The statement in the title is not true, except that it is.
If you are a little confused stay with me and let me clarify.
The United States used to be the industrial power house of the world. Its industries generated unprecedented wealth for the country, creating the world’s first self-made billionaires and productive wealth creating jobs galore for everyone. The whole country prospered.
Today, however, the United States has become the world’s second biggest importer of goods. Worse than that, even though America still exports billions of dollars’ worth in oil, consumer goods and automotive products, it imports even more. This creates a trade deficit ($471 billion according to recent figures).
So what are all these imports into the US?
Well, they include industrial machinery and equipment ($681 billion), automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($309 billion), miscellaneous private services, primarily financial services ($201 billion), cell phones ($90 billion), travel passenger services ($86 billion), pharmaceuticals ($84 billion), computers ($65 billion), chemicals ($61 billion), other transportation services ($59 billion), computer accessories ($57 billion), telecommunications equipment ($54 billion), royalties and license fees services ($42 billion), apparel ($49 billion), petroleum products ($48 billion), fuel oil ($44 billion), industrial supplies ($29 billion), U.S. Government service imports primarily defense ($25 billion), fish ($18 billion), fruit ($13 billion), and vegetables ($11 billion).
If you are a bit shell-shocked by all those figures let me phrase it a bit differently using as examples the types of goods you would tend to buy.
100% (almost) of the shoes bought in the U.S. come from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico;
90% of white goods (washers, fridges, etc.) and consumer electronics are imported;
85% of household furniture is imported;
80% of cars on U.S. roads come from Canada (31%), Japan (24%), Germany (16%) and Mexico (12%); and,
65% of U.S. clothing is imported from China (37%), Vietnam (9.4%), Indonesia (7.2%) and Bangladesh (6.7%).
Probably the saddest part is that even things you thought were “American” are now actually made overseas and imported.
I remember while on a business trip to the US many, many years ago I bought a gift for the young son of a friend of mine. He was a big sports enthusiast so I reckoned that one of the most iconic symbols of sport from America would be a baseball. I bought one in Wal-Mart. It was marked with all the different holding positions for the various ways to throw a baseball (fast ball, curve ball and all that). The perfect gift.
I gave it to him on my return feeling ever so pleased with myself. The kid opened it, showed momentary delight, then looked up at me accusingly. “It says ‘Made in China'” he told me.
But it’s not only baseballs. Similar types of product that you would think are all-American, like Converse All Stars, Levi’s, Huffy bicycles, televisions, Monopoly, Etch-a-Sketch, Radio Flyer wagons, Barbie dolls, and last but by no means least, most of those American flags just ain’t American no more.
It really doesn’t have to be this way. Apple, for example, doesn’t have to become the richest company in the world by manufacturing its products in China and storing its vast hoards of cash overseas.
Or does it?
Everything on the lists above could still be made in the US and surpluses exported to other countries. But the US government and its moronic bureaucrats are spending their time and our money thinking up new ways, not to help American businesses, but to add ever-increasing amounts of rules, regulations and bureaucracy on to American companies.
American businesses can no longer compete, because their own government has ensured that the deck is stacked against them.
In the mind of a bureaucrat losing a million productive wealth creating jobs, for example, in the automotive industry, and replacing them with a million more administrative jobs that cost the country money evens things out.
It doesn’t. Simple math will tell you that. Every time it happens things get worse and America gets poorer.
So America just can’t make it anymore, but not because China has stolen the jobs. It’s because the US government bureaucrats gave them away.
“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy” .
Yes, apparently gray and white matters as you will find out in one of today’s selection of unusual facts.
Hope you enjoy the others as well. .
. During the production of the video game Deus Ex,
one of the artists forgot to add
the Twin Towers to New York City.
His mistake was explained by
way of a terrorist attack.
The year was 2000.
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Switzerland has
208 mountains over 3,000 meters high
and 24 over 4,000 meters.
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The male brain contains more gray matter
whereas the female brain contains more white matter.
White matter basically increases the speed
of transmission of all nerve signals,
which ultimately allows women to process thoughts
more rapidly than their male counterparts.
Don’t fret guys, you’ll get this
in another nano second or two.
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Genghis Kahn wanted the location
of his grave to be unknown
(somewhere in present day Mongolia)
so his funeral escort killed everyone they met
along the way and he even demanded that
a river be diverted to run across his grave
so it could never be disturbed.
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Although their civilization has declined and been conquered,
in many rural parts of Mexico and Guatemala
Mayan language and culture perseveres.
In fact, there are an estimated 7 million Maya
still living in and around the Yucatan Peninsula.
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The modern chainsaw was invented by Scottish
doctors to help with Symphysiotomy.
This is a surgical procedure that widens the
pelvis in order to assist in childbirth.
