U.S. Federal Spending

According to the Concord Coalition (using Treasury stats),  how much did the U.S. "Federal Government" spend for

"Health," ______
"Social Security" _____  and
"Defense" ______ 

in fiscal year 2012?
(numbers rounded to the nearest 100 billion)

a) $800 billion ; $400 billion ; $400 billion
b) $400 billion ; $800 billion ; $400 billion
c) $400 billion ; $400 billion ; $700 billion
d) $800 billion ; $800 billion ; $700 billion

Source: http://www.concordcoalition.org/federal-government-spending
Answer: d) $800 billion ; $800 billion ; $700 billion

(c) 2013 zBlox.com / SmartzBlox (TM)

NFL Dominating Receivers and Defenses

Breaking Sports Myths
NFL Trivia: Dominating Receivers and Defense

In 2007 which NFL team had both the league's leading receiver (1,510 yards) and the league's top defense (fewest points allowed; 16.4 pts/game)?

a) Green Bay Packers 13-3* (Greg Jennings)
b) New England Patriots 16-0* (Randy Moss)
c) Indianapolis Colts 13-3* (Reggie Wayne)
d) Dallas Cowboys 13-3* (Terrell Owens)

* = regular season records

(HINT: it wasn't the Patriots)

Sources:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rec_yds_year_by_year.htm

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=true&conference=null&role=OPP&offensiveStatisticCategory=null&defensiveStatisticCategory=SCORING&season=2007&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=false&Submit=Go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_NFL_season

qbs

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1927975-where-does-peyton-mannings-2013-season-rank-among-best-ever

At the end of the 2013 NFL reguar season, Peyton Manning set the NFL record for most TDs in a regular season (55) beating Tom Brady's prior record of 50.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_td_single_season.htm

Following some controversy Manning was granted the record for most regular season passing yards  (    ) beating Drew Brees; record of     by one yard.
 http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_yds_single_season.htm.

The following year, in his  th season, Manning broke Bret Favre's record with 510 TDs in week 6 of the season.

At this point how many other of these records did Peyton Manning hold?

a) single season QB rating

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_single_season.htm
Aaron Rodgers

b) career QB rating
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_career.htm
Aaron Rodgers

c) career passing completion percentage
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_cmp_perc_career.htm
Tie (Drew Brees , Chad Pennington)

d) single season passing completion percentage
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_cmp_perc_single_season.htm
Drew Brees

e) most post season appearances

f) most post season wins

h) most Super Bowl (or league championship) appearances

i) most Super Bowl / league championship wins

l) career passing yards
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_yds_career.htm
Bret Favre

c) single season net yards/pass
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_adj_yds_per_att_single_season.htm
Nik Foles

m) career net yards/pass
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_adj_net_yds_per_att_career.htm
Aaron Rodgers

Rock Feuds and Racism? Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young, George Wallace, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter

3-23-14

Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" remains one of the most debated and controversial songs in rock for the many interpretations regarding the band's feelings towards Neil Young (who wrote songs critical of white southern racism) and the once Confederate flag waving band's views on race.  See below for a more detailed background to the controversies.  Some saw the song as support for segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace.

The song's meanings and intentions remain disputed and controversial.

Which of the follwing is true?

a) Lynyrd's Skynyrd's lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt is wearing a t-shirt with Neil Young's image on the cover of Skynyrd's last LP, "Street Survivors." *7  Both performers reported to be a friend and admirer of the other.*3 / *6

b) Neil Young wrote three songs (which were not used) for Lynyrd Skynyrd to use on their "Street Survivors" LP.*1

c)  Neil Young performed a medley of his song "Alabama" and "Sweet Home Alabama" after the plane crash deaths of Ronnie Van Zandt and 2 other members of Lynyrd Skynyrd.*4

d) In 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd supported presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter who ran opposed by Alabama governor and segregationist, George Wallace for the Democratic nomination.  In a filmed concert version of the song in 1976, the lyrics "Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer"  were changed to "Yeah, Mr. Carter got the answer." *5

e) all of the above


ANSWER: (e)BACKGROUND:
In 1974, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the southern rockband from Florida released the hit song "Sweet Home Alabama" off of their second album ("Second Helping").

