Category: Pursuit of the Trivial

  • A Free Bird Leaps

    Only the first question relates to today and the rest then follow a theme.

    A free bird leaps
    on the back of the wind
    and floats downstream
    till the current ends
    and dips his wing
    in the orange sun rays
    and dares to claim the sky

    1. A poet born this day in 1928 wrote the above, who was the poet?
      • Maya Angelou
      • Octavia Butler
      • Toni Morrison

      The Robin to the Wren’s nest
      Cam keekin’ in, cam keekin’ in;
      O weel’s me on your auld pow,
      Wad ye be in, wad ye be in?
      Thou’s ne’er get leave to lie without,
      And I within, and I within,
      Sae lang’s I hae an auld clout
      To rowe ye in, to rowe ye in.

    2. The writer of the above verse was who?
      • Robert Burns
      • Walter Scott
      • James Hogg

      Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!
      Bird thou never wert,
      That from Heaven, or near it,
      Pourest thy full heart
      In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.
      Higher still and higher
      From the earth thou springest
      Like a cloud of fire;
      The blue deep thou wingest,
      And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.

    3. What bird is written about in the above quote?
      • Blackbird
      • Dove
      • Skylark

      Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
      Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
          While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
      As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
      “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
      Only this and nothing more.”

    4. The opening of a famous poem is shown above, who wrote it?
      • Ralph Waldo Emerson
      • Edgar Allan Poe
      • Walt Whitman

      Why look’st thou so?’—With my cross-bow
      I shot the ___

    5. These words conclude part one of a poem, what bird is the final word the above quote?
      • Albatross
      • Buzzard
      • Cuckoo
  • Milestones and Inventions | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Pony Express map, by William Henry. Wikipedia
    1. 18 months—The Pony Express, a horse-and-rider relay system, operated for 18 months between Missouri and California, delivering mail in 10 days. Despite its short lifespan and financial failure, it demonstrated the feasibility of a transcontinental communication system.
      Osborne 1 portable computer. Wikipedia
    2. Osborne 1—The Osborne 1, released in 1981, was the first commercially successful portable computer. It weighed 24.5 lb (11.1 kg) and cost US$1,795 (equivalent to $6,273 in April 2025).
      Westland PV.3 at Martlesham in December 1931 before Everest expedition modifications. Wikipedia
    3. 1933—In April 1933, two Westland aircraft piloted by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton and David McIntyre flew over Mount Everest, financed by Lucy, Lady Houston. The expedition, led by Peregrine Fellowes, aimed to promote British aviation and was made possible by technological advancements in aircraft engines during World War I.
      National Palace of Culture, Sofia. Wikipedia
    4. Sofia—Sofia, liberated from Ottoman rule by Russian troops in 1878, became Bulgaria’s capital in 1879. Its population was 11,649 at the time of liberation.
    5. 1973—Motorola produced the first handheld mobile phone, weighing 2 kilograms and offering 30 minutes of talk time. It was commercially launched in the US in October 1983.
    Dr. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone, with DynaTAC prototype from 1973, in 2007. Wikipedia
  • Milestones and Inventions

    Pony Express postmark, 1860, westbound. Wikipedia

    All of the following happened on today’s date, 3 April.

    1. On this day in 1860, the Pony Express mail delivery system was launched in the US. How long did the service operate?
      • 18 months
      • 32 months
      • 53 months
    2. On 3 April 1981, the first successful handheld portable computer was sold. By what name was it known?
      • Osborne 1
      • Page 1
      • Cooper 1
    3. In aviation, in what year did the first flight over Mount Everest take place?
      • 1927
      • 1933
      • 1939
    4. What city which had been liberated from the Ottoman Empire by Russian troops was named the capital of Bulgaria on 3 April 1879?
      • Bucharest
      • Sofia
      • Zagreb
    5. On this date in what year was the first handheld mobile telephone call made?
      • 1973
      • 1981
      • 1988

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • April Showers of Knowledge: A Quiz | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Juan Ponce de León. Wikipedia
    1. Juan Ponce de León—a Spanish explorer, founded the first European settlement on Puerto Rico and is credited with being the first European to reach Florida in 1513. He named the region Florida due to its lush vegetation and discovery during Easter.
      A photographic portrait of Hans Christian Andersen by Thora Hallager, 1869. Wikipedia
    2. Hans Christian Andersen—Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author, is best known for his fairy tales, including The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Little Mermaid. His stories, translated into over 125 languages, have inspired numerous adaptations.
      Richard Strauss, 1894. Wikipedia
    3. Richard Strauss—Strauss’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra is used for the dramatic opening scene of the film depicting an alignment of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon and which has been called the greatest movie opening ever. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 film by Stanley Kubrick, based on Arthur C. Clarke’s stories. It explores human evolution, technology and artificial intelligence through a journey to Jupiter involving a malfunctioning computer, HAL 9000, and a mysterious monolith.
    4. Alec Guinness—Kwai: played Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); Hejaz: Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962); London: George Smiley in both Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979) and Smiley’s People (1982); Tatooine: in the original three Star Wars films, Ben Kenobi—aka Obi-Wan Kenobi. A British actor, he was known for his diverse and acclaimed stage and screen performances. He won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a Tony Award; he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959.
    5. Quaker—William Penn, seeking a haven for Quakers, secured a charter from King Charles II granting him over 45,000 square miles of land in North America. This land, named Pennsylvania, became a haven for Quakers, guaranteeing religious freedom and other liberties.
    William Penn. Wikipedia
  • April Showers of Knowledge: A Quiz

    2001: A Space Odyssey. Wikipedia

    All of the following relate to today, 2 April.

