Sunday, January 31, 2010

Stock Stumpers - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Franklin Resources Inc.. Better known as Franklin Templeton Investments, the publicly owned investment firm was named in part for Ben Franklin, an idol of founder Rupert Johnson, Sr.
  • A2) Sotheby's. The London-based auction house got the symbol before Christie's (private) or eBay (EBAY) could.
  • A3) Avis Budget Group, Inc.. The operator of both the Avis and Budget car and truck rental agencies is still trying harder than Hertz (HTZ).
  • A4) EchoStar Corporation. The owner of the Dish Network also owns Sling Media, producers of the Slingbox.
  • A5) Genentech. The biotechnology corporation started with the symbol GENE in 1980 and shortened it to GNE in 1988 before getting fancy in 1999.
  • A6) Brinker International, Inc.. The parent company of Chili's, On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, Maggiano's Little Italy, and Romano's Macaroni Grill went public in 1989, fourteen years after the first Chili's Grill & Bar opened in Dallas, Texas.
  • A7) Gap Inc.. The specialty retailing company that also sells Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Athleta brand merchandise won't help you navigate your car.
  • A8) Harley-Davidson. The motorcycle maker changed its symbol from the boring HDI in 2006. Harleys have been known as hogs since a successful 1920 racing team began using pigs as their mascot.
  • A9) Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.. The White Plains, New York-based company owns the Sheraton, Westin, and several other hotel brands.
  • A10) Southwest Airlines. The airline took its symbol not just as a marketing message, but also to honor their local Ernest A. Love Field in Phoenix (the airport's code isn't LUV, however; it's PRC for Prescott Municipal Airport).
  • A11) Sealed Air Corporation. The New Jersey company manufactures packaging and performance-based materials and equipment systems including Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, Instapak, and Shanklin.
  • A12) Westwood One, Inc.. The New York City-based, country-wide radio network was previously managed by CBS Radio.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Stock Stumpers - Random Trivia Questions

2009 was an excellent year for most stock investors with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 18.8%, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index 24.0%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index 43.9%. While the new year is unlikely to match those gains, hopefully the market will be a better place for your money than a piggy bank.

When trading stocks online, you have to be very careful that the stock symbol you enter matches the company you actually wanted to buy. Most symbols are acronyms or abbreviations or variations thereof, which can get confusing with so many companies and so few letters per symbol. Very few companies have unusual symbols that make them more memorable, like BUD for Anheuser-Busch and CAKE for the Cheesecake Factory. If you don't already know the dozen symbols in this week's quiz, you won't forget them after you've seen the answers...

Stock Stumpers Questions

  • Q1) BEN
  • Q2) BID
  • Q3) CAR
  • Q4) DISH
  • Q5) DNA
  • Q6) EAT
  • Q7) GPS
  • Q8) HOG
  • Q9) HOT
  • Q10) LUV
  • Q11) SEE
  • Q12) WON

Gridiron Gathering -- Quiz Quilt 159 Solution

Category Answers:
Geography
&
Nature
SALEMOregon's Salem shared the ninth most common U.S. city name in 2002.
Math
&
Science
JOULEJames Prescott Joule's Law calculates the amount of heat generated by a current flowing through a resistor.
Sports
&
Games
MAIDENThe term refers to an over in which no runs score in cricket.
Entertainment
&
Food
SWEDENThe movie was released there as Mitt liv som hund in 1985.
History
&
Government
AUGUSTAugustus Caesar wanted his month to have as many days as Julius Caesar's July.
Literature
&
Arts
RUSHDIESalman Rushdie's 1980 novel Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize the following year and was named the best novel of the quarter century by the same group in 1993.

Quiz Quilt Answer: HUDDLE (Fourth letters going up)

The offense usually discusses the play they're about to run in a huddle on the football field (also known as a gridiron because of all the lines on it).

Friday, January 29, 2010

Gridiron Gathering -- Quiz Quilt 159 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Geography
&
Nature
What is the only state capital with one of the ten most popular city names in the U.S.?
Math
&
Science
After what English physicist was the mechanical unit of work named?
Sports
&
Games
What racing term refers to a horse that has never won a race?
Entertainment
&
Food
In what country was My Life as a Dog filmed?
History
&
Government
What month gained a day in 8 B.C. at the expense of February?
Literature
&
Arts
What British author wrote The Satanic Verses and went into hiding after Ayatollah Khomeini sentenced him to death?

