Trivia Quiz?

[phkrause]

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

In the opening scene of the credits for The Brady Bunch, which female appears in the upper left?

Cindy Jan Marcia Carol

Answer: The cast of The Brady Bunch appears in the opening title sequence in which video head shots are arranged in a three-by-three grid, with each cast member appearing to look at the other cast members. Marcia Brady, played by Maureen McCormick appears in the upper left hand corner of the opening credits. The sequence used the then-new "multi-dynamic image technique" created by Canadian filmmaker Christopher Chapman; as a result of the popular attention it garnered in this sequence, it has been referred to in the press as "The Brady Bunch Effect".

[phkrause]

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

Why Did Austria-Hungary Declare War?

Exactly one month before Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian Empire, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. The two killed as they toured the streets of Sarajevo in an open car. Sarajevo was the capital of Bosnia but part of the Austrian Empire at the time. Franz Ferdinand asked that his route through the city be changed at the last moment, and his driver misunderstood the archduke's instructions and became lost. Realizing that he had left the route he'd been instructed to follow, the driver stopped briefly and then began to drive the vehicle in reverse in order to get back on the proper route. With the vehicle slowed, the royal couple were easy targets for bystander Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand Gang that sought to rid Bosnia of Austrian rule. He pulled out his gun and fatally shot both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie.

 

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Was Austria-Hungary's Ultimatum to Serbia?

In the wake of the assassination, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia after first getting assurance of unconditional support from Germany, its close ally. The ultimatum, issued on July 23, 1914, demanded that Serbia suppress all anti-Austrian propaganda circulating within its borders and take steps to root out terrorist organizations, such as the Black Hand Gang. The ultimatum also called for an Austro-Hungarian inquiry into the assassination, despite the fact that Serbia had already launched into own investigation into the killing of the archduke and his wife. Two days later, Serbia agreed to all the demands of Austria-Hungary except for one. It flatly refused to allow Austria-Hungary to interfere in Serbia's internal investigation into the assassination.

 

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Did the Assassination Lead to So Many Countries Fighting Each Other?

Just as Austria-Hungary depended heavily on the support of its close ally, Germany, in any conflict that might lie ahead, Serbia also had a very strong ally in Russia. And Russia, in turn, had close alliances with both Britain and France. So when Austria-Hungary issued its declaration of war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, it did so with the knowledge that Germany had its back. And Serbia, having already alerted Russia to its stand-off with Austria-Hungary, already had assurances from St. Petersburg that Russian troops would come to its aid if necessary. Almost immediately after the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war, Russia mobilized troops in the four military districts along its border with Austria-Hungary. When Russia refused German demands to halt its military mobilization, Germany declared war on Russia on August 1. Two days later, France and Germany declared war on each other. And on August 4, Britain declared war on Germany after learning of Germany's plans to invade neutral Belgium.

 

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Were the Human Casualties of the Great War?

According to casualty data posted at PBS.org's Great War website, total casualties on both sides were nearly 37.5 million. New and much more lethal weaponry contributed to the massive casualties of World War I. Breaking the total casualties down, more than 8.5 million combatants were killed, more than 21 million wounded, and 7.75 million taken prisoner or missing. Casualties of the United States, which did not enter the war until April 1917, were more than 320,000. 

[phkrause]

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who was the U.S. president during World War I?

Franklin D. Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson Theodore Roosevelt Harry S. Truman

FDR

Answer: On this day in 1914, one month to the day after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were killed by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, effectively beginning the First World War. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, led America through World War I and crafted the Versailles Treaty's "Fourteen Points," the last of which was creating a League of Nations to ensure world peace. Wilson suffered his second stroke during the last year of his presidency and died three years after leaving office.

Oops, had the wrong war in my mind!!

[phkrause]

How long should you thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator?

A. One hour per 4 lbs.
B. 8 hours per 4 lbs.
C. One day per 4 lbs.
D. One hour per pound

well I have always heard 6 months at the most!!

[phkrause]

Which artist died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 37?

Vincent Van Gogh Andy Warhol Pablo Picasso Salvador Dali

[phkrause]

We Have Liftoff for These NASA Trivia Questions

On this day in 1958, Congress passed legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in space.  Try your luck with these trivia questions about NASA...

What Existed Before NASA?

Why Was NASA Specifically Created?

What NASA Inventions Have Become a Part of Normal Life?

