Have you ever Googled yourself to see if there is anything on the internet about you, or even if there are any other people with the same name as you?
I bet you have. I think everyone does at some stage. Some people call it ‘ego-surfing’.
I actually hadn’t, but I did just now. Apparently there’s a British Member of Parliament and a Realtor in Kentucky using my name. I’ll have to put a stop to that!
But getting back to today’s post. There’s nothing wrong with Googling yourself, unless of course you are a moron, in which case the consequences can be both unseen (for you) and quite traumatic.
That’s what happened to a guy called Christopher Viatafa.
He’s a moron.
And a criminal.
In fact Christopher was being sought in connection with a shooting during a private party at the San Leandro Senior Center in California. Police said he got into an argument, pulled out a handgun and fired several rounds into the ground.
He was forced out of the area, but not before he fired more rounds. No one was hit, but police investigators were looking for him for allegedly discharging a firearm toward an inhabited dwelling.
That was okay, as far as he was concerned.
But then the astute Christopher Googled his name, found a picture of himself on a “Most Wanted” website….
and….
wait for it….
you know what’s coming….
promptly surrendered to San Leandro police in connection with a shooting.
Viatafa told police he had looked himself up online and found his mug on the “Northern California Most Wanted” website, maintained by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, a group of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
“That is why he turned himself in,” police said.
By the following Friday, Viatafa was listed on the website as a “captured fugitive”.
The website didn’t say that he had captured himself.
As usual the answers can be found waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: GEICO is a huge very well known auto insurance company, the second largest auto insurer in the United States, but what do the letters ‘G-E-I-C-O’ stand for?
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Q. 2: On a NY license plate, is New York on the top or bottom?
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Q. 3: In which ocean is the area known as Polynesia?
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Q. 4: During World War Two what proportion of German soldiers who died were killed on the Eastern Front?
a) 20% b) 40% c) 60% d) 80%
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Q. 5: Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, the revolutionary hero, took part in guerrilla wars in Cuba and was killed fighting Bolivian troops, but what nationality was he?
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Q. 6: Whose high school nickname on the basketball team was “Barry O’Bomber”?
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Q. 7: What is the infinity sign called?
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Q. 8: How many sides are there on a standard pencil?
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Q. 9: What is the only English word with five consecutive vowels?
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Q. 10: Over 30 million people in the US and millions more in other countries “suffer” from Diastima. What is it?
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Q. 11: What country leader’s name has become synonymous as a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government or as a fifth columnist?
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Q. 12: How did the famous ‘Tribeca’ area in Manhattan, New York get its name?
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Q. 13: Who were the unlikely twins in the 1988 movie of that name? (A point for each correct answer.)
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Q. 14: What mythological Greek god’s name was used in a famous disaster movie and its sequels and spin-offs?
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Q. 15: What is the origin of the name ‘Jeep’?
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Q. 16: Where does parma ham originate? (You need the name of BOTH the town and the country to score a point.)
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Q. 17: Only two states’ names in the US begin with double consonants, a point for each one you name correctly.
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Q. 18: The Terminator was sent from the future to kill who in the first of this series of movies?
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Q. 19: What is the name of the highest military decoration awarded for valour “in the face of the enemy” to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories?
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Q. 20: What was it that The Beatles wanted to hold in 1964?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: GEICO is a huge very well known auto insurance company, the second largest auto insurer in the United States, but what do the letters ‘G-E-I-C-O’ stand for?
A. 1: ‘GEICO’ stands for Government Employees Insurance Company.
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Q. 2: On a NY license plate, is New York on the top or bottom?
A. 2: It’s on the top.
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Q. 3: In which ocean is the area known as Polynesia?
A. 3: The Pacific Ocean.
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Q. 4: During World War Two what proportion of German soldiers who died were killed on the Eastern Front?
a) 20% b) 40% c) 60% d) 80%
A. 4: Answer d) 80%. For every five German soldiers who died in WWII, four of them died on the Eastern Front.
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Q. 5: Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, the revolutionary hero, took part in guerrilla wars in Cuba and was killed fighting Bolivian troops, but what nationality was he?
