Which US State Is It?
The Badger State
State bird: robin
State fossil: trilobite
Well known for milk production.
*Wisconsin
Wisconsin is prominent in the dairy department, and is also a leader with cheese production.
In the Garden of Eden there was a tree, the fruit of which was forbidden to Adam and Eve. How was this tree referred to in the Bible (King James Version)?
*the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Many people think that it was an apple which Eve picked and shared with Adam but the Bible doesn't identify the tree or its fruit. (See Genesis, chapter 2, verse 17.)
"Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone.
Let's pretend that we're together, all alone."
The song's title?
"He'll Have To Go".
Now, who was the crooner who released this mellow little country/pop tune in 1959?
*Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves, (Gentleman Jim), was born in 1923 but he passed away as the result of a plane crash in 1964. His music was so popular that his songs continued to hit the music charts for years after his death.
"Tired of being drab? Eat your way to a vibrant pink!" When you click, you find an ad for a book promising that this one weird food will turn your feathers from dull grayish white to bright pink in just weeks. There are even before-and-after pictures of the long-legged author wading in a lagoon, and she does look very pink afterwards. What animal authored this book?
Flamingo
Flamingos wouldn't have their bright pink or orange coloring, if they didn't eat a diet high in alpha and beta carotenoids. In the wild, they get the carotenoid pigments from eating foods such as shrimp or algae. In captivity, they're given a synthetic version of the same carotenoids to preserve their color.
Which is NOT a 'general' item?
*Taste
"General Hospital" is a famous soap opera.
General Motors vehicles include Buick, Cadillac and Chevy vehicles.
General Mills is a large food brand, including Cheerios, Wheaties and Green Giant.
The Bluegrass State
State animal: gray squirrel
State insect: Viceroy butterfly
Houses some of the entire world's best racehorses.
*Kentucky
Kentucky holds the annual Kentucky Derby in Louisville, which is a race for thoroughbred horses.
In Deuteronomy, chapter 34, we can read how Moses went up from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah where the Lord showed him all the lands spread out beneath him - the lands which he had promised to Moses' forefathers.
What did Moses do then?
*he died
We can read, in the same chapter, that Moses died there in the land of Moab at the grand, old age of 120 years, without ever setting foot in the promised land. He was buried there and it is written, '--- no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day'.
"Before The Next Teardrop Falls" was a huge hit for this country singer in 1975, although it had been covered by a variety of musicians since the late 1960s. Who enjoyed the best success with this classic country hit, singing it in both English, then in Spanish, then reverting back to English near the song's end?
*Freddy Fender
"Germaphobic thief stops to wash loot, gets nabbed." A photo shows the masked thief caught in the glare of a camera flash, hunched over a kiddie pool, washing the garden produce he has stolen. What animal is he?
Raccoon
Raccoons are native to North America and have adapted well to human settlements, taking advantage of garbage and gardens to supplement their omnivorous diet. Mostly nocturnal, they have a black facial marking that looks like a mask. Though they may appear to be washing their food or their hand-like paws in nearby water before eating, scientists believe cleanliness isn't the reason for the behavior.
Where would you find a dipstick?
*In a car
If you open the hood of your car you'll find a dipstick next to where you put oil in the car. it is a long thin metal strip sheathed like a sword in its holder; using a rag to wipe the oil off of the dipstick you then stick it back in the hole where you drew it out from. Pull it back out and take a look at where the oil now comes up to on the dipstick.
The Gem State
State gem: star garnet
State dance: square dance
Best known for its potatoes.
*Idaho
Idaho is probably best known for its potatoes. It even has its own potato commission! (The IPC, or Idaho Potato Commission)
When the Philistines sent their battle-hardened champion, Goliath, a giant of a man, to challenge the Israelites, who took up the challenge and how did he kill Goliath?
David with a sling
This well-known story can be read in the First Book of Samuel, chapter 17. It tells how the young, ex-shepherd boy, who had successfully defended his sheep against dangerous predators, refused to wear armour and, trusting in the Lord, went out with a sling in his hands and stones which he'd picked out of a brook.
