The Tide Is High

Low and high tide.
Image from Ocean Info.

I have five random questions for you today. They’re unrelated to the date or each other.

One

Which 1883 novel begins at an inn called the Admiral Benbow, and who wrote it?

Two

Lady Jane Grey’s reign of only nine days came between what two other monarchs?

Three

Of what ocean is the Bay of Fundy an arm?

Four

Which ancient goddess of love is a 2010 album by Kylie Minogue named after?

Five

What ‘A’, found in perfumes and food, is defined as follows?

a waxy substance that originates as a secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale, found floating in tropical seas and used in perfume manufacture.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Ring of Fire—Answers

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica),
Deception Island, South Shetland Islands.
Image Wikipedia

One

How old, in years, was Stevie Wonder when Little Stevie Wonder – The Twelve Year Old Genius topped the US album charts in 1963?

  • 11
  • 12
  • 13

Answer: 13

Stevie Wonder was  13 years 3 months old when his album Little Stevie Wonder – The Twelve Year Old Genius (1963) topped the US charts.
Guinness World Records


Two

What’s is a species of penguin?

  • Backstrap
  • Bootstrap
  • Chinstrap

Answer: Chinstrap

The chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) is a penguin species that inhabits various islands and shores in the Southern Pacific and the Antarctic Oceans. Its name stems from the narrow black band under its head, which makes it appear as if it were wearing a black helmet. Due to its loud, harsh call, other common names include ringed penguin, bearded penguin, and stonecracker penguin. — Wikipedia


Three

Johnny Cash’s family once blocked advertisers using Ring of Fire, what did they want to promote?

  • Pacific ring sea cruises
  • Haemorrhoid preparations
  • Propane gas products

Answer: Haemorrhoid preparations

…the 1963 classic “Ring of Fire”, was to be used in a commercial for a haemorrhoid ointment. The Cash family blocked the deal immediately. Johnny Cash’s daughter Rosanne, also a singer, explained that the family would never allow the song to be demeaned in this way. When she hears the lines “And it burns, burns, burns, that ring of fire” she is in no doubt that “it is about the transformative power of love. That is what it will always mean to us”.
The Independent


Four

Which city was the birthplace of former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir?

  • Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Minsk, Belarus

Answer: Kyiv, Ukraine

Meir was born Golda Mabovitch on 3 May 1898 into a Jewish family in downtown Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. Her parents were Blume Neiditch (died 1951) and Moshe Yitzhak Mabovitch (died 1944), a carpenter. Meir wrote in her autobiography that her earliest memories were of Moshe boarding up the front door in response to rumours of an imminent pogrom. She was named after Blume’s paternal grandmother, Golde. She had two sisters, Sheyna (born 1889) and Tzipke (later known as Clara; born 1902), as well as five other siblings who died in infancy. — Wikipedia


Five

It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day is a song which was originally featured in what 1939 film?

  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Gulliver’s Travels
  • Sleeping Beauty

Answer: Gulliver’s Travels

“It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day” is a popular song with words by Sammy Timberg & Winston Sharples and music by Al J. Neiburg. It was featured in the animated feature film Gulliver’s Travels in 1939. It was a hit in the UK in 1940 during the Battle of Britain, having been played heavily on BBC radio. — Wikipedia


Ring of Fire

One

How old, in years, was Stevie Wonder when Little Stevie Wonder – The Twelve Year Old Genius topped the US album charts in 1963?

  • 11
  • 12
  • 13

Two

What’s is a species of penguin?

  • Backstrap
  • Bootstrap
  • Chinstrap

Three

Johnny Cash’s family once blocked advertisers using Ring of Fire, what did they want to promote?

  • Pacific ring sea cruises
  • Haemorrhoid preparations
  • Propane gas products

Four

Which city was the birthplace of former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir?

  • Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Minsk, Belarus

Five

It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day is a song which was originally featured in what 1939 film?

  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Gulliver’s Travels
  • Sleeping Beauty

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

A Few Words—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

Marlene Dietrich and Robert W. Service on the set of The Spoilers (1942)
Image Wikipedia

One

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon;
The kid that handles the music-box was hitting a jag-time tune;
Back of the bar, in a solo game, sat Dangerous Dan McGrew,
And watching his luck was his light-o’-love, the lady that’s known as Lou.
The Shooting of Dan McGrew by Robert W. Service

Answer: Robert W. Service

Robert William Service, born in Preston, Lancashire, England, was the third of ten children. He lived with his aunts and grandfather in Kilwinning, Scotland, where he composed his first verse at age six before moving to Glasgow with his parents. After an early career in banking in Scotland he travelled to Canada in his early twenties and eventually returned to banking in British Columbia and Yukon. It was during this time that he was inspired to write about the communities he lived in and people he mingled with which led to his best known works. He passed away in France on 11 September 1958 at the age of 84.


