Quotes and Questions 37 - 27 Jan 09

Quotes:

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
Dennis Gabor

Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.
John Dewey

Questions:

For the answers go to The 2nd QuestioN! blog at SLCN

1) Adding to the list of nature-inspired 21st Century tech now uses a 228-million-year-old animal as the basis for a UAV or unmanned aerial vehicle The 30-inch robotic craft or drone, features a strange design of a rudder at the nose of the craft instead of the tail, and would gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a command center. The unmanned, sensor-packed craft in development will alter their wing shapes using morphing techniques to squeeze through confined spaces, dive between buildings, zoom under overpasses, land on apartment balconies or sail along the coastline for surveillance, what is the model animal?

2) He was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, director, and producer. Known as "the man who owned Broadway” His parents were traveling Vaudeville performers, and he joined them on stage while still an infant, at first as a prop. He earned acclaim as a serious actor in Eugene O'Neill's only comedy Ah, Wilderness! (1933) and James Cagney won an academy award playing this man in a film about his life. Who was he?

3) In the 1930s, he worked in Chicago in radio, where he performed jazz music. His first two records were released in 1936. One was credited to Rhubarb Red, his hillbilly alter ego, Dissatisfied with the electric guitars that were sold in the mid 1930s and began experimenting with a few designs of his own. Famously, he created "The Log," which was nothing more than a length of common 4" by 4" fence post with bridge, guitar neck, and pickup attached. For the sake of appearance, he attached the body of an Epiphone hollow-body guitar, sawn lengthwise. This solved his two main problems: feedback, as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and sustain, as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body. Who is he?

4) He would train in the off years by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until the Olympics took place. By the time the events were to take place, he was carrying a four-year-old cow on his back. He carried the full-grown cow the length of the stadium, then proceeded to kill, roast, and eat it. He was a follower of Pythagoras, and a six time Olympic victor; Ancient sources and legends report that he took great pleasure in showing off his strength. Who was he?

5) The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite, is an Earth observation satellite and the world's first satellite dedicated to greenhouse-gas-monitoring, which will be used to measure densities of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations on the Earth's atmosphere. Developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and launched on January 23it will share its data with NASA and other space and scientific organizations. What is it called in Japan, and also known more familiarly as?

6) On January 13, 1888, 33 explorers and scientists gathered at the Cosmos Club, a private club in Washington, D.C., to organize "a society for the increase and diffuse geographical knowledge." Alexander graham bell was one of its first presidents, and his son-in-law, Grosvenor, devised the successful marketing notion of its Society membership and the first major use of photographs to tell stories in magazines. It’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C. was one of the first buildings to receive a "Green" certification from Global Green USA.. What Society is this?

7) In connection with student riots in 1908, professors and lecturers of Saint Petersburg University were ordered to observe their students. He initially refused to accept this decree and wrote an explanation in which he declined to be an “agent of the governance”. And was rejected from further teaching activity. He is famously known for a process which is a mathematical model for the random evolution of a memory less system, that is, one for which the likelihood of a given future state, at any given moment, depends only on its present state, and not on any past states. Who was this calculus master?

8) The Clock of the Long Now, is a proposed mechanical clock designed to keep time for how many years?

9) Everyone knows about the Amazons, In some versions of the myth, no men were permitted to have sexual encounters or reside in Amazon country; but once a year, in order to prevent their race from dying out, the well known Amazons visited a neighboring tribe. The male children who were the result of these visits were either killed, exposed in the wilderness to fend for themselves. or sent back to their fathers. Who were these forgotten sperm donors?

10) was the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or 'William the Conqueror'. The survey was similar to a census by a government of today. One of the main purposes of the survey was to determine who held what, and what taxes had been liable; the judgment of these assessors was final—whatever the book said about who held the material wealth, or what it was worth, was the law, and there was no appeal. What was this book called?

11) It was the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink. The rink was opened by John Gamgee in Chelsea, London, in 1876. The rink was based on a concrete surface, with layers of earth, cow hair and timber planks. Atop these were laid oval copper pipes carrying a solution of glycerin with ether, peroxide of nitrogen and water. The pipes were covered by water and the solution was pumped through, freezing the water into ice. Gamgee had discovered the process while attempting to develop a method to freeze meat for import from Australia and New Zealand, and had patented it as early as 1870. Operated on a membership-only basis and attempted to attract a wealthy clientele, experienced in open-air ice skating during winters in the Alps. What was it called?

12) This is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that it appears as if the object is in the same position relative to when it was recorded. The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object was still present, thus making the recorded image appears three dimensional. Although theorized papers between 1946 and 1951 it had to wait till the invention of the laser in 1960 for a coherent light source to be produced. For his work in this field Dennis Gabor received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1071. What is it?

13) It is a wading bird renowned for being the hardest of all birds to hunt due to being difficult to locate, impossible to approach without flushing, or to hit once in the air due to its erratic flight. In the days of market hunting, those who brought them to sell were regarded as the best of the best and earned the term associated with the birds name. The verb originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India applying similar skills in wartime with a human quarry. What is this bird called?