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Veritably Vertebrate - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Mammal. While other mammals like the flying fox can glide, the bat is the only mammal that truly flies.
  • A2) Mammal. The beaver is a rodent, like mice, rats, squirrels, porcupines, and groundhogs.
  • A3) Mammal. All whales, including the orca, are mammals, joined by dolphins and porpoises in the order cetacea.
  • A4) Reptile. Crocodiles and their alligator cousins are among the 23 species in the order crocodilia.
  • A5) Mammal. The spiny anteater is one of the few egg-laying mammals known as monotremes, with the playtpus being the other main example.
  • A6) Amphibian. Other amphibians include the toad, salamander, and newt.
  • A7) Reptile. Lizards and snakes make up most of the squamata, by far the largest of the reptile orders.
  • A8) Bird. Other birds may go underwater briefly to catch their prey, but penguins can swim underwater the longest and farthest.
  • A9) Mammal. Sea otters are a member of the weasel family.
  • A10) Reptile. Sea turtles, turtles, and tortoises belong to the order Testudines.
  • A11) Fish. Sharks with cartilaginous skeletons date back over 400 million years ago, back to the time of the dinosaurs.
  • A12) Reptile. Sharks resemble legless lizards but have no eyelids or external ears.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Veritably Vertebrate - Random Trivia Questions

In the traditional classification scheme for living things, the vertebrates (animals with backbones) are divided into mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish (which are subdivided into jawless, cartilaginous, and bony, but ignore that here). Can you place each of the following animals into its proper class?

Veritably Vertebrate Questions

  • Q1) Bat
  • Q2) Beaver
  • Q3) Blue whale
  • Q4) Crocodile
  • Q5) Echidna
  • Q6) Frog
  • Q7) Lizard
  • Q8) Penguin
  • Q9) Sea otter
  • Q10) Sea turtle
  • Q11) Shark
  • Q12) Snake

Transitional Transportation -- Quiz Quilt 158 Solution

Category Answers:
Entertainment
&
Food
BUNDYThe show about Al and Peggy and their kids Kelly and Bud ran from 1987 to 1997.
Sports
&
Games
DAIKATANAThe Eidos Interactive game, developed by Ion Storm, finally debuted after three years of work in May 2000 after most of the original design team had quit.
Literature
&
Arts
BELLOWSaul Bellow's novel won the National Book Award for fiction in 1954.
History
&
Government
WARTHOGThe aircraft was designed to attack ground targets and possesses excellent maneuverability at low speeds and low altitudes.
Geography
&
Nature
BELIZEThe nation had only 33 people per square mile in 2006.
Math
&
Science
URANUSThe German-born Englishman originally named it Georgium Sidus (George's Star) for King George III, but the scientific community, not surprisingly, overruled him.

Quiz Quilt Answer: SEGWAY (Last letters going up)

Dean Kamen's Segway was supposed to revolutionize transportation but has yet to find widespread acceptance because of its high price. A "segue" is a transition, originally in music, but now in discourse or elsewhere.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Transitional Transportation -- Quiz Quilt 158 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Entertainment
&
Food
What was the last name of the central family in the TV show Married With Children?
Sports
&
Games
In what computer game does Mikiko Ebihara ask you to join her on her quest to avenge her father's death?
Literature
&
Arts
What author wrote most of The Adventures of Augie March while on a two-year Guggenheim fellowship in Paris?
History
&
Government
What animal nickname was given to the U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt?
Geography
&
Nature
What is the least densely populated Central American country?
Math
&
Science
Which planet did Sir William Herschel discover on March 13, 1781?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Pixar Petites - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Toy Story. A strange-looking creature named Andre is bothered by a bee.
  • A2) The Incredibles. A jackalope cheers up a lamb who is saddened by having his wool shorn.
  • A3) Monsters, Inc.. A flock of small birds on a telephone wire mock a large bird that joins them.
  • A4) A Bug's Life. Senior citizen Geri plays chess against himself.
  • A5) The Incredibles. Babysitter Kari tries to keep Jack-Jack from hurting himself.
  • A6) Finding Nemo. A snowman wants to get out of his snowglobe to join the fun.
  • A7) Ratatouille. An alien has difficulty teleporting a human into his UFO.
  • A8) Toy Story 2. The child of the Pixar lamp plays with a ball.
  • A9) Cars. Young Tippy decides whether to toss a coin into a fountain or give it to one of two musicians.
  • A10) WALL-E. A magician duels with his rabbit to the audience's delight.
  • A11) Toy Story. A toy soldier tries to get away from a drooling baby.
  • A12) Ratatouille. Remy and his brother Emile give a long history lesson about rats and humans.

