Quiz 31- 10 Questions on Answer.- Answers

1.  International A.N.S.W.E.R, (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) or ANSWER Coalition, is a United States-based protest umbrella group consisting of many antiwar and civil rights organizations. ANSWER has helped to organize many of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the United States, like those against the Iraq War. The group has also organized activities around a variety of other issues, ranging from the Israel/Palestine debate to immigrant rights to Social Security. The group was formed after which infamous historic event?

Ans: Sept. 11 attacks.

2.  In January 2007, Yahoo! India launched 'Yahoo! Answers' -an online community where anyone can ask and answer questions on any topic. The forum was launched by a well known India, with the question "What should we do to free our planet from terrorism?" The question was answered by many including Leander Paes, Kiran Bedi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Whose questions was it?

Ans: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

3. Suppose you want to send to a person in another country a letter, along with the cost of postage for a reply then you can use an international reply coupon (IRC). It is a coupon that can be exchanged for one or more postage stamps representing the minimum postage for an unregistered priority airmail letter. So the person receiving the IRC you sent, has to just go to a post office and exchange the coupon for postage stamp- Thus he can answer your mail without spending on postage. IRC was introduced in 1906 at a Universal Postal Union congress in Rome. IRC however was soon used to for a notorious fraud scheme that has gone down in history and even become a part of daily lexicon. What scheme ?

Ans: Ponzi Scheme. In 1920, Charles Ponzi made use of the idea that profit could be made by taking advantage of the differing postal rates in different countries to buy IRCs cheaply in one country and exchange them for stamps of a higher value in another country. This subsequently became the fraudulent Ponzi scheme.

4. An email storm is a sudden spike of Reply All messages on an email distribution list, usually caused by a controversial or misdirected message when multiple members of the distribution list reply to the entire list at the same time. On August 2016, the New York Times internal email system experienced such an email storm, so on September 2nd the NYT published an article titled "When I’m Mistakenly Put on an Email Chain, Should I Hit ‘Reply All’ Asking to Be Removed?"
All you have to write is the content of the article - verbatim.

Ans: No.

5. The 'Leonidas monument' is a modern monument at Thermopylae (Greece) built  in honor of the Spartan king, who lead the Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae. It features a bronze statue of Leonidas and a sign under the statue says something in Greek. These words (molon labé) were the answer of Leonidas to Xerxes' demand that the Greeks give up their weapons. What do they translate in English?

Ans: "Come and take them!"

6. The following are some clues that appeared in a few crosswords and their answers
17 across, "One of the U.S." : Utah
3 down, "Red Indian on the Missouri" : Omaha
11 across, "[common]... but some bigwig like this has stolen some of it at times.": Overlord
11 across, "This bush is a centre of nursery revolutions." : Mulberry
15 down, "Britannia and he hold to the same thing." : Neptune
Unlike many other crossword clues, these however have gone down in the annals of history and perhaps in many quizzes too. Why?

Ans: The crosswords appeared in 1944 and the answers to a few of these clues were codenames related to the D-Day plans.  Leonard Dawe, Telegraph crossword compiler, created these puzzles and was arrested by MI5 at the school where he was a headmaster. He was interrogated intensively, but it was decided that he was innocent and it was all a mere coincidence. (There is a much interesting story to the coincidence, but that would make the answer just too long)

7.  It was the 'Battle of Bulge', an important battle of the 2nd World war. Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division  was besieged by a far larger force of Germans at the crucial town of  Bastogne. on 22nd December 1944 the German commander sent a surrender demand typewritten in English (below photograph is of the long letter). What was the reply of Anthony McAuliffe, that made him one of the most memorable commanders of WWII ?

Ans: "Nuts!"

The reply was typed up, centered on a full sheet of paper. It read:

"December 22, 1944

To the German Commander,

N U T S !

The American Commander"

8.  '42 Puzzle' is a game devised by a well known author in 1994 for the United States series of his books. The puzzle is an illustration consisting of 42 multi-coloured balls, in 7 columns and 6 rows. In the puzzle the question is unknown, but the answer is already known to be 42. The puzzle was later incorporated into the covers of all of his reprinted  novels in the United States. Which Author?

Ans:  Douglas Adams for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books. The number 42 in the book is the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything", calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a period of 7.5 million years. Unfortunately, no one knows what the question is. Thus, to calculate the Ultimate Question, a special computer the size of a small planet was built from organic components and named "Earth"...

9.  "Southern Man" is a song by Neil Young , whose lyrics describe the racism towards blacks in the American South. In the song, Young tells the story of a white man (symbolically the entire white South) and how he mistreated his slaves. In the song Young asks when the South will make amends for the fortunes built through slavery. As an answer to this song, this southern rock bank composed a song for their second album and the song went on to become the bands second hit single. It reached number 8 on the US chart in 1974 and far surpassed "Southern Man". The song is even played today in many FM stations across the world. Which song ?

Ans: Sweet Home Alabama by  Lynyrd Skynyrd .Click to hear the song

10. If some one asked you a 'polar question' (a linguistics terminology), what are the possible answers that you can give ?

Ans: It is a question whose expected answer is either "yes" or "no".

Quiz 31- 10 Questions on Answer.

Last week- we had 10 questions on questions- I thought it was logical to follow that topic with this !

1.  International A.N.S.W.E.R, (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) or ANSWER Coalition, is a United States-based protest umbrella group consisting of many antiwar and civil rights organizations. ANSWER has helped to organize many of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the United States, like those against the Iraq War. The group has also organized activities around a variety of other issues, ranging from the Israel/Palestine debate to immigrant rights to Social Security. The group was formed after which infamous historic event?

2. In January 2007, Yahoo! India launched 'Yahoo! Answers' -an online community where anyone can ask and answer questions on any topic. The forum was launched by a well known India, with the question "What should we do to free our planet from terrorism?" The question was answered by many including Leander Paes, Kiran Bedi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Whose questions was it?

3. Suppose you want to send to a person in another country a letter, along with the cost of postage for a reply then you can use an international reply coupon (IRC). It is a coupon that can be exchanged for one or more postage stamps representing the minimum postage for an unregistered priority airmail letter. So the person receiving the IRC you sent, has to just go to a post office and exchange the coupon for postage stamp- Thus he can answer your mail without spending on postage. IRC was introduced in 1906 at a Universal Postal Union congress in Rome. IRC however was soon used to for a notorious fraud scheme that has gone down in history and even become a part of daily lexicon. What scheme ?

Current IRC design valid until Dec. 2017

 4. An email storm is a sudden spike of 'Reply All' messages on an email distribution list. It is usually caused by a controversial or misdirected message, when multiple members of the distribution list reply to the entire list at the same time. On August 2016, the New York Times internal email system experienced such an email storm, so on September 2nd the NYT published an article titled "When I’m Mistakenly Put on an Email Chain, Should I Hit ‘Reply All’ Asking to Be Removed?"
All you have to write is the content of the article - verbatim.

Page containing the article, content has been blanked out. 

5. The 'Leonidas monument' is a modern monument at Thermopylae (Greece) built  in honor of the Spartan king, who lead the Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae. It features a bronze statue of Leonidas and a sign under the statue says something in Greek. These words (molon labé) were the answer of Leonidas to Xerxes' demand that the Greeks give up their weapons. What do they translate in English?