14) a new tire using a flexible, honeycomb-like internal structure could prove to be a disruptive technology in one of the world’s largest industries. With development funded by the U.S. Dept of Defense, the initial aim of the project was to replace the Achilles heel of the military vehicle, and now might be going commercial. Tires have proven to be the weak link in Humvees, which can be immobilised by the scourge of the 21st century urban battlefield, the IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Once the mobility of a Humvee is compromised in a hostile environment, its inhabitants’ life expectancy closely approximates zero. What defines this important feature of this new technology?

15) By 1911, at the age of 36, after seven years of low wages, he was working as a pencil sharpener wholesaler at the time, he began to write. He read a lot of trashy fiction and decided he could write as well as anything he was reading, in fact. Better. He wrote popular science fiction stories involving Earthly adventurers transported to various planets (notably Barsoom, his' fictional name for Mars, and Amtor, his fictional name for Venus), lost islands, and into the interior of the hollow earth as well as westerns and historical romances. He has a crater named for him on Mars, and his most popular fictional character as 2 cities in the US named after him. He was the oldest war correspondent in WW2. Who was he?

16) Who is “The Great One”, In Hockey?

Quotes and Questions 36 - 20 Jan 09

Quotes:

I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth, and I am a citizen of the world.
Eugene V. Debs

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
Lao Tzu

QuestioN!s

For the answers please go to The 2nd QuestioN! blog at SLCN

P:1) He delivered the shortest inaugural address in the nations history at 135 words. His Farewell Address was published but never delivered & rebuked party spirit and warned against "permanent alliances" with foreign powers. His wife whom he proposed to a mere 3 weeks after meetinher said- "happiness or misery depends less on circumstance than attitude" . At his funeral it was said he was"first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen. Who was he?

H:2) When he came to Washington, he focused on showing that he was still the steadfast hero of Tippecanoe. He took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, an extremely cold and wet day. Nevertheless, he faced the weather without his overcoat and delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. At 8,444 words, it took nearly two hours to read. He then rode through the streets in the inaugural parade. Unfortunately as he was the second oldest president ever (Regan being the first) he died 31 days later, leaving a constitutional crisis as to his successor. Who was this President?

P3:) The first known library of its kind to gather a serious collection of books from beyond its country's borders, it was charged with collecting all the world's knowledge. It did so through an aggressive and well-funded royal mandate and a policy of pulling the books off every ship that came into port, keeping the originals and returning copies to their owners. Its location was one that welcomed trade from the East and West and soon found itself the international hub, as well as the leading producer of papyrus and, soon enough, books. The Library was initially organized by a student of Aristotle and Built in the style of his Lyceum, adjacent to and in service of the Museum (a Greek Temple or "House of Muses", whence the term "museum"), thought to have been accidentally burned down by Caesar, unfortunate that we don't have the records of ancient wisdom indeed. where was this library?

H:4) At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) recently in Vegas, Victorinox launched their new Presentation Pro, a compact Swiss Army Knife that includes, Bluetooth remote control and USB storage of up to 32GB which, in a first for the company integrates biometric fingerprint security and, what else?

P:5) He published a paper and chart on trade winds and monsoons. and identified solar heating as the cause of atmospheric motions. He also established the relationship between barometric pressure and height above sea level. He spent most of his time on lunar observations, but was also interested in the problems of gravity. One problem that attracted his attention was the proof of Kepler's laws of planetary motion. In August 1684 he went to Cambridge to discuss this with Sir Isaac Newton, only to find that Newton had solved the problem, but published nothing. This man convinced him to write the Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis and published it at his own expense. He also made a diving bell and a magnetic compass. And was a ground breaker with his age at death analysis for demographics. But he is most known for something he saw in the sky. Who was this man with the panoramic mind?

H:6) Also at the CES a polymer architecture brick combining post-consumer materials with environmentally friendly function. was debuted. The POLLI-Brick is made entirely of recycled materials and offers passive cooling, natural ventilation and even integrated solar/wind powered LED lighting. What is it made of?

P7) His Presidency was rarely taken seriously in his time, as suggested by the nickname, His Accidency. Due to the death of the president, He was the first vice president to become president, yet had none himself. Daniel Webster was his secretary of state as was john C Calhoun. Actually he shocked Whig leaders with whom he was supposed to work by vetoing their entire agenda. He sent a diplomatic mission to China, which was successful & allowed the US to gain the same trading concessions from China that Britain had. He also applied the Monroe Doctrine to Hawaii, told Britain not to interfere there, and began the process of annexing Hawaii to the United States. He was the first president to be impeached and he also annexed Texas to the US. He went on to have 15 children with his second wife, Who was he?

H:8) He wrote the storyline for the video game Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future. And is famous for his writing- "Uplift Universe" a future history that depicts a huge galactic civilization responsible for "uplifting" all forms of life which are potentially capable of building and operating interstellar spaceships for themselves. He also criticized George Lucas, describing how he believed the basis of the Star Wars universe was profoundly anti-democratic. Who is he?

P: 9)The Library of the University of Oxford is one of the oldest and most important non-lending reference libraries in Britain. Particularly rich in Asian manuscripts and collections of English literature, local history, and early printing. Though it was established earlier, it was not secured by the university until 1410. After a period of decline, it was restored with a collector of medieval manuscripts, and reopened in 1602. It is a legal deposit library entitled to free copies of all books printed in Britain and Ireland. What is this library called?

