Fractions, Food And French Horns – It’s The Fasab Quiz!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Yes, fractions, food, and French Horns are just some of the questions you’ll face if you take this week’s quiz.

A random and challenging assortment, but as usual, if you get stuck, you will find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below. But please, NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

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Q.  1:  The name of what American city means “the meadows” in Spanish?

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Q.  2:  How many women now regularly wear shoes with heels higher than one inch to work?

            a)  15%            b)  25%            c)  35%            d)  45%

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Q.  3:  What year was the death penalty abolished in England?

            a)  1959          b)  1969          c)  1979          d)  1989

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Q.  4:  What number lies halfway between 1/3 and 1/5?

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Q.  5:  What was the first nation to give women the right to vote?

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Q.  6:  From what type of creature is ‘Bombay duck’ made?

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Q.  7:  Which country would you be in if you were skiing in the Dolomites?

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Q.  8:  It is the name of a fragrant cosmetic and a city in Germany, what is it?

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Q.  9:  In which country did French horns originate?

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Q. 10:  What acid is associated with muscles in the body experiencing lack of oxygen?

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Q. 11:  In Roman times what was a gladiator armed with, in addition to a dagger and spear?

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Q. 12:  From which plant do we get ‘Vanilla’?

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Q. 13:  What is ‘Hansen’s disease’ more commonly known as?

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Q. 14:  What was the name of the political system in South Africa from 1948 to 1994?

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Q. 15:  ‘Wild Marjoram’ is another name for which commonly used herb?

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Q. 16:  How deep is one fathom of water?

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Q. 17:  How many different letters are used in Roman numerals and what are their values? (A point for each part of the question correctly answered.)

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Q. 18:  What common mineral is used to make casts, moulds, blackboard chalk and plaster of Paris?

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Q. 19:  What extinct creature got its name from the Portuguese word for stupid? (Hint: the answer is not Congressman.)

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Q. 20:  Who created the cartoon characters “The Simpsons”?

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ANSWERS

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Q.  1:  The name of what American city means “the meadows” in Spanish?

A.  1:  Las Vegas.

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Q.  2:  How many women now regularly wear shoes with heels higher than one inch to work?

            a)  15%            b)  25%            c)  35%            d)  45%

A.  2:  The correct answer is b)  25%.

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Q.  3:  What year was the death penalty abolished in England?

            a)  1959          b)  1969          c)  1979          d)  1989

A.  3:  The correct answer is b) 1969.

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Q.  4:  What number lies halfway between 1/3 and 1/5?

A.  4:  4/15ths

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Q.  5:  What was the first nation to give women the right to vote?

A.  5:  New Zealand, in 1893.

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Q.  6:  From what type of creature is ‘Bombay duck’ made?

A.  6:  Fish (specifically a Bummalo fish).

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Q.  7:  Which country would you be in if you were skiing in the Dolomites?

A.  7:  Italy.

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Q.  8:  It is the name of a fragrant cosmetic and a city in Germany, what is it?

A.  8:  Cologne.

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Q.  9:  In which country did French horns originate?

A.  9:  Germany.

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Q. 10:  What acid is associated with muscles in the body experiencing lack of oxygen?

A. 10:  Lactic acid.

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Q. 11:  In Roman times what was a gladiator armed with, in addition to a dagger and spear?

A. 11:  A net.

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Q. 12:  From which plant do we get ‘Vanilla’?

A. 12:  The Orchid.

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Q. 13:  What is ‘Hansen’s disease’ more commonly known as?

A. 13:  Leprosy.

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Q. 14:  What was the name of the political system in South Africa from 1948 to 1994?

A. 14:  Apartheid.

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Q. 15:  ‘Wild Marjoram’ is another name for which commonly used herb?

A. 15:  Oregano.

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Q. 16:  How deep is one fathom of water?

A. 16:  1.82 Meters or 6 feet.

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Q. 17:  How many different letters are used in Roman numerals and what are their values? (A point for each part of the question correctly answered.)

A. 17:  Seven or VII   (They are,  I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1000)

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Q. 18:  What common mineral is used to make casts, moulds, blackboard chalk and plaster of Paris?

A. 18:  Gypsum.

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Q. 19:  What extinct creature got its name from the Portuguese word for stupid? (Hint: the answer is not Congressman.)

A. 19:  The Dodo.

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Q. 20:  Who created the cartoon characters “The Simpsons”?

A. 20:  Matt Groening. Thanks Matt. 

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There’s A Fine Line Between Hyphenated Words…

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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There is indeed a fine line between hyphenated words – haven’t you noticed?

Yes, it’s the day to play on words, or play with words.

Whatever way you want to put it, it’s pun day!

Enjoy or endure!

