Question of the Day:

On this day in 1789 America had its first this.


Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Lutheran missionary

An Actual Report of a Book – The Smithsonian Book of Books

The Smithsonian Book of Books, By, Michael Olmert
History, 307 pages, copyright 1992

This book has everything you ever wanted to know about books in it, and a whole lot more. It starts with the dawn of civilization and ends about 1992. It talks about who wrote books, how they did it, why and what about. And yes, not only did we read a book on books, but we got it from the library, a word that basically means place of books. (From to Latin word for book, liber. Which is also in this book.)

Question of the Day:

(this question of the day is for the amusement of a friend, who will be unnamed. . . OK, let’s call them Vera [the name I randomly picked out of a book, sorry Francis]) Karl Gutzlaff is thought to be the 1st one of these to go to China, having arrived in 1831.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Paradise Lost by John Milton

Spinach & Cheese Lasagna

Serves 10-12
1 package lasagna noodles
1 T. olive or vegetable oil
1 24oz. container of cottage cheese
1/3 C. cilantro (use leaves and stems)
1 egg
1T. Italian seasoning
1 small onion quartered
Dash salt & pepper
2 26 oz jars/cans of pasta sauce
6 C. finely chopped spinach
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray


Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. While that is cooking place cottage cheese, cilantro, egg, Italian seasoning, onion and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until it forms a think sauce. Spray a 16” X 12” pan with cooking spray. Then pre-heat oven to 350. When lasagna noodles are al dente drain well and then lightly toss with the oil to reduce sticking. Then layer the lasagna in the pan starting with ¼ of the pasta sauce, then 1/3rd of the noodles, next 1/3rd of the cheese sauce, and lastly 1/3rd of the spinach. Repeat until you use up all of the ingredients (you should end with pasta sauce). Cover with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Then cover the pan with foil. Cook covered 45-50 mins. Then cook uncovered 5-10 mins. until cheese is bubblely.

Question of the Day:

The copyright of this famous epic poem written by a blind English man was once sold for £10.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: a year on mercury is 88 days, “The Cure for Insomnia” is only 87 hours.

Question of the Day:

Which is longer; a year on Mercury or the movie “The Cure for Insomnia” the longest movie according to Guinness World Records?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Uranus (feel free to make a joke about Uranus here.)

Cat’s bellybuttons

Our daughter is at that age where she has to classify/label everything. This has led to some interesting conversations such as who has nipples and what has a bellybutton. We have always stated that yes the cat has a bellybutton. As it is a mammal and although we have never been able to find it, you try messing with a cat’s belly. But we have found the answer to this important question. Click here for the answer.

Question of the Day:

This planet spins on its side.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: The US Library of Congress, which was burnt to the ground during the war of 1812 and restarted when Thomas Jefferson donated all his books to make a new Library of Congress.

Question of the Day:

Today in history, this famous library was created by President John Adams in 1800.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Nancy Reagan (the actress)

Question of the Day:

This former First Lady had a part in a high school’s production of the play First Lady.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: brandy

Question of the Day:

During the 1600’s this liquid was often used instead of mercury in thermometers.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Spam

Question of the Day:

This canned food is considered a good wedding gift in South Korea.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: D: cars were invented already, in fact he was the second president to own a car, he was just too fat to sit in the driver’s seat by the time he was president.

Today In History

(What a day!)

1653 Cromwell dissolves Parliament
1775 The siege of Boston during the American Revolution
1792 Start of French Revolution
1808 Napoleon III born
1889 Adolf Hitler born
1912 Tiger Stadium’s opening day
1912 Bram Stoker died
1914 Ludlow Massacre
1918 The Red Baron shoots down his final two victims
1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion
1967 a Swiss Britannia plane crash kills 126
1968 a South African Airways plane crash kills 122
1978 a Korean Air plane is shot down
1979 then President Jimmy Carter attacked by a rabbit
1984 The Editors’ sister born
1996 Christopher Robin Milne (Winnie the Pooh’s Friend) Died
1998 an Air France plane crash kills 53
1999 Columbine School massacre

Also today is the unofficial Pot Smoking Day (4-20)


Happy Birthday Jenny!!!!

Question of the Day:

Multiple choice: Why did President Taft not drive a car?

