Trivia Quiz?

[phkrause]

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

According to economists at PNC Wealth Management, approximately how much would all of the items listed in the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" cost?

A. More than $1 million
B. $257,000.43
C. $34,130.99
D. $25,613.90

$34,130.99!! But I got all kinds of different figures, this one comes the closest to what I found!!

C. $34,130.99

PNC has been estimating the cost of the partridge, pear tree, etc. since 1984, and in 2015, the list would run a cool $34,130.99.

Source: various web sites

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which president's daughter married the grandson of President Dwight Eisenhower on this day in 1968?

Jimmy Carter George H. W. Bush Richard Nixon Ronald Reagan

Nixon!!

Answer: On this day in 1968, Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower, both progeny of United States presidents, tied the knot in New York City. Julie Nixon is the daughter of Richard M. Nixon, who was president-elect at the time of the wedding. Her groom was the grandson of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as America’s 34th president. Julie and David met at the 1956 Republican National Convention when they were just eight years old. They are still married, have three children and live in Pennsylvania. Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, is named after President Eisenhower's only grandson David.

[phkrause]

16 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Naval Officers Were Commissioned by the Congress?

To lead the newly created American naval force, the Continental Congress named Esek Hopkins commander in chief of the Continental Navy. Hopkins, a longtime captain of merchant marine vessels, had sailed ships to virtually every corner of the globe. The congress also named captains to command the crews aboard the fledgling naval force's first four vessels. Commissioned to captain the USS Alfred was Dudley Saltonstall. Given the commands of the USS Columbus and USS Andrew Doria were Abraham Whipple and Nicholas Biddle, respectively. John Burrows Hopkins was selected to command the USS Cabot. Also commissioned at the same time by the Continental Congress were five first lieutenants, five-second lieutenants, and three third lieutenants. Among the first lieutenants named was John Paul Jones, who would go on to carve out a place in naval history for himself.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Was the Primary Mission of the Continental Navy?

In the early years of the Continental Navy, almost all the ships of its fleet were converted merchant vessels, not really designed for warfare and ill-suited to the tasks at hand. As the American Revolution dragged on, specially designed warships were built to face off against the formidable British naval forces. In the wake of the Continental Congress's commissioning of the navy's first officers, the primary task was to do everything possible to disrupt British ocean borne commerce and to intercept, if possible, shipments of materiel being sent to supply British fighting forces.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who Emerged as the Continental Navy's First Major Hero?

As previously mentioned, John Paul Jones was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Continental Navy on December 22, 1775. In June 1777 he was given command of the newly constructed USS Ranger, which he led in multiple attacks on the Royal Navy sloop HMS Drake in the spring of 1778, finally capturing the British ship off the coast of Ireland after an hour-long gun battle that took the life of the captain of the Drake. The following year, Jones took command of the 42-gun USS Bonhomme Richard, a converted merchant ship. In an engagement with the British naval vessel HMS Serapis in British waters, the American ship was heavily damaged and eventually sank but not before Jones and his crew captured the British vessel. It was during this naval battle that Jones is purported to have said, "I have not yet begun to fight."

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

How Did Hopkins Defy Orders of the Continental Congress?

For his first mission as commander in chief, Hopkins was ordered by the Congress to lead a fleet of eight small merchant ships -- converted into warships -- to search for and possibly engage British naval forces in the Chesapeake Bay and off the coasts of North and South Carolina. Instead, Hopkins led his small flotilla further south to Nassau in the Bahamas where he captured British munitions desperately needed by American fighting forces. However, his defiance of his original orders created a rift between Hopkins and many members of Congress, eventually leading to a vote of censure in August 1776 and his removal from command in January 1778.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Cruciverbalist is a 14-letter word for people who enjoy which hobby?

Coin Collecting Scrapbooking Quilting Crossword Puzzles

Just the way they worded the question I figure it has to be Crossword Puzzles??

