The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz:
1. Thirty-four years after a deadly twister hit Blanchard, what was found in a neighborhood garden?
a) A victim’s wedding ring.
b) Family pictures.
c) An heirloom necklace.
2. According to an analysis, what is the nation’s most dangerous city?
a) Newark, N.J.
b) East St. Louis, Ill.
c) Detroit.
3. Leaders from 29 metro cities have done what to make the ride to work easier?
a) They created a snow route plan that connects key streets in different communities.
b) They allotted another $1 million for road construction projects.
c) They are encouraging drivers to bicycle to work at least one day a week.
4. Former Dallas Cowboy Troy Aikman returned to his hometown of Henryetta to do what?
a) Dedicate a new McDonalds.
b) Lobby for more stoplights.
c) Give the football team a pep talk.
5. Government researchers made what finding regarding heart attack deaths?
a) They are decreasing across the board.
b) They are increasing for women under 45.
c) They will be eradicated within three decades.
6. Why did an Air Force general give medals to 12 airmen and nine civilians?
a) They saved $5 million by redesigning a KC-135 safety system.
b) They developed a plan to salvage a damaged B-1B.
c) They took part in 10 combat missions over Iraq.
7. Andrea DenHoed, a University of Oklahoma senior, is the latest OU student to be named a Rhodes Scholar, earning her a two-year scholarship to study at Oxford University. She is the 27th Rhodes Scholar from OU. Who among the following famous Oklahomans was not a Rhodes Scholar from OU?
a) Will Rogers.
b) David Boren.
c) Carl Albert.
8. Which country is the largest source of adopted babies for American families?
a) China.
b) Guatemala.
c) India.
9. What toy or gadget that absolutely must be under the tree on Christmas morning is expected to be in short supply again this holiday season?
a) Nintendo Wii game player.
b) Amazon.com Kindle digital book reader.
c) Google Android mobile phone.
10. What are the newest members in the Oklahoma City Zoo’s animal family?
a) Four baby mountain lions.
b) Four baby African lions.
c) Four baby Asian anteaters.
11. In an effort to attract workers to Enid, city officials have decided to do what?
a) The city will waive utility connection fees.
b) Enid will give free ice cream for three months.
c) Each new worker will receive a free cell phone.
12. University of Oklahoma offensive tackle Phil Loadholt is one of the largest football players in the Sooners’ history. Which of the following measurements is really his?
a) XXXXXXL (6X) T-shirt.
b) 52-inch waist.
c) Size 9 hat.
13. Rose State College will help students save money on gas by …
a) Giving out gas station gift cards to freshmen.
b) Building a gas station on campus where students can get a discount by showing their ID.
c) Eliminating most Friday classes next semester to cut down on driving.
14. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals has struck down a policy of the Oklahoma City animal shelter. What is the struck-down policy?
a) Cats are not accepted at the shelter.
b) Pit bull terriers cannot be adopted.
c) The shelter cannot be located in the city limits.
15. Other than retailers, what industry sees a business boom the day after Thanksgiving?
a) Doctor’s offices.
b) Auto mechanics.
c) Plumbers.
16. For the first time this year, a local entity is catering to Oklahoma football fans by doing what?
a) Providing free rides on the Sooner Schooner.
b) Broadcasting games on Spanish radio.
c) Auctioning Bob Stoops’ game-worn visors.
17. As OU’s Pride of Oklahoma marching band members flew home from New York, where were their instruments?
a) On a later flight from New York.
b) In an Oklahoma-bound tractor-trailer rig.
c) The instruments and players were on the same plane.
18. How did shoppers at a Best Buy store in Oklahoma City shield themselves from the elements while waiting overnight for post-Thanksgiving sales?
a) Plastic igloos.
b) Tents.
c) Dog houses.
19. Actor Dick Wilson died in California at age 91. What character was he best known for playing?
a) He was “Mr. Whipple” in Charmin commercials.
b) He played “Fred” in “The Flintstones.”
c) He was the “Maytag repairman” in TV commercials.
