Q. So much is made of Republican vice president nominee Sarah Palin's executive experience as mayor and governor, but no matter who wins, we're going to have a senator as our next president. How many other former senators have served as president?
Q. Why do they call those huge storms in the Atlantic Ocean "hurricanes"?
Q. I recently read a magazine story about DNA testing that involved National Geographic magazine, to which I subscribe. How do I get this DNA testing? I'm curious if I have some race in me that I'm not aware of. Could you tell me whom to contact?
Q. Have you heard of the Orphan Train? I was told orphans once were put on trains. The trains then stopped at various towns along their routes, and farmers would adopt the orphans to work on their land. Is this true? If so, when and how long did it last?
Q. How did the Belleville Swimming Pool start? -- N.M.C., of Belleville
Q. As everyone has likely noticed, the attire for Olympic athletes is rather skimpy, especially the women's beach volleyball players. But I read some time ago that in some of the original games in ancient Greece, athletes competed in the nude to avoid any hindrances from wearing clothes. Is that true? If so, what events?
Q. Whatever became of the actress who played Miss Landers on the original "Leave It to Beaver" -- Mayfield's answer to Jackie Kennedy?
Q. Recently I heard a zillion reports about University of Missouri tight end Chase Coffman missing football practice with a broken right "pinkie." How did we ever come to give such a name to the little digit on the hand?
Q. I have been trying unsuccessfully to remember the original name of what is now known as the St. Louis Downtown Airport. Can you help?
Q. My friend says it is against the law -- and you can be ticketed -- for driving more than three consecutive times around Belleville's Public Square. I'm not sure if he's mistaken or just plain "dizzy" but I would appreciate if you could set him (or me) "straight."
Q. Can you explain how Major League Baseball determines who umpires where and when?
Q. I have a friend who is trying to convince me that a widow of a Confederate soldier is still living. Isn't that ridiculous? Please rush your answer -- there's a Cardinal game riding on this, and the season is growing late.
Q. I would like to know where I can find a DVD of that old TV series "The Munsters." We have looked everywhere!
Q. I have a delicious dinner coming my way as I think I am right. Please set the record straight: When a person changes his or her address, I say you go to the post office, fill out a form and the post office notifies all your regular mail senders. My friend says, no, you have to send a change notice to each business to change your address. Who is right, Answer Man?
Q. Before my husband's grandmother died, she gave us a stack of those kitschy souvenir plates from various cities and states. One of them is a city of St. Louis plate (pre-Arch) with several of the local landmarks. In the center is St. Louis the Crusader surrounded by the Old Cathedral in 1835, The Muny Opera, Old Courthouse in 1862, levee and Eads Bridge, Washington University, Shaw's Garden and, lastly, a giant panda.
Q. What is the definition of the term "flood stage" in simple terms? For example, the paper will report the river will crest at 37 feet, 12 feet above flood stage, yet there doesn't appear to be any or very little flooding.
Q. My grandson and I like to watch "Russian Roulette" on the Game Show Network. During the game, if contestants give a wrong answer to a question, they have the possibility of a trap door opening and them disappearing to who knows where. Can you find out how steep the drop is? It looks to be deep, and we can't understand why someone doesn't get hurt.
Q. Is it my imagination or are we seeing many more dramatic incidents of shattered bats in baseball the past few years? If so, what's going on?
Q. At the end of Tim Russert's funeral, someone played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with ukelele music. Can you find out who the singer was and where I can find a copy of the recording?
Q. I recently read an article in which the writer claims to have seen a photo of people walking and driving horse-drawn buggies between East St. Louis and St. Louis without the benefit of a bridge. I am 81 years old, and I find that hard to believe. If the water was low enough, I believe the river may have frozen enough to allow people to walk across, but I feel the ice would have jammed up so that it would have been impossible to have driven a horse-drawn wagon across. I have heard these stories...
