P (A -J) = All Peas And No Queues Quiz

Answer: It was the only colony without an Atlantic coastline

When King Charles II granted land to William Penn to cover debts owing to him, the area was almost a rectangle, the eastern boundary being the Delaware River. Between the Delaware River eastwards towards the Atlantic Coast was Dutch territory which, in turn became New Jersey when the Dutch were ousted in 1674 and the vacated land was given to the King's brother, the Duke of York. The Delaware River was critical to Pennsylvania as it broadened into Delaware Bay downstream and this was Pennsylvania's access to the Atlantic Ocean. The Southern boundary, along 40 degrees south was moved 15 miles south as the original line bisected Philadelphia. The northern Boundary was revised from 43 degrees North to 42 N but a wedge of land had to be added to ensure Pennsylvania had a small Lake Erie coastline (this is where Erie PA now stands). The western boundary of Pennsylvania had to be negotiated. This was originally declared to be five degrees west of the Eastern border which was the Delaware River. As this river was not a straight line, it made the western boundary ambiguous. It was finally settled so Pittsburgh was included. This was crucial, as it lies on the Ohio river, which was critical for access to the Mississippi River. It is not a coincidence that major Pennsylvania cities lie at north western, south western and south eastern extremities of the state: They are close to major transport routes denied by no access to the Atlantic Coast.

Incidentally, Mt Mitchell was the highest point within the thirteen colonies. However it lies within North Carolina borders (and today is the highest US point east of the Mississippi).

Answer: Plume

A plumber works (or used to work) with lead pipes. A plumb-bob or plumb-line is a builders' tool to determine if a construction is vertical made from a lead weight. Plumbago is a shrub with leaden-coloured flowers. Plume also has a Latin origin but it is from a Latin word meaning "feather".

Lead is a very interesting element. Even though it is an element, it is actually increasing in nature as it is the end product of three major decay chains of radioactive elements. As lead is not radioactive, it therefore does not decay and hence builds up in the earth's crust.

Answer: IBM

It seems rather trite now, but a personal computer is a computer designed for an individual user. The technology is based on a microprocessor that enables manufacturers to put an entire computer processing unit (CPU) on one chip. The first personal computer was the Apple II which first appeared in 1977.

In 1981 IBM entered the market with the IBM PC. It quickly gained the majority share. Most other personal computers dropped out of the market with the exception of Apple. A new industry of IBM clones started, which meant these clones could run IBM-compatible software.

The market in the early 21st century has been dominated by the IBM and Apple companies.

Answer: Paris

Sir Robert Peel became the Home Secretary for Great Britain in 1822 and established the Metropolitan Police Force in London in 1829. However, in 1667, King Louis XIV of France, established by royal edict, the Office of Lieutenant General of Police. This position was to head the new Paris police force. Duties included, maintaining peace an order, "purging" the city of elements that cause disturbances, and allowing citizens to "live according to their station and their duties". Forty-four police commissioners were appointed under this position and due to the success of the organisation another royal edict was implemented for the police force to cover all of France. "Police" is a French word that was "borrowed" by the British thereafter.

The French were the first to give their police uniforms.

This occurred in 1829.

Answer: Air travellers

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of the pulmonary artery, the vessel that takes the de-oxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. The blockage is caused by a clot (thrombus) that forms in one of the deep veins in arm, hip but most often in the lower leg.

These large clots are called Deep Vein Thromboses (DVTs) and they circulate in the blood, resulting in getting lodged in the pulmonary artery. This causes chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood and even death. There are risk factors for contracting DVT.

Besides the obvious factors such as age, obesity, injuries to vein, the main risk factor is slow blood flow. This can be due to limited movement, confinement to a bed, or prolonged sitting. Early in the 21st century, it was recognised that airline travellers on long haul flights were particularly at risk due to prolonged sitting. Such airline travellers have been advised to perform exercises whilst sitting to improve blood flow.