Other shorts include Burn-E (WALL-E), Mike's New Car (Monsters Inc.), and Red's Dream (the only Pixar short not associated with a movie).

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Pixar Petites - Random Trivia Questions

If you've seen any Pixar movie in the theater or on DVD, you've probably seen the short films that they air beforehand. This week's quiz gives you the name of a dozen shorts, and you need to name the movie they were bundled with. Are you Pixar-perfect?

Pixar Petites Questions

  • Q1) Adventures Of Andre And Wally B.
  • Q2) Boundin'
  • Q3) For the Birds
  • Q4) Geri's Game
  • Q5) Jack-Jack Attack
  • Q6) Knick Knack
  • Q7) Lifted
  • Q8) Luxo Jr.
  • Q9) One Man Band
  • Q10) Presto
  • Q11) Tin Toy
  • Q12) Your Friend the Rat

Catch a Catnapping Criminal -- Quiz Quilt 157 Solution

Category Answers:
Math
&
Science
CHARONOn June 22, 1978, American astronomer James Christy discovered it, later naming the satellite for the mythological ferryman but pronouncing it with a "sh" sound for his wife Charlene.
History
&
Government
BYRNEIncumbent Michael Bilandic lost points for having fired Jane Byrne from her post as head of consumer affairs, and his popularity also took a big hit when a snowstorm paralyzed the city.
Sports
&
Games
CARTERButch Carter and his brother Cris each contributed twelve chapters to their 2000 book Born to Believe.
Geography
&
Nature
IRELANDIt covers 31,521 square miles, just under two-fifths as big as Great Britain.
Literature
&
Arts
SUSANNJacqueline Susann's novel's three pill-popping main characters were supposedly modeled after Judy Garland, Grace Kelly, and Marilyn Monroe.
Entertainment
&
Food
AUTRYRobert L. May created Rudolph for Montgomery Ward a decade before Gene Autry's song.

Quiz Quilt Answer: ARREST (Third letters)

"Arrest" means to take into custody, and "a rest" can be a nap.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Catch a Catnapping Criminal -- Quiz Quilt 157 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Math
&
Science
What relatively large moon orbits Pluto?
History
&
Government
Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979?
Sports
&
Games
Who coached the Toronto Raptors from 1997-98 to 1999-2000 while his brother played wide receiver in the NFL?
Geography
&
Nature
What is the second largest island of the British Isles?
Literature
&
Arts
What actress authored the 1966 bestseller Valley of the Dolls?
Entertainment
&
Food
What singer recorded "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1949?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Records Recap - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Usain Bolt. His 9.58-second 100 meters on August 16 was 0.11 seconds faster than his gold medal-winning performance at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when he let up before reaching the tape. Four days later he knocked the same amount off his 200-meter record, crossing in 19.19 seconds.
  • A2) Matthew Stafford. On November 23 the first pick of the 2009 NFL Draft threw for 422 yards in the Detroit Lions' 38-37 victory over the Cleveland Browns, also becoming the youngest player in modern history to throw five touchdown passes in a game, including the last one with a separated shoulder.
  • A3) Joey Logano. The 19-year-old won without a checkered flag at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon on June 28 as he was leading Jeff Gordon when rain shortened the race from 301 to 273 laps.
  • A4) Kentucky. The Wildcats defeated Drexel 88-44 on December 21, beating North Carolina and Kansas to the magic number.
  • A5) Colt McCoy. The Texas Longhorn quarterback surpassed Georgia's David Greene with his 43rd win on November 21 and currently has 45 career wins, with the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama yet to be played.
  • A6) Curtis Joseph. On April 8, the Toronto Maple Leafs netminder lost his 352nd game 3-1 to the Buffalo Sabres, tying Gump Worsley for the record despite being 102 games above .500 for his career.
  • A7) Serena Williams. By raking in $6,545,586 the younger Williams sister smashed Justin Henin's two-year-old record ($5,429,586) by just over a million dollars and increased her record career earnings to $28,506,993.
  • A8) Jose Calderon. The Toronto Raptors point guard shot missed only three times in 154 attempts (.981) in 2008-09 to smash the Houston Rockets' Calvin Murphy's 28-year old record of .958. Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics shot .952, the fourth best percentage ever (also behind Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf's .956 in 1993-94).
  • A9) Andy Pettitte. The Yankee hurler tied then passed John Smoltz's 15 postseason wins, finishing 2009 with 18.
  • A10) Bemidji State University. The #16 seed out of 16 teams upset #2 Notre Dame 5-1 and #9 Cornell 4-1 to win the Midwest regional before falling to Miami of Ohio 4-1 in the semifinal.
  • A11) Tiger Woods. The now-tarnished golfer purportedly eclipsed the mark with the ten million dollar FedEx Cup title bonus on September 27, beating basketball player Michael Jordan ($800 million) and race car driver Michael Schumacher ($700 million) to the milestone.
  • A12) Pittsburgh Pirates. The Major League Baseball team that last won a World Series in 1979 has now failed to reach .500 in 17 straight seasons from 1993 to 2009. The previous record was held by the Philadelphia Phillies with 16 from 1933 to 1948.