20. The last Democrat to win a presidential vote in Oklahoma was:
a) Franklin D. Roosevelt.
b) Lyndon B. Johnson.
c) Bill Clinton.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A; 2-c: 3-A; 4-C; 5-B; 6-B; 7-A; 8-A; 9-A; 10-B; 11-A; 12-A; 13-C; 14-B; 15-C; 16-B; 17-B; 18-B; 19-A; 20-B.
Week in review
Another week has passed, and here is your chance to catch up on what you might have missed.
A Pre-Dawn Shopping Frenzy on Black Friday
I had a game plan.
Sure it was rural Western Oklahoma on Black Friday, but that’s no reason not to exercise my right as an American. On this day, that meant rushing out to the Elk City Wal-Mart before dawn with a handful of credit cards and no willpower.
So, I drove into Elk from my mother in-law’s farm near Hammon and arrived at the Wal-Mart store at 4:50 a.m. The store opened in 10 minutes, and I discovered about 300 of my closest friends were already waiting in the parking lot.
I took my place at the back of the line and waited. Conversation revolved around the size of the crowd and the surprise that some folks had at seeing that many people standing in 27-degree weather in the parking lot of Wally World.
“I didn’t know there were this many crazy people in Elk City,” a man said to his wife as we waited.
Just as the doors to the store opened, the woman behind me enthusiastically told her two teen-age children, “remember, the only thing illegal today is murder!”
With that we surged through the doors. I wanted desperately to get back to the electronics aisle.
Apparently, so did about 80 percent of the crowd and total gridlock ensued.
I waded into the traffic jam searching for the bargain printer I had seen advertised in a newspaper insert. When I didn’t spot it, I feared the worst: super early bird shoppers had grabbed them up already.
But then I spotted a printer in the shopping cart of a woman who was trying to work her way against the traffic flow.
Where did you get that, I asked.
She pointed to the opposite end of the electronics section. I rushed out of the electronics aisle, detoured through the much-less-crowded men’s clothing department and arrived on the back side of electronics; it’s an old flanking maneuver I learned in previous Black Fridays.
There were the printers! I reached over the shopping cart of a woman stuck in traffic and grabbed one.
With most of the crowd still stalled in gridlock, I sailed through the checkout process and was back in my car in less than five minutes.
Mission accomplished.
I checked “Wal-Mart” off my list and drove directly to the Atwoods store across town where a bargain lounge chair had my name written all over it.
Jim Stafford
Business Writer
Coping with turkeys? Watch this.
Go to NewsOK.com and watch two videos that will help you figure out the whole Thanksgiving Day challenge. One is “Turkey Roasting Basics,” with Oklahoman foodies Sharon Dowell and Sherrel Jones. The second is “Holiday Stress” with Dave and Angi, on dealing with family stress during the holidays. D’n'A went out and asked Oklahomans how they cope with family stress. You might get some ideas … or not.
Defurkeying the turkey myth
Although turkey, dressing and sweet potato pie are among my favorite Thanksgiving traditions, nothing tops my tradition of passing out on my aunt Denise’s sofa while trying to watch “A Christmas Story” with one eye open and the other dozing.
I’d love to watch the movie with both eyes, but I can’t. It’s the turkey’s fault; all that darn tryptophan makes me sleepy. I fault the Tom.
But I’m wrong. We’re all wrong. It’s not Tom’s fault. We should actually be blaming the side dishes: mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, etc. Yep, it’s actually Tom’s sidekicks that are making us tired.
While it is true that
Turkey has a lot of tryptophan — an essential amino acid for our diet — the amount is comparable to that found in most other meats such as chicken and beef.
Why don’t we pass out after a large steak or after downing some KFC, you ask? Hmmm, maybe it’s because our sides aren’t usually 2 cups of stuffing, a bowl of gravy, a heap of mashed potatoes and four slices of pie.
Turkey does contribute to our tryptophan trip, but it’s not the only culprit.
My proof? My vegetarian husband. He eats no turkey, but can be found right beside me — one eye open, watching Ralphie Parker beg for a Red Ryder BB Gun.