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The other day I held the door open for a clown.

I thought it was a nice jester.

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I thought my Granny was going to get me a jumper for my birthday

but she just gave me a card again.

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I play for my shop fitting company’s football team.

We are great on the counter attack.

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I’ve sent a few angry letters to my Congressman.

A ‘G’ and three ‘R’s.

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I had a good morning today, I met Cameron Diaz.

And her brother, Buenos.

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I’m lying in bed listening to the Carpenters…

Who are taking way too long installing the new kitchen.

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I’ve just started a new extermination company

that specialises in felines.

I’m calling it curiosity.

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L’Oreal Saudi Arabia.

Burkas you’re worth it.

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My other half reckons I might have schizophrenia!

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I took a poll recently,

and 100% of the strippers asked

were angry they had nothing to dance on.

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“OK son, what do you understand

by the word ‘omniscient’?”

He said, “God knows…”

What a clever little boy!

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I’m writing a post about storms.

So far, it’s just a rough draft.

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Did you hear about the mexcian train killer?

He had locomotives.

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What’s the singular of ‘werewolves’?

‘I’m a wolf’.

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I was gob smacked when my Swedish friend came to

visit from the states and was now living as a woman.

He was Bjorn in the U.S.A.

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Did You Know? Facts, Facts And More Facts.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Fact day again on the fasab blog.

Another twenty things you probably don’t know now, but not to worry, you will do soon if you read on.

Enjoy.

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Before Gmail, “G-Mail” was the name of a free

email service offered by Garfield’s website.

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In America the bonnets and caps of city fire hydrants

are painted certain colors to alert firefighters

to the amount of water pressure available from that hydrant.

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It isn’t water itself that conducts electricity,

but the impurities found in it.

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Richard Hollingshead of Camden, N.J., built the first

drive-in theater in his driveway.

The idea was inspired by his mother who was a large woman

who found the seats at regular movie theaters uncomfortable.

He made it with a sheet strung between two trees and

a movie projector mounted to the hood of his car.

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Washington state’s Mt. Rainier is the tallest

volcano in the contiguous United States,

measuring nearly 14,500 feet in height.

It last erupted in 1854.

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Despite their menacing appearance and fierce name,

dragonflies cannot sting and are harmless to human beings.

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When referring to China, make sure

to say the People’s Republic of China.

Leave off “People’s” and you’re talking about Taiwan.

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Approximately one quarter of the United States’

homeless population are war veterans.

(Shameful statistic!)

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The inventors of bubble wrap,

Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes,

were originally trying to make plastic wallpaper.

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The toilet featured in Hitchcock’s Psycho

was the first flushing toilet to appear on-screen.

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Frankincense, one of the precious items

the wise men gave the baby Jesus,

was actually an ancient form of chewing gum

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The poinsettia is named after former

congressman and ambassador Joel Poinsett,

who introduced the plant to the United States in the 1800s.

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Peridots are the only gems that

have been found in meteorites.

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The longest jellyfish on record measured 160 feet,

more than half the length of a football field.

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All holly trees are gender specific – male or female.

Only the female holly tree bears fruit (berries),

and in order to do so there must be a male

pollinated tree within a two mile radius of her.

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Two-thirds of the world’s lawyers live in the United States.

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The Hard Rock Café got its name from a now-defunct bar that

appeared on the back of the Doors’ album Morrison Hotel.

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When cranberries are ripe, they bounce like a rubber ball.

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Due to the “naughty” dancing of the can-can girls and

the scantily clad models on 1800s French postcards,

the British equated anything risqué with France.

In fact, that’s how the phrase “pardon my French” entered the vernacular.

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Scott Joplin’s famous piano song, “Maple Leaf Rag,”

was not named for the leaf or for Canada:

it was named for the Maple Leaf Club,

a social gathering place in Sedalia, Missouri.

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Don’t Take My Word For It, Let These Guys Tell You Themselves

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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The elections are over, much to the relief of many of us, but unfortunately the politicians are still there. I have frequently criticized these idiots for making a monumental mess of things and for squandering billions of dollars on the most insanely stupid debacles and catastrophes. And I will probably do so again. 

However, it is always a good idea or policy to be able to back up what you say with some facts, so rather than run to my own defense which is usually what happens, this time I am going to let some of the politicians prove beyond any and all reasonable doubt that my opinion of them is well justified.

So here we have a selection of quotations from some fairly famous politicians in which they condemn themselves to the dustbin of stupidity.

Enjoy.  

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Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States:

“Politics gives guys so much power that they tend to behave badly around women. And I hope I never get into that.”

 

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This from a congressional candidate in Texas:

“That scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I’m just the one to do it.”

