BB 3/31/16

Good morning Phoenix!  It’s the last day of March, and it’s a Thursday.  So here’s some trivia for today.

Did you know that March 31^st is “Clam on the Half Shell Day”?  Don’t hide in your shell today.  Don’t clam up.  Get out and celebrate this special day with some clams!

BB 3/30/16

Good afternoon Phoenix! It’s time for some Wacky Wednesday foolishness!
How about the Top 5 mistakes on live TV?

• Of course, Steve Harvey has to be on this list after announcing the wrong winner live at the Miss Universe pageant. He was the subject of many jokes and memes afterward, and even made fun of himself, posting a tweet “Merry Easter Y’all!” on Christmas Day.
• Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction – most epic nip slip of all time at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. The FCC received over a half million complaints over “Nipplegate”. As a result, FCC fines for indecent exposure on TV increased from $27,000 to $325,000, and led to the widespread use of the “five second delay” on live TV.
• Wrong winner announcement again – this one was for Australia’s Next Top Model. This was the 2010 finals. It was broadcast live. The host chose to use the earpiece rather than a card. Due to a malfunction, it was discovered that she only heard part of the information. She was given the correct information for the announcement by a cue card, and apologized profusely. The incorrectly announced winner was given $25,000 as an apology.
• BBC Weatherman flips off news anchor - the news anchor was about to segue into the weather report, but before doing so, engaged in some light hearted banter. The camera quickly switched to the weatherman without his knowledge, who was flipping off the anchor. The station apologized, saying the weatherman didn’t know he was on camera. The station received thousands of complaints. Shortly thereafter, the station announced labor cuts. Among these – yep. The offending weatherman.
• Anchor cursing on his first day on the job – Bismarck ND’s new anchorman, A. J. Clemente, was fired after just one day. As his co-anchor was getting ready to introduce him, A.J. is heard clearly muttering “fucking shit”. At this point, no one, including the co-anchor realized his mike was live. He was trying to figure out how to pronounce the name of the London marathon winner, Tsegaye Kebede, and not having much luck, obviously. He didn’t know until the third break that his expletives were broadcast live. The producer told him to go home for the day, and he was fired the next morning. He now works as an instructor for people wanting to break into live media – obviously teaching them what not to say on camera.

Have a fangtastic day my friends!<3 Brock V"""V

BB 3/29/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Trivia Tuesday! Today we’re going to talk about Tegan. Not in a bad way, he’d hurt me pretty serious for that.

Tegan is approximately 700 years old, and is one of the founding members of the Order along with Lucan. He has never seen the need to blend in with humans, so he never took a surname.

He has a reputation for being stone cold, unemotional, and detached. With everyone but Elise, that is.

We don’t know exactly where he was born, but he was in Europe with Lucan at the time of founding the Order. He would have been a fairly young Breed at the time, just into his manhood.

He was born in the 1300’s if he is 700 years old. Let’s take a look at what was going on in the world at that time:
• Obviously, the Black Death was a big thing then, going on between 1347-1353, and killing between 19 to 35 million people.
• In 1368, the Ming Dynasty was founded by Chu Yuan-Chang, a Chinese Buddhist Monk.
• In 1381, there was the Peasants Revolt. A rebellion created anarchy throughout England. 30,000 rioters converged on London. Once there, they burned public buildings and beheaded the Archbishop of Canterbury. King Richard made promises to meet the rioters demands, but the next day, Wat Tyler, the leader of the rebellion, was killed and the revolt was put down.
• 1385 – Portugal freed from Spain after the Portuguese fought Castile at the Battle of Ajubarrota.
• 1397 – Margaret, Queen of Sweden, completed the conquest of Denmark and Norway. She then went on to form the Kalamar League, a union formed with all three countries.
• Chaucer began writing the Canterbury Tales in 1380.
• In 1382, John Wycliffe became the first person to translate the Bible into English.
• In 1307, the Knights Templar were rounded up and massacred by King Philip ('The Fair') of France with the backing of The Pope, because they were felt to be straying too far away from their original mission of protecting catholic pilgrims to the Holy Lands and to have become corrupt. They were also believed to be dabbling in occult practices.
• Explorers took over the Indian’s territory.