Ja’Rena Lunsford
Business Writer
5 ways to pass time in the airport
This past weekend, I spent about 10 hours in the Miami airport. A few of those hours were spent waiting for my sister’s flight to come in from Denver, and a few were spent with her after having turned in our rental car and waiting for our flights.
As usual, this holiday season is predicted to see lots of airport delays, so here are a few of my favorite suggestions on how to pass the time:
5. Relax and unwind with a pedi or mani. Many major airports now offer manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials and other beauty treatments. For $25, I was able to face the world with fresh feet after a pedicure in MIA.
4. Relaxation stations are your new best friend. Many airports, like Dallas and Miami, have what I like to call “the relaxation station”: Brookstone (or other stores of the like). Where else can you get a free five minute massage in a massage chair and purchase gadgets that can help your sleep be even sweeter on that long flight?
3. Catch up on your flicks. Many major airports now offer “vending” machines with DVD and console rentals. For just a few dollars, you can rent a flick you missed and forget about the fact that you have a horrible layover.
2. Let the social butterfly out. Airport bars are one of the most interesting places to meet people. Each person has a different story of where they have been and where they’re going, and this is the place to flock to hear those stories and to tell your own.
1. Shop, but be careful. While it’s no mall, some airports do offer decent shopping. If you’re traveling internationally, you may be able to find a good deal through duty-free shopping. But beware when shopping in the airport: Just because you have time to kill doesn’t mean you should use it blowing your money. When in a “$10 gift boutique,” ask yourself, would I pay $10 for this faux-silk hankie if I weren’t stuck in an airport?
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy travels!
-Lindsay Goodier, NewsOK.com Editor
Travelers wait for their flight in Burbank, Calif. on Monday. AP Photo
Now, if we can just turn it into an ATM
Look deeply into your cellphone’s screen and you will discover … a bank.
That’s right, banking services have migrated to cellphones, with AT&T recently announcing it has launched wireless banking for two big banking institutions, Wachovia Corp. and SunTrust Banks Inc.
So, what banking services can you access from your wireless phone?
In a news release about what it calls “mobile banking,” AT&T said consumers can view account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their handsets. No extra fees, unless you count the data fees charged for completing a transaction.
But who’s counting? AT&T recommends subscribers buy a data package (mimimum $9.99 per month).
In anticipation of a growing demand to bank-from-phone, AT&T said it will pre-load banking applications in its handsets later this year.
Earlier this year, BancorpSouth became the first bank in the United States to go live with mobile banking on AT&T handsets. FirstBank of Lakewood, Colo., also is offering mobile banking on AT&T’s netowrk, as is Synovus, a 37-bank network in the Southeast.
So far, no Oklahoma-based banks have signed on to the high-tech banking services. An AT&T spokesman said the phone company anticipates a mobile banking launch in the near future from Arvest, which is headquartered in Arkansas but has a lot of Oklahoma locations.
I’m not sure how mobile banking compares with, oh, say mobile blogging or even mobile e-mail services, but it’s more evidence that the lines are blurring between cellphones and computers.
Jim Stafford
Business Writer
To work, or not to work?
For five straight years you could find me one place the day after Thanksgiving: Target, at 5 a.m.
No, I wasn’t Black Friday shopping. Instead I was handing out hot coco to the real shoppers. That was my duty as a Target cashier. It was also the thing I couldn’t wait to escape after I quit.
Little did I know my Black Friday mornings at Target were not over just because my days as a cashier were. My first Black Friday away from Target I still found myself at the front of the line at 5 a.m. — this time I was interviewing shoppers for The Oklahoman’s annual Black Friday story. My old manager laughed when he saw me — I guess he remembered me telling him the year before: “Next year I’ll be a reporter and I won’t have to be out here so darn early.”
I was wrong. I still have to work the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of us do. And even more of us will this year thanks to New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.
Corzine, who
New Jersey state employees are now calling the “Thanksgiving Grinch,” is making state employees work Friday, after 30 years of having the day off with pay. The governor’s office has received 5,500 phone calls unhappy with the decision.