6. The following are some clues that appeared in a few crosswords in the Daily Telegraph.
17 across, "One of the U.S."
3 down, "Red Indian on the Missouri"
11 across, "[common]... but some bigwig like this has stolen some of it at times."
11 across, "This bush is a centre of nursery revolutions."
15 down, "Britannia and he hold to the same thing."
Unlike many other crossword clues, these however (because of their answer) have gone down in the annals of history and perhaps in many quizzes too. Why?

7. It was the 'Battle of Bulge', an important battle of the 2nd World War. Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division  was besieged by a far larger force of Germans at the crucial town of  Bastogne. on 22nd December 1944 the German commander sent a surrender demand typewritten in English (below photograph is of the long letter). What was the reply of Anthony McAuliffe, that made him one of the most memorable commanders of WWII ?

8. '42 Puzzle' is a game devised by a well known author in 1994 for the United States series of his books. The puzzle is an illustration consisting of 42 multi-coloured balls, in 7 columns and 6 rows. In the puzzle the question is unknown, but the answer is already known to be 42. The puzzle was later incorporated into the covers of all of his reprinted  novels in the United States. Which Author?

9. "Southern Man" is a song by Neil Young , whose lyrics describe the racism towards blacks in the American South. In the song, Young tells the story of a white man (symbolically the entire white South) and how he mistreated his slaves. In the song Young asks when the South will make amends for the fortunes built through slavery. As an answer to this song, this southern rock bank composed a song for their second album and the song went on to become the bands second hit single. It reached number 8 on the US chart in 1974 and far surpassed "Southern Man". The song is even played today in many FM stations across the world. Which song ?
excerpt from the lyrics of the song- if it helps.

"Well, I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ol' Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow"

10. If some one asked you a 'polar question' (a linguistics terminology), what are the possible answers that you can give ?

Quiz 30 - 10 Questions on Questions - Answer

1.  "?"- this was the entire content of a telegram sent by Victor Hugo, to his publishers, asking how 'Les Miserables' was selling. What was the publishers reply ?

Ans: "!"

2. The so called " Roman Question" was settled by the signing the Lateran Treaty in 1929. What was the result of the treaty?

Ans: The state of Vatican City was created and full and independent sovereignty was  guaranteed to the Holy pope. The treaty was signed for King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and for Pope Pius XI by Pietro Cardinal Gasparri, papal secretary of state. The term  "The Roman Question" was from the title of an article headed "The Roman Question" in the Westminster Review . It expressed the opinion that the Papal States should be deprived of the Adriatic provinces and be restricted to the territory around Rome.

3. Groups of officers called 'legati', were assigned to carry out a survey. They visited each county of their country and conducted  public inquiries. The set of questions that these officers asked with the town and county representatives constituted the 'Inquisitio Eliensis'. The answers to these questions provided the basis for which famous manuscript?

Ans: The Domesday Book, which was a written record of a statistical survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. The survey, made in 1086, was an attempt to register the landed wealth of the country in a systematic fashion, to determine the revenues due to the king. Domesday is a corruption of Doomsday (the day of the final judgment); the work was so named because its judgments in terms of levies and assessments were irrevocable.

4. The Modified Mercalli scale does not use any instruments to measure this natural phenomenon, but relies on the opinions of human observers.  Scientist who use the Modified Mercalli scale, gather information by means of letter questionnaires sent to people who experienced the phenomenon or reports from the local population and then assign Mercalli numbers to points in the affected areas. Which phenomenon is thus measured in this way?

Ans: Earthquake. The scale has 12 levels of intensity. Each level is defined by a group of observable earthquake effects, such as shaking of the ground and damage to structures such as buildings, roads, and bridges. The levels are designated by the Roman numerals I to XII. Levels I through VI are used to describe what people see and feel during a small to moderate earthquake. Levels VII through XII are used to describe damage to structures during a moderate to catastrophic earthquake.

5. King Menander was a Greek ruler of a large Indo-Greek empire in the late 2nd century BC. The questions and dilemmas posed by the king were answered by the Buddhist philosopher and senior monk Nagasena. These question and answer dialogues, between the two, form the basis for which Buddhist doctrine?

Ans: Milinda Panha,  in Pali means “Questions of Milinda”. Menander, was known to Indian sources as Milinda .This work forms a important part  in Theravada Buddhism, in which certain key Buddhist teachings are explored.

6. This disease is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii  and was first described by  Edward Holbrook Derrick of Queensland, Australia. The name for the disease is derived from the word 'Query' because when it was initially identified it posed many unanswered questions to Edward. Which disease?

Ans: Q fever.In which Q stands for query

7. During the religious meal of Seder, four to five cups of wine are poured. After the second cup is poured, the youngest child asks four standard questions about the unusual ceremonies:
“Why does this night differ from all other nights? For on all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night only unleavened bread?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night only bitter herbs?
On all other nights we need not dip our herbs even once; why on this night must we dip them twice? On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining; why on this night do we all recline?”
Which festival is thus commenced with the partake of  Seder?

Ans:  The Jewish festival of Passover. The prepared answers to the questions are recited by all in unison.The fifth cup of wine is not drunk and is poured in honour of prophet Elijah.

8. Philosophers have attempted to answer this question for thousands of years. Today the four main theories they have proposed to answer this question are the correspondence, pragmatic, coherence, and deflationary theories. Which question?

Ans: “What is truth?”

9. The "Question Hour" in the 'Lok Sabha' (India's lower house of parliament) has two main types of question—Starred and non-starred. What is the difference between the two?

Ans: Starred Questions are those for which an oral answer is expected. The member is allowed to ask a supplementary question, with the permission of the Speaker, after the reply is obtained from the Minister concerned. Non-starred questions are those for which a written reply is expected. After the reply has been provided, no supplementary question can be asked.

10. Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? was a game show on Indian Television channel STAR Plus and was based on the American game show, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Which Indian star hosted the show?

Ans: Shahrukh Khan

Quiz 30 - 10 Questions on Questions

"The Answer to the Great Question Of…Life, the Universe and Everything…[is] Forty-two."
-The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

1.  "?"- this was the entire content of a telegram sent by Victor Hugo, to his publishers, asking how 'Les Miserables' was selling. What was the publishers reply ?

2. The so called " Roman Question" was settled by the signing the Lateran Treaty in 1929. What was the result of the treaty?

3. Groups of officers called 'legati', were assigned to carry out a survey. They visited each county of their country and conducted  public inquiries. The set of questions that these officers asked with the town and county representatives constituted the 'Inquisitio Eliensis'. The answers to these questions provided the basis for which famous manuscript?

4. The Modified Mercalli scale does not use any instruments to measure this natural phenomenon, but relies on the opinions of human observers.  Scientist who use the Modified Mercalli scale, gather information by means of letter questionnaires sent to people who experienced the phenomenon or reports from the local population and then assign Mercalli numbers to points in the affected areas. Which phenomenon is thus measured in this way?

5. King Menander was a Greek ruler of a large Indo-Greek empire in the late 2nd century BC. The questions and dilemmas posed by the king were answered by the Buddhist philosopher and senior monk Nagasena. These question and answer dialogues, between the two, form the basis for which Buddhist doctrine?

