Saturday, September 28, 2013

Salt

DoctorzBlox / SmartzBlox Weekly Health Quiz - Sep 28, 2013
Sodium (Salt)


According to the CDC (2012)

"Americans eat on average about 3,300 mg of sodium a day. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium to less than _____ mg a day, and about 6 out of 10 adults should further limit sodium to ____ mg a day."  In contrast, the American Heart Association (2011) gives a single recommendation for sodium (the lower of the two above numbers).

a) 1,800 ; 1,200
b) 2,300 ; 1,500
c) 2,500 ; 2,000
d) 3,000 ; 2,500

Answer: (b) 2,300 ; 1,500
AHA: "1,500 mg a day"

Sources:
"Where's the sodium? There's too much in many common foods" - Feb 2012
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/VitalSigns/Sodium/

AHA (2011)
"1,500 mg a day"
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sodium-Salt-or-Sodium-Chloride_UCM_303290_Article.jsp#mainContent

(c) 2013 SmartzBlox / zBlox.com

Friday, September 20, 2013

Kids and Violent Entertainment

DoctorzBlox / SmartzBlox Weekly Health Quiz:
Violent Entertainment and Aggression in Children

According to the American Psychological Association (2004):

"Psychological research confirms that violent video games ___________________."

a) 
surprisingly decrease acts of aggression in children.

b) 
do not increase children's aggression. 
c) cannot be linked to aggression due to the conflicting data
.
d) 
can increase children's aggression, but that parents moderate the negative effects.

Answer:  

d) 
can increase children's aggression, but that parents moderate the negative effects.
Source:
http://www.apa.org/research/action/games.aspx

(c) 2013 SmartzBlox / zBlox.com



Saturday, September 14, 2013

Painkiller Overdoses

SmartzBlox / DoctorzBlox Weekly Health Quiz - Sep 14, 2013

According to the CDC’s "Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the U.S." (Nov 2011/Feb 2012)

“Many more __________ die of overdoses from prescription painkillers.

__________ have the highest prescription painkiller overdose rates.

People in rural counties are about two times as likely to overdose on prescription painkillers as people in big cities.

_______ and American Indian or Alaska Natives are more likely to overdose on prescription painkillers.”

a) women than men ; Older teens ; Hispanics
b) men than women ; Middle-aged adults ; Whites
c) women than men ; Older teens ; Whites
d) men than women ; Middle-aged adults ; Blacks

Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/VitalSigns/PainkillerOverdoses/

Answer:  (b) men than women ; Middle-aged adults ; Whites

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Substance Use and Disease

According to the World Heath Organization (2011, 2013):

Which of the following is the "leading risk factor" "for disease burden" in "the Americas," "the second largest in Europe" and "the world’s third largest risk factor for disease burden" which "results in 2.5 million deaths each year."

"
Furthermore, 320 000 young people between the age of 15 and 29 die from _______-related causes, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group."


(Tobacco use is #6 of the "leading risk factors" when considering "disability-adjusted life years" but the WHO attributes more total deaths to tobacco: "Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year.")

a) alcohol
b) cocaine
c) opioid narcotic
d) methamphetamine
Source:
WHO Alcohol Fact Sheet, 2011
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs349/en/
WHO Tobacco Fact Sheet, 2013
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/index.html

Answer: (a) alcohol

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Top Movies

12-29-2013

According to Box Office Mojo,  (as of Oct 2013), when "Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation*" the top 5 films in U.S. history are:
a) Avatar, Titanic, The Avengers, The Dark Knight, Star Wars Ep I: Phantom Menace ('99)
b) Titanic, Star Wars ('77), E.T., Jaws, The Dark Knight
c) Star Wars ('77), Gone with the Wind, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Doctor Zhivago
d) Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, Sound of Music, E.T., Titanic
e) Jaws, Titanic, The Ten Commandments, Snow White, Exorcist

Sources:
inflation adjusted: 
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

US gross unadjusted:
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm

World unadjusted:
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/

Answer: (d) Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, Sound of Music, E.T., Titanic