A. 5: He was Argentinean.
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Q. 6: Whose high school nickname on the basketball team was “Barry O’Bomber”?
A. 6: “Barry O’Bomber” was the high school nickname of a fellow called Barrack Obama.
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Q. 7: What is the infinity sign called?
A. 7: The infinity sign is called a ‘lemniscate’.
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Q. 8: How many sides are there on a standard pencil?
A. 8: There are 6 sides on a standard pencil.
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Q. 9: What is the only English word with five consecutive vowels?
A. 9: “Queueing” is the only English word with five consecutive vowels.
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Q. 10: Over 30 million people in the US and millions more in other countries “suffer” from Diastima. What is it?
A. 10: Diastima is having a gap between your front teeth.
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Q. 11: What country leader’s name has become synonymous as a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government or as a fifth columnist?
A. 11: Norweigan leader Vidkun Quisling collaborated with the invading German army during WWII. After the war he was put on trial and found guilty of embezzlement, murder and high treason and executed by firing squad at Akershus Fortress, Oslo, on 24 October 1945.
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Q. 12: How did the famous ‘Tribeca’ area in Manhattan, New York get its name?
A. 12: ‘Tribeca’ in Manhattan, New York stands for TRIangle BElow CAnal street.
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Q. 13: Who were the unlikely twins in the 1988 movie of that name? (A point for each correct answer.)
A. 13: The twins in the movie ‘Twins’ were Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
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Q. 14: What mythological Greek god’s name was used in a famous disaster movie and its sequels and spin-offs?
A. 14: Poseidon, as in ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ (1972), ‘Beyond the Poseidon Adventure’ (1979), ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ (2005) (TV Movie), and ‘Poseidon’ (2006).
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Q. 15: What is the origin of the name ‘Jeep’?
A. 15: The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the “General Purpose” vehicle, G.P.
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Q. 16: Where does parma ham originate? (You need the name of BOTH the town and the country to score a point.)
A. 16: Parma, Italy.
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Q. 17: Only two states’ names in the US begin with double consonants, a point for each one you name correctly.
A. 17: The only two states’ names in the US that begin with double consonants are Florida and Rhode Island.
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Q. 18: The Terminator was sent from the future to kill who in the first of this series of movies?
A. 18: Sarah Connor.
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Q. 19: What is the name of the highest military decoration awarded for valour “in the face of the enemy” to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories?
A. 19: The Victoria Cross.
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Q. 20: What was it that The Beatles wanted to hold in 1964?
I had intended to indulge myself today with a bit of a Sunday Sermon about the increasing intrusiveness of government.
But then I found a quote from a Frenchman named Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and I decided to let him use my pulpit on this occasion.
He didn’t know about the “En ess a” snoopers who have been listening to our phone calls, reading our emails, and spying on the leaders of nations that are supposed to be friends and allies of the United States, because he was speaking about what it means to be governed more than two hundred years ago.
Nevertheless, his words ring eerily true.
Nothing, it seems, has changed.
In fact today’s technology has made things far worse.
This is what he had to say all those years ago….
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To be governed is to be
watched over,
inspected,
spied on,
directed,
legislated at,
regulated,
docketed,
indoctrinated,
preached at,
controlled,
assessed,
weighed,
censored,
(and) ordered about,
by men who have neither the right, nor the knowledge, nor the virtue.
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To be governed is to be at every operation, at every transaction,
noted,
registered,
enrolled,
taxed,
stamped,
measured,
numbered,
assessed,
licensed,
authorized,
admonished,
forbidden,
reformed,
corrected,
(and) punished.
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It is, under the pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be
placed under contribution,
trained,
ransomed,
exploited,
monopolized,
extorted,
squeezed,
mystified,
(and) robbed;
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Then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be
repressed,
fined,
despised,
harassed,
tracked,
abused,
clubbed,
disarmed,
choked,
imprisoned,
judged,
condemned,
shot,
deported,
sacrificed,
sold,
betrayed;
and, to crown all,
mocked,
ridiculed,
outraged,
(and) dishonoured.
