Football/Soccer Quiz – Anwers

While American football barely uses the feet during the game, soccer is played almost entirely with the feet, so “football” is a very appropriate name. The rest of the world refers to US-style football as “American football” or “gridiron.”

Right now, people around the Globe are watching the World Cup 2014.    How much do you know about football…or for Americans, soccer. Take the Quiz

1.What is required of you to wear to play in an organized game of soccer? 

Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps the most expensive footballer

a. helmet
b. shoulder pads
c. gloves
d. shinguards

d. All organized soccer teams require the players to wear shinguards. They are plastic molds that are worn to protect your shins from kicks by other players. There are no helmets or shoulder pads in soccer and gloves can only be worn by goalies.

 

2. Are the officials called Referees? True or False

True. The officials are called referees. Other sports that have referees are football, volleyball and basketball. Baseball, softball and cricket have umpires.

 

3. What is soccer’s international championship games called?

a. World Cup
b. FIFA
c. World Series
d. Superbowl

c. The World Series is baseball’s championship, the Super Bowl is football’s, and FIFA is the organization that oversees international soccer rules. The World Cup is played every four years.

 

Pele, a 3-time World Cup winner, is considered the best soccer player in the world.

4. What soccer position, on average, runs the least?

a. midfielder
b. goalie
c. forward
d. defender

b. Goalies tend to stay very near their goals. They may come out a little if they feel they can get the ball before the attacking team arrives. Midfielders tend to run the most as they have the most ground to cover.

 

5. How is a soccer game started?

a. throw in
b. pitch
c. kickoff
d. punt

c. Kickoffs are used to start both halves of the game as well as after a goal is scored. A punt is used in football, a throw in is in soccer but it doesn’t start a game, and the first pitch is for baseball.

 

Footballer Wayne Rooney performs his bicycle kick.

6. What part of the body can’t touch the ball?

a. head
b. chest
c. inside the foot
d. palm of the hand

d. No part of the hand or arm can touch the ball. A hand ball penalty will be called and the ball is given to the other team. You can use your head (as you get older) to send the ball over the other team, you can control a wild kick to you by first bouncing the ball off your chest down to your feet, and you certainly want to use the inside of your foot to dribble the ball.

 

7. A typical final score for a game of professional soccer might be 38-27.  True or False

False. Soccer games tend to be low scoring games. You only receive 1 point for a goal and typically not very many goals are scored. Professional soccer games easily can end with a score of 1-0. Kid and recreational games tend to have a few more than that but definitely not 38-27 goals!

 

8. What size ball is considered full size?

a. 10
b. 3
c. 5
d. 1

b. Size 3 balls tend to be the size most kids start with around age 4 in organized soccer. Size 4 is recommended for ages 8-12 and the final size of 5 is for those aged 13 to adult.

 

9. When will an improper throw-in be called?

a. if you stand on the line
b. if you jump
c. if you use both hands to throw the ball
d. if you throw the ball over your head

b. A proper throw in requires both feet on the ground, both hands on the ball and the ball thrown over the head. You can’t jump, pick up a foot, throw from the side, use only one hand or toss underhand. While most coaches encourage you to be completely behind the sideline, your feet can actually be on the line, so long as you are not completely over it.

 

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Full Moon Trivia Exposed

A full moon on Friday the 13th won’t happen again for another 35 years:  Friday, August 13, 2049.

Answers to the Moon Trivia Quiz:

Wallace and Gromit find that the Moon is made of Cheese.