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China is among the countries with
the highest air pollution in the world.
Breathing air in Beijing, the country´s capital,
increases the risk of lung cancer in the same way
as smoking 21 cigarettes a day.
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In 1883 Sir Hiram Maxim created the Maxim gun.
The world’s first machine gun would go on to
revolutionize warfare and was used in both World Wars.
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Some rich people in Moscow buy
ambulances and use them to drive around
because the traffic is so bad.
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Operation Mockingbird was a secret campaign
begun in the 1950s by the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
to influence media.
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After being frustrated by the service
he was receiving at Bank of America,
Dalton Chiscolm sued them
for $1.7 billion trillion.
During the trial a professor of mathematics
was even called in to testify about
how big the number was.
To give you an idea,
Earth’s total combined GDP was $60 trillion that year.
Even a cursory glance around my blog will confirm that. Every week I try to post some.
Facts are good things. Many other people seem to like them too.
Except for one particular group.
Liberals.
Facts always seem to get in the way of whatever it is they are trying to force us to accept.
Enter Donald Trump into the story.
The Donald has caused a lot of controversy lately with his illegal immigrant pronouncements. Cowards like the management of Macy’s, NBC, Univision etc., have made knee-jerk decisions and run from the controversy without taking any time whatsoever to check the facts.
It’s the way Americans have been conditioned to behave when someone says something controversial about a minority or a minority view point.
The hardly impartial Washington Post has been in the forefront of the media critics and, of course, we have also had media mogul Rupert Murdock chirping in against a political candidate who is too rich to fit into his pocket.
But what did Trump actually say?
And do the facts support him or not?
Unlike Macy’s and the rest, let’s take a little time to have a look.
Trump said that some undocumented immigrants commit crimes in the U.S. and in fact they do. He did NOT say ALL Mexicans and he did NOT include Hispanic U.S. citizens, which is what his detractors are trying to infer. In fact from the reports I have read I do not think he quantified it at all.
Trump did, however, strongly ‘imply’ that undocumented immigrants are more criminal than the average U.S. citizen.
The Washington Post “fact checked” this and found it to be ‘false’. The problem for the Washington Post’s fact-checkers is that some of the data shows otherwise.
For example, a 2011 Government Accountability Office report (GAO-11-187, Criminal Alien Statistics, March 2011, to be precise) opens with the sentence,
“The number of criminal aliens in federal prisons in fiscal year 2010 was about 55,000, and the number of SCAAP criminal alien incarcerations in state prison systems and local jails was about 296,000 in fiscal year 2009 (the most recent data available), and the majority were from Mexico.”
‘SCAAP’, by the way, is the ‘State Criminal Alien Assistance Program’ which means aliens illegally in the United States at the time of their incarceration.
As for federal prisoners, the GAO states, “In fiscal year 2005, the criminal alien population in federal prisons was around 27 percent of the total inmate population, and from fiscal years 2006 through 2010 remained consistently around 25 percent.”
The Government Accountability Office figures also show that in 2009 the total alien – i.e., non-U.S.-citizen – population in the United Sates was about 25.3 million, which included about 10.8 million aliens without lawful immigration status – illegal aliens in other words.
The total population of the U.S. at that time was approximately 306.8 million. Non-citizens comprised 8.25% of the population and illegal aliens about 3.52%.
If you compare the percentage of illegal aliens in the population as a whole (the 3.52% mentioned above) with the percentages of illegal aliens in the prison population, namely 25% in 2009 and almost 39% in 2013, it is clear that their crimes are well in excess of their proportion of the population.
More numbers.
The FBI’s records show that there were 67,642 murders in the U.S. from 2005 through 2008, and 115,717 from 2003 through 2009.
The GAO estimates “criminal aliens” were arrested, convicted and incarcerated for 25,064 homicides. That means they committed 22% to 37% of all murders in the U.S., while being only 3.52% to 8.25% of the population.
Therefore the facts confirm that criminal and illegal aliens commit murder at much higher rates than all inhabitants of the U.S. – at least 3 to 10 times higher.
Although I have not had the time to crunch the numbers further, what you have just read could be a very conservative total because the FBI doesn’t get itself involved in all homicides, most of them are handled at state and local level.
Based on the erroneous research of their misnamed “fact-checkers”, the Washington Post alleged that Trump’s statements were only underscoring “a common public perception that crime is correlated with immigration, especially illegal immigration”.
It went even further, stating that Trump’s repeated statements about immigrants and crime were a “misperception” and that there was “no solid data support it”.
The Washington Post fact-checkers obviously did not take the time to check the facts in the GAO reports, which as we have seen actually do support the perception trump is vocalizing.
Apparently there is no fact-checker like a fact-checker checker.
