Major League Baseball Trivia

Worldwide, sports celebrities like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Lebron James and the like, would lead a lot of people to think that basketball is the premiere sport in the US. Well, that is an incorrect impression. Baseball is the number one sport in the US, and Major League Baseball (MLB) is considered to be American professional baseball's highest level of play.

The MLB is actually a joint organizational structure that has operated both the American League and the national League since 1903. It is composed of thirty teams. All thirty teams are from the US except for one from Canada.

The American League and the national League have the same rules and regulations except for one. The former uses the Designated Hitter Rule while the latter does not. The American League has 14 teams while the national League has 16 teams. Each league has 3 divisions, namely, East, West and Central.

Interleague games seldom happen except for certain designated times of the year. In the year 2000, the two leagues were disbanded as separate entities with their functions and rights consolidated.

Being in the baseball business for more than a century already, it is all but expected that many interesting facts surround Major League Baseball. Here is a sample of some of the more noteworthy events.

The period from 1900 to 1919 was called the "dead-ball era" for two reasons. First, because of the low scoring games at the time. The pitchers then, such as Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and other greats pitched very well. So well, in fact, that very few players managed to score.

The second reason is the high cost of the baseballs. The price of three dollars per ball was a big sum at that time. In fact, those 3 dollars in 1900 is equal to 65 dollars today.

Because of this, the same baseball was used over and over again, even after it already lasted an entire game. These balls were already dark and muddy, grass ingrained into them, lumpy and misshapen, but were still used for the succeeding games. This fact must have contributed to the low scoring games as well, since the balls were not in great shape.

Nowadays, good pitching is a commodity. This is because players can easily reach 4 to 50 home runs in a season. This is in great contrast to the dead-ball era. Thus came the "phantom pitch" called the gyroball. This type of pitch was called such because although it is quite effective, very few can do it, like college player Joey Niezer and Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Another interesting bit of trivia regarding baseball is the first team to wear a baseball uniform, the New York Knickerbockers. It happened on April 4, 1849 and the uniforms they wore were made of white flannel shirts, blue wool pants and straw hats. By 1900, all teams in the Major League wore uniforms.

In 2005, following the steroid scandal in baseball wherein there were allegations of the MLB top players using illegal, performance enhancing drugs, stricter policies regarding steroid use were implemented. The policy suspends players for 10 games for first time offenders, 30 games for second time offenders, 60 games for third, one full year for fourth time offenders and a penalty depending on the Commissioner's discretion for the fifth time offender.

By 2005, of the 750 players of the MLB, 204 are Americans, 91 are from the Dominican Republic, 46 from Venezuela and 34 from Puerto Rico. They make up 25% of all players.

The 10 Most Popular Movies of All Time - A Cheat Sheet

Are you a movie dunce? Do you not know your Corleone from your Kurosawa? Would you recognise a lightsaber if it hit you in the face? Well, don't panic. To help you catch up on your movie knowledge here 's a crash course in the top 10 movies of all time, as voted by the readers of the Internet Movie Database. Careful, though... here be spoilers.

10. Star Wars IV: A New Hope

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away . . .

Luke Skywalker, farmhand and son of Darth Vader, is torn from his home when his aunt and uncle are murdered by Imperial Storm Troopers searching for the stolen plans to the Death Star, a space station with weaponry capable of destroying planets. Luke escapes with his two droids, Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi, smuggler Han Solo and first mate Chewbacca.

After escaping Tatooine, the ragtag crew stumble upon the Death Star shortly after it has destroyed the planet Alderaan. Caught by its tractor beam, their ship is dragged in. While attempting to escape the Death Star the team rescue Princess Leia, held prisoner in the ships bowels. During the rescue Obi Wan sacrifices himself to allow the others to escape.

In a grand finale, Luke destroys the Death Star by firing a missile into a weak spot in the structure of the ship and Darth Vader, is cannoned off into the depths of space.

Quote: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Trivia: Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds and James Caan reportedly turned down the role of Han Solo.

9. Pulp Fiction

A movie whose various plotlines are far too intertwined to summarise in a paragraph or two, Pulp Fiction simply tells the story of a day in the life of a group of unusual people -- two hitmen, the wife of a gangster, and a boxer who killed in the ring among others.

Edited to tie each story together, the movie often plays out of sequence -- to the point where the final scene and the opening scene take place at the same time. Full of pop culture references and quotable lines, Pulp Fiction stays true to form as a Tarantino movie.

Quote: Zed 's dead, baby. Zed 's dead.

Trivia: Vincent Vega (John Travolta) is the brother of Vic Vega, also known as Mr Blonde, in Reservoir Dogs.

8. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Set during the US Civil War, the movie follows the three protagonists Blondie (The Good), Snake Eyes (The Bad) and Tuco (The Ugly) in their search for a hoard of gold stolen by bank robber Bill Carson. All three want 50% of the gold -- resulting in a good old-fashioned standoff. Snake Eyes is shot dead, and the honorable Blondie allows Tuco his share of the booty.

Quote: You see, in this world there 's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.

Trivia: Clint Eastwood wore the same poncho for all three 'Man With No Name' movies -- without washing it once.

7. Schindler 's List

Schindler 's List tells the true story of Oscar Schindler, a Nazi industrialist who becomes so moved by the plight of the Jewish people during World War II that he devotes himself to saving as many as he can. Even after rescuing over 1,100 Jews from the gas chamber, Schindler bemoans the fact that he could have saved more had he sacrificed everything he had.

Quote: I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don't know. If I'd just... I could have got more.

Trivia: Steven Spielberg refused to take any pay for the film, claiming that it would feel like he was taking 'blood money'.

6. The Seven Samurai

Regarded as Akira Kurosawa 's greatest film, the Seven Samurai tells the story of a terrorised village in war-torn 16th Century Japan. Constantly attacked by gangs of bandits, the residents enlist the services of seven ronin, or samurai without masters, to protect them.

Despite initial tensions between the villagers and the samurai, they together successfully defend the village against the bandits. However, their success comes at the cost of the lives of four samurai.

Quote: What 's the use of worrying about your beard when your head 's about to be taken?

Trivia: The three samurai whose characters survived the film were the first three to die in real life.

5. Casablanca

Hiding out in Casablanca, Morocco during World War II, exiled American and former freedom fighter Rick Blaine passes the time running a popular nightspot. Blaine 's tedium is interrupted when Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo arrives with his beautiful wife Ilsa -- Blaine 's ex-lover.

Blaine holds the key to Laszlo 's safe passage out of the country, and Ilsa offers herself to him in exchange for her husband 's safety. Blaine faces the choice of sacrificing Laszlo to win back Ilsa, but in the end decides to do the honorable thing...

Quote: If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

Trivia: The line 'Here 's lookin' at you, kid' was voted the 5th most well known movie line in history by the American Film Institute.

4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The third and final instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King offers an epic finale to Frodo 's quest (thousands of extras took part in the filming to add to the drama). Finally arriving at Mt. Doom, Frodo is overcome by exhaustion and the stress of bearing the Ring. Helped by Sam, Frodo manages to make his way into the volcano.

At the last moment he finds himself unable to throw the Ring into the magma, choosing instead to wear it. Gollum, surviving Frodo 's earlier attempt on his life, attacks Frodo and bites off his finger, removing the ring. Losing his grip, Gollum falls into the pit along with the Ring, breaking its hold over Frodo and killing Sauron.

With Sauron 's death his army is destroyed, just in time to save the army of Men, poised to fight to the death at the gates of Mordor.

Quote: Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you.

Trivia: The Return of the King used over seven times the number of special effects shots used in an average movie.

3. The Godfather: Part II

Split between two timelines, the second instalment of The Godfather trilogy follows Don Vito Corleone through his adolescence in Sicily and New York during the early 20th Century, and later his rise to power as a Mafia Don. It also returns to a point a few years after the conclusion of the first movie, with Michael Corleone running the family interests following his father 's death.

After learning that his brother Fredo has betrayed the family, Michael must order his execution.

Quote: I know it was you Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!

Trivia: Robert de Niro won an Oscar for his portrayal of a young Vito Corleone. De Niro and Marlon Brando are the only actors to win Oscars for the portrayal of the same character.

2. The Shawshank Redemption

Based on a novella by Steven King, The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of Andy Dufresne, a successful banker wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. Given two life sentences, Dufresne is sent to the maximum security Shawshank Prison where he befriends Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, a lifer who helps him adjust to prison life.

Over the next twenty years their friendship grows while Andy has a positive effect on the inmates, helping to establish a prison library and education system. Unfortunately, the mean-spirited and criminal warden beats down Andy 's spirit until he finally escapes through a tunnel that took him two decades to dig.

In a final act of revenge Andy exposes the warden 's crimes, driving him to suicide to avoid being sent to prison. Red is later released on parole, and tracks down Andy to a beach in Mexico.

Quote: Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Trivia: The mugshots of Morgan Freeman as a young man are actually pictures of his real life son, Alfonso.

1. The Godfather

Adapted from Mario Puzo 's seminal Mafia novel, the first instalment of The Godfather trilogy sees Don Vito Corleone, head of the Corleone crime family, struggle with the realities of a changing world. When he refuses to work with drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo in a scheme to push heroin in New York, he falls foul of Sollozzo 's backers the Tattaglia family.