A: they weren’t invented yet.
B: he was a Mennonite.
C: he couldn’t pass the test for a license.
D: he was too fat to drive.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: A septillion

An Actual Report of a Book – Corpse De Ballet

Corpse De Ballet, by: Ellen Paul
Fiction, mystery 276 pages copyright 2001


What happens when you put together an author of historic fiction and her dancer friend? Why murder of course! This is a book that delves into both worlds in a way that would be interesting for some one in that life, but not in a way that an outsider wouldn’t understand it. And the murder itself has lots of twist and turns to keep you guessing.

Question of the Day:

What is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: 8 lbs. The Britain drinking 9 lbs., the American one.

Rant on Email Forwards – VI

In closing we would like to say we hate any email forward in which we are expected to forward it. And we just want to let anyone know, that we never expect you to forward any email we send you. Even if it is a forward that says too, some times it’s just too hard to remove that part without changing a dozen things. (or we’re lazy.) And some times the rest of the email is something we wanted to share. Also if it weren’t for forwards and junk mail, most days we wouldn’t have any mail at all. And we do like the funny stories and pictures that we often get. And our web editor has found a link on email forwards that we would like to share. Its http://www.breakthechain.org/ and it has info on all sorts of chain emails.Also any friends reading this can feel free to berate us for the times when in a moment of weakness we did forward some stupid email you hated, with out adding “Hey, look at this STUPID email I got!!!”

Question of the Day:

How much more tea does the average Britain drink then the average American in a year?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: The skin of the soles of ones feet.

Rant on Email Forwards- V

OK, First before we rant on this, we will admit that we have forwarded on untrue news stories. Of course before being a blog Weird News BNI was an emailed paper, as some of you may know, that often contained fictions stories. These stories were meant to be obviously untrue, but still it is possible some might have sounded slightly possible. Also we have on occasion sent out untrue information that we believed to be correct. (It took the Mythbuster’s a ton of expensive sound equipment, computers and a specialist to determine ducks quacks echo, how could we know, we never heard one.[ echo, not duck, we’ve heard lots of ducks.]) And on occasion we sent on info with a note stating that we didn’t know if it was true. That being said, we still hate it when someone sends us an obviously untrue story and is all like, “this is sooooo true, pass it on to everyone you know.” We especially hate how every year or so we get emails about how we have to write congress to stop them from passing the mandatory draft legislation. Ok, so this is a real bill that shows up repeating, and the first time is showed up, we could see being a little worried; however, this bill is only proposed by one crazy congress person, and no one else ever votes for it. So the email about how if we don’t stop it everyone between 18-25 will be forced in the army is silly. As is the email about how Microsoft, the government, or some millionaire will give you money for forwarding this message to everyone you know. And a dozen more ones we just can’t think of right now.

Question of the Day:

What is stratum corneum?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: The Titanic

Rant on Email Forwards- IV

We were reminded just the other day of another type of forward that we hate. (Not that we got that type of forward, but a forward of a similar type, that was not annoying.) It is the medical scare from circa 1992. You know the type; something found an all these common things can kill you, that hasn’t been in them for years. We especially like one we received a while ago that in the info on where to go for more information/how to contact companies for refunds was a link to a government group. If you actually clicked on the link to find out more it talked about how this ingredient was removed from medicines years ago, but there are many emails still circulating about the recall. This was expectably annoying because it was THE news story for the week that the info first came out. Reading the email made us think, “Hey, didn’t this like happen years ago.” Even though we get all our news from Comedy Central and headlines from the internet, and so quite often miss unfunny, not eye-catching news. So we just has to email the person that sent it to us back and say,”Hey, did you even look at its links, don’t you remember how this was a huge story a few years ago? I know you actually watch the news. You should know this already.” Which brings us to another important thing to remember with annoying forwards. Only tell the person that sent it that it is annoying, if you really don’t care if your friends any longer.

Question of the Day:

On this day in 1912 this ship sank in about 2 hours and 40 minutes.


Answer the Yesterday’s Question: Two women won the award for Best Actress, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand both got the same number of votes, tieing for the win

Rant on Email Forwards- Part III

We are WNBNI do not understand why people believe those chain mail stories for wealth, luck, love etc. that include stories of what happened to people that followed it’s instruction or broke the chain. How in the world can it know what happened to people after sending/deleting the message. It’s not like it’s added on at the end as a personal story. “I deleted this email last time, and all my hair fell out and I was fired, so I’m forwarding it now.” No, it’s like we’re to believe that the email is alive and all knowing. “Susan G., of Smithville, AL forwarded this message and two days later won the lotto.” Why do people bother to send us this junk??!??