1. What’s the moon thought to be made of?

a. Iron and rock with magnesium, silicon, oxygen and more
b. Cheese
c. Mostly gold, silver and bronze

2. Which side of the moon is the dark side?

a. the far side
b. no such thing
c. this side

3. How far is it from Earth to the Moon, roughly?

a. 23,885 miles
b. 238,855 miles
c. 2,388,550 miles

 

4. Which of these was discovered by Apollo astronauts on the moon?

A Real man on the Moon

a. Water ice
b. Moonquakes
c. the Soviet flag

 

5. What causes a lunar eclipse?

a. Earth blocks sunlight
b. The sun blocks out the moon
c. The moon blocks sunlight

 

6. The moon is moving in which of these ways?

a. Around the Earth every day
b. Away from Earth about 1.6 inches per year
c. Toward Earth about 1.6 inches per year

 

7. What’s thought to be the moon’s origin?

a. Earth captured it
b. Formed after a Mars-sized object hit Earth
c. Formed a cloud of gas and dust along with the Earth

 

8. What makes the moon rise?

a. Earth’s rotation
b. The alignment of the stars
c. The moon’s orbit around Earth

 

9. Why is the moon pockmarked with craters?

a. Unlike Earth, there’s little weathering to erode them
b. Cheese comes that way
c. The moon gets whacked a lot more often than Earth

 

Find more about the sea’s tides: Click Here.

10. Which of these phenomena is the moon responsible for?

a. Earth’s season
b. Werewolves
c. High tide on the opposite side of Earth

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bark

From the Hershey’s Kitchens, the Chocolate Experts

 

Hershey’s Kitchens offers this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (4 oz. each) HERSHEY’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar, broken into pieces
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE’S Peanut Butter Chips
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

 

Directions:

1. Cover cookie sheet or tray with wax paper.
2. Place chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolate is melted and smooth when stirred.
3. Immediately place peanut butter chips and shortening in second microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred; stir in peanuts.
4. Alternately spoon above mixtures onto prepared tray; swirl with knife for marbled effect. Gently tap tray on countertop to even out thickness of mixture. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in cool, dry place. About 1 pound candy.
* To toast almonds: Heat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds in thin layer in shallow baking pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown; cool.

 

Don’t Look if You Have Paraskavedekatriaphobia! (Fear of Friday the 13th)

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is what happens when a fear of Fridays meets a fear of the number Thirteen (Triskaidekaphobia).

It is also called Friggatriskaidekaphobia, when someone is afraid of Friday the 13th. Nearly 20 million Americans are affected by Friggatriskaidekaphobia /Paraskevidekatriaphobia.

The modern basis for the aura that surrounds Friday the 13th stems from Friday, October the 13th, 1307. On this date, the Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant Against “the Knights Templar.” The Templars were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power that they had held for so long. There Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and before he was killed, was tortured and crucified.

Superstitions swirling around Friday as being lucky or unlucky have existed since ancient times, beginning with the northern nations. Ancient Romans dedicated the sixth day of the week to their beautiful, but vain, goddess Venus, so, when the Norsemen adopted the Roman method of naming days, they naturally adopted Venus as their name for the sixth day of the week. Their closest translation for Venus, Frigg, or Freya, eventually evolved into Friday, a day they considered to be the luckiest day of the week.

From a religious standpoint, Muslims tout Friday as the day Allah created Adam, the story goes that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit on a Friday, and later died on a Friday.  Christians consider Friday as the day on which Christ was crucified by the Romans.

The Scandinavian belief that the number 13 signified bad luck sprang from their mythological 12 demigods, who were joined by a 13th demigod, Loki, an evil cruel one, who brought upon humans great misfortune.

The number 13, in the Christian faith, is the number of parties at the Last Supper, with the 13th guest at the table being the traitor, Judas. When Christians combine this day and number, the combination can only hold special significance.

 

Part of the reason 13 got a bad rap is because it comes after 12, which is a number of “completeness.” For example: 12 months in a year, 12 hours in a clock, 12 God of Olympus, 12 Zodiac signs, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 days of Christmas, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 Apostles of Jesus and 12 eggs in a dozen.

Some may say that Friday the 13th just got a bum rap, there’s been more than a few unfortunate occurrences that happened on this infamous day.