When Vito is wounded in an attempted assassination his son Michael -- previously determined to have nothing to do with the family business -- volunteers to kill Sollozzo. Following the execution Michael is sent to Sicily to hide out until it is safe to return. After Michael 's brother Sonny is executed by the rival Barzini family, Michael safely returns and takes his place as the head of the family in time to see Vito Corleone die of a heart attack. In revenge for the attacks on his family Michael arranges for the murder of the heads of the other families, to take place during the baptism ceremony of his nephew.

Following the baptism Michael orders the execution of the father of the baptised child -- and his own brother in-law -- Carlo Rizzi, in retribution for Carlo 's role in setting up Sonny 's death. The movie ends with the widow, Michael 's sister Connie, suspecting that Michael was involved in Carlo 's death.

Quote: I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

Trivia: Sofia Coppola, the director 's daughter, played the baby baptised at the end of the movie. She returned to play the role of Michael 's daughter Mary in The Godfather: Part III).

So there you have it. If you've been paying attention you should now have just enough knowledge of the top ten movies of all time to bluff your way through a conversation with a movie buff. These bare bones won't take you far, though, so I suggest you set aside some time, get a big bucket of popcorn, sit back and enjoy the best of Hollywood. You won't be disappointed.

James Shenton is a freelance writer and cinema buff whose work can often be found gracing the pages of industry journals and entertainment portals. You can find more of his work at the Internet 's best movie downloads site, http://www.EliteMovieDownloads.com.

General Knowledge Quiz Questions From Fun Trivia

Question: Who were ziggurats?

Answer: Stepped towers or temple towers

Interesting Fact: A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.

Question: Who wrote Bambi?

Answer: Siegmund Salzmann aka Felix Salten

Interesting Fact: Bambi, ein Leben im Walde (Bambi, A Life in the Woods) is a book by Felix Salten, first printed in 1923. Bambi is the name of the main character, a male roe deer beginning life as a fawn, then an adolescent spike, and finally a buck. Felix Salten was the pen-name of Siegmund Salzmann, who was born in Budapest, Hungary but grew up in Vienna, Austria. The book was translated from German into English by Whittaker Chambers, who needed to supplement his income while working at a Communist newspaper. Felix Salten wrote a sequel, entitled Bambi's Children.

Question: What percent of its life does an albatross spend gliding?

Answer: 90 percent

Interesting Fact: Albatrosses are among the most spectacular gliders of all birds; in windy weather they can stay aloft for hours without flapping their wings. They drink seawater and usually eat squid. Albatrosses come ashore only to breed, in colonies typically established on remote oceanic islands. Adults of common species attain wingspans of 7 – 11 feet. Albatrosses live long and may be among the few birds to die of old age. They were once held in awe by seamen, who held that killing one would bring bad luck.

Question: What is the world?s smallest primate?

Answer: lesser mouse lemur

Interesting Fact: These are 1 ounce in size and are nocturnal, with correspondingly large eyes, and essentially arboreal, with relatively long tails. The tarsal bones in the heel region of the foot are mildly elongated. The fur is dense and woolly in all species. As a general rule, species inhabiting the eastern rainforest tend to be rufous (reddish brown) in dorsal coloration, while those living in the dryer forests in the west are grayer. In all species, the ventral fur is considerably lighter and varies from white through cream to yellowish brown. The external ears (pinnae) are relatively large and, in some species, very conspicuous.

Question: In September 1925 what safety feature was added to London streets?

Answer: White lines to mark the center of the road

Interesting Fact: The idea of painting a centre white line was first experimented in 1921 in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. Following complaints by residents over reckless driving and several collisions, the Sutton Coldfield Corporation decided to paint the line on Maney Corner in the area of Maney.

Question: How many different kinds of animals are represented in animal crackers?

Answer: 37

Interesting Fact: Animal shaped crackers, first produced in 1902 by National Biscuit Co. as Barnum's animal crackers.

Find more interesting facts and free trivia questions and answers at http://trivialtopics.net/

All About Pizza Facts

All About Pizza

by: Sean Lannin

The term pizza covers a lot of territory. If you want to learn all about pizzas, then you should have a bit of a background on pizzas: specifically the history of pizza, pizza origin, pizza facts, and even pizza trivia such as who invented pizza. The subject also delves into the different types and styles of pizzas. The varieties currently existing defy any attempts at enumeration. Thus, most people who attempt such a task stop at a broad categorization of pizza types according to certain attributes such as crust thickness, crust elasticity, crust baking and cooking procedures, toppings, etc. Aside from general, historical or trivial information, other things are of interest to the pizza lovers. For instance, homemade pizza enthusiasts would like to know certain tips and tricks for making pizza. This includes pizza making techniques, the best pizza crust recipes, pizza toppings, homemade pizza sauce, etc. Some other interesting topics will be frozen pizza dough and where best to attain them, what are the criteria for choosing the, what are the methods for preparing them, etc.

