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Hayward | On 1 October 2010, Bob Dudley replaced Tony Hayward as the company's CEO after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After the oil spill BP announced a divestment program to sell about $38 billion worth of non-core assets by 2013 to compensate its liabilities related to the accident. | Much maligned for his handling of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which Tony was the CEO for BP until October 1, 2010? |
Scientology | Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard (, ) and often referred to by his initials, LRH, was an American author and the founder of the Church of Scientology. In 2014, Hubbard was cited by the Smithsonian magazine as one of the 100 most significant Americans of all time, as one of the eleven religious figures on that list. After establishing a career as a writer, becoming best known for his science fiction and fantasy stories, he developed a system called Dianetics which was first expounded in book form in May 1950. He subsequently developed his ideas into a wide-ranging set of doctrines and practices as part of a new religious movement that he called Scientology. His writings became the guiding texts for the Church of Scientology and a number of affiliated organizations that address such diverse topics as business administration, literacy and drug rehabilitation. The Church's dissemination of these materials led to Hubbard being listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most translated and published author in the world. | Which cult/religion was formed by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard? |
31st President of the United States | Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st President of the United States (1929–33). He was a professional mining engineer and was raised as a Quaker. A Republican, Hoover served as head of the U.S. Food Administration during World War I, and became internationally known for humanitarian relief efforts in war-time Belgium. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business under the rubric "economic modernization." | A professional mining engineer, who was the President of the US at the start of the Great Depression? |
Exacta | In the most basic horizontal wager, an exacta, the bettor selects the first and second place horses in the exact order. Picking the first three finishers in exact order is called a trifecta and a superfecta refers to the specific finishing order of the top four horses. A quinella boxes an exacta, allowing the first two finishers to come in any order and still win. | What is the horse race betting term for picking the first and second place finishers in a race in the correct order? |
Brothers in Arms | Dire Straits' biggest selling album,1985's Brothers in Arms has sold over 30 million copies, and was the first album to sell a million copies on the then new CD format. They also became one of the world's most commercially successful bands, with worldwide records sales of over 100 million. Dire Straits won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards—winning Best British Group twice, two MTV Video Music Awards, and various other music awards.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8394556.stm "Dire Straits given plaque honour"]. BBC News, 4 December 2009. Retrieved: 14 January 2015. The band's songs include "Money for Nothing", "Sultans of Swing", "So Far Away", "Walk of Life", "Brothers in Arms", "Private Investigations", "Romeo and Juliet", "Tunnel of Love", and "Telegraph Road". | What 1985 album, by the British rock group Dire Straits, was the first to sell a million copies in CD format? |
The Simpsons | Lionel Hutz is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman, and his first appearance was in the season two episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car". Hutz is a stereotypical ambulance chasing lawyer in Springfield with questionable competence and ethics. He is nevertheless often hired by the Simpsons. Following Hartman's murder in 1998, Hutz was retired out of respect; and his final speaking role was in the season nine episode "Realty Bites" five months earlier. | Voiced by Phil Hartman, before his untimely death, Lionel Hutz is the hapless lawyer on what TV series? |
Copper and zinc | Brass is a metal alloy made of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other within the same crystal structure. | Which two elements make up brass? |
Money | Where's George? is a website that tracks the natural geographic circulation of American paper money. Its popularity has led to the establishment of a number of other currency tracking websites (among which it remains the most popular by far), and sites that track other objects such as used books. Statistics generated by the website have been used in at least one research paper to study patterns of human travel in the United States. | What is tracked by the Web site Where's George? |
Cleveland, Ohio | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20, 1983, by Atlantic Records founder and chairman Ahmet Ertegun to recognize and archive the history of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures, who have each had some major influence on the development of rock and roll. In 1986, Cleveland was chosen as the hall of fame's permanent home. Since opening in September 1995, the "Rock Hall" – part of the city's redeveloped North Coast Harbor – has hosted more than 10 million visitors and had a cumulative economic impact estimated at more than $1.8 billion. | Opening in 1995, the Rock and Roll hall of fame is located in what major U.S. city? |
Wreck-It Ralph | John Lasseter, the head of Walt Disney Animation Studios and executive producer of the film, describes Wreck-It Ralph as "an 8-bit video-game bad guy who travels the length of the arcade to prove that he's a good guy." In a manner similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the Toy Story films, Wreck-It Ralph featured cameo appearances by a number of licensed video-game characters. For example, one scene from the film shows Ralph attending a support group for the arcade's various villain characters, including Clyde from Pac-Man, Doctor Eggman from Sonic the Hedgehog, and Bowser from Super Mario Bros. Rich Moore, the film's director, had determined that for a film about a video-game world to feel authentic, "it had to have real characters from real games in it." Moore aimed to add licensed characters in a similar manner as cultural references in Looney Tunes shorts, but considered "having the right balance so a portion of the audience didn't feel they were being neglected or talked down to." However, Moore avoided creating the movie around existing characters, feeling that "there's so much mythology and baggage attached to pre-existing titles that I feel someone would be disappointed," and considered this to be a reason why movies based on video game franchises typically fail. Instead, for Ralph, the development of new characters representative of the 8-bit video game was "almost like virgin snow," giving them the freedom to take these characters in new directions. | What is the name of the video game that is home to Ralph in the Disney movie Wreck-it Ralph? |
Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers | Thomas opened his first Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio, November 15, 1969. (This original restaurant remained operational until March 2, 2007, when it was closed due to lagging sales.) Thomas named the restaurant after his eight-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, whose nickname was "Wendy", stemming from the child's inability to say her own name at a young age. According to Bio TV, Dave claims himself that people nicknamed his daughter "Wenda. Not Wendy, but Wenda. 'I'm going to call it Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers'." | Columbus, Ohio resident Dave Thomas opened the first of what restaurant chain on November 15, 1969? |
Semper fidelis | Semper fidelis is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal". In the United States it is best known as the motto of the United States Marine Corps. Elsewhere, it is a common motto for towns, families, schools, and military units. | What Latin phrase, which translates as always faithful, is best recognized as the motto of the US Marine Corp? |
Cuba | Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, (also called GTMO because of the airfield designation code or Gitmo because of the common pronunciation of this code by the U.S. military ) is a United States military base located on 45 sqmi of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which the US leased for use as a coaling and naval station in 1903 (for $2,000 per year until 1934, when it was increased to $4,085 per year). The base is on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas U.S. Naval Base. Since the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the Cuban government has consistently protested against the U.S. presence on Cuban soil and called it illegal under international law, alleging that the base was imposed on Cuba by force. At the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2013, Cuba's Foreign Minister demanded the U.S. return the base and the "usurped territory", which the Cuban government considers to be occupied since the U.S. invasion of Cuba during the Spanish–American War in 1898. | Which country is home to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay? |
Guitar | A wah-wah pedal (or just wah pedal) is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice. The pedal sweeps the peak response of a filter up and down in frequency to create the sound (spectral glide), also known as "the wah effect". The wah-wah effect originated in the 1920s, with trumpet or trombone players finding they could produce an expressive crying tone by moving a mute in the instrument's bell. This was later simulated with electronics for the electric guitar, controlled by movement of the player's foot on a rocking pedal connected to a potentiometer. Wah-wah effects are used when a guitarist is soloing, or creating a "wacka-wacka" funk-styled rhythm. | A wah-wah pedal is attached to what instrument in order alter the tone to make it mimic a human voice? |
Owl | Tootsie Pops are known for the catch phrase "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?". The phrase was first introduced in an animated commercial which debuted on U.S. television in 1969. In the original television ad, a questioning boy poses the question to a cow, a fox, a turtle and an owl. Each one of the first three animals tells the boy to ask someone else, explaining that they'd bite a Tootsie Pop every time they lick one. Eventually, he asks the owl, who starts licking it, but bites into the lollipop after only three licks, much to the chagrin of the boy, who gets the empty stick back. The commercial ends the same way, with various flavored Tootsie Pops unwrapped and being "licked away" until being crunched in the center. | Which animal answers the question "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" |
Twilight | Jacob "Jake" Black is a character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is described as an attractive Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. In the second book of the series, he discovers that he can shapeshift into a wolf. For the majority of the series, Jacob competes with Edward Cullen for Bella Swan's love. In the films Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Breaking Dawn Part 2, Jacob is played by Taylor Lautner. | Jacob Black, Edward Cullen, and Bella Swan are characters in what fictional book series? |
Tailbone | The coccyx ( ; plural: coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in humans and apes, and certain other mammals such as horses. | What is the common name for your coccyx? |
Boat | A sampan () is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats. It is unusual for a sampan to sail far from land as they do not have the means to survive rough weather. | Originating in China, a sampan is a type of what? |
Jehovah's Witness | The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom is an illustrated religious magazine, published monthly in 274 languages by Jehovah's Witnesses via the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Along with its companion magazine, Awake!, Jehovah's Witnesses distribute The Watchtower—Public Edition in their door-to-door ministry. | Awake and The Watchtower are two magazines distributed by what religious group in the door-to-door ministries business? |
Wear Fur | PETA Asia-Pacific supports the PETA campaign "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur," in which celebrities appear nude to express their opposition to wearing fur. The group also stages anti-fur events to publicize their opposition to fur. PETA Asia-Pacific has been involved in several undercover investigations of fur farms in China. | An ad campaign from PETA features celebrities sans clothing stating “I’d Rather Go Naked than” what? |
