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Q: It's football season again. How is a "Hail Mary" pass executed?
A: In football, the Hail Mary is a last-second, desperation pass with little chance of success. The ball is lofted toward the end zone and, with a lot of luck or divine intercession, caught for a touchdown to win the game.
The term was believed to be first used by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in 1975.
During a playoff game with only seconds remaining, Staubach sent all his receivers downfield. He threw a long pass toward the end zone. Teammate Drew Pearson caught the ball and scored the winning touchdown.
During a postgame news conference, Staubach, a devout Catholic, said he whispered a "Hail Mary" prayer as he released the ball. Since that time, any last-second pass toward the end zone has been called a Hail Mary.
Q: When will the daytime Emmy Awards be on and who's hosting?
A: You missed it. It was June 20 on ABC. Sherri Shepherd of "The View" and Cameron Mathison of "All My Children" were the hosts. Regis Philbin won a Lifetime Achievement Award for his more than 40 years of TV work.
The prime-time Emmys are scheduled to air at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, also on ABC.
Q: Whatever happened to Don Sutton? I didn't hear his name mentioned in any of Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray's memorial services.
A: Don Sutton, the former pitcher and Hall of Famer, is alive and well and in his second season of broadcasting for the Washington Nationals. Sutton spent close to two decades in the Atlanta Braves broadcasting booth.
He spoke about Caray on Braves pregame radio Aug. 4. Among other things, he said, "Did we have great times together? Yes. Was he a curmudgeon? Yes. Could he be a pain in the butt? Yes. But did you love him at the end of the day? Yes. And are we going to miss him? You're darn right we are."
In the offseason, Sutton lives in Rancho Mirage, Calif., with wife, Mary, and daughter Jackie. He also has two adult children.
Q: I've read that Joe Biden entered the Senate at age 29. According to the Constitution, a person must be at least age 30 to be a member of the Senate. What am I missing?
A: Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden Jr. was born on Nov. 20, 1942, making him 30 years old when he was sworn in as U.S. senator from Delaware on Jan. 3, 1973. The U.S. Constitution states, "No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen."Biden's sixth term ends this year, making him Delaware's longest-serving senator. He is running for the Senate and is the Democrat's vice presidential nominee with presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Q: What happened to Barack Obama's sister? Why hasn't she been seen in the news?
A: Maya Soetoro-Ng is the half sister of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the Democratic presidential nominee. She frequently campaigns for her brother, and not just in their home state of Hawaii. She recently appeared on the national stage when she spoke on opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
Soetoro-Ng, who teaches in Honolulu, is nine years younger than her half brother. She and Obama had the same mother, Ann, who is deceased. Soetoro-Ng's father, Indonesian Lolo Soetoro, and her mother were divorced when she was child. Soetoro-Ng is married to Konrad Ng, a Chinese-Canadian who is a professor at the University of Hawaii. They have a daughter, Suhaila.
Q: When is Tom Cruise's movie about the attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler being released?
A: "Valkyrie" has a Dec. 26 U.S. release date. The movie tells the true story of a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. "Valkyrie" was the code name for a plot set up by German officers during the war.
Tom Cruise plays the eye-patched Nazi officer Claus von Stauffenberg, who was shot dead in the courtyard of German army headquarters in Berlin. He was caught only hours after planting a suitcase bomb next to Hitler at his command center in East Prussia.
Stauffenberg, who objected to the Nazi persecution of the Jews, is one of the few German anti-Nazi heroes of the Second World War. "Valkyrie" also stars Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp and Eddie Izzard.
Q: Where does the expression "standing on a soapbox" originate?
A: A soapbox was once a familiar sight, as it was "found on almost every wash-stand in Great Britain," according to an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary dating to 1834. Soap came packed in strong wooden boxes, and the boxes traditionally were used as makeshift speakers' stands. The phrase has come to refer to speaking in public, especially voicing political opinions. Since 1872, Hyde Park in London has been home to a Speaker's Corner famous for its Sunday orators.The spot is open to anyone with enough gall to stand atop a soapbox and speak up about a variety of subjects, from politics to religion to shoe sizes.
Q: Bill Ayers is often mentioned as a friend of Barack Obama. What is Ayers' background? Has he ever been charged or convicted of any crimes?
A: Bill Ayers was a founder of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed responsibility for bombings between 1970 and 1974. Ayers and his wife spent years on the run. Ayers surrendered in 1980, but charges against him were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct. He is now an education professor in Chicago.
In the 1990s, Ayers was instrumental in starting the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, for which Obama was chairman. Ayers lives in Obama's former state Senate district in Chicago, and has known Obama for more than a decade. Ayers hosted a party for Obama early in his career and gave him a campaign donation.
Q: How many actors have played the part of James Bond, and what are their names?
A: Six actors have portrayed Ian Fleming's Agent 007 on the big screen: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. Starting with 1962's "Dr. No," starring Connery, there have been 21 "official" and 2 "unofficial" Bond films. The 21 films are considered official because they were made by EON Productions, founded by Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. The two unofficial films are "Never Say Never Again" (starring Connery) and the campy 1967 version of "Casino Royale" starring David Niven as Sir James Bond. There have also been several television adaptations and radio plays featuring 007. The first Bond movie, "Dr. No," premiered in 1962 and starred Connery. The newest movie, "Quantum of Solace," starring Craig, is to premiere in November.
Q: How can Olivia Newton-John be a newlywed? Isn't she still married to the man who went missing a few years ago? Was he declared legally deceased?
A: Singer-actress and breast cancer survivor Olivia Newton-John and cameraman Patrick McDermott were not married. McDermott vanished on June 30, 2005, while on an overnight fishing trip out of San Pedro, Calif. The two had been together since 1996. His disappearance remains a mystery. However, it is suspected that McDermott faked his own death to escape his huge debts and unpaid child support to his ex-wife. He has reportedly been spotted in Mexico.
In June, Newton-John wed John Easterling, founder and CEO of Amazon Herb Co., a botanical supplement maker. Previously, Olivia was married to Matt Lattanzi. They divorced in 1995 after 11 years of marriage.
Q: How did the months get their names?
A: We have the Greeks and Romans to thank. Janus was the god of doors and gates and of beginnings and endings. Februalia was the Roman festival of purification. Martius was named for Mars, the Roman god of war. Aprilis comes from aperire, Latin for "to open," and is dedicated to the goddess Venus. Maia or Maius is a feminine divinity worshipped at Rome. Juno is a Roman divinity revered as the queen of heaven. Julius and Augustus are named after two Roman emperors. In the old 10-month Roman calendar, Septem was the seventh month, Octo the eighth, Novem the ninth and Decem the 10th.