Question of the Day

On this day in 1968 this unusual event happened at the Academy Awards.

Answer the Yesterday’s Question: Crinacus

Rant on Email Forwards- Part II

What is up with email’s saying that you have to email this message back to the person that sent it to you? We especially hate the “send this email to all your friends including the person that sent it to you, if you don’t send this back to me I’ll know we aren’t friends” ones. First, now you have to send this back to the person or they’ll be mad. AND think of what would happen if every one really did what the email said. Say you send it to 20 people. Now all 20 are sending you the same message so you now have 21 copies. But they are also sending it to all there friends. Now although not all your friends are friends with each other quite often some of your friends are friends with each other. (Think work friends, friends from clubs, etc.) So they sent it to some of the same friends as you did, so those friends send you another copy. So you may have 30 copies now. Plus, according to the email you now must send 29 copies back to the people who sent them, creating a never ending cycle of the same stupid email. (And it wasn’t even international friendship month to start with.)

Question of the Day:

This Greek god was the father of Macar.

Answer the Yesterday’s Question: Shaggy, the best friend of Scooby-Doo.

Rant on Email Forwards- Part I

OK so we got an email forward the other day that although like hundreds of other emails we have gotten in the past started us on an email forward rant that we would like to hear your opinions’ on. So please comment on this blog. (We know its a little work to comment, but that’s because ½ of the comments we get are spam for things like jewelry made in Portugal. We promise that the filters are only there to remove junk, not comments we disagree with.)

Anyway it was one of those religious email forwards with the touching story followed by the usual “You Must Forward This Email” message. We hate the “You Must Forward This Email” message. First, they always talk about how you would forward this to everyone if it was a joke email, but because it’s religious you will pick and chose who gets it. This is so untrue we always only forward jokes we think are funny to people we think would like it. (Although, the people that we get these emails from seam to forward everything to everyone all the time!) And then they often imply that if you don’t forward this email you aren’t really a Christian. This annoys us even more. First, quite often we get these messages from friends who would be put in the Fundamental camp. According to their believes if you say the sinners prayer and really mean it, (and maybe be baptized too.) then you could spend your life making and worshipping idols on the Sabbath with human sacrifices of your neighbors wife, who you both coveted and had an affair with killing using a knife you also took from your neighbor, while disrespecting your parents and then when the cops come you lie and say your neighbor killed her using as many curse and swear words as possible and still go to heaven. (We can’t think of any of the 10 Commandments that we missed, but it seams like we’re maybe one short, sorry.) So why would not emailing a story to some one be worst then that. And when did flooding people’s inboxes become necessary for salvation? Is it in the famed 17th Chapter of Mark? Anyway, we do not mind reading the heartwarming stories, just cut out the “forward this or go to hell” endings.

Question of the Day:

The cartoon character Norville Rogers, origionaly voiced by Casey Kasem, is better known by this name.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: London Bridge, which was destroyed by Vikings.

An Actual Report of a Book – A History of the World in 6 Glasses

A History of the World in 6 Glasses, By:Tom Standage
Non-Fiction, history 284 pages copyright 2005

This book is about the history, and importance of six types of drinks. They are in order of historical importance: beer, wine, spirits (mainly brandy, and rum), coffee, tea and Coca-Cola. We found the book to be very interesting and a fun read. It shows how the history of the world was changed by what people drank. In short, “Read this book!”

Question of the Day:

This famous landmark was destroyed in 1014 for unknown reasons

Answer to Yesterday’s Question:280 lbs of food.