John Roberts | Following the announcement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement on July 1, 2005, Bush nominated John Roberts to succeed her. On September 5, following the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, this nomination was withdrawn and Bush instead nominated Roberts for Chief Justice to succeed Rehnquist. Roberts was confirmed by the Senate as the 17th Chief Justice on September 29, 2005. | Appointed by G. W. Bush in 2005, who is the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? |
Rice | Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a cereal grain, (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis) originally from the Levant region of the Near East but now cultivated worldwide. In 2013, world production of wheat was 713 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize (1,016 million tons) and rice (745 million tons). Wheat was the second most-produced cereal in 2009; world production in that year was 682 million tons, after maize (817 million tons), and with rice as a close third (679 million tons). | Which cereal grain tails only corn and wheat in worldwide production? |
The Lion King | Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney's popular 1994 animated film The Lion King. Timon was portrayed through his many appearances by Nathan Lane (in all three films and early episodes of the show), Max Casella (the original actor in The Lion King Broadway musical), Kevin Schon (in certain episodes of the show), Quinton Flynn (in certain episodes of the show), Bruce Lanoil in the Wild About Safety shorts and Kingdom Hearts II, while Pumbaa is voiced by Ernie Sabella (in all of his animated speaking appearances), and was portrayed by Tom Alan Robbins in the original cast of the Broadway musical. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella first came to audition for the roles of the hyenas, but when the producers saw how well they worked together they decided to cast them as Timon and Pumbaa. Lyricist Tim Rice however was pulling for Rik Mayall (for Timon) and Adrian Edmondson (for Pumbaa) to play the roles, as he got the idea for the lyrics to "Hakuna Matata" by watching their show Bottom. | Which animated Disney classic features a mandrill named Rafiki, a warthog named Pumbaa, and Timon the meerkat? |
Soccer | The (FIFA; English: International Federation of Association Football) is the governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer. FIFA is responsible for the organisation of football's major international tournaments, notably the World Cup which commenced in 1930 and the Women's World Cup which commenced in 1991. | FIFA is an international organization governing what sport? |
Meow Mix | The Meow Mix Company operates from a 200000 sqft facility in Decatur, Alabama and produces Alley Cat brand cat food products. Originally a product of Ralston Purina, Meow Mix was divested for antitrust reasons in the early 2000s. The brand was acquired by Del Monte Foods in May, 2006. Their most famous slogan is, “Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name.” | What "tastes so good, cats ask for it by name"? |
Wisteria Lane | Set on Wisteria Lane, a street in the fictional town of Fairview in the fictional Eagle State, Desperate Housewives followed the lives of a group of women as seen through the eyes of their late friend and neighbor who committed suicide in the pilot episode. The storyline covers thirteen years of the women's lives over eight seasons, set between the years 2004–2008, and later 2013–2017 (the story arc included a five-year passage of time, as well as flashbacks ranging from the 1980s to the 2020s). They worked through domestic struggles and family life, while facing the secrets, crimes and mysteries hidden behind the doors of their—on the surface—beautiful and seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood. | What is the name of the street, in the fictional town of Fairview, where TV's Desperate Housewives live? |
Rock and Roll | Cleveland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 mi west of the Pennsylvania border. It was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location on the lake shore, as well as being connected to numerous canals and railroad lines. Cleveland's economy has diversified sectors that include manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and biomedical. Cleveland is also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. | Which Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland, OH? |
Ebony | In the early years of piano construction, keys were commonly made from sugar pine. Today they are usually made of spruce or basswood. Spruce is typically used in high-quality pianos. Black keys were traditionally made of ebony, and the white keys were covered with strips of ivory. However, since ivory-yielding species are now endangered and protected by treaty, makers use plastics almost exclusively. Also, ivory tends to chip more easily than plastic. Legal ivory can still be obtained in limited quantities. The Yamaha firm invented a plastic called Ivorite that they claim mimics the look and feel of ivory. It has since been imitated by other makers. | Which wood is traditionally used to make the black keys on a piano? |
King | "In the Kingdom of the Blind" is an episode from the fifth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. The title alludes to a Latin proverb quoted by Erasmus: "In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king". | According to the proverb, in the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is what? |
Pizza | Celeste is a brand of frozen pizza owned by Pinnacle Foods. It is widely referred to by its former name Mama Celeste. The brand's slogan is "Abbondanza", which means "Abundance" in Italian. | What frozen food item is Mama Celeste associated with? |
Wyoming | Wyoming's constitution included women's suffrage and a pioneering article on water rights. Congress admitted Wyoming into the Union as the 44th state on July 10, 1890. | Known as the Equality State, what was the 44th state to join the Union on Jul 10, 1890? |
Jimmy Carter | Billy Beer was a beer first made in the United States of America in July 1977, by the Falls City Brewing Company. It was promoted by Billy Carter, the younger brother of then-President Jimmy Carter. Then in October 1978, Falls City announced that it was closing its doors after less than a year of Carter's promotion. The beer was produced by Cold Spring Brewing, West End Brewing, and Pearl Brewing Company. | The brother of which U.S. president was the commercial spokesman for Billy Beer? |
