Tag: music

  • Lists—Answers

    Today there are five questions relating to various lists.

    Taylor Swift Eras Tour – Arlington Texas, US.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Here’s a chronological list of studio albums released since 2017: Reputation, Lover, … Evermore. Who released these and which album is missing?

    Answer: Taylor Swift and Folklore

    Swift released the studio album Folklore in 2020.


    Two

    …, Aconcagua, Denali. This is the second and third items in a list of seven. What’s the first?

    Answer: Everest

    It is a list of the highest peaks the on seven continents: Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Vinson, Elbrus, Mount Wilhelm. There are variations to this list depending on definition used but the first five peaks remain the same regardless of definition.


    Three

    Which film follows in this list from an ‘official’ film series: Thunderball, You Only Live Twice? Secondly, who played the main protagonist in this film?

    Answer: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and George Lazenby

    This was Lazenby’s only outing as Bond.


    Four

    Out of the 193 member states of the United Nations, nine follow Oman and precede Qatar in alphabetical order. Can you name as many of these nine as you can?

    Answer: Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland and Portugal

    Wikipedia


    The Rolling Stones in July 1963.
    From left: Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    The Encyclopædia Britannica and Wikipedia agree on the first stable lineup of this group. Listed alphabetically by surname, they are Mick Jagger, …, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. Who is missing from second place in this list?

    Answer: Brian Jones

    Formed in London as an alliance between Jagger, Richards, and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones along with Watts and bassist Bill Wyman, the Stones began as a grubby conclave of students and bohemians playing a then-esoteric music based on Chicago blues in pubs and clubs in and around West London. Their potential for mass-market success seemed negligible at first, but by 1965 they were second to the Beatles in the collective affection of teenage Britain. — Encyclopædia Britannica

  • Lists

    Today we have five questions about different lists.

    One

    Here’s a chronological list of studio albums released since 2017: Reputation, Lover, … Evermore. Who released these and which album is missing?

    Two

    …, Aconcagua, Denali. This is the second and third items in a list of seven. What’s the first?

    Three

    Which film follows in this list from an ‘official’ film series: Thunderball, You Only Live Twice? Secondly, who played the main protagonist in this film?

    Four

    Out of the 193 member states of the United Nations, nine follow Oman and precede Qatar in alphabetical order. Can you name as many of these nine as you can?

    Five

    The Encyclopædia Britannica and Wikipedia agree on the first stable lineup of this group. Listed alphabetically by surname, they are Mick Jagger, …, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. Who is missing from second place in this list?

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

  • My Huckleberry Friend

    Here are the answers to my earlier post.

    Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Answer: Truman Capote

    Truman Capote’s 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s is set in 1940s New York City’s Upper East Side. It follows a writer’s recollections of his neighbour Holly Golightly and her life in Manhattan. While based on the novella, the film’s screenplay deviates from the book’s original storyline.


    Two

    Answer: Czechoslovakia

    The Munich Agreement, signed on September 30, 1938, was a settlement reached by Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy that allowed for the German annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in western Czechoslovakia. This agreement was part of the policy of appeasement, where European powers aimed to prevent war by conceding to some of Adolf Hitler’s territorial demands. The Czechoslovak government was not consulted during the negotiations and was forced to accept the terms. The agreement is often criticized for emboldening Hitler, as it failed to prevent further aggression, leading to the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia and eventually World War II.


    Matina Hingis, 2011.
    Image Wikipedia

    Three

    …professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open (1997, 1998, 1999), Wimbledon (1997), and the United States Open (1997).

    Encyclopædia Britannica

    Answer: Martina Hingis

    Martina Hingis, who was named after Martina Navratilova, was introduced to sports by her tennis-playing parents and excelled in skiing and tennis from a young age. After moving to Switzerland, she became the youngest Grand Slam junior titleholder at 12. Hingis turned professional at 14, becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam match and the youngest Wimbledon doubles champion. The WTA later restricted participation for young players.


    Following World War II, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the British, French, Americans and Russians.  Berlin, completely encircled by the Russian zone, was also partitioned.
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Answer: West Berlin

    The Berlin Blockade (1948-49) was a Soviet attempt to force the Western Allies out of West Berlin by severing all land and water routes. In retaliation, the US and Britain launched the Berlin Airlift to deliver supplies to the city by air. This airlift symbolised the Allies’ unwavering commitment to resisting Soviet expansion. successfully supplying the city for 15 months. The operation, involving over 250,000 flights, underscored the ideological divide between East and West and solidified West Berlin’s alignment with the US and Britain.