What NASA Conspiracy Theories Exist?

[phkrause]

Which former NFL star authored a book about needlepoint for men?

"Mean" Joe Green Dick Butkus Rosey Grier Deacon Jones

[phkrause]

On 7/29/2017 at 5:31 PM, phkrause said:

How long should you thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator?

A. One hour per 4 lbs.
B. 8 hours per 4 lbs.
C. One day per 4 lbs.
D. One hour per pound

well I have always heard 6 months at the most!!

C. One day per 4 lbs.

The folks at Butterball recommend thawing turkeys one day per four pounds of bird. There's something to chirp about!

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 7/29/2017 at 5:35 PM, phkrause said:

Which artist died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 37?

Vincent Van Gogh Andy Warhol Pablo Picasso Salvador Dali

Answer: Although Vincent van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime, he is now one of the most popular artists of all time. He struggled with mental illness, and remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. On July 27, 1890, he wandered into a nearby wheat field and shot himself in the chest with a revolver. Although Van Gogh managed to struggle back to his room, his wounds were not treated properly and he died in bed two days later. Vincent Van Gogh died in France on this day in 1890, at age 37.

[phkrause]

On 7/29/2017 at 6:11 PM, phkrause said:

What Existed Before NASA?

Previous to NASA's creation, there really weren't any major popular space agencies, but there were certainly plans for satellites and other exploration, and the government had set up the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, in 1915 (yes, 1915, a couple of years before the U.S. got involved in World War I). The idea of going into space received popular attention in the form of fiction -- think of those 1950s B movies -- but the so-called space race wasn't considered alarmingly urgent until the Soviets successfully launched the satellite known as Sputnik in 1957. Things changed after Sputnik, with the U.S. both alarmed and annoyed that the Soviets were ahead. The Soviets getting into space before the U.S. was a nasty technological and political wake-up call.

Still, sometimes the best advancements arrive out of necessity. The U.S. got moving. Funds were released to improve science education in schools, and new rocket programs were developed, including the Vanguard rocket program, overseen by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. In fact, it was the USNRL that arranged for the construction of the launching facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA itself was technically an offshoot of the USNRL and NACA, with the Vanguard group becoming the main team participating in NASA's programs.

 

On 7/29/2017 at 6:11 PM, phkrause said:

Why Was NASA Specifically Created?

The U.S. could have left space research to NACA and organizations like the USNRL, but the government wanted to created a dedicated agency that would oversee all space-related research and construction. As Congress, research institutions, and various military branches all started discussing what to do, a new question popped up regarding whether the U.S. space program should be civilian, military, or some combination, and attempts to win the new space-oriented work became very competitive. In the end, the government decided a new agency was best. NACA itself had also been criticized for moving too slowly given recent events, so NACA was absorbed into NASA.

 

On 7/29/2017 at 6:11 PM, phkrause said:

What NASA Inventions Have Become a Part of Normal Life?

It's become kind of fun to look at all the tech gadgets we have and see which ones look like items created for shows like Star Trek back in the 1960s. But society has also benefited greatly from NASA inventions that were never fiction. Among the more notable "spin-off" technologies are medical devices that use LEDs, based on space shuttle plant growth experiments; highway road grooves, which were originally meant to help fighter jets maintain traction on the runway; better tires, based on parachute technology invented for the Martian Viking program; lighter firefighter gear, based on lightweight protective gear for pilots; your household friend, the Dustbuster (yep -- the cordless mini vacuum was based on a computer program from Black & Decker that was meant to improve power consumption for a drill used in lunar sample gathering); and freeze-dried food, which was originally invented to maximize storage potential for food during space travel (remember that the next time you flavor cake frosting with freeze-dried strawberries).

However, there are some products that were not NASA inventions despite their popular association with the space program. Tang, that orange drink mix supposedly used by astronauts, was a commercial product developed in 1957 and first marketed to the public in 1959. John Glenn used Tang in his in-space eating experiments, which was fantastic marketing for General Foods. Teflon and Velcro had been in use commercially since the 1930s and 1940s respectively.

And astronaut ice cream? That freeze-dried goodness had little to do with the space program. It was actually an invention commissioned for the Apollo space program from Whirlpool, better known for its kitchen appliances. But no astronauts ever took it with them, despite some urban myths, and the ice cream has been called too crumbly to be appropriate for a zero-gravity environment. Astronaut Chris Hadfield has gone on record noting that the crumbs would get everywhere and even be breathed in by astronauts.