Dallas | "Who shot J.R.?" is an advertising catchphrase that American network CBS created in 1980 to promote the television series Dallas. It referred to the mystery surrounding a murder attempt against the character J.R. Ewing in "A House Divided", the show's third-season finale, which was not resolved until a fourth-season episode that aired eight months later. | Nov 21, 1980 answered the question "Who shot J.R.?", when the season premiere of what long running TV drama was shown? |
Senegal | The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa mostly surrounded by Senegal with a short strip of its coastline bordered with the Atlantic Ocean at its western end. It is the smallest country on mainland Africa. | For a point each, name the country surrounding the Republic of The Gambia. |
Frank Sinatra | The 1960s version of the group included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Juliet Prowse, Buddy Greco, and Shirley MacLaine were often referred to as the "Rat Pack Mascots". Comedian Corbett Monica also worked as the frequent opening act for Frank Sinatra - later including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. - and played Larry Corbett, manager and friend, to Joey Bishop’s character on “The Joey Bishop show” from 1963-1965. | Who's missing: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop |
Jack Ruby | * Brian Doyle-Murray as Jack Ruby, an American nightclub operator from Dallas, Texas. He was convicted on March 14, 1964 for Oswald's murder on November 24, 1963, two days after Oswald was arrested for Kennedy's assassination. | Nov 24, 1963 saw the death of reputed JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald at the hands of which Dallas night club owner? |
50 | The first reports that Jackson had suffered a cardiac arrest then that he had died came from the Los Angeles-based celebrity news website TMZ. Doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center pronounced Jackson dead at 2:26 p.m. and 18 minutes later, TMZ published the following statement: "Michael Jackson passed away today at the age of 50." The Los Angeles Times confirmed the report at 2:51 p.m. PDT (5:51 p.m. EDT). The news spread quickly online, allowing websites to slow down and crash from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times suffered outages.Rawlinson, Linnie and Nick Hunt. [http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/26/michael.jackson.internet/index.html Jackson Dies, almost takes Internet With Him], CNN, June 27, 2009. Google initially believed that the input from millions of people searching for "Michael Jackson" meant that the search engine was under attack. Twitter reported a crash, as did Wikipedia at 3:15 p.m. The Wikimedia Foundation reported nearly a million visitors to Jackson's biography within one hour, probably the most visitors in a one-hour period to any article in Wikipedia's history. The AOL Instant Messenger went down for 40 minutes. AOL called it a "seminal moment in Internet history", adding "We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth."Wood, Daniel B. [http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2009/0627/p25s09-usgn.html Outpouring over Michael Jackson unlike anything since Princess Di], Christian Science Monitor, June 27, 2009. | How old was Michael Jackson when he died? |
Darwin's | On the Origin of Species was first published on Thursday 24 November 1859, priced at fifteen shillings with a first printing of 1250 copies. The book had been offered to booksellers at Murray's autumn sale on Tuesday 22 November, and all available copies had been taken up immediately. In total, 1,250 copies were printed but after deducting presentation and review copies, and five for Stationers' Hall copyright, around 1,170 copies were available for sale. Significantly, 500 were taken by Mudie's Library, ensuring that the book promptly reached a large number of subscribers to the library. The second edition of 3,000 copies was quickly brought out on 7 January 1860, and incorporated numerous corrections as well as a response to religious objections by the addition of a new epigraph on page ii, a quotation from Charles Kingsley, and the phrase "by the Creator" added to the closing sentence. During Darwin's lifetime the book went through six editions, with cumulative changes and revisions to deal with counter-arguments raised. The third edition came out in 1861, with a number of sentences rewritten or added and an introductory appendix, An Historical Sketch of the Recent Progress of Opinion on the Origin of Species, while the fourth in 1866 had further revisions. The fifth edition, published on 10 February 1869, incorporated more changes and for the first time included the phrase "survival of the fittest", which had been coined by the philosopher Herbert Spencer in his Principles of Biology (1864)."This survival of the fittest, which I have here sought to express in mechanical terms, is that which Mr. Darwin has called 'natural selection', or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life." | Nov 24, 1859 saw the first edition of On The Origin of Species, under the authorship of who? |
Dear Abby | Jeanne Phillips (; born 1942), also known as Abigail Van Buren, is an American advice columnist who writes the advice column Dear Abby. She is the daughter of Pauline Esther "Popo" Phillips, who founded Dear Abby in 1956, and her husband, Morton Phillips. | Originally started in 1956 by Pauline Phillips, what advice column is now written by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips? |
Bill Watterson | Calvin and Hobbes is a daily comic strip by American cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic," Calvin and Hobbes has evinced broad and enduring popularity, influence, and academic interest. | What cartoonist drew Calvin and Hobbes from 1985 to 1995? |
