Friday, November 30, 2007
The MOB
Kudos to the MOB, the Marching Owl Band from Rice University. They have a reputation for irreverence comparable to that of the Stanford Band. Their halftime show last week remembered the former Rice football coach Todd Graham who left the program after one year to become the head coach at Tulsa. At halftime of the game vs. Tulsa, the MOB show descended through the 9 circles of hell looking for Paul Graham. A sampling of the narration:
Very clever. And yes, I noted that you find Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 9th Circle of Hell. Why couldn't the LSJUMB come up with something like that for Tyrone?
"We thought we might find Todd Graham in the fourth circle with the greedy and the avaricious, but he was nowhere to be found. However, we did find his shredded Rice contract — leading like breadcrumbs into the inferno — and there, gathering the pieces, was Dennis Franchione."The entire show is available at Todd Graham's Inferno
Very clever. And yes, I noted that you find Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 9th Circle of Hell. Why couldn't the LSJUMB come up with something like that for Tyrone?
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Big Game memories
On the 25th anniversary of the 1982 Big Game.
I was a senior. It was Elway's last game and mine too, at least as a student. It was also meaningful because it offered a chance to redeem a promising season that was on its way to being squandered. In the prior two games, we had lost a shootout to UCLA 38-35 (anyone remember that Tom Ramsey was co-Pac 10 player of the year with Elway?) and in the final home game of the year Stanford gave up 4 TDs in the last quarter to fall to Arizona 41-27. A 5-3 record that included a win at Ohio State and a win over the #1 team in the country Washington had led to the hope of a major bowl. Now we were 5-5 and despite having one of the best offenses in the country (remember those days?) had to win to get an invitation to the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham.
This game was important to me personally because I badly wanted to beat the weenies in every sport. My loathing of all things Bear began in Harmon Gym freshman year. I was one of the basketball managers and was almost physically assaulted by the fans (who were not students) as I tried to film the game. I was definitely verbally abused the entire game. I had to call security at one point. I had also witnessed the kal straw hat band rudely and arrogantly march right through the Stanford warm up line beforehand. And then there was Oski. God I wanted to roast those weenies. Yes, pure hatred is the foundation of any good rivalry.
If you were at the game, you will be reminded that it was another crazy Big Game even before the last 4 seconds. Mariet Ford's incomplete pass-turned TD. Wes Howell's balls-out dive for a TD. Converting on 4th and 17. Dotterer untouched through the prevent defense for 25 yards. You know the rest. Watching a replay of the game is not an entirely unpleasant walk down memory lane. We had a great group of Dollies that year.
I believe that the guy with the trumpet was John de Benedetti. I was sitting with the Toyon crowd and believe he was living there at the time. He started the touchdown cheer after Mariet Ford's phantom TD. At halftime when we had been totally outplayed, it looked like that might be all we would have to keep ourselves entertained the rest of the way. But we did have real things to cheer about in the second half until . . .
One other memory from the game. kal fans used to launch frozen fruit at the band. This was a tactic unknown to me before college. They also had some water balloon funnellators. I thought it was hysterical that the Stanford lacrosse team was on the field to protect the band, at least from the heavier objects that might do the most damage. That was the reason for the band's hard hats.
My bitterness about the outcome of the game lasted until a friend talked me into trekking from LA to Berkeley for the 1990 Big Game. One of the few times I made the right call. The 1990 game was if anything even more exciting than 1982. It was better played. And I liked the outcome a lot more.
I think that day was the last time I was in Berkeley.
I was a senior. It was Elway's last game and mine too, at least as a student. It was also meaningful because it offered a chance to redeem a promising season that was on its way to being squandered. In the prior two games, we had lost a shootout to UCLA 38-35 (anyone remember that Tom Ramsey was co-Pac 10 player of the year with Elway?) and in the final home game of the year Stanford gave up 4 TDs in the last quarter to fall to Arizona 41-27. A 5-3 record that included a win at Ohio State and a win over the #1 team in the country Washington had led to the hope of a major bowl. Now we were 5-5 and despite having one of the best offenses in the country (remember those days?) had to win to get an invitation to the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham.