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That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality.
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The man knew what he was talking about.
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Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, (1809 – 1865) was a French politician, the founder of Mutualist philosophy, an economist and a libertarian socialist. He was the first person to declare himself an anarchist and is among its most influential theorists. He is considered by many to be the “father of anarchism”. He became a member of the French Parliament after the revolution of 1848, whereupon and thereafter he referred to himself as a federalist.
Many stupid crimes happen every day. And most of them are committed by stupid criminals.
Unfortunately most of the stories we never get to hear about, but occasionally we do.
Like this one, which must rank as one of the dumbest ever!
It happened in a place called Mullins, SC. The perpetrator, or would-be perpetrator, was a ‘genius’ called Laquain Deshawn Guy and he had the idea that he would rob an Arby’s fast food restaurant.
Lots of cash in there, he thought, not considering that most of the takings would be banked at the end of business.
That was his first mistake.
His second was failing to break into the restaurant using either a back door or a window.
No, this genius had a better idea.
He thought he would climb on to the roof of the building and gain entrance through the ventilation shaft. That is the story told by Captain Joe Graham with the Mullins police and I see no reason at all to doubt him.
The main reason being that criminal mastermind Laquain Deshawn Guy found to his surprise that he didn’t fit the ventilation shaft – and promptly wedged himself in there just as tight as he could.
The more he struggled the worse it got.
Man, was he stuck!
And he remained stuck for the next ten hours, until an Arby’s employee was opening the business Tuesday morning and he heard “noises”. I like to think that the noises were the farts being squeezed out of him as he got wedged in tighter and tighter, but nobody will confirm this.
The employee immediately called the police and that’s when they realized that the strange noises were coming from the very stuck Laquain still wedged inside the shaft.
Mullins Fire and Rescue eventually freed the idiot by cutting the ventilation pipe and pulling him through the roof, where he emerged dehydrated and with some muscle damage.
Crews then lowered him down and onto a stretcher and took him to hospital where he spent a few days before facing charges of Burglary Second Degree.
Welcome to the start of another week and to another quiz.
Quite a tough selection this time, I think, but if you enjoy a challenge give them a go.
No point if they were all too easy 🙂
As always if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: Which is farther south, New York City or Rome, Italy?
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Q. 2: What is the ball on top of a flagpole called?
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Q. 3: Which are there more of in the United States of America, public libraries or McDonald’s fast food outlets?
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Q. 4: Apart from wanting to be US President what did all three major 1996 Presidential candidates, Clinton, Dole and Perot, have in common.
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Q. 5: Where was chocolate milk was invented?
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Q. 6: If you’re in Detroit and you walk south, what is the first country you’ll enter?
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Q. 7: Where did the ever popular trousers called ‘Jeans’ get their name?
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Q. 8: And what was the origin of ‘Denim’ the material that jeans are made from?
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Q. 9: What is the most filmed story of all time? (Bonus points if you can name second and third aswell.)
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Q. 10: When ocean tides are at their highest, they are called ‘spring tides’. What are they called when they are at their lowest?
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Q. 11: Which of these kills the most humans on average every year?
a) crocodiles b) hippopotamus c) mosquitos d) tigers
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Q. 12: What do you call a scholar who studies the works of the Marquis de Sade?
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Q. 13: What are ‘second unit’ movie shots?
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Q. 14: Which well known American writer was born on a day in 1835 when Haley’s Comet came into view and died on a day in 1910 when Haley’s Comet came into view again? (Will accept either his real name or pen name, a bonus point if you know both.)
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Q. 15: Which of these is the oldest?
a) The Aztec Empire b) The Inca Empire c) Cambridge University
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Q. 16: What is the only state of the USA whose name is just one syllable? (Hint: the answer is not California.)
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Q. 17: You’ve seen it many times and on lots of things, but what does the name ‘NABISCO’ mean?
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Q. 18: Which side of a woman’s blouse are the buttons on?