For the record, here are some of the other more significant sports records set (or tied) in 2009:

  • Major League Baseball
    • Most consecutive home wins to start a MLB season: 2009 Dodgers (13, losing to the Washington Nationals 11-9 on May 7). The Detroit Tigers had started their 1911 season with 12 straight wins, while the 1983 Atlanta Braves, also skippered by Joe Torre, had won 10.
    • Most games played as a catcher: Ivan Rodriguez passed Carlton Fisk (2,226 games) on June 17. Bob Boone dropped to third place (2,225).
    • Most All-Star game saves: Mariano Rivera (4).
    • Fewest games to hit 200 career home runs: Ryan Howard (658 games on July 16). Ralph Kiner had taken 706 games.
    • Most career hits as a shortstop: Derek Jeter passed Luis Aparicio (2,673) on August 17.
    • Most career home runs as a designated hitter: David Ortiz hit his 270th on September 15 against the Los Angeles Angels, passing Frank Thomas.
    • Most strikeouts by a batter in a season: Mark Reynolds broke own one-year-old mark (204) with his 205th whiff on September 22 and finished with 223.
    • Most assists by a first baseman: Albert Pujols broke Bill Buckner's 1985 major-league record with his 185th on October 4.
    • Fewest wins by a Cy Young-winning starting pitcher (not including strike-shortened seasons): Tim Lincecum won the National League award with only 15 victories, while Zack Greinke captured the American League award with only one more, as voters have finally realized the relatively small correlation between a pitcher's performance and his win total compared to other statistical measures.
  • NBA
    • Most 3-point shots made by a team in a game: The Orlando Magic scored 23 three-pointers on January 13 against the Sacramento Kings, with nine players making at least one.
    • Youngest to reach 5,000 career rebounds: Dwight Howard (23 years and 112 days old) scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds on March 30, passing Wilt Chamberlain (25 years and 128 days).
    • Most 3-point shots made a rookie in a season: Rudy Fernandez sank his 159th in the Portland Trail Blazers' final regular season game on April 15.
    • Most times leading the league in field goal percentage: Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns captured his 10th crown with a .609 shooting percentage, .014 higher than his free throw shooting percentage.
    • Youngest Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (23 years and 4 months, Orlando Magic) edged Alvin Robertson (23 years and 9 months, 1985-86 Spurs).
    • Largest margin of victory in a game: In a playoff game on April 27, the Denver Nuggets crushed the New Orleans Hornets 121-63. The Minneapolis Lakers had beaten the St. Louis Hawks by the same margin (133-75) in 1956.
    • Youngest player to score 50 points in a game: On November 14, Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings dropped 55 points on the Golden State Warriors, three points short of the rookie record that Wilt Chamberlain set and tied in 1960.
    • Most consecutive losses to start a season: The New Jersey Nets lost 18 straight games before beating the Charlotte Bobcats on December 4, edging the 1988-89 Heat and 1999 Clippers out of the record books.
  • NCAA Basketball
    • Most 20-win seasons by a coach: Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim reached 20 wins for the 31st time, one more than North Carolina's Dean Smith.
    • First conference to earn three #1 seeds in the NCAA Final Four tournament: Big East (Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh)
  • NCAA Football
    • First defensive Associated Press College Football Player of the Year: Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh won the award ahead of Stanford running back Toby Gerhart to end an 11-year drought (all previous awards had been won by quarterbacks and running backs).
    • Most career all-purpose yards: Brandon West of Western Michigan set FBS records for career all-purpose yards (7,764, passing Memphis's DeAngelo Williams on November 14) and career kick return yards (3,118, passing SMU's Jessie Henderson on November 7).
    • Most consecutive passes without an interception: Russell Wilson of North Carolina State broke the Kentucky's Andre Woodson's previous record (325 from 2006-07) on September 19 and increased it to 379 before getting picked by Wake Forest.
    • Most career kickoff return touchdowns: Clemson's C.J. Spiller took his seventh return to the house against South Carolina on November 28, eclipsing USC's Anthony Davis and Tulsa's Ashlan Davis.