This game was important to me personally because I badly wanted to beat the weenies in every sport. My loathing of all things Bear began in Harmon Gym freshman year. I was one of the basketball managers and was almost physically assaulted by the fans (who were not students) as I tried to film the game. I was definitely verbally abused the entire game. I had to call security at one point. I had also witnessed the kal straw hat band rudely and arrogantly march right through the Stanford warm up line beforehand. And then there was Oski. God I wanted to roast those weenies. Yes, pure hatred is the foundation of any good rivalry.
If you were at the game, you will be reminded that it was another crazy Big Game even before the last 4 seconds. Mariet Ford's incomplete pass-turned TD. Wes Howell's balls-out dive for a TD. Converting on 4th and 17. Dotterer untouched through the prevent defense for 25 yards. You know the rest. Watching a replay of the game is not an entirely unpleasant walk down memory lane. We had a great group of Dollies that year.
I believe that the guy with the trumpet was John de Benedetti. I was sitting with the Toyon crowd and believe he was living there at the time. He started the touchdown cheer after Mariet Ford's phantom TD. At halftime when we had been totally outplayed, it looked like that might be all we would have to keep ourselves entertained the rest of the way. But we did have real things to cheer about in the second half until . . .
One other memory from the game. kal fans used to launch frozen fruit at the band. This was a tactic unknown to me before college. They also had some water balloon funnellators. I thought it was hysterical that the Stanford lacrosse team was on the field to protect the band, at least from the heavier objects that might do the most damage. That was the reason for the band's hard hats.
My bitterness about the outcome of the game lasted until a friend talked me into trekking from LA to Berkeley for the 1990 Big Game. One of the few times I made the right call. The 1990 game was if anything even more exciting than 1982. It was better played. And I liked the outcome a lot more.
I think that day was the last time I was in Berkeley.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - November 27
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. What lost its pink (representing sexuality) in 1978, and its turquoise (representing magic) in 1979? A guess - Mood ring. If not that, could it be some corporate logo?
2. What word, meaning "swift thief," was coined by scientists in 1924, though it didn't become popularly known until the 1990s?
3. On what part of your body would you wear a homburg? I believe that a homberg is a hat, so one would wear it on his head
4. Who was the only writer to have three separate works adapted into Alfred Hitchcock movies?
5. Who was the only one of the original seven Mercury astronauts never to fly a Mercury mission? We had this recently at the Quiz but it was asked differently - the only original Mercury astronaut to fly an Apollo mission. I think it is Alan Shepard
6. What song title was a U.S. #1 for Rihanna, though it didn't even crack the Top Ten for ABBA? A guess - Waterloo
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these world cities (and no others that I'm aware of, but I may be missing some)? Amman, Jordan; Atchison, Kansas; Delhi and Indore, India; Istanbul, Turkey; Oranjestad, Aruba; St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles; Tenerife, Spain; Thermal, California; Tirana, Albania.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the U.S., "double black diamond" is the rating used for the most challenging what? Ski slopes. (In Europe, yellow or orange squares are typically used instead for the most difficult runs.) Correct
2. Who lived for years under the name "Mr. Thomas Howard" before his 1882 death? Jesse James, as I learned in the recent Brad Pitt movie. "That dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard has laid poor Jesse in his grave..." Dadgum. Bruce Springsteen has been singing that with his Seeger Sessions Band too.
3. Potatoes provide the "aloo" in Indian aloo gobi. What vegetable is the "gobi"? Gobi is cauliflower. Correct
4. What two neighboring beaches in Rio de Janeiro each inspired hit songs, one in 1963 and one in 1978? "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Copacabana" are both names that originated with Brazilian beaches. Correct
5. What novel was originally written under the title Elinor and Marianne? Elinor is "Sense," Marianne is "Sensibility." Or those are their crimefighting names, anyway. I guessed the wrong Austen novel
6. Whose 1937 death in Rome was observed worldwide by two minutes of silence over all radio stations? Radio was saluting its late inventor, Guglielmo Marconi. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Autumn Sonata, Broadcast News, House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs, The Lost Patrol, Oliver!, Planet Terror, and Whore. Each film's director shared a surname with one of the stars, though they weren't actually related in any way. (I can save you five minutes here: Ingmar and Ingrid Bergman, James L. and Albert Brooks, Zhang Yimou and Ziyi, Andrew and Andy Lau, John and Wallace Ford, Carol and Oliver Reed, Robert and Freddy Rodriguez, and Ken and Theresa Russell.). Question 7s are tough. I think you need a group to solve them.