Where are Ben Bradlee, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein when you need them?
You will get what the title is all about later. Let’s just say for now I’ll still be buying my airplane tickets and enduring the rigors of airport security for a few years longer.
As for now it’s Fact Day so have a look at the current offerings.
Enjoy.
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In cold weather keeping your cell phone
as close to your body as you can,
or in the inside pocket of an insulated base layer
will help keep it warm and prolong battery life.
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In the West women usually start shopping for baby things
as soon as they discover they’re pregnant
but in China a pregnant Chinese woman will avoid
getting a stroller before her baby is born because
according to Chinese tradition it’s considered
bad luck to have an empty stroller in the house
while you’re pregnant.
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The world’s oldest-known formula for toothpaste
was created by the ancient Egyptians
who used crushed rock salt, mint, dried iris flowers,
and pepper and mixed them to create a cleaning powder.
Research suggests this ancient toothpaste was more
effective than formulas used as recently as a century ago,
although it did have the unfortunate side effect
of causing bleeding gums.
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A scientific study has suggested that if you
are stressing over an important test or exam,
writing down your feelings on a piece of paper
before an exam will allow you to achieve higher scores.
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Contrary to many theories,
the tongue does not have specific receptor areas
for bitter, sour, salty, and sweet flavors.
In fact, there is a fifth taste (umami, for savory/meaty flavors)
and all zones of the tongue can sense all flavors.
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After banning the Nobel Prize,
Adolf Hitler developed his own version
– the German National Prize for Art and Science.
Ferdinand Porsche was one of the awardees
for being the man behind the world’s first
hybrid car and for the Volkswagen Beetle.
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In a statement he gave to the New York Times in 1909,
Nikola Tesla predicted that it would soon be possible
to transmit messages via personal devices.
Today, we have wireless communication devices
that we bring with us anywhere we go.
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A month after the USSR sent Sputnik 1 into space,
they sent Sputnik 2, which was the first spacecraft
to carry an animal (a dog named Laika) into space.
However, despite the Soviets initially claiming that
Laika had survived in orbit for a week,
decades later official Russian sources revealed
that Laika lived only a few hours
before dying from overheating.
Brave little doggie though.
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During WWI “Hello Girls,”as American
soldiers called them, were American women
who served as telephone operators for
Pershing’s forces in Europe.
The women were fluent in French and English
and were specially trained by the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company.
In 1979, the U.S. Army finally gave war medals
and veteran benefits to the few Hello Girls who were still alive.
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In its early days YouTube’s founders used
Craigslist to try to popularize the site
by offering $100 to attractive girls who would
post ten or more videos of themselves.
Unfortunately, they didn’t get a single response.
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The phrase ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’
goes back to at least the mid-nineteenth century
as found in George Eliot’s ‘The Mill on the Floss’ (1860),
where Mr. Tulliver uses the phrase in discussing
Daniel Defoe’s ‘The History of the Devil’,
saying how it was beautifully bound.
Its general meaning today, of course, is that
we shouldn’t judge or make a decision about
someone or something based on a brief
impression or outward appearance.
Wise advice.
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Just as true champagne must hail from France,
tequila has Denomination of Origin,
meaning that it has to be produced in Mexico,
mainly in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.
The states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit,
and Tamaulipas are also acceptable.
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Located in the city of Taipei in Taiwan, the
D.S. Music Restaurant has nothing to do with music at all.
In fact, it is a bizarre hospital-themed restaurant
where waitresses are all dressed as nurses,
tables are made from metal hospital beds,
drinks are served in IV bottles and
walls are decorated with X-ray scans.
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Remember the teleporter Star Trek?
Well, it’s no longer science fiction because now
matter can be dissolved into particles, transported
and reassembled at another location.
However, it won’t be available for use on humans
in the near future because at the moment,
whilst it is indeed possible to scan every molecule
in the human body and reassemble it in another area,
Last week we had the BIG Christmas quiz and thank you to everyone who visited and tried it out.
And a very special thanks to the Coastal Crone who reblogged it.
Since we are all used to ‘leftovers’ at this time of the year I thought I would use my leftover questions from last week’s BIG quiz for a little one this week.
The questions still have a Christmassy theme and as usual, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below.
So enjoy what’s left of the Christmas holiday and good luck with the quiz.
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Q. 1: How many points does a snowflake have? (Sorry there’s only one point for the correct answer.)
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Q. 2: Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names ‘Little Larry’ and ‘Puny Pete’ for which character? (A bonus point is available if you can also correctly name the Dickens novel in which the character appears.)
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Q. 3: In which country that made the news a lot during 2014, and the largest country of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs?
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Q. 4: What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland?
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Q. 5: What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918?
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Q. 6: Which alcoholic ingredient is used in a ‘Snowball’ cocktail?
