High and Mighty trivia

I've decided to do a trivia quiz based on Keith Bradsher's excellent book called High and Mighty the Dangerous Rise of the SUV (I'll also include a link to its amazon page at the bottom).

1. True or False: A Dr. Martinez of the NHTSA did a study that estimated the design of light trucks to be causing 200 extra deaths a year (compared to cars).

2.  True or False: SUV advertising caters to people who market researches describe as especially self-centered.

3.  True or False: Car dealers often have more influence on Capital Hill than even the automakers.

4.  True or False: A very problematic loophole is that cars and light trucks (aka SUVs) are classified differently.

5.  True or False; The worst danger from SUVs comes from their weight.

6.  True or False; North American drivers tend to view vehicle safety the same way as European and Asian drivers.

7.  Which of the following does Bradsher suggest to decrease deaths from SUVs and to decrease the number of SUVs.  A.  Encouraging insurance companies to charge rates based on the danger the vehicle posses to others.  B.  Not allowing 16 year olds to drive SUVs or pick-up trucks.  C.  Banning Steel Grille Guards in cities.  D.  All of the above.

8. True or False Some people buy SUVs due to an irrational fear of crime.

9.  True or False.  While SUVs often cause knee injuries to pedestrians they rarely kill.

10.  Which two senators in the early 2000's  proposed legislation to increase both the fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks to 35 mpg, but were viciously and selfishly attacked by the United Auto Workers and others?

Answers:
1. False, the study actually found that there were an additional 2000 deaths a year!

2.  True.  Market research shows that SUV drivers are more likely to not only be self-centered, but have a number of other negative personality traits and insecurities.  Thus advertisers play to these.

3.  True.  There are dealers in almost every district and according to Bradsher they tend to give more generously than automakers.  Granted this didn't of course stop Congress from stealing tax payer dollars and giving them to the automakers who flew to Capital Hill in private jets.

4.  True.  This has allowed SUVs to not have to meet standards both when it comes to parts and when it comes to fuel efficiency among other things.

5.  False.  The worst danger actually comes from their flat end design, among other design problems.
6.  False.  European and Asians tend to have a much more accurate view of what makes a safe vehicle.  Rather than falsely relying on size, according to Nissan's past president Jerry Hirshberg, Europeans and Asians tend to associate safety with a nimble vehicle with excellent breaks that can swerve to avoid a collision.

7.  D. All of the above.  Steel Grille Guards are especially deadly to pedestrians.

8.  True.  And the marketers know this and play on it in advertising.

9. False.  This actually describes sedans and to some extend minivans(not SUVs).  The flat ends on SUVs are much more likely to kill and this is particularly true for children or shorter adults.

10.  John Kerry (Massachusetts) and Ernest Hollings (South Carolina)

                                  .

Vegan Trivia

Thought while I'm creating some trivia how about some vegan trivia?  

1.  What co-founder of the Vegan Society of England founded the term "vegan"?

2.  True or false.  A vegan diet can reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer?

3.  All the way back in 1813, what poet wrote "A Vindication of the Natural Diet" which suggested abstinence from animal food?

4.  Who wrote the first vegan cookbook called "No Animal Food: Two Essays and 100 Recipes?"

5.  In what year was "No Animal Food: Two Essays and 100 Recipes" published? 

6. In 1965 this group was founded to explore commercial soymilk production.  Can you name the group?

7.  In what year did the word "vegan" first appear in the Oxford English dictionary?

8.  Who narrated the film "Earthlings"?

9.  At almost five percent (according to a poll by the Panels Institute), what country has the highest per capita vegan population in the world?

10.  What happens to most male baby chickens in the egg industry?

Answers:
1. Donald Watson
2.  True
3.  Percy Shelley
4. Rupert Wheldon
5.  1910
6.  Plantmilk society
7. 1962
8.  Joaquin Phoenix
9. Israel
10.  They are killed.  




                                     

Hungary History Trivia

Today let's try some Hungarian History Trivia.