1. What lost its pink (representing sexuality) in 1978, and its turquoise (representing magic) in 1979? A guess - Mood ring. If not that, could it be some corporate logo?
2. What word, meaning "swift thief," was coined by scientists in 1924, though it didn't become popularly known until the 1990s?
3. On what part of your body would you wear a homburg? I believe that a homberg is a hat, so one would wear it on his head
4. Who was the only writer to have three separate works adapted into Alfred Hitchcock movies?
5. Who was the only one of the original seven Mercury astronauts never to fly a Mercury mission? We had this recently at the Quiz but it was asked differently - the only original Mercury astronaut to fly an Apollo mission. I think it is Alan Shepard
6. What song title was a U.S. #1 for Rihanna, though it didn't even crack the Top Ten for ABBA? A guess - Waterloo
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these world cities (and no others that I'm aware of, but I may be missing some)? Amman, Jordan; Atchison, Kansas; Delhi and Indore, India; Istanbul, Turkey; Oranjestad, Aruba; St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles; Tenerife, Spain; Thermal, California; Tirana, Albania.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the U.S., "double black diamond" is the rating used for the most challenging what? Ski slopes. (In Europe, yellow or orange squares are typically used instead for the most difficult runs.) Correct
2. Who lived for years under the name "Mr. Thomas Howard" before his 1882 death? Jesse James, as I learned in the recent Brad Pitt movie. "That dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard has laid poor Jesse in his grave..." Dadgum. Bruce Springsteen has been singing that with his Seeger Sessions Band too.
3. Potatoes provide the "aloo" in Indian aloo gobi. What vegetable is the "gobi"? Gobi is cauliflower. Correct
4. What two neighboring beaches in Rio de Janeiro each inspired hit songs, one in 1963 and one in 1978? "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Copacabana" are both names that originated with Brazilian beaches. Correct
5. What novel was originally written under the title Elinor and Marianne? Elinor is "Sense," Marianne is "Sensibility." Or those are their crimefighting names, anyway. I guessed the wrong Austen novel
6. Whose 1937 death in Rome was observed worldwide by two minutes of silence over all radio stations? Radio was saluting its late inventor, Guglielmo Marconi. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Autumn Sonata, Broadcast News, House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs, The Lost Patrol, Oliver!, Planet Terror, and Whore. Each film's director shared a surname with one of the stars, though they weren't actually related in any way. (I can save you five minutes here: Ingmar and Ingrid Bergman, James L. and Albert Brooks, Zhang Yimou and Ziyi, Andrew and Andy Lau, John and Wallace Ford, Carol and Oliver Reed, Robert and Freddy Rodriguez, and Ken and Theresa Russell.). Question 7s are tough. I think you need a group to solve them.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Bellotti Potti
Oregon State hates Oregon and its coach Mike Bellotti. This is how one OSU fan is preparing for the rivalry game next week (known as the Civil War).
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - November 20
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. In the U.S., "double black diamond" is the rating used for the most challenging what? ski run
2. Who lived for years under the name "Mr. Thomas Howard" before his 1882 death? A total guess - Henry Thoreau
3. Potatoes provide the "aloo" in Indian aloo gobi. What vegetable is the "gobi"? I think this is a dish of potatoes and cauliflower
4. What two neighboring beaches in Rio de Janeiro each inspired hit songs, one in 1963 and one in 1978? Ipanema and Copacabana
5. What novel was originally written under the title Elinor and Marianne? Hmm. Sounds like one of the Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice?
6. Whose 1937 death in Rome was observed worldwide by two minutes of silence over all radio stations? I think the key clue here is "radio." Marconi
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Autumn Sonata, Broadcast News, House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs, The Lost Patrol, Oliver!, Planet Terror, and Whore. I really don't know enough about those movies to hazard a guess. The only one I have seen is Broadcast News and that was a long time ago.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. From left to right, what are the una corda, sostenuto, and damper? The three pedals on a piano.
2. By area, what's the largest province of Canada? Quebec is almost twice the size of Texas. (Nunavut is much larger, but it's a territory, not a province.) By Canadian law, this answer must appear in French as well, so: Quebec est presque deux fois plus grand que Texas. (Nunavut est beaucoup plus grand, mais il est un territoire, pas un province.) actually a number of the provinces are much bigger than Texas. I just guessed the wrong one.