RankTitle (click to view)StudioAdjusted GrossUnadjusted GrossYear^
1Gone with the WindMGM$1,648,684,100$198,676,4591939^
2Star WarsFox$1,453,455,900$460,998,0071977^
3The Sound of MusicFox$1,162,109,500$158,671,3681965
4E.T.: The Extra-TerrestrialUni.$1,157,531,400$435,110,5541982^
5TitanicPar.$1,105,471,700$658,672,3021997^
6The Ten CommandmentsPar.$1,068,960,000$65,500,0001956
7JawsUni.$1,045,123,200$260,000,0001975
8Doctor ZhivagoMGM$1,012,945,300$111,721,9101965
9The ExorcistWB$902,489,200$232,906,1451973^
10Snow White and the Seven DwarfsDis.$889,440,000$184,925,4861937^


Unadjusted Gross:





RankTitle(click to view)StudioLifetime GrossYear^
1AvatarFox$760,507,6252009^
2TitanicPar.$658,672,3021997^
3Marvel's The AvengersBV$623,357,9102012
4The Dark KnightWB$534,858,4442008^
5Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

NFL Records

9-6-2013

According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, in 2012

Adrian Peterson (Vikings) ran for 2,097 rushing yards,
Peyton Manning (Broncos) threw for 4,659 yards
Drew Brees (Saints) threw 43 touchdowns
and Calvin Johnson (Lions) had 1,964 receiving yards.

Which players were the
1st: ______________ (i.e., the current all-time single season record holder)
2nd: _____________
7th: ______________ and
24th: _____________ players in NFL history to achieve theses feats in a single season.

a) Manning, Peterson, Johnson, Brees
b) Peterson, Manning, Brees, Johnson
c) Johnson, Peterson, Brees, Manning
d) Brees, Peterson, Manning, Johnson

Sources:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rec_yds_single_season.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_td_single_season.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_yds_single_season.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_yds_single_season.htm

Answer: (c) Johnson, Peterson, Brees, Manning

Top Movies

10-15-2013

According to Box Office Mojo,  (as of Oct 2013), when "Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation*" the top 5 films in U.S. history are:
a) Avatar, Titanic, The Avengers, The Dark Knight, Star Wars Ep I: Phantom Menace ('99)
b) Titanic, Star Wars ('77), E.T., Jaws, The Dark Knight
c) Star Wars ('77), Gone with the Wind, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Doctor Zhivago
d) Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, Sound of Music, E.T., Titanic
e) Jaws, Titanic, The Ten Commandments, Snow White, Exorcist

Sources:
inflation adjusted: 
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

US gross unadjusted:
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm

World unadjusted:
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/

Answer: (d) Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, Sound of Music, E.T., Titanic

RankTitle (click to view)StudioAdjusted GrossUnadjusted GrossYear^
1Gone with the WindMGM$1,648,684,100$198,676,4591939^
2Star WarsFox$1,453,455,900$460,998,0071977^
3The Sound of MusicFox$1,162,109,500$158,671,3681965
4E.T.: The Extra-TerrestrialUni.$1,157,531,400$435,110,5541982^
5TitanicPar.$1,105,471,700$658,672,3021997^
6The Ten CommandmentsPar.$1,068,960,000$65,500,0001956
7JawsUni.$1,045,123,200$260,000,0001975
8Doctor ZhivagoMGM$1,012,945,300$111,721,9101965
9The ExorcistWB$902,489,200$232,906,1451973^
10Snow White and the Seven DwarfsDis.$889,440,000$184,925,4861937^


Unadjusted Gross:





RankTitle(click to view)StudioLifetime GrossYear^
1AvatarFox$760,507,6252009^
2TitanicPar.$658,672,3021997^
3Marvel's The AvengersBV$623,357,9102012
4The Dark KnightWB$534,858,4442008^
5Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

World's Nuclear Weapons

12-16-2013

According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS.org),
as of 2013, 9 countries have nuclear weapons.

Other than the U.S., U.K, Russia, China and India, the remaining countries with nuclear weapons are

a) France, Germany, Japan, Italy
b) France, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel
c) South Korea, North Korea, Israel, Iran
d) Germany, Japan, South Korea, North Korea
e) Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Israel

Source:
http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/nukes/nuclearweapons/nukestatus.html
Answer:
b) France, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel

Energy: Top Oil Producers

11-1-2013


Each of the world's top three oil producers dominate oil production so much that they produce more than TWICE that of the number four country. The #1 and #2 countries are close to tied, each producing over 11 million barrels/day)


According to the EIA, the two "Top World Oil Producers" in 2012 were: 

a) Saudi Arabia and Iran   
b) Saudi Arabia and Russia  
c) China and Iran  
d) Saudi Arabia and United States      
e) Russia and China
f) Canada and Iran  

Bonus questions:  
Which were #3 and #4?
Which were #5 and #6?