1.  What is the name of the empire that conquered territory starting around 35BC?

2. Arpad unified these tribes from Asia with the Covenant of Blood.  The name is still present in the word Hungarians use for their country.  What were these tribes called?

3.  Related to this Hungary was founded in what year?  Just at the right time for the 1000 year celebration to held during Hungary's golden years!

4.  Possibly Hungary's most famous king, this king is well known among other things for being the first Christian king?

5.  In the 1500's this empire conquered parts of Hungary.  The influence can still be seen today in both architecture and the bath houses.

6.  Following and in parts not conquered by the answer to 5, an Austrian monarchy ruled Hungary for 100s of years.  Can you name this Austrian monarchy?

7.  After a revolution which occurred the previous year, in what year did Hungary establish independence (from the Austria)?

8.  During the 1000 year jubilee, Hungary opened the first one of these in continental Europe (hint London already had one).

9.  Hungary had it's own home grown anti-Semitic party.  The Holocaust there was not just a nazi invasion of foreign anti-Semites.  Can you name this party?

10.  Following World War II Hungary was "liberated" by the Russians and this form of government was instilled?

Answers:
1. Roman
2.  Magyar
3. 896 (AD)
4. Stephen I (Istvan in Hungarian)
5.  Ottoman (Turkish)
6.  Hapsburgs
7.  1849
8. Subway
9.  Arrow Cross Party
10.  Communism



                                  

Thought I'd create another vegan trivia quiz.  In this one I'll give you a list of famous vegans and the year they were born.  See if you can match them!  They sure look great for their ages!  

List: Bryan Adams, Cory Booker, Miley Cyrus, Ted Danson, Emily Deschanel, Sara Gilbert, Ariana Grande, Woody Harrelson, Leona Lewis, Matisyahu, Lea Michele, Sinead O'Connor, Joaquin Phoenix, Natalie Portman, Prince, Portia de Rossi, Carrie Underwood, Vanessa Williams, Gary Yourofsky, Rob Zombie

Years:
1947:
1958;
1959:
1961:
1963:
1965:
1966:
1969:
1970:
1972:
1974:
1975:
1976:
1979:
1981:
1983:
1985:
1986:
1992:
1993:

Answers:
1947: Ted Danson
1958: Prince
1959: Byran Adams
1961:Woody Harrelson
1963: Vanessa Williams
1965: Rob Zombie
1966: Sinead O'Connor
1969: Cory Booker
1970: Gary Yourofsky
1972: Portia de Rossi
1974: Joaquin Phoenix
1975: Sara Gilbert
1976: Emily Deschanel
1979: Matisyahu
1981: Natalie Portman
1983: Carrie Underwood
1985: Leona Lewis
1986: Lea Michele
1992: Miley Cyrus
1993: Ariana Grande
                                  

Hungarian Vegan Trivia

Take this quiz to find out how much you know about vegan food in Hungary and Budapest!  I'm hoping to write more vegan quizes in the future!  Answers at the bottom.

1. True or False: It is hard to eat vegan in Budapest.
2.  You can get a vegan version of this popular Hungarian soup (which is not generally vegan) at vegan restaurants such as Edeni Vegan.  Name the soup.
3.  What is the Hungarian word for vegan?
4.  What food causes a lot of Hungarian food to not be vegan (or vegetarian or pescetarian or kosher)?
5.  What is the name of the crescent shaped pastry served in Hungary?
6.  What is the fruit based brandy that is almost always vegan called?  (Hint it starts with a P)
7.  About how many 100% vegan restaurants are there in Budapest (According to Happy Cow)?  I'll give you some choices to make this easier A. 1, B. 5, C. 10, D. 50
8.  True or False: There is a vegan restaurant across the street from the Hungarian National Museum.
9.  True or False: The raw vegan restaurant Mannatural closed.
10.  Hungarian cuisine can also be called this type of cuisine resembling both the name Hungarians use for their own country and the group of people who are given the most credit for establishing/settling Hungary.