3. On what planet did the bottle city of Kandor originate? Kandor's bottle sits in Superman's Fortress of Solitude--it's the former capital of Krypton. I did not even know enough to guess
4. Who also killed Countess Sophie on June 28, 1914? Sophie was the Governor John Connally of the Archduke Ferdinand assassination in Sarajevo, so the answer is Gavrilo Princip. correct
5. What actress is the daughter of Vic Morrow, the actor most famous for his tragic death during the filming of 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie? Jennifer Jason Leigh is Morrow's daughter. I may have known this at one time but it slipped out of my brain
6. Electrical conductance is measured in "siemens." Previously, this unit was given the name of what other electrical unit, spelled backwards? The siemens used to be the mho--"ohm" spelled backward. Correct. I do like these science questions. I seem to do well on them.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these things? The Laffer Curve in economics, Miami Vice, the MRI, the NASCAR points system, the National Organization for Women, the song "One for My Baby," Southwest Airlines, and the Space Needle? All were initially conceived on the back of a napkin. Not the Harry Potter books, though. I hear that's an urban legend. I don't want to critique the quizmaster too much but I think this is a lousy question. Too much arcana. I had heard that about Southwest but not the others. Maybe I am just out of league on question 7s.
1. In the U.S., "double black diamond" is the rating used for the most challenging what? ski run
2. Who lived for years under the name "Mr. Thomas Howard" before his 1882 death? A total guess - Henry Thoreau
3. Potatoes provide the "aloo" in Indian aloo gobi. What vegetable is the "gobi"? I think this is a dish of potatoes and cauliflower
4. What two neighboring beaches in Rio de Janeiro each inspired hit songs, one in 1963 and one in 1978? Ipanema and Copacabana
5. What novel was originally written under the title Elinor and Marianne? Hmm. Sounds like one of the Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice?
6. Whose 1937 death in Rome was observed worldwide by two minutes of silence over all radio stations? I think the key clue here is "radio." Marconi
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Autumn Sonata, Broadcast News, House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs, The Lost Patrol, Oliver!, Planet Terror, and Whore. I really don't know enough about those movies to hazard a guess. The only one I have seen is Broadcast News and that was a long time ago.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. From left to right, what are the una corda, sostenuto, and damper? The three pedals on a piano.
2. By area, what's the largest province of Canada? Quebec is almost twice the size of Texas. (Nunavut is much larger, but it's a territory, not a province.) By Canadian law, this answer must appear in French as well, so: Quebec est presque deux fois plus grand que Texas. (Nunavut est beaucoup plus grand, mais il est un territoire, pas un province.) actually a number of the provinces are much bigger than Texas. I just guessed the wrong one.
3. On what planet did the bottle city of Kandor originate? Kandor's bottle sits in Superman's Fortress of Solitude--it's the former capital of Krypton. I did not even know enough to guess
4. Who also killed Countess Sophie on June 28, 1914? Sophie was the Governor John Connally of the Archduke Ferdinand assassination in Sarajevo, so the answer is Gavrilo Princip. correct
5. What actress is the daughter of Vic Morrow, the actor most famous for his tragic death during the filming of 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie? Jennifer Jason Leigh is Morrow's daughter. I may have known this at one time but it slipped out of my brain
6. Electrical conductance is measured in "siemens." Previously, this unit was given the name of what other electrical unit, spelled backwards? The siemens used to be the mho--"ohm" spelled backward. Correct. I do like these science questions. I seem to do well on them.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these things? The Laffer Curve in economics, Miami Vice, the MRI, the NASCAR points system, the National Organization for Women, the song "One for My Baby," Southwest Airlines, and the Space Needle? All were initially conceived on the back of a napkin. Not the Harry Potter books, though. I hear that's an urban legend. I don't want to critique the quizmaster too much but I think this is a lousy question. Too much arcana. I had heard that about Southwest but not the others. Maybe I am just out of league on question 7s.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - November 13
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. From left to right, what are the una corda, sostenuto, and damper? no idea so I looked it up. Those are the names of the pedals on a piano.