Obviously, the 1300’s were a pretty big deal.
Have a fangtastic day my friends, and say hi to Tegan! The quote below is Tegan at his finest.<3   Brock V"""V

BB 3/28/16

Good morning Phoenix! I hope all had a nice Easter weekend. It’s time once again for Monday Movie Trivia. This week’s featured selection just premiered this weekend – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Plot:
Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the man of steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs. With Batman and Superman fighting each other, a new threat, Doomsday, is created by Lex Luthor. It's up to Superman and Batman to set aside their differences along with Wonder Woman to stop Lex Luthor and Doomsday from destroying Metropolis.

Trivia:
• Ben Affleck asked Christian Bale for any advice he could give about playing Batman. Bale told him to "make sure you can piss in that suit." The two men met quite by accident in a costume shop. They were both buying a Batman costume for their kids.
• The film was originally pitched in August 2001 by Andrew Kevin Walker, with Wolfgang Petersen to direct and Akiva Goldsman to script. Goldman's script had Bruce Wayne's fiancée slain by the Joker, which sends him on a revenge rampage and brings him into conflict with Superman who tries to stop him. The film was shelved, but in Goldsman's I Am Legend (2007), a teaser poster for the film (the Superman shield inside a bat) was seen in the opening scene.
• Perry White says "It's not 1938 anymore" while talking to Clark Kent about people not reading newspapers anymore. Superman was created in 1938.
• This film was shot primarily in Detroit, MI.
• Lauren Cohen and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star as Martha and Thomas Wayne in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. They are also working together in The Walking Dead, as Maggie Greene and Negan respectively.

Goofs:
• When the forklift is driving forward to place the box with the kryptonite onto the truck, you can hear the reverse warning system. When it is driving backward no sound is heard.
• When Batman is pursuing an orange truck with kryptonite in it. At the beginning of the scene the truck is of the brand "Man" and later on it's of the brand "Iveco".

Please wish our Renata a very Happy Birthday today!
Have a fangtastic Monday everyone!<3  Brock V"""V

BB 3/27/16

Good morning and Happy Easter to all! I thought some Easter egg trivia might be fun today.

• The Egg painting custom is traditionally known as “Pysanka”.
• The reason for painting Easter eggs in bright colors is that they represent the bright sunlight of spring time.
• The egg is believed to be the symbol of life and rebirth since early times of Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and Romans.
• Easter’s most valuable eggs were hand crafted in the 1880’s. Made by the great goldsmith Peter Carl Faberge, they were commissioned by Czar Alexander III of Russia as gifts for his wife, Czarina Maria Feodorovna. The first Faberge egg, presented in 1886, measured two and a half inches long and had a simple exterior.
• In the Greek Orthodox culture, Easter eggs are traditionally painted red.

More Easter Facts and Trivia:
• The most famously known Easter event took place in the year 1878. This year president Hayes and his wife Lucy officially opened the White House grounds to the children for egg rolling on Easter Monday. Since then, this event is held each year.
• There are ten growers, most located along the California-Oregon border, in an area known as the “Easter Lily Capital of the World,” that produce 95 percent of all bulbs grown in the world for the potted Easter lily market. They produce over 11 million bulbs annually for shipping to commercial greenhouses.
• Americans spend 2 billion dollars on Easter goodies. They consume 7.1 billion pounds of Easter treats each year.
• The inaugural chocolate eggs recipes were made in Europe during the nineteenth century.
• Each year there are nearly 90 million chocolate bunnies.
• According to a survey, 76% of people prefer to eat the ears of a chocolate Easter bunny first before any other part.

Happy Easter Everyone!
Have a fangtastic day however you celebrate. <3 Brock V"""V

BB 3/26/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to another edition of Sippin' Saturday. Here's one for your enjoyment on this Easter weekend.
Holy Water - Tipsy Bartender
Have a fangtastic day!<3 Brock V"""V

BB 3/25/16

Good morning Phoenix - it's Good Friday (although I think every Friday is a good one). It's also time for Friday Funnies!