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Q. 7: And what animal is ‘Snowball’ in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’?
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Q. 8: Derived from the Latin word meaning ‘coming’, what is the name of the period leading up to Christmas?
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Q. 9: In the rhyme ‘Christmas is coming’, who is getting ‘fat’?
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Q. 10: The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand?
a) Rolex b) BMW c) Wheaties d) Durex
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Q. 11: Why is the male turkey often referred to as ‘Tom Turkey’?
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Q. 12: In what country did Christmas Trees originate?
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Q. 13: How many ‘Wise Men’ brought gifts to Jesus?
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Q. 14: Which English monarch was crowned on Christmas Day in Westminster Abbey?
a) William I b) William II c) William III d) William IV
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Q. 15: Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for which Christmas day remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? (A point for each that you name correctly.)
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Q. 16: The Christmas favorite of ‘Pigs in Blankets’ is chipolata sausages wrapped in what?
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Q. 17: In Mexico, it is said that wearing what color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year?
a) Yellow b) Green c) Red d) Brown
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Q. 18: Father Christmas is known as ‘Pai Natal’ in which European country?
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Q. 19: The surname ‘Chandler’ derives from the making or selling of what?
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Q. 20: What was Mr Bean searching for when he got his head stuck in a turkey?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: How many points does a snowflake have? (Sorry there’s only one point for the correct answer.)
A. 1: Six.
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Q. 2: Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names ‘Little Larry’ and ‘Puny Pete’ for which character? (A bonus point is available if you can also correctly name the Dickens novel in which the character appears.)
A. 2: The character is ‘Tiny Tim’ and he appears in ‘A Christmas Carol’.
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Q. 3: In which country that made the news a lot during 2014, and the largest country of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs?
A. 3: The correct answer is Ukraine. (Since it is the time to be generous you can also have a point if you said ‘Poland’. Although it does not fulfill all the parameters of the question, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations in Poland because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas.)
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Q. 4: What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland?
A. 4: Hogmanay.
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Q. 5: What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918?
A. 5: Anwar Sadat.
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Q. 6: Which alcoholic ingredient is used in a ‘Snowball’ cocktail?
A. 6: Advocaat.
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Q. 7: And what animal is ‘Snowball’ in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’?
A. 7: A Pig.
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Q. 8: Derived from the Latin word meaning ‘coming’, what is the name of the period leading up to Christmas?
A. 8: Advent.
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Q. 9: In the rhyme ‘Christmas is coming’, who is getting ‘fat’?
A. 9: The goose.
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Q. 10: The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand?
a) Rolex b) BMW c) Wheaties d) Durex
A. 10: The correct answer is c) Wheaties.
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Q. 11: Why is the male turkey often referred to as ‘Tom Turkey’?
A. 11: After Thomas Jefferson, because Jefferson was opposed to the idea of a turkey as the national bird.
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Q. 12: In what country did Christmas Trees originate?
A. 12: Germany. (Technically it was Latvia but at that time it was part of Germany.)
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Q. 13: How many ‘Wise Men’ brought gifts to Jesus?
A. 13: ‘More than one’ is the correct answer, the Bible does not specify how many. (If you said ‘3’ you don’t get a point.)
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Q. 14: Which English monarch was crowned on Christmas Day in Westminster Abbey?
a) William I b) William II c) William III d) William IV
A. 14: The correct answer is a) William I.
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Q. 15: Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for which Christmas day remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? (A point for each that you name correctly.)
A. 15: Hong Kong and Macau.
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Q. 16: The Christmas favorite of ‘Pigs in Blankets’ is chipolata sausages wrapped in what?
A. 16: Bacon.
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Q. 17: In Mexico, it is said that wearing what color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year?
a) Yellow b) Green c) Red d) Brown
A. 17: The correct answer is c) Red.
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Q. 18: Father Christmas is known as ‘Pai Natal’ in which European country?
A. 18: Portugal.
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Q. 19: The surname ‘Chandler’ derives from the making or selling of what?
A. 19: Candles.
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Q. 20: What was Mr Bean searching for when he got his head stuck in a turkey?
Yes folks, this being Christmas week we have a bumper Christmassy edition of the quiz.
All the questions have a Christmas theme and there are plenty of them this week, so this quiz should keep you going over the holidays.
As usual, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but NO cheating please!
Merry Christmas and enjoy.
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Q. 1: If you were born on Christmas day, what would be your Zodiac sign?
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Q. 2: In which century was Christmas first celebrated?
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Q. 3: What significance is holly in celebrating Christmas?
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Q. 4: In the familiar song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, what is the gift on the fourth day?
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Q. 5: In the 1998 movie what actor whilst out Christmas shopping suddenly finds himself an “Enemy of the State”?