"She's Got You", a song by this music artist that was released in 1962 topped out at number one the Billboard Country Charts and climbed up to the number 14 position on the Billboard Hot 100.
What was the name of this classic country crooner?
Patsy Cline
"Family vows to keep wild lifestyle if it kills them." The article begins: "Their cousins live in houses, sleep in beds, eat cooked food, and work normal jobs in law enforcement, on farms, helping the disabled or being companions. But this branch of the family lives homeless in the woods, hunting and eating raw meat. 'We don't hate people; we're afraid of them,' said one, wearing the family's characteristic gray fur. 'They've chased us out of most of Europe and America. But we'll never wear sweaters or play ball. I hope people are starting to respect that and will just let us be.'" What animal belongs to this wild family?
Gray wolf
Domestic dogs descended from gray wolves at least 15,000 years ago, and maybe as long as 130,000 years ago, according to DNA analysis. Though scientists aren't sure exactly how the relationship began, some wolves may have begun hanging around humans, probably for food or warmth, and humans gradually adopted the tamest ones, selectively breeding them over the centuries for different tasks and appearances.
What do an American aviatrix lost at sea in 1937, an American feminist whose name is attached to women's clothing reform, and the central character in a series of children's books about a housemaid who takes everything literally, have in common?
*Amelia
Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) was an aviator, author, teacher, public speaker and all-around feminist. She was pals with Eleanor Roosevelt. Amelia Bloomer (1818-1894) was a writer and publisher (of a newspaper called "The Lilly") which supported temperance, suffrage and women's rights.
The Lone Star State
State bird: mockingbird
State motto: friendship
Birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
* Texas
Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born in Denison, Texas, became the 34th President of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. He was also the last president to be born in the 19th century.
Two women and a baby appeared before the judgement seat of King Solomon. Each woman was claiming the baby was her own son. In the First Book of Kings, chapter 3, verse 24, we read how Solomon called for a sword to be brought to him. What did he say he was going to do with the weapon?
*divide the child in two
This familiar story shows us the wisdom of Solomon. The real mother was willing to give up her child to the other woman, to save the infant's life. The other woman agreed that the child should be divided so that it would belong to neither of them. Solomon, of course, knew that this would happen and he gave the child into the real mother's custody.In the words of the Bible: 'And all Israel heard of the judgement which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgement.'
Tom T. Hall once smoothly offered this song about "little baby ducks, old pickup trucks, slow-moving trains and rain". In the next line he mentioned "little country streams, sleep without dreams, Sunday School in May and hay".
What was the name of this gentle classic from 1973?
I Love
"Baby born after only five weeks in womb; mother carries it everywhere in pouch for next eight months." The video interview shows the older, healthy baby peeking out of the pouch, while the mother says she didn't mind the effort to save her little Joey and in fact is pregnant again. The family is vegetarian, and the father enjoys boxing. They both have done some modeling for Australia tourism brochures. What kind of animal is this devoted mother?
Kangaroo
Kangaroo babies, called joeys, are hairless, blind, and barely an inch long when they're born, but they have strong front legs that allow them to climb into their mother's pouch, where they nurse and grow until old enough to be out on their own. Each mother usually gives birth to one joey at a time, but as soon as it is born, she can become pregnant again. Male kangaroos, more than females, engage in fights to display their dominance, using their forepaws like human boxers or wrestlers.
We've all heard of suicide and homicide, but a much rarer occurrence is pseudocide. What is pseudocide? (Hint: It's like suicide, but not quite the same).
*Faking your own death
Pseudocide is relatively rare and usually involves going into hiding, collecting on life insurance or avoiding debt.
The Buckeye State
State insect: ladybug
State animal: white-tailed deer
One of its cities was the first to use police cars.
*Ohio
The first police car was tested using electricity in Akron, Ohio in 1899.
