Hopeless Task, finally I ahve a response to your V3 Q..

Nicknamed, "The London Gun" or "the London Cannon", the V3 Rocket was the name given to the planned rocket launcer which was located in Northeast France across the Channel from England. this site can still be visited today, where there is an interesting exhibit there that has preserved a portion of the weapons site. Basically, the V3 consisted of, five long tunnels in the chalk hills which make up this region. These were intended to contain 25 enormous gun barrels, 130 metres long, and with a calibre of 150mm. They would have been the biggest guns in the world. Between them, they could have fired a barrage of rocket-assisted projectiles capable of reaching London, one every 6 seconds.

Ok, if that's the right response then I'm ready again whenever or from whoever and thanks Hopeless, good Q..if not then well doen again HT and good luck..

that's a right scholarly piece of research, karma

get back to you soon!

Okay karma ......

*drum roll - brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

H.G. Nelson and Rampaging Roy Slaven are the names on the screen, but what do their families know them as?

HT...thanks...these are my favourite Australian comedians by far, both exceptionally funny men as you obviously know...their real names are:

HG Nelson: Greg Pickhaven
Rampaging Roy Slaven : John Doyle

That's the info I found HT, hope it's right...if not then well done, and I'll be taking it up with the Lithgow Shamrocks!....lol...if so then fire when ready...

okay, karma

What is fanarkling?

Oh.... I feel so bad... I've forgotten to return to this thread!
(Bad Valerie! Bad!)

Would you mind if this flighty American joined you two again?

If so, let me throw this question out...

The annual running of the Kentucky Derby is preceeded by a two week long party in Louisville, Kentucky called the Kentucky Derby Festival. It's filled with all sorts of city-wide events that lead up to the the first Saturday in May when the big race is run. What big event, last year declared the biggest of it's kind in the world, officially kicks off this festival every year?

Ok..all these questions at once..lol..ok I'm going to answer Hopeless Task's "Fanarkling" q as it was posted first and if I get it right I'll go on to your's Val..if not then Hopeless can have a crack at it..ok..I'll post something here within the next day...have no access at home currently so I'll post when i get to work tomorrow..till then thanks for the Q's and cya

Sorry about the delay folks..still no access.. i will post something on the weekend for "fanarkling" if that's Ok..
Ta

KL

Ok HT, I have an answer of sorts for your Q.. on "Farnarkeling"..OK, the word I have a meaning for is spelt, "Farnarkeling"...which is a slight variation to yours, but I have 2 definitions that I have found which involve the word "Farnarkeling"....

Firstly, the word "Farnarkeling" is a term coined by NZ comedian John Clarke, as one of his more famous characters, Fred Dagg, which he used most famously in his series of songs played on the "Max Gillies Report" a popular Australian satire based comedy series shown on the ABC. In the seies of songs, entitled "Farnarkeling (i)" through to "Farnarkeling (vi)", Clarke describes the great Australian sport of "Farnarkeling", where the competitors of this Australian male sport, engage in well...farnarkeling....or rearranging of bodily male parts...well if it is not this version of "Farnarkeling", which you are after then the only other sighting was in an Australian slang dictionary which has the following definition:

Farnarkel - Mess around, talk rubbish

...mind you I have lived here for 32 years and never heard of anyone "Farnarkeling" on, rather another more American phrase is used..

If this is not right HT, then congrats and good luck with Val's Q...if it is OK then I'll go on with Val's and stop Farnarkeling, that is as in talking rubbish...

Just waiting for HT's decision on my answer to his Fanarkeling Q...then I will go on with your Kentucky Derby one Val...

Judging by the way you worded it, I'd guess you have the answer!
(I think it's a pretty darned easy question... but I live in Louisville...)

Thanks Val... I might just go on with your Kentucky Q then..is that ok?...I will give HT another couple of hours to rule it out...I'm not at all certain, to tell u the truth it was one of the hardest Q's to find the answer on..lol...there were 3 "fanarkling" entries...and a few more with the different spelling..never heard of it myself, perhaps in passing many moons ago.....Ok I'll start on the slow path to chair eviction I fear and have a crack at your Kentucky Q...if I remember rightly I was visiting Louisville Kentucky once before for a TSA Q..lol..and was dethroned by a couple of degrees longtitude and latitude..lol..Ok here goes..

OK Val, here is what I have for your Kentucky Derby festival question..