H: 10) It was ridden in by Eisenhower for his inauguration, and he was a car buff. There is a new high tech version that was rolled out for the inauguration. The company was founded upon the break up of Ford motors, and has epitomized luxury in vehicles. It was named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, who founded Detroit in 1701. and was the first manufacturer to utilize the skills of a designer to style a car's body instead of an engineer, that was in 1927. What is this car called?

P:11) In astrology, Traditionally, each of the seven "planets" in the solar system as known to the ancients was associated with and "ruled" a certain metal. The Sun rules Gold, The Moon:Silver , Mercury:Quicksilver, Venus:Copper, Mars:Iron, Jupiter:Tin, What element does Saturn rule?

H:12) After purchasing and studying Newton's alchemical works in 1942, economist John Maynard Keynes, opined that "Newton was not the first of the age of reason, he was the last of the magicians." Newton was deeply interested in all forms of natural sciences and material theory, an interest that ultimately would lead to some of his better-known contributions to science. During Newton's lifetime the study of chemistry was still in its infancy, thereby leading many of his experimental studies to use esoteric language and vague terminology more accurately associated with alchemy and occultism. He had a fire in his laboratory that destroyed 20 years of his research, but Newton's writings suggest that one of the main goals of his alchemy may have been the discovery of what?

P:13) The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a well known list of seven remarkable constructions of classical antiquity. It was based on guide-books popular among Hellenic (Greek) tourists and only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim. Later lists include those for the Medieval World and the Modern World. The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it to be magical. The 7 Ancient Wonders were The Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum of Maussollos, Colossus of Rhodes and what?

H:14) His writings have predicted many of the major developments of the late twentieth century, including privatization and decentralization; the rise of Japan to economic world power; the decisive importance of marketing; and the emergence of the information society with its necessity of lifelong learning. In 1959, he coined the term "knowledge worker. " He was interested in the growing effect of people who worked with their minds rather than their hands. He was intrigued by employees who knew more about certain subjects than their bosses or colleagues and yet had to cooperate with others in a large organization .His 1973 magnum opus, was titled "Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices," Who was he?

P:15) He is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. The sun shining behind him represents the divine nature of his wisdom and exuberance. In the tarot deck his number is 0 is a perfect significator as it can become anything when he reaches his destination. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero. He is 'the excuse", independent of both houses and often seen about to step off a cliff as part of his journey. What is this card?

Quotes and Questions 35 - 13 Jan 09

A wonderful welcome back- this week I am going to try something new with answers to the questions. Im me inworld or send me an email to info@pookymedia.com & i will give you the answer & your own Plancky the Science Bear.

Quotes

Intelligence is a moral category.
Theodor Adorno

There are many spokes on the wheel of life. First, we're here to
explore new possibilities.
Ray Charles


Questions

P;1) The word has also been applied in Aldous Huxley's Brave New
World, as a form of motion picture that provides the sensation of
touch in addition to sight and sound. A device that adds the tactile
element to entertainment. We still don't have them here, but might
some day. What was this super sensation kind of movie called?


H:2) It the Russian puzzle game which has been shown by researchers at
Oxford University to block your brain from storing bad memories.
Originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in June 1985,
and is available for nearly every video game console and computer
operating system, as well as on devices such as graphing calculators,
mobile phones, portable media players, PDAs and even as an Easter egg
on non-media products like oscilloscopes. It has even been played on
the sides of various buildings, what is it?


P: 3) These pictures are called "of the floating world", is a genre of
Japanese woodblock prints paintings produced between the 17th and the
20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history,
the theatre and pleasure quarters. flourishing in the old Edo capital.
The "floating world" refers to the impetuous urban culture that
bloomed and was a world unto itself.The rising merchant class was
relatively unregulated, therefore "floating." Hokusai, Utamaru and
Hiroshige are among the more famous of these artists. What is it known
as in Japanese?

H: 4) Cartoon physics have been around since the dawn of cartoons.
However in June of 1980, an article "O'Donnell's Laws of Cartoon
Motion"appeared in Esquire. Name one of the laws of Cartoon Physics.

P: 5) It is the ability of some materials (notably crystals and
certain ceramics, including bone) to generate an electric response by
applied mechanical stress. This may take the form of a separation of
electric charge across the crystal lattice. If the material is not
short-circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the
material. The word is derived from the Greek which means to squeeze or
press.. The effect finds useful applications such as the production
and detection of sound, generation of high voltages, electronic
frequency generation, and is also the basis of a number of scientific
instrumental techniques with atomic resolution, , and everyday uses
such as acting as the ignition source for cigarette lighters and
push-start propane barbecues. What is this called?

H: 6) This was a mystery religion which became popular among the
military in the Roman Empire, The religion was passed from initiate to
initiate, not based on a body of scripture, and hence has very little
written evidence which survives. Religious practice was centered on
And the tauroctony, an artistic depiction of the mythic hero which
shows him engaged in the ritual slaying of a bull most likely a
symbolic representation of the constellations, and the precession of
the equinoxes, The identification of some constellations in his
portrayal is clear enough: the bull is Taurus, the serpent Hydra, the
dog Canis Major or Minor, the crow or raven Corvus, the goblet Crater,
and the lion Leo, His bronze image emerging from an egg-shaped zodiac
ring was found along Hadrian's Wall . An inscription from the city of
Rome suggests that he may have been seen as the Orphic creator-god
Phanes who emerged from the world egg at the beginning of time,
bringing the universe into existence. He was said to have been born on
December 25, Who was this god.?