Richard Ashcroft.
Image Wikipedia

Two

‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life
Tryna make ends meet
You’re a slave to money then you die
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet yeah

Answer: Bittersweet Symphony

Bitter Sweet Symphony by the Verve, released in 1997, samples the Rolling Stones’ The Last Time. Legal issues led to the Verve relinquishing royalties, but in 2019, rights were returned to the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft.


Lady Chatterley’s Lover, US unexpurgated edition 1959.
Image Wikipedia

Three

Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

Answer: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D. H. Lawrence’s final novel, was first published privately in 1928-29. Its explicit content and an obscenity trial in British courts in 1960 made it notorious.


William Sydney Porter/O. Henry in his thirties.
Image Wikipedia

Four

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it
was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
The Gift of the Magi

Answer: O. Henry

O. Henry’s stories are renowned for their observations, witty narration, and unexpected conclusions. The Gift of the Magi, quoted above, begins on Christmas Eve. Della realises she has hardly any money to buy her husband Jim a present. Determined, she cuts and sells her beloved long hair to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim’s watch. In turn, Jim sells his watch to buy Della combs. Despite the impracticality of their gifts, they realise the true value of their love.


‘Do you expect me to talk? / ‘No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.’
Goldfinger, 1964.
Image Wikipedia

Five

Do you expect me to talk?”
“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

Answer: Moby

Moby produced a remixed version of the James Bond theme for the film Tomorrow Never Dies. The remix, which charted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, features dialogue samples from the Bond films GoldenEye—Pierce Brosnan saying “Bond, James Bond”—and Goldfinger.

A Few Words

Today’s questions focus on individuals and words associated with them. These individuals were either born or passed away on September 11th.

Marlene Dietrich and ___ on the set of The Spoilers (1942)
Image Wikipedia

One

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon;
The kid that handles the music-box was hitting a jag-time tune;
Back of the bar, in a solo game, sat Dangerous Dan McGrew,
And watching his luck was his light-o’-love, the lady that’s known as Lou.
The Shooting of Dan McGrew

The above quote opens a verse by a man known as the ‘Bard of the Yukon’ and the ‘The Canadian Kipling’. What was his name?

Two

‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life
Tryna make ends meet
You’re a slave to money then you die
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet yeah

The quote above is the first verse of a song co-written by Richard Ashcroft of The Verve who was born this day in 1971. What is the song?

Three

Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

An author, born on 11 September 1885 in Nottinghamshire, England, wrote this as the first line of a controversial book published in 1928. What is the book and who is the author?

Four

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it
was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
The Gift of the Magi

This opening paragraph is from The Gift of the Magi, which was written by William Sydney Porter, who was born on this day in 1862. An author and poet, he is best known for his short stories, which he wrote under a pseudonym consisting of an initial and second name. What is that pen name?

Five

Do you expect me to talk?”
“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

This sample from Goldfinger (1964) features on a remixed version of the James Bond Theme for Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) by Richard Melville Hall. Hall, born on 11 September 1965, is known by his professional name.

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Historical Truths (or are they?)—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

Bayeux Tapestry – Scenes 55 & 56 – Duke William lifts his helmet to be recognized on the battlefield of Hastings.
Image Wikipedia

One

Is it true or false that William the Conqueror died of smallpox on 9 September 1092?

Answer: True

King William of England died on 9 September 1087 at Rouen, France, several weeks after being seriously injured at the Battle of Mantes. In July 1087, while fighting a counter-offensive against the French, the King fell against the pommel of his saddle, severely damaging his intestines.


Two

Is it true or false that Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time on 9 September 1960?

Answer: False

Presley’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was on 9 September 1956. He made two further appearances over the next four months, but he didn’t appear on the show again after his third appearance.


Mary, Queen of Scots.
Image Wikipedia

Three

Is it true that a Scottish monarch was crowned at the age of nine months on 9 September 1543? If so, who was the monarch?

Answer: True. Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Stuart became queen at the tender age of six days old in December 1543 upon her father James V’s death. Crowned as Mary, Queen of Scots on 9 September 1543 in Stirling, she remained queen until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567.


Four

Is it true or false that on 9 September 1759, forty-seven nations adopted Sauchie Fraser’s proposal for a standard time and time zones?

Answer: False

On this date in 1885, twenty-five nations adopted Sanford Fleming’s  proposal for standard time and time zones. 


Five

Captain William Bligh FRS RN, born on 9 September 1754, is best known for being cast adrift from HMS Bounty. Is it true or false that between 1806 and 1808, he served as Governor of New South Wales?

Answer: True


Historical Truths (or are they?)

Here are some historical truths and falsehoods related to today, September 9th.

Elvis Presley.
Image Wikipedia

One

Is it true or false that William the Conqueror died of smallpox on 9 September 1092?

Two

Is it true or false that Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time on 9 September 1960?