Answer: A cruciverbalists is someone that constructs or enjoys solving crosswords puzzles. Arthur Wynne was a Liverpool journalist that invented the first crossword puzzle. It was published in The New York World on December 21, 1913. His puzzle was first called a “Word-Cross Puzzle” and was designed as a diamond shape. Although Wynne’s invention was initially greeted with skepticism, by the 1920s it had established itself as a popular pastime, entertaining and frustrating generations of cruciverbalists.

[phkrause]

Which fast-food joint is the world's largest drive-in restaurant?

A. The Varsity, Atlanta
B. In-N-Out, Los Angeles
C. Sonic, Dallas
D. McDonald's, Beijing

 

[phkrause]

According to the International Ice Cream Association, what is the most popular ice cream flavor in the U.S.?

Chocolate Vanilla Cookie dough Butter pecan

My choice would be Chocolate!!

[phkrause]

Hear Us Out On This Van Gogh Trivia

On December 23, 1888, Vincent Van Gogh chopped off his left ear. Or, at least, so the story goes (more on that later). So today we're inviting you to honor that anniversary with these trivia questions.

What is Believed to be the Only Painting Van Gogh Sold in His Lifetime?

Where Was Van Gogh When He Painted Starry Night?

Two German Authors Proposed What Explanation for How Van Gogh Actually Got His Ear Chopped Off?

Jo Van Gogh-Bonger Helped Popularize Van Gogh's Work. What Was Her Relationship to the Artist?

 

[phkrause]

In Charles Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol", who was Ebenezer Scrooge's dead business partner?

Bob Cratchit Fezziwig Jacob Marley Tiny Tim

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which fast-food joint is the world's largest drive-in restaurant?

A. The Varsity, Atlanta
B. In-N-Out, Los Angeles
C. Sonic, Dallas
D. McDonald's, Beijing

 

A. The Varsity, Atlanta

What'll y'all have? is what you'll hear when you drive up to the world's largest drive-in restaurant, The Varsity, in Atlanta.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

According to the International Ice Cream Association, what is the most popular ice cream flavor in the U.S.?

Chocolate Vanilla Cookie dough Butter pecan

My choice would be Chocolate!!

Answer: The average American consumes almost 22 pounds of ice cream per year. According to the International Ice Cream Association (IICA), Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor among Americans. The finding came from results of the latest annual survey of IICA member companies. The IICA member companies make and distribute an estimated 85% of the ice cream and frozen dessert products consumed in the United States. Chocolate and Butter pecan were voted second and third favorite respectively.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

What is Believed to be the Only Painting Van Gogh Sold in His Lifetime?

While Van Gogh was respected by some artistic contemporaries, he never lived long enough to see his work become a mainstream success. In fact, most people believe he sold only one or two paintings in his lifetime, with the only documented sale being of The Red Vineyards near Arles for what amounts to a little over a thousand dollars in today's money. Though Teio Meedendorp from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam claims this is a false myth, and that Van Gogh actually sold "several" works before dying. Of course, if even the guy defending you says you only sold several works, you couldn't have been that famous. Completely broke, Van Gogh spent his artistic career being supported financially by his brother Theo, who apparently saw what it would take the world a bit longer to realize.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Where Was Van Gogh When He Painted Starry Night?

In 1888, a troubled Van Gogh checked himself into an asylum. While at the Saint Paul de Mausole asylum, and gazing out the window, he got the inspiration for a painting. "This morning I saw the country from my window a long time before sunrise," he said in a letter to Theo, "with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big." Sadly, Van Gogh himself disliked the finished product, saying, "All in all the only things I consider a little good in it are the Wheatfield, the Mountain, the Orchard, the Olive trees with the blue hills and the Portrait and the Entrance to the quarry, and the rest says nothing to me." And it wasn't one of the few paintings he sold. So what ever became of that work? Today, it's considered one of the most iconic paintings of all time and is probably worth over $100 million.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Two German Authors Proposed What Explanation for How Van Gogh Actually Got His Ear Chopped Off?