**Double Point**
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were cast into the burning, fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar could see a fourth figure walking in the middle of the fire with the three men who had been thrown into the furnace. What did he say the form of the fourth figure looked like?
*the son of God
Their refusal to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, which he had set up, was the reason why these men were cast into the furnace. After they walked out from there, totally unharmed, Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego', and he decreed that the God of these three men should be honoured by all people. Look in the Book of Daniel, chapter 3, to find this story.
Tammy Wynette had a controversial smash hit with her "Stand By Your Man". The controversy arose due to the fact that feminism was blossoming in the U.S. at about the same time as the song was charting in 1968.
Who collaborated with her on the writing of this song?
Billy Sherrill
Billy was long associated with both Tammy Wynette and her third husband, George Jones. He was one of the major influences of what became known as the "countrypolitan" sound of the cross-over country and pop music genres.
"This one weird trick baffles predators every time." Who wouldn't like to learn that? When I clicked, I discovered that it isn't fully revealed--you have to pay for that--but it seems to involve obscuring yourself in a dark cloud. The article is written by someone who's obviously very intelligent. The idea seems as if it would work only underwater, though. If you buy the full report, you get two others free: "How to Regenerate a Missing Arm so You Always Have Eight" and "The Expert's Guide to Mimicking Anything." What animal wrote the reports?
Octopus
Besides being intelligent enough to use tools and solve problems, octopuses share with a few other sea creatures the ability to send out a cloud of ink to minimize visibility and odor, to give them time to get away from predators. They can even include thicker globs of ink mixed with mucus, which appear like creatures in the murky cloud, fooling predators into chasing the wrong thing.
*Double Point*
Most modern sponges are made of foam plastic, but what are natural sponges made of?
* the fibrous skeleton of a sea creature
Sponges are animals from the Porifera. They are sessile creatures that live on the sea floor. Most have skeletons that are too rough to be useful, but two kinds, the Hippospongia and Spongia, are soft and fibrous. They have been used by people since ancient times, and by the mid-1900's were over-fished almost to the point of extinction. Natural sponges are still used, most often to apply cosmetics.
*Double Point*
The Natural State
State motto: Regnat populus (the people rule)
State flower: apple blossom
Famous performer Johnny Cash was born here.
*Arkansas
Johnny Cash, a very popular musician of the 20th century, was born in Kingsland, Arkansas in 1932.
Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE, according to the text of the Bible?
Three wise men from the east came to find the new-born King of the Jews and, when they found the infant lying in a manger, they fell down and worshipped him.
* false
The Bible does not mention how many wise men there were. We read that three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were presented and so this is probably why it is assumed that there were three men. The above statement is also false because the wise men found the baby they were seeking in a house and not in a manger. You can find this story in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 2.
"Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
'Cause you don't love me any more?"
Now, many folks will recognize that tune as having been popularized by "Skeeter" Davis, but do you remember in what year she managed to get that song onto no less than FOUR music charts, simultaneously?
1963
"You'll never believe how this flier navigates in the dark!" The article explains the answer is sonar. I'm not sure how unbelievable that is, but the most entertaining part is an accompanying video, where the petite subject being interviewed won't talk about her sonar and instead rants about the unfair bad reputation she has gotten from her cousins in South and Central America, who drink blood. Wearing a neat brown fur suit, she says her North American family should be praised for all the harmful insects they've helped control. What animal is she?
Little brown bat
Vampire bats of South and Central America live on blood and may bite any mammal, including humans, but little brown bats of North America feed only on insects. They use echolocation, or natural sonar, to navigate the dark skies and catch insects on the wing.
What is 230 feet long, 20 inches high and includes 55 dogs, 202 horses and 626 people?
***Double Point***
*The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry was embroidered on linen in eight colours and depicts the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The work was carried out in panels, which were then linked together to show the sequence of events leading to the Norman Invasion. The Battle of Hastings, in which King Harold was killed and William the Conqueror gained the English Crown is depicted in grisly detail. Even the appearance of Halley's Comet is included.