Answer: Fiji

Unlike nearby Cook Islands' free association with New Zealand, French Polynesia has no such relationship with France. Whilst French Polynesia controls health, primary and secondary education, town planning and the environment, it is heavily dependent on France for defense, security the judicial system and university education. French Polynesia send three elected politicians to its lower house and two senators to its upper house.

The stable population is spread over a large area but with a land mass comparable to Rhode Island or Luxembourg. The economy is heavily based on tourism and the black pearl industry for export income. Coconuts, vanilla, fish, timber and cobalt are all natural resources that contribute the most to the local economy of French Polynesia.

Answer: Quarterback in American football

A point guard is one of five players on a basketball team, each with its own position. It is the point guard's job to implement the coach's game plan: he or she controls the offense, the plays and the timing. This position can be compared to the quarterback in American football who organises the offense and calls the plays in that sport. Most point guards play around the periphery of the game so they can see and read the plays. Emphasis for this position is for passing over scoring.

However, the role has been evolving where a point guard on some teams has evolved into a "combo" guard where there is equal emphasis on scoring as well as passing.

Answer: 7

The amount of acid in a solution (usually measured as the concentration pf free hydrogen ions [H+]) is measured on a scale of 0-14 where the midpoint, seven, is neutrality. Most biological systems operate around this value for optimum effectiveness. In humans the pH value lies in a very narrow range of 7.35-7.45. Anything outside of this range is due to some pathological process. Arterial blood gases are a measure of pH. And while an arterial sample is necessary, it is a common test for hospitalised patients to ensure the respiratory and metabolic processes are stable (homeostasis).

The very sensitive nature of these measurements and the fact a small range is indicative of health, means measurement of pH and other arterial blood gases is a very effective measurement for monitoring health status or prognosis.

Answer: Columbo (Peter Falk)

"Columbo" was a television police series that aired between 1968-1978 and 1989 -2003. Peter Falk played the title character. Columbo was a detective in the LAPD. His first name was never explicitly revealed, and when asked he always replied "Lieutenant". (In one episode though, you can see he has a first name Frank on a visible ID tag)

Elvis Cole is a PI created by Robert Crais. He has been in a series of novels since his debut in "The Monkey's Raincoat" (1987). He has an off-sider, Joe Pike, who sometimes warrants his own novel.

Jim Rockford was a PI in the TV show "The Rockford Files" which ran between 1974 and 1980.

Tom Selleck played the eponymous character in "Magnum P.I.", a TV series that ran between 1980 and 1988. This show was set in Hawaii, in contrast to the other characters mentioned who all "lived" in California.

One way of telling PIs from cops in TV shows is by the cars they drive. (As a rule of thumb, PIs drive sports cars, while cops drive ordinary cars.) In this cohort Magnum drove a Ferrari 308 GTS, Cole drove a yellow '66 Corvette, Rockford drove a new gold Pontiac Firebird Esprit each year (up until 1979 then kept the '78 from then on, as he did not like the styling of the '79 and '80 Firebirds). Columbo drove a battered 1959 or 1960 Peugoet 403, which was unreliable (It is not clear why, as a cop, he did not drive an ordinary police-issue sedan.)

Answer: Persian

In colonial India in the early 1800s, the British adopted the Bengali word "payjama", which itself was derived from the Persian "pay-jameh" meaning "leg garment".

The Indian payjama are baggy, lightweight trousers held up by with drawstring waistbands. They were worn by Indian Muslims. They were soon adopted by the British as they were considered a most suitable attire for the hotter climate. The original description has changed to reflect that pajamas were always two pieces, with a loose fitting bodice or jacket, both components made from softer materials such as cotton or silk (usually buttoned, as well).

Originally meant for sleeping, there are day wear variations such as beach pajamas or Capri pajamas. They have become very popular as lounge wear as they are very comfortable to wear. There are strong beliefs in some parts of the world that wearing such attire in certain public places is inappropriate and dress codes ban wearing them in public.

(On a personal level, when I was a kid growing up in regional Queensland, it was de rigueur to wear pajamas to the drive-in movies as you invariably fell asleep in the back seat of the second feature.)