The story goes that Van Gogh got into an argument with artist Paul Gauguin, then was so angry that when he returned home, he chopped off part of his ear. But recently, that story has come under doubt. A pair of German authors have proposed a simpler explanation. What if Gauguin was the one who cut off Van Gogh's ear? Gauguin was an experienced fencer and wouldn't it make sense that the injury happened during a fight, not after it? But then why didn't Van Gogh report the matter to the police? The theory goes that Van Gogh did not want to get his friend in trouble for a momentary outburst. So Van Gogh told people that he did it. Either way, there isn't much documentation about the incident, so we'll probably never know the answer.

 

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

Jo Van Gogh-Bonger Helped Popularize Van Gogh's Work. What Was Her Relationship to the Artist?

Not everyone likes their in-laws, but Vincent Van Gogh owes his a debt of gratitude. Van Gogh and his brother both died in 1891, leaving Theo's widow, Jo Van Gogh-Bonger with a rather large Vincent Van Gogh art collection and a child to care for. Acting partly in an attempt to fulfill the ambitions of her now-deceased husband and partly to raise money for her child, she started promoting the art and loaning it out to exhibitions. Later she even published Van Gogh's letters. She is often credited as being the biggest reason Van Gogh's reputation spread. And she did a good job. He became one of the most famous artists of all time.

He just never knew it.

[phkrause]

17 hours ago, phkrause said:

In Charles Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol", who was Ebenezer Scrooge's dead business partner?

Bob Cratchit Fezziwig Jacob Marley Tiny Tim

Answer: Jacob Marley is a fictional character who appears in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. He is Scrooge's deceased business partner, now a chained and tormented ghost, damned to wander the earth forevermore as punishment for his greedy, selfish and uncaring attitude towards mankind. Jacob Marley hopes to save his old partner from suffering a similar fate. It is Marley who arranges for the three spirits to visit Scrooge and gives him his opportunity for redemption.

[phkrause]

In the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what is the Grinch's dog's name?

A. Molly
B. Milo
C. Max
D. Fido

[phkrause]

In which country did the custom of putting up a Christmas tree originate?

Germany United States Brazil Italy

I'm gonna guess Germany!!

[phkrause]

Ho Ho Ho, It's Time for Some Christmas Trivia

December 24th is Christmas Eve, though we suspect you already knew that.  So today we take a look at some fun facts surrounding Christmas.

Who the Heck is Saint Nicholas?

What Is Mistletoe?

What Was the First Song Performed in Outer Space?

Who Created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

[phkrause]

According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the seventh day of Christmas?

7 Swans A-swimming 7 Geese A-laying 7 Lords A-leaping 7 Maids A-milking

[phkrause]

On 12/24/2016 at 2:13 PM, phkrause said:

In the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what is the Grinch's dog's name?

A. Molly
B. Milo
C. Max
D. Fido

C. Max

The Grinch's dog/reindeer is called Max.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

On 12/24/2016 at 2:29 PM, phkrause said:

In which country did the custom of putting up a Christmas tree originate?

Germany United States Brazil Italy

I'm gonna guess Germany!!

Answer: Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. The first Christmas trees in Germany were decorated with edible things, such as gingerbread and apples. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to the Christmas tree. Most historians agree that the first decorated trees appeared in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. The trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.

[phkrause]

On 12/24/2016 at 3:13 PM, phkrause said:

Who the Heck is Saint Nicholas?

We all know who Saint Nicholas is now: A guy who secretly watches children all year, then sneaks down families' chimneys in the middle of the night. 

But who was he originally? Saint Nicholas was indeed a real saint, believed to have lived in the 300's as a bishop of Myra. Our data about his life is limited and, at the time, there was a less scientific examination of the miracles attributed to saints, so as a result his backstory is way cooler than modern saints. Our favorite St. Nick factoid: He is believed to have brought back to life three kids who were chopped up by a butcher. Now that's a miracle! 

Saint Nicholas has done well for himself through the years. He is now the patron saint of Russia, Greece and Moscow. He is also the saint of sailors and unmarried girls, though if the two ever show up to one of the thousands of St. Nicholas churches now out there, we assume the girls won't be unmarried for long.