It must be obvious that this article is a mite ambitious for wishing to tackle something entitled "all about pizza." However, an attempt is definitely warranted, so here goes.

Some pizza facts and trivia

Accounts of pizza history always begin with the origin of pizza. This one might as well follow the same tack. We have to thank any civilization or race that baked flat bread on hot stones or stone ovens for pizza, for almost certainly, bread like the focaccia was the "mother of the pizza crust." However, the invention of the pizza is more properly attributed to the Neapolitans - the people of Naples, Italy who were baking and making pizza crust topped with tomatoes, oil, and Italian herbs, and spices. This rudimentary and traditional Italian pizza was common peasant fare in Naples. If you want an individual originator and inventor of pizzas, however, then you won't be wrong if you cite Rafaelle Esposito - a native of Naples; he modified the basic Neapolitan pizza recipe and came up with three variants that added mozzarella cheese to the rudimentary Italian pizza toppings.

Now, if you are looking for some topics for small conversation, then you must remember the following trivia. One note of caution, though; you shouldn't blurt these out just to anybody or you'll sound decidedly corny and geeky. Make sure you're talking to someone interested in pizzas before you use the following trivia as conversational gambits.

" Most people in the United States love pepperoni; the least liked toppings are anchovies.

" Pizza was called (and is still called) tomato pie and pizza pie in certain parts of the States.

" The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in New York.

" The pizza industry is worth more than 30 billion dollars in the United States alone and Americans consume around three billion units of pizza every year.

" New York pizza is traditionally plain. Supposedly, New York pizza is unique because of the acidity and hardness of the water in New York. New Yorkers therefore claim that only in New York can you make real New York Pizza.

(New Yorkers must admit, however, that if water is the unique characteristic of New York pizzas, one who uses water adjusted for hardness and acidity to reflect New York water conditions, adds all the usual New York pizza ingredients and toppings, follows all the procedures strictly but makes the pizza in New Jersey can conceivably make an authentic, New York style pizza. But such an assertion, some would say, is just plain cheek.)

Pizza types and pizza styles

The first step to a great homemade pizza is determining what type of pizza you wish to make. After all, different types of pizza have different attributes and thus call for different types of pizza base, pizza toppings and cooking techniques. Would you like to make an authentic Italian pizza, a New York style pizza, a California style pizza, or a Chicago style pizza?

Italian pizza is generally lean, although when you add cheese, its fat level generally rises in proportion. There are various kinds of Italian pizza, too. There are Neapolitan pizzas, of which there are two general types: the marinara and the Margherita. There are various combinations of these as well. Authentic Italian pizza, moreover, is supposedly baked on wood-fired or even coal-fired, stone ovens.

New York pizza, as abovementioned, is generally plain. The mainstay of New York pizza is mozzarella cheese - fresh mozzarella cheese to be precise. One can add garlic, different types of cheeses, anchovies, shrimp, etc but these are usually optional. The pizza dough recipe for traditional New York pizza, on the other hand, calls for high-gluten flour. The result is firm, usually thin, chewy pizza.

The California style pizza is generally known for gourmet flavors. You can say the California pizza has countless variations. The pizza crust, in this case, is light, crisp and generally well risen. The toppings can be out of this world - generally California pizza makers experiment a lot with all kinds of meat, sea food, breakfast dishes, and vegetable for the toppings.

The Chicago style pizza, on the other hand, is generally crusty and very filling. They are characterized by their raised edges; imagine a pre-baked apple pie crust where you can place the fillings on top. Chicago pizza is usually meaty (some variants come stuffed with cheeses and meat layers) and it is eaten with a knife and fork.

You can also start by deciding on the flavor you want. Do you want to make a cheese pizza, a vegetarian pizza or a fruit pizza? Perhaps you want to make a low fat pizza, a low carb pizza, a healthy pizza? Sourdough pizza is also another variant.

Take your pick among your many options. Once you have decided, choosing the recipe would be much easier. If you have decided on an Italian pizza, for instance, then find your Italian pizza crust recipe, your Italian pizza sauce recipe and the overall Italian pizza recipe that will give you a list of toppings and pizza preparation procedures for making an authentic Italian pizza. For an easier time of it, you can opt to use Italian-style frozen pizza dough then just follow the Italian pizza recipe that you've found.