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Q. 6: Who discovered Christmas Island in 1777?
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Q. 7: Who wrote the song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
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Q. 8: Plus or minus one year, how long does it take a Scotch Pine Christmas tree to reach a typical retail height of 6 to 7 feet?
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Q. 9: One of the most popular floral gifts at Christmas is the Poinsetta, but what country did Poinsettias originally come from?
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Q. 10: At the end of the war in Vietnam, when Saigon fell, the signal for all Americans to evacuate was what song by Bing Crosby being played on the radio?
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Q. 11: What was Scrooge’s business partner called?
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Q. 12: When exactly is ‘The Twelfth Night’?
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Q. 13: Why was Boxing Day so named?
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Q. 14: Who composed the music for the festive season ballet ‘The Nutcracker’?
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Q. 15: Which Italian cake, popular at Christmas, belongs to Tony?
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Q. 16: What job was first taken by James Edgar in 1890?
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Q. 17: In which celebrated movie does James Stewart attempt suicide one Christmas?
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Q. 18: The Bible doesn’t say when Jesus was born. Pope Julius I made this decision in which year?
a) 50 AD b) 350 AD c) 750 AD d) 1250 AD
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Q. 19: Mr and Mrs Hilton had a little boy who was born on Christmas Day 1887, and went on to found of one of the world’s largest Hotel chains, but what was his first name?
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Q. 20: The names of which two reindeer mean ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’?
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Q. 21: What is the name of the fruit sauce which is a traditional accompaniment to the Christmas Turkey?
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Q. 22: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
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Q. 23: The German Christmas song ‘Tannebaum’ is translated into English as what?
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Q. 24: What does the word ‘Bethlehem’ mean?
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Q. 25: Before Pope Julius I decided that December 25th was the day Jesus was born, on which day did early Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus?
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Q. 26: Coca Cola made our modern Father Christmas for an advertising campaign, but prior to that, what color robes did he wear?
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Q. 27: Which ‘Christmas’ word means ‘turning of the sun’?
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Q. 28: Complete the title of each of the following Christmas movies.
a) Holiday… b) We’re No… c) The Bells of… d) It’s A Wonderful…
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Q. 29: What was the name of Scrooge’s clerk in a Christmas Carol?
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Q. 30: Advent candles are a popular Christmas tradition in many cultures. What does the word advent mean?
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Q. 31: Which nickname for Hollywood sounds Christmassy?
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Q. 32: Which pudding with a misleading name was banned by English Puritans because it was deemed to be ‘sinfully rich’?
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Q. 33: The Greek word for ‘Messiah’ was ‘Xristos’(Christ). What do all of these words mean translated?
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Q. 34: In the movie ‘Die Hard 2’, which airport did the terrorist take over on Christmas Eve?
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Q. 35: Many people claim that the first unofficial football (soccer) international between Germany and a Scotland-England side was played on a Christmas Day. The pitch or playing field was found between what?
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Q. 36: In which country does an ugly old witch named ‘Bafana’ deliver presents on the 6th of December?
a) Australia b) Austria c) Italy d) Mexico
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Q. 37: There are two ‘Christmas islands’, in which oceans are they located?
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Q. 38: In which city is Kevin left ‘Home Alone’ at Christmas? (the first Home Alone)
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Q. 39: “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan”. What is the name of the country where Wenceslas was king? (Will accept either the ‘old’ or ‘modern’ name of the country.)
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Q. 40: Which Christmas tradition, said to have originated in Germany, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1935?
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Q. 41: In which country is St. Nick called ‘Sinterklaas’?
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Q. 42: Which Christmas gift of the very highest quality, also known as ‘Oil of Lebanon’, comes from Oman?
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Q. 43: Why was December 25th chosen as Christmas Day?
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Q. 44: Who said, “You’ll want all day tomorrow, I suppose “?
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Q. 45: Which popular poem did Clement Clark Moore write for his six children in 1822?
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Q. 46: The following all mean ‘Merry Christmas’ in which language? (A point for each!)
a) Hyvaa joulua b) sung tan chuk ha c) froehliche weihnacten
d) mele kalikimaka e) god jul f) boas festas g) kala christouyenna
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Q. 47: Superstition dictates that when making mince pies for Christmas one should always stir in which direction?
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Q. 48: Which Christmas tradition did the very busy Sir Henry Cole introduce in 1843?
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Q. 49: The Christmas movie ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ has been remade many times. Who won a best supporting actor Oscar for the role of Kris Kringle in the original 1947 movie and which two time Oscar winner played Kris in the 1994 remake?
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Q. 50: Which song begins with “Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall”?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: If you were born on Christmas day, what would be your Zodiac sign?
A. 1: Capricorn.
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Q. 2: In which century was Christmas first celebrated?