Known for their use of the Confederate flag as the band's symbol early in it's career* (it was later re-adopted by the re-formed version of the band until it was later banned again by the band), the song has often been interpretted as much more than an anthem of southern pride.

Many have claimed that its obvious push back on Canadian born Neil Young and his songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama" along with other lyrics are markers of a hostile feud with Young and that the song is a brazen and proud ode to racism.  The Neil Young songs were critiques of the history of southern white racism.  The "feud" has been reported as both bitter by some and as a mear playful knock on a friend by others.

There are many interpretations of the seemingly contradictory lyrics which also allude to the then governor of Alabama (staunch segregationist George Wallace) who failed in his attempt to reach the White House and Nixon's Watergate scandal.  The comment about Wallace is preceded by "love" but followed by a chant of "boo"s.


SOURCES:

*1http://tinyurl.com/pstroj4
*2
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lynyrdskynyrd/sweethomealabama.html

*3
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/neil-young-vs-lynyrd-skynyrd-nastiest-rock-feuds/

*4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCd43ntfxB0

*5
 at time 4:04
http://youtu.be/ueGAdM0o6Cc?t=4m

*6
http://tinyurl.com/lgwspmc

*7
http://thrasherswheat.org/jammin/lynyrd.htm

Copyright 2014 zBlox

US Federal Spending and Borrowing

According to the Concord Coalition (using Treasury stats), for fiscal year 2012, the U.S. "federal government collected" _______  "in taxes and borrowed" _______ .  (numbers rounded to the nearest 100 billion from the source numbers)

a) $700 billion ; $300 billion
b) $1.3 trillion; $600 billion
c) $2.5 trillion ; $1.1 trillion
d) $6.0 trillion ; $16 trillion

Source: http://www.concordcoalition.org/federal-government-spending
c) $2.5 trillion ; $1.1 trillion 

U.S. Foreign Aid

According to statistics presented by ForeignAssistance.Gov, "Foreign Assistance" accounted for approximately "_____" of "Federal Spending" for fiscal year 2011.

a) <0.1%
b) 1%
c) 10%
d) 20%

Source: http://foreignassistance.gov/AboutTheData.aspx  (Whitehouse.gov is cited as its source)
(c) 2013 zBlox.com / SmartzBlox (TM)

Answer: (b) 1%

American History: Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Which prominent Americans voiced (before or after the events) opposition to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki  and/or disputed their necessity in forcing the surrender of the Japanese in WWII?

a) General Dwight Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur
b) Admiral William Leahy (Chief of Staff to Pres. Harry Truman)
and Joseph Grew (Under Secretary of State)
c) John McCloy (Assistant Secretary of War) and Ralph Bard (Under Secretary of the Navy)
d) Lewis Strauss (Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy),
Paul Nitze "(Vice Chairman, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey)" and Ellis Zacharias "(Deputy Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence)"
e) All of the above


Source: "HIROSHIMA" "WHO DISAGREED WITH THE ATOMIC BOMBING?"
http://www.doug-long.com/quotes.htm
Answer: (e) All of the above

(c) 2013 zBlox.com

US Federal Minimum Wage

According to the US Department of Labor, 

"The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees

 is ____ per hour effective July 24, 2009."

a) $5.75

b) $6.25

c) $7.25

d) $9.25

e) None of the above. There is no current federal minimum wage.

Source:
www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm

Answer: c) $7.25

Energy: Top Oil Producers

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/

Prize codes: SB111457, SB222867, SB333876, , SB444896, SB555673, SB999123, SB888324,  SB777456,  SB666234



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