The event which kicks off the annual Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville on a Saturday in mid-April, is a enormous fireworks extravaganza, which in 1999 was described as the largest in North America. It is called "THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE" and apart from then fireworks, includes (this year anyway) a foodfest and airshow, but the main attraction undoubtly is the firework show, which although only in it's 11th year (as the "Thunder Over Louisville", after being held at lunchtime the yaer before)is an attraction on it's own for many tourists to Louisville.

Val, if this is not what you were thinking of then I retire the chair and say well done..if it is correct then thanks and whenever you feel like it, reload and fire again...

You are indeed correct!
Thunder over Louisville has become something the officials here boast about with pride.
The airshow is a regular prelude to the fireworks show, and one can spot everything from vintage WW2 aircraft to the amazing 'stealth' bombers flying over the city and Ohio River. The most recent airshow included a re-enactment of the bombing of Pearl Harbor complete with authentic Japaneese bombers. It was quite stirring!

You retain the chair for now!
Will wait to see if someone else wants to challenge.

you were right enough, karma with your answer to fanarkling ... John Clarke did invent it .... it was a while ago, so if you are young-ish, then you probably weren't paying attention when the Max Gillies Show was on

new question ...

what significance has the ship "Sirius" in Australia's history?

Thank You both...great q's...I love to find out stuff I didn't know...HT, although I still consider myself young, low thirties is young surely..lol..I am old enough to remember watching the Gillies show, and vaguely remember the John Clarke bits..must of missed or forgotten the Fanarkeling...Val, sounds like Louisville is the place to be in late april early May, nothing like a good Horse Carnival for a giant and continuos party..we have teh Melbourne Cup carnival in Victoria every year which sounds a bit similiar..sans the "thunder over.." display..

I will go on with HT's Sirius Q...

will post soon, I'm pretty sure I know what the answer is but should check first..
ta

KL

HT,

The "Sirius" was of course the Flagship of the First Fleet. Although Govenor Phillip started the journey aboard this ship, he actually arrived on another, the faster, "Supply", changing ships sometime in January 1788.

I pretty sure this is right (i retire if not..lol) so I'm ready again....Val I think had a Q ready...if this is not right HT, then yell loudly and I'll jump out of the chair..

Ta

Okay... here's a really nice and easy one for whoever is in the chair...

Who was Violet Jessup and why is her name well know in sailing circles?

This isn't intendend to be a chair grabbing question... In fact, a rather simple search on the internet will turn up a wealth of info on the question. I just think it's a really interesting story about this woman, and wanted to share.

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Circles are fun... until someone gets dizzy and deposits lunch on your shoe.

thanks Val....I too love to get questions to research which have an interesting slant..gj...I had to look this very lady up a little while ago and yes she certainly was some woman..the answer is as u know, she was the woman who survived both the Titanic and the Brittanic disasters....I wonder if there is a phobia of sailing on ships that end with "ic"...if not then there should be....Jessopobia maybe...wonderful woman, very determined.

If this is Ok Val then I am ready again..and thanks for the Q...

Actually... she was the survivir of THREE naval mishaps... (and yes.. this third ship also ended in 'ic').

You can read her amazing story by clicking HERE.

Good going on your knowledge of the Unsinkable Violet Jessup!

I'll again wait to see if anyone else would like to challenge you.

Valerie

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Circles are fun... until someone gets dizzy and deposits lunch on your shoe.

you were right again, KL

so, .... hmmmmmm ..... a question for you ..... hmmmmm

I'll get back to you (or whoever is in the hot seat)

yay Val! nice to have you back in the game

Thanks HT!

Okay... here's one for the chair.

The English words purple, silver and orange do not rhyme with any other word in the English language. There is one more english word like this. What is it?

Val,

I think MONTH is the other one that has no rhyme...

Is that what you had?....if so then thanks and I look forward to another Q whenever u are ready...if it's not the answer u were looking for then gj and good luck in the chair...

Sorry I have not gotten back to this sooner...
You are absoulutely correct! That's what I have as the other word... (Was hoping the fact that the other three are colors would throw you off.) Good going!

Who's next?

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What once was hurt
What once was friction, What left a mark
No longer stings
Because grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things -- U2

hey val, karma ... say goodbye to "hopeless task" and hello to "MrYeti"!

karmaloupster .... your question is .....

what is the official flower of the Australian Capital Territory?