This one is interactive - here's how it works: Hit me with your best meme or cartoon! Don't be shy - I need more for my collection. Your memes may appear as a highlight in one of my future daily posts!

Have a fangtastic day everyone! <3  Brock V"""V

And go.....

 Chris Smith

Melissa Lamb

Melissa Lamb

BB 3/24/16

Good morning Phoenix! It’s once again time for TBT – where I give you tons of useless trivia. *grins*
On this day in History:
• 1837 - Canada gave blacks the right to vote
• 1848 - A state of siege was proclaimed in Amsterdam.
• 1883 - The first telephone call between New York and Chicago took place.
• 1906 - The "Census of the British Empire" revealed that England ruled 1/5 of the world.
• 1989 - The Exxon Valdez spilled 240,000 barrels (11 million gallons) of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound after it ran aground.

Music History for this date:
• 1958 - Elvis Presley was sworn in as a private in the U.S. Army.
• 1973 - Lou Reed was bitten on his rear end by a fan during a concert in Buffalo, NY. The male fan was ejected from the show.
• 1992 - A Chicago judge ruled in the Milli-Vanilli class-action suit that $3.00 cash rebates would be given to anyone that could prove that they bought the group's music before November 27, 1990 (the date the lip synching scandal broke).

Famous Birthdays:
• Harry Houdini 1874 - Magician, escape artist
• Steve McQueen 1930 – Actor
• Bob Mackie 1940 - Fashion designer
• Louie Anderson 1953 – Comedian
• Star Jones 1962 - TV host ("The View")
• Jim Parsons 1973 - Actor ("The Big Bang Theory")
• Peyton Manning 1976 - Football player
Have a fangtastic day my friends! And remember, tomorrow is Friday! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 3/23/16

Good morning Phoenix! It’s Hump Day, and that means it is time for Wacky Wednesday!

Do you ever feel like you spent too much for a gift? Or that a gift someone gave you was just too expensive? Well then check this out – the 7 most expensive gifts people have received.

• Bronze sculpture - $14 Million. One of the richest men in the world bought this sculpture for his girlfriend. He also bought her a villa and several very expensive works of art.
• Yacht - $84 Million. A billionaire bought this as a gift for his wife.
• Private Jet - $60 Million. A gift from a billionaire to his wife on her 44th birthday.
• Diamond – $1 Million. Gift from Richard Burton to his then wife, Elizabeth Taylor. After their divorce, she sold it for $5 Million.
• Custom Gulfstream Jet - $20 Million. Wedding gift from Tom Cruise to Katie Holmes.
• Wedding Stadium - $22 Million. A stadium built by an Abu Dhabi Sheikh for the wedding of his son. 20,000 seats held the guests for the 7-day long ceremony and celebrations.
• Taj Mahal – totally priceless. One of the most famous buildings in the world. It was built to honor a Mughal ruler’s late wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and is her tomb. Completed in 1653 at a cost of 32 million rupees, at today’s rates that would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees, or $827 million dollars.

Have a fangtastic Hump Day! <3 Brock V"""V

BB 3/22/16

Good morning Phoenix – it’s time for Trivia Tuesday. How about some info on our fearless leader? Yep. Talking about Lucan Thorne today.
He’s an old dude – over 900 years old and a Genuine Gen One. He was born sometime in the 1100’s. He had two brothers – Marek and Evran – both deceased. He founded the Order in the mid 1300’s in Eastern Europe with Tegan, Marek, and 5 other Breed. After leading the uprising against the Ancients (killing all but one, which was hidden away), the Order eventually dissolved.