1.  Answer: False.  Even though much of the regular cuisine contains animal products Budapest has a large number of vegan restaurants and vegetarian restaurants with vegan options.  Of course then there are the markets (such as Great Market Hall) and grocery stores that offer lots of produce and more.
2.  Goulash
3.  It's quite easy.  It's vegán.  Notice the accent mark-that actually makes it simpler because it keeps vegan  pronounced the same as in English.
4.  Lard.  Unfortunately Hungarian food is often cooked with lard making it a safer bet to eat at vegan, vegetarian or kosher restaurants.
5.  Kifli.  I'll admit I didn't remember this and ended up including it because a picture brought back good memories (again from Edeni Vegan).
6.  Palinka.  It is often consumed before a meal.  
7.  C.  There are about 10.  However, you could probably find about 50 restaurants at least that offer a vegan option.
8.  Yes, Vega City is across the street.  Do beware though that Vega City is closed on the weekend.  It is only open on weekdays 9am to 7pm.  The best time to go is during lunch.  It is quite popular at lunch time and there is usually a line.
9.  Well this is true and false, but I'd say mainly false.  It mostly just changed its name to The Restaurant of Life.  It is still a raw vegan restaurant with the same management.
10.  Magyar Cuisine.  The Magyar's came from Asia one reason the Hungarian language doesn't closely resemble any other European language (it has some similarity to Finnish).

                                     

Whoever saves a life...

I thought I would share this from the trip I took to Hungary:

These are words from the Talmud, which are on a plaque by that statue of Carl Lutz.  Carl Lutz did numerous things to try to save Jews.  In the early 1940s before Hungarian Jews were being deported Carl Lutz issued documents allowing 10,000 Jewish children to emigrate.  Carl Lutz also fought, unfortunately unsuccessfully to stop the Jews from being sent to death camps.  In 1944, during the time when Jews were being sent to the death camps, Lutz worked out a deal where 8,000 Jews could emigrate to what is now Israel.  However, he applied this 8,000 number to families instead of individuals which allowed him to issue extra protective documents. Additionally, he established seventy six safe houses in Budapest for Jews to live in.  These houses were off limits to the Hungarian forces who were murdering Jews.  It is also said that when the Arrow Cross Party, a group very similar to the Nazis, were murdering Jews by shooting Jews into the Danube, Carl Lutz at least attempted to save one woman who had been shot.   It is said he jumped into the water in his suit and took her back to his car in defiance of the Arrow Cross Party. 

Now you might think the Swiss government at the time would consider him a hero.  No, they didn't in fact they criticized him.  Now this is no different from the way so called "free" government treat today's animal rights activists.  

When are we going to wake-up and realize that there is a Holocaust still going on for the enormous numbers of farm animals who are murdered every day. For all the farm animals who have their babies stolen. For all the farm animals who are used for profit by the greedy and then when they are no longer useful sent to their deaths.  In the time it took to read that last sentence hundreds of animals have likely been killed.  

So who is going to save a life?  Or hundreds of lives?  Or thousands of lives?

And who is going to be a hypocrite and claim to be religious while funding the murders of animals?  


                                    

Use this letter. Ask Bed Bath and Beyond to end its relationship with Hotels.com

Hotels.com has decided that engaging in and encouraging vegan bashing is okay (via the @captainobvious twitter page.  It isn't.  It not only encourages bullying of vegans, but much worse encourages the violent deaths of innocent beings.  Tell Bed Bath and Beyond that we will no longer shop there if they don't end their relationship with hotels.com

Customer Service Page: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/selfservice/ContactUs

You can also call 1-800-Go-Beyond

Dear Bed Bath and Beyond,

It has come to my attention that you have a relationship with Hotels.com.  Hotels.com is using their Captain Obvious page to bash vegans and encourage others to do the same.  As such, until Hotels.com issues and sincere and acceptable apology and engages in enough support of animal rights on a level acceptable to the large and growing animal rights community, we ask you to discontinue your relationship with hotels.com.  If you don't, I regret that I won't be a customer of yours anymore either (and I do like your stores!).   

Also hotel.coms contact info:  http://www.hotels.com/ (go to customer service tab).  1-800-246-8357