Haiti | Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed “Baby Doc” () (3 July 19514 October 2014), was the President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded his father François "Papa Doc" Duvalier as the ruler of Haiti after the latter's death in 1971. After assuming power, he introduced cosmetic changes to his father's regime and delegated much authority to his advisors. Thousands of Haitians were killed or tortured, and hundreds of thousands fled the country during his presidency. He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle (including a state-sponsored US$2million wedding in 1980), and made millions from involvement in the drug trade and from selling body parts from dead Haitians while poverty among his people remained the most widespread of any country in the Western Hemisphere. | Father and son Baby Doc Duvalier and Papa Doc Duvalier spent 30 years as leaders of which country? |
Brown fox | "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is an English-language pangram—a phrase that contains all of the letters of the alphabet. It is commonly used for touch-typing practice. It is also used to test typewriters and computer keyboards, show fonts, and other applications involving all of the letters in the English alphabet. Owing to its brevity and coherence, it has become widely known. | According to the pangram, the quick what jumps over the lazy dog? |
Jack Ruby | Oswald's case never came to trial because two days later, while being escorted to a car for transfer from Dallas Police Headquarters to the Dallas County Jail, he was shot and mortally wounded by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby, live on American television at 11:21 a.m. CST on Sunday, November 24. He was taken unconscious by ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital, the same hospital where doctors had tried to save President Kennedy's life two days earlier, and died at 1:07 p.m. Oswald's death was announced on a TV news broadcast by Dallas police chief Jesse Curry. An autopsy was performed by the Dallas County Medical Examiner at 2:45 p.m. the same day. The stated cause of death in the autopsy report was "hemorrhage secondary to gunshot wound of the chest". Arrested immediately after the shooting, Ruby later said that he had been distraught over the Kennedy assassination and that killing Oswald would spare "... Mrs. Kennedy the discomfiture of coming back to trial." | Broadcast on live TV, what Dallas nightclub owner shot and killed total asshat Lee Harvey Oswald? |
Pawn Stars | * Cajun Pawn Stars is set at the Silver Dollar Pawn & Jewelry Center, a pawn shop in Alexandria, Louisiana that is owned and operated by Jimmie DeRamus and his family. The show, which follows the same format as the original Pawn Stars, debuted on History on January 8, 2012.[http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2011/12/15/history-puts-a-southern-spin-on-its-mega-hit-series-with-cajun-pawn-stars-new-series-premiering-on-sunday-january-8-at-10pm-est-281203/20111215history01/ "History(R) Puts a Southern Spin on Its Mega Hit Series With "Cajun Pawn Stars" – New Series Premiering on Sunday, January 8 at 10pm EST"]. The Futon Critic. December 15, 2011. | What is the name of the pawn shop featured in the hit History Channel show Pawn Stars? |
Air Force | Project Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) conducted by the United States Air Force. It started in 1952, and it was the third study of its kind (the first two were projects Sign (1947) and Grudge (1949)). A termination order was given for the study in December 1969, and all activity under its auspices ceased in January 1970. | Sparking a 1970s TV show, which military branch conducted the Project Blue Book UFO study? |
Hogwarts | Harry starts classes at Hogwarts School, with lessons including Transfiguration with Head of Gryffindor, Minerva McGonagall, Herbology with Head of Hufflepuff, Pomona Sprout, Charms with Head of Ravenclaw Filius Flitwick, and Defence Against the Dark Arts with Quirinus Quirrell. Harry's least favourite class is Potions, taught by Severus Snape, the vindictive Head of Slytherin who seems to loathe Harry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione become far more interested by extracurricular matters within and outside of the school, particularly after they discover that a huge three-headed dog is standing guard over a trapdoor in a condemned corridor. They also become suspicious of Snape's behaviour and become convinced that he is looking for ways to get past the trapdoor. | What school does Harry Potter attend? |
Two | Most of these early beach volleyball matches were played with teams of at least six players per side, much like indoor volleyball. The concept of the modern two-man beach volleyball game is credited to Paul "Pablo" Johnson, an indoor player of Santa Monica Athletic Club. In the summer of 1930, while waiting for players to show up for a six-man game, Johnson decided to try playing with only the two people present. The game was forever changed. Though recreational games continue to be played with more players, the most widely played version of the game, and the only one contested at an elite level, has only two players per team. | How many players per team are there in a game of beach volleyball? |
Paper | A ream of paper is a quantity of sheets of the same size and quality. International standards organizations define the ream as 500 identical sheets.ISO 4046 (see References) defines the ream as "a pack of 500 identical sheets of paper" and appends a note: "In many countries it is common practice to use the term "ream" for other quantities, for example 480 sheets, thus affecting the quire. For quantities other than 500 sheets, a different term, such as "pack", should be used." This ream of 500 sheets (20 quires of 25 sheets) is also known as a 'long' ream, and is gradually replacing the old value of 480 sheets, now known as a 'short' ream. Reams of 472 and 516 sheets are still current, but in retail outlets paper is typically sold in reams of 500. As an old UK and US unit, a perfect ream was equal to 516 sheets. | Consisting of 20 quires of 25 sheets, the ream is a common retail unit of what product? |
Anchorage | The state's most populous city is Anchorage, home to 278,700 people in 2006, 225,744 of whom live in the urbanized area. The richest location in Alaska by per capita income is Halibut Cove ($89,895). Yakutat City, Sitka, Juneau, and Anchorage are the four largest cities in the U.S. by area. | What is the most populous city in the great state of Alaska? |
Netherlands | The International Court of Justice (; commonly referred to as the World Court or ICJ) is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations (UN). Seated in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, the court settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international branches, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. | The International Court of Justice, otherwise known as the World Court, is located in what country? |
