"A" Is For Answers... To Assorted Questions.... Quiz

Answer: Armenia

A landlocked country in the Lesser Caucus mountains, Armenia gained independence on 21 September 1991. Agriculture employs a large proportion of the workforce, and the country is especially noted for its grapes. In 2003, there were 114,400 cell phones in use in Armenia and still rising.

Azerbaijan is estimated to have 7,868,385 people (2004) and an average life expectancy of 63.25 years; 97% of the population over age 15 is literate. It lies between Armenia and the Caspian Sea, with a small section of the country physically separated from the main part by Armenia.

Albania had a estimated population of 3,544,808 in 2004 with an average life expectancy of 77.06 years; 86.5% of the population over age 9 are literate. It is slowly struggling to join the modern world after decades of isolation.

Austria had an estimated population of 8,174,762 in 2004 with an average life expectancy of 78.87 years. 98% of the population over age 15 can read and write. It is the birthplace of many famous composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It has a flourishing economy, being part of the European Union, with 67% of its workforce in service industries in 2003.

(facts from CIA World Factbook)

Answer: David Amram

Amram was the first composer-in-residence appointed by the NY Philharmonic. He was born in 1930 in Pennsylvania. His movie scores include 'Splendor in the Grass' and 'The Manchurian Candidate'.

John Adams was born in 1947 in Massachusetts. He is famous for his operas, 'Nixon in China' and 'The Death of Klinghoffer', as well as many other works.

Thomas Jefferson Anderson was born in Pennsylvania in 1928. In 1997 he became the first president of the National Black Music Caucus. He is Professor of Music Emeritus at Tufts University. A partial list of his works can be found at www.composers.com.

George Antheil was born in Trenton, NJ in 1900 and called himself the "bad boy of music". His 'Le Ballet Mecanique', incorporating sounds from machines and car horns, debuted at Carnegie Hall in 1927 and caused mayhem; his piano works caused riots in Europe. He is also famous for his opera, Volpone. He and Hedy Lamarr devised and patented a secret communication system which is used today as the basis for cellular communication.

Answer: Peter Aertsen

Aertsen was born in 1508 or 1509 in Amsterdam and died there in 1575. He lived in Antwerp from 1542 to the mid-1550s, where he began painting alterpieces and transitioned into painting market scenes and still lifes.

Altdorfer was born around 1480 in Regensburg, Germany, where he died in 1538. His early works often included witches, wild men and fantastic objects. Probably his most famous work is "The Battle of Alexander at Issus", although his alterpiece for St Florian in Linz should not be missed. He pioneered copper engraving, was on the governing body of Regensburg, owned several vinyards and was very wealthy.

Fra Angelico was born Guido di Pietro in Tuscany, c 1400 (the Catholic Encyclopedia lists his birth year as 1387), and died in 1455 in Rome. His most famous works are the frescoes at S. Marco in Florence, which has since become a Fra Angelico museum. He was beatified in 1984 but has not yet been elevated to sainthood.

Hendrick Avercamp was born in Amsterdam in 1585 and died in Kampen in 1634. He was deaf and dumb; his mother's will stated "that her unmarried, 'mute and miserable' son Hendrick should receive, in addition to his portion of the inheritance, an extra allowance of one hundred guilders a year for life from family capital". (www.ibiblio.org) He is particularly famous for his winter landscapes.

Answer: "A" is for Alibi

Grafton's inspiration came during a nasty divorce. She relaxed by thinking of all the nasty ways she could kill her ex-husband! Her book, 'The Lolly-Madonna War', was made into a film; she learned to write a screenplay in 10 days. It starred Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Gary Busey and Jeff Bridges.

She has also written a number of television movies, including Walking Through Fire, for which she won a Christopher Award.

Answer: Anise

Agrimony is a common hedgerow plant also known as cockeburr or sticklewort. It has slender spikes of yellow flowers, and highly serrate leaves. Its medicinal properties are said to include the healing of wounds, treating diarrhea, and soothing a sore throat, and is still used for treatment of sprains and bruises. Pliny called it a 'herb of princely authoritie'.

Allspice comes from the fruit of a tree, and is so called as it tastes like a combination of cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon and pepper. It is mostly used as a flavouring agent, its use as a medicinal agent having declined over the years. Two or three drops of the oil on sugar, it is said, helps cure flatulence, or for countering spasms caused by purgatives. (The best use, I've found, is to sprinkle it on butternut squash, it gives the squash a delicious flavour.)

Anise, in addition to its digestive effects, is a good antiseptic, wards off insects (especially when mixed with oil of Sassafras and Carbolic oil), helps get rid of halitosis, and is used in food and drink to give a licorice flavour.

Arnica is one of my favourite homeopathic remedies: it speeds the healing of sprains, strains and bruises. (I admit it, I'm a klutz.)
It has yellow daisy-like flowers and smooth, oval leaves. It should not be taken internally except as prescribed by a very experienced homeopathic practitioner, as it can cause some very nasty side effects, including death.

Answer: Auriga

Antlia is The Air Pump, named after the pump invented by Robert Boyle. It is best seen in April.