TV Show Review – The Richs

This show is on FX at 10p.m. And this Friday they will be having a marathon of every episode so now is the perfect time to start watching it if you haven’t already. The Richs star Minnie Driver, British born actress of TV and movie fame and Eddie Izzard, also British, although better known for his stand up comedy. As many Americans may not know as much about him here is a short bio. Eddie Izzard was born in Yemen to British parents on business. He is known for including Biblical, historical, and cultural references in his comedy. It also includes different voices, pantomime and French and German. He was called the “Lost Python” by John Cleese. He is also a transvestite and does his shows in drag. (But, he is not transgender or gay, he is a straight man who just likes to wear dresses and make-up or as he puts it “the opposite of a tomboy” or a “male lesbian”.) Making it odd to watch him play an American who wears suits and ties.
But back to the show it’s self. It is about a family of travelers (who may or may not be Gypsy/Roma it’s not clear.) Who end up living as a rich family in an upper-class neighborhood. The dad has to play the part of a lawyer. The mom who just got out of jail has to deal with suddenly becoming a housewife. The oldest son wants to go back to the life that they had before; living in an RV traveling around the country pulling cons. The daughter is dealing with going from the mom like roll she played in the family to a suburban teen. And the youngest son is a cross dresser (this apparently was done before Izzard joined the cast.) who is excelling in the new environment except that although his cross-dressing is accepted in the family, he must hide it in the outside world. (At least so far.) This show masterfully blends the comedy and drama that the storyline creates. In every episode one is holding their breath to see what happens when they are not laughing at what is happening then.

Question of the Day:

If your cat weighted 10 lbs, about how much food would they eat in a year?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: a thumb

An Actual Report of a Book – Angel: Solitary Man

Angel: Solitary Man, By: Jeff Mariotte
Fiction, mystery 292 pages copyright 2003
This book is based off of the Angel TV series, which is in turn based off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so one should have watched the show some in order to get the book, as it was designed to be read only by the show’s fans. That being said, if you have a basic understanding of the show’s premises this is a fun read. The basic storyline is that this little old lady who likes to read mystery stories decides that she wants to be a dectective and apprentice with Angel Investigations. Meanwhile Angel and his team are busy once again saving the world from some unstoppable evil. Also at the end of the book there is a public service ad about AIDS. Which we think is a great place to put that type of ad. “Warning to vampires, drinking human blood could kill you (Rekill you? Maybe???) Drink only animal’s blood.” - - - Not that that was the real ad, it was the boring normal “get the facts” ad, but we think our ad is cooler. And any ad will get people talking about the question, what would happen if a vampire did drink infected blood?

Question of the Day:

What is a pollex?

Happy Easter!!!!!!

Happy Passover!!!!

Quotes on Easter

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
~Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life. ~S.D. Gordon

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer. ~Douglas Horton

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. ~Martin Luther

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there. ~Clarence W. Hall

He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void:
Thou - Thou art Being and Breath,
And what Thou art may never be destroyed. ~Emily Bronte

And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here. ~St Augustine

Jesus cannot forget us; we have been graven on the palms of his hands. ~Lois Picillo

All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell terribly afraid of it,
while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning. ~Oswald Chambers

We live and die: Christ died and lived! ~John Stott

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.
~Pope John Paul II

Question of the Day:

Happy Easter!! Today there is no question on the day, have fun this Easter instead.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: It is currently set as the 1st Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon in spring. (Which is usually about the same day as real full moon, but not always as it is bases off the calendar and not were the moon is actually at.) This is done to put it around the time of Passover, which is determent
using a lunar calendar. Also because the Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar and the Catholic and Protestant churches use the Gregorian calendar their Easters are not always the same day.

A Short Lesson in Time- We are not making this up!

OK. As you know tomorrow is Easter and yesterday was Good Friday. Which if you are like many people makes you wonder if the people who wrote the Bible could tell time. In the New Testament there are repeated comments meant to imply that Jesus would be dead for 3 days then rise from the dead. It states that he died around 3 p.m. on Friday and was already alive before sunrise on Sunday. That’s not even 48 hours or 2 days in modern time, so what’s up? The answer is of course that back around 30 A.D. people didn’t think of time the way we do. They didn’t have watches and clocks that could give you the exact time. (Only sun dials; hence the being about to know about what time it was.) They used the sun to count days. And according to the Jewish method of time used then a day started at sundown and any amount of time within a day counted as a day for counting purposes. For example, say you were walking to a town. You started out Monday morning and got there after it was dark on Tuesday night. We would say that it took you 2 days to walk there. But using the method of calculating time used by Jewish people of that era they would say it took you 3 days to get there. As you walked Monday, one day; and Tuesday, two days, and after sundown on Tuesday, so the start of Wednesday, making three days. (Also if it was a walled town they would say you should have been faster, as the gates were closed.) So as far as Easter goes the Jewish men who wrote about it would have seen after 3 p.m. on Friday as one day. Then sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday as another day. And last sundown on Saturday until some time after sundown and before sunup as a third day. Hence three days time in less then 48 hours. –T

