Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Photo Contest Update

Back on August 31st I entered one of our pictures from our time in Venice in a photo contest. Having done that I included this message (or some sort of variant) at the start of each blog post:

a gratuitous self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 12 out of 467 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

I know that it got a tad annoying for loyal readers. Catherine even queried "when will that damn photo contest be over anyway?'

I am happy to announce that the contest is OVER. The last contest related post is to thank the 512 folks who voted for my pic and drove it to # 12 out of 467 pictures. The average vote was 8.

Yes Catherine, it is time to move on my friend! 

Photo Contest

One of our photos was entered in a photo contest. It is the photo I took just after we arrived at San Marco square in Venice. The Aqua Alta was just starting and you can see the flood waters slowly seeping up over the square. No one was brave enough to wade through the waters to the gondolas!

In behind the gondolas you can see the peaceful island of San Gorgio on which you can see the lovely San Giorgio Maggiore church. Once we got sick of the crowds we took the vaporetto across the lagoon and spent a relaxing time visiting the church, climbing the tower (with breathtaking views of Venice!) It was another example of how in Italy, sometimes the best times are spent when you break away from the crowd and do some exploring on your own!

You can vote for the photo here.

(remember 10 is a good vote! *smile*)

I found out about the contest when Barb from the slowtravel message board posted about her entry (which I voted for!). Her picture is a beautiful one of the Tuscan sunflower. She snapped it at the perfect time to get the bee on the flower! You can vote for her entry here.

July 4th Quiz - the Answers

Yesterday in honour of the 4th of July I posted 10 questions from the US Citizenship Test for Immigrants. Today I will highlight the correct responses. When I did the quiz on-line I scored 8 out of 10 but they didn't tell me the answers (what's up with that?) So now I have to research!

My responses are in italics. The correct responses are bold (and in some cases where I actually knew the response, bold AND italics)

How many times can a senator be re-elected?

• 3 times
• 2 times
• No limit
• 4 times

In what month is the new President inaugurated?

• November
• December
• January
• February

Which president was the first Commander In Chief of the U.S. military?

• George Washington
• Abraham Lincoln
• Ulysses S. Grant
• Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

What is the introduction to the Constitution called?

• The Bill of Rights
• The Declaration of Independence
• The Preamble
• The Unification of the States

In what year was the Constitution written?

• 1777
• 1776
• 1787
• 1786

Who has the power to declare war?

• Congress
• The Secretary of Defense
• The President
• The American public

Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?

• John Adams
• James Monroe
• Thomas Jefferson
• James Madison

Which countries were America's enemies during World War II?

• Germany, Russia, and Japan
• Germany, France, and Italy
• Germany, Italy, and Japan
• Germany, Japan, and China

Which of the following was not one of the original thirteen states?

• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Hampshire

What country did the US fight during the revolutionary war?

• Itself (the North vs the South)
• Germany
• France
• England

There now, how well did you do?

Canada Day - the Answers

Ok. Some of you even e-mailed answers to yesterday's Quiz. Hopefully once the post-Canada Day hangovers have recedded you can check to see how much you actually knew about this wonderful country. The correct answer for each question is in bold below:

1: What is the origin of the name "Canada"?

• French word meaning village or settlement
• Huron-Iroquois word meaning village or settlement
• Inuit word meaning village or settlement
• Cree word meaning village or settlement
• Norse word meaning village or settlement

2: Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?

• Sir Wilfrid Laurier
• Sir Ronald MacDonald
• Sir Thomas Donnely
• Sir John A. MacDonald
• Sir Winston Churchill

3: What animal is on the Canadian quarter?

• Beaver
• Caribou
• Moose
• Chicken
• Loon

4: How many oceans touch Canada?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

5: How many countries border Canada?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

An argument could be made that if you included nautical borders as well it is 5. Lucky you, I'll accept either answer!

6: How many provinces are there in Canada?

• 6
• 8
• 10
• 12
• 13

7: What is the capital city of Canada (the national capital)?

• Mississauga
• Toronto
• Ottawa
• Vancouver
• Montreal

8: True or False? Canada is the world's second largest country, by land mass?

• TRUE
• FALSE

9: What is the Canadian $1 coin called?

• The Buck
• The Dollar
• The Loonie
• The Toonie
• Canadian Tire Money

10: How many territories in Canada?

• 2
• 3
• 4

11: When was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms included in the Constitution Act?

• 1867
• 1922
• 1949
• 1982
• 1983

12: True or False? Superman was created by a Canadian?

• TRUE
• FALSE

13: Who were the first people to live in Canada?

• Europeans
• Americans
• Aboriginals
• McCallions
• Norsemen

14: What is the leader of Canada called?

• The Premier
• The President
• The Jerk
• The Prime Minister
• The King/Queen

Many suggested that the third answer is more appropriate for our current leader. While I certainly agree with this sentiment, the currect response was the fourth one.

15: What leaf is on the Canadian flag?

• Birch
• Fig
• Poplar
• Marijuana
• Maple

16: What is the Canadian national anthem called?

• Oh Canada
• Oh Susanna
• O Canada
• Oh What a Beautiful Morning
• The Maple Leaf Forever

17: What is the big prize for the Canadian Football League (CFL) called?

• The Gray Cup
• The Stanley Cup
• The Grey Cup
• The Calder Cup
• The Athletic Cup

18: What rodent is described by the Canadian Encyclopedia as having had a greater impact on the history and exploration of Canada than any other plant or animal species?

• rat
• mouse
• chipmunk
• beaver
• Mickey Mouse

19: What measurement is used in Canada to measure temperature?