Silver coin of Menander

6. This disease is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii  and was first described by  Edward Holbrook Derrick of Queensland, Australia. The name for the disease is derived from the word 'Query' because when it was initially identified it posed many unanswered questions to Edward. Which disease?

7. During the religious meal of Seder, four to five cups of wine are poured. After the second cup is poured, the youngest child asks four standard questions about the unusual ceremonies:
“Why does this night differ from all other nights? For on all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night only unleavened bread?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night only bitter herbs?
On all other nights we need not dip our herbs even once; why on this night must we dip them twice? On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining; why on this night do we all recline?”
Which festival is thus commenced with the partake of  Seder?

8. Philosophers have attempted to answer this question for thousands of years. Today the four main theories they have proposed to answer this question are the correspondence, pragmatic, coherence, and deflationary theories. Which question?

9. The "Question Hour" in the 'Lok Sabha' (India's lower house of parliament) has two main types of question—Starred and non-starred. What is the difference between the two?

10. Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? was a game show on Indian Television channel STAR Plus and was based on the American game show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader"? Which Indian star hosted the show? 

Quiz 29- 10 question on Shepherd's - Answer

1.What important discovery was made by the shepherd Jum’a,  of the Taamireh tribe of the nomadic Bedouins in 1947?

Ans: The dead sea scrolls

2.In Greek mythology she was goddess of the Moon. She fell in love with Edymion, a shepherd on Mount Latmos in Caria, where she lulled Edymion into an eternal sleep so that he could never leave her. She visited him every night as he lay asleep in a cave and bore him 50 daughters. Which element in the periodic table is named after this goddess?

Ans: Selenium, after godess Selene. She was usually represented as a woman with the moon (often in crescent form) on her head and driving a two-horse chariot. As Luna, she had temples at Rome on the Aventine and Palatine hills.

3. Girolamo Fracastoro, a physician from Verona, wrote a poem, in which he described  new disease,and its treatment.The hero of this poem is a Shepherd, whose name literally means ' friend of swine ' The poem is about a shepherd boy who insulted the Greek god Apollo and was punished by that god with a horrible disease. Today, this disease, caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum,  is named after this character. Which disease?

Ans: Syphilis, The poem was called 'Syphilis sive morbus Gallicus'(Syphilis or the French Disease)

4.Which place in Telangana, well known for a fort, among other precious items, gets its name because it was built on a shepherd's hill. The fort was was first built by the Kakatiya dynasty and the place later became the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty?

Ans: Golconda.from Golla Konda. There us an alternate etymology for Golconda,  Gol konda ("Round shaped hill"). The precious items being the  Koh-i-Noor, the Hope Diamond and the Nassak Diamond, which were mined here.

5. The discovery of what is attributed to 'Magnes the shepherd boy' by encyclopedist Pliny the Elder?
P.S. 'Etymologiae' by Isidore of Seville tells the same story as Pliny, but places Magnes in India and so does Vincent of Beauvais in ' Miroir du Monde and Thomas Nicols' in Lapidary, where Magnes is called as "shepherd of India"

Ans: Magnet. he describes  “the nails of whose shoes and the tip of whose staff stuck fast in a magnetic field while he pastured his flocks.”

6 .  Some planets of our Solar system have a natural satellite, which are called 'Shepard Moons'. What characteristic feature in these planets is caused by these 'Shepard moons' ?

Ans: The gaps in the ring system of the planets, the most well known such gap being the Cassini Division. The name is a result of the fact they limit the "herd" of the ring particles as a shepherd.

7  Which flower is called the 'shepherd's barometer' or "shepherd's weather glass", because the flowers close at the approach of rain and opens in bright sunshine? A famous novel on which numerous movies and TV shows are based is named after this flower.

Ans: The Scarlet Pimpernel.

8.  Two well known Indian kingdoms were founded by people belonging to the shepherd cast. One was founded by Malhar Rao, belonging to the Dhangar shepherds clan and other founded by Hukka (Harihara I) and Bukka (Bukka Raya), belonging to the Kuruba shepherd community - Identify any one of the kingdom.

Ans: Holkar and Vijayanagar kingdoms.

9. In Homer's Odyssey, these shepherds living in Sicily were a lawless, savage, and cannibalistic race fearing neither gods nor humans. The Greek hero Odysseus was once trapped with his men in the cave of one of these shepherds called Polyphemus. Several of Odysseus's men were devoured by this giant shepherd but Odysseus managed to escape from the cave by cunningly blinding him. Which mythological race of giants ?

Ans: The Cyclops. They were giants with one enormous eye in the middle of the forehead.

10. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society  was founded in 1977 by Paul Watson, a former member of Greenpeace, after a dispute with that organization over what Watson saw as its lack of more aggressive intervention. Supported by some and called eco-terrorist by others, the groups controversial tactics are directed for prevention of what illegal practice at sea?

Ans: Whaling and Seal hunting. 

Quiz 29- 10 question on Shepherd's

There was no quiz last week- Reason: time management failure.

1.What important discovery was made by the shepherd Jum’a, of the Taamireh tribe of the nomadic Bedouins in 1947?

2.In Greek mythology she was goddess of the Moon. She fell in love with Edymion, a shepherd on Mount Latmos in Caria, where she lulled Edymion into an eternal sleep so that he could never leave her. She visited him every night as he lay asleep in a cave and bore him 50 daughters. Which element in the periodic table is named after this goddess?

3. Girolamo Fracastoro, a physician from Verona, wrote a poem, in which he described  new disease,and its treatment.The hero of this poem is a Shepherd, whose name literally means ' friend of swine ' The poem is about a shepherd boy who insulted the Greek god Apollo and was punished by that god with a horrible disease. Today, this disease, caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum,  is named after this character. Which disease?

Portrait of Girolamo Fracastoro by Titian, c.1528

4.Which place in Telangana, well known for a fort, among other precious items, gets its name because it was built on a shepherd's hill. The fort was was first built by the Kakatiya dynasty and the place later became the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty?

5. The discovery of what is attributed to 'Magnes the shepherd boy' by encyclopedist Pliny the Elder?
P.S. 'Etymologiae' by Isidore of Seville tells the same story as Pliny, but places Magnes in India and so does Vincent of Beauvais in ' Miroir du Monde and Thomas Nicols' in Lapidary, where Magnes is called as "shepherd of India"

6.Some planets of our Solar system have a natural satellite, which are called 'Shepherd Moons'. What characteristic feature in these planets is caused by these 'Shepherd moons' ?

7 .Which flower is called the 'shepherd's barometer' or "shepherd's weather glass" because the flowers close at the approach of rain and open in bright sunshine? A famous novel on which numerous movies and TV shows are based is named after this flower.

The Cover of 1908 Edition of the book.

8.  Two well known Indian kingdoms were founded by people belonging to the shepherd cast. One was founded by Malhar Rao, belonging to the Dhangar shepherds clan and other founded by Hukka (Harihara I) and Bukka (Bukka Raya), belonging to the Kuruba shepherd community - Identify any one of the kingdoms.

9. In Homer's Odyssey, these shepherds living in Sicily were a lawless, savage, and cannibalistic race fearing neither gods nor humans. The Greek hero Odysseus was once trapped with his men in the cave of one of these shepherds called Polyphemus. Several of Odysseus's men were devoured by this giant shepherd but Odysseus managed to escape from the cave by cunningly blinding him. Which mythological race of giants ?

10. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society  was founded in 1977 by Paul Watson, a former member of Greenpeace, after a dispute with that organization over what Watson saw as its lack of more aggressive intervention. Supported by some and called eco-terrorist by others, the groups controversial tactics are directed for prevention of what illegal practice at sea?

Sea Shepherd Flag. 

28- 10 Questions on Carpets - Answers

1. "The dropping of large numbers of bombs, so as to cause uniform devastation over a given area" and "to conduct an intensive campaign, especially in the media, to sway public opinion or to destroy somebody’s reputation". These are two definitions of a single phrase. Which phrase?

Ans: Carpet Bombing

2. In one of the stories of One Thousand and One Nights, the Sultan of the Indies has three sons who want to marry their cousin Princess Nouronnihar. So the Sultan says he will give her to the prince who brings back the most extraordinary rare object. Prince Husain, the eldest son of the Sultan buys a magic carpet. From which Indian city, the capital of a well known empire, does he buy the carpet from?

Ans: Vijayanagar.

3.Connect  Sehna, Spanish and Ghiordes in relation to carpets ?

Ans: These are the three most commonly used knots in carpet weaving. Ex: Ferahan carpet is made with the Sehna  knot on a cotton foundation; while the admiral carpet uses the Spanish knot, on a single warp, and bijar carpet is Woven on a woolen foundation, in the Ghiordes knot.

4.Indo-isfahan, were handmade carpets manufactured in India during the 17th century. These carpets were imitations of the Herat carpet and were exported in quantity to Europe, especially to Portugal and the Low Countries, by the various East India companies. Today these carpets are frequently seen in 17th-century Dutch paintings. Although the carpet was made in India why was the name Esfahan suffixed with Indo?

Ans: The name Esfahan was applied in the belief that Persian carpets sold better than Indian. (Esfahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 kilometres (211 miles) south of Tehran)

5.It was one of the most unusual way to meet anyone. But she was bought in front of him concealed in a carpet. The dramatic introduction then happened when she stepped out of the unrolled carpet. Who met whom in this fashion?

Ans: Cleopatra met Julius Caesar

6. Erastus Brigham Bigelow,had to forego formal education at the age of 10. At the age of 23 he invented his first loom for lace manufacture. Bigelow followed this with other power looms for weaving a variety of figured fabrics, tapestry carpeting, and ingrain carpeting. Several years later, he founded the Bigelow carpet mills and from 1845 to 1851 Bigelow developed his greatest invention, a power loom for the manufacture of Brussels and Wilton carpets. His inventions provided a large impetus to carpet manufacture in Europe as well as in the United States. Bigelow later became the co-founder of one of Americas greatest institute. Which Institute ?

Ans: MIT

7. GoodWeave International, formerly known as Rugmark, is a network of non-profit organizations dedicated to ending illegal child labour in the rug and carpet making industry. Who was its founder?

Ans:  Kailash Satyarthi

8. During the Middle Ages, when manuscript painting was considered a high art, illuminators frequently decorated their codices with a carpet page. What was a carpet page?

Ans: It was the opening page, containing abstract designs and so called because its abstract designs resemble an Oriental carpet.

A carpet page from the Lindisfarne Gospels

9. This Indian city is also known as the "Carpet City," as it is home to the largest hand-knotted carpet weaving industry hub in South Asia.  The city also has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the carpets manufactured here. Which city?

Ans: Bhadohi

10.Which company first introduced the astro-turf?

Ans. Monsanto.

28- 10 Questions on Carpets

1. "The dropping of large numbers of bombs, so as to cause uniform devastation over a given area" and "to conduct an intensive campaign, especially in the media, to sway public opinion or to destroy somebody’s reputation". These are two definitions of a single phrase. Which phrase?

2. In one of the stories of One Thousand and One Nights, the Sultan of the Indies has three sons who want to marry their cousin Princess Nouronnihar. So the Sultan says he will give her to the prince who brings back the most extraordinary rare object. Prince Husain, the eldest son of the Sultan buys a magic carpet. From which Indian city, the capital of a well known empire, does he buy the carpet from?

3.Connect  Sehna, Spanish and Ghiordes in relation to carpets ?

4.Indo-isfahan, were handmade carpets manufactured in India during the 17th century. These carpets were imitations of the Herat carpet and were exported in quantity to Europe, especially to Portugal and the Low Countries, by the various East India companies. Today these carpets are frequently seen in 17th-century Dutch paintings. Although the carpet was made in India why was the name Esfahan suffixed with Indo?

5.It was one of the most unusual way to meet anyone. But she was bought in front of him concealed in a carpet. The dramatic introduction then happened when she stepped out of the unrolled carpet. Who met whom in this fashion?

6. Erastus Brigham Bigelow,had to forego formal education at the age of 10. At the age of 23 he invented his first loom for lace manufacture. Bigelow followed this with other power looms for weaving a variety of figured fabrics, tapestry carpeting, and ingrain carpeting. Several years later, he founded the Bigelow carpet mills and from 1845 to 1851 Bigelow developed his greatest invention, a power loom for the manufacture of Brussels and Wilton carpets. His inventions provided a large impetus to carpet manufacture in Europe as well as in the United States. Bigelow later became the co-founder of one of Americas greatest institute. Which Institute ?

7. GoodWeave International, formerly known as Rugmark, is a network of non-profit organizations dedicated to ending illegal child labour in the rug and carpet making industry. Who was its founder?

8. During the Middle Ages, when manuscript painting was considered a high art, illuminators frequently decorated their codices with a carpet page. What was a carpet page?

9.This Indian city is also known as the "Carpet City," as it is home to the largest hand-knotted carpet weaving industry hub in South Asia.  The city also has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the carpets manufactured here. Which city?

10.Which company first introduced the astro-turf?

Quiz 27- 10 Questions on Dogs that bite the Most and least- Answers

The first 5 questions are on dogs that bite the most and the next 5 on least biting dogs.

1. This dog differs from all other dogs in having a blue-black tongue. The breed originating from China, where it is referred to as ' Songshi Quan ', which means "puffy-lion dog", it has also been called the Tang Quan, "Dog of the Tang Empire"and is one of the oldest recognisable breeds. The present name for this breed is derived from an English term used in the 19th century to refer to cargo from the Orient.Which breed of dog?

Ans: Chow Chow

With Its characteristic blue black tongue

2.  This breed originated in Germany but it grew so popular in France, that it became the national dog of that country. The breed was developed as a water retriever, and the distinctive clipping of its heavy coat was initiated to increase the animal's efficiency in the water. The name of this breed derives from the German word for 'To Splash'. Which breed?

Ans: Poodle. In German the word Pudel was the short for Pudelhund, Which derives from  pudeln to splash and Hund meaning dog

3. This breed of dog was established to assist in fox hunting, the dogs had to have the stamina to run with the Foxhounds and had to be small enough to follow a fox down its lair.The first dog of this breed was called a ‘Old Foiler’, and was registered by the Kennel Club in 1876. Which breed?
Ans: Fox Terrier

4. This breed of dog gets its name from a town in Germany. The butchers of this town used these dogs to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat to market. Though this breed is good-natured, placid in basic disposition, very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work, bad ownership makes them potentially dangerous. Today nearly half the fatal dog bites in US are from this breed. Which breed?

