22 july 1999
a news quiz
i have to stop listening to npr.

I'm doing this as much for me as for you.

I've realized that I hear a bunch of stuff on the news and realize I'm not sure precisely what I'm hearing and what I know. So I wrote up a bunch of questions and then went to hunt down the answers. See if you can do better than I.

  1. What countries are south of Kosovo Province?
  2. Kosovo Province is roughly as large as what US state?
    1. Rhode Island
    2. Connecticut
    3. New Jersey
  3. What is the capital of Kosovo? (Phonetic spellings acceptable)
  4. Who is the Commander of NATO Forces in Kosovo?
  5. Is he American or British?
  6. Who is the Supreme Commander of NATO Forces?
  7. Is he American or British?
  8. Have the pundits who said Clinton's plan for a bombing-only war would never work ever apologized?
  9. Who is Tony Blair?
  10. Who is Bertie Ahern?
  11. Who is David Trimble?
  12. Why are Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern very, very upset at David Trimble?
  13. Who or what is Falun Gong?
  14. Why is Falun Gong in the news?
  15. What, roughly, is the size of the tax cut approved by the House?
  16. Are they complete and total morons?
  17. Why does a gallon of milk, a renewable resource, cost more than a gallon of gasoline?
  18. The Blair Witch Project is a true story. True or false?

* * *

Tuesday night in class one woman's writing got so much praise--including one guy saying, "I want you to e-mail me what happens once class is over"--that I got into a total funk. Whatever else you hear, writing is a competitive sport.

After class, Jerrilyn and I sat together for a while and chatted about writing. She mentioned a cliche I was headed for, so I was happy to hear about that and avert danger. It's fun talking to her.

* * *

Wednesday I went to Pacific Palisades to visit my friend Terri. We had breakfast at Terri's (a restaurant) and I got to see the great new house she and her husband Andrew bought. Way cool. Color me envious. Of course, for many years they lived together, with her two kids, in a tiny apartment in Santa Monica, so they're pretty happy--this is new for them.

We watched a few dailies from Andrew's latest movie in production, The Hollow Man. Dailies for big-budget Hollywood movies crack me up, because they look--and more importantly, sound--like student films. They have the hiss, they have the weird ambient noises, they look just as dorky (because they haven't been color-corrected). And somehow they're transferred into that magic we see in the theaters.

I came home and wrote a little bit before Writing Group and Wine Tasting Society, which had been postponed from last week--and suddenly got two new members.

I opined that we should rename the group the Skeet Ulrich Appreciation Society, because whenever we need an example of a young, good-looking guy, we always say "Skeet Ulrich." Our example of an older, weary man is George Clooney. We try to keep our finger on the pulse of Hollywood casting.

I had a vicious headache all evening though, so I don't know what use I was. I couldn't even read the outline that Jennifer (a new member, and Aaron's girlfriend) handed out. Me, not able to read something. Oy.

* * *

Today I worked on my quiz.

* * *

Answers:

  1. Albania and Macedonia.
  2. b. Kosovo covers an area of about 10,887 sq km (about 4203 sq mi). The administrative center is Pristina. Rhode Island is 3188 sq km (1231 sq mi). Connecticut is 14,359 sq km (5544 sq mi). New Jersey is 21,277 sq km (8215 sq mi).
  3. Pristina.
  4. Lieutenant General Sir Michael Jackson. Bonus points: do the forces have to say "lef-tenant," and do they giggle when they do so?
  5. British.
  6. General Wesley Clark.
  7. American. Bonus points: what's he doing with a name like "Wesley," anyhow?
  8. A few. But not many.
  9. The Prime Minister of Great Britain.
  10. The Prime Minister of Ireland.
  11. Leader of the Ulster Unionists.
  12. He's been a major force behind putting the kibosh on the Good Friday Accord.
  13. A Chinese spiritual sect that practices exercises similar to tai chi and emphasizes mental, physical, and moral health. The leader evidently compares himself to Buddha (never a good sign, cult-wise), and the government is worried about the cult's growing political power.
  14. The Chinese government banned them this week, accusing them of "inciting and creating disturbances, and jeopardizing social stability."
  15. $792 billion. A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon we're talking about real money.
  16. In addition, they haven't stopped beating their wives.
  17. You got me. I think price supports factor in somehow, but I admit total ignorance on this one.
  18. Oh please.


the past main page future

monthly index

Copyright 1999 Diane Patterson
Send comments and questions to diane@spies.com