According to Hauntedbay.com, here are a few examples of the sordid history of Friday the 13th:

– July 1951: The Great Flood killed 24 people, destroyed more than 2 million acres of land in Kansas and caused $760 million in damage.
– March 1964: The “Good Friday” earthquake wasn’t actually so good. It remains the largest earthquake in North American history, killing 131 people near Prince William Sound.
– July 1987: An F4 tornado ripped through Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people and injuring at least 300.
– March 1992: An earthquake killed nearly 2,000 people and left 50,000 homeless in Turkey.

 

And that’s not all. Here a couple scary, yet scintillating facts about Friday the Thirteenth:

– In a traditional hangman’s noose there are 13 twists of the rope and 13 steps to the gallows.
– Many buildings don’t count their 13th floors. You’ll see on their elevators that the numbers skip from 12 to 14.
– There is no 13th Avenue in San Francisco, instead Funston Avenue is between 12th and 14th Avenues.
– In Formula 1 racing, there is no car with the number 13. The number has been removed after two drivers were killed in crashes, both driving cars numbered 13.
– Killers Charles Manson, Saddam Hussein, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Theodore Bundy, and Jack The Ripper each have 13 letters in their names.

 

And lastly, these people weren’t so lucky on Friday the 13th:

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996)

– Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas on a Friday the 13th.
– Al Capone was sentenced to prison on a Friday the 13th.
– Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, died on a Friday the 13th.
– Hubert Humphrey, the 38th vice president of the United States, died on a Friday the 13th.

Whether or not a person considers Friday the 13th as unlucky, he or she must understand that this superstition, as well as others, merely stem from beliefs or practices man used, and continues to use, to explain, and to protect himself, from events beyond his control in his complicated world. He worked, and works only with the bag of knowledge he has on hand.

Only when factual, scientific bases for these beliefs are unearthed, and people do not dispel the beliefs, but instead cling to them, the beliefs become superstitions. Today’s beliefs may very well be tomorrows superstitions. Until then, however, don’t step on a crack!

 

Black Cats

Superstition, prejudice, bringer of good or bad luck?

By Monique Balas | Special to The Oregonian

Who could thing this little cutie would bring bad luck?

The black fur gene is recessive, so a cat must carry two copies of it to be black.
Scientists have found genetic mutations among several different kinds of cats that caused them to be black, meaning they are favored in nature.

Scientists also discovered that the mutations affect a gene related to one that’s resistant to HIV in humans, leading some to theorize that black cats may be resistant to disease.

In Europe, poor, lonely women often fed alley cats. When witch hysteria hit, many of these homeless women were accused of witchcraft, and their feline companions (especially black ones) were deemed guilty by association.

The Egyptian goddess Bast was thought to take the form of a black cat, so many ancient Egyptians owned black cats as a way to court her favor.

According to British lore, a black cat’s presence in a house will bring a young woman many suitors.

The British also believe that a black cat will bring its owner good luck, but coming across one accidentally brings bad luck.

Some people believe that plucking a single white hair on an otherwise ebony cat — without getting scratched — will make them lucky in love.

On Britain’s Yorkshire coast, fishermen’s wives believed owning a black cat would keep their husbands safe at sea.

 

Black cat trivia

1. Which English monarch was so devoted to his black cat that he insisted it be guarded 24 hours a day?

2. A black cat’s tail is thought to cure what ailment?

3. In Scotland, a black cat’s appearance on your porch is thought to bring what?

Answers:
1. King Charles I; the day after the cat died, he was arrested for treason.
2. Sty
3. Prosperity

 

 

The folklore surrounding black cats varies from culture to culture.

The Scottish believe that a strange black cat’s arrival to the home signifies prosperity.

In Celtic mythology, a fairy known as the Cat Sìth takes the form of a black cat.

Black cats are also considered good luck in Japan. Furthermore, it is believed that a lady who owns a black cat will have many suitors.