Ans: Rottweiler, The dogs were known in German as Rottweiler Metzgerhund, meaning Rottweil butchers'

Rottweiler memorial in Rottweil

5. This stubborn and jealous breed of toy dog was developed in ancient China, where it was held sacred and was kept as a palace dog by members of the Imperial family. It was introduced to the West by English forces that looted the Imperial Palace at Peking in 1860, during the second Opium war. The breed has been known, both in the Orient and in the West, as the “lion dog” because of its appearance. Which breed of ,one of the five 'bitingest' dogs?

Ans:  Pekingese. The most famous of the many stories for the origin of Pekingese is The Lion and the Marmoset:    A lion and a marmoset fell in love. But the lion was too large. The lion went   to the Buddha and told him of his woes.  The Buddha allowed the lion to shrink down to the size of the marmoset. And the Pekingese was the result.

6. This breed was originally developed in Scotland, in the estate of Sir Dudley Majoribanks (pronounced Marchbanks). The original breed was a cross of a yellow-coloured dog, Nous, with a now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel bitch, Belle. In 1868, this cross produced a litter that included four bitch pups which became the basis of a breeding program which included Red Setter, sandy-coloured Bloodhound, St Johns Water Dog of Newfoundland, Springer Spaniel, and  wavy-coated black Retrievers. Thus a vigorous and powerful dog  that was exceptionally good with people gentle and trainable was born. Which breed which boasts of an all sporting dogs ancestry and today popular as a disability assistance dog, hunting dog, a detection dog, and a search and rescue participant was thus created?
Ans: Golden Retriever

7. Today it is considered the most popular breed in the world. This dog breed originated in Newfoundland and were brought to England by fishermen in about 1800. The most famous dog of this breed in India was 'Zanjeer'. Working with the Mumbai police, he help avert three explosions and during his service, he helped recover a massive cache of arms and ammunition. On his death, he was given a state funeral. Which dog breed ?

Ans: Labrador Retriever / Labrador

8. The name of this breed is derived from the French word for noisy person. The breed was used for hare hunting in England and Edward III, had a pack of up to 120 of this breeds ancestors with him on the battlefield during the Hundred Years' War and the first mention of the breed in English literature by name dates from 1475. The "most famous dog" of this breed is 'Snoopy' from the comic strip Peanuts. Which well known breed of dog?
Ans: Beagle

9.This breed is named after the Adriatic coastal region and were originally used for many tasks like herding sheep, hunting in a pack, working as a retriever and as a bird dog. In the US the breed is associated with Budweiser beer since the Anheuser-Busch company's iconic beer wagon, drawn by a team of Clydesdale horses, is always accompanied by a dog of this breed. The breed was historically used by brewers to guard the wagon while the driver was making deliveries. The breed experienced a massive surge in popularity after a novel by Dodie Smith in 1956. Which breed of dogs?

Ans:  Dalmatian. The novel being 101 Dalmatians.

10. This highly regarded breed of sporting dog  of hound, spaniel, and setter ancestry derives its name from its assumption of a rigid posture in the direction of the quarry it has located. The breed was first recorded about 1650, in England, and was originally used to point out hares for greyhounds to track down and was trained as a bird dog in the 18th century. Other than being one of the five least 'bitingest' dog, it is also a well known "couch potato" Which breed of dog?

Ans: Pointer

Quiz 27- 10 Questions on Dogs that bite the Most and least

This quiz is dedicated to Anjali, the most inspiring 'dog lover' I have come across. Many Happy returns of the day to you Anjali.

Various books and publications I referred to gave different list of dogs that bite the most or least. So I finally decided to choose a list from a book that has nothing to do with dogs. The below selection is from the 1977 book "Book of list" written by David Wallechinsky, his father Irving Wallace and sister Amy Wallace. The book that has been an inspiration for this blog.

The first 5 questions are on dogs that bite the most and the next 5 on least biting dogs.

1. This dog differs from all other dogs in having a blue-black tongue. The breed originating from China, where it is referred to as ' Songshi Quan ', which means "puffy-lion dog", it has also been called the Tang Quan, "Dog of the Tang Empire"and is one of the oldest recognisable breeds. The present name for this breed is derived from an English term used in the 19th century to refer to cargo from the Orient.Which breed of dog?

2.  This breed originated in Germany but it grew so popular in France, that it became the national dog of that country. The breed was developed as awater retriever, and the distinctive clipping of its heavy coat was initiated to increase the animal's efficiency in the water. The name of this breed derives from the German word for 'To Splash'. Which breed?

3. This breed of dog was established to assist in fox hunting, the dogs had to have the stamina to run with the Foxhounds and had to be small enough to follow a fox down its lair.The first dog of this breed was called a ‘Old Foiler’, and was registered by the Kennel Club in 1876. Which breed?

 They come in two types, the smooth shown above and the wire type shown below

4. This breed of dog gets its name from a town in Germany. The butchers of this town used these dogs to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat to market. Though this breed is good-natured, placid in basic disposition, very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work, bad ownership makes them potentially dangerous. Today nearly half the fatal dog bites in US are from this breed. Which breed?

5. This stubborn and jealous breed of toy dog was developed in ancient China, where it was held sacred and was kept as a palace dog by members of the Imperial family. It was introduced to the West by English forces that looted the Imperial Palace at Peking in 1860, during the second Opium war. The breed has been known, both in the Orient and in the West, as the “lion dog” because of its appearance. Which breed of ,one of the five bitingest dogs?

6.  This breed was originally developed in Scotland, in the estate of Sir Dudley Majoribanks (pronounced Marchbanks). The original breed was a cross of a yellow-coloured dog, Nous, with a now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel bitch, Belle. In 1868, this cross produced a litter that included four bitch pups which became the basis of a breeding program which included Red Setter, sandy-coloured Bloodhound, St Johns Water Dog of Newfoundland, Springer Spaniel, and  wavy-coated black Retrievers. Thus a vigorous and powerful dog  that was exceptionally good with people gentle and trainable was born. Which breed which boasts of an all sporting dogs ancestry and today popular as a disability assistance dog, hunting dog, a detection dog, and a search and rescue participant was thus created?

7. Today it is considered the most popular breed in the world. This dog breed originated in Newfoundland and were brought to England by fishermen in about 1800. The most famous dog of this breed in India was 'Zanjeer'. Working with the Mumbai police, he help avert three explosions and during his service, he helped recover a massive cache of arms and ammunition. On his death, he was given a state funeral. Which dog breed  ?

The breed is named after this geographical area of Canada.

8. The name of this breed is derived from the French word for noisy person. The breed was used for hare hunting in England and Edward III, had a pack of up to 120 of this breeds ancestors with him on the battlefield during the Hundred Years' War and the first mention of the breed in English literature by name dates from 1475. The "most famous dog" of this breed is 'Snoopy' from the comic strip Peanuts. Which well known breed of dog?

9.This breed is named after the Adriatic coastal region and were originally used for many tasks like herding sheep, hunting in a pack, working as a retriever and as a bird dog. In the US the breed is associated with Budweiser beer since the Anheuser-Busch company's iconic beer wagon, drawn by a team of Clydesdale horses, is always accompanied by a dog of this breed. The breed was historically used by brewers to guard the wagon while the driver was making deliveries. The breed experienced a massive surge in popularity after a novel by Dodie Smith in 1956. Which breed of dogs?