 

On 7/29/2017 at 6:11 PM, phkrause said:

What NASA Conspiracy Theories Exist?

There are really too many conspiracy theories to mention them all. Really -- too many. One of the most notable ones states that the moon landings were faked; this theory has proved so enduring that it even made it into the movie Interstellar, in which a teacher reprimands a former NASA engineer for allowing his daughter to tell her classmates that the moon landings were real. 

As "evidence" for the fake landings, conspiracy theorists have used the movement of the flag on the moon (which was really due to an astronaut moving the flag's stem, as well as the use of rods in the flag to keep it open and visible); the existence of movie technology capable of imitating a lunar surface; and a lack of stars, which was merely due to it being "daytime" on the moon when pictures were taken. There are additional theories that state the moon landing was real, but the footage was staged. 

Another conspiracy theory is that NASA itself is fake and is just a public relations agency that develops fake space news; others claim that NASA is trying to turn Jupiter into a second sun (this is supposedly known as the Lucifer project).

Some of the conspiracy theories have been more sinister. One is the claim that the three astronauts killed in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967 were executed by NASA. And more recently, there have been claims that NASA kidnapped several children and has been holding them as slaves on Mars.

[phkrause]

On 7/29/2017 at 6:23 PM, phkrause said:

Which former NFL star authored a book about needlepoint for men?

"Mean" Joe Green Dick Butkus Rosey Grier Deacon Jones

Answer: Rosey Grier is a former NFL football player with the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams. He also served as a bodyguard for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, and wrestled the gun from assassin Sirhan Sirhan. This big burly football player was also someone who enjoyed crochet, knitting and needlepoint, activities he took up after retiring from football. In 1973 Rosey Grier came out with a book called Needlepoint for Men. He made approximately 70 guest appearances on various shows during the 1960s and 1970s.

[phkrause]

Which actress did NOT change her first name?

A. Tina Fey
B. Shailene Woodley
C. Julianne Moore
D. Emma Stone

[phkrause]

Which man was disqualified from serving as a pilot during World War II because of color blindness?

John Wayne Paul Newman Johnny Carson Tony Bennett

[phkrause]

4 Trivia Questions about Jimmy Hoffa

On July 30th, 1975, former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in suburban Detroit. See if you can solve the case with these trivia questions about him...

What Went Missing Two Weeks Before Jimmy Hoffa Disappeared?

What Team's End Zone Was Long Referred to as the "Jimmy Hoffa Memorial End Zone?"

Who Confessed To Killing Jimmy Hoffa?

Who is the Current Head of the Teamsters?

[phkrause]

Which European country once had a great potato famine?

Greece Ireland Poland Switzerland

[phkrause]

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which actress did NOT change her first name?

A. Tina Fey
B. Shailene Woodley
C. Julianne Moore
D. Emma Stone

B. Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodley kept her first name intact. Tina is actually Elizabeth Stamatina Fey; Meryl is actually Mary; Julianne was born Julie Anne; and Emma is short for Emily.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which man was disqualified from serving as a pilot during World War II because of color blindness?

John Wayne Paul Newman Johnny Carson Tony Bennett

Answer: Before he became one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, Paul Newman had dreams of becoming a Naval Aviator. Newman served in the United States Navy in World War II in the Pacific theater. Unable to be a pilot, because he was color blind, he was instead sent to boot camp. He later qualified as a rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers and flew from aircraft carriers as a turret gunner in an Avenger torpedo bomber. As a radioman-gunner, he served aboard the USS Bunker Hill during the Battle of Okinawa, 1945.

[phkrause]

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Went Missing Two Weeks Before Jimmy Hoffa Disappeared?

Here's the story of Jimmy Hoffa's death as best we know it. Hoffa went to meet up with mobster-and-Teamster Anthony Provenzano and mobster Anthony Giacalone at a restaurant in Michigan. We know Hoffa was there because witnesses reported it, but the other two never showed up and would later have airtight alibis as to where they were that night. Hoffa never came home, the police found no helpful evidence at the scene of the crime, and we've been looking for him ever since. Theories as to what happened abound, most centered around mob hits but also including the possibility that the government took him out or he's still out there. Either way, here's one other fun fact to add to the story: Two weeks before Hoffa died, millions of dollars went inexplicably missing from the Teamsters pension fund. We don't know if that's relevant or just a giant coincidence, but our money's on the former.