However in Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens, specifically being suspected of being the familiars of witches, and so most of Europe considers the black cat a symbol of bad luck, especially if one crosses paths with a person, which is believed to be an omen of misfortune and death.

In Germany, some believe that black cats crossing a person’s path from right to left, is a bad omen. But from left to right, the cat is granting favorable times.

The gambling world is afraid of black cats: it is believed that if, while traveling to a casino, a black cat crosses a gambler’s road or path, that person should not go to the casino; most players believe that black cats bring bad luck.

The black cat in folklore has been able to change into human shape to act as a spy or courier for witches or demons. When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, they brought with them a devout faith in the Bible. They also brought a deepening suspicion of anything deemed of the devil and were a deeply suspicious group. They viewed the black cat as a companion, or a familiar to witches. Anyone caught with a black cat would be severely punished or even killed. They viewed the black cat as part demon and part sorcery.

During the Middle Ages, these superstitions led people to kill black cats. This had the unintended consequence of increasing the rat population and the spread of the Black Death (bubonic plague) and other diseases carried by rodents. There is no evidence from England of regular large-scale massacres of “satanic” cats, or of burning them in midsummer bonfires, as sometimes occurred elsewhere in Europe.

However, the supernatural powers ascribed to black cats were sometimes viewed positively, for example sailors considering a “ship’s cat” would want a black one because it would bring good luck. Sometimes, fishermen’s wives would keep black cats at home too, in the hope that they would be able to use their influence to protect their husbands at sea.

The view of black cats being favorable creatures is attributed specifically to the Egyptian goddess Bast (or Bastet), the cat goddess. Egyptian households believed they could gain favor from Bastet by hosting black cats in their household. This view was held in the early 17th century by the English monarch Charles I. Upon the death of his treasured pet black cat, he is said to have lamented that his luck was gone. True to his claim, he was arrested the very next day and charged with high treason.

Pirates of the 18th century believed that a black cat would bring different kinds of luck. If a black cat walks towards someone, that person will have bad luck. If a black cat walks away from someone then that person will have good luck. If a black cat walks onto a ship and then walks off it, the ship is doomed to sink on its next trip. Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared to other colors except brown, although black animals in general take more time to find homes.  Some shelters also suspend or limit adoptions of black cats around Halloween for fear they will be tortured, or used as “living decorations” for the holiday and then abandoned. However, in the history of humane work, no one has ever documented any relationship between adopting black cats, and cats being killed or injured. When such killings are reported, forensic evidence has pointed to natural predators, such as coyotes, eagles, or raptors as the likely cause. August 17 is “Black Cat Appreciation Day.”

In the early days of television in the United States, many stations located on VHF channel 13 used a black cat as a mascot in order to make sport of being located on an “unlucky” channel number.

World Cup Quiz

While American football barely uses the feet during the game, soccer is played almost entirely with the feet, so “football” is a very appropriate name. The rest of the world refers to US-style football as “American football” or “gridiron.”

Right now, people around the Globe are watching the World Cup 2014. How much do you know about football…or for Americans, soccer. Take the Quiz.

1.What is required of you to wear to play in an organized game of soccer?

a. helmet

b. shoulder pads

c. gloves

d. shinguards

 

2. Are the officials called Referees?  True or False

 

3. What is soccer’s international championship games called?

a. World Cup

b. FIFA

c. World Series

d. Superbowl

 

4. What soccer position, on average, runs the least?

A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time.

a. midfielder

b. goalie

c. forward

d. defender

 

 

5. How is a soccer game started?

a. throw in

b. pitch

c. kickoff

d. punt

 

 

6. What part of the body can’t touch the ball?

a. head

b. chest

c. inside the foot

d. palm of the hand

 

 

7. A typical final score for a game of professional soccer might be 38-27.   True or False?

 

Bend it Like Beckham – David Beckham

8. What size ball is considered full size?

a. 10

b. 3

c. 5

d. 1

 

9. When will an improper throw-in be called?

a. if you stand on the line

b. if you jump

c. if you use both hands to throw the ball

d. if you throw the ball over your head

 

Moon Trivia Quiz

Enjoy the full moon this Friday the 13th… it won’t occur for another 25 years.