P: 7) She exhorted her troops from her chariot, her daughters beside
her. Presenting herself not as an aristocrat avenging her lost wealth,
but as an ordinary person, avenging her lost freedom, her battered
body, and the abused chastity of her daughters. Their cause was just,
and the deities were on their side; the one legion that had dared to
face them had been destroyed. She, a woman, was resolved to win or
die; if the men wanted to live in slavery, that was their choice.
Queen Victoria was seen to be her "namesake". A queen , who led an
uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman
Empire. Her statue stands at Westmisinter Pier, Who was she?

H:8) It is a form of energy production created with exercise bicycles
and also cardio vascular machines. It is the electricity generated by
the muscle power of humans or other animals. The Rodent Powered Night
Light is an excellent example of the pet power version of this, what
is it called?.

P:9) In geometry, it is a nine-pointed geometric figure, possibly
originated around 2500 BC.. This also describes nine distinct
personality types and their interrelationships, all mapped around an
ancient symbol of perpetual motion. Each personality type associated
with it represents a map of traits that highlights patterns of
thinking, feeling, and behaving. According to the Personality theory,
the points of the figure indicate a number of ways in which nine
principal ego-archetypal forms or types of human personality are
psychologically connected. What is this figure or system called?

H: 10)He wrote The Wizard of Pung's Corners", where flashy,
over-complex military hardware proved useless against farmers with
shotguns, and "The Tunnel Under the World", where an entire community
is held captive by advertising researchers. He was the only agent
Isaac Asimov ever had, edited Galaxy magazine and its sister magazine
IF,. In 1965 his book, the Age of the Pussyfoot described Earth of
2527 A.D., which had the joymaker, a jack-of-all-trades device that
combined the functions of cellphone, PDA and web browser, and could
also arrange payment. Who is he?

P: 11) The first science museum was the in Madrid, Spain. Opened in
1752,Museo de Ciencias Naturales, many cities have their collections.
Founded in 1969 by the physicist Dr. Frank Oppenheimer, this one is
dedicated to teaching science through hands-on exhibits. . It features
the Tactile Dome, a three-dimensional pitch-black labyrinth that
visitors must navigate using the sense of touch. We also have one of
these museums on SecondLife, What is it called?

H:12) It is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4.
And it is a fuel, in fact the output of this from 72 million sheep
could solve New Zealands fuel problems. However, because it is a gas
at normal temperature and pressure, this is difficult to transport
from its source. So the sheep will have to stay there. What gas do
sheep, cows and termites- whose eating habits produce 150 million
tons- is this?

P: 13) It was adopted in 1795 with the motto "For all people, for all
the time" Created from prison by Louis the sixteenth it was devised of
course after the revolution in France.. The length agreed upon
initially was one ten millionth of the distance along the meridian
from the north pole to Paris. It might have been adopted by all the
people, but not in America. What is this system called?

H 14) His parents, both mathematicians, were employed together on the
team that built the Manchester Mark 1, one of the earliest computers.
& taught him to use mathematics everywhere, even at the dinner table.
While at Oxford, he built a computer with a soldering iron, TTL gates,
an M6800 processor and an old television. He left the Church of
England, a religion in which he had been brought up, as a teenager
just after being confirmed because he could not "believe in all kinds
of unbelievable things." He is credited with building the world wide
web. Who is he?

P: 15) There is a list of the seven virtues to oppose the seven deadly
sins. They are Chastity - Lust, Temperance- Gluttony, Charity- Greed,
Diligence- Sloth, Patience- Wrath, Kindness- Envy, what is the last
virtue?

End of the Year Round Up

What a great year it was, so many memories, feel like moments of history, moments so good I am glad they are captured on video. A SecondLife in film, but more than that, truly a SecondLife worth living. Most end of year wrap ups (EOYWU for lack of a better acronym) deal with highlights, yet I know it is also about the context of the time we are in historical, open and expanding. We are indeed making history with this show. There were just too many, so many incredible lines that should be engraved on rocks, or at least stitched onto Whitman samplers (*Note to self- check if Whitman really sewed them himself) to list, so you will just have to watch the shows, again. S;-p

The show as many of you who have seen them know has evolved from the first episode which was held on April 10th to the one we wrapped on Dec 16th. 34 episodes in all this year. We evolved into what is the best quiz show on the Internet and have had a blast doing it. Tuesday night at 7PM is indeed our turn to shine.

And how we did shine, pulling in an intelligent, funny and news making crowd in its own right. Ratcheting up the ante with difficult questions that no one was afraid not to know, that were also not afraid to Google. To the fleet of fingers belongs the prize…….possibly. A shout out to Thraxis, for being the go-to audience member on the Questions, to Jackie for being the Queen of Quotes, to Troy for being so damn funny, to Rocket for being so good with everything, to Roger for just being and for winning the only secret word without any clues. I would like to name every body who walks into the StudioDome to be honest, but we have had over a thousand people now, over a Thousand! I think of this and am awed by what this dream of mine has created. And I know it is not just me. We are truly in this together, and pull the knowledge of the centuries, out of our hats, gloves, pockets and what's more – even learn something new every week. And we want to learn! That is the most beautiful thing we want to learn and are intrigued and inspired by what has come before us in terms of invention, industry, quotes and endeavor. That it will mean more for us into the future is dead certain. Because we can build upon this know, we remind each other of what thousands of years of history teaches us. There are so many people who make the show what it is because they are there and yes they share. They are indeed the transmitters of SecondLife.