Source: http://205.254.135.7/countries/  


Answers: 
1 & 2 (d) Saudi Arabia and United States
3 & 4: (e)
5 & 6: (f)
7 & 8: UAE, Iraq
9 & 10: Mexico, Kuwait

NFL MVP

1-6-2014

SmartzBlox NFL Quiz

Associated Press (AP) NFL MVP Award

Which is (are) true regarding the AP NFL MVP award?
(Note this is not a "team" MVP award but a league MVP award.  Team players vote for their team's  MVP).

a) In the 2012 season, Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single season receiving yards record (a new NFL record) but received no first place votes.*

b) In the 2009 season, Chris Johnson "broke the single-season yards from scrimmage record"** which included over 2,000 yards rushing.  Johnson did not receive any first place votes for the AP NFL MVP.

c) For the 2009 season, Drew Brees was #1 in passer rating, #1 in completion percentage (NFL record), #1 in TDs,  #2 in yards per game, #3 in yards per attempt but came in a distant second in MVP votes to the QB with the #6 passer rating who did not lead the league or surpass Brees in any of these categories. The winner did have 112 more yards (57 more attempts) but did not lead the league or his conference in passing yards.***

d) As of the completion of the 2012 season, no wide receiver has won the award. ****

e) all of the above


Sources:

*
http://nfl.si.com/2012/12/22/calvin-johnson-breaks-jerry-rices-record-for-single-season-receiving-yards/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1513276-nfl-mvp-2013-winner-voting-results-and-reaction

**
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/09/no-mvp-votes-for-chris-johnson/

***
(this is the official NFL passer rating not the useless ESPN QBR)
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/passing.htm

****
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/baseball/archive/2008/11/why_cant_a_wide.shtml

Answer:  (e) all of the above

Greatest Pro QBs

2-1-2014

SportzBlox/ SmartzBlox / zBlox Quiz: Pro Football's Greatest QBs  http://www.zblox.mobi/

Which U.S. professional football quarterback (as of 1/1/2014)

- appeared in 10 consecutive pro football LEAGUE championship/title games (winning 7)*

- had a career 84.7% win record*

- holds the record of 9.0 yards per pass attempt**  (Aaron Rodgers is number 3 with 8.2)

- has a career high 109.2 single season passer rating which remains the 13th best all-time (tied with Kurt Warner's best year) in 78 years of records on over 1,000 QB seasons since 1936***

(109.2 beats the best years of Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Joe Thiesman, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo, Phil Simms, Robert Griffin III, Roger Staubach, Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton, Brian Griese, Colin Kapernick, Ben Roethlisberger, Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson, Jim Kelly, Troy Aikman, Matt Schaub, Carson Palmer, Matthew Stafford, Bernie Kosar, Brian Sipe, Eli Manning, Boomer Esiason, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham and 100's of other QBs)***


a) Johnny Unitas
b) Otto Graham
c) Joe Montana
d) John Elway
e) none of the above ; this has never been done

Answer:  (b) Otto Graham

Sources:

* http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/26/4436561/top-12-nfl-quarterbacks-of-all.html
** http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_yds_per_att_career.htm
*** http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_single_season.htm

copyright 2014 zBlox www.zBlox.com

Answer: (b) Otto Graham

Operation Northwoods

3-13-2014

A now "UNCLASSIFIED" March 13, 1962 memorandum prepared by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff for the Secretary of Defense outlined Operation "Northwoods."

Operation Northwoods detailed "PRETEXTS TO JUSTIFY US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN CUBA." and included which of the following deceptions and acts of violence to be carried out by U.S. officials and the U.S. military?

a) "We could sink a boatlaod of Cubans enroute to Florida (real or simulated)."  (p 9)

b) "We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba."  (p 8)

c)  "We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States . . . "  (p 9) ; "We could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington."  (p 8)

e) "Highjacking attempts against civil air and surface craft should appear  . . . condoned by the government of Cuba."  (p 10)

f) all of the above

Answer: (f) all of the above

Sources:  GWU
http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf

ABC
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92662

World History: After 9/11

3-6-2014

According to a report by the BBC (2006, and also reported elsewhere):

"In the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US,  . . .