10. This highly regarded breed of sporting dog  of hound, spaniel, and setter ancestry derives its name from its assumption of a rigid posture in the direction of the quarry it has located. The breed was first recorded about 1650, in England, and was originally used to point out hares for greyhounds to track down and was trained as a bird dog in the 18th century. Other than being one of the five least 'bitingest' dog, it is also a well known "couch potato" Which breed of dog?

Quiz 26- 10 Questions on Physical Exercise : Answer

" Thomas Jefferson…said, not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise…If the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was Secretary of State, and twice President, could give it two hours, our children can give it ten or fifteen minutes." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

1.This term is derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” and was applied in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in a place where male athletes exercised unclothed. Many of these exercises came to be included in the ancient Olympic Games. Which word?

Ans: Gymnasium from the Greek word gymnazein.

2.This term was coined by American physician Kenneth Cooper in his exercise book . He used the term to describe exercises that use oxygen to keep large muscle groups moving continuously for at least 20 minutes. Based on this definition, the term  came to refer to calisthenics taught to music. Judi Sheppard Missett and Jacki Sorensen were two early pioneers of this exercise . Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons helped popularize this exercise during the 1980s through instructional videotapes and television programs. What type of fitness exercise ?

Ans: Aerobics

3. This  is probably the world's most popular martial art because tens of millions of people in China practice it as daily exercise. It is characterized by deliberately slow, rhythmic movements that are circular and continuous. These movements are based on stylized renditions of ancient kung fu arm and foot blows. As per legend this martial art and exercise was started by Zhang San-feng a monk who had studied martial arts for many years. He observed a fight between a snake and a crane in which the snake won through relaxed, evasive movements and quick counterstrikes. Inspired by the snake’s loose but controlled movements, Zhang San-feng devised a fighting form that emphasized strength, balance, flexibility, and speed. Over the centuries, it has evolved into a system of exercise that utilizes soft, slow, relaxed movements.Which martial art or exercise?

Ans:  Tai chi chuan (Chinese for "great ultimate fist"), or simply Tai chi,

4. Although he is traditionally believed to be the founder of yoga and the author of the four volume Yoga-sutra, many scholars believe that the name is a  pseudonym and credit more than one author for writing yoga-sutra under this name.One of the reasons for this conclusion being that the first three volumes were apparently written in the 2nd century BC and the last book in the 5th century AD. Which Indian scholar or scholars are we talking of?

Ans: Patanjali

5. In Sanskrit it is called Vinyasa Yoga, and is practiced by people looking for the benefits of yoga without the methodical pace. In this Yoga a person moves quickly through the asanas, not holding them as long as in other styles of yoga. Under what name is this yoga known in the west?

Ans: Power Yoga

6. It was developed by Per Henrik Ling, founder of the teacher-training centre, the Royal Gymnastics Central Institute, in Stockholm. Ling devised and taught a system of gymnastic exercises designed to produce medical benefits for the athlete. From these exercise evolved free calisthenics; that is, exercises without the use of hand apparatus such as clubs, wands, and dumbbells. Although Ling did not promote competition, free calisthenics evolved into a competitive sport . By what name do we know the sport?

Ans:  Floor Exercise, in gymnastics

7. Pole dancing which is generally associated with strip clubs and night clubs is today gaining popularity as a form of fitness, practiced by many enthusiasts in gyms and in dedicated dance studios. Pole dancing which can be used as both an aerobic and anaerobic workout was used as an exercise more than 800 years ago in India, especially by the wrestlers. Today however it is practiced as a sport here. What is this exercise/ sport called ?

Ans: Mallakhamba.  

8. In the mid 1990s  Alberto "Beto" Perez, a Colombian dancer and choreographer forgot his tape of aerobics music for a class he was teaching. He went to his car, which had some music – consisting of non-traditional salsa and merengue music –  he improvised his class using this non-traditional aerobics music and a trend caught on. After finding initial success in Columbia, he moved to the United States where he teamed up with Alberto Perlman and a childhood friend, Alberto Aghion and the trio built a company based on Alberto Perez's fitness philosophy. (Imagine three Alberto's as the head of a company!) Which well known brand was thus created?

Ans: Zumba fitness.

9.The build up of which chemical is responsible for the burning sensation  and acute soreness in the muscle during and after a heavy exercise?

Ans: Lactic acid

10. This year the Indian Postal department released a set of stamps on some exercises, what were they collectively known as? (blanked out in the stamp)

Ans: Surya Namaskara

Quiz 26- 10 Questions on Physical Exercise

"Exercise is bunk. If you are healthy, you don't need it: if you are sick, you shouldn't take it."- Henry Ford.

1.This term is derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” and was applied in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in a place where male athletes exercised unclothed. Many of these exercises came to be included in the ancient Olympic Games. Which word?

2.This term was coined by American physician Kenneth Cooper in his exercise book . He used the term to describe exercises that use oxygen to keep large muscle groups moving continuously for at least 20 minutes. Based on this definition, the term  came to refer to calisthenics taught to music. Judi Sheppard Missett and Jacki Sorensen were two early pioneers of this exercise . Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons helped popularize this exercise during the 1980s through instructional videotapes and television programs. What type of fitness exercise ?

3. This  is probably the world's most popular martial art because tens of millions of people in China practice it as daily exercise. It is characterized by deliberately slow, rhythmic movements that are circular and continuous. These movements are based on stylized renditions of ancient kung fu arm and foot blows. As per legend this martial art and exercise was started by Zhang San-feng a monk who had studied martial arts for many years. He observed a fight between a snake and a crane in which the snake won through relaxed, evasive movements and quick counterstrikes. Inspired by the snake’s loose but controlled movements, Zhang San-feng devised a fighting form that emphasized strength, balance, flexibility, and speed. Over the centuries, it has evolved into a system of exercise that utilizes soft, slow, relaxed movements.Which martial art or exercise?

4.Although he is traditionally believed to be the founder of yoga and the author of the four volume Yoga-sutra, many scholars believe that the name is a  pseudonym and credit more than one author for writing yoga-sutra under this name.One of the reasons for this conclusion being that the first three volumes were apparently written in the 2nd century BC and the last book in the 5th century AD. Which Indian scholar or scholars are we talking of?

5.In Sanskrit it is called Vinyasa Yoga, and is practicesd by people looking for the benefits of yoga without the methodical pace. In this Yoga a person moves quickly through the asanas, not holding them as long as in other styles of yoga. Under what name is this yoga known in the west?

6. It was developed by Per Henrik Ling, founder of the teacher-training centre, the Royal Gymnastics Central Institute, in Stockholm. Ling devised and taught a system of gymnastic exercises designed to produce medical benefits for the athlete. From these exercise evolved free calisthenics; that is, exercises without the use of hand apparatus such as clubs, wands, and dumbbells. Although Ling did not promote competition, free calisthenics evolved into a competitive sport . By what name do we know the sport?