But Gov. Grinch is not budging — showing that he may indeed have a heart two sizes too small.
What about you? Do you have to work the day after Thanksgiving, or will the only work you’ll be doing consist of carrying your newly purchased gifts to your car?
Ja’Rena Lunsford
Business Writer
jlunsford@oklahoman.com
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz:
1. A report released last week by a leading adoption institute says adult adoptees:
a) Should have access to their birth records.
b) Should not pursue their birth parents.
c) Should consider adopting.
2. University of Oklahoma receiver Malcolm Kelly says one of his favorite things is:
a) Living in a big city.
b) Waking up to his mother’s cooking.
c) Cleaning fish after a trip to the lake.
3. A new exhibit at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma features:
a) Photographs of infants in Halloween costumes.
b) Articles of clothing representing changes in Oklahoma fashion from 1907 to 2007.
c) American Indian pottery and paintings from the Martinez and Gonzales families.
4. One area of which town was called “the Bucket of Blood” until a lynching in 1909 scared the outlaws out of town?
a) Eufaula.
b) Norman.
c) Ada.
5. Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach was penalized for comments he made about officiating at the Tech-Texas game. What was the penalty?
a) He was fined $10,000.
b) The football team was forced to forfeit two games.
c) Leach was suspended for one game.
6. A new report that ranked individual states against international competitors found that Oklahoma eighth-graders:
a) Are among the world’s least proficient in math and science.
b) Are on par with Sweden and New Zealand in math and Lithuania in science.
c) Are among the world’s most proficient in math and science.
7. For the first time in at least 13 years, people have been infected with AIDS through:
a) Long embraces.
b) Organ transplants.
c) Football injuries.
8. In an effort to improve its image with local shoppers, a retailer recently completed major redesigns of two stores in Oklahoma City. Which retailer is it?
a) Dillards.
b) Home Depot.
c) Macy’s.
9. A national campaign urged people to quit which of the following activities last Thursday?
a) Smoking.
b) Overeating.
c) Watching NASCAR.
10. According to the Air Transport Association, Thanksgiving week is:
a) The least busy travel time of the year.
b) No different from any other travel time of the year.
c) The busiest travel time of the year.
11. The U.S. Mint began rolling out its fourth new $1 presidential coin, bearing the likeness of James Madison, the father of the Constitution. Previous presidential coins included:
a) John F. Kennedy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt.
b) Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson and James Monroe.
c) George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
12. Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson asked a federal judge Wednesday to stop the spreading of what in the Illinois River watershed?
a) Cigarette butts.
b) Chicken litter.
c) Plastic bottles.
13. The average price of a turkey dinner for 10 people this Thanksgiving will be:
a) $42.26.
b) $35.45.
c) $62.50.
14. Students at Calera High School did what to learn about the homeless?
a) Spent two days living in cardboard boxes on the school campus.
b) Assisted at a homeless shelter.
c) Visited with people searching for jobs.
15. The Putnam City School District reported Thursday it had stepped up cleanliness efforts after a possible second case of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. This infection is caused by:
a) A fungus.
b) A virus.
c) Bacteria.
16. A former OU professor was among the recipients of what award from President Bush?
a) Nobel Prize.
b) 2007 National Humanities Medal.
c) National Leadership Award.
17. Legislators in how many other states are working on proposals identical to or closely resembling Oklahoma’s immigration reform bill?
a) 46.
b) 12.
c) none.
18. Why will a University of Missouri journalism professor emeritus no longer write a column for a Columbia, Mo., newspaper?
a) His last column cheered the Kansas Jayhawks football team.
b) He admitted plagiarizing material from a Missouri student reporter.
c) He said he was going to start writing for a New York magazine.
19. What Irish paramilitary group has renounced violence?
a) Irish Eyes Are Crying.
b) Lucky Charms Militia.
c) Ulster Defense Association.