In ______ , vast crowds turned out on the streets and held candlelit vigils for the victims.
Sixty-thousand spectators respected a minute's silence at ________ football stadium."

a) the U.S. ; the Dallas Cowboys'

b) Canada ; the Toronto Argonauts'

c) Iran ; Tehran's

d) the UK ; Manchester United's

e) none of the above


Answer:  (
c) Iran ; Tehran's

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5377914.stm

copyright zBlox 2014

NATO

5-5-2014

WonkzBlox Quiz / SmartzBlox Quiz from www.zBlox.com

NATO

Acoording to NATO (May 2014), "NATO is an Alliance that consists of __ independent member countries."

NATO stands for _________________.  Member countries include: _________________.


a) 7 ;
North American Treaty Organization ;
US, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica
b) 14 ;
Nordic Alliance Treaty Organization ;
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden
c) 28 ;
North Atlantic Treaty Organization ;
US, Germany, Spain, Turkey
d) 56 ;
North Atlantic Treaty Organization ;
UK, Mexico, Ireland , India

Source:
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/nato_countries.htm

Answer:
c) 28 ;
North Atlantic Treaty Organization ;
US, Germany, Spain, Turkey

Answer and source: SmartzBlox
www.zBlox.mobi / www.zBlox.net

TV Ratings Records

5-20-2014

According to Nielsen ratings, over 105 million* people watched the final episode of M*A*S*H in 1983.


As of Oct 13, 2013 an episode of ___________________
"was the highest-rated hour of cable television ever with  . . .  ______ million viewers."**

a) The Walking Dead ; 16.11  
b) Breaking Bad ; 32.22
c) Mad Men ; 64.44
d) Game of Thrones ; 128.88




copyright zBlox 2014

Answer: (
a) The Walking Dead ; 16.11  

Sources:
**
http://www.forbes.com/sites/allenstjohn/2014/03/30/the-most-watched-hour-ever-why-the-walking-dead-season-finale-will-break-a-ratings-record/

*
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/saints-super-bowl-win-is-.html

Retirement Savings

5-25-2014
The U.S. yearly "median household income" was "$51,100 in 2011."** 

If you save $500 per month ($6,000/yr) with a 5% annual rate of return on investments*  from age 20 to 65, how much money will you have?

$6,000 is just 12 percent of a $50,000/yr income or 6% of a $100,000/yr income.


a) $125,000 +
b) $250,000 +
c) $500,000 +
d) $1.0 million +

*Note: The question states a "5% annual rate of return on investments" not "interest." This is a conservative estimate for a 45 year span on investments. No adjustments are made for inflation or for taxes.  Use the compound daily, monthly or quarterly option on the calculator to determine the value.

use one of these savings calculators to find the answer:
http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/compound-savings-calculator-tool.aspx

http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/savings-goal-calculator-tool.aspx

"Compound Annual Growth Rate (Annualized Return)" historical calculator
http://www.moneychimp.com/features/market_cagr.htm

ANSWER: (d) $1.0 million + (when "compunded monthly" to determine value)

(c) 2013/2014 zBlox  / SmartzBlox / SavingzBlox

NFL MVP


Thursday, January 16, 2014


NFL MVP

SmartzBlox NFL Quiz

Associated Press (AP) NFL MVP Award

Which is (are) true regarding the AP NFL MVP award?
(Note this is not a "team" MVP award but a league MVP award.  Team players vote for their team's  MVP).

a) In the 2012 season, Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single season receiving yards record (a new NFL record) but received no first place votes.*

b) In the 2009 season, Chris Johnson "broke the single-season yards from scrimmage record"** which included over 2,000 yards rushing.  Johnson did not receive any first place votes for the AP NFL MVP.

c) For the 2009 season, Drew Brees was #1 in passer rating, #1 in completion percentage (NFL record), #1 in TDs,  #2 in yards per game, #3 in yards per attempt but came in a distant second in MVP votes to the QB with the #6 passer rating who did not lead the league or surpass Brees in any of these categories. The winner did have 112 more yards (57 more attempts) but did not lead the league or his conference in passing yards.***
d) As of the completion of the 2012 season, no wide receiver has won the award. ****

e) all of the above


Sources:

*
http://nfl.si.com/2012/12/22/calvin-johnson-breaks-jerry-rices-record-for-single-season-receiving-yards/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1513276-nfl-mvp-2013-winner-voting-results-and-reaction

**
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/09/no-mvp-votes-for-chris-johnson/

***
(this is the official NFL passer rating not the useless ESPN QBR)
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/passing.htm

****
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/baseball/archive/2008/11/why_cant_a_wide.shtml

Answer:  (e) all of the above