Per Henrik Ling

7. Pole dancing which is generally associated with strip clubs and night clubs is today gaining popularity as a form of fitness, practiced by many enthusiasts in gyms and in dedicated dance studios. Pole dancing which can be used as both an aerobic and anaerobic workout was used as an exercise more than 800 years ago in India, especially by the wrestlers. Today however it is practiced as a sport here. What is this exercise/ sport called ?

8.' In the mid 1990s  Alberto "Beto" Perez, a Colombian dancer and choreographer forgot his tape of aerobics music for a class he was teaching. He went to his car, which had some music – consisting of non-traditional salsa and merengue music –  he improvised his class using this non-traditional aerobics music and a trend caught on. After finding initial success in Columbia, he moved to the United States where he teamed up with Alberto Perlman and a childhood friend, Alberto Aghion and the trio built a company based on Alberto Perez's fitness philosophy. (Imagine three Alberto's as the head of a company!) Which well known brand was thus created?

9.The build up of which chemical is responsible for the burning sensation  and acute soreness in the muscle during and after a heavy exercise?

10. This year the Indian Postal department released a set of stamps on some exercises, what were they collectively known as? (blanked out in the stamp)

Quiz 25- 10 Questions on places that have been the cradle to a genre of music -Answer

1. This city has the distinction of being the birth place for the most number of genre's of music. Some of them being Punk rock, Modern salsa, Tin Pan Alley, hip hop, disco, New Wave,No Wave,  jazz, bop, free jazz, acid jazz, swing music, electroclash etc. Which city?
Ans: New York

2. . Between the late 16th and the 18th centuries, this term was a common, coarse synonym for prostitute and was first used in relation to this genre of music by some American critics in the early 1970's. The genre began as a movement of disaffected youth of the late 1970's, in New York and London and stressed aggressive and fast performance, often within a three-chord, three-minute format and often contained political, anti-establishment lyrics.  The music was influenced by  Reggae and rockabilly. Which Genre of music?
Ans: Punk (Punk rock)

3.With which country would you associate c-pop genre of music ?
Ans: Mainland China. C-pop is an abbreviation for Chinese popular music.

4. Though Bhangra music is commonly associated with Punjab, it originated in United Kingdom, when the Punjabi diaspora there, experimented with western music and Punjabi folk songs. Which British city has the distinction of recording the first Bhangra album ?

Ans: Birmingham in 1967 by Bhujhangy Group

5. Fela Kuti was a multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer,  human rights activist and is credited with the invention of the Afrobeat music genre. Afrobeat is a combination of traditional music of two African nations and was founded in one of these nations. It is the most popular music genre in these countries today. Which two countries? (correctly name any one country for full points)

Ans: Nigeria and Ghana.

6. It has been called the first original art form to develop in the United States of America and originated in New Orleans.  The root of this category of music is the blues, the folk music of former African slaves in the U.S. South and their descendants. Heavily influenced by West African cultural and musical traditions that evolved as black musicians migrated to the cities. The origin of the term is also not clear and one of the many colourful theories in extant is that it came from the nickname of  Jasbo Brown, an travelling musician along the banks of the Mississippi. Identify this syncopated popular music genre?
Ans: Jazz

7. Tracing its origin to Los Angeles the first use of this word in a rock music is thought to have been by the New York-based folk group The Holy Modal Rounders on their version of Lead Belly's "Hesitation Blues" in 1964. The '13th Floor Elevators' became the first to advertise themselves as making music of this genre . In Britain the genre was made popular by  Eric Burdon, The Who and The Beatles especially in their album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band '. Which genre of music?
Ans: Psychedelic Rock

8. This music is indigenous to the southern Caribbean and popular in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname. It's a mixture of Bhojpuri, Western and local music and gaining increasing popularity in Canada and UK. The genre was created by Indo-Caribbean people whose ancestors were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and were taken as indentured servants by the British as laborers on sugar plantations. Despite the source of the music, the name of this Genre is reminiscent of something associated with south Indian breakfast. What genre?
Ans: Chutney Music.

9. This music type originated in Kingston and was closely linked to the religion Rastafarianism. The music originated In 1963 when a young Jamaican boy named Jackie Mittoo was asked by a man named Coxsone Dodd to run sessions and compose original music at a studio on Brentford Rd. called Studio One. Which genre was thus created by Jackie Mittoo using the traditional ska beat at Studio One ?
Ans: Reggae

10. The classical music of this country is called 'Klasik'. The genre is heavily influenced by Hindustani music in terms of terminology and structure. The music however is less concerned with the ragas and more with rhythm, which is played with the tabla imported from India.  Which country?
Ans: Afghanistan

Quiz 25- 10 Questions on places that have been the cradle to a genre of music

1. This city has the distinction of being the birth place for the most number of genre's of music. Some of them being Punk rock, Modern salsa, Tin Pan Alley, hip hop, disco, New Wave,No Wave,  jazz, bop, free jazz, acid jazz, swing music, electroclash etc. Which city?

2. Between the late 16th and the 18th centuries, this term was a common, coarse synonym for prostitute and was first used in relation to this genre of music by some American critics in the early 1970's. The genre began as a movement of disaffected youth of the late 1970's, in New York and London and stressed aggressive and fast performance, often within a three-chord, three-minute format and often contained political, anti-establishment lyrics.  The music was influenced by  Reggae and rockabilly. Which Genre of music?

3. With which country would you associate a genre of music called C-pop ?

4. Though Bhangra music is commonly associated with Punjab, it originated in United Kingdom, when the Punjabi diaspora there experimented with western music and Punjabi folk songs. Which British city has the distinction of recording the first Bhangra album ?

5. Fela Kuti was a multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer,  human rights activist and is credited with the invention of the Afrobeat music genre. Afrobeat is a combination of traditional music of two African nations and was founded in one of these nations. It is the most popular music genre in these countries today. Which two countries? (correctly name any one country for full points)

6. It has been called the first original art form to develop in the United States of America and originated in New Orleans.  The root of this category of music is the blues, the folk music of former African slaves in the U.S. South and their descendants. Heavily influenced by West African cultural and musical traditions that evolved as black musicians migrated to the cities. The origin of the term is also not clear and one of the many colourful theories in extant is that it came from the nickname of Jasbo Brown, an travelling musician along the banks of the Mississippi. Identify this syncopated popular music genre?

7.Tracing its origin to Los Angeles the first use of this word in a rock music is thought to have been by the New York-based folk group The Holy Modal Rounders on their version of Lead Belly's "Hesitation Blues" in 1964. The '13th Floor Elevators' became the first to advertise themselves as making music of this genre . In Britain the genre was made popular by  Eric Burdon, The Who and The Beatles especially in their album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band '. Which genre of music?

8. This music is indigenous to the southern Caribbean and popular in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname. It's a mixture of Bhojpuri, Western and local music and gaining increasing popularity in Canada and UK. The genre was created by Indo-Caribbean people whose ancestors were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and were taken as indentured servants by the British as laborers on sugar plantations. Despite the source of the music, the name of this Genre is reminiscent of something associated with south Indian breakfast. What genre?

9. This music type originated in Kingston and was closely linked to the religion Rastafarianism. The music originated In 1963 when a young Jamaican boy named Jackie Mittoo was asked by a man named Coxsone Dodd to run sessions and compose original music at a studio on Brentford Rd. called Studio One. Which genre was thus created by Jackie Mittoo using the traditional ska beat at Studio One ?