A. 2: In the 4th century.
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Q. 3: What significance is holly in celebrating Christmas?
A. 3: The early church banned mistletoe, so holly was substituted.
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Q. 4: In the familiar song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, what is the gift on the fourth day?
A. 4: 4 Calling Birds.
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Q. 5: In the 1998 movie what actor whilst out Christmas shopping suddenly finds himself an “Enemy of the State”?
A. 5: Will Smith
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Q. 6: Who discovered Christmas Island in 1777?
A. 6: Captain Cook.
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Q. 7: Who wrote the song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
A. 7: Irving Berlin.
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Q. 8: Plus or minus one year, how long does it take a Scotch Pine Christmas tree to reach a typical retail height of 6 to 7 feet?
A. 8: 7 years.
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Q. 9: One of the most popular floral gifts at Christmas is the Poinsetta, but what country did Poinsettias originally come from?
A. 9: Mexico.
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Q. 10: At the end of the war in Vietnam, when Saigon fell, the signal for all Americans to evacuate was what song by Bing Crosby being played on the radio?
A. 10: White Christmas.
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Q. 11: What was Scrooge’s business partner called?
A. 11: Jacob Marley.
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Q. 12: When exactly is ‘The Twelfth Night’?
A. 12: The evening of the 5th of January.
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Q. 13: Why was Boxing Day so named?
A. 13: After the custom of giving Christmas Boxes/Tips to workmen/tradesmen.
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Q. 14: Who composed the music for the festive season ballet ‘The Nutcracker’?
A. 14: Tchaikovsky.
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Q. 15: Which Italian cake, popular at Christmas, belongs to Tony?
A. 15: Panettone. (Anthony or Tone’s bread).
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Q. 16: What job was first taken by James Edgar in 1890?
A. 16: He was the first department store Santa.
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Q. 17: In which celebrated movie does James Stewart attempt suicide one Christmas?
A. 17: It’s A Wonderful Life.
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Q. 18: The Bible doesn’t say when Jesus was born. Pope Julius I made this decision in which year?
a) 50 AD b) 350 AD c) 750 AD d) 1250 AD
A. 18: Answer b) 350 AD.
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Q. 19: Mr and Mrs Hilton had a little boy who was born on Christmas Day 1887, and went on to found of one of the world’s largest Hotel chains, but what was his first name?
A. 19: Conrad.
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Q. 20: The names of which two reindeer mean ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’?
A. 20: Donner and Blitzen.
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Q. 21: What is the name of the fruit sauce which is a traditional accompaniment to the Christmas Turkey?
A. 21: Cranberry.
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Q. 22: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
A. 22: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
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Q. 23: The German Christmas song ‘Tannebaum’ is translated into English as what?
A. 23: Christmas Tree.
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Q. 24: What does the word ‘Bethlehem’ mean?
A. 24: House of meat (Arabic) or House of bread (Hebraic)
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Q. 25: Before Pope Julius I decided that December 25th was the day Jesus was born, on which day did early Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus?
A. 25: The 6th of January or feast of the epiphany. (Greek for appearance or revelation).
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Q. 26: Coca Cola made our modern Father Christmas for an advertising campaign, but prior to that, what color robes did he wear?
A. 26: Green. (As a sign of the returning Spring.)
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Q. 27: Which ‘Christmas’ word means ‘turning of the sun’?
A. 27: Yuletide (Yule means wheel in old Norse language).
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Q. 28: Complete the title of each of the following Christmas movies.
a) Holiday… b) We’re No… c) The Bells of… d) It’s A Wonderful…
A. 28: a) …Inn b) …Angels c) …St. Marys d) …Life
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Q. 29: What was the name of Scrooge’s clerk in a Christmas Carol?
A. 29: Bob Cratchit.
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Q. 30: Advent candles are a popular Christmas tradition in many cultures. What does the word advent mean?
A. 30: Arrival.
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Q. 31: Which nickname for Hollywood sounds Christmassy?
A. 31: Tinseltown.
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Q. 32: Which pudding with a misleading name was banned by English Puritans because it was deemed to be ‘sinfully rich’?
A. 32: Plum pudding. (Incidentally, there are no plums in plum pudding, just sugar, raisons, suet, flour and various spices boiled in a bag till ‘plum’)
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Q. 33: The Greek word for ‘Messiah’ was ‘Xristos’(Christ). What do all of these words mean translated?
A. 33: The ‘annointed’ one.
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Q. 34: In the movie ‘Die Hard 2’, which airport did the terrorist take over on Christmas Eve?
A. 34: Dulles International Airport (Washington DC).
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Q. 35: Many people claim that the first unofficial football (soccer) international between Germany and a Scotland-England side was played on a Christmas Day. The pitch or playing field was found between what?
