We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:32:37 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification ...everybody's sleeping in. Soooo, just to see if your neurons are still triggering, here's a little quiz: passing grade is 40%. Well, it's a *surprise* quiz, right? 1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) From which animal do we get catgut? 4) In which month did the Soviets celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI's first name? 8) What color is a purple finch? 9) Where do Chinese gooseberries come... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:02:38 -0600 Nup, you're on a hiding to nothing there Bill. For a start no one buys Chinese gooseberries from New Zealand, they buy kiwifruit. The A&P Marketing board have naming rights because they're the guys who market our fruit. By the they renamed them again because frankly it pisses us off that they've allowed people to thing kiwi are fruit but the damage is done and no one knows they're suposed to be calling them something else now. If only we could get them to sell some of the fruits in our parliament they'd be of some use to us. Chinese gooseberries come from China and still do. Just that no one buys them. Lead content or formaldehyde or something. Just because you choose to purchase something from one place rather than the source that doesn't make its point of origin. We're just the middle man in this fruit salad. Interestingly France doesn't buy any. Apparently they can't stand the green piece in the middle. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65355 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65355 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:03:19 -0600 I got a couple. IOW, I went down in flames. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65342 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65342 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:53:16 -0600 Once here they were renamed "kiwifruit"...by the apple and pear marketing board... So, we've got a Kiwi goosing the Chinese and the Apple and Pear Marketing Board giving everybody else the berries? And why does the Apple and Pear Marketing Board have naming rights over berries? Can they market honey under the name "Trebuchet treacle"? Besides, the question was, "Where do Chinese gooseberries come from?" They may have *originated* in China, but they *come* here from New Zealand. Which is okay, because now the grocers don't have to worry about 'em being recalled for too much lead in the seeds or insufficient tread in the rind or whatever...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65336 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65336 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:15:57 -0600 BEEEHHHBBB Point of order Mr Speaker. "Chinese gooseberries" in fact came from China, as did a lot of gold prospectors and they now all own fruit and veg shops so it all worked out. Once here they were renamed "kiwifruit" (the Chinese gooseberries, NOT the gold prospectors) by the apple and pear marketing board and are exported as such. You call them kiwi because you are a. victims of marketing & b. Wrong. Hence "Chinese gooseberries" come from China & what comes from New Zealand is "kiwifruit". Don't act all suprised, you knew I'd be jumping in. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65333 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65333 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:08:58 -0600 Let's see...I answered correctly (or close enough for government work) on 1,3,4,6,8, and 10. What do I win????? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65331 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65331 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:37:09 -0600 Petroleum Refinery And though when speaking my natal tongue, I may sound like a Canarian, at least I don't bark like a Plinian Pooch]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65329 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65329 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:23:17 -0600 How Did That Canary Get Its Name?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65328 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65328 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:49:50 -0600 I got four. *preens* Actually, very frustrating... I knew some of those weren't obvious but couldn't remember the answers. :P http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65327 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65327 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:41:04 -0600 Maybe that's why my BS was in Psychology. [rimshot] And the Instapilot provides the comedy! I got 'em all. But only because I'd seen this thing before, on the innernuts, about 10 times. I think my original score was about 4.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65325 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65325 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 06:49:13 -0600 Missed #1, 4, 5, and 7. My kids will surely mock me now. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65324 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65324 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 01:01:48 -0600 There are PURPLE FINCHES???? Yup. Got about ten of 'em that visit the feeder -- I thought they were fox sparrows 'til one of 'em decided to make a nest in the hanging geranium on the porch. Okay was the dog named Canary, or did he just sing well? Heh. The Canaries were named after the dogs (Insulae Canaris) and now the dogs are named after the Islands (Presa Canario). (amazing what you can remember from HS world history class). So you remembered something from last year. Big whoop... ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65323 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65323 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 23:14:06 -0600 I got 2, 3, 4, and 10. I do threaten my kitty with being a tennis racket after death if he's not a good kitty, though. He just yawns. Dammit. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65321 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65321 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:18:52 -0600 Only one I got was #4(amazing what you can remember from HS world history class). Knew catgut wasn't made of feline intestines, but not what it actually was made of. Yeah, I suck this week. So sue me. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65320 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65320 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:11:42 -0600 The Canaries are named after the canines found there by the Romans. Age helps me remember things like this, but not by personal experience of Roman canines, though. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65317 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65317 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:49:44 -0600 6) The Canary Islands are named after what animal? Okay was the dog named Canary, or did he just sing well?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65316 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65316 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:45:19 -0600 1) not a hundred years, I remembered that much. Silly Europeans never read the spec. 2)Don't know/Don't care/stupid hats 3)Not cats, I remembered that much. Otherwise there would be a lot more maimed violinists. 4)My first guess was Thermidor. I get these revolutions mixed up. 5)Not camel, I'm pretty sure about this. 6)I thought it was Canary wine which isn't usually classified as an animal although I admit I haven't sampled any of the older years. 7) "Hey You". 8) There are PURPLE FINCHES???? 9) There are CHINESE GOOSEBERRIES??? 10) Orange. See, Bill? Yet another thing you can do better than me. Besides hypnotize a bucket of bolts into flying in formation, that is. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65315 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65315 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:30:43 -0600 Yeah, but that was during the *original* change, back in 1752. Ummmm, anything I goofed up *after* that comes under the heading of Short-Term Memory Loss... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65314 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65314 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:29:19 -0600 I'm surprised that you forgot about that Julian calendar thing too. I remember you telling me how when that happened, you were messed up for months! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65313 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65313 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:05:20 -0600 I didn't have a clue about #3. I dropped the ball on #4 because I totally forgot the Russians used the Julian Calendar until 1918. Dang. Wish I'd been born rich instead of witty, intelligent and good-lookin'. Now watch BCR chime in with an ace... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65312 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65312 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:27:01 -0600 I got 2 of 'em ... #3 and #10. Guess I'm not as trivial as I thought I was. Heh. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65309 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65309 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:17:00 -0600 This reminded me of my Electrical Engineering exams at USAFA...I got one (#10) right...and since this will probably be graded on the curve, I'll get, um, a C. Hey, my 28/100 got a B in a second-year EE course. Maybe that's why my BS was in Psychology. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65308 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/10/looks_like_soun.html#comment-65308 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:50:44 -0600