20. Police raided 20 government buildings in criminal investigations of what Mideast leader?
a) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
b) Jordan’s King Abdullah.
c) Syrian President Assad.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A; 2-B; 3-C; 4-C; 5-A; 6-B; 7-B; 8-C; 9-A; 10-C; 11-C; 12-B; 13-A; 14-A; 15-C; 16-B; 17-B; 18-B; 19-C; 20-A.
Week in Review
Another week has passed, and here is your chance to catch up on what you might have missed.
- A motorcade of hundreds of bikers paid tribute at the Capitol to the state’s veterans on the eve of Veterans Day.
- Oklahoma County Sheriff Sgt. Kevin Johnson and the entire department mourned the loss of K-9 deputy Brisco, a 6-year-old Dutch shepherd who died in the line of duty while chasing a suspect on Interstate 35.
- Retired federal judge Michael Mukasey was sworn in as the 81st U.S. attorney general after narrowly winning Senate confirmation.
- Fundraising efforts by the state Veterans Affairs Department for “Operation Holiday Homecoming” is striving to give 2,600 troops in training enough money to come home for the holidays.
- About 400 Oklahomans gathered outside the 45th Infantry Division Museum on Veterans Day to pay tribute to the men and women who have served as members of the armed forces. Maj. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, the state’s adjutant general, spoke at the event and noted the crowd was larger than in recent years.
- While the state’s veterans were honored with parades or memorials, a group of protesters — the Veterans for Peace — demonstrated at the state Capitol. Among the protesters was Warren Henthorn, whose son Army Spc. Jeffrey Henthorn was killed in Iraq in 2005.
- A vaccine that could curb or prevent Alzheimer’s disease — a fatal, memory-robbing illness that afflicts as many as 70,000 Oklahomans — has been developed by Oklahoma City scientists. Officials at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation said the experimental vaccine is designed to stimulate the body’s own immune system to fight dementia in the brain, and could reach human clinical trials in three to four years.
- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf stuck to a January date for parliamentary elections but gave no indication whether he planned to rescind his state of emergency order anytime soon.
- Iranian police and paramilitary officers traded gunfire with followers of a mystical branch of Islam called Sufi who had clashed with Shiites in southwestern Iran.
- A loss for Ohio State, college football’s top-ranked team, helped OU move up to No. 4 in the latest BCS rankings.
- Pulitzer prize-winning author Norman Mailer died at the age of 84. He penned such books as “The Naked and the Dead” and “Executioner’s Song.”
- Broadway stagehands went on strike, setting up picket lines around Times Square in New York and shutting dozens of plays and musicals.
- Pfc. Cody Carver, 19, of Coweta, who died in Iraq on Oct. 30, was mourned in memorial services by hundreds of friends and family. He was killed along with two other soldiers when enemy insurgents attacked his unit.
- Tenured professors at Oral Roberts University gave embattled President Richard Roberts a vote of “no confidence” in his ability to run the university.
- Oklahoma eighth-graders are on par with Sweden and New Zealand in math and on par with Lithuania in science, the American Institutes for Research found.
- The OncoVue genetic breast cancer risk test, developed by Oklahoma-based InterGenetics, has been released.
- Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart will be tried on felony campaign finance charges, a judge ruled this week.
- The U.S. Post Office returned 1,407 tax refund checks to the Internal Revenue Service with Oklahoma addresses that were undeliverable. The checks, mostly from 2006 returns, total $1.1 million.
- A crowd of about 500 in Guthrie greeted the Centennial Express on Thursday as it arrived carrying state officials and other dignitaries to the centennial celebration in the city that had been Oklahoma’s first capital. The 10-car train was provided by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
- Home run king Barry Bonds, 43, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday. He could face a prison sentence if convicted of telling a grand jury he didn’t knowingly use drugs to increase his baseball-playing skills.
- An American general in Iraq said Thursday Iran seems to be honoring its pledge to stem the supply of weapons getting across the border. Maj. Gen. James Simmons said the move by Iran has contributed to a more than 50 percent drop in the number of roadside bomb attacks against U.S. troops. Why Iran decided to choke the flow of arms remained unclear.
