The mexican Robin Hood
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A: While still a teenager, Doroteo Arango Arambula (1878-1923) shot and killed a man who had attacked his younger sister. In order to evade the law, he changed his name to Francisco ‘Pancho’ Villa. He moved to Chihuahua, where he worked as a laborer, cattle rustler and bank robber. Around 1900, he and his band of lawbreakers began to establish a Robin Hood-type reputation. In 1910, he and his men came out of the mountains and joined Francisco Madero’s revolutionary forces, which were battling against the Mexican government. After 10 years of fighting, Villa surrendered and signed a peace agreement with the government. On July 20, 1923, he was gunned down in Parral, Chihuahua; the assassins were never arrested.
Q: In the TV sitcom ‘Seinfeld,’ what was Jerry Seinfeld’s favorite cereal? ‘ M.F., Barrington, R.I.
A: A fictitious brand called ‘Double Crunch.’
Q: True or false? Movie director Alfred Hitchcock used chocolate syrup to depict blood in the shower scene in the film ‘Psycho’? ‘ L.K., Sewickley, Pa.
A: True. The film was shot in black and white.
Q: How far does a NASCAR driver travel in the blink of an eye? ‘ K.N., San Jose, Calif.
A: We’ll go through this together. First, we’ll figure at 60 miles per hour, which is the same as a mile a minute. There are 5,280 feet in a mile. Divide this by 60, the number of seconds in a minute, or 88 feet per second. Let’s say the car is traveling 180 miles per hour, which is three times faster than 60 miles per hour. So, three times 88 feet is 264 feet per second. The blink of an eye is about 1/10th of a second. The car travels 26.4 feet in a blink.
Q: I used to love watching Charlie Chan movies with my dad. I recall reading that Charlie Chan was based on a real-life detective. Is this true? If so, what can you tell me about the real-life Chan. ‘ H.M.L., Ocean Springs, Miss.
A: The story is true. Author Earl Derr Biggers acknowledged publicly that Honolulu detective Chang Apana (1871-1933) was his inspiration for the character. A Chinese-Hawaiian police officer, Apana was multilingual, giving him access to a large network of informants. This, along with his meticulous police work, increased his success in crime solving. He also became famous for his whip, Panama hat and cigars. Vacationing in Hawaii, Biggers heard of Apana and his exploits. Inspiration struck, and the first Charlie Chan mystery novel was published in 1925.
Q: Hall of Fame basketball star Wilt Chamberlain played for the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the NBA. Why did he wait? When and where was he born? ‘ R.E., via e-mail
A: Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Wilton Norman ‘Wilt the Stilt’ Chamberlain (1936-1999) attended Kansas University, but he became frustrated and dropped out before graduating. According to NBA rules, players who did not graduate were prohibited from joining an NBA team for one year. For that year, 1958, Chamberlain played for the Harlem Globetrotters. The Philadelphia Warriors drafted him in 1959.
Q: In the early 1960s, I spent several weeks visiting my grandparents, who lived near Houston, Texas. My grandfather and I attended several baseball games of the Houston Colt .45s. Whatever happened to the team? ‘ G.B., Mitchell, S.D.
A: The Houston Colt .45s began play in 1962 in the National League. To show its support for the Houston-based space program, the team changed its name to the Houston Astros in 1965.
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