May 31, 2007 -- Corn Flake Trivia

On this day...

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the superintendent of The Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan "invented" corn flakes to feed to the patients at the sanitarium.


TRIVIA QUESTION:

In what year did Kellogg patent the corn flake?


TRIVIA ANSWER:

May 31, 1895.

A Bowl of Corn Flakes

This idea for corn flakes began by accident when Dr. Kellogg and his brother, Will Keith Kellogg, left some cooked wheat to sit, while they attended to some pressing matters at the sanitarium. When they returned, they found that the wheat had gone stale, but being on a strict budget, they decided to continue to process it by forcing it through rollers, hoping to obtain long sheets of the dough.

To their surprise, what they got instead was flakes, which they toasted and served to their patients. This event occurred on approximately April 14, 1894, and a patent for "Flaked Cereals and Process of Preparing Same" was filed on May 31, 1895, and issued on April 14, 1896, under the name Granose.

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

The flakes of grain, served with milk and marshmallows, were a very popular food among the patients. The brothers then experimented with other flakes from other grains.

In 1906, Will Keith Kellogg, who served as the business manager of the sanitarium, decided to try to mass-market the new food and set up his own company, Kellogg's, to do so, breaking with his brother over the addition of sugar to the flakes to make their taste more acceptable to a mass audience. Corn flakes were his first marketed product.

To increase sales, in 1909 he added a special offer, the Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures Booklet, which was made available to anyone who bought two boxes of the cereal. This same premium was offered for 22 years. At the same time, Kellogg also began experimenting with new grain cereals to expand his product line. Rice Krispies, his next great hit, first went on sale in 1929.

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Congrats to Khalil, K6FCC, for getting the correct answer to nonight's Trivia Question. Here's the list of folks that checked in to the net tonight and their answers:

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

* WB6A - Pat - 1926
* WB6ATV - Ron - 1923
* KE6CZH - Robert - 1930
* KG6DBL - Bill - 1907
* W6DTS - Ted - Early Check In
* K6FCC - Khalil - 1895
* KF6GKR - Terry - 1930
* KB6IS - Madeline - 1904
* KD6JEV - John - 1906
* N6KAS - Andy - 1913
* KG6KTC - Leon - 1928
* NY6L - Jay - 1900
* K6LMN - Roger - 1907
* N6NGU - Lee - 19??
* KD6NIW - Oliver - 1942
* W6NVY - Gary - "Under the Weather" but I'll Check Him In.
* KG6NWJ - Barry - 1897
* KD6OBM - Jason - 1917
* KF6PIH - Scott - 1901
* K6QVZ - Joe - 1900
* KG6RDA - Sidney - Checked in by ZZK
* AD6UP - Louie - 1907
* KF6YBM - Henry - 1919
* KF6ZQM - Harry - Checked in by ZZK
* N6ZZK - Theo - 1918
* KG6SQA - Madeline - 1903

73. de N6CIZ.

May 24, 2007 - Morse History

On this day in history... May 24, 1844, Samual F.B. Morse sent the first telgraph message "What hath God wrought" from the Supreme Court room in Washington, D.C. to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Paper Tape of Morse's First Message
Go Here for a really good view

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Although we know Morse as being the inventor of the telegraph and, of course, Morse Code, what job did Samual F. B. Morse have?

And a bonus Gold Star goes to the first one that tell us what the initials "F.B." stand for in Morse's name.


TRIVIA ANSWER:

He was a painter and sculpter and was an arts professor at New York University when he developed the telegraph.

Samuel Finely Breese Morse

Morse is best known as the inventor of the telegraph, but he is also esteemed for his contributions to American portraiture. His painting is characterized by delicate technique and vigorous honesty and insight into the character of his subjects.

While returning from Europe to assume a position as an arts professor at New York University, Morse began to conceive of a communications system employing the electro-magnet and a series of relays through a network of telegraph stations. In order to transmit messages via this system, he invented Morse Code, an alphabet of electronic dashes and dots used to transmit telegraph messages.

The message sent by Morse was taken from the Bible (Numbers 23:23) and was recorded by a series of dots and dashes on a paper tape.

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

Well, once again, you guys prove that you're too smart for me as so many of you got the correct answer to the Trivia Question. Here is the list of people who checked in to the net along with their answers:

* WB6A - Pat - House Builder
* AC6AJ - Lee - Artist
* WB6ATV - Ron - Painter
* KE6CZH - Robert - No Answer
* KG6DBL - Bill - Educator
* K6FCC - Khalil - Painter
* N6HY - Ernie - Painter
* KG6KTC - Leon - Newspaper Reporter
* NY6L - Jay - Artist
* N6NGU - Lee - ?
* KD6NIW - Oliver - Chimney Sweep
* W6NVY - Gary - Printer
* KG6NWJ - Barry - Plumber
* KD6OBM - Jason - Painter
* KF6PIH - Scott - Carriage Builder
* K6QVZ - Joe - Painter
* KG6RDA - Sidney - Checked in by KF6ZQM
* AD6UP - Louie - Painter
* KF6YBM - Henry - Electrician
* KF6ZQM - Harry - Ditchdigger
* KA6LUI - David - No Answer
* KC6ZUT - Max - Painter

I can't belive that NOBODY knew that "F.B." stood for Finley Breese. (Actually I thought it might have been Fine Business...)

73. de N6CIZ.

