I know the summer is coming to a close, but the chill I’m talking about in this post is the one coming from the Cold War.
You remember it?
The thing that we though we had got rid of in 1992 when Daddy Bush said, “A world once divided into two armed camps now recognizes one, sole and pre-eminent power, the United States of America.”
That ended the Cold War and everyone was happy. America had won.
So why did it start again? And why did our politicians not have the gumption to avoid it?
Two pretty good questions, I think.
I suppose the answer is that it all started again because America desperately needs a bogey man – a global one, not some terrorist organization like Al Qaeda or ISIS.
It gives them a reason to keep the war machine going which is good for the economy.
It gives them the chance to tell the world that the choice they have to make is between America and Russia (in other words, between ‘good’ and ‘bad’).
And indeed it used to be that way, when the Russian regime was hell bent on imposing their failed communist philosophy on the free world.
The problem is that America wasn’t content with winning. For some reason it felt it needed to win again.
This time it is trying to do so by bribing and coercing former Soviet satellite states into joining an economic and military (EU/NATO) alliance against Russia.
That has, understandably and predictably, provoked the Russians into once again flexing their muscles, the result of which we are starting to see in the Ukraine.
And so the Cold War begins again.
But it won’t be the same as the last one. Some things are very different.
This time America is bankrupt, not Russia, which on the contrary has massive wealth at its disposal. This time America is being perceived by the rest of the world as dithering and incompetent.
And, thanks to the arrogance of organizations like the NSA, this time it is America, not Russia, who is perceived by the rest of the world as untrustworthy and untrusting of its allies. That’s quite the reversal of the old Cold War when it was the Russians who were notorious for listening in on conversations, bugging hotel rooms and the like.
In addition Russia is not currently bound to an outdated and failed communist dogma.
Despite all the bogus posturing of President Obama, who it seems can’t make up his mind to do anything, Russia will not allow NATO to set up shop in its backyard.
America has made a huge tactical mistake interfering so close to Russia. They are leaving Putin with little alternative but to do his own bit of posturing. The only difference is he means it.
When a bear is sleeping, poking it with a stick is never a wise move. Neither is trying to force it into a corner.
This time it may well bring consequences that none of us will like.
And remember if you get stuck you can find all the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1: George Washington was the first President of the United States of America, who was the second?
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Q. 2: Barbie’s friend Ken has a last name, what is it?
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Q. 3: Most of us have played the board game “Monopoly”, but can you name the six tokens available to the players? (And yes, you get a point for each correct answer.)
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Q. 4: Which capital city is also the name of a very hot spice used in the kitchen?
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Q. 5: American writer Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel called “I Am Legend” was adapted for a movie of the same name in 2007 starring Will Smith. But this was the third adaptation of the novel, what were the first two and what were the names of the actors in the starring roles? (A point for the name of each movie and further points if you can name the starring actors.)
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Q. 6: The world was declared safe from which virus in 1979, after it had killed more than one billion people?
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Q. 7: What is the second highest mountain in the world?
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Q. 8: Which famous World War II general, who just before retreating from the Philippines in 1942 said, “We shall return”?
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Q. 9: Which Colombian city was notorious for being the center of the cocaine smuggling business, the drug cartel responsible even taking the name?
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Q. 10: Which island did Turkish troops invade in 1974?
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Q. 11: The 25th President of the USA had the highest peak in North America named after him, what was his name?
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Q. 12: Who was the British actress who starred in the epic movie “Gone With The Wind” and what part did she play? (A point for each correct answer.)
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Q. 13: What was the name of the national airline of Belgium that operated from 1923 until bankruptcy forced its cessation in 2001?
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Q. 14: Much in the news currently, what is the capital city of Ukraine?
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Q. 15: Josip Broz led the Communist partisans to victory against foreign occupation forces in Yugoslavia during the Second World War. By what name was he later better known?
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Q. 16: What was the name of the seafaring people based in Scandinavia, who raided, traded, explored, and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia, and the North Atlantic islands, from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries?
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Q. 17: What is the name of the Japanese delicacy consisting of very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces?
