Trivia

[MaryD]

When can we expect the next blue moon?

[MaryD]

When can we expect the next blue moon?

Sorry - couldn't see that it had posted.   

[cassandra]

August 20-21, 2013?

[MaryD]

That'll do me.  I was hoping for July '15 which is the second full moon in a calender month and therefore a blue moon.  August '13 is the next seasonal blue moon which isn't half as magical or romantic.  I'm too old for romance so I'll settle on August '13.

Over to cassandra

[Riki]

I saw an actual blue moon once.  I don't know if the moon was full or not, but it was blue.  It was in May of 1990, and at the time there was a huge tire fire in Quebec.  10 million tires burned for 5 days, and most of the smoke from those fires traveled east and caused a lot of strange weather.  We had lightning that was blue, orange and purple, and because of the smoke, the moon had a blue tinge to it.

[Henry P Snicklesnorter]

.

[MaryD]

Oh! Henry!     

[okarol]

   

[cariad]

 
Yoohoo! Cas! Hit us with a question.

[cassandra]

Oops, What is the name for someone who is afraid of being buried alive?

I don't mean as in everyone being afraid to be buried alive.   .     A pathological fear I would think

[cariad]

So you're looking for the name of a phobia Unfortunately, phobias are generally Greek and I took Latin. 

Still, as many in this thread will attest, just because I know nothing about the topic doesn't mean I won't give it the college try.  

Subterraneaphobia?

Gwyn guessed 'sensible-aphobia'.

Coincidentally, my kids have spent the last few days telling me the names for all manner of odd fears, but this one did not make the list. Their favourite is the fear of large words, derived from the word sesquipedalian.

[Riki]

Cariad, have I mentioned lately that your kids sound awesome?

[galvo]

Cassandra, that would be Taphophobia.

[cassandra]

And indeed it is Galvo, OTU now

   

[galvo]

Thank you. Let's harken back to the war between the States.

There are 13 stars in the Confederate battle flag.  How many states were in the Confederacy?

[cariad]

Since I don't know much about the Confederate flag I will assume that the 13 stars represent the 13 original colonies. There was a time (2008 to be precise) when I could rattle those off because G was studying for his citizenship test and that was one of the questions. In the intervening years, my brain has needed that space for other things, but I will have a guess (surprise!)

4 were confederate states?

Oh, and if that's wrong, I get 12 more guesses....

[cariad]

Cariad, have I mentioned lately that your kids sound awesome?

Even if you have, you're allowed to say it again, I don't tire of hearing it.

They certainly got me over my pedophobia (fear of children)! 

Thanks, Riki!

[Riki]

pedophobia, huh?  I wonder if that's what I have... nah.. I just don't have any patience. *L*

[galvo]

Not correct, cariad. Anyone? I love it when you Yankees don't know your own history.

[YLGuy]

You have to be more precise with your question.  Are you asking how many states were in the confederacy that were actually states at the time?  Are you including territories that later became states?

[cariad]

You have to be more precise with your question.  Are you asking how many states were in the confederacy that were actually states at the time?  Are you including territories that later became states?

Oh, come to think, I misinterpreted (over-interpreted?) the question. Once the flag was mentioned, I guess I thought it was asking how many of those stars on the flag represented Confederate states? Seems a coincidence it would have 13 stars if those don't represent the colonies, but perhaps not. I was trying to answer the question 'How many of the original colonies became Confederate states?' but I guess you just want to know how many states were in the Confederacy, as the question says.

Not correct, cariad. Anyone? I love it when you Yankees don't know your own history.

Why you sweet talker. As we can all agree, nothing says 'important historical information' like questions in a thread labeled Trivia.

[okarol]

The states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, and Texas seceeded from the United States by 1861. The secession of those 11 states was not recognized by President Abraham Lincoln or the rest of the American government. The Confederate States of America was never recognized as an independent nation by any country.

[galvo]

Correct, okarol. The other 2 stars were for the secessionist governments of Kentucky and Missouri.

Now, hit me with something trivial.

[okarol]

When and where was the first McDonald's restaurant established in Australia?   

[galvo]

In Yagoona, a suburb of Sydney, in 1971. A sad day for Australia. Had you heard that McDonalds has changed it's Australian signage to read "Maccas", in order to reflect the great Australian tradition of abbreviation?