    • Most career combined passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns: Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour sits at 148, one more than Hawaii's Colt Brennan and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, with one final chance at the GMAC Bowl.
  • NFL
    • Most catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in a single postseason: Larry Fitzgerald caught 30 passes for 546 yards and 7 touchdowns.
    • Most consecutive games played: Brett Favre played in his 271st straight game on September 20, breaking Minnesota defensive end Jim Marshall's record. Favre also extended almost all of his other records, including passing attempts, yards, and touchdowns.
    • Highest completion percentage in a game (minimum 20 passes): The Arizona Cardinals' Kurt Warner went 24 for 26 (92.3%) for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns at Jacksonville on September 20.
    • Most TD passes in one quarter: On October 18, Tom Brady shredded the Tennessee for five touchdowns in the second quarter, finishing with six for the game, one below the NFL record.
    • Only NFL QB to throw for 300 yards in each of his first two starts: Kevin Kolb of the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off the trick subbing for an injured Donovan McNabb.
    • Most years between 1,000-yard rushing seasons: The Miami Dolphins' Ricky Williams went six years between 1,000-yard seasons in 2003 and 2009, breaking up the logjam of Mike Garrett (1967 and 1972), Ottis Anderson (1984 and 1989), Ernest Byner (1985 and 1990), Gary Brown (1993 and 1998), and Mike Anderson (2000 and 2005).
    • Most catches in a game: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall caught 21 passes for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts on December 13, breaking Terrell Owens's mark by one.
    • Most consecutive NFL regular season wins: The Indianapolis Colts rung up 23 straight opponents before losing to the Jets after pulling their starters on December 28, two more than the New England Patriots' old record.
    • Most regular season wins in a decade: The Indianapolis Colts won 114 games from 2000 to 2009, one more than the San Francisco 49ers did from 1990 to 1999.
    • Most consecutive 1,500-yard receiving seasons: The Houston Texans Andre Johnson notched 1,575 yards in 2008-09 and 1,504 in 2009-10 (with one game to go), tieing the record of the Indianapolis Colts' Marvin Harrison (1,524 in 2001-02 and 1,722 in 2002-03).
  • NHL
    • Most consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman: On February 14, the Washington Capitals' Mike Green scored in his eighth consecutive game.
    • Most career 3-on-5 shorthanded goals: On February 15, Philadelphia Flyers center Mike Richards became the first player do perform the feat three times.
    • Most consecutive 30-win seasons to start a career by a goalie: On March 12, the New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist won his 30th game for the fourth straight season.
    • Most wins by a goalie: New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur won his 552nd game on March 17, passing Patrick Roy. Brodeur also passed Roy for most games and minutes played and passed Terry Sawchuk for career shutouts (104 to 103). He also extended several career records that he already held.
  • Tennis
    • Consecutive victories at the French Open: Rafael Nadal's streak reached 31 before Robin Soderling upset him. Bjorn Borg had held the male record of 28 and Chris Evert the overall record of 29.
    • Most majors won: Roger Federer tied Pete Sampras with 14 majors by winning the French Open and passed him by capturing Wimbledon. Federer also has now reached the most Grand Slam finals, 21, two more than Ivan Lendl.
  • Other
    • Women's Pole Vault record: Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva vaulted an outdoor record 5.06 meters (16'7.25") in Zurich, Switzerland on August 28 to break her own record and had earlier become the first to clear 5 meters indoors (Donetsk on February 15).
    • Lowest score in consecutive 18-hole rounds by a PGA player: Troy Matteson carded a 122 in rounds 2 and 3 of the Frys.com Open on October 23 and 24, eking past the old record of 123 by Steve Stricker in rounds 3 and 4 of the Bob Hope Classic earlier in the year.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Records Recap - Random Trivia Questions

2009 saw some major sports records fall. How many of these did you notice?

