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Ask Mr. Know-It-All By Gary Lee Clothier
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: I've been reading your column for a long time, and on several occasions you've helped decipher information from an old letter. Maybe you can do the same for me?
I have been reading letters my grandfather sent to my grandmother while he was away on business. On one he said he hoped to be home by the weekend, followed by "DV+WP." My grandparents are gone, and my folks have no idea what he meant. Do you have any suggestions? -- J.L.K., Saginaw, Mich.
A: I'm thinking DV could mean "Deo volente," or God willing. WP is possibly "weather permitting." I think your grandfather had a unique sense of humor.
Q: I have been a longtime fan of Zero Halliburton travel cases. The name is unusual. Do you know the story behind it? -- I.G.S., Mesa, Ariz.
A: There are two parts to the story -- one for Zero and one for Halliburton.
In the early 1900s, German immigrant Herman Zierold founded a small sheet metal business in Los Angeles called Zierold Metal Co. In 1946, the name changed to Zero Corp.
Now, lets turn to the Halliburton side. In 1920, Erle Halliburton organized the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Co. It was in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma where the need for a near-indestructible suitcase was born. In 1938, Halliburton commissioned a team of aircraft engineers to design and construct an aluminum case to endure the rough travel. With that, a new division of Halliburton was created.
In 1952, Halliburton sold his travel case division to Zero Corp., officially ending any Halliburton Co. involvement in the making of the aluminum cases. The new division was renamed Zero Halliburton. In 2006, Zero Corp. sold its consumer division to ACE Co., a Japanese luggage manufacturer. Zero Halliburton is one of the few cases still made in the United States.
DID YOU KNOW? Comedian George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum. For his stage name, he got the name "Burns" from the Burns Brothers Coal Co.; "George" was a nickname his brother occasionally used.
Q: Lately I've noticed lines in the sky crisscrossing each other. They look like contrails, but they do not dissipate. Some people tell me they are chemicals in the atmosphere. Do you know what they are? -- A.B., Pasadena, Calif.
A: Contrails, or condensation trails, are made up of condensed water vapor created by aircraft due to the emission of hot water vapor at high altitudes. If the atmosphere at that altitude is near saturation, the contrail may exist for quite some time.
Many who buy into conspiracy theories call them chemtrails. The term "chemtrail" was coined to suggest that the lines are formed in an unnatural process. Government agencies and military units from around the world have denied any conspiracy. To my knowledge, proponents of chemtrails have not provided any proof that they are chemical-based, nor have they provided any plausible reason for such a maneuver.
DID YOU KNOW? During World War II, actor Art Carney was wounded in the leg by shrapnel, and he was hospitalized for nine months. He walked with a noticeable limp for the rest of his life.
Q: Who is the actor who plays Nationwide Insurance's "The World's Greatest Spokesperson in the World"? -- V.N., Springdale, Ark.
A: Robert "Bob" Wiltfong was born in 1969 in Omaha, Neb. He is a former TV newscaster, actor and comedian best known as a correspondent on "The Daily Show." Wiltfong has also made appearances on "Chappelle's Show" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." He gave up a 10-year career in television news after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He studied improv comedy in New York City and has appeared in many national commercials.
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© 2011, Gary Clothier DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK
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Arnold Ahlert | ||||||||||||