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Q. 19: He was a Spanish hero who, before he was 20, led a Spanish force against the Moors and drove them out of Spain. He is celebrated in poem and romance. Who was he?
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Q. 20: In 1972 who didn’t want Ruby to take her love to town?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: Which is farther south, New York City or Rome, Italy?
A. 1: New York City is further south than Rome, Italy.
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Q. 2: What is the ball on top of a flagpole called?
A. 2: The ball on top of a flagpole is called the truck.
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Q. 3: Which are there more of in the United States of America, public libraries or McDonald’s fast food outlets?
A. 3: There are more public libraries than McDonald’s in the U.S.
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Q. 4: Apart from wanting to be US President what did all three major 1996 Presidential candidates, Clinton, Dole and Perot, have in common.
A. 4: All three major 1996 Presidential candidates, Clinton, Dole and Perot, are left-handed.
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Q. 5: Where was chocolate milk was invented?
A. 5: Chocolate milk was invented in Ireland.
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Q. 6: If you’re in Detroit and you walk south, what is the first country you’ll enter?
A. 6: Understandable if you said Mexico, but If you’re in Detroit and you walk south, the first country you’ll enter will be Canada.
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Q. 7: Where did the ever popular trousers called ‘Jeans’ get their name?
A. 7: ‘Jeans’ were named after their place of origin, Genoa, Italy.
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Q. 8: And what was the origin of ‘Denim’ the material that jeans are made from?
A. 8: ‘Denim’ also takes its name from its place of origin, Nimes, in France. It was originally called ‘serge de Nimes’ or ‘fabric from Nimes’. The ‘serge’ soon disappeared and left us with ‘de Nimes’ or ‘denim’.
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Q. 9: What is the most filmed story of all time? (Bonus points if you can name second and third aswell.)
A. 9: Dracula is the most filmed story of all time, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is second and Oliver Twist is third.
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Q. 10: When ocean tides are at their highest, they are called ‘spring tides’. What are they called when they are at their lowest?
A. 10: When ocean tides are at their lowest, they are call ‘neep tides’.
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Q. 11: Which of these kills the most humans on average every year?
a) crocodiles b) hippopotamus c) mosquitos d) tigers
A. 11: The correct answer is c) Mosquitos. They kill as many as 1,000,000 people per year from Malaria. Although it appears quite docile, the Hippopotamus is considered the most dangerous animal in Africa, killing 3,000 people per year. Crocodiles kill between 1500 and 2500 people per year. And Tigers are estimated to kill around 100 humans per year.
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Q. 12: What do you call a scholar who studies the works of the Marquis de Sade?
A. 12: A scholar who studies the works of the Marquis de Sade is called a ‘Sadian’, not a ‘Sadist’.
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Q. 13: What are ‘second unit’ movie shots?
A. 13: ‘Second unit’ movie shots do not require the presence of actors.
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Q. 14: Which well known American writer was born on a day in 1835 when Haley’s Comet came into view and died on a day in 1910 when Haley’s Comet came into view again? (Will accept either his real name or pen name, a bonus point if you know both.)
A. 14: Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain was born on a day in 1835 when Haley’s Comet came into view and died on a day in 1910 when Haley’s Comet came into view again.
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Q. 15: Which of these is the oldest?
a) The Aztec Empire b) The Inca Empire c) Cambridge University
A. 15: The correct answer is c) Cambridge University in England is older than both the Aztec and Inca empires.
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Q. 16: What is the only state of the USA whose name is just one syllable? (Hint: the answer is not California.)
A. 16: Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
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Q. 17: You’ve seen it many times and on lots of things, but what does the name ‘NABISCO’ mean?
A. 17: ‘NABISCO’ simply means NAtional BIScuit COmpany.
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Q. 18: Which side of a woman’s blouse are the buttons on?
A. 18: The left.
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Q. 19: He was a Spanish hero who, before he was 20, led a Spanish force against the Moors and drove them out of Spain. He is celebrated in poem and romance. Who was he?
A. 19: El Cid.
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Q. 20: In 1972 who didn’t want Ruby to take her love to town?
fasab 