Aquila is The Eagle; its main star is Altair. It looks a bit like a long diamond with a tail off a short corner. It is named for the bird which belonged to Zeus, which carried Ganymede to heaven. It is best seen in September.

Ara is The Altar, named after the altar of Chiron, or the altar built by Noah after the Deluge. It is best seen in July.

Auriga's main star is Capella, the sixth brightest star in the sky. Look for it in February.

Answer: Aragonite

Anorthite is calcium aluminum silicate, part of the feldspar group. It is usually white or grey, with white streaking. It doesn't seem to be of much use for anything except showing off in a collection!

Aragonite is usually white or colourless. It is used in cement and steel production.

Artinite, hydrated magnesium carbonate hydroxide, is a fairly useless carbonate, and is somewhat rare.

Augelite is aluminum phosphate hydroxide, a phosphate with no real use except as a specimen. It is normally white, but may be found in pale colours such as yellow, blue or rose.

Answer: Alabama

Alabama's capital city is Montgomery, where the world's first electric trolley system was introduced 1886. Nat King Cole was born in Montgomery, which was the site of the first open heart surgery in 1907 (suturing a stab wound in a young boy's heart).

Alaska is a WHOLE LOT bigger, at 656,425 square miles! Despite its much larger size, it has only 25 counties. Its state bird is the Willow Ptarmigan and its capital is Juneau. In 1867 Secretary of State William H. Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000, or two cents per acre. It became known as Seward's Folly - until the discovery of gold in 1880. Dog mushing is the official state sport, and the Iditarod race commemorates the delivery of diptheria serum to Nome in 1925, using dog teams racing over a mail delivery route of 1160 miles. The serum prevented a major epidemic. One recipient of the serum still survives, as of March 2005, and was the honorary musher for the 2005 race. If you haven't been to Alaska, it's a place not to miss - the scenery is breathtaking (so is the cold, in winter).

Arizona is 114006 square miles large, with its capital at Phoenix. It has even fewer counties than Alaska - 15 - and with its desert climate, the Cactus Wren is an appropriate state bird. It is famous for the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Monument Valley... the list of places to see goes on and on. In 1962, Robert McCulloch, Chairman of McCulloch Oil Corporation, bought London Bridge and had it reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Londoners believe that he thought he was buying Tower Bridge - you know, the fancy one with the pretty ironwork. London Bridge was not pretty - but people still go to see it in Arizona. (London built a new bridge to take its place, and it's not any prettier.) One of Arizona's most famous residents was the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, at Taliesin West in Scottsdale.

Arkansas has 53182 square miles, very close in size to Alabama. Its capital is Little Rock and its state bird is the Mockingbird. It has 75 counties. Arkansas contains over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of streams and rivers, with six national parks and fifty state parks. Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, and Scott Joplin was born in Texarkana. Sam Walton founded his Wal-Mart stores in Bentonville. Bill Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas until he was elected President of the United States.

Answer: Akbash Dog

The Affenpinscher is a small terrier with a lot of hair - and it doesn't shed! This affectionate little dog is well suited to city life, is smart and courageous and loves to play.

The Akbash originated around 3000 years ago in Turkey. These intelligent and courageous dogs need to have experienced owners, as they are working dogs bred to fight off wolves and bears attacking the flocks of sheep. They will bond closely with their owner - and the sheep!

The Alopekis is a small dog, suitable for city life. The breed seems to have developed from the dogs in Thessaly, Greece, going back to prehistoric times. In ancient Greece there was a variety of Alopekis which was hairless, but it has become extinct.

The American White Shepherd looks exactly like a German Shepherd, only white. They are friendly, protective and loyal dogs, and talkative! The breed is directly descended from the German Shepherd, with no other breed involvement; the white colour is due to a genetic mutation which is dominant.

Answer: Albermarle Sound

The Battle of Accokeek Creek took place on land on 9 November 1862. Captain Urlich Dahlgren led the Union forces. Even Google was no help for finding out information about the Confederate side!

The Union ships at Albermarle Sound were the 'USS Syracuse', the 'USS Commodore Hull' under Acting Master William G. Saltonstall, the 'USS Ceres' under Acting Volunteer Lieutenant John MacDearmid, the 'USS Miami' under Acting Lieutenant Robert Townsend, the 'USS Wyalusing', the 'USS Sassacus', the 'USS Mattahessett' and the 'USS Whitehead'. The Confederate ships were the 'CSS Albemarle', the 'CSS Bombshell' and the 'CSS Cotton Plant'. Captain Melancton Smith commanded the Union side and Commander J.W. Cooke led the Confederates. There were an estimated 88 casualties, and the Union captured the 'CSS Bombshell'.

Amelia Springs, Virginia, was part of the Appomattox Campaign and took place on land between Union forces under Major General George Crook and Confederate forces under Major General Rosser and Major General Fitzhugh Lee. It took place on 5 April 1865, with an estimated 250 casualties and no clear winner.

The Battle of Aquia Creek on 20-21 May 1861 was between the 'USS Freeborn', the 'USS Anacosta', 'USS Resolute' and 'USS Pawnee', under the command of Commander James H. Ward, against Confederate batteries which were protecting part of the railway to Richmond. Nobody won, but the batteries were removed at a later date. There were about ten casualties.