News Flash

We at Weird News BNI have just gotten some disturbing news. It appears that Cadbury Cream Eggs are smaller this year then in pass ones. Also the chocolate coating has been changed. Although we as of yet do not have any option on the change in the shell. (As we have not yet tasted it) We are outraged at the change in size. It is bad enough that we have to wait until Easter time to buy the eggs. Forcing us to carefully ration out eggs the remainder of the year. But to make them smaller too!!!! It's not like it is a big enough change that we now could eat 2 at a time. But you know it will mean that we have to adjust how long that they have to thaw out and how long that
they will be good with out needing to be kept cool. Also it will most likely mean that the insides go from that real egg like combination of liquid and jellness to the solid fluff stage quicker. And although the solid but fluffy inside (NOT the hard crystallized sugar) stage is nice; it's not as good as the fresh eggs. -T

Question of the Day:

As you know Easter is a holiday with a moving date, how is that date determined?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: It was originally called Godes Friday meaning God’s Friday and over time it became Good Friday, like how goodbye stared out as God be with you.

Customs for Good Friday from Around the Word

*Public reading of the Psalms and/or Gospels
*Singing Hymns
*Processions around church or threw the street
* Meditation on the Seven Last Words from the cross
*Church services from noon to 3 p.m.
*Making a representation of the tomb (Think a nativity for Easter.)
*Grieving at above tomb
*Fasting
*Not working – (sadly not an American custom)
*Not having masses
*Not selling alcohol
*Banks, stores, schools, restaurants and stock markets closing for the day
*Venerating a cross
*Passion plays
*Watching of religious movies or shows expecialy ones about Good Friday.
*TV and radio stations signing off until Easter
*Eating hot cross buns
*Eating fish

Question of the Day:

Today is Good Friday. As it is a day honoring the crucifixion and death of Jesus, why is it called Good?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: It’s from the Latin word mandaturn. Which is the first word in John 13:34 in its Latin translation. (In English: “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another as I have loved you.”) It is traditionally used in a song format during foot washing ceremonies that take place on Maundy Thursday. Interestingly although it is based off the Latin translation it is used mostly by English speaking Protestant churches.

Question of the Day:

Today is known by Christians by many different names: Holy Thursday, Great Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Maundy Thursday. Why is it called Maundy Thursday?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Kentucky

An Actual Report of a Book – A Dark and Bloody Ground

A Dark and Bloody Ground By: Darcy O’Brien
Non-fiction, true crime 333 pages 11th grade reading level
Copyright 1993

This book is the story of the life of a criminal. It largely centers on a crime spree that including thief, murder, money laundering, drugs, and running from the law. The writer actually got their information from the people involved (cops, lawyers, even the criminals). This caused the story to read like a novel. At times we needed to double check that it was non-fiction as it went into the thoughts and feelings of the people involved. This book is something that anyone who likes to watch crime shows may enjoy.

Question of the Day:

This state’s name is derived off it’s Native American name which translates into “the dark and bloody ground”.

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Ford, $50 for the model T

Happy Passover!!!!

Question of the Day:

What company was the 1st to offer a rebate on an item?

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Charlemagne

Question of the Day:

This man who was crowned the 1st Holy Roman Emperor (even though he was a Frank and was constantly killing people in wars.) on Christmas of 800 was born on this day. (Most likely)

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Apple Computers

Happy Passover!!!!

Famous April Fools

(People born on April 1st)
*Emperor Go-Saga
*Georg Mohr
*Otto von Bismarck
*Edgar Wallace
* Whittaker Chambers
*Bo Schembechler
*Debbie Reynolds
*Rudolph Isley
*Samuel Alito
*Annette O’Toole
*Method Man
*Randy Orton
*Courtney McCool

Question of the Day:

On this day in 1976 this company was founded by two men named Steve. (Perhaps to keep the doctor away.)

Answer to Yesterday’s Question: The Eiffel Tower