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Quiz about There Has To Be An Easier Way 1
Quiz about There Has To Be An Easier Way 1

There Has To Be An Easier Way #1 Quiz


People are a strange and inventive lot. The individuals I'm about to introduce you to may have never gotten "15 minutes of fame", yet for what they managed to accomplish in the world, I think they deserve it. Then again, I'll let YOU decide.

A multiple-choice quiz by krazykritik. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
krazykritik
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
325,340
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
1149
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. In 1989, William A. Calderwood received a patent for an invention he produced that would help householders make better use of floor space.

What invention might have given Calderwood his fifteen minutes of fame?

(a 'noble' idea that would put balloon retailers out of business)
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. If Ermal C. Fraze (yes, that's his name) had realized that his simple 1975 invention would end up being used by consumers in almost every country in the world, I doubt he would have sold the rights for it. With a name like Ermal C. Fraze, one wouldn't have to invent, or do, anything to receive fifteen minutes of fame.

What did Ermal invent in 1975 that's used daily by millions worldwide?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Not everybody's fifteen minutes of fame is a good experience. Due to questionable activities while serving as the mayor of Coacalico, Mexico, Jose Ramon Del Cuet was forced to resign in 1978. Before he could officially resign, he was ordered to do something as punishment for his wrongdoings.

What was Jose Ramon Del Cuet's publicly witnessed punishment?

(with all his monkeying around he should have been skinned alive)
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Ohio inventor Donald Poynter received his fifteen minutes of fame in 1969, when a patent was granted for this "useful" item (depending on your personal opinion). After selling over 100,000 of them, he could afford to buy fifteen minutes of fame.

What invention would be a novelty to some, yet useful to many others?

('swingers' could save thousands of dollars AND lower their use of expletives)
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Bernard Moeller has had his fifteen minutes of fame by getting into the "Guinness Book of Records", but there has to be easier, less-painful ways to do it than this.

What did he do that constantly reminds him of his fame?

(reversing the record likely would take more time and be more painful)
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. While strolling through a Vienna Park on a rainy day, a twenty-three year old 'very busty' lady named Berbel Zumner, was tragically killed in a freak accident. I'm sure that had she lived, Ms. Zumner would have chosen some other way to achieve her fifteen minutes of fame.

What happened that caused Ms. Zumner's instantaneous death that day?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Max Kiss, a Hungarian immigrant who worked his way through pharmacy college by working every menial job he could find, got his fifteen minutes of fame when he invented this popular name-brand product.

What product, found in many homes, did Max Kiss introduce to the world?

(using this can make you a King on your own 'throne')
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The mid-nineteenth century gave us entertainer, Joseph Pujol, who was the first man ever to present this unique stage act to thousands of people. His real-life experiences as an entertainer are documented in the book called, "Le Pétomane". Pujol's fifteen minutes of fame left many people breathless.

What interesting craft did Pujol share with the world?

(if his performance really stunk he got standing ovations)


Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Are people so desperate to attain their fifteen minutes of fame that they would seek ridicule? That's what this man from De Kalb, Georgia, did when he sought, and received, a superior court ruling to replace his middle name Eugene with another, making one of the following monikers his new official name.

So what kooky title does he go by now?

(my oh my, what a wonderful day!)
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This 27 year-old Cuban-born woman was so desperate for her fifteen minutes of fame that she attempted to win the 1980 Boston Marathon by cheating. She had officially qualified through the New York City marathon by faking an injury.

Who was the cheat that was stripped of the Boston Marathon's gold medal?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In 1989, William A. Calderwood received a patent for an invention he produced that would help householders make better use of floor space. What invention might have given Calderwood his fifteen minutes of fame? (a 'noble' idea that would put balloon retailers out of business)

Answer: Helium-filled furniture

If people were to buy 'helium-filled furniture', then the 'noble' gas helium would be in short supply and might put balloon retailers out of work as the clue suggested. William Calderwood came up with the idea that ropes could be attached to the furniture, fastened to anchors, and when needed, pulled down to the floor to be used and after it served its purpose, it could be unhooked and left to float back up to the ceiling. I wonder if it's a good idea to be walking underneath heavy sofabeds because if they ever blew a gasket, you'd be squashed.
2. If Ermal C. Fraze (yes, that's his name) had realized that his simple 1975 invention would end up being used by consumers in almost every country in the world, I doubt he would have sold the rights for it. With a name like Ermal C. Fraze, one wouldn't have to invent, or do, anything to receive fifteen minutes of fame. What did Ermal invent in 1975 that's used daily by millions worldwide?

Answer: Aluminum pull tab

Toilet paper and twist ties were around long before 1975 and it's safe to say that "millions of people worldwide" do not utilize rubber chickens. That leaves Ermal C. Fraze as the inventor of the aluminum pull tab used to open beverage cans. Yep, good ol' Ermal saw a chance to make a quick buck so he sold his patent to Alcan and I'll bet he's sorry he did. Almost every type of beverage is now available in 'easy-open cans' so millions of people are using them daily.
3. Not everybody's fifteen minutes of fame is a good experience. Due to questionable activities while serving as the mayor of Coacalico, Mexico, Jose Ramon Del Cuet was forced to resign in 1978. Before he could officially resign, he was ordered to do something as punishment for his wrongdoings. What was Jose Ramon Del Cuet's publicly witnessed punishment? (with all his monkeying around he should have been skinned alive)

Answer: Eat twelve pounds of bananas

The clue should have led you to the choice of 'eat twelve pounds of bananas'. The tales about what Jose did to garner such an awful punishment vary from person-to-person. One thing that made Del Cuet's fate more terrible than it sounds was the simple fact that it was reported he hated bananas and threw up several times during the undertaking of his sentence. Banana pudding anyone?
4. Ohio inventor Donald Poynter received his fifteen minutes of fame in 1969, when a patent was granted for this "useful" item (depending on your personal opinion). After selling over 100,000 of them, he could afford to buy fifteen minutes of fame. What invention would be a novelty to some, yet useful to many others? ('swingers' could save thousands of dollars AND lower their use of expletives)

Answer: The creeping golf ball

Poynter's creeping golf ball was a standard looking ball from which tiny claws would emerge causing the ball to crawl around the green or fairway. How it was activated was from a simple little switch that the joke-puller or player could discreetly hide from the sight of others.

