I Am Such a Geography Nerd

I have already indicated I am a political nerd, by posting about presidential candidates, in the past. Now I admit to being a geography nerd as well. I recently found a web-site that allows you to test your knowledge by naming all 195 independent countries of the world (196 if you count Taiwan, which is technically part of China). Can you Name the Countries of the World?

I recently tried my luck and I could name 179 countries without any assistance; although, it did not count several of my answers because I could not spell the name of the country correctly. Some of them are hard to spell. I didn't know I knew that many. The two newest recognized country on the planet are Kosovo and South Sudan, by the way.

There is also a link to name the 50 United States if you wish.

How much do you know about the USA?

According to a recent e-mail I received 96% of American High School Seniors failed this test. Sadly, according to the same e-mail, over 50% of the adults who took this test failed as well. After teaching in the public schools for 11 years and just under a year in Adult Education, this does not surprise me.

The test is a brief quiz over U.S. History and Government. There are 30 Questions.

As for Mr. E. -- I got 28 correct! I guess I'm just a nerd!

Click Here to take the "Independence Day Quiz"

Let me know how you did!

13 Books I Have Recently Read # 3

Welcome Thursday Thirteen

These are the latest thirteen books I have read, with # 1 being the first and # 13 being the most recent. (Everything below the dotted line, I haven't read yet, but they are on my reading list. I will probably have them read by the end of Feb. I plan to stop listing my books for a while, it is stressing me out to try and remember which books I read.)

# 1. Ghost Hunting by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (these are the Ghost Hunters from the T.V. show on Sci-Fi Channel)

# 2. Buddy (a book from The Puppy Place series) by Ellen Miles

# 3. When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker

# 4. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

# 5. An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood by Jimmy Carter

# 6. Dominion by Randy Alcorn

# 7. The books of Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggi, Zechariah and Malachi (from The Bible) by God

# 8. The Ragged Rebel: A Common Soldier in W.H. Parson's Texas Cavalry, 1861-1865 by B.P. "Benny" Gallaway (He was one of my college professors, he autographed the book.)

# 9. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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#10. Skin by Ted Dekker

#11. Saint by Ted Dekker

# 12. Every Man, God's Man by Stephen Arterbun

# 13. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

As you can tell I still read with my kids from time to time and I count those books just like I do my other reading. Let me know of any good books you think I should read!

As a special treat for movie fans, here are my two posts of movie quotes trivia: Name That Movie and Name That Movie 2. Have fun!

Name That Movie 2

This is a new and improved version of my name that movie quiz. Just click on the quote and it will link you to the movie, to check your answers. Enjoy. (Click here if you want to take the first Name That Movie Quiz)

1. "Well, think me up a cup of coffee and a chocolate doughnut with some of those little sprinkles on top, just as long as you're thinking."

2. "You need to find yourself a girl mate. Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one, and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch are you?"

3. "I'm not a Roman mum, I'm a kike, a yid, a heebie, a hook-nose, I'm kosher mum, I'm a Red Sea pedestrian, and proud of it"

4. "What are you supposed to be, some kind of cosmonaut?"
"No, we're exterminators. Somebody saw a cockroach up on 12."
"That's got to be some cockroach."
"Bite your head off."

5. "Ya know, I was getting along with everything fine. I accepted it, and then you happened! I do not need a reason to be angry with God."

6. "Oh, right. That makes perfect sense. Turn right to go left. Yes, thank you! Or should I say No, thank you, because in Opposite World, maybe that really means thank you."

7. "Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal...Does that answer your question?...Sincerely yours______"

8. "Tower, this is Ghost rider requesting a flyby." "That's a negative Ghost rider, the pattern is full."

9. "No, no, Johnny. You cannot count him. You got twelve, they got twelve. The old ladies is just as good as you are."

10. "Rumor has it you killed a man, Billy. You don't seem like the killing sort." "Yeah Billy, What'd you kill him for?" " He was hacking on me."

