ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606170009
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: QUESTIONS
Q: Newspapers and TV recently reported the discovery of the bullet that killed Sam Weaver, the son of Randy Weaver, at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. It was going to be tested to see who fired it. Has there been any update?
A: There's nothing new to report, said a spokeswoman for Boundary County, Idaho, Sheriff Greg Sprungl. The bullet that killed Weaver's son in August 1992 was found in May during a search of brush and trees near the cabin where a gunfight occurred involving FBI agents, Weaver and a friend of Weaver's. The investigation is continuing, the spokeswoman said.
Q: I understand that the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a drug for aggressive treatment of ovarian cancer. What is it?
A: The drug, for ovarian cancer patients who have had no luck with other types of treatment, is topotecan, which works by inhibiting an enzyme essential for the growth of tumors. It's manufactured by SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals and is sold under the name Hycamtin. It was approved May 29 by the FDA.
Q: Where have all the hummingbirds gone? We used to see a lot at our feeder.
A: Ruby-throated hummingbirds are still around, but their nesting and feeding habits are the main reasons you don't always see them. They first appear each year when they fly in from their winter habitat in Mexico's Yucatan, said Jeff Jackson, University of Georgia Extension Service wildlife specialist. When their nesting period starts, the tiny birds scatter, and they become very territorial and private. When the nesting season is over in late summer, they'll gather again where they find major food sources, Jackson said.
Q: Whatever happened to Ted Bundy's wife and daughter? Wasn't the child supposedly conceived while he was on death row in Florida?
A: It was never confirmed whether the child born to Ted Bundy's wife was fathered by him. This much is known, however: In 1980, during his well-publicized murder trial in Florida, Bundy married longtime girlfriend Carole Ann Boone. He served as his own ``preacher.'' The next year, she gave birth to a daughter. Some accounts said the baby was conceived in a death row visitor's room, but officials with the Florida Department of Corrections said there was no chance that the child belonged to Bundy. People who saw the child, however, said the resemblance was uncanny. Bundy, who was convicted of killing three young women and confessed to killing dozens more, was executed in 1989. The current whereabouts of Boone and her daughter has not been made public.
Q: Do you have any details about a sex scandal involving Benjamin Netanyahu, newly elected prime minister of Israel?
A: There's a bit of mystery to it, with some people (anonymous, of course) saying the entire tale was a publicity stunt. It happened in 1993 when Netanyahu, a former deputy prime minister, was a candidate to lead Israel's Likud Party. Two years into his third marriage, the 43-year-old Netanyahu stunned observers when, grim-faced, he appeared on state TV to confess that he had had an extramarital affair. He said he was making the public confession as a pre-emptive strike because ``someone very high up'' in the Likud Party - he didn't say who - was trying to blackmail him. Obviously the incident didn't do lasting harm to Netanyahu's political career.
Q: What are the 10 most-populated states, in order?
A: The top 10 in population: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey and Georgia.
Q: What has become of Giselle Fernandez, who used to be on the weekend ``Today'' show? I haven't seen her for quite some time.
A: She has left that show and will host an ``Entertainment Tonight''-type television program called ``Access Hollywood.'' It's an NBC production that kicks off in September.
Q: I've heard motivational speakers say that ``the guy who has the most home runs also has the most strikeouts.'' I'd like to relate that to fact. For example, how did Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth, who had the most career home runs in the major leagues, compare in strikeouts?
A: In 23 seasons, Aaron had 755 home runs, 1,383 strikeouts. In 22 years, Ruth had 714 home runs, 1,330 strikeouts. But the batter with the career strikeout record is Reggie Jackson, who struck out 2,597 times in 21 seasons; he hit 563 home runs. You'll have to decide for yourself about the motivation angle.
Q: How can I write to Elton John? A recent news item said he personally answers all his fan mail.
A: Write him in care of EJ AIDS Foundation, P.O. Box 17139, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90209-3139.
Q: Whatever happened to the Debt Clock, sponsored by the Concord Coalition? And what is the Concord Coalition?
A: The clock has been in storage in Maryland, but has just gone on tour. The Concord Coalition is a bipartisan, grass-roots organization dedicated to eliminating the federal budget deficit and building a strong economy for future generations. The Debt Clock, mounted on a trailer and rigged to show how quickly the federal debt rises, kicked off a six-week, 17-state tour on June 7. The clock is still ticking, and shows the national debt growing at $9,600 a second.
Q: Why has Speaker Newt Gingrich abstained from so many House votes recently? Doesn't he have to vote, like everyone else?
A: By tradition, the speaker of the House usually doesn't vote except in the case of a tie. However, Gingrich is involved in every issue that comes before the floor, setting the legislative agenda, and therefore he's very much involved in every issue whether he votes on it or not, said Gingrich spokesman Allan Lipsett in Atlanta. ``On many major issues he does vote, and he voted on every item in the Contract With America,'' Lipsett said.
Q: What is the origin of the symbol K for a strikeout in baseball?
A: When Henry Chadwick invented a scoring system in 1861, he came up with a series of letter symbols, including A for an out at first base, B at second, C at third, F for a caught flyball, S for a sacrifice, L for a batter who fouled out (he already had used F) and K for a player who struck out. His explanation for K: ``It was the prominent letter of the word strike - as far as remembering the word was concerned.'' Over time, Chadwick's system was superseded by elements of other scoring systems, but the K remained.
Q: I understand that U.S. citizens can get an American flag that has been flown over the Capitol and it will be shipped to them free on their birthday. Is this true?
A: You can order a flag that has been flown over the Capitol, but it's not free. Here's how it works. Call your senator or House member and ask for a flag request form, or simply write the appropriate office and order the flag you want (3-by-5 nylon, $7.50; 3-by-5 cotton, $8.25; 4-by-6 nylon, $9.95; 5-by-8 nylon, $17.50, or 5-by-8 cotton, $18.75; and add $3.30 per flag for shipping and handling). You may request that your flag be flown on a certain date, such as a birthday or anniversary, if you mail your request at least three weeks before the date selected. Make the check payable to Office Supply Account of (Sen. or Rep., and fill in the name). Internet information: http://www.icss.com/usflag/capitol.flag.htmlff
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