Q: I've noticed recently that clouds have been racing across the sky in different directions before it rains. Is this a good way to tell if it's going to rain soon?
A: Yes. When clouds move in different directions at different levels, it's because of alternating air currents and can mean rain. Watch, and if the clouds thicken and lower, take cover. Another good rain indicator in summer: clouds piling up high in the sky before noon.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***