San Francisco | In Dirty Harry the San Francisco police chief comments on Callahan's fondness for overkill observing that he "Likes an edge". Callahan responds that "I'll take all the edge I can get". | “Dirty Harry” Callahan is a cop in what city’s police department? |
Lady Gaga | Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She performed initially in theater, appearing in high school plays, and studied at CAP21 through New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before dropping out to pursue a musical career. After leaving a rock band, participating in the Lower East Side's avant garde performance art circuit, and being dropped from a contract with Def Jam Recordings, Gaga worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. From there, recording artist Akon noticed her vocal abilities and helped her to sign a joint deal with Interscope Records and his own KonLive Distribution. | Taking her stage name from a Queen song, what singer was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in 1986? |
Chargers | The stadium played host to the 1980 AFC Championship Game, which the "Bolts" would lose to their AFC West and in-state rival, the Oakland Raiders, 34–27. The Chargers also hosted Wild Card and Divisional Playoff games here in 1980, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, going 5-5 in all playoff games held at the stadium. The Chargers are unbeaten at Qualcomm (and at home in franchise history) against the Detroit Lions (5–0) and Jacksonville Jaguars (3–0), but winless here against the Atlanta Falcons (0–6), Carolina Panthers (0–3), and Green Bay Packers (0–6). | Qualcomm stadium is the home to what NFL team? |
The Simpsons | Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr. Hibbert is Springfield's most prominent and competent doctor, though he sometimes makes no effort to hide or makes light of his high prices. Dr. Hibbert is very good-natured, and is known for finding a reason to laugh at nearly every situation. | Doctor Julius Hibbert is the resident General Practitioner on what TV series? |
R | It was once assumed that oysters were only safe to eat in months with the letter 'r' in their English and French names. This myth is based in truth, in that in the Northern Hemisphere, oysters are much more likely to spoil in the warmer months of May, June, July, and August. In recent years, pathogens such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus have caused outbreaks in several harvesting areas of the eastern United States during the summer months, lending further credence to this belief. | According to a once-popular myth, oysters could only be eaten in months containing what letter in their names? |
Siam | The signature of King Mongkut (r. 1851 – 1868) reads SPPM (Somdet Phra Poramenthra Maha) Mongkut King of the Siamese, giving the name "Siam" official status until 23 June 1939 when it was changed to Thailand. Thailand was renamed Siam from 1945 to 11 May 1949, after which it again reverted to Thailand. | What was the name by which we called Thailand before 1939 and between 1945 and 1949? |
Winchester Repeating Arms | Winchester rifle is a comprehensive term describing a series of lever-action repeating rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Evolved from the 1860 Henry rifle, Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeaters. The Model 1873 was particularly successful, being colloquially known as "The Gun that Won the West". | Which company is responsible for "The Gun that Won the West"? |
Neptune | The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology; both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon. Linear B tablets show that Poseidon was venerated at Pylos and Thebes in pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece as a chief deity, but he was integrated into the Olympian gods as the brother of Zeus and Hades. According to some folklore, he was saved by his mother Rhea, who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which was devoured by Cronos. | Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology, was known by what name in Roman mythology? |
President Theodore Roosevelt | Big Stick ideology, Big Stick diplomacy, or Big Stick policy refers to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy: "speak softly, and carry a big stick." Roosevelt described his style of foreign policy as "the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis". | Which president’s policy was to “speak softly and carry a big stick”? |
Clement Clarke Moore | "A Visit from St. Nicholas", more commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. Some commentators now believe the poem was written by Henry Livingston, Jr. | Who authored the 1823 immortal poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas"? |
Underdog | Dr. Simon Bar Sinister is the main antagonist in the Underdog cartoon show. Simon was the wickedest man in the world, and it was his ambition to rule the world, but each time, Underdog defeated him. | The wickedest man in the world, Dr. Simon Bar Sinister is the man antagonist in what TV cartoon? |
This American Life | This American Life (TAL) is an American weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays, memoirs, field recordings, short fiction, and found footage. The first episode aired on November 17, 1995, under the show's original title, Your Radio Playhouse. The series was distributed by Public Radio International until June 2014, when the program became self-distributed with Public Radio Exchange delivering new episodes to public radio stations. | Originally titled Your Radio Playhouse, what long running PBS radio series is hosted by Ira Glass? |
Lambeau Field | The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are also the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, organized and starting play in 1919. It is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games are played at Lambeau Field. | The Green Bay Packers play at what storied stadium? |
The Simpsons | Santa's Little Helper is a recurring character in the American animated television series The Simpsons. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. The dog was introduced in the first episode of the show, the 1989 Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", in which his owner abandons him for finishing last in a greyhound race. Homer Simpson and his son Bart, who are at the race track in hope of winning some money for Christmas presents, see this and decide to adopt the dog. | Santa's Little Helper is the family dog on what TV series? |