A. 35: Between the trenches in no mans land, Christmas 1914. (No match report is available but it seems the Germans won 3-2.)
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Q. 36: In which country does an ugly old witch named ‘Bafana’ deliver presents on the 6th of December?
a) Australia b) Austria c) Italy d) Mexico
A. 36: Answer c) Italy.
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Q. 37: There are two ‘Christmas islands’, in which oceans are they located?
A. 37: The Pacific and Indian oceans.
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Q. 38: In which city is Kevin left ‘Home Alone’ at Christmas? (the first Home Alone)
A. 38: Chicago.
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Q. 39: “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan”. What is the name of the country where Wenceslas was king? (Will accept either the ‘old’ or ‘modern’ name of the country.)
A. 39: Bohemia, now known as the Czech Republic.
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Q. 40: Which Christmas tradition, said to have originated in Germany, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1935?
A. 40: Christmas trees.
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Q. 41: In which country is St. Nick called ‘Sinterklaas’?
A. 41: Holland.
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Q. 42: Which Christmas gift of the very highest quality, also known as ‘Oil of Lebanon’, comes from Oman?
A. 42: Frankincense.
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Q. 43: Why was December 25th chosen as Christmas Day?
A. 43: To compete with a pagan celebration.
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Q. 44: Who said, “You’ll want all day tomorrow, I suppose “?
A. 44: Scrooge to Bob Cratchit in Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’.
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Q. 45: Which popular poem did Clement Clark Moore write for his six children in 1822?
A. 45: A visit from St. Nicholas (The night before Christmas) “It twas the night before Christmas when all through the house……”
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Q. 46: The following all mean ‘Merry Christmas’ in which language? (A point for each!)
a) Hyvaa joulua b) sung tan chuk ha c) froehliche weihnacten
d) mele kalikimaka e) god jul f) boas festas g) kala christouyenna
A. 46: Answers a) Finnish b) Korean c) German d) Hawaiian e) Norwegian
f) Portugese and, g) Greek
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Q. 47: Superstition dictates that when making mince pies for Christmas one should always stir in which direction?
A. 47: In a clockwise direction.
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Q. 48: Which Christmas tradition did the very busy Sir Henry Cole introduce in 1843?
A. 48: The sending of Christmas wishes on mass produced Christmas cards. The first cards depicted a family toasting an absent friend with the words “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you”.
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Q. 49: The Christmas movie ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ has been remade many times. Who won a best supporting actor Oscar for the role of Kris Kringle in the original 1947 movie and which two time Oscar winner played Kris in the 1994 remake?
A. 49: Edmund Gwenn and Richard Attenborough.
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Q. 50: Which song begins with “Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall”?
What better way to start of the week than with a quiz?
Okay, okay, so there are better ways, but this is the way we’re doing it here.
I think some of the questions are pretty tough this week, but if you are up for a challenge please have a go at them.
As always the answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but NO cheating!
Enjoy.
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Q 1: From what animal do we get Catgut?
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Q 2: What country has more lakes that the rest of the world combined?
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Q 3: What is the collective noun for a group of Unicorns, should such a thing exist?
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Q 4: How many of each ‘clean’ animal did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?
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Q 5: How many people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th?
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Q 6: What is the name that means “Craft of the Wise Ones”?
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Q 7: What is printed on the tablet being held by the Statue of Liberty?
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Q 8: The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, made famous by the film of that name starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. But what date is Groundhog Day?
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Q 9: By what name is the Tooth Fairy known in Mexico?
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Q 10: What former U.S. president worked as a lifeguard in his youth at a beach near Dixon, Illinois and saved over 77 lives?
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Q 11: What was the only commercial aircraft that able to break the sound barrier?
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Q 12: They were originally called Baby Gays. What do we know them better as?
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Q 13: What were the first words that Thomas A. Edison spoke into the phonograph? (Now you know this, even you think you don’t)
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Q 14: What disease killed over 20 million people worldwide in 1918?
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Q 15: Used in US English to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university, what does the word “sophomore” literally mean?
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Q 16: The British call them a fruit machine, but what are they known as elsewhere?
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Q 17: What US State is known as “Land of Enchantment”?
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Q 18: The Tibetans call it Chomolungma. What do we know it better as?
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Q 19: The vast majority of people, male and female, have a Glabella, but what is it?
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Q 20: The largest library in the world is located in Washington D.C. What is its name?
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ANSWERS
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Q 1: From what animal do we get Catgut?
A 1: Catgut comes from sheep not cats.
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Q 2: What country has more lakes that the rest of the world combined?
A 2: Canada has more lakes that the rest of the world combined.
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Q 3: What is the collective noun for a group of Unicorns, should such a thing exist?
