So, at work for the last several months we've had a feature on my friend Rob's whiteboard called the Plane of Knowledge. It's a box drawn on the board wherein every day (usually but not always before Rob arrives) it's my responsibility to fill the box with a few related questions about some topic. Sometimes we have guests do the PoK, but it usually falls to me. It's Rob's job to figure out the answers or his best guesses and we talk about the subject for a few minutes. He's not supposed to use the internet to look up answers, and neither are you. I'm supposed to stay at or near things I already knew - its not cool for me to go research some esoteric thing just to put it on the PoK. I can stretch that rule a little.
In the past, we've covered everything from alcohol to cryptolects to mythology to word definitions to geography to soup to nuts. I kinda wish I'd been putting them here all along.
So, I thought I might start putting them here, because I don't blog much (oh, you hadn't noticed?) and it'll give the rest of you a chance to play along at home. You can post guesses in the comments, or email them to me at my usual address. Ready?
THE WAR OF 1812:
1) Who declared war on whom, and what were the reasons?
2) How long did the war last?
3) Who was President at the time?
4) What is that President's wife famous for during the war?
5) What American commander later became President?
Bonus: What battle or battles is the 1812 Overture written to comemmorate?
Answers will be posted tomorrow. No cheating.
Fall Festival
6 days ago
6 comments:
1) US declared war on UK over some trade junk
2) Dunno
3) James Madison
4) Dolly Madison same some stuff from the White House before it burned
5) ??
Bonus: ??Burning of DC??
#4 same = saved
1. US declared war on the UK becasue they were conscripting our soldiers. The UK was busy fighting the French and their history books rarely mention the "war of 1812" b/c to them it meant very little.
2. I'm gonna guess 16 months. It wasn't very long
3. agree with brian
4. agree again, but as an interesting side note, the stuff the Brits looted was lost at sea and has never been recovered.
5. Andrew "$20 bill" Jackson
Bonus- Tchaikofski [sp] wrote it to celebrate the Russians beating back the French, It's got nothing to do with our war.
Brian! Nice to see you here! You & Davey are both right on #1, and there's a third cause that hasn't been mentioned yet.
Very nice, Davey. If I didn't know your background as a band geek, i'd accuse you of cheating on the tricky bonus question. You're wrong on #2, though.
I have no earthly idea about any of it, but I'm glad you're doing this. Well, glad apart from now having that cursed song stuck in my head...
I'm with Jeff. No earthly idea, though I did write a report in 6th grade that probably held all the answers.
Oh, hello. Surprised to see me here?
I do care. Or I would care. I want to care more. But the gaming and smarty-pants other stuff keeps me at bay... How you manage to have 2 kids and continue to feed, even use, your intellect, not to mention maintain hobbies, is impressive. Of course you do interact with people other than those 2 kids each day, that might have something to do with it. When I want to be clever all I can think is, "Swiper, no swiping!" and "Oh, man!" Good thing I got an M.A....
Keep posting the PoK's please, it might be the only mental exercise I ever get again.
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