In an attempt again to be fair to the people on the left side of America I am posting early to give them a chance to be heard first. It is 9:30 here and 5:30 there and the question is in two parts today:

1 For those who use search engines, ie. pit me aganist the internet, here is your question: In the last century there were a big lists of "firsts", minorities in office, people on the moon, ect. What was the contribution to first that applies to Hugh of St. Cher in 1352. Google that.....

2 What follows is for regular stumper fans: What does the number 8,549,176,320 have that is unique only to this number and no other number?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 06, 2001

Answers

I'm confused on the first question, Mitch. Hugh of St. Cher composed the first biblical concordance, but he died in 1263, so I'm not sure what contribution could be attributed to him in 1352.

The second question is a gimme. My 4 year old who's just learning her abc's and 123's could figure that one out! ;-)

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), November 06, 2001.

AM I the riddle groupy or what? I think i'm pretty sure on that answer for the numbers too. BUt its one of those obvious ones, so if i know too easily, i'll double think my guess. So i'll keep my big "mouth" shut. Ya'll won't hear a thing from me , LOL. seriously.

-- jillian (sweetunes483@yahoo.com), November 06, 2001.

Cheryl, for those of us who are, shall we say, mathematically challenged" it is quite painful to hear that your 4 year old who is learning her ABCs and simple math can solve Mitch's question without breathing hard...LOL...I am 53, have 6 years of college and excelled in History, English and Philosophy, while frantically counting on my fingers for simple math......aside from the fact that the numbers are readable, the question leaves me with my usual response of "DUH".....

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), November 06, 2001.

Ladies, to follow an old military attage " Smoke em if you got em". If you know the answer put it up here, I have 1600 questions that are google proof, readywhen you are.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 06, 2001.

Leslie, you sound like me!!! Since Mitch e-mailed me the answers already, I can now say that it is easy!! But before I knew the answers I said,"Where does he come up with this stuff!!!!!?"

Seriously though, I appreciate the fact that Mitch really puts so much time and effort into making this a fun thread on our site. I must admit to sometimes knowing the answers on my own, but I often don't post them just to keep the thread fun for others to read.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 07, 2001.

I just received an email from Mitch, and I understand that I have offended him. I want to publicly apologize to him and to anyone else on this forum that feels the same way. My comments were always meant in fun - never in meanness. I'm sorry if anyone has been hurt or angered by anything I've posted here. Please everyone accept my apology. I love this forum, and would never knowingly do anything to hurt anyone here, especially Mitch who gives so much of his time and energy to making our days a little more fun.

I'm truly sorry.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), November 07, 2001.

We love having you Cheryl, it is very big of you to apologize so publicly, and speaks well of your fine character. We all say things that might upset someone else unknowingly, in an innocent way, myself included. I am glad that we as a group seem to be able to work these troubles out in a mature way.

Now on with the games!!!!!!!!!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 07, 2001.

THAT IS THE ONLY 8,549,176,320 number, any other number, would be another number. ITS UNIQUE!!

-- jillian (sweetunes483@yahoo.com), November 07, 2001.

Cheryl, what distubes me is that sometimes I spend two hours or more researching a question by reading an old National Geographic or the Encyopedia just to have an interesting, knowledgeable question. I post it and you and others just type it into your heartless, soulless information machine which spit out the answer in a fraction of a second. Seeing this pattern I posted the question about Hugh of St. Cher but without the KEYWORD you need for your machine. Your ease at swating my stumpers is at an end.

If your 4 year old is so capable and gifted have he/she answer the first post also. If you exspect me or any body else to believe that a 4 year old could answer any of the stumpers, then your living in a fantacy world.

As for Hugh of St. Cher question, it is valid. He did make a contribution that is commom and normal today, he was just the first to do it, 89 years after his death, and the hint is: it conserns his image.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 07, 2001.

Mitch, again I'm very sorry that I offended you. It was never my intention. I was making an attempt at a clue and some humor in my first post. (Obviously not doing a very good job of it!) Of course my 4 year old couldn't figure this out. Please accept my apology. It was never my intention to step on anyone's toes, or anger or offend anyone here. These stumpers are great fun, and you do a wonderful job of finding them and keeping the posts running.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), November 07, 2001.

Getting a late start this morning...and have 2 little ones to watch this morning yet. Have no idea who Hugh St. Cher is...just made me think of Sonny & Cher:) My hubby, who I think of as a walking calculator, just tells me the number is not prime which is nothing unique. I like Jillian's answer on the number...will just have to check later and see what other hints are there.