May 17, 2007 - Fire Danger Trivia

I want to thank Gary, W6NVY, who took over Net Control duties last week when I was a bit "under the weather." Thanks, Gary!

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Which household item has recently been recalled because of electronic malfunctioning and fires?

A - Clock radio made in Japan
B - Stereo system made in Japan
C - Doorbell made in Japan
D - Toilet made in Japan

TRIVIA ANSWER:

D - Toilet made in Japan

Japanese toilet makers INAX and Toto reported cases of malfunctioning "washlets," a combination toilet and bidet, emitting smoke or catching fire from 1991 to 2005. INAX had recalled 30,000 toilets in 1985 because of overheating and Toto said it would check 180,000 units made over a two-year span for possible repairs.



Kumi Goto, an employee of Toto Limited, one of the leading makers of toilets in Japan, demonstrates a control unit of the company's newly developed toilet seat "New Neorest" series at their showroom in Tokyo, in this February 1, 2005 file photo. Japan's second-biggest toilet maker INAX Corp. has joined porcelain powerhouse Toto with tales of smoking toilets and burning bidets. REUTERS/Issei Kato


Here's a news story about it:

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's second-biggest toilet maker INAX Corp. has joined porcelain powerhouse Toto with tales of smoking toilets and burning bidets.

INAX, owned by JS Group Corp., said it had not made public seven cases of malfunctioning "washlets" -- a combination toilet and bidet common in Japanese homes -- that smoked or caught fire from 1991 to 2005.

The company said it had reported the incidents to the appropriate government ministry and no one was injured.

INAX's announcement followed an apology Monday from Toto Ltd., which revealed that 26 malfunctioning washlets had emitted smoke and another three had caught fire.

adafumi Morioka, head of INAX corporate communications, said the company had recalled 30,000 toilets in 1985 due to cases of overheating and fire involving bidet-type models.

Market leader Toto said Wednesday it would check 180,000 Washlet Z-series units made over a two-year span for possible repairs, but it added that no injuries had been reported.

Spokesman Yasuhiko Matsumoto said Toto, known for high-tech washlets with warm seats, blow-dryers and even air purifiers, had received over 100,000 telephone calls since Monday.

"We've been promoting a culture of washing one's backside since 1980, and that's given us a 60 percent market share. We want customers to contact us as soon as possible if there's a problem," Matsumoto said.

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

Well, there's no fooling you guys. Here's tonight's list of folks that checked in to the net and their answers. This one was too easy!

* WB6A - Pat - Doorbell
* AC6AJ - Lee - Toilet
* WB6ATV - Ron - Toilet
* W6CWM - Jim - Toilet
* KE6CZH - Robert - Toilet
* KG6DBL - Bill - Doorbell
* W6DTS - Ted - Early Check In
* K6FCC - Khalil - Toilet
* N6HY - Ernie - Toilet
* KB6IS - Madeline - Toilet
* KD6JEV - John - Toilet
* KG6KTC - Leon - Toilet
* NY6L - Jay - Doorbell
* KE6MSS - Thomas - Toilet
* N6NGU - Lee - Doorbell
* W6NVY - Gary - Toilet
* KG6NWJ - Barry - Doorbell
* KD6OBM - Jason - Toilet
* K6QVZ - Joe - Toilet
* KG6RDA - Sidney - Toilet
* AD6UP - Louie - Toilet
* KF6YBM - Henry - No Answer
* KF6ZQM - Harry - Toilet
* N6ZZK - Theo - Toilet
* WA6QAG - Max - Toilet

Thanks to all. See you next week!

73. de N6CIZ.

May 3, 2007 -- Tax Trivia

On this day in history...

TRIVIA QUESTION:

On May 3rd 1921, What state became the first to impose a state sales tax?


TRIVIA ANSWER:

West Virginia.

The tax was levied against the gross income of banks, street railroads, telephones, telegraph, express, electric light and power retailers, timber, oil, coal, natural gas, and other minerals.

The first state sales tax in the United States went into effect on July 1, 1921.


Well, a lot of you guys got this one right. How'd you do that? Anyway, here's the list of folks that checked in to tonight's net and their answers.

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

* WB6A - Pat - California
* WB6ATV - Ron - Looked up the answer so - No answer given
* KE6CZH - Robert - California
* KG6DBL - Bill - Googled the answer - Hint: Jerry West!
* W6DTS - Ted - Virginia
* K6FCC - Khalil - West Virginia
* KB6IS - Madeline - West Virginia
* KD6JEV - John - West Virginia
* N6KAS - Andy - No Answer
* KG6KTC - Leon - New York
* NY6L - Jay - New York
* K6LMN - Roger - Couldn't Hear his answer
* KE6MSS - Thomas - California
* N6NGU - Lee - Arizona
* KD6NIW - Oliver - Texas
* W6NVY - Gary - Washington D.C.
* KG6NWJ - Barry - Massachusetts
* KD6OBM - Jason - Virginia
* KF6PIH - Scott - Mississippi
* K6QVZ - Joe - California
* KG6RDA - Sidney - Checked in by ZQM
* AD6UP - Louie - West Virginia
* WA6USL - Murray - California
* KF6YBM - Henry - No Answer
* KF6ZQM - Harry - Virginia
* N6ZZK - Theo - New York
* AC6AJ - Lee - Michigan
* KA6LUI - David - Conneticut

Thanks to all. 73. de N6CIZ.