A 3: A group of Unicorns is called a blessing.
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Q 4: How many of each ‘clean’ animal did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?
A 4: According to Genesis 7:2, God told Noah to take 14 of each kind of ‘clean’ animal in to the ark.
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Q 5: How many people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th?
A 5: Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn’t added until 5 years later.
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Q 6: What is the name that means “Craft of the Wise Ones”?
A 6: Witchcraft
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Q 7: What is printed on the tablet being held by the Statue of Liberty?
A 7: July IV, MDCCLXXVI
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Q 8: The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, made famous by the film of that name starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. But what date is Groundhog Day?
A 8: Groundhog Day is on February 2nd
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Q 9: By what name is the Tooth Fairy known in Mexico?
A 9: In Mexico the Tooth Fairy is known as the Tooth Mouse, which takes the tooth and leaves treasures in its place
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Q 10: What former U.S. president worked as a lifeguard in his youth at a beach near Dixon, Illinois and saved over 77 lives?
A 10: Ronald Reagan
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Q 11: What was the only commercial aircraft that able to break the sound barrier?
A 11: The Anglo-French manufactured “Concorde”.
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Q 12: They were originally called Baby Gays. What do we know them better as?
A 12: Q-Tip Cotton Swabs
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Q 13: What were the first words that Thomas A. Edison spoke into the phonograph? (Now you know this, even if you think you don’t)
A 13: The first words that Thomas A. Edison spoke into the phonograph were, “Mary had a little lamb.”
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Q 14: What disease killed over 20 million people worldwide in 1918?
A 14: The flu pandemic of 1918 killed over 20 million people
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Q 15: Used in US English to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university, what does the word “sophomore” literally mean?
A 15: “wise moron.”
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Q 16: The British call them a fruit machine, but what are they known as elsewhere?
A 16: A slot machine.
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Q 17: What US State is known as “Land of Enchantment”?
A 17: New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment”
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Q 18: The Tibetans call it Chomolungma. What do we know it better as?
A 18: Mount Everest
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Q 19: The vast majority of people, male and female, have a Glabella, but what is it?
A 19: The space between your eyebrows is called the Glabella
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Q 20: The largest library in the world is located in Washington D.C. What is its name?
I talked before about the bureaucrat’s insatiable desire to make things more difficult, awkward and expensive for legitimate businesses in America and Europe. That’s all they know how to do. I’ve also said before that introducing ever more taxes and regulations on bricks & mortar businesses would not be enough. They would have to try to destroy businesses operating online as well.
Well that latter attempt at destroying what is left of American entrepreneurship moved up another notch this week when the US Senate passed the “Marketplace Fairness Act”.
I’ll come back to that in a moment, but the title of this latest piece of needless bureaucratic interference illustrates perfectly once again the deceitfulness of the politicians and bureaucrats.
The “Marketplace Fairness Act” is not about “fairness”. It is not about leveling the playing field between those businesses operating online and those on the proverbial “High Street”. Anyone who tells you that is lying. (Really, a politician lying? Whatever next?)
Like all similar legislation, the “Marketplace Fairness Act” is about control; about making life more difficult for people who want to do business; and, not least, about trying to extort the last penny out of your pocket in the form of taxes.
I say “your” pocket, because at the end of the day businesses have to pass their increased costs on to the final consumer and that my friends is us!
Yes, the “Marketplace Fairness Act” has just been passed by the US Senate. As these things do, it still has to pass through the House of Representatives as well, and it will, if not on the first attempt on subsequent ones. Have you ever seen a stupid bad law that wasn’t pushed through by fair means or foul?
What the “Marketplace Fairness Act” does is to impose sales taxes for business transactions or sales done online. In other words, when you buy something from an online retailer, or a retailer with an online facility, you will be subject to the addition of a sales tax.
In the simplest terms, for you, the consumer, this Bill means that your bills will be bigger – you will have to pay more! For the business operating online it means more bureaucracy, more forms to fill out, more tax filings to be done – in short more hassle.
But for the government it means more money to be squandered on another war or on the next idiotic idea that Washington can think of.
And another unfairness that the Marketplace Fairness Act will create is that online businesses operating outside the United States will be laughing their tax free socks off.
You see this law will not – cannot – apply to foreign companies who do business online and sell to US-based consumers.
Why? Because the US authorities have no practical way to enforce it, and because businesses in foreign countries couldn’t care less about enforcing it, nor will their governments.
Do you seriously think for one moment that either businesses or governments in, for example, China, or India, or even Mexico are going to waste their time collecting sales tax for Uncle Sam?
So if I was setting up an online business would I still do it in America? I think you know the answer.
You could be forgiven for asking whether these dumb politicians and bureaucrats are really trying to make America a better place or just trying to destroy it!
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