    Five

    The Magic Flute

    Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment, rich with Masonic symbolism. The libretto, believed to draw from various sources including medieval romance and Freemasonry, was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, a close friend of Mozart.


    See question 4 above. ‘A U.S. Air Force Douglas C-54 Skymaster making a “Little Vittles” candy drop (note the parachutes below the tail of the C-54) on approach to a Berlin airfield. Aircrews dropped candy to children during the Berlin Airlift.’
    Image Wikipedia
  • My Huckleberry Friend

    Today’s questions all relate to September 30th.

    Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    In the 1961 comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn stars as Holly Golightly. Born on this date in 1924, who wrote the novella that inspired the film?

    Two

    In an attempt to appease Adolf Hitler, Great Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s demand for the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in what former country?

    Three

    …professional tennis player who became the youngest person in the “open” era to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest to be ranked world number one. In her relatively short, injury-plagued career, she won five Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open (1997, 1998, 1999), Wimbledon (1997), and the United States Open (1997).

    Encyclopædia Britannica

    This quote refers to a tennis player born in 1980 in Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Who is she?

    Four

    Today in 1949, an airlift delivering 2,323,738 tons of food, fuel, machinery, and other supplies was officially ended. To what city was this relief supplied?

    Five

    An opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered in Austria on this day in 1791. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, ‘It is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment presented through Freemasonry symbols’. What is the opera?

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

  • Dress Sense—Answers

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

    Ocelots are active especially during dawn and dusk.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Answer: Robert Langdon (created by) Dan Brown

    Robert Langdon, a fictional character created by author Dan Brown for his Robert Langdon book series: Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), Origin (2017), and The Secret of Secrets (2025). He is a Harvard University professor of Religious Iconology and Symbology (a fictional field).

    Tom Hanks portrays Langdon in the Robert Langdon film series; starting with the 2006 film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, reprising the role in the 2009 film adaptation of Angels & Demons, and again in the 2016 film adaptation of Inferno, while Ashley Zukerman plays a younger version of the character in the 2021 TV series adaptation of The Lost Symbol.


    Two

    Answer: False

    In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal (active during dawn), vespertine/vespertinal (active during dusk), or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behaviour, where an animal is active during the hours of daytime and of night, respectively. Some crepuscular animals may also be active by moonlight or during an overcast day.


    Stanley Baldwin.
    Image The Spectator

    Three

    Answer: Stanley Baldwin

    Baldwin served as Prime Minister from May 1935 to June 1937. He held office under three kings: George V, his eldest son Edward VIII, who abdicated and was succeeded by his brother Albert, who took the regnal name King George VI.
    In 1936, King Edward VIII’s proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, caused a constitutional crisis. The British government and the Church of England, of which the monarch is head, opposed the marriage. Consequently Edward abdicated in favour of his brother.


    The Doors c. 1966: Jim Morrison (L), John Densmore (C), Robby Krieger (R), and Ray Manzarek (seated).
    Image Wikipedia

    Four

    Answer: Aldous Huxley

    Morrison took the band’s name from Aldous Huxley’s book on mescaline, The Doors of Perception (1954), which in turn refers to a line in a poem by Romantic artist and writer William Blake.
    Encyclopædia Britannica


    Five

    Can you name three players chosen for the European 2025 Ryder Cup team whose surnames begin with the same letter?

    Answer: Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard and Viktor Hovland

    The players are Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka.

  • Dress Sense

    Here are five unrelated questions which are not connected by date, subject or theme.

    King Edward VIII. Image Wikipedia

    One

    Which fictional character habitually wears a charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis and collegiate cordovan loafers; and which author created him?

    Two

    Is it true or false that in zoology, a crepuscular animal is one which lives on a seashore in the areas between the high and low tide marks?

    Three

    Who was the British prime minister at the time of the abdication crisis, when King Edward VIII renounced the throne?

    Four

    The Doors chose their band name from a 1954 work by what author (1894-1963)?

    Five

    Can you name three players chosen for the European 2025 Ryder Cup team whose surnames begin with the same letter?

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

  • Mothers—Answers

    Here are the answers for the questions I posted earlier.

    Sylvia’s Mother, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
    Image CD and LP

    One

    Answer: Sylvia’s Mother and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

    Sylvia’s Mother, written by Shel Silverstein and originally performed by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, was their first hit. It reached number five on the Billboard singles chart and topped charts in several countries. The band kept this name until 1975 when they shortened it to Dr. Hook.