Cotton | About 75% of beetle species are phytophagous in both the larval and adult stages, and live in or on plants, wood, fungi, and a variety of stored products, including cereals, tobacco, and dried fruits. Because many of these plants are important for agriculture, forestry, and the household, beetles can be considered pests. Some of these species cause significant damage, such as the boll weevil, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. The boll weevil crossed the Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas, to enter the United States from Mexico around 1892, and had reached southeastern Alabama by 1915. By the mid-1920s, it had entered all cotton-growing regions in the US, traveling 40 to- per year. It remains the most destructive cotton pest in North America. Mississippi State University has estimated, since the boll weevil entered the United States, it has cost cotton producers about $13 billion, and in recent times about $300 million per year. Many other species also have done extensive damage to plant populations, such as the bark beetle, elm leaf beetle and Asian longhorned beetle. The bark beetle, elm leaf beetle and Asian longhorned beetle, among other species, have been known to nest in elm trees. Bark beetles in particular carry Dutch elm disease as they move from infected breeding sites to feed on healthy elm trees, which in turn allows the Asian longhorned beetle to continue killing more elms. The spread of Dutch elm disease by the beetle has led to the devastation of elm trees in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, notably in Europe and North America. | The boll weevil, a species of beetle, causes damage to which crop? |
The South Pole | Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (; 16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the Antarctic expedition of 1910–12 which was the first to reach the South Pole, on 14 December 1911. In 1926, he was the first expedition leader for the air expedition to the North Pole. | On December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen became the first person to visit where? |
J.D. | In the United States, law school is a postgraduate program usually lasting three years and resulting in the conferral upon graduates of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degree. Some schools in Louisiana concurrently award a Graduate Diploma in Civil Law (D.C.L.). To gain admission to a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), applicants must usually take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and have an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree in any major. Currently, there are 199 ABA-approved law schools. There currently are five online law schools that are unaccredited by the ABA but registered by the State Bar of California. Non-ABA approved law schools have much lower bar passage rates than ABA-approved law schools., and do not submit or disclose employment outcome data to the ABA. | What degree does a US law school graduate get? |
Set foot on the Moon | In December 1972, as one of the crew on board Apollo 17, Schmitt became the first member of NASA's first scientist-astronaut group to fly in space. As Apollo 17 was the last of the Apollo missions, he also became the twelfth person to set foot on the Moon, and , the second-to-last person to step off of the Moon (he boarded the Lunar Module shortly before commander Eugene Cernan). Schmitt also remains the first and only professional scientist to have flown beyond low Earth orbit and to have visited the Moon. He was influential within the community of geologists supporting the Apollo program and, before starting his own preparations for an Apollo mission, had been one of the scientists training those Apollo astronauts chosen to visit the lunar surface. | On December 14, 1972, Eugene Cernan became the last man to do what, when he followed Harrison Schmitt into the ALM? |
Tikrit | On 13 December 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by American forces at a farmhouse in ad-Dawr near Tikrit in a hole in Operation Red Dawn. Following his capture, Saddam was transported to a U.S. base near Tikrit, and later taken to the American base near Baghdad. On 14 December, U.S. administrator in Iraq L. Paul Bremer confirmed that Saddam Hussein had indeed been captured at a farmhouse in ad-Dawr near Tikrit. Bremer presented video footage of Saddam in custody. | December 14, 2003, saw the capture of The Ace of Spades, Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, near what town, his home town? |
Electrician | A gaffer in the motion picture industry and on a television crew is the head electrician, responsible for the execution (and sometimes the design) of the lighting plan for a production. The term gaffer originally related to the moving of overhead equipment to control lighting levels using a gaff. The term has been used for the chief electrician in films since 1936 according to the Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford English Dictionary accessed 15 May 2009 However, a book on motion picture production from 1929 refers to the chief electrician as the Gaffer. The gaffer's assistant is the best boy. | In the motion picture industry, what does a gaffer do? |
Alfred, Lord Tennyson | Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the then Poet Laureate, wrote evocatively about the battle in his poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade". Tennyson's poem, written 2 December 1854 and , published six weeks after the event on 9 December 1854, in The Examiner, praises the Brigade ("When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made!") while trenchantly mourning the appalling futility of the charge ("Not tho' the soldier knew, someone had blunder'd... Charging an army, while all the world wonder'd"). Tennyson wrote the poem inside only a few minutes after reading an account of the battle in The Times, according to his grandson Sir Charles Tennyson. It immediately became hugely popular, and even reached the troops in the Crimea, where it was distributed in pamphlet form. | Who memorialized a battle of the Crimean War in his 1854 poem The Charge of the Light Brigade? |