The Treasure State
State animal: grizzly bear
State fish: cutthroat trout
The state name comes from a Spanish word which means "mountainous".
*Montana
Not another state in the entire US has as many different types of mammals than Montana does.
Jesus' parents once lost their son on a journey from Jerusalem to Nazareth. They couldn't find him amongst all their friends and relatives who were travelling with them and so they returned to Jerusalem where, after a three-day search, they found him. Where was he?
* in the temple
Jesus was 12 years old when this happened. His parents found him - as it is written in Luke's gospel, chapter 2, verses 46 and 47 - 'sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.'
Martin David Robinson aka Marty Robbins, had a great hit with "A White Sports Coat and a Pink Carnation" in 1957. He was also a WW2 veteran, prior to becoming a Country/Western singer.
*t
It was during his time spent in the Solomon Islands in the U.S. Navy that Marty Robbins learned to play guitar. After the war, he began hosting his own radio program in Mesa, Arizona.
The teaser says: "Emperor swims nude in frigid water." When you click, the article begins "Sporting only black and white feathers..." and continues about the emperor's skinny dip in Antarctic waters. What animal is it talking about?
A species of penguin
Emperor penguins are well adapted for cold. Their feathers, a hundred per square inch, are more densely spaced than any other bird's, and they also have a downy undercoat. The feathers are held out from the body to provide extra insulation on land, but lie flat in water to keep the undercoat dry. Beneath the skin, a thick layer of fat provides more insulation. Emperor penguin are also able to control their oxygen use and handle extreme pressures, allowing them to dive deep and long for fish.
The universal symbol for recycling, the radioactive hazard symbol, and the biological hazard symbol would all be considered which of these graphic formations?
*trefoil
Trefoils are graphic formations that consist of three elements originating from a common center, which are often (but not always) symmetrical. The recycling symbol consists of three green arrows while the radiation and biological hazard symbols are composed of various rounded elements. Trefoils are also popular in architecture and in Christian theology, as the three elements can represent the Holy Trinity.
The Evergreen State
State bird: goldfinch
State fruit: apple
Home of Microsoft's Bill Gates.
*Washington
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was born in Seattle, Washington in 1955.
What word is missing from the following, well-known quotation? It is from 'The Sermon on the Mount' (King James Version) when Jesus was teaching his disciples.
'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and ___ your Father which is in heaven.'
*glorify
These words of Jesus are in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 5.
This artist, nicknamed "The Cherokee Cowboy" brought us hits like "Heartaches By The Numbers", "Release Me" and "For The Good Times".
Who wrote and sang these songs?
*Ray Price
Ray Price was born in 1926 in Cherokee County, Texas; hence the nickname. He spent much of his life writing and singing music in both the country/western genres and later, gospel music. He passed away in 2013, a victim of pancreatic cancer.
**Double Point**
"He survives deadly cobra bite... three times!" The article starts with a quote: "I'd do it again. They don't scare me." Apparently, the little fellow is immune to cobra venom and is happy to dispatch them from homes for just the cost of room and board. But what he really wants is a green card. "They won't let me in the United States any more after that little incident in Hawaii. How did my family know they wanted us to kill only rats and not all those other tasty creatures?" Apparently he can't legally immigrate to Australia or many other countries either, so he is stuck in his native country of India and the surrounding areas. What animal is he?
Mongoose
Mongooses are quick and agile hunters. Combine that with a natural resistance to snake venom, and one can see why people in their native areas of southern Asia and Africa adopted them to get rid of poisonous snakes in and around homes. Mongooses don't particularly like to eat snakes, though, so they also kill birds, lizards, insects and rodents.
An orbuculum is another name for what object?
*Crystal ball
An orbuculum is the original name for a crystal ball. It is derived from the Latin crystallum orbis. The first crystal balls are believed to have been used by Celtic Druids in the first and second centuries AD. Crystal balls were a prominent sight in the Roman Empire and was used by soothsayers.