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Q. 18: Which Russian word meaning “Speaking Aloud” was a policy of Mikhail Gorbachev in order to liberalize various aspects of Soviet life?
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Q. 19: Who was the South African surgeon who carried out the first heart transplant operation?
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Q. 20: Which famous singer songwriter and guitarist from the 1950s had his most famous hit, and only number one recording, in the 1970s with his ding-a-ling?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: George Washington was the first President of the United States of America, who was the second?
A. 1: John Adams.
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Q. 2: Barbie’s friend Ken has a last name, what is it?
A. 2: It’s Carson, the little dude’s full name is Ken Carson!
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Q. 3: Most of us have played the board game “Monopoly”, but can you name the six tokens available to the players? (And yes, you get a point for each correct answer.)
A. 3: The Monopoly tokens are a Battleship, a Boot, a Dog, a Flat Iron, a Racing Car, and a Top Hat.
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Q. 4: Which capital city is also the name of a very hot spice used in the kitchen?
A. 4: Cayenne (French Guyana).
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Q. 5: American writer Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel called “I Am Legend” was adapted for a movie of the same name in 2007 starring Will Smith. But this was the third adaptation of the novel, what were the first two and what were the names of the actors in the starring roles? (A point for the name of each movie and further points if you can name the starring actors.)
A. 5: The first big screen adaptation of the novel was “The Last Man on Earth” (1964) which starred Vincent Price, and the second adaptation was “The Omega Man” (1971) starring Charlton Heston.
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Q. 6: The world was declared safe from which virus in 1979, after it had killed more than one billion people?
A. 6: Smallpox.
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Q. 7: What is the second highest mountain in the world?
A. 7: Located Pakistan, “K2” (also known as Chhogori/Qogir, Ketu/Kechu, and Mount Godwin-Austen) is the second-highest mountain in the world with a peak elevation of 6,811 meters (28,251 feet).
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Q. 8: Which famous World War II general, who just before retreating from the Philippines in 1942 said, “We shall return”?
A. 8: General Douglas MacArthur.
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Q. 9: Which Colombian city was notorious for being the center of the cocaine smuggling business, the drug cartel responsible even taking the name?
A. 9: Medellin, now thankfully a much more peaceful place.
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Q. 10: Which island did Turkish troops invade in 1974?
A. 10: Cyprus.
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Q. 11: The 25th President of the USA had the highest peak in North America named after him, what was his name?
A. 11: William McKinley.
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Q. 12: Who was the British actress who starred in the epic movie “Gone With The Wind” and what part did she play? (A point for each correct answer.)
A. 12: Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett O’Hara.
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Q. 13: What was the name of the national airline of Belgium that operated from 1923 until bankruptcy forced its cessation in 2001?
A. 13: Best known internationally by the acronym Sabena (SABENA), which is the answer I’m looking for, it was The Societé Anonyme Belge d’Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne, or Belgian Corporation for Air Navigation Services.
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Q. 14: Much in the news currently, what is the capital city of Ukraine?
A. 14: Kiev.
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Q. 15: Josip Broz led the Communist partisans to victory against foreign occupation forces in Yugoslavia during the Second World War. By what name was he later better known?
A. 15: President Tito.
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Q. 16: What was the name of the seafaring people based in Scandinavia, who raided, traded, explored, and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia, and the North Atlantic islands, from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries?
A. 16: They were called Vikings or Norsemen, take a point if you gave either answer.
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Q. 17: What is the name of the Japanese delicacy consisting of very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces?
A. 17: Sashimi. (Not Sushi, which includes cooked vinegared rice.)
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Q. 18: Which Russian word meaning “Speaking Aloud” was a policy of Mikhail Gorbachev in order to liberalize various aspects of Soviet life?
A. 18: Glasnost.
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Q. 19: Who was the South African surgeon who carried out the first heart transplant operation.
A. 19: Dr Christian Barnard.
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Q. 20: Which famous singer songwriter and guitarist from the 1950s had his most famous hit, and only number one recording, in the 1970s with his ding-a-ling?
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