The Friday Question Set — 29-8-2014

Oh, now THAT work’s!

Did I tell you that I have a TV that can record TV programmes?

None of your internet enabled, smart functionality, here.

No, so long as I can record Dr Who of a Saturday night, I’m laughing.

AHEM!   At any rate, my TV has a built in PVR: or Perosional Video recorder.   It can record stuff to a USB stick, in other words.

Well, I now know that I can plug the stick with the recordings on, into my Mac.   And use a combination of vlc and HandBrake to turn it into something I can play later: on my iPod or an Apple TV.   (I could, also use HandBrake to turn the recording into something playable on other tablets: or other media players.)

It’s all good!

~≈®≈~

But let’s get a move on, shall we?

After all, today is Friday: which means that it’s time for the Friday Question Set.

Here’s this week’s set, along with the the Creative Commons License* …

Online 263

ROUND ONE   GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q1) Which group of islands includes Porto Santo: the Canaries, the  Madeiras, or the Azores?

A1) The Madeiras.

Q2) Who had a hit with the original version of Mad World?

Q2) Tears for Fears.

Q3) Shaft, Meteor and Onward are all examples of which vegetable?

A3) Peas.

Q4) Which High Street store uses the St. Michael trademark?

A4) Marks & Spenser.

Q5) Back in 1996, who did Bill Clinton beat to win his 2nd term in office?

A5) Bob Dole.

Q6) In geography, the UAE are the United Arab what?

A6) Emirates.

Q7) True or False: The Isle of Mann produces whisky.

A7) True.

Q8) Albion Market was ITV’s rival to which London based BBC soap?

A8) EastEnders.

Q9) Which word means either a pair of trousers or rapid breathing?

A9) Pants.

Q10) A kilogram is just over how many pounds, in imperial weight?

A10) 2 pounds.

ROUND TWO   NAME THAT TUNE.

Q11) I was 21 years when I wrote this song, I’m 22, now, but I won’t be for long

A11) A New England, Kirsty McColl, Billy Bragg.

Q12) Finished with my woman cause she couldn't help me with my mind. People think I’m insane because I am frowning all the time

A12) Paranoid, by Black Sabbath.

Q13) You’ve done it all, you’ve broken every code

A13) Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) by Steve Harley.

Q14) Da-na-na Ah! Da-na-na Ah!

A14) Get Up and Move, by MC Harvey.

Q15) All that scratchin’ is making me itch

A15) Buffalo Gals, Malcolm Mclaren.

Q16) What’s wrong with me, why do I feel like this?   I’m going crazy, now

A16) Disturbia by Rihanna.

Q17) When I die & they lay me to rest, gonna go to the place that’s the best

A17) Spirit in the Sky, by Norman Greenbaum, Dr & the Medics, Gareth Gates & the Kumars, oh and We’ve Got A Fuzzbox & We’re Gonna Use it.

Q18) Thursday Night, everything’s fine, except you’ve got that look in your eye

A18) Foundations by Kate Nash.

Q19) What were the skies like, when you were young?

A19) Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb.

Q20) I study nuclear science, I love my classes, gotta crazy teacher who wear’s dark glasses

A20) The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades, by Timbuk 3.

ROUND THREE   ON THE BOOZE.

Q21) What drink did Native Americans call ‘Firewater’?

A21) Whiskey.

Q22) How many standard wine bottles make up a Nebuchadnezzar?

A22) 20.

Q23) Coffee contains which stimulant?

A23) Caffeine.

Q24) Which brand of beer is informally known as ... A bottle of dog: Newcastle Brown Ale, Green King IPA or Tiger lager?

A24) Newcastle brown ale.

Q25) At the beginning of the film Casablanca, what type of wine is Rick drowning his sorrows with?

A25) Champagne.

Q26) In the original novel of Silence of the Lambs, exactly what red wine does Hannibal Lector enjoy with liver?   (It’s only Chianti, in the film version!)