10. The classical music of this country is called 'Klasik'. The genre is heavily influenced by Hindustani music in terms of terminology and structure. The music however is less concerned with the ragas and more with rhythm, which is played with the tabla imported from India.  Which country?

Quiz 24- 10 Questions on commercially caught fish. Answer

1.Considered to be the most healthiest among fish, this fish belonging to the Herring family got it's name from an island in the Mediterranean, where they were once abundant and also canned for the first time. Which fish ?

Ans: Sardines. Canned herring was dubbed "sardines" because the canning process was first developed in Sardinia, Italy.

2.The very first 'Calvin and Hobbes'  strip. What bait does Calvin use in his trap ?
Ans: Tuna Fish Sandwich

3. This is a Vincent Van Gogh painting, titled "Still Life with X, lemon and tomato". X is the name of the fish in the painting. Identify it.

Ans: Still Life with mackerel, lemon and tomato. Fish is Mackerel.

4. John Dory is an odd looking fish with a odd sounding name- However it is pretty popular in the UK, especially to cook fish and chips. The fish is also popularly used in fine dining restaurants in Australia and New Zealand where it is popular with chefs because it goes well with a wide variety of ingredients and flavourings and the bones from its head make an excellent stock. The fish is also known by another name- since the dark spot is considered to be the fingerprint of this catholic saint. Whose fingerprints does the fish carry ?

Ans: St. Peter. Hence the fish is also called Peter's Fish. Many other fish that have similar dark spots have also the nickname of St. Peters Fish and the black spot is considered to by St. Peter's fingerprint. Ex. Tilapia, Red Drum, certain Cod fish etc.

5. What is the difference between Anadromous fish and Catadromous fish ?

Ans: An anadromous fish, born in fresh water, spends most of its life in the sea and returns to fresh water to spawn. Ex. Salmon, smelt, shad, striped bass, and sturgeon.
A catadromous fish does the opposite - lives in fresh water and enters salt water to spawn. Most of the eels are catadromous.

6. 6. There are 17 types in this family of fish. One of them, the Orange finned-humpback is found in the Cauvery river and has been known to anglers around the globe as ‘one of the largest and hardest fighting freshwater fish in the world’.  It was first mentioned as an angling challenge by the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1833, soon becoming a favorite quarry of British anglers living in India and today many tourists come to Cauvery basin just for angling this fish. In the 1970's The Maharashtra Fisheries department noticed a declined in the population of this fish and they approached Tata Power to help save the endangered fish. Slowly millions of tiny fingerlings were released into the river to repopulate the fish. However a large number of blue finned variety too were released along with the humback and today the blue fin fish is replacing the endemic humpback kind. Many today believe the Orange finned-humpback, which is placed in the IUCN red list, will be extinct within a generation. What is the common, well known name of this fish?
Ans: Mahseer

7. Fugu (Pufferfish)  is the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine. The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan since it can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin. Although anyone in Japan can walk into a restaurant and  order a Fugu - who is the only Japanese who is forbidden from eating Fugu?
Ans: The Emperor of Japan - has traditionally been forbidden from eating fugu for safety reasons.

8. Which two countries were engaged in a series of confrontation over fishing rights in the North Atlantic and was popularly termed as 'Cod war"?
Ans:  Iceland and Britain. In 1958 Iceland decided to extend its fisheries jurisdiction from 4 to 12 mi; the British responded by sending warships to protect their trawlers in Icelandic waters.Thus resulting in  Cod War that lasted until 1961 and was won by Iceland.

9.  These mostly come in four varieties; they are Beluga, Sterlet, Ossetra, and Sevruga. Beluga is the rarest and the costliest and is black or gray; Israel is the largest producer of Ossetra ; sevruga, is the smallest and is greenish black. What am I talking about?
Ans: Caviar- Named after the sturgeon fish from which they are obtained.

10. Tilapia is one of the oldest aqua-cultured fish and dates back to Ancient Egypt, where it was represented by the hieroglyph . Today aquaculture  has become a refined science and people realised that the presence of female tilapia results in rapidly increasing populations of small fish, rather than a stable population of harvest-size animals. Hence commercially grown tilapia are almost exclusively male. How are the female Tilapia eliminated from a spawn of tilapia fish ?

Ans: Tilapia can change the sex after birth. Cultivators use hormones, such as testosterone, to reverse the sex of newly spawned females.

Quiz 24- 10 Questions on commercially caught fish.

1 Considered to be the most healthiest among fish, this fish belonging to the Herring family got it's name from an island in the Mediterranean, where they were once abundant and also canned for the first time. Which fish ?

2.The very first 'Calvin and Hobbes'  strip. What bait does Calvin use in his trap ?

3. This is a Vincent Van Gogh painting, titled "Still Life with X, lemon and tomato". X is the name of the fish in the painting. Identify it.

4. John Dory is an odd looking fish with a odd sounding name- However it is pretty popular in the UK, especially to cook fish and chips. The fish is also popularly used in fine dining restaurants in Australia and New Zealand where it is popular with chefs because it goes well with a wide variety of ingredients and flavourings and the bones from its head make an excellent stock. The fish is also known by another name- since the dark spot is considered to be the fingerprint of this catholic saint. Whose fingerprints does the fish carry ?

5. What is the difference between Anadromous fish and Catadromous fish ?

6. There are 17 types in this family of fish. One of them, the Orange finned-humpback is found in the Cauvery river and has been known to anglers around the globe as ‘one of the largest and hardest fighting freshwater fish in the world’.  It was first mentioned as an angling challenge by the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1833, soon becoming a favorite quarry of British anglers living in India and today many tourists come to Cauvery basin just for angling this fish. In the 1970's The Maharashtra Fisheries department noticed a declined in the population of this fish and they approached Tata Power to help save the endangered fish. Slowly millions of tiny fingerlings were released into the river to repopulate the fish. However a large number of blue finned variety too were released along with the humback and today the blue fin fish is replacing the endemic humpback kind. Many today believe the Orange finned-humpback, which is placed in the IUCN red list, will be extinct within a generation. What is the common, well known name of this fish?

Blue Finned variety

The endangered orange finned humpback

A fully grown fish- dream catch for anglers

7. Fugu (Pufferfish)  is the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine. The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan since it can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin. Although anyone in Japan can walk into a restaurant and  order a Fugu - who is the only Japanese who is forbidden from eating Fugu?

Fugu 

Fugu Sashimi

8. Which two countries were engaged in a series of confrontation over fishing rights in the North Atlantic and was popularly termed as 'Cod war" ?

Naval confrontation during the cod war. 

9.  These mostly come in four verities; they are Beluga, Sterlet, Ossetra, and Sevruga. Beluga is the rarest and the costliest and is black or gray; Israel is the largest producer of Ossetra ; sevruga, is the smallest and is greenish black. What am I talking about?

10. Tilapia is one of the oldest aqua-cultured fish and dates back to Ancient Egypt, where it was represented by the hieroglyph . Today aquaculture  has become a refined science and people realised that the presence of female tilapia results in rapidly increasing populations of small fish, rather than a stable population of harvest-size animals. Hence commercially grown tilapia are almost exclusively male. How are the female Tilapia eliminated from a spawn of tilapia fish ?