Hydra as always was amazing, smart, funny and just a hilarious co-host. The warmest wolf in the metaverse, it always makes me happy to see him. I know you all feel the same. Yxes Delacroix who gives us great direction at the start of every show has to be thanked for this. Robwag Soothsayer, without whom none of this would be possible as he builds and has scripted into being the boards that enables us to proceed with the points as we get to the finish line. He has created and manages a beautiful set, one we come home to each week.

Edsel Heinkel whose original song starts us off each week in a merry beginning for us to follow through on is an incredible presence in every show, even when he is appearing flat. Quite an achievement!

And of course the tinies, kat2 Kit and Emmo Wei, they have faced the most death defying of openers and come through it each time, kicking off the action with unbelievable adorableness. Sometimes so funny, I don't know how we can actually follow them!

I want to thank Petlove Petshop for her assistance in just about every aspect of my duties to the show, and need her to help me and she does giving her time, insight and courage on so many fronts.

There is also one person who is very important to the show and he is Paradox Olbers, who owns Spindrift and now is a force with the International Spaceflight Museum. His faith in me and in the show has allowed us to actually be in the great arena that the Scilands provides. He is our Guru and we revere him.

Of course many thanks to the great worthy panel of folks who have been great on every show, bringing their humor and sense of adventure to the game itself. Many thanks for them for what their dreams have made happen on SecondLife itself. It is a much richer place for that, and for bringing that also to the show. I look forward to seeing them on the site, and in the audience as they return to take part in the "happening" that The 2nd QuestioN! has become.

And of course to the great future that the SLCN.tv network represents. Without them knowing and proving that virtual TV has not only a meaning but a medium proves that this is indeed the newest platform on which to launch great entertainment. Many thanks to Wiz Nordberg, Starr Sonic and Texas Tintam the great and very capable minds behind the network. Thank you for your belief in this, your guidance and your vision.

We will undoubtedly go further, and together. The show is fun, fast and always a trip with more laughs than should be legal in an hour of programming. I appreciate your watching it, being part of it today and of course, tomorrow.

Look forward to seeing everyone again.

New year 2009, let's make it great. I know we will.

Yours Truly,
Pooky Amsterdam

Quotes and Questions 34 - 16 Dec 08

For the answers to the questions, visit my SLCN blog

Quotes:

Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.
Coco Chanel

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
Kahlil Gibran


Questions

1) In 1956 this was invented and began popping up in schools and stores everywhere. In 1965 a patent was granted to Noah and Joseph McVicker for a "plastic modeling composition", which was originally intended to be wallpaper cleaner. Over 2 billion cans sold since its invention in 1956. Noah McVicker shipped a box of his cleaning composition to a nearby school and it was a huge hit with both the teachers and the kids. He offered to supply all of the schools in the Cincinnati area with this new material, and after great reactions from those schools as well, his product was showcased at a national education convention. What is this substance that now comes in a huge variety of colors?

2) What is a milihelen ?

3) It is a is a broad theory that covers diverse fields from evolutionary biology to webpage design. It postulates that animals, people, even well designed machines will naturally choose the path of least resistance, and known as known as a "deterministic description of human behavior." It applies not only in the library context, but also to any information seeking activity. For example, one might consult a generalist co-worker down the hall rather than a specialist in another building, so long as the generalist's answers were within the threshold of acceptability, what is this principle called?

4) His name comes from the Old Norse meaning "All Wise" Throughout his life he maintained he could communicate with his dead twin. His only commercial was for Southern made doughnuts in 1954, and he had a pet chimp named Scatter which developed a taste for Bourbon. He collected badges from police departments including a federal narcotics badge given to him By President Nixon. His motto was TCB, and his last words were "ok, I won't" According to a 1989 news survey 7% of the American population think he is still alive- who was he?

5) Invented in 1903, and named after its, um, inventor, It usually offers abnormally high short-term returns in order to entice new investors. The perpetuation of the high returns that this advertises (and pays) requires an ever-increasing flow of money from investors in order to keep it going. The system is destined to collapse because there are little or no underlying earnings from the money received by the promoters as more investors become involved, the likelihood of the scheme coming to the attention of authorities increases. Benjamin Madoff was just convicted of defrauding people of $50 Billion dollars using it. What is it called?

6) Widely considered the Father of Haute Couture, he was an English-born fashion designer of the 19th century. He dressed the Empress Eugenie of France and actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt. Much of his work is associated with the movement to redefine the female fashionable shape, removing excessive ruffles and frills and using rich fabrics in simple but flattering outlines. He is credited as the first designer to put labels onto the clothing he manufactured and completely revolutionized the business of dressmaking. He was the first of the couturiers, dressmakers considered artists rather than mere artisans. Who was he?