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California Governor talking about his views on the economy:

“The public doesn’t care about figures.”

 

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Jacques le Blanc, French ambassador on nuclear weapons:

“I do not like this word ‘bomb.’ It is not a bomb. It is a device that is exploding.”

 

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Aggie Pate, at a non-denominational mayor’s breakfast, Fort Worth, Texas:

“I didn’t know Onward Christian Soldiers was a Christian song.”

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California Senator Barbara Boxer:

“Those who survived the San Francisco earthquake said, ‘Thank God, I’m still alive.’ But, of course, those who died, their lives will never be the same again.”

 

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Ex-police chief and mayor of Philadelphia, Frank Rizzo:

“The streets are safe in Philadelphia. It’s only the people who make them unsafe.”

 

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Congressman Everett Dirksen:

“A billion here, a billion there, sooner or later it adds up to real money.”

 

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Former U.S. President, Richard Nixon:

“Solutions are not the answer.”

 

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H. Ross Perot, major Texas businessman and former presidential candidate:

“This planet is our home. If we destroy the planet, we’ve destroyed our home, so it is fundamentally important.”

 

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Arizona Governor Wesley Bolin:

“We’d like to avoid problems, because when we have problems, we can have troubles.”

 

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George Wallace 1968 presidential campaign:

“I’ve read about foreign policy and studied, I now know the number of continents.”

 

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Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States:

“The world is more like it is now then it ever has before.”

 

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Fred Heineman, former Republican representative from North Carolina:

“When I see someone who is making anywhere from $300,000 to $750,000 a year, that’s middle class.”

 

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Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien:

“A proof is a proof. What kind of proof? It’s a proof. A proof is proof. And when you have a good proof, it’s because it is proven.”

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Imelda Marcos, former First Lady and a political figure in the Philippines:

“I get so tired listening to one million dollars here, one million dollars there, it’s so petty.”

 

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Bob Dole, Republican presidential candidate:

“The internet is a great way to get on the net.”

 

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Al Gore, former U.S. vice president:

“We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur.”

 

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Former California Governor Gray Davis, during the recall campaign:

“My vision is to make the most diverse state on earth, and we have people from every planet on the earth in this state. We have the sons and daughters of every, of people from every planet, of every country on earth.”

 

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Charles De Gaulle, former French President:

“China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese.”

 

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President Clinton, denying that he had sexually harassed Kathleen Willey:

“I would never approach a small-breasted woman.”

 

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Death Of A Senator

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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I suppose this being an election year and all it would be remiss not to make some sort of comment on things political. I have to admit that I am not a great supporter of the democratic system as it currently exists.

I say this for a number of reasons. Here are four.

One, we never get to vote for the best candidate, only the candidates who can raise the most money, and who are selected by the party faithful.

Two, most people are so welded to the Republicans or Democrats that an independent candidate, even if he were by far the best of the bunch, has such an uphill struggle it is virtually impossible for him or her to get elected.

Three, our democracy does not require the voter (or the candidate I suppose) to be qualified in any way. The intellectual and the moron have an equal vote, even though the former has the ability to vote for the best qualified candidate with the most sensible policies, whilst the latter will vote for the one who wore the nicest tie in a TV debate.

And four, because whether we have Republicans or Democrats in power, or a white or colored President, they continue to allow the same sycophants and morons to populate all the important parts of government and crucial elements like the banking sector.  

“Yes we can?”

No we can’t.

Not with the present system. The current incumbent has proved that one beyond all reasonable doubt.

So what does all this mean? Well, it means probably that whoever gets elected, things will go on much the same.

But hopefully some people will actually think about who they are voting for and why. And try to cut through the electioneering promises and hype and think about what is practical and doable.

The following might help to clarify things a little.

Enjoy.

 

Death Of A Senator 

A powerful senator dies after a prolonged illness.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to Heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the senator.

“Well, I’d like to but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in Heaven,” says the senator.

“I’m sorry but we have our rules.”

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to Hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a club and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him, everyone is very happy and in evening attire.

They run to greet him, hug him, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar.

Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are having such a good time that, before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’s time to visit Heaven.”

So 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing.

They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well then, you’ve spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

He reflects for a minute, then the senator answers, “Well, I would never have said it, I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in Hell.”

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to Hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and all sorts of other disgusting things and putting them in black bags.

The Devil comes over to him and lays his arm on his neck.

“I…I…I… don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a club house, and we ate lobster and caviar, and danced and had a great time. Now all there is, is a wasteland full of garbage and awful stuff and my friends all look miserable.”

The Devil looks at him, smiles and says,

“Yesterday we were campaigning…

Today you voted for us!”

PLEASE VOTE WISELY THIS COMING ELECTION!!