Some pizza making tips and techniques

Hand tossing will help you minimize the lumps in your pizza dough. However, this should be done only after sufficient pizza dough kneading. This process lets your pizza dough develop into the right kind of consistency - that which is suitable for stretching and hand tossing. Hand tossing, however, is not advisable for thick pizza crust varieties.

If you want a crisp and firm pizza that retains its structure even when the moist toppings are added, you can bake the pizza crust before you add the toppings and the pizza sauce. However, for thin pizza crusts, baking the crust after the toppings and sauce have been added is sufficient. For uniform baking and crisping of the crust, use a pizza stone or a pizza screen.

Finally, remember that the protein content of your flour will influence the end product. High-gluten flour will lead to a crisp but chewy crust. Gluten-free flour, however, may lead to very soft dough; additives may have to be used to give the pizza dough strength.

Quick pizza crust recipes and easy homemade pizza recipes of all kinds and style are easily available online. There are tips for baking and preparing frozen pizza dough, making your own pizza dough, preparing the ingredients for the best pizza crust recipe, etc. All you need to start making your very own pizza recipe is an internet connection, a good source of basic pizza recipe, great pizza equipment, your imagination, and lots of time and resources for experimentation.

Smoking Facts – The Horrible Truth

Smoking Facts – The Horrible Truth

Author: Tim Bock

Smoking is a deadly habit that affects millions of people. Even though it’s so deadly, people still continue to do it. Here are a few facts on the subject.

Let’s hope they will encourage people to try to quite.

• People who smoke die on average 16 years younger than non-smokers. These deaths are usually diseases related to cancer and stroke.

• On average smokers spend over $3,000 a year on cigarettes. This means person who smokes 20 years will end up spending well over $60,000.

• It only takes a relatively short time for your body to start to recover. If you quit it will only take 3 months for you to see improvement in the functions of all your internal organs. The risk of heart attack drops and lungs will begin to get healthier

• Your children will suffer from more ear, nose and chest infections from the second hand smoke. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also becomes an increased risk.

• Finding and keeping jobs will become increasingly challenging. Since its common knowledge that smokers are much more likely to miss work due to illness employers have become wary of hiring smokers.

• Romantic relationships also become harder to come by. Who would want to go out with someone who has bad breath and stained teeth? Talk about running the mood!

While some of these facts can seem scary, just remember that it’s never too late to quite. The sooner you stop smoking, the sooner you can start living a happier, healthier life. By quitting your loved ones will be proud of you, both because you overcame a huge obstacle and because you care enough about yourself and your loved ones to take action. That first step is the hardest, but don’t be afraid to take action today. Your loved ones will thank you for it.

For more information on the harmful effects of smoking, please visit: Stop Smoking Today a website that specializes in fighting the addiction that smoking causes including the side effects of smoking.

Some Amazing Facts All About Liverpool Football Club

By Shaun Baird

From humble beginnings, Liverpool Footballl Club emerged in 1892 to become a truly proud, very successful football club. Below you can find some amazing statistics.

Did you know that their stadium can hold a massive 45,362 people when full? Incredible.

Michael Owen holds the record for being their youngest ever goalscorer - he did it in 1997 when playing against Wimbledon on May 6th at the age of 17 and 144 days. The oldest goalscorer is Billy Liddell who put one away against Stoke City at the age of 38 years and 55 days on the 5th March 1960.

The most number of hat-tricks were completed by Gordon Hodgkinson who managed 17, while the most number of hat tricks scored during a single season was Roger Hunt who managed 5 hat tricks during 1961-1962.

Liverpool can boast some hefty top goalscorers too - we have got Ian Rush who managed 346 goals for the first team, while Roger Hunt managed 245 league goals.

One of the worst goalscorers was Ephraim Longworth who managed 371 games without a goal.

The highest transfer fee they ever paid was for Fernando Torres, while the highest recorded amount of money they received was £12.5 million for Robbie Fowler.

You can buy an official supporters club membership from them and get some incredible deals which include free access to watch reserves games and various discounts all round - what a great club!

About the Author:

I can't believe this has been done. InfinityThemes have created some amazing and yet highly unique Liverpool Football Club Wallpapers for your mobile phone. Come and take a good look. Don't reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Giant Squid Facts

The giant squid is one of the monstrous creatures still alive and always alluring many researchers around the world but till this time seems more mystifying as none of the giant squids are captured alive and the research is based on the corpses which are washed ashore. This has led the scientists and researchers to study this mammoth sea creature from the carcasses washed ashore. With limited samples, the researchers have been able to know some amazing facts about this mammoth sea creature and one such aspect is its intelligence. Yes! The giant squids are intelligent creatures and it is no myth. Most of the giant squid are highly intelligent and at times very gentle There is an alien intelligence existing beneath the deep waters, a bizarre life form that appears to be breeding by the hundreds in cold black waters far below the surface. This intelligence resides in the giant squids that have three hearts, primate-like stereoscopic eyes, blue blood and brains large enough to suggest they are among the smartest creatures on earth.