The ball looked so real that comedian Bob Hope was once able to trick Jack Nicklaus with it in a charity tournament. The clue mentioned 'swingers' which could help lead you to the idea of 'swinging a golf club'. Having a ball that you could remotely move might help one find a lost ball, saving a lot of money and lessen the use of words many golfers employ when losing a ball.
5. Bernard Moeller has had his fifteen minutes of fame by getting into the "Guinness Book of Records", but there has to be easier, less-painful ways to do it than this. What did he do that constantly reminds him of his fame? (reversing the record likely would take more time and be more painful)

Answer: He had more than 14,000 tattoos

To have 14,000+ tattoos removed by laser surgery would not only take longer than having them removed, but it's widely agreed by all who've ever had one removed that it's more painful that getting one put on. As the question hints at, Mr. Moeller is constantly reminded of his record every time he sees himself. Do you think he might have tattoos on the soles of his feet too? OUCH!
6. While strolling through a Vienna Park on a rainy day, a twenty-three year old 'very busty' lady named Berbel Zumner, was tragically killed in a freak accident. I'm sure that had she lived, Ms. Zumner would have chosen some other way to achieve her fifteen minutes of fame. What happened that caused Ms. Zumner's instantaneous death that day?

Answer: Her heavily underwired bra caused her to be struck by lightning

The introduction says that she was 'busty', and as the the question states, her death was "instantaneous" so one should deduce that it was the lightning hitting the underwire in her bra that was the unfortunate cause of her death. All the ladies who are reading this information might want to consider non-wire sports bras when walking or jogging on a rainy day.
7. Max Kiss, a Hungarian immigrant who worked his way through pharmacy college by working every menial job he could find, got his fifteen minutes of fame when he invented this popular name-brand product. What product, found in many homes, did Max Kiss introduce to the world? (using this can make you a King on your own 'throne')

Answer: Ex-lax

When I said, "using this can make you King of your own 'throne'", I was alluding to the slang term for your toilet, so the product Max Kiss gave to the world is Ex-Lax, a laxative. Interestingly, and appropriately I feel, Max took the name "Ex-Lax" from the Hungarian parliamentary phrase 'ex-lex' which means "extraordinary suspension of governmental activity". Maybe they all needed to go to the privy because aren't most politicians "full of it"?
8. The mid-nineteenth century gave us entertainer, Joseph Pujol, who was the first man ever to present this unique stage act to thousands of people. His real-life experiences as an entertainer are documented in the book called, "Le Pétomane". Pujol's fifteen minutes of fame left many people breathless. What interesting craft did Pujol share with the world? (if his performance really stunk he got standing ovations)

Answer: he could fart the melodies to hundreds of songs

I can think of better ways to seek your fifteen minutes of fame than what Joseph Pujol did for a living. Pujol was known as "le fartiste" and would pack them in when he came to town. As the clue suggested, the more his act 'stunk', the happier the crowd became.

His memoirs are written about in the book, "Le Pétomane", which is aptly named because the french word for 'fart' is 'pet'. *His worst moment on stage came when he developed a severe case of diarrhea while farting a masterful rendition of J.S.Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" for a capacity audience of 1100 fans. *unconfirmed report of a humourous nature.
9. Are people so desperate to attain their fifteen minutes of fame that they would seek ridicule? That's what this man from De Kalb, Georgia, did when he sought, and received, a superior court ruling to replace his middle name Eugene with another, making one of the following monikers his new official name. So what kooky title does he go by now? (my oh my, what a wonderful day!)

Answer: Gary 'Zippidy' Duda

'Zippidy Duda! Zippidy Day! My oh my what a wonderful day!'; is how Uncle Remus in "Song of the South" sang it. Gary got so fed up with the teasing, joking, and telling people he was tired of the joke about his name that he decided to take ownership of the issue. So he changed his name from Gary Eugene Duda to 'Zippidy Duda' and did it through legal channels to show people he was serious about it.

He says he has never been called Gary so much in his life since he changed his name to Zippidy.
10. This 27 year-old Cuban-born woman was so desperate for her fifteen minutes of fame that she attempted to win the 1980 Boston Marathon by cheating. She had officially qualified through the New York City marathon by faking an injury. Who was the cheat that was stripped of the Boston Marathon's gold medal?

Answer: Rosie Ruiz

In Boston's 1980 marathon, Rosie Ruiz waited near the finish line until the runners were about three minutes away then stumbled into the street and sprinted the last mile. There was doubt right from the get go as no one was able to find any footage showing Ruiz in any part of the race except the last mile.

She was subsequently stripped of her medal, as well as having her previous status and finishes in other marathons removed from the records. Rosie's 'fifteen minutes of fame' turned into 'thirty years of shame'.
Source: Author krazykritik

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