7) This is nothing less than the Google News Alert service. The Google Alerts were first beta'd in August of 2003. Just a quarter of a century after this famous writer published the idea in 1978 in his book Fountains of paradise. It is a A set of topics about which you would like to hear the latest news; and Arthur C. Clarke set this up for an engineer who wanted to make sure that his computer searched for what he needed in the flood of global news items. What did Clarke call it?

8)It is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus and one of the brightest stars in the sky. Its name means "mouth of the whale" in Arabic, and holds a special significance. It is surrounded by a debris disk of dust and in November of this year astronomers announced the discovery of an extra solar planet orbiting just inside the debris ring. This was the first extra solar planet to be seen with visible light, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. What is this star called?

9) During the World War II Battle of Berlin in 1945, a dozen of the many superheroes and masked crimefighters of that era are ambushed by Nazis in the basement of an SS building, where the heroes are gassed and placed into cryogenic suspension for later experimentation, but the building is air bombed soon after and anyone aware of their situation is killed. In the present day, construction workers find this bunker, and the they are revived. Put into the care of the U.S. military, they are housed together in a mansion where they receive counseling and support, are gradually made to understand that decades have passed, and are offered a role as heroes in the 21st century, Singularly they were The Blue Blade, The Black Widow , Captain Wonder, Dynamic Man, Electro, The Fiery Mask, The Laughing Mask, Master Mind Excello, Mister E, The Phantom Reporter, Rockman, and The Witness. What were they known collectively as? Not the US house of Representatives.

10) He is a Polish writer known for his satiric, philosophical and science fictional works. His studies of medicine were interrupted by WWII; he worked as a car mechanic and welder, and was a member of the resistance against the Nazis. Highly critical of American pulp sci-fi literature, he considers his own work to be more mainstream literature. His books have sold over 27 million copies and have been translated into 40 languages, making him one of the most widely read sf authors. In his book Return Form the Stars he had a Sky Ceiling - long before Hogwarts, and spray on clothing, as well as Parastatics Means of completely eliminating injury in vehicles during crashes. Who was he?

11) These pictures are called "of the floating world", is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre and pleasure quarters. It is the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan, flourishing in the old Edo capital. The "floating world" refers to the impetuous urban culture that bloomed and was a world unto itself. Although the traditional classes of Japanese society were bound by numerous strictures and prohibitions, the rising merchant class was relatively unregulated, therefore "floating." Hokusai, Utamaru and Hiroshige are among the more famous of these artists. What is it known as in Japanese?

12) The word has also been applied in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, as a form of motion picture that provides the sensation of touch in addition to sight and sound. A device that adds the tactile element to entertainment. We still don't have them here, but might some day. What was this super sensation kind of movie called?

13) The Maccabees successfully rebelled against their oppressors. According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil. A miracle, Hanukah is the festival of lights called. What is the one song associated with this Holiday?

14)It is the ability of some materials (notably crystals and certain ceramics, including bone) to generate an electric response by applied mechanical stress. This may take the form of a separation of electric charge across the crystal lattice. If the material is not short-circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the material. The word is derived from the Greek which means to squeeze or press.. The effect finds useful applications such as the production and detection of sound, generation of high voltages, electronic frequency generation, and is also the basis of a number of scientific instrumental techniques with atomic resolution, , and everyday uses such as acting as the ignition source for cigarette lighters and push-start propane barbecues. What is this called?

15) This was a mystery religion which became popular among the military in the Roman Empire, from the 1st to 4th centuries From Rome to Britain to the Danube, he had worshippers, The religion was passed from initiate to initiate, not based on a body of scripture, and hence hasvery little written evidence which survives. Religious practice was centered on an adapted or artificial cave or cavern. And the tauroctony, an artistic depiction of the mythic hero and shows him engaged in the ritual slaying of a bull most likely a symbolic representation of the constellations, and the precession of the equinoxes, The identification of some constellations in his portrayal is clear enough: the bull is Taurus, the serpent Hydra, the dog Canis Major or Minor, the crow or raven Corvus, the goblet Crater, and the lion Leo, His bronze image emerging from an egg-shaped zodiac ring was found along Hadrian's Wall (now at the University of Newcastle). An inscription from the city of Rome suggests that he may have been seen as the Orphic creator-god Phanes who emerged from the world egg at the beginning of time, bringing the universe into existence. He was said to have been born on December 25, even Isaac Newton argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the winter solstice. Who was this god.?

Quotes and Questions 33 - 9 Dec 08

For the answers to the questions, visit my SLCN blog

Quotes

Give me the liberty to know, to think, to believe, and to utter freely according to conscience, above all other liberties.
Milton

Oftentimes the test of courage becomes rather to live than to die.
Alfieri


Questions

1) In Silence of the lambs Hannibal Lecter spoke of eating fava beans with a nice Chianti. The philosopher Pythagoras, would not let his followers eat fava beans because he believed they contained what?

2) Besides writing novel such as Lolita, Vladimar Nabakov was a lepidopterist, and discovered several new species of this, including one named Nabakovs pug. What did he discover?