The giant squids are smart hunters and during their hunt for food they make use of this quality, the intelligence, very much. Giant squids have been called the most opportunistic killers in the sea. They have been observed employing cooperative hunting techniques, yet they will not vacillate to overeat upon one another should they sense the slightest possible opening. It is being found that they will attack anything over which they sense an advantage, including humans.

Giant squids have been the most mystifying sea creature since a long time with more myths and tales than concrete scientific information. This has troubled the squid researchers as nothing was known about this giant creature. But recent studies have generated some success and a few details are now known about this creature. The food habit of the giant squid have also been a great mystery for the researchers but some of the recent studies on these creatures show that giant squid eat deep-sea fishes, such as orange ruffie, and hokie. They also eat some other species of squids, such as deep-sea squids, and not architeuthis, not the giant squid.

Another interesting factor about the giant squid is the eight arms it has which can grow up to 3 meters in length, but eventually none of them are used to grab prey. These two longer tentacles actually catch the prey. Giant squid have tentacles that may grow a length of 10-12 meters. At the other end, away from the head, the tentacles expand to look like clubs. Both arms and tentacles are equipped with suckers, which are sub-spherical cups lined with sharp, finely jagged rings of chitin. Suckers use powerful suction to hold onto prey while the rings of chitin sink into the ill-fated animal. The arms have suckers arranged in rows from the base near the mantle to the tips, whereas the tentacles are smooth from the base to near the club where there are small suckers

However, on records the largest squid found is Largest recorded giant squid was a female that washed ashore on a New Zealand beach in 1887 18 meters long (59.5 feet). Its mantle was 5 meters (16.4 feet). It weighed 1 metric ton. Scientists and squid researchers have being trying their level best to capture or study a living giant squid but till this time their hard efforts have not bearded fruits.

Looking for more information on Giant Squids check out www.GIANT-SQUIDS.COM your guide to Giant Squids.

Geek Trivia: Space-Opera Singer

Takeaway: What are the lyrics to the faux-aria musical piece "Battlestar Operatica"?

Both critics and science-fiction fans revere the new Battlestar Galactica television series broadcast by the Sci Fi Channel. Perhaps Teevee.org's Nathan Alderman described the series best as a "refreshing balance of theology, politics, characterization, and GIGANTIC KILLER ROBOTS."

It's an unlikely combination that earned the show a Peabody Award, as well as a loyal following of viewers (this Trivia Geek included). So what's with the screwy mixed-service officer ranks?

BSG, the fandom shorthand viewers have adopted, is so less-than-enamored with cliché science-fiction conventions that it's broken with one of the seminal sci-fi/space opera tropes: Treating all military officers like sailors in a Napoleonic navy.

Yes, there is a military, with its stalwart flag officers, can-do technical grunts, and daring fighter jocks, but the ranks that these characters answer to are neither army nor navy, but something in between. There are admirals, which outrank commanders, which outrank. . . colonels?

Here's how series co-creator Ron Moore breaks down the BSG officer ranks in one of his blog posts:

1. Admiral (navy rank)
2. Commander (navy rank)
3. Colonel (army/marine rank)
4. Major (army/marine rank)
5. Captain (all-service rank)
6. Lieutenant (all-service rank)
7. Lieutenant (junior grade) (navy rank)
8. Ensign (navy rank)

Note that there are no mitigated ranks, such as lieutenant commander, lieutenant colonel, or second lieutenant. The only real "missing" rank is that of general. There are also no apparent flag grades, with all admirals being equal.

It's less tidy in the enlisted ranks:

1. Master Chief Petty Officer
2. Chief Petty Officer
3. Petty Officer First Class
4. Petty Officer Second Class
5. Petty Officer Third Class
6. Specialist
7. Deckhand
8. Recruit

Moore also notes that the Colonial Marines use a different rank system "which conform[s] more closely to the traditional enlisted marine ranks, with sergeants, sergeant majors, etc."

It all sounds pretty serious, doesn't it? In truth, BSG does project a somber, gritty tone onto the screen, but that doesn't mean there isn't some snarky, geek-worthy humor lurking under the hood.

In Season 1, Episode 9, "Tigh me up, Tigh me down," an operatic soundtrack underscores a particularly portentous scene. If you didn't recognize the particular aria, don't be surprised—composer Bear McCreary wrote it especially for that episode. Dubbed "Battlestar Operatica," this faux-epic has some notably humorous lyrics, provided you speak Italian.