    Thetis Dipping the Infant Achilles into the River Styx by Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1625);
    Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
    Image Wikipedia

    Two

    Answer: Styx

    Legend claims Achilles was invulnerable except for his heel, which his mother held while dipping him in the River Styx. Achilles heel, a term derived from this, signifies a vulnerable point despite overall strength. The Achilles tendon is also named after this legend.


    Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall by Spike Milligan.
    Image Libris

    Three

    September 3rd, 1939. The last minutes of peace ticking away. Father and I were watching Mother digging our air-raid shelter.

    Answer: Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan

    Spike Milligan’s war memoir, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, recounts his experiences from Britain’s declaration of war to the Allied liberation of Africa. The book, the first of seven volumes, blends anecdotes, photographs and sketches.


    Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin.
    Image Alchetron

    Four

    Answer: Alyson Hannigan

    Lily Aldrin, portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, is a fictional character in How I Met Your Mother. She is a kindergarten teacher, amateur painter, and later becomes an art consultant.


    Statue of Helena in the Musei Capitolini, Rome.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Answer: Constantine I or Constantine the Great

    Flavia Julia Helena, also known as Saint Helena, was a Roman Augusta and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Revered as a saint, she is believed to have discovered the True Cross during a religious tour.

    Statue of Constantine I in York, England.
    Near the spot where he was proclaimed Augustus in 306 CE.
    Image Wikipedia

  • Mothers

    All of today’s questions are related to Mothers in one way or another.

    See question 2. Thetis Dipping the Infant Achilles into the —— by Peter Paul Rubens c. 1625; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    Mrs Avery is the title character in which 1972 song by Dr. Hook; and what was the full name of the band at the time of the original release?

    Two

    Achilles was dipped into which river by his mother to make him invulnerable?

    Three

    September 3rd, 1939. The last minutes of peace ticking away. Father and I were watching Mother digging our air-raid shelter.

    The opening lines of a novel first published in 1971 are quoted above. What novel and who was the author?

    Four

    Who plays Lily on television’s How I Met Your Mother?

    Five

    Evelyn Waugh’s 1950 novel Helena is about the mother of which 4th-century Roman emperor?

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

  • An Unexpected Party—Answers

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

    An Unexpected Party.
    Image Tea With Bilbo

    One

    Answers: Thirteen

    The book is The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins lives in the house. Gandalf, without Bilbo’s knowledge, organises a party. The dwarves arrive either singly or in groups:

    • Dwalin
    • Balin
    • Kili and Fili
    • Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin
    • Bifur, Bofur and Bombur
    • Thorin Oakenshield

    Two

    Answer: Green Day

    American Idiot, Green Day’s seventh studio album, is a concept album that follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia. The album, which marked a return to the band’s punk rock sound, was a critical and commercial success, selling over 23 million copies worldwide and winning several awards.

    American Idiot
    Image

    Three

    Answer: Moroni

    Moroni, son of Mormon, was a Nephite prophet, historian and military commander. He completed the Nephite record, buried the plates, and later became the Angel Moroni in Latter Day Saint belief.

    Four

    Answer: Perry Mason

    Perry Mason, a long-running American legal drama series, aired on CBS from 1957 to 1966. The show, based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s detective fiction, starred Raymond Burr as the titular lawyer and received numerous awards and accolades.


    Janis Joplin photographed by Jim Marshall about one year before her death.
    Image Wikipedia

    Five

    Answer: Leonard Cohen

    Chelsea Hotel #2 recounts a sexual encounter at the Chelsea Hotel with Janis Joplin. Cohen later regretted revealing the song’s inspiration and the explicit details of their relationship. In 1994, on the BBC, Cohen said it was “an indiscretion for which I’m very sorry. If there is some way of apologising to the ghost, I want to apologise now for having committed that indiscretion.”
    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

  • An Unexpected Party

    Five questions related to today, September 21st.

    See question 3.
    Image LDS

    One

    The opening chapter of a book, first published on 21 September 1937, is titled ‘An Unexpected Party’. Before the party begins, the householder is unexpectedly visited by a group of dwarfs. How many dwarfs are there?

    Two

    The Grammy-winning album American Idiot was released on 21 September 2004 by which band?

    Three

    According to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, on the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will. A light steadily grew, “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.” …, a messenger sent from God stood before him. Who was this messenger?

    Four

    On this day in 1957, a mystery series based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s books debuted on American television. What was the TV series?

    Five

    Born on 21 September 1934, a singer-songwriter released an album titled New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974. This album included the song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, which Encyclopædia Britannica describes as a ‘frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin’. Who is this singer-songwriter?

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