    1. On 2 April 1513, an explorer landed on the coast of what is now Florida, he is believed to be the first European to land in Florida. Who was this explorer?
      • Sebastian Cabot
      • Hermenegildo de Brito Capelo
      • Juan Ponce de León
    2. Born this day in 1805, an author who is probably best known for works such as The Red Shoes, The Ugly Duckling and Thumbelina. Who is he?
      • Hans Christian Andersen
      • Jacob Grimm
      • George MacDonald
    3. Today in 1968, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere. The film was noted for its use of classical music such as the dramatic Thus Spoke Zarathustra for the opening scene of the film. Who composed this piece of music?
      • Camille Saint-Saëns
      • Richard Strauss
      • Igor Stravinsky
    4. Born today in 1914, what actor links these film and television locations: River Kwai, Hejaz, London and Tatooine?
      • Peter Cushing
      • Alec Guinness
      • James Earl Ray
    5. On 2 April 1681, England’s King Charles II proclaimed the charter he had granted in March to William Penn for his colony of Pennsylvania in North America. What word best describes this colony?
      • Baptist
      • Puritan
      • Quaker

    Good Luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Spaghetti Tree | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below..

    Duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), Scottsdale, TAS, Australia. Wikipedia
    1. True—Male platypuses have spurs on their hind feet that deliver painful venom making them one of only a few species of venomous mammals.
      Harriet Beecher Stowe by Alanson Fisher (1807 – 1884).
      Google Art Project/Wikipedia
    2. False—Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut. Stowe, an American writer and philanthropist, is best known for her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which significantly impacted public opinion against slavery and is considered a contributing factor to the American Civil War. Growing up in a family of intellectuals and abolitionists, Stowe’s experiences in Cincinnati, Ohio, and her interactions with fugitive slaves deeply influenced her writing.
      Yogi Bear. Hanna-Barbera Productions/Wikipedia
    3. False—Yogi first appeared on Hanna-Barbera’s The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958.
      Jewish girls during Bat Mitzva in Alexandria, Egypt (before 1967).
      Nebi Daniel Association/Wikipedia
    4. True—a bat mitzvah is a solemn ceremony held in some synagogues where a girl of 12 to 13 years of age is formally accepted as an adult member of the Jewish community. It is equivalent to a boy’s bar mitzvah.
      Roadrunner. Wikipedia
    5. True—Roadrunners, or chaparral birds, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos found in deserts across the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America. The roadrunner, popularised by Warner Bros. cartoons, is depicted as faster than coyotes, but in reality, coyotes are twice as fast. The cartoons also perpetuate the misconception that roadrunners say “meep, meep”.

      The Simpson-Reed Grove of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) on US Route 199, California, USA. Wikipedia
    6. FalseSequoia is a genus of redwood coniferous trees. Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a large, hairy mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America. It holds significant cultural importance in American and Canadian folklore.

    Spaghetti tree

    Why Spaghetti Tree? The BBC’s 1957 April Fools’ Day hoax, broadcast on the current-affairs programme Panorama, featured a convincing three-minute segment showcasing a family in southern Switzerland harvesting spaghetti from “spaghetti trees”. The report, which claimed the eradication of the dreaded spaghetti weevil had resulted in a bumper crop, was given credibility by being voiced by respected journalist Richard Dimbleby. At the time, spaghetti was relatively unfamiliar to the British public, prompting many viewers to contact the BBC for tips on cultivating their own spaghetti trees. This cleverly executed prank has since been hailed by CNN as

    “undoubtedly the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled.”

    —CNN.

    The Spaghetti tree hoax on BBC’s Panorama current-affairs programme was voiced by respected journalist Richard Dimbleby. Wikipedia
  • Spaghetti Tree

    Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in Zoom and Bored, 1957. Wikipedia

    April 1. Some of these may be true, indeed they may all be, but on the other hand they may, some or all, be false. Don’t be fooled!

    1. True or false: a platypus, aka a duck-billed platypus, is a venomous mammal.
    2. True or false: novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama?
    3. True or false: Yogi Bear made his television debut in The Bugs Bunny Show.
    4. True or False: A bat mitzvah is a coming-of-age ritual in Judaism.
    5. True or false: The roadrunner is one of two species of fast-running ground cuckoos.
    6. True or false: Sequoia is another name for Bigfoot, the legendary creature from the forests of North America’s Pacific Northwest.