Lucan later established a Boston HQ in 1898 with Gideon to combat rogues in that city. He is considered one of the most formidable Breed males (as someone that has gotten a boot up their ass from him can attest to). He drives a black Maybach and carries two titanium-edged swords in addition to his other arsenal of weapons.
Let’s look at what Eastern Europe was like in the mid 1300’s:
• 1314 - 1317 AD Great European Famine - The worst famine to strike Europe occurred between 1314-1317. It was widespread, affecting all of Northern Europe. Eyewitness accounts tell of the poor and hungry resorting to eating cats and dogs.
• 1326 AD Isabelle Deposes Husband England was invaded by the French wife of King Edward II - Isabelle. She was supported by French troops and gained control of England as Edward II was forced to flee London. Isabelle arranged for her son Edward III to be crowned King.
• 1337 AD Hundred Year War- The Hundred Years War began when Philip VI contested the English claim to Normandy and other northern provinces. At the same time, Edward III contested Philip's legitimacy based on the fact that his mother was the daughter of Philip IV. He demanded the crown of France. Edward won the support of many Flemish towns. He ravaged the French countryside, but at first fought no decisive battles.
• 1347 - 1353 AD The Black Death- The Black Death (bubonic plague) that spread throughout Europe between 1347 and 1353 was the worst natural disaster in European history. It is estimated that of a population of 75 million people, between 19 to 35 million died. The plague was spread by rats infested by infected fleas. The plague originated in the East. Ships carrying infected vermin came to the island of Sicily. The disease spread northward throughout Europe. It took two hundred years for Europe's population to recover. One of the most bizarre results of the plague was the large-scale outbreak of anti-Semitism. Jews were accused of causing the plague. Over 60 Jewish communities were entirely wiped out in Germany alone.
As you can tell, life was no real picnic back then. Lucan has had his finger on the pulse (no pun intended) of the US Rogue situation since he and Gideon came here in 1898. Let’s give Lucan a big shout out today and thank him for his work and service. And pray that Kade, Aric and I don’t get his boots up our ass anytime soon. That shit hurts.
Have a fangtastic day my friends! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 3/21/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Movie Monday!  Let’s start this week out with a Tina Fey movie:  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Plot:

A journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan.

Trivia:

·         The film's title, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, is military phonetic alphabet for and a humorous allusion to the abbreviation "WTF".

·         In a February 2016 interview with NPR, Kim Barker, who wrote "The Taliban Shuffle", the book that was the basis for this movie, said Tina Fey first became interested in optioning the memoir because when Michiko Kakutani reviewed the book for the New York Times, Kakutani said Barker "depicts herself as a sort of Tina Fey character."

·         In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey says the film is dedicated to her late father Donald Fey, who sadly passed away during filming. There had since been a scholarship set up by Fey for veterans who want to study journalism.

·         The Green Scarf that Martin Freeman's character Lain MacKelpie wears throughout the 1st half of the film, that eventually ends up with Tina Fey's character Kim Baker, is from a Scotish Football Team (Soccer for all you American Blokes) "Celtic FC" Martin Freeman is a British Actor playing a Scottish character in the film England & Scotland have quite the rivalry in Football, dating back to the late 1800's.

·         This is the third time Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton have worked together. The first was in "Love Actually"(although they did not share any scenes). The second was in the 2014 TV show "Fargo".

Goofs:

·         When Kim first arrives in Afghanistan, Fahim hands her a band for her hair and says, "Here Tina" she replies with something like "That's why you're the fixer".

·         During the bombing in the cold open (and again later in the film), Kim is calling her producer back in New York on an iPhone. This scene takes place in 2006; the first iPhone wasn't released until 2007.

·         Though General Hollanek (a colonel when 1st seen) has hair and mustache out of conformance with USMC standards, we are in a war theatre and he is a field officer; no general officer above him would care at all, nor even say anything. Stateside, is an entirely different thing.

·         During the early parts of her interviews with the Marines on the FOB several Marines identify themselves by their rank, several of them state a rank that is different than the one they are wearing on their uniform.

·         At the time of Kim's arrival in Afghanistan in about 2002, two V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft are shown on the airfield's flight line. The Osprey was not deployed to Afghanistan until 2007.

So - here's hoping you all have a fangtastic Monday!
<3  Brock V"""V