 

On 12/24/2016 at 3:13 PM, phkrause said:

What Is Mistletoe?

Ahhh Mistletoe. That lovely plant where two people lean in and kiss each other in an expression of love and holiday spirit. So what exactly is mistletoe? Well, it's actually the result of bird dung. Birds eat the mistletoe berries, the berries go through their digestive tracks, and then the droppings are, um, ya know, released. The fecal matter lodges in trees and grows as mistletoe. Romantic right?

But fun fact number two: Most forms of mistletoe are also parasites, sucking life out of their host tree in order to survive. And if that's not a symbol of love, we don't know what is.

 

On 12/24/2016 at 3:13 PM, phkrause said:

What Was the First Song Performed in Outer Space?

In 1965, a week and a half before Christmas, the astronauts aboard Gemini 6 reported seeing "an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in polar orbit.... Looks like he might be going to re-enter soon.... You just might let me pick up that thing.... I see a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit." The astronauts reported they could hear the command crew getting tense. But then it turned out it was just a prank, a lead up to the first song played in space. That command module was Santa's sleigh, the eight smaller modules were reindeer, and the next sound to come across the airwaves was one of the astronauts playing Jingle Bells on a harmonica. It was the first song performed in space.

 

On 12/24/2016 at 3:13 PM, phkrause said:

Who Created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

If you've ever read The Night Before Christmas, you might notice that the most famous reindeer of them all is missing: Rudolph. While the other reindeer were first named in that poem in 1824, Rudolph first appeared in 1939, when major retailer Montgomery Ward was looking to save a bit of money. Every year they bought coloring books to give away to kids in their stores, but, in '39, they decided to make a storybook in-house. They put employee and father-of-a-four-year-old-daughter Robert L. May in charge of it, and he churned out the story we all know today.  Things got a bit tough for May after that. His wife passed away, leaving him as a single dad facing large debts from her illness. And legal scholars may realize that the store owned all the rights to Rudolph since he created the character as a work assignment. But apparently someone's heart over at Montgomery Ward grew three sizes, because they decided to give May 100% of the rights. He was able to solve his financial problems and finish his life quite comfortably.

[phkrause]

On 12/24/2016 at 3:40 PM, phkrause said:

According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the seventh day of Christmas?

7 Swans A-swimming 7 Geese A-laying 7 Lords A-leaping 7 Maids A-milking

Answer: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates in the manner of a cumulative song a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas. On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Seven Swans A-swimming. The carol was originally published in England in 1780 without music.

[phkrause]

What type of stone or device separates light into wavelengths that appear as rainbows when light is shined through it?

A. Diamond
B. Prism
C. Topaz
D. Quartz

My guess a Prism?

[phkrause]

Which American President banned Christmas trees in the White House?

Jimmy Carter Theodore Roosevelt Dwight D. Eisenhower Richard Nixon

Wow! Who knew?? I'm pretty sure it wasn't Carter!!

[phkrause]

Merry Christmas Trivia Quiz

Merry Christmas! We're sure you've got an Xbox under your tree that needs some opening, but if you're looking for something else to do today, try out these Christmas trivia questions...

Clement Clarke Moore and Henry Livingston, Jr. Both Claim to Have Written What Christmas Classic?

When Was Christmas First Declared a Federal Holiday?

How Did the NORAD Santa Tracker Tradition Start?

What Do the Writers of "White Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" All Have in Common?

Why Was Santa Claus Removed from Forbes' List of the Richest Fictional Characters in 2006?

[phkrause]

What is the most popular meal for Christmas in Japan?

Applebee's KFC TGI Fridays Arby's

Probably KFC!!!! LOL

[phkrause]

18 hours ago, phkrause said:

What type of stone or device separates light into wavelengths that appear as rainbows when light is shined through it?

A. Diamond
B. Prism
C. Topaz
D. Quartz

My guess a Prism?

B. Prism

What does it mean??? A prism refracts light and turns its wavelengths into a rainbow.

Source: various web sites.