 

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Team's End Zone Was Long Referred to as the "Jimmy Hoffa Memorial End Zone?"

In a 1989 Playboy magazine interview, Donald Frankos (better known as Tony the Greek) said Hoffa was buried in section 107 of the corner of the west end zone at Giants Stadium. The FBI dismissed the claim, labeling it non-credible, but you better believe a rumor like that was going to stick around. His supposed resting place became known as the Jimmy Hoffa Memorial End Zone, and people joked that Hoffa was the Giants' biggest fan, having never missed a game since 1975. So when they finally tore down the old stadium, construction guys kept an eye out for the former Teamsters leader. They never found Hoffa, but they did recover some other bodies in their time digging. Former FBI agent Jim Kossler said they would get calls every now and then from construction workers whenever they found a corpse, but it started disrupting their work. "After about the fifth one, they stopped," Kossler said. Ummm, doesn't that mean it's totally possible that Hoffa was buried there and he just didn't have the luck of being one of the first five bodies recovered?

 

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who Confessed To Killing Jimmy Hoffa?

On his deathbed, in search of absolution, Frank Sheeran confessed to killing Jimmy Hoffa. Was he actually the killer? We don't know, but apparently his family wasn't all that surprised. His daughter, in an interview with the Daily Mail, said "He was among the top suspects and the FBI put him in prison time and again, hoping he'd crack. But he never did. Then towards the end of his life, he told me he wanted absolution. I remember saying he had to be truly sorry for the things he'd done in the past, that if he had his time again he wouldn't do the things he'd done. He said he was sorry and I drove him to the church to confess. He seemed much happier after that.'" That must have been a creepy drive home.  If everything Sheeran has confessed was true though, killing Hoffa wouldn't even be the most notable assassination of the guy's career. He also said he was involved in killing JFK.

 

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who is the Current Head of the Teamsters?

The Teamsters don't get as much press as they used to, but they are still around and going strong. They are headed by their current general president: James P. Hoffa. That's right, Jimmy Hoffa's son heads the organization these days. Of course, with a name like Hoffa, what Teamster wouldn't vote for him?

[phkrause]

13 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which European country once had a great potato famine?

Greece Ireland Poland Switzerland

Answer: The Irish Potato Famine occurred in Ireland in 1845–49 when the potato crop failed in successive years. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. The famine proved to be a watershed in the demographic history of Ireland. About one million people died from starvation and other famine-related diseases. The number of Irish who emigrated during the famine may have reached two million. Ireland’s population continued to decline in the following decades because of overseas emigration and lower birth rates.

[phkrause]

Which state's tagline describes the place as "...for lovers"?

A. Nebraska
B. California
C. Maryland
D. Virginia

[phkrause]

Which Greek philosopher was sentenced to death by poison?

Aristotle Socrates Plato Pythagoras

[phkrause]

Trivia Questions about the World War I Closure of NYSE

On July 31, 1914, only days after the start of World War I, the New York Stock Exchange closed its doors to traders. To mark the anniversary of this unusual event, we've put together some trivia questions; test your knowledge of the First World War's effect on financial markets worldwide.

Did Other World Stock Exchanges Close as Well?

Was This the First Major Shutdown of the NYSE?

When Did the NYSE Resume Trading in 1914?

For What Reasons Has the NYSE Shut Down in the Years Since 1914?

[phkrause]

Which sport would you be playing if you were allowed a mulligan?

Baseball Golf Lacrosse Hockey

[phkrause]

On 7/31/2017 at 6:51 PM, phkrause said:

Which state's tagline describes the place as "...for lovers"?

A. Nebraska
B. California
C. Maryland
D. Virginia

D. Virginia

"Virginia is for lovers" has been the travel and tourism slogan for the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1969.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 7/31/2017 at 6:54 PM, phkrause said:

Which Greek philosopher was sentenced to death by poison?

Aristotle Socrates Plato Pythagoras

Answer: Socrates was a Greek philosopher and the main source of Western thought. We know of his life through the writings of his students, including Plato and Xenophon. His "Socratic method," laid the groundwork for Western systems of logic and philosophy. He was found guilty of both corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens and of impiety ("not believing in the gods of the state"), and subsequently sentenced to death by drinking a mixture of hemlock poison. He accepted this judgment rather than fleeing into exile.