• fahrenheit
• decibels
• celsius
• litres
• kilograms

20: How many national languages does Canada have?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• none

21: What was the name of the system of safe passages and safehouses that allowed American slaves to escape to freedom in Canada?

• The Bearing Strait
• Freedom Train
• Highway to Heaven
• The Underground Railroad
• The French Resistance

22: Name the first Canadian to win a Nobel Peace Prize?

• Lester B. Pearson
• Charlie Farqharson
• Wayne Gretzky
• Pierre Trudeau
• Banting and Best

23: What is Laura Secord famous for?

• Chocolates and Truffles in the early 1800's
• Warned Americans of Cuban Missile Crisis
• Warned the Canadians about the Free Trade Agreement
• Warned the British of the impending attack on Canada by the Americans during the war of 1812
• Guiness Book of World Records Pie-Eating Contest

24: How many time zones in Canada?

• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7

25: What is the name of the highest mountain in Canada?

• Mount Rushmore
• Mount Everest
• Mount Logan
• Mount Trudeau
• Mount Vesuvius

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

Canada Day

Today is Canada's 140th birthday. Canadians from across the nation sit back in their lounges, drink a celebratory beverage, generally will fire up the BBQ, and enjoy a restful day.

Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is Canada's national holiday, marking the beginnings of the present form of the country on July 1, 1867. It is a federal holiday celebrated on July 1, annually (see exception below), by all provincial governments and most businesses across the country.

Canada Day is often referred to as "Canada's birthday," particularly in the popular press. However, some of the constituents out of which the Canadian confederation was formed called themselves "Canada" prior to 1867, and most of the present provinces of Canada did not join the federation until well after that year. This demonstrates the evolutionary nature of Canada's road to independence, which did not actually end until the country became a sovereign kingdom through proclamation of the Constitution Act, by Queen Elizabeth II, in 1982. Thus, Canada Day is an anniversary of the granting of Royal Assent to the British North America Act, as opposed to a national birthday or a day marking Canada's independence.

Many of the country's newspaper's post Canada Quizzes to stump the collective minds of their readers. Later there will be articles deploring the fact that Canadians know little about their nation's history.

I'm sure that you could do better . . . .

1: What is the origin of the name "Canada"?

• French word meaning village or settlement
• Huron-Iroquois word meaning village or settlement
• Inuit word meaning village or settlement
• Cree word meaning village or settlement
• Norse word meaning village or settlement

2: Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?

• Sir Wilfrid Laurier
• Sir Ronald MacDonald
• Sir Thomas Donnely
• Sir John A. MacDonald
• Sir Winston Churchill

3: What animal is on the Canadian quarter?

• Beaver
• Caribou
• Moose
• Chicken
• Loon

4: How many oceans touch Canada?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

5: How many countries border Canada?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

6: How many provinces are there in Canada?

• 6
• 8
• 10
• 12
• 13

7: What is the capital city of Canada (the national capital)?

• Mississauga
• Toronto
• Ottawa
• Vancouver
• Montreal

8: True or False? Canada is the world's second largest country, by land mass?

• TRUE
• FALSE

9: What is the Canadian $1 coin called?

• The Buck
• The Dollar
• The Loonie
• The Toonie
• Canadian Tire Money

10: How many territories in Canada?

• 2
• 3
• 4 

11: When was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms included in the Constitution Act?

• 1867
• 1922
• 1949
• 1982
• 1983

12: True or False? Superman was created by a Canadian?

• TRUE
• FALSE

13: Who were the first people to live in Canada?

• Europeans
• Americans
• Aboriginals
• McCallions
• Norsemen

14: What is the leader of Canada called?

• The Premier
• The President
• The Jerk
• The Prime Minister
• The King/Queen

15: What leaf is on the Canadian flag?

• Birch
• Fig
• Poplar
• Marijuana
• Maple

16: What is the Canadian national anthem called?

• Oh Canada
• Oh Susanna
• O Canada
• Oh What a Beautiful Morning
• The Maple Leaf Forever

17: What is the big prize for the Canadian Football League (CFL) called?

• The Gray Cup
• The Stanley Cup
• The Grey Cup
• The Calder Cup
• The Athletic Cup

18: What rodent is described by the Canadian Encyclopedia as having had a greater impact on the history and exploration of Canada than any other plant or animal species?

• rat
• mouse
• chipmunk
• beaver
• Mickey Mouse

19: What measurement is used in Canada to measure temperature?

• fahrenheit
• decibels
• celsius
• litres
• kilograms

20: How many national languages does Canada have?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• none

21: What was the name of the system of safe passages and safehouses that allowed American slaves to escape to freedom in Canada?

• The Bearing Strait
• Freedom Train
• Highway to Heaven
• The Underground Railroad
• The French Resistance

22: Name the first Canadian to win a Nobel Peace Prize?

• Lester B. Pearson
• Charlie Farqharson
• Wayne Gretzky
• Pierre Trudeau
• Banting and Best

23: What is Laura Secord famous for?

• Chocolates and Truffles in the early 1800's
• Warned Americans of Cuban Missile Crisis
• Warned the Canadians about the Free Trade Agreement
• Warned the British of the impending attack on Canada by the Americans during the war of 1812
• Guiness Book of World Records Pie-Eating Contest

24: How many time zones in Canada?

• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7

25: What is the name of the highest mountain in Canada?

• Mount Rushmore
• Mount Everest
• Mount Logan
• Mount Trudeau
• Mount Vesuvius