-- Lacey (cddllt@webtv.net), November 07, 2001.

Cheryl, I may be in the wrong here. After my questions were swated away so quickly yesterday and then the statement about your 4 year old put me over the top. I felt like the victum of misplaced anger plus my medications were changer a few days back so I could be "with cranial cobwebs".

As for the numbers question, the answer does not directly relate to the numerals assigned value.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 07, 2001.

That is how many peanuts an elephant can eat at one time with out choking. I'm almost positive!

-- jillian (sweetunes483@yahoo.com), November 07, 2001.

I see no one posting anything about Hugh of St. Cher so I will tell you that if you were to see his picture it might come together. And for the numbers write them in a vertical collum, I said write, not transfer.~~

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 07, 2001.

After spending half an hour with the calculator, I decided to take a break and think about history. I noticed that if you look at 8 5 4 9 1 7 6 3 2 0, and start with the 1, going right to left you have 1763 and 20; going left to right you have 1945 and 8. Now. 1763 saw the end of the French and Indian War; 20 years later was the end of the American War for Independence. 1945 saw the end of World War II; 8 years later was the end of the Korean War. Yeah, I know, a far- fetched idea, but I had fun with it!

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 07, 2001.

I just realized I had my right and left mixed up. Oh, well, that's what I get for proofreading AFTER posting:)

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 07, 2001.

I usually read these and move on. Sorry Mitch, but I don't participate. I still think that you're a sweetie though. And it takes a great mind to come up with these stumpers! (Gotta watch those meds! Wanna trade yours for mine?) In case you don't realize it, I have a strange sense of humor! God bless!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), November 07, 2001.

Cathy N. Did you catch the hint just above your posts? As for Hugh of St. Cher which noone seems to be interested in, he is the first person to have his image recreated with commom evertday______________?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 07, 2001.

Thought I might have missed this, since the day is going by. Have spelled out the numbers, vertically. Going crazy with trying to come up with acronyms and such, can see they are in alphabetical order; but can take some numbers out and you could still have a different number that way. Looking for another bone I guess :)

-- Lacey (cddllt@webtv.net), November 07, 2001.

How about a warm and fuzzy? The answer is that the numbers written out are in alphabetical order, Lacey. Is anybody keeping score here? This still leaves poor ole Hugh ignored.

NEWS FLASH just now 5:25 CNN = Energizer bunny arrested, charged with battery!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 07, 2001.

No, Mitch, I didn't. And I hope you don't let people give up, because I don't have time right now. If nobody guesses, don't give the answer tonight. I'll be back on about 10 pm eastern.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 07, 2001.

Mitch, how can that be the answer? I could have 8,591,730 and still be in alphabetical order. As for ol' Hugh it is hard finding a picture of that dude......as far as my number question...hubby just explained to me it was all 10 numbers placed in alphabetical order....so where was he earlier? Anyway just shows even a blind pig can find an acorn once in awhile:)

-- Lacey (cddllt@webtv.net), November 07, 2001.

EYEGLASSES!!!!! The first painting of someone wearing eyeglasses was of Hugh of St. Cher painted in 1352 by Crivelli (sp?).

I had a little time while everyone's getting ready so I googled in hugh of st. cher picture.

What is unique about 8,549,176,320 is that it is the only alphabetical number using each digit once.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 07, 2001.

Cheryl..please note the "LOL" in my response..I knew you were joking and I did not take offense, but since it was such a good example of my poor math abilities, I HAD to comment...God bless.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), November 07, 2001.

Another warm and fuzzy for Cathy N.( who proabily has a more complete name). Congradulations for being the first person who can find things without a KEYWORD, one step thinking but still thinking. One part of these stumpers is to teach you to think seperate of your machines. We are just starting to return to reality and not follow blindly in to the computer age.....

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 07, 2001.

Mitch, I have to confess that this is the FIRST time I used google for your stumpers. But I was still trying to connect to other clues you might have sneaked in. I was in the shower thinking "...come together...come together...come together..." Then I thought maybe mosaic, being pieces of something put together, but that wasn't right. So I thought of "see his picture" and "image" so I keyed in photograph (in case someone took a picture of the image), then picture. That's when google brought up the history of eyeglasses. I thought, "Of course; come together=focus, which is what eyeglasses are for." So I hope I'm getting better at connected thinking.:)

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 07, 2001.

Okay, Mitch, I am reading your last post and just caught the "follow blindly" part! That might have been a good clue! And N. stands for Newton, which some people who read other threads may know. I stuck it on when I was on the Countryside forum to distinguish between other Cathys there.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 07, 2001.