WHAT ARE THE LYRICS TO THE FAUX-ARIA MUSICAL PIECE "BATTLESTAR OPERATICA"?

What are the lyrics to the faux-aria "Battlestar Operatica," written specifically as a subtle in-joke for an episode of the new Battlestar Galactica television series?

Composer Bear McCreary gave permission to the Battlestar Wiki Web site to reprint these lyrics, which we quote below.

In Italian, the lyrics are:

Maledetto sia tuo cuore Cylone
C'è una tostapane nella tua testa
E porta tachi a spillo
Numero Sei ti chiama
Il rivelatore Cylone impone
La tua ragazza è un tostapane
Maledetto sia tuo cuore Cylone
Ahimè, disgrazia! Ahimè, tristezza e miseria!
Il tostapane ha un bel vestito
Rosso come la sua spina dorsale ardente
sussura Numero Sei:
"Per tuo commando"
Maledetto sia tuo cuore Cylone

This translates in English to:

Woe upon your Cylon heart
There's a toaster in your head
And it wears high heels
Number Six calls to you
The Cylon Detector beckons
Your girlfriend is a toaster
Woe upon your Cylon heart
Alas, disgrace! Alas, sadness and misery!
The toaster has a pretty dress
Red like its glowing spine
Number Six whispers:
"By your command"
Woe upon your Cylon heart

McCreary has employed or composed a number of other lyrical pieces for BSG, almost all of them in languages other than English. The main title theme is in Sanskrit, and both Latin and Sengalese have shown up elsewhere in the show.

And he isn't above giving a nod to the previous incarnation of BSG either. The new "Colonial Anthem" offers a new take on the original Battlestar Galactica TV show's theme music. That's not just a nice tip of the cap—that's harmonious Geek Trivia.

Get ready for the Geekend

The Trivia Geek's blog has been reborn as the Geekend, an online archive of all things obscure, obtuse, and irrelevant—unless you're a hardcore geek with a penchant for science fiction, technology, and snark. Get a daily dose of subcultural illumination by joining the seven-day Geekend.

The Quibble of the Week

If you uncover a questionable fact or debatable aspect of this week's Geek Trivia, just post it in the discussion area of the article. Every week, yours truly will choose the best post from the assembled masses and discuss it in the next edition of Geek Trivia.

This week's quibble comes from the September 27 edition of Geek Trivia, "A star in the (un)making." TechRepublic member gfisher pointed out my own inability to navigate an astronomic semantic trap.

"'. . . Charon (Pluto's largest moon). (Pluto has two other moons, Hydra and Nix—both discovered in 2005.)' 'Moon (n): any natural satellite of a planet.' By the accepted definition, Pluto has no moons."

Allow me to quote Homer in my response: "D'oh!" You're right: Now that Pluto is no longer a planet, the objects which orbit Pluto are now officially satellites—not moons. Great catch, and keep those quibbles coming.

Falling behind on your weekly Geek fix?

Check out the Geek Trivia Archive, and catch up on the most recent editions of Geek Trivia.

Test your command of useless knowledge by subscribing to TechRepublic's Geek Trivia newsletter. Automatically sign up today!

The Trivia Geek, also known as Jay Garmon, is a former advertising copywriter and Web developer who's duped TechRepublic into underwriting his affinity for movies, sci-fi, comic books, technology, and all things geekish or subcultural.

Participating in Sports Trivia

Participating in trivia games may be very exciting especially if you are looking forward in order to gain some basic knowledge about baseball. In fact, baseball trivia is to be considered as a quite impressive way when it comes to increasing your IQ. There have been a lot of studies that have demonstrated this aspect and these studies were mainly conducted by universities from all over the world.

Even the children are more likely to become interested in sports trivia because this online play is likely to be more helpful than the ordinary copybook methods. The current tendency shows that these online quizzes are beginning to make their place in the adults' lives; this game actually becomes prevalent in almost every adult life because it can provide people with interesting information on a particular subject.

For instance, baseball trivia may actually provide you with all sorts of monkey facts that are likely to be less widespread than the official facts. You may also learn the basic tips when it comes to playing a particular sport because the quizzes can be created by a coach too. The trivia quizzes are becoming more popular on a constant basis because people are usually interested in finding strange and unfamiliar facts about a particular sport.

Even the human brain is likely to be sharpened by this constant play with the sports quizzes because your mind will be challenged on a constant basis in order to answer all sorts of questions. The general knowledge will also be built and this method is to be regarded as a very effective one; the method can also be used in schools because sports trivia will come along with detailed information that may interest the children who are taking part to the game.