This Friday the 13th may be a bit more scary for some as there is also a full moon.

A full moon on Friday the 13th won’t happen again for another 35 years: Friday, August 13, 2049.

Take Moon Trivia Quiz:

1. What’s the moon thought to be made of?

a. Iron and rock with magnesium, silicon, oxygen and more
b. Cheese
c. Mostly gold, silver and bronze

2. Which side of the moon is the dark side?

a. the far side
b. no such thing
c. this side

3. How far is it from Earth to the Moon, roughly?

a. 23,885 miles
b. 238,855 miles
c. 2,388,550 miles

 

A Real man on the Moon

4. Which of these was discovered by Apollo astronauts on the moon?

a. Water ice
b. Moonquakes
c. the Soviet flag

 

5. What causes a lunar eclipse?

a. Earth blocks sunlight
b. The sun blocks out the moon
c. The moon blocks sunlight

 

6. The moon is moving in which of these ways?

a. Around the Earth every day
b. Away from Earth about 1.6 inches per year
c. Toward Earth about 1.6 inches per year

 

7. What’s thought to be the moon’s origin?

a. Earth captured it
b. Formed after a Mars-sized object hit Earth
c. Formed a cloud of gas and dust along with the Earth

 

8. What makes the moon rise?

a. Earth’s rotation
b. The alignment of the stars
c. The moon’s orbit around Earth

 

In the pioneering cinematography of George Méliès’ (1861-1938) the creator of A trip to the Moon (1902), the man in the moon, far from being a remote or mysterious figure, is hit in the eye by a spaceship!

9. Why is the moon pockmarked with craters?

a. Unlike Earth, there’s little weathering to erode them
b. Cheese comes that way
c. The moon gets whacked a lot more often than Earth

 

10. Which of these phenomena is the moon responsible for?

a. Earth’s season
b. Werewolves
c. High tide on the opposite side of Earth

Celebrate Old Glory with Proper Flag Etiquette

‘Mending the Flag illustration by Norman Rockwell

June 14 is Flag Day in the United States of America.

Properly Display United States of America’s Flag

Care and handling of the American flag is steeped in tradition and respect. There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag. This is called Flag Etiquette. The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying  the American flag:

 

• The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.
• In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.
• The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.
• The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.
• After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It’s  called “half staff” on land ,and “half mast” on a ship.
• When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or “union”, is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).
• The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.
• The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.
• Never let your flag touch the ground, never…period.
• Fold your flag when storing. Don’t just stuff it in a drawer or box.
•  When your flag is old and has seen  better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.

Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see.Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony.

A Friday the 13th Ride in the New Mercedes

The £500,000 SLR Stirling Moss (Photo by The Sun)

A man bought a new Mercedes to celebrate his wife leaving him and was out on the interstate for a nice evening drive. The top was down, the breeze was blowing through what was left of his hair and he decided to open her up. As the needle jumped up to 80 mph, he suddenly saw flashing red and blue lights behind him.

“There’s no way they can catch a Mercedes,” he thought to himself and opened her up further. The needle hit 90, 100…..Then the reality of the situation hit him. “What am I doing?” he thought and pulled over.

The cop came up to him, took his license without a word and examined it and the car. “It’s been a long hard day, this is the end of my shift and it’s Friday the 13th. I don’t feel like more paperwork, I don’t need the frustration or the overtime, so if you can give me a really good excuse for your driving that I haven’t heard before, you can go.”

The guy thinks about it for a second and says, “Last week my nagging wife ran off with a cop. I was afraid you were trying to give her back!”

“Have a nice weekend,” said the officer.