Tag Archives: blog

February Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

Biology

  1. What is the biggest cat species in the world? Siberian Tiger
  2. What is the world’s fastest bird? Peregrine falcon
  3. What is the process by which plants convert sunlight to energy? Photosynthesis
  4. How many eyes does a bee have? Five
  5. How many bones does a shark have? None (a shark’s skeleton is made entirely of cartilage)
  6. What colours are flamingos born? Grey

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2025.

On Spiteful Sniping

I’m heartily sick of the media. The entire media. All they appear to do is to snipe spitefully (often without much apparent evidence) at those in power, with the aim only of getting them out of office. There is little or no regard for actual policies or what our leaders are genuinely and reasonably trying to do. Instead it is all about personal smears, and stirring up hatred, to undermine positions.

If the UK media manage to get Kier Starmer – or any member of the government – out of office it will be as a result of a spiteful, vitriolic smear campaign, and not because of the government’s policies and attempts at reform.

By all means criticise the government’s (or indeed anyone’s – it isn’t just government, but anyone with any power/influence) policies and attempts at reform. That’s how democracy should work. Then allow the electorate decide.

Yes, of course people make mistakes and errors of judgement. Find me someone who hasn’t. That is not something which warrants vitriolic, hateful, smear campaigns – nothing justifies such. We must allow people to acknowledge their errors, learn from them, and move on. Doing so will allow people to develop with compassion, and without trauma; we’ll stop wasting time and emotional energy; and we’ll make a lot more progress in a more peaceful, relaxed and thoughtful world.

So stop the spite and the vitriol.

Just shut the fuck up and let people get on with their jobs.

February Quiz Questions

Each month we’re posing six pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month.
As always, they’re designed to be tricky but not impossible, so it’s unlikely everyone will know all the answers – just have a bit of fun.

Biology

  1. What is the biggest cat species in the world?
  2. What is the world’s fastest bird?
  3. What is the process by which plants convert sunlight to energy?
  4. How many eyes does a bee have?
  5. How many bones does a shark have?
  6. What colours are flamingos born?

Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.

February 1926

Our look at some of the significant happenings 100 years ago this month.


1. Death. Theodosius of Skopje, Bulgaria Orthodox religious leader and saint (b.1846)

2. Birth. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, President of France (d.2020)

9. Birth. Garret FitzGerald, Irish lawyer, politician, and 7th Taoiseach of Ireland (d.2011)

10. Birth. Danny Blanchflower, Northern Irish footballer, football manager (d.1993)

11. Birth. Paul Bocuse, French chef (d.2018)

14. Death. John Jacob Bausch, German-born American optician, co-founder of Bausch & Lomb (b.1830)

16. Birth. John Schlesinger, British film director (d.2003)

22. Birth. Kenneth Williams, English actor (d.1988)

Kenneth Williams

25. Francisco Franco becomes General in Spain.

January Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this month’s six quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.

General Knowledge

  1. The numbers on the opposite sides of a six-sided die always add up to what number? Seven
  2. What was the name of the world’s first artificial satellite? Sputnik 1
  3. In what year did cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin reach space? 1961
  4. Where did backgammon originate? Persia
  5. What is England’s official national sport? Cricket
  6. Since the 1970s in which country has it been a tradition to eat fried chicken from KFC on Christmas Day? Japan

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2025.