No, it’s not trivia about DIY projects, though that would be fun and I believe I will save the idea for a later date,* I am letting you all take the reins and supply your favorite trivia facts for everyone to share.
This week is my yearly “let’s go hang out on the side of a mountain and play in the river” trip with my mom and kids. Since I will be in the wilds of North Carolina, it’s up to you to keep things interesting around here. Everyone I know has a few random trivia facts that they like to pull out at parties. One of my favorites is that both PeeWee Herman and Mr. T are in the movie The Blues Brothers. PeeWee is the wine steward at the fancy restaurant and Mr. T is in the big Ray Charles dance number. True story.
So, let’s all pretend we are at a fancy cocktail party and wow each other with our fun facts. I’ll be back next week with LOTR trivia, since there was some complaint about the lack of LOTR in last week’s magic user trivia.
Speaking of last week, here are the answers:
1. Harry Potter, 2. Harry Dresden, 3. Howl Pendragon, 4. Princess Emma from E.D. Baker’s fairy tale series, 5. Oz, 6. Granny Weatherwax, 7. Rincewind, 8. Charlie Gale, 9. Septimus Heap, 10. Eff Rothmer, 11. Paige Winterborne, 12. Alana of Trebond
*DIY trivia could have questions like “Why do you never use spray paint on styrofoam?” If any of you are watching Craft Wars, I was literally yelling at my screen when someone did this last week. I mean really.
33 replies on “Fun Time Open Thread: DIY Trivia”
1. What is your favorite color?
2. What is the purpose of your quest?
3. What is the wind speed velocity of a coconut laden sparrow?
African or European?
*Edit – this isn’t trivia. Just a thing.
I have a two-item bucket list. One was to see a live recording of A Prairie Home Companion. Did that last year. The second is to be involved in a flash mob recreating that exact scene from The Blues Brothers. I’ve honestly practiced it. It will happen . . . oh yes . . . it will happen.
I have always wanted to be part of a flash mob! I would so do it with you.
This is a real signpost in Maine. All distances are completely accurate.
I just found out who my roommate is going to be when I start college in the fall- it makes the whole thing seem so much more real. She seems awesome though! I’m so excited! I’m so nervous! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
I’ve been out of college for a very long time, and my first college roommate is still one of my dearest friends. (She’s an editor here, in fact.)
I am going to enjoy this post very thoroughly.
Let’s see, what have I made my students learn recently that got stuck to the side of my brain… all of the insects on Earth put together both outnumber and outweigh all of the other animals put together. Â
I fear I will never be able to forget that one.
Best gif ever:
It is the least pervy one on Buzzfeed’s page of Tom Daley gifs. Feel virtuous.
Ants get oxygen from tiny tubes that run through their bodies, which are open on either end. The air flows right through them, and they absorb the oxygen through the lining. Â True Fax.
Hm. . .
My town was featured in an episode of X-files. The episode “Blood” revolves around individuals in Franklin, PA, killing people after reading electronic readouts that lead them to doing so.
George Bissell, a Yale University Chemistry professor, and Edwin L. Drake, a former railroad conductor, made the first successful use of a drilling rig on August 28, 1859 near Titusville, Pennsylvania. (Although Titusville is in Crawford County, the first oil well was drilled outside of town, less than a mile inside of the Venango County boundary.) This single well soon exceeded the entire cumulative oil output of Europe since the 1650s.
Ida M. Tarbell, Famous Muckraker and all around bad ass woman, was born in Franklin, PA, in 1857. One of her most influential works was an expose called The History of the Standard Oil Company which accounted the unethical business practices and trust activities of Standard Oil. Which is, of course, amusing considering the place of her birth and the oil history involved.
I go back to work tomorrow night for the BIG stretch. I keep telling myself it’s going to be alright, but I feel so ill-prepared it’s not even funny. Long story short, the hospital I work for is MOVING this weekend and I will be there for all of the crazy fun…Wooo…
Trivia: Your brain can not feel pain. (I don’t know if this is widespread knowledge or not). Â More brain trivia: The outermost layer of your brain, spread flat, would be the size of a small tablecloth.
Yes! Which is why lots of brain surgeries are done with local anaesthetic.
http://youtu.be/PjX6ErmKY14
You can drive from Paradise to Hell in about six hours. I love my home state.
PA also has a Paradise. No Hell, though. Although we do have Intercourse, Climax, Virginville, and Bird in Hand.
My brother wore an intercourse, pa  shirt (I <3 Intercourse! with PA in smaller print below it.) to our aunt’s wedding rehearsal. It was. . . interesting.
Bird in Hand is a pretty awesome name for a town. Michigan has a Bad Axe.
Indiana has Gnaw Bone… Â I see a comment trend starting…
Holy crap. I’m at a science workshop with lots of science bigwigs (or the equivalent thereof). I’ve always found scientists are bad at articulating their thoughts to people in different disciplines, but today has made me realize that they can’t even talk to people in their own discipline either.
Luckily, we are always united by beer.
Or booze, depending on the person’s dietary needs. :)
The air conditioning broke. Fuuuuck.
On the upside, we had already been planning to stay a couple days at one of Mr. Silverwane’s friend’s house. So not only do we get to have fun, do geeky things, watch movies, and play D&D, we get to escape an air-conditioning-lacking place!
Ha! Â As I was double-checking the etymology of hussy, I came across the etymology of slut, which originally didn’t have negative connotations. Â And it has been attested!
“Our little girl Susan is a most admirable slut, and pleases us mightily. [Pepys, diary, Feb. 21, 1664]”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Language is AWESOME.
This amuses me.
Do you have the etymology to share for the collective lols?
The word hussy was originally a variation of the word housewife.
Stewardesses is a really long word you can type with just one hand. Â Maybe the longest. Â I kind of forget.
When reporters would ask Katie Holmes about Suri’s fashion sense, Katie always said, “she picks out her own clothes.” Â I said, “that’s absurd, she’s a 2-year-old. Â She might choose from her closet, but give me a break.” Â I was wrong. Â 2-year-olds can apparently be very fashionable.
Happy (?) end o’July to everyone! I guess the only trivia I can think of off of the top of my head would be: what bank is evil incarnate whose lawyers are lying scumbags that are trying to rip me off to the tune of well over half a million dollars?
Note: honorable mention goes to most any bank you want to name for the ‘evil’ part.
A: SunTrust! More like SunDON’TTRUST. I think I’m going to try and start up a legal-fee fundraiser so I can get my dang money and then write a book about all of this nonsense and can donate the proceeds towards preventing anyone else from having to ever go through anything like this.
Harrumph. I’ll try and think of a better question once my blood returns to a normal temperature…
WOOT LOTR trivia! :)
Popping into the OT to say that it’s moving day very shortly! Already left my hometown, stopping over at my Gran’s near the airport overnight. Cab’s coming at 4:30am to take us and our TEN BAGS to the airport- wish us luck! See you on Thursday, internet! (I hope)