A Mixed Up Quiz

Answer: Charlemagne

Of the four possible answers, only Charlemagne fits with France. During the 15th century in France, all four kings were given the following historic names: David, king of Israel, was the king of spades; Charlemagne, king of the Franks, was the king of hearts; Alexander the Great, king of the Greeks, was the king of clubs; and Julius Caesar, dictator of the Romans, was the king of diamonds.

These names died out during the 19th century. The king of hearts is called the suicide king because it looks like his sword is going through his head.

The king of hearts is also the only king who does not have a mustache.

Answer: To cry with low plaintive sounds

'To cry with low plaintive sounds' is actually a definition for whimper, an antonym of shout. Informally, in Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain, shout means to treat someone to something normally a round of drinks. It can, however, apply to other situations where someone is picking up the tab for others. 'To call out emergency service members for duty' is another informal definition of shout. It is along the lines of giving a shout out to your friends on a radio or TV broadcast but in this instance would be referring to the shout or alarm raised to bring the responders. 'To speak or laugh without restraint' is the formal definition of shout.

Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com were used as source material.

Pollucci19 provided the inspiration for this question.

Answer: True

Cardinal Bergoglio, upon his assumption to the position of Pope, chose his name to honor Saint Francis of Assisi who has been a role model for Bergoglio. Although Saint Francis is one of the most venerated saints in Catholic tradition, he was a friar and never was ordained into the priesthood. He founded the Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis. Saint Francis was known for his care of the environment, the poor, and animals as well as his peace making.

Pope Francis has already demonstrated that the name he chose was more than just symbolic but that it will guide his papacy. As a cardinal in Argentina, he was known for riding the bus to work. He broke with tradition by washing the feet of women and non-Catholics on Good Friday, and he has been very quick to embrace the crowds who come to see him, most likely much to the dismay of his security. He also worked closely with the Eastern Orthodox church in Argentina, and the Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople was there at his installation. It is the first time in more than 1000 years that the head of the Eastern church was present for this.

Answer: The National Geographic Society

Gardiner Greene Hubbard was the first president of the National Geographic Society, a position he held until his death. Upon his death, Bell took over the position. Bell and his son-in-law Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, who became the first editor of the "National Geographic Magazine", devised the promotion of the society by membership and by using photographs in the magazine to tell their stories. Today the magazine is world-famous for its photographs. This tradition of innovation has extended to the society having its own TV channel, The National Geographic Channel.

VegemiteKid provided the inspiration for this question.

Answer: Guácharo Cave

As a child, I was able to visit Guácharo Cave in the 1970s. It is located in Parque Nacional Cueva del Guácharo, or Guácharo Cave National Park, in the Venezuelan state of Monegas, about twelve km from Caripe. The cave is famous for the Guácharo Birds, or Oilbirds, that nest in it. The cavern is over ten km long (approximately six miles). The first chamber where the birds nest is covered with guano. We took a tour of the cave and went deep inside to where water was flowing. We were allowed to follow this path covered in water to our knees until it came to a place where the ceiling came down and met the water. The guide said divers had explored beyond but had not yet reached the end of that part of the cave. At night we witnessed the exiting of hundreds of thousands of Oilbirds as they left the cave in search of food.

Mammoth Cave is in Kentucky, Carlsbad Caverns are in New Mexico, and Waitomo Caves are in New Zealand.

Answer: Robert Hanssen

Robert Hanssen is the only one of these four not to be put to death for his crimes. Hanssen was a FBI agent who spied for the Russians for 22 years before being caught in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison. Hanssen was spared the death penalty by arranging for a plea deal in which he cooperated with US authorities after his capture. He plead guilty to 15 counts of espionage and was sentenced to 15 life sentences.

Mary Surratt was executed for her role in the Lincoln assassination. Ethel Rosenberg was executed, along with her husband Julius, for handing over secrets of the atomic bomb to the Russians. Herbert Hans Haupt was a German American citizen who held dual citizenship and was executed in 1942 for acting as an enemy agent during World War II.

Pollucci19 provided the inspiration for this question.

Answer: Reaper

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is a beefed up version of the original Predator. It can carry 4600 lbs of armaments or external fuel tanks. When loaded with two 1,000 lbs fuel tanks and 1,000 lbs of armaments, it can stay airborne for 42 hrs. When loaded exclusively with armaments, it can stay airborne for 14 hours.

It can be armed with laser guided bombs, Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles, Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM).

Answer: Catcher

Bob Brenly played eight years in the Major leagues as a catcher, almost all with the San Francisco Giants. He had a brief stint in Toronto towards the end of his career. He managed the Diamondbacks from 2001 to 2004. In the 2001 World Series, he helmed the team as they beat the New York Yankees in a thrilling seven-game series. Since leaving the Diamondbacks, he has become a sports broadcaster, first for the Cubs and then for the Diamondbacks.

Cag1970 provided the inspiration for this question.

Answer: There You'll Be

"There You'll Be" was first released as part of the "Pearl Harbor" soundtrack, and then on Faith's album of the same name. It was a Top Ten hit around the world and spent twelve non-consecutive weeks at Number One on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song was nominated for both a Grammy and an Oscar, but lost both. Faith sang the song at the 2002 Academy Awards broadcast.

In 2008, the song gained new attention in the UK when a contestant on "The X Factor", Amy Connelly, sang the song for her audition. Her rendition so moved the judges and the public that Faith's version again charted on the number of downloads alone.

Answer: A Neil Diamond album

Shiloh is not the name of a Neil Diamond album. Neil's album is named "Shilo" and features a song of the same name. Shilo does not refer to the Biblical city or the Civil War battle but rather to an imaginary childhood friend. The song has become one of Neil's best known songs.

Shiloh was a city in the Bible where the Ark of the Covenant resided in the Old Testament for a time. It was also a Civil War battle known as the Battle of Shiloh or the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. The battle featured both Grant and Sherman, and almost led to Grant's dismissal but Lincoln would not allow it. It is also a US Navy Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, first commissioned in 1992.