Records Recap Questions

  • Q1) What track star has run both the fastest 100-meter and 200-meter races?
  • Q2) What rookie NFL quarterback passed for the most yards in a game?
  • Q3) Who was the youngest driver to win a Sprint Cup race?
  • Q4) Who was the first college basketball team to reach the 2,000-win mark?
  • Q5) What FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A) starting quarterback has won the most games in his career?
  • Q6) In the final game of his career, what goaltender tied the NHL record for most career losses?
  • Q7) What female tennis player won the most prize money in a year?
  • Q8) What NBA player shot the highest percentage from the free throw line in a season (minimum 125 made)?
  • Q9) What Major League Baseball pitcher has won the most career postseason games?
  • Q10) What college became the lowest-seeded men's hockey team to reach the Frozen Four?
  • Q11) According to Forbes.com, who was the first athlete to exceed one billion dollars in career earnings, including winnings and endorsements?
  • Q12) What Major North American sports team has had the most consecutive losing seasons?

Haiti Hex -- Quiz Quilt 156 Solution

Category Answers:
Math
&
Science
VIAGRAPfizer has advertised the impotence drug with the catchphrase "Let the dance begin."
Geography
&
Nature
MOABThe region features water-carved mountains and canyons and the famous Moab Slickrock Bike Trail.
History
&
Government
AMOCOStandard Oil had been declared a monopoly in 1911 and split into 34 regional companies.
Sports
&
Games
SANDERSDetroit Lions running back Barry Sanders made history from 1994 to 1996, added a fourth in 1997, and missed by only nine yards in 1998 before unexpectedly retiring.
Literature
&
Arts
MILTONJohn Milton's ten books of blank verse were published in 1667, seven years before he passed away.
Entertainment
&
Food
BILLBOARDWilliam H. Donaldson and James H. Hennegan launched the magazine as Billboard Advertising in 1894 and soon focused on theatrical groups, carnivals, and fairs.

Quiz Quilt Answer: VOODOO (Diagonally from the top left)

The voodoo cult practiced in countries such as Haiti involves witchcraft and magic charms.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Haiti Hex -- Quiz Quilt 156 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Math
&
Science
What is the trademarked name under which sildenafil citrate tablets are primarily sold?
Geography
&
Nature
What Utah town is called the mountain biking capital of the United States?
History
&
Government
By what name was Standard Oil of Indiana known before merging with British Petroleum in 1998?
Sports
&
Games
Who was the first NFL player to rush for 1,500 yards in three straight seasons?
Literature
&
Arts
What English poet was known for his Italian sonnets and wrote the epic Paradise Lost after going blind?
Entertainment
&
Food
What magazine calls itself "The international newsweekly of music, video, and home entertainment"?

Sunday, January 3, 2010

In Passing - Random Trivia Answers

  • A1) Ingemar Johansson. After the Swede TKOed Floyd Patterson in the third round, he would hold the crown for almost a year. Ignoring Francesco Damiani's meaningless 1989 WBO title (Mike Tyson remaining the consensus champ), the next white heavyweight champ was Vitali Klitschko, exactly forty years after Johansson.
  • A2) Walter Cronkite. The Missourian anchored the CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981.
  • A3) Andrew Wyeth. Christina's World, painted in 1948, is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
  • A4) Ricardo Montalban. Two years before busting out as Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island, the Mexico City-born actor uttered the phrase that is still quoted and misquoted today.
  • A5) Karl Malden. The Chicago-born Indianan won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for A Streetcar Named Desire and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  • A6) Ed McMahon. Johnny Carson's announcer appeared in ubiquitous television ads for the company, showing up at people's doorsteps with a giant check. The company settled one lawsuit for four million dollars, was bought out, and eventually went bankrupt in 1998.
  • A7) Michael Jackson. Diana Ross starred as Dorothy, while Nipsey Russell played the Tinman, Ted Ross the Cowardly Lion, and Richard Pryor the title character.
  • A8) Beatrice Arthur. The first Emmy was for the title role in Maude while the second was for The Golden Girls.
  • A9) John Hughes. The former National Lampoon Magazine contributor also wrote and produced Pretty in Pink but never earned a single Oscar nomination in any category.
  • A10) Farrah Fawcett. TV Guide advertised the Farrah Faucet to cash in on the Charlie's Angels star's fame and name.
  • A11) Ted Kennedy. The Massachusetts Democrat was able to shake off the incident, getting elected to the U.S. Senate nine times after initially replacing his brother John, and serving in the U.S. Senate for 46 years, the fourth longest tenure ever.
  • A12) Chuck Daly. The two-time NBA champion coach benefited from a new rule allowing professionals to play. Even most of the bench was later named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list.