Pipers Piping | * Perry Como recorded a traditional version of "Twelve Days of Christmas" in 1953 but varied the lyrics with "11 Lords a Leaping", "10 Ladies Dancing", and "9 Pipers Piping". It was musically supervised by Mitchell Ayres. | According to the classic 12 Days of Christmas song, what group were there 11 of? |
26th President of the United States | Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century. | Holding office from 1901 to 1909, who was the 26th President of the United States? |
Indian | Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an external territory of the Commonwealth of Australia in the Indian Ocean, comprising the island of the same name. It has a population of 2,072 residents, who live mainly in settlements on the northern tip of the island, including Flying Fish Cove (also known as Kampong), Silver City, Poon Saan, and Drumsite. Around two-thirds of the island's population are Malaysian Chinese, with significant numbers of Malays and European Australians as well as smaller numbers of Malaysian Indians and Eurasians. Several languages are in use, including English, Malay, and various Chinese dialects, while Buddhism is the primary religion, followed by three-quarters of the population. | Christmas Island, a territory of Australia, is located in what ocean? |
The Buffalo Bills | Ralph Wilson Stadium, originally Rich Stadium and also known as "The Ralph", is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, a suburb south of Buffalo. Opened in 1973, it is the home of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium was renamed in 1998 for team founder and then-owner Ralph Wilson (1918–2014). | Ralph Wilson Stadium is home to what NFL team? |
Dr. Seuss | How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a children's story by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who attempts to put an end to Christmas by stealing Christmas-themed items from the homes of the nearby town Whoville on Christmas Eve. Despite his efforts, Whoville's inhabitants still celebrate the holiday, so the Grinch returns everything that he stole and is the guest of honor at the Whos' Christmas dinner. | How the Grinch Stole Christmas was written by who? |
Misandry | Dictionaries define misogyny as "hatred of women" and as "hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women". In 2012, primarily in response to events occurring in the Australian Parliament, the Macquarie Dictionary (which documents Australian English and New Zealand English) expanded the definition to include not only hatred of women but also "entrenched prejudices against women". The counterpart of misogyny is misandry, the hatred or dislike of men; the antonym of misogyny is philogyny, the love or fondness of women. | If Misogyny is the hatred of women, what is the hatred of men? |
Theodore Roosevelt | Arthur MacArthur, Jr. and Douglas MacArthur are the first father and son to be awarded the Medal of Honor. The only other such pairing is Theodore Roosevelt (awarded in 2001) and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. | Name the only US president who has won the medal of honor. |
Hallmark | In 1944, it adopted its current slogan, "When you care enough to send the very best." It was created by C. E. Goodman, a Hallmark marketing and sales executive, and written on a 3x5 card. The card is on display at the company headquarters. In 1951, Hall sponsored a television program for NBC that gave rise to the Hallmark Hall of Fame, which has won 80 Emmy Awards. Hallmark now has its own cable television channel, the Hallmark Channel which was established in 2001. For a period of about 15 years, Hallmark owned a stake in the Spanish language network Univision. | What product is advertised with the slogan "When you care enough to send the very best?" |
South Carolina | The most famous secession movement was the case of the Southern states of the United States. Secession from the United States was declared in eleven states (and failed in two others). The seceding states joined together to form the Confederate States of America (CSA). The eleven states of the CSA, in order of secession, were: South Carolina (seceded December 20, 1860), Mississippi (seceded January 9, 1861), Florida (seceded January 10, 1861), Alabama (seceded January 11, 1861), Georgia (seceded January 19, 1861), Louisiana (seceded January 26, 1861), Texas (seceded February 1, 1861), Virginia (seceded April 17, 1861), Arkansas (seceded May 6, 1861), North Carolina (seceded May 20, 1861), and Tennessee (seceded June 8, 1861). Secession was declared by its supporters in Missouri and Kentucky, but did not become effective as it was opposed by their pro-Union state governments. This secession movement brought about the American Civil War. The position of the Union was that the Confederacy was not a sovereign nation—and never had been, but that "the Union" was always a single nation by intent of the states themselves, from 1776 onward—and thus that a rebellion had been initiated by individuals. Historian Bruce Catton described President Abraham Lincoln's April 15, 1861, proclamation after the attack on Fort Sumter, which defined the Union's position on the hostilities: | December 20, 1860 saw which state secede from the Union, the first of 11? |
Bugs Bunny | A Wild Hare (re-released as The Wild Hare) is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940. A Wild Hare is considered by most film historians to be the first "official" Bugs Bunny cartoon. | July 27, 1940 saw the introduction of what beloved cartoon character in the 8:15 short A Wild Hare? |
Butterfinger | Bart, and other The Simpsons characters, have appeared in numerous television commercials for Nestlé's Butterfinger candy bars from 1990 to 2001, with the slogan "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!" Lisa would occasionally advertise it too. Matt Groening would later say that the Butterfinger advertising campaign was a large part of the reason why Fox decided to pick up the half-hour show. The campaign was discontinued in 2001, much to the disappointment of Cartwright. Bart has also appeared in commercials for Burger King and Ramada Inn. In 2001, Kellogg's launched a brand of cereal called "Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch", which was available for a limited time. Before the half-hour series went on the air, Matt Groening pitched Bart as a spokesperson for Jell-O. He wanted Bart to sing "J-E-L-L-O", then burp the letter O. His belief was that kids would try to do it the next day, but he was rejected. | According to the Bart Simpsons TV ad, Nobody better lay a finger on my what?? |