Three

Is it true or false that a Scottish monarch was crowned at the age of nine months on 9 September 1543? If so, who was the monarch?

Four

Is it true or false that on 9 September 1759, forty-seven nations adopted Sauchie Fraser’s proposal for a standard time and time zones?

Five

Captain William Bligh FRS RN, born on 9 September 1754, is best known for being cast adrift from HMS Bounty. Is it true or false that between 1806 and 1808, he served as Governor of New South Wales?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Hawaii Five-0

The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

Official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1959.
Image Wikipedia

One

On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?

Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 21 August 1959. Hawaii is an island state in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 137 volcanic islands. It is the only US state not on the North American mainland and is known for its diverse culture, influenced by North American, East Asia and indigenous Hawaiian heritage. Hawaii’s economy, historically based on agriculture, has diversified to include tourism and military defence.


Mona Lisa.
Image Wikipedia

Two

Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?

Answer: The Louvre

The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed it should be returned to Italy. After keeping it for two years, Peruggia attempted to sell it and was caught, leading to the painting’s return to the Louvre in 1914.


Count Basie, Blazing Saddles, 1974.
Image

Three

Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who will, 70 years later, feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?

Answer: Count Basie

Count Basie plays himself in Mel Brooks 1974 film Blazing Saddles. He and his orchestra play April in Paris in the middle of the desert as Bart (Cleavon Little) rides towards Rock Ridge to assume the post of sheriff.


Princess Margaret, 1950.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?

Answer: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

Princess Margaret, born in 1930, was the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who, following the abdication of Edward VIII, became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Known for her independent spirit, she famously renounced her engagement to Peter Townsend due to his divorce. A celebrated socialite, she was the Countess of Snowdon and had a glamorous lifestyle with notable romances. Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1978, marking the first royal divorce in 400 years.


Dumbarton Oaks, Washington D.C., 1999.
Image US Library of Congress via Wikipedia

Five

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?

Answer: United Nations

The ‘Allied Big Four’ (UK, US, USSR, Republic of China) formulated the new international organisation at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944. The Yalta Conference in 1945 and further negotiations with the Soviet Union resolved all issues.

Hawaii Five-0

All the questions are related to today, August 21st.

Flag of Hawaii.
Image Wikipedia

One

On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?

Two

Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?

Three

Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who, 70 years later, will feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?

Four

Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?

Five

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Roanoke—Answers

Virginia Dare by Maria Louisa Lander, 1859. Imaginatively portrayed as an adult Indian princess.
Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo, NC, US.
Image Wikipedia

One

The person who sent ships and colonists to set up a fort at Roanoke in what is now North Carolina, US is described by Wikipedia as an ‘English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer’. Who is he?

— Answer: Sir Walter Raleigh

The Roanoke Colony, established by Sir Walter Raleigh, refers to two attempts to found a permanent English settlement in North America. The first colony, established in 1585, was abandoned due to supply shortages and strained relations with local tribes. The second colony, known as the ‘Lost Colony’, was established in 1587 but found abandoned in 1590, with the word ‘CROATOAN’ carved into a palisade. Virginia Dare was never seen again, and her fate remains unknown.


Two

Which Elton John song, released in 1997, remained in the Canadian Singles Charts for three years. What was that song?

— Answer: Candle in the Wind 1997

Elton John and Bernie Taupin, who had originally written Candle in the Wind as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, rewrote it for the 1997 funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. 


Three

Zupaysaurus. Image Wikipedia

Zupaysaurus, ‘devil lizard’ from the Queshua word supay meaning ‘devil’ and sauros, ‘lizard’, is an early theropod dinosaur. In what country was this discovered?

— Answer: Argentina

Zupaysaurus (/ˌzuːpeɪˈsɔːrəs/; “ZOO-pay-SAWR-us”) is an extinct genus of early theropod dinosaurliving during the Norian stage of the Late Triassic in what is now Argentina. Fossils of the dinosaur were found in the Los Colorados Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in northwestern Argentina. Although a full skeleton has not yet been discovered, Zupaysaurus can be considered a bipedalpredator, up to 4 metres (13 ft) long. It may have had two parallel crests running the length of its snout.

—Wikipedia 


Abel Tasman.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Tasmania, an island state of Australia, is named after Dutch seafarer and explorer Abel Tasman. In 1642, Tasman became the first reported European to sight the island. What name did Tasman give the island?

— Answer: Anthony van Diemen’s Land

Tasmania, named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, was originally called Anthony van Diemen’s Land after his sponsor. The British shortened it to Van Diemen’s Land, and it was officially renamed Tasmania in 1856.


Male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex).
Image Wikipedia

Five

An ibex is any of several species of wild…

What is the next word in the above quote from the Wikipedia article on the ibex?

—Answer: Goat

Ibex are wild goats with large, recurved horns, found in Eurasia, North and East Africa.