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Golf-Lima | Answers

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

    Cairn marking the first Open Championship, Prestwick Golf Club.
    1. Prestwick—The first Open Championship, held in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, marked the beginning of modern golfing history. Willie Park won the inaugural event, beating Old Tom Morris by two strokes. Prestwick hosted the first 12 Open Championships and a total of 24, second only to St Andrews.
    2. Lily and James—James and Lily Potter, parents of Harry, were members of the Order of the Phoenix. James was an Animagus and co-author of the Marauder’s Map, while Lily was a Muggle-born witch. Both were killed by Voldemort.
      The station pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon. Wikipedia
    3. 23 countries—Astronauts/cosmonauts from the following countries have visited the ISS; the number of visits by each nation is also shown. (Information obtained from NASA at 15:15GMT 30 March 2025). United States (168 visitors), Russia (62), Japan (11), Canada (9), Italy (6), France (4,), Germany (4), Saudi Arabia (2), Sweden (2), United Arab Emirates (2), Belarus (1), Belgium (1), Brazil (1), Denmark (1), Great Britain (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1), Malaysia (1), Netherlands (1), South Africa (1), South Korea (1), Spain (1), Turkey (1).
      Jabberwocky. Wikipedia
    4. Animal—the jabberwock is depicted as a dragon-like monster with various features, including a serpentine neck, rabbit-like teeth, spidery talons and bat-like wings.
      Koala distribution in Australia. Wikipedia
    5. South Australia—The koala’s range spans 1,000,000 km2 across eastern and southeastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
    6. City of Kings—Named Ciudad de los Reyes by the Spanish under Francisco Pizarro, the name was chosen of the feast of the Epiphany, the coming of the Magi—the three
    In 1540, five years after the city of Lima was founded, the first church built by Francisco Pizarro was inaugurated. Wikipedia
  • Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Golf–Lima

    Willie Park Sr., the first “Champion Golfer of the Year”, wearing the Challenge Belt, the winner’s prize at The Open until 1870. Wikipedia
    1. G is for golf. The first Open Championship played at St Andrews in 1873, was actually the 13th championship in the competition’s history. Where had the first twelve Open Championships taken place?
      • Carnoustie, Angus
      • Musselburgh, East Lothian
      • Prestwick, Ayrshire
    2. H is for Harry. In the books by J.K. Rowling, who were Harry Potter’s parents?
      • Molly and Arthur
      • Lily and James
      • Rose and Hugo
    3. I is for International Space Station (ISS). By March 2025, individuals from how many countries had visited the ISS?
      • 9 countries
      • 16 countries
      • 23 countries
    4. J is for Jabberwocky. Jabberwocky is a nonsense poem included in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, the follow-up to Alice in Wonderland. What word best describes a jabberwock?
    5. K is for koala. In what parts of Australia are koalas native in the 21st century?
      • Northern Territory
      • South Australia
      • Western Australia
    6. L is for Lima. The Spanish founded the city now known as Lima, the capital city of Peru, in 1535 but their chosen name quickly fell into disuse. What, in English, was this chosen name?
      • City of Emeralds
      • City of Kings
      • Çity of the Sun

    Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

  • Cream of the Crop | Answers

    The Dirty Mac.
    Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell and Keith Richards performing in the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in 1968.
    (Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg in the foreground.)
    Wikipedia

    The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below..

    1. The Dirty Mac—The Dirty Mac, a supergroup featuring John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell, performed Yer Blues and Whole Lotta Yoko on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in 1968. The special, featuring other notable acts, was not released until 1996.
    2. Jodie Foster—On 30 March 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot and wounded US President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C. Reagan underwent emergency surgery and recovered, while White House press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty were also injured. Driven by erotomania and an obsession with Jodie Foster, Hinckley attempted to assassinate the President to impress her. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent time in a psychiatric hospital until 2016, when he was released to the care of his mother and under supervision. He was granted an unconditional release in 2022.
      Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.
      Wikipedia
    3. Alexander II—In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The purchase, negotiated by Secretary of State William H. Seward, was ratified by the Senate in May and became effective in October. Despite initial scepticism, Alaska became a state in 1959.
      Glamis Castle.
      Wikipedia
    4. Glamis Castle—Glamis Castle, in Angus, Scotland, is the ancestral home of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. It has been the Lyon family residence since the 14th century, and it holds significant historical importance as the childhood home of Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, better known as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Notably, it was also the birthplace of her youngest daughter, Princess Margaret in 1930.
    5. Berwick-upon-Tweed—a border town between England and Scotland, changed hands 13 times before being surrendered to England in 1482. Its ramparts, originally built by Edward I and rebuilt by Elizabeth I, are in good repair.
    19th-century engraving of Berwick Castle by William Miller after J. M. W. Turner, with Berwick Old Bridge from 1624 in the background.
    Wikipedia