11. "I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

12. "And what are you? So full of hate you want to go out and fight everybody! Because you've been whipped and chased by hounds. Well that might not be living, but it sure as h***ain't dying. And dying's been what these white boys have been doing for going on three years now! Dying by the thousands! Dying for *you*, fool! I know, 'cause I dug the graves. And all this time I keep askin' myself, when, O Lord, when it's gonna be our time? Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up. Ante up and kick in like men. LIKE MEN! You watch who you callin' nigger! If there's any niggers around here, it's YOU. Just a stupid-a**, smart-mouthed, swamp-runnin' nigger! And if you not careful, that's all you ever gonna be!"

13. "Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out that he'd melt my brain."

14. "That's what you do in a herd: you look out for each other."

15. "Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a d*** what you think you are entitled to."

16. "Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The End."

17. "That'll do, pig. That'll do."

18. "Oh! Well don't you expect me to come to one of your churches or one of those tent-revivals with all those Bible-beaters doin' God-only-knows-what! They'd probably make me eat a live chicken!"

19. "Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than anywhere else on the face of the earth?"

20. "If the Witch understood the true meaning of sacrifice, she would have interpreted the deep magic differently. That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery, is killed in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack, and even death itself will go backwards."

21. Mincayani: "Do it! I killed your father! Do it!" Steve Saint: "No one took my father's life. He gave it."

22. "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it."

23. "How would you like to spend the next several nights wondering if your crazy, out-of-work, bum uncle will shave your head while you sleep?"

24. "You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - h***, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any b***-reaming a**h*** be a father."

25. "And cause I was a gazillionaire, and I liked doin it so much, I cut that grass for free."

So? How did you do?

Name That Movie

Inspired by recent blog on Honey I Fed The Kids, I decided to do a little trivia of my own. I will name 25 movie quotes and let you try and guess the movies! Here goes... (I will post the answers in the comment section. Don't cheat! Let me know how you did.)

1. "I have a bad feeling about this!"

2. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm saying Chow Funs because, I love you!"

3. "Oh, that's just my pet snake Reggie."

4. "Ray. If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "YES!" "

5. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

6. Henry: "No thanks, I don't like eggs." Rosella: "What?" Rachel: "But you love eggs!" Henry: "Okay, then give me lots of eggs."

7. "Then let us be rid of it... once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!"

8. "Hey, you gotta try the blowhole, man! This whale dude is giving me brain freeze."

9. "A teacher has two jobs; fill young minds with knowledge, yes, but more important, give those minds a compass so that that knowledge doesn't go to waste."

10. "No Michael, we're supposed to try to be real. And when you feel alone, you are not together, and that is real."

11. "I caught you a delicious bass."

12. Violet: "Normal? What do *you* know about normal? What does *anyone* in *this* family know about normal?" Helen: "Now wait a minute, young lady..." Violet: "We act normal, mom! I want to *be* normal! The only normal one is Jack-Jack, and he's not even toilet trained!"

13. "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

14. "Your shower shoes have fungus on them. You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. Think classy, you'll be classy. If you win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus grow back and the press'll think you're colorful. Until you win 20 in the show, however, it means you are a slob."

15. "Oh, man! Where do I begin? First there was the time the farmer traded me for some magic beans. I ain't never gotten over that. Then this fool went off and had a party, and they all starting trying to pin a tail on me. Then they all got drunk, and started hitting me with sticks, yelling "Piñata! Piñata!" What the h*** is a piñata, anyway?"

16. "It's just like Santa's workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms... and everyone looks like they wanna hurt me..."

17. [shouts] "Did you hear that? I said I didn't want any other daddy but him. Why don't you write that down?"

18. "I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew!"

19. "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

20. "One should always be ready to listen to one's children, even if they have nothing to say."

21. "I am a caterpillar. Well, that's not entirely true. My mother was a caterpillar, my father was a worm, but I'm okay with that now."

22. "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices."

23. "I *warned* you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you *knew*, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little *bunny*, isn't it?"

24. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die."

25. "The funny thing is - on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."