A26) Amarone.

Q27) Which tv character’s wine cellar includes a fine Chateau Picard 2267?

A27) Capt. J. Luc Picard.

Q28) What were the two handled ceramic vases called that ancient Greeks and Romans used to store wine in?

A28) Amphora(s).

Q29) The name of which wine professional literally means ‘pack animal driver’?

A29) Sommelier.

Q30) Which French town lies at the heart of the claret-growing region: Bordeaux, Libourne, or Graves?

A30) Bordeaux.

ROUND FOUR   AROUND THE WORLD.

Q31) Which US state starts with ‘I’, and is known as ‘…the Spud State’?

A31) Idaho.

Q32) Which famous Russian city was called Tsaritsyn between 1598 and 1925, and Stalingrad, between 1925 and 1961?

A32) Volgograd.

Q33) The US state of California borders the Pacific Ocean, the Mexican state of Baja California and three other US States: name one of them.

A33) Oregon, Nevada or Arizona.

Q34) What is the Largest, and oldest city in Australia?

A34) Sydney.

Q35) True or false: Gustave Eiffel was the Architect of the Eiffel Tower.

A35) False, he was the Engineer who built it. The Architects were Emile Nouguier, Maurice Koechlin and Stephen Sauvestre.

Q36) What is the official name of the Columbus Archipelago?

A36) Galapagos Islands.

Q37) True or False: the Cyrillic alphabet is used by the Greeks.

A37) False, by Russians.

Q38) The world’s southernmost active volcano stands on Ross Island in the Antarctic: what is its name?

A38) Mount Erebus.

Q39) Which far eastern city was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles?

A39) Singapore.

Q40) The Amazon and its tributaries contain what proportion of the worlds river water: 1/3rd, 1/2, 2/3rd or 3/4?

A40) 2/3rds.

ROUND FIVE   ALL THROUGH HISTORY.

Q41) To what rank did Adolf Hitler rise in World War I?

A41) Corporal.

Q42) In which castle was Edward II murdered: Berkeley, Windsor or Leeds?

A42) Berkeley Castle.

Q43) Who set up the first printing press in England in 1476?

A43) William Caxton.

Q44) Who was the mother of Edward VI’s?

A44) Jane Seymour.

Q45) Which European nation was the first country to legalize trade unions?

A45) Britain.

Q46) The first commercially successful talking cartoon was called Steamboat Willie: who was its hero?

A46) Steamboat Willie.

Q47) Which beauty pageant was organized by Mecca Ltd to coincide with the 1951 Festival of Britain?

A47) Miss World.

Q48) Who was the last British monarch to die in battle: Richard 3rd, Richard 4th, or Henry 5th?

A48) Richard III.

Q49) Which was the last battle to be fought on British soil?

A49) Culloden.

Q50) How many crossings of the Atlantic had the Titanic completed before she struck an iceberg and sank?

A50) None: it was the ship’s maiden voyage.

ROUND SIX   GENERAL IGNORANCE.

Q51) What did Constantinople become known as in March 1930?

A51) Istanbul.

Q52) Who left Take That in July 1995?

A52) Robbie Williams.

Q53) What is the outer layer of skin called?

A53) Epidermis.

Q54) In 1930, which country did Amy Johnson fly to from England?

A54) Australia.

Q55) What pork product appears in a Punch and Judy show?

A55) Sausage.

Q56) Until 1956, Fred Quimby was the producer of which incredibly violent series of cartoons?

A56) Tom & Jerry.

Q57) Which Chelsea fan lost his Putney parliamentary seat, in 1997?

A57) David Mellor.

Q58) The (MV) Braer. deposited 1000’s of tonnes of oil where in Britain, in 1993?

A58) The Shetlands.

Q59) Peggy Hookham was the real name of which ballerina?

A59) Margot Fonteyn.

Q60) The ampersand symbol represents which English word?

A60) And.  (It’s the &.)

Enjoy those: I hope they help.

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