Sportman's Paradise/The Pelican State
State crustacean: crawfish
State amphibian: green tree frog
One of its cities held the 1983 Special Olympics International Summer Games.
*Louisiana
The 1983 Special Olympics was held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana from July 12-18th.
According to the text of St. Mark's gospel, what did Judas Iscariot do with the thirty pieces of silver which were paid to him when he betrayed Jesus?
*He returned them to the chief priests and elders.
In St. Mark's gospel, chapter 27, verse 3, we read 'Then Judas, which had betrayed him when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.' When they refused to take back the money, Judas threw it down on the temple floor. He then went out and hanged himself.
Kris Kristofferson wrote a country/pop crossover hit called "Help Me Make It Through The Night", which became an instant number one hit in 1971, but can you tell me who popularized this song with her classic voice?
*Sammi Smith
Jewel Faye "Sammi" Smith was first signed with Columbia Records with the help of Johnny Cash, after he heard of her talent. In the late 1970's, while her singing career was not yet over, she had moved to Arizona to work with a group called "Apache Spirit". She had become involved with Native American causes, specifically the Apache tribe.
"He's 100 years old and spry as ever. His secret is..." I thought it would be some special diet or clean living, but no. When I clicked, I found that his secret is avoiding accidents, such as tumbling over a bank, landing on his back and being unable to turn over. He also tries to stay away from hunters. He claims his father met the famous naturalist Charles Darwin when Darwin visited the family home in 1835. He hopes to live another 50 years before he starts feeling old. What animal is he?
Galapagos tortoise
The giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands were headed for extinction due to hunting and the introduction of non-native animals that ate their eggs, but conservation efforts are protecting the remaining populations. Some species were still unfortunately lost. Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta species, died in 2012 at over 100 years old.
What does the acronym RADAR stand for?
*Radio Detection and Ranging
The term RADAR was coined by the US Navy in 1940 while the British were using the acronym RDF for Range & Direction Finding.
The Empire State of the South
State insect: honey bee
State shell: knobbed whelk
The 39th US president, Jimmy Carter, was born here.
*Georgia
James Earl Carter Jr, better known as Jimmy Carter, was born in Plains, Georgia in 1924. Before coming president, he was a peanut farmer.
Ananias, who lived in Damascus, had a vision in which the Lord spoke to him saying, 'Arise, Ananias and go into the street which is called Straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold, he prayeth.'
Why did the Lord send Ananias to find Saul?
* to restore Saul's sight
Look in the Book of Acts, chapter 9, to find the story of the conversion of Saul, who was later known as Paul and was the author of most of the Epistles in the New Testament. The little story of how Ananias helped Saul is there too.
*Double Point*
Married to Waylon Jennings, this country crooner had a super-sized hit in 1975 with "I'm Not Lisa"; a song which she had written herself.
Do you remember her name?
Jessi Colter
"Live animal mistaken for stuffed bear!" I expected at least a mauling or something, but the video just shows a little girl at the zoo crying because her parents won't buy her the big stuffed bear. That will teach me not to fall for internet hype. The admittedly adorable and cuddly-looking black and white bear ignores her and keeps munching bamboo shoots. What animal is it?
Giant panda
Giant pandas really do look like big cuddly stuffed animals. Their striking black and white coloration seems unusual for an animal that spends most of its time in green bamboo forests. Scientists still aren't sure whether the colors make the animals more visible so they can find each other, or are a camouflage in the dappled bright and dark light of the forest. DNA testing did finally solve the question of whether they're bears: yes they are.
In medieval Britain, the remains of what animal were sometimes placed in the walls of buildings to ward off evil spirits?
*Cat
It is not known for certain how this practice originated. Some scholars believe that it may have been brought to Britain by Roman soldiers. The cats were not, in most cases, buried alive. They were killed and their remains allowed to dry before being interred.