A moment of silence as well for actor David Carradine, actor Dom DeLuise, baseball player Dom DiMaggio, author Philip Jose Farmer, baseball player Mark Fidrych, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, actress Connie Hines, scholastic test preparer Stanley Kaplan, tennis player Jack Kramer, football player Steve McNair, actress Brittany Murphy, sports reporter George Michael, savant Kim Peek (inspiration for Rain Man), televangelist Oral Roberts, writer William Safire, activist Eunice Kennedy Shriver, actor Patrick Swayze, basketball player Wayman Tisdale, singer Mary Travers, author John Updike, and basketball coach Kay Yow, among others.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

In Passing - Random Trivia Questions

How much do you know about the following people who made the news in 2009 not for passing footballs, tests, or gas, but alas, for passing on?

In Passing Questions

  • Q1) What boxer won the heavyweight crown on June 26, 1959 and would be the last white to do so for four decades?
  • Q2) What television newscaster signed off the air with, "And that's the way it was"?
  • Q3) In one of what artist's most famous paintings is Christina Olson, paralyzed from the waist down, crawling across a field toward a farmhouse?
  • Q4) In 1975, what actor touted the new Chrysler Cordoba's "soft Corinthian leather" in television ads?
  • Q5) What actor was born as Mladen George Sekulovich?
  • Q6) What late night television sidekick also gained infamy by advertising for American Family Publishers, whose sweepstakes entry forms claimed in large, bold letters that "You may have already won $10,000,000!"?
  • Q7) Who played the Scarecrow in the 1978 musical movie The Wiz?
  • Q8) Who won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical as Vera Charles in Mame in 1966, a Best Actress Emmy Award in 1975, and another Best Actress Emmy Award for a different role in 1988?
  • Q9) Who wrote and directed the Brat Pack movies Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off?
  • Q10) What actress once sold pewter jewelry shaped like a plumbing fixture?
  • Q11) On July 18, 1969, who drove his 1967 Olds Delmont 88 off the Dike Bridge into the Poucha Pond inlet, resulting in the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne?
  • Q12) Who coached the Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal in 1992?

Chevy Arrow -- Quiz Quilt 155 Solution

Category Answers:
Sports
&
Games
FISCHEREccentric grandmaster Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky by winning 10 games, losing 5, and drawing 15. After being detained in Japan in 2004, he found exile in Iceland.
Geography
&
Nature
LIMAWith over seven million residents, the city is also the country's most populous. The lima bean is named for the city although the pronunciations now differ.
Literature
&
Arts
EEYOREThe orange, honey-loving bear also hangs out with Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo.
History
&
Government
TAFTRepublican William Howard Taft won nearly two-thirds of the electoral vote, taking almost every state outside of the South.
Entertainment
&
Food
CBSAll in the Family ran from 1971 to 1979 and M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1983.
Math
&
Science
HIPPARCHUSThe mathematician compiled his guide to the heavens from 146 to 127 B.C.

Quiz Quilt Answer: FLETCH (First letters)

Actor Chevy Chase starred as the title character Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher in the 1985 mystery comedy loosely based on the novel by Gregory McDonald.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Chevy Arrow -- Quiz Quilt 155 Puzzle

Category Questions:
Sports
&
Games
What former world chess champion left the country forever after violating U.S. economic sanctions by playing a match in Yugoslavia in 1992?
Geography
&
Nature
What is the capital of Peru and the home of the University of San Marcos?
Literature
&
Arts
Who is Winnie-the-Pooh's donkey friend?
History
&
Government
Who became the 27th U.S. President by defeating William Jennings Bryan in the 1908 election?
Entertainment
&
Food
Which TV network originally aired All in the Family and M*A*S*H?
Math
&
Science
What Greek scientist compiled the first catalog of about 850 stars and is considered the father of systematic astronomy?