3) It starts out life as a male and changes back and forth between the 2 sexes as its life progresses. In 1868, Maryland instituted a police force to enforce laws pertaining to them. One species in Jamaica grows on trees, and Boyd Bolut in set a new world record in 2003 by eating 18 dozen in ten minutes in one of the majors in the International federation of competitive eating circuits. A baby one is called a spat. What is it?

4) The first book published by this famous author was "the Duties of Clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland", not his most famous book. When the ministry of tourism of Romania wanted to build a theme park of with the name of this famous book, they were told the rights to the name was held by Universal Studios. When President Ceausescu was in charge of continental Romania all mention of this name was banned. What name is it?

5)He was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, and philosopher known for his wit, and defense of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade. A prolific writer, and produced works in almost every literary form, authoring plays, poetry, novels, essays, historical and scientific works, over 20,000 letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets. He is credited with saying "I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write. & "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him", and of course- "this is the best of all possible worlds, "a phrase he gave a famous character of his Dr. Pangloss. Supposed Allegedly 5' 3 "and drinker of 50 cups of coffee a day.. Who was he?

6) A French stage actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress in the history of the world" Although primarily a stage actress, she made several cylinders and discs of famous dialogues from various productions. One of the earliest was a reading from Phèdre by Jean Racine, at Thomas Edison's home on a visit to New York City in the 1880s. She slept in a coffin, was a courtesan and supposedly a notorious liar. And she was one of the pioneer silent movie actresses, debuting as Hamlet in the two minute long film Le Duel d'Hamlet in 1900. (Technically, this was not a silent film, as it had an accompanying Edison cylinder with sound effects. In 1905, while performing in Rio de Janeiro, she injured her right knee when she was required to leap from a high wall. The leg never healed properly. By 1915, gangrene had set in and her entire right leg was amputated, She performed in a wheelchair until her death. Who was she?

7) In 1835 he began as a showman with his purchase and exhibition of a blind and almost completely paralyzed slave woman, Joice Heth, claimed b to have been the nurse of George Washington, and to be over 160, she wasn't even 80. By the 1840s, he was operating an entertainment complex in lower Manhattan.. The roof was transformed to a strolling garden with a view of the city, where hot-air balloon rides were launched daily. To the static exhibits of stuffed animals were added a changing series of live acts and "curiosities", including albinos, giants, midgets, "fat boys", jugglers, magicians, "exotic women", detailed models of cities and famous battles, and eventually a menagerie of animals. He introduced his first major hoax, the "Fejee" mermaid, it was a tail of a fish and the head of a monkey. He justified his hoaxes or "humbugs" as "advertisements to draw attention...to the Museum. I don't believe in duping the public, but I believe in first attracting and then pleasing them.". He also reportedly offered to pay Bernhard 10,000 to show off her amputated leg. She refused. Who was he?

8) It was invented in 1834 in England by William Horner. He called it the 'Daedalum' ('the wheel of the devil). It didn't become popular until the 1860s, when it was patented by makers in both England and America. The American developer, William F. Lincoln, named his toy this, which means 'wheel of life'. It is s a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures. It consists of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. Beneath the slits on the inner surface of the cylinder is a band which has either individual frames from a video/film or images from a set of sequenced drawings or photographs. what is it?

9) The brothers stated that "the cinema is an invention without any future" and declined to sell their camera to other filmmakers. They turned their attention to photography, where many of their inventions of the 20th century are under the name Ilford, with whom they merged. However- They patented a number of significant processes leading up to their film camera - most notably film perforations as a means of advancing the film through the camera and projector. Their first public screening of films at which admission was charged was held in, 1895, at Paris's Salon Indien du Grand Café. This history-making presentation featured ten short films, including their first film, They are credited with making some of the first movies ever shown, who were they?

10) Its pre-history began in 1975, when Warner Cable launched the first two-way interactive cable TV system, Qube, in Columbus, Ohio.The Qube system offered many specialized channels, including a children's channel called Pinwheel which would later become Nickelodeon. One of these specialized channels was Sight On Sound, a music channel that featured concert footage and music oriented TV programs; with the interactive Qube service, viewers could vote for their favorite songs and artists. It launched On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m., with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack. Yes, it is MTV. What was the first video ever played on the channel?

11) Products of the Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha or YKK group are used by probably every member of the outworld audience and those of you in real life too. YKK claims to be the first company of its kind to promote environmental protection measures. And has developed a line of environmentally friendly products, following the company's philosophy "The Cycle of Goodness" which means that one prospers when the person renders benefit to others. Where do you see the initials YKK everyday?

12) On this Saturnian moon, jets of powdery snow and water vapor, laden with organic compounds, vent from the "tiger stripes," warm gashes in the surface. How can a body just over 500 kilometers across sustain such vigorous activity? The answer may be the presence of underground fluids, perhaps a sea, which would increase the efficiency of heating by tidal effects. Support for this idea has come from recent flybys. If has liquid water, it joins Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa as one of the prime places in the solar system to look for extraterrestrial life. What is the name of this moon.

13) This is an almond-shaped and size portion of the brain which helps us decide whether to fight, take flight or simply be afraid. Scientists also believe it helps form long-term memories, especially those tied to strong emotions. What part of the brain is often referred to as the "fear center?"