Various sports subjects will thus be covered and the teacher may use the trivia quizzes in order to enhance the child's knowledge on a particular sport. You should not be tricked into believing that the trivia questions are totally useless; on the contrary, these quizzes are more than trivial questions because they can actually sharpen your mind in order to solve future problems. You will become able to focus on the important matters and even the simplest questions coming from baseball trivia may actually challenge you in finding the proper answer.

The trivia is designed in order to be interesting; people should be prevented from getting too bored when playing this online game; even the most casual environment can be enriched with general knowledge if people start to play the quizzes in order to find out more about a subject they are highly interested in. The topics that are to be found when it comes to sports trivia are various enough in order to make the player be more curious about the things and questions to come.

The trivia quizzes are to be regarded as genuine matter that can cover almost every subject that may be interesting for people; for instance, you can participate in baseball trivia without having a single clue about this sport. The trivia questions are designed in order to make you become interested in the things you are trying to solve when searching for the necessary answer. Everything will depend on your own choice because you will be able to choose the exact level of knowledge you are interested in achieving.

By participating to trivia quizzes, you are likely to discover that learning can be fun even if you are an adult who has a very busy life; the daily routine can thus be escaped and you may use your spare time in order to find interesting facts about the sports you are interested in. Strong mental images will thus be developed and the effects of playing the trivia are likely to be lost lasting because the mental activity will be enhanced and challenged on a constant basis.

The only thing that you will have to do is to choose the online quiz that is likely to work in your own case; therefore, if you are interested n finding unusual things about your favorite sports, you can use sports trivia in order to enhance your present knowledge. Typical topics will thus be found and these topics will be very useful when it comes to increasing your alertness and reaction times. The entire quiz period is likely to be timed thus making your memory retrieval process more rapid and effective. The overall mental strength will also be increased by the constant answering to the trivia quizzes.

Cinnamon - Trivia of Spice

Origin: Imported from China to Egypt as early as 2000 B.C., Cinnamon was given as a prestigious offering to Monarchs. It is even featured with positive and symbolic meaning in the NY Times All-time Best Seller, The Bible, in the books of Exodus and Proverbs.

Plant: A small evergreen tree with oblong leaves and little green flowers with an unpleasant smell. Inside the tree’s small purple berry is a single seed. Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years and then cutting it back in order to grow shoots from the tree's roots over the duration of the next year. The shoots are then stripped of their bark and dried. After naturally drying, the outer portion is removed and only a minimally thin inner bark is used. Finally, the thin bark is layered with other pieces and once more left to dry into the recognizable curled strips. This final result, known as the quill is then cut into spicejar-sized pieces. The oil, also highly utilized is prepared by pounding the bark, soaking it in sea water and then distilling it.

Quality: The best cinnamon comes naturally out of Sri Lanka, as well as commercially grown farms in Brazil, Madagascar, Sumatra, West Indies, Vietnam, and more. It possesses a very thin smooth bark with a light-yellowish brown color. Its fragrant odor is particularly sweet, warm and it gives a very pleasing taste, the result of the concentration of its cinnamon oil.

Benefits: U. S. Department of Agriculture found in studies that using a half teaspoon of cinnamon daily lowered many dangerous blood related levels, including blood sugar in diabetics (especially Type-2), cholesterol, triglyceride and Low Density Lipo-proteins (LDL’s). The same result is achieved by adding cinnamon in tea. To be furthered researched is a notion that ingesting cinnamon can lower blood pressure and whether or not excessive amounts of the fat-soluable components of cinnamon are safe from toxicity.

The Oil of cinnamon also has its benefits - boosting brain function. Research by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences found that products with cinnamon oil enhanced resesarch participant's cognitive processing, especially, in computer-based tasks such as attentional processes, virtual recognition, working memory, and visual-motor speed.

Blurb: When mentioning cinnamon, desserts such as the cinnamon roll come to mind first. However, in all purpose cinnamon does more than just make your food taste good. It also qualifies as an “anti-microbial” food, stopping the growth of bacteria as well as fungi such as yeast (Candida). In laboratory tests, growth of yeast with resistance to anti-fungal medication was often stopped by cinnamon extracts. With this data, cinnamon even proves itself worthy as a natural food preservative...but really, to us it just tastes and smells great!

About The Author
Sherri L Dodd is the creator and author of the newly-released book, Mom Looks Great - The Fitness Program for Moms. She is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer and Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant with over fifteen years of exercise experience. She has lectured to groups on her fitness plan and is a freelance writer on the topics of fitness and general nutrition as well as the humorous side of motherhood.
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