14) ) His prototype was created from a green ladies' coat that his creators mother had thrown into a waste bin, and he had two ping pong balls for eyes.and 11 ponts on his collar. He has made numerous guest appearances on popular television shows, including co-hosting individual episodes of a number of long-running talk shows: On April 2, 1979, he guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and as an April Fool's joke, he hosted CNN's Larry King Live in 1994 and interviewed Hulk Hogan. According to his autobiography, at the age of 12, he was the first of his siblings to leave the swamp, and one of the first frogs to talk to humans. Who is he?

15) This Chinese emperor, responsible for the first grand unification of china, is responsible for such famous projects as the terra cotta army, and the first phase of the great wall. He is suspected to have died well before his time, due to his alchemists and apothecaries prescribing balms and potions for his health whose main ingredient was quicksilver, later renamed mercury, which was, at the time, seen as a cure-all wonder drug of the ultra-elite.

Quotes and Questions 32 - 2 Dec 08

For the answers to the questions, visit my SLCN blog here

Quotes

Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness.
George Orwell

I pick my favourite quotations and store them in my mind as ready armour, offensive or defensive, amid the struggle of this turbulent existence.
Robert Burns

Questions

1) In 1922, this inventor approached Lenin with a strange looking box featuring two protruding antennas. By moving his hands near the antennas, this man could create sounds of varying pitch and volume. The "aetherphone", appeared in a number of widely publicized and critically acclaimed concerts throughout Europe and the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, and is immortalized in the songs of the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, the movies The Day The Earth Stood Still and The Thing, and the opening theme from The Outer Limits. Name the inventor or the more widely used name of the aetehrphone.

2) Gold leafing vehicles isn't new - the Egyptians mastered the technique more than 3000 years ago and Tutankhamen's chariot was decorated with gold leaves. Gold plating your car is however, new and a sure-fire way to differentiate your ride. London-based Alchemist created a unique 24-carat gold and platinum-leafed what for the recent MPH Prestige and Performance Motor Show at London's Earls Court? The car, also features seven diamonds in its bodywork.

3) The show- "Batboy the musical" was inspired by a story from what publication?

4) Van Gogh sliced off part of his ear, his left one, after an argument with this man. Thinking he would find him at a brothel, he went there to present it to him. Not finding him there, he gave it a prostitute named Rachel. The man with whom van Gogh had the argument, was once a stockbroker, and later on became a leading post-impressionist painter. His style paved the way to primitivism as well. He spent nine weeks painting in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh, in 1888. He died at age 54. Who was he?

5) When he graduated from high school in 1917, he chose journalism instead of college and spent seven months as a newspaper reporter. While driving a Red Cross ambulance in Italy in 1918 he was severely wounded by shrapnel. Who was he?

6) In an interview with H.G. Wells, Stalin said "Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed." To keep scientists firmly in his grasp, and research constantly focused on harming his enemies, Stalin created a type of labor camp where the great minds of the USSR were indefinitely detained to work on scientific projects for the state. Inmate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn gave the camp a t title, based on Dante's description of hell: the "First Circle". Due to the practice of attributing research there to well-known Russian scientists, many of the masterminds behind Russia's cold war scientific breakthroughs will remain lost to history. What was the labor camp called?

7) Inspired by an unflattering baby photo of himself, what cartoon character did Bob Clampett create in 1942? Originally, started out as an aggressive, mean-spirited, pink-feathered bird named Orson who tormented two cats based on the popular comedy team Abbot and Costello. He went on to become the first Warner Brothers cartoon to win an Oscar.

8) Members of Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club first staged the parade of roses in 1890. Since then the Parade has been held in Pasadena every New Year's Day, except when January 1 falls on a Sunday. This exception was instituted in 1893. this "Never on Sunday" policy was instituted why?

9) When two bodies that hold electrical charge are in proximity, they create an electric field – a phenomenon Theremin used in the 1920s to create the Radio Watchman, a device that was able to identify the approach of the human body using a sensor. Theremin invented and patented the motion detector at the request of Lenin, and dedicated the early part of his career to exploring applications of the amount of electrical charge able to be held by a body. What is this phenomena called?

10) What civil rights leader did Dorothy Parker leave the bulk of her estate to?

11) Elvis was in 33 films, and his favorite "King Creole," which was filmed just before he entered the Army in 1958. He also won 3 Grammy's in what category?

12) Who said: "I'm the President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccolis"?

13) Although it first appeared in comic form in 1996, it really became a huge hit with the release of a 27-episode television series and a collectible card game where they could duel like their favorite characters. Some duelists have paid thousands of dollars for a single card on auction web sites such as eBay. What is this called?

14) This London club's sole requirement for membership is "a hirsute appendage of the upper lip and with graspable extremities"; beards are absolutely forbidden. The club engages in activism to assuage discrimination as well as competitive facial hair tourneys, and has inspired the foundation of transatlantic and Scandinavian counterparts. The club declares itself to be at war with a society that demands people choose "the bland, the boring and the generic";[ a club chant includes the proposition that being kissed by a smooth face is akin to "meat without the salt" What is the club called?

15) The worlds first were gas powered contraptions were erected in 1868 to make it easier for ministers of parliament to reach the house of commons. They were controlled by a lever operated by a police constable. One month later they exploded causing injury to several policemen. It took half a century before Britain put trust in them again. What are they?