2. By area, what's the largest province of Canada? Saskatchewan and Manitoba seem very big. I'll guess Saskatchewan.
3. On what planet did the bottle city of Kandor originate?
4. Who also killed Countess Sophie on June 28, 1914? Gavrilo Princip perhaps? That is the only assassination from 1914 I can think of.
5. What actress is the daughter of Vic Morrow, the actor most famous for his tragic death during the filming of 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie?
6. Electrical conductance is measured in "siemens." Previously, this unit was given the name of what other electrical unit, spelled backwards? mho (backwards of ohm). Another question where crossword playing helps.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these things? The Laffer Curve in economics, Miami Vice, the MRI, the NASCAR points system, the National Organization for Women, the song "One for My Baby," Southwest Airlines, and the Space Needle?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The family on TV's Married...with Children was named in honor of what wrestler? King Kong Bundy, and I was mean and didn't accept just "Bundy." C'mon, we're not just testing your Married...with Children knowledge. We're more highbrow than that here at Tuesday Trivia. We wanted to test your 1980s pro wrestling knowledge. Billy would have heard of King Kong Bundy, but I had not
2. "Theobromine," meaning "food of the gods," is the stimulant found in what substance? Theobromine is why chocolate is addictive and carob isn't.
3. What Best Picture-winning film was based on the short story collection Rope Burns? They're boxing ring "ropes"--it's Million Dollar Baby. correct
4. Who spent 1994 stocking shelves for minimum wage at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa? Future MVP quarterback Kurt Warner was just paying the bills between the time the Packers cut him and his Arena Football League debut. correct
5. What peninsular nation is home to Al-Jazeera, whose name means "the peninsula"? Though the "peninsula" being referred to is Saudi Arabia, the network is actually headquartered in Qatar. Tricky. correct
6. What did Emily Dickinson call "the thing with feathers"? Hope. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Diamond Jim Brady, Rosey Grier, Woody Guthrie, Howlin' Wolf, Ted Lilly, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dwight Yoakam, and Andrew Young. James Buchanan Brady, Roosevelt Grier, Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, and all the rest were named in honor of U.S. presidents. (In some cases indirectly--Andrew Jackson Young was named for his father, not directly for the president.)
1. From left to right, what are the una corda, sostenuto, and damper? no idea so I looked it up. Those are the names of the pedals on a piano.
2. By area, what's the largest province of Canada? Saskatchewan and Manitoba seem very big. I'll guess Saskatchewan.
3. On what planet did the bottle city of Kandor originate?
4. Who also killed Countess Sophie on June 28, 1914? Gavrilo Princip perhaps? That is the only assassination from 1914 I can think of.
5. What actress is the daughter of Vic Morrow, the actor most famous for his tragic death during the filming of 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie?
6. Electrical conductance is measured in "siemens." Previously, this unit was given the name of what other electrical unit, spelled backwards? mho (backwards of ohm). Another question where crossword playing helps.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these things? The Laffer Curve in economics, Miami Vice, the MRI, the NASCAR points system, the National Organization for Women, the song "One for My Baby," Southwest Airlines, and the Space Needle?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The family on TV's Married...with Children was named in honor of what wrestler? King Kong Bundy, and I was mean and didn't accept just "Bundy." C'mon, we're not just testing your Married...with Children knowledge. We're more highbrow than that here at Tuesday Trivia. We wanted to test your 1980s pro wrestling knowledge. Billy would have heard of King Kong Bundy, but I had not
2. "Theobromine," meaning "food of the gods," is the stimulant found in what substance? Theobromine is why chocolate is addictive and carob isn't.
3. What Best Picture-winning film was based on the short story collection Rope Burns? They're boxing ring "ropes"--it's Million Dollar Baby. correct
4. Who spent 1994 stocking shelves for minimum wage at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa? Future MVP quarterback Kurt Warner was just paying the bills between the time the Packers cut him and his Arena Football League debut. correct
5. What peninsular nation is home to Al-Jazeera, whose name means "the peninsula"? Though the "peninsula" being referred to is Saudi Arabia, the network is actually headquartered in Qatar. Tricky. correct
6. What did Emily Dickinson call "the thing with feathers"? Hope. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Diamond Jim Brady, Rosey Grier, Woody Guthrie, Howlin' Wolf, Ted Lilly, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dwight Yoakam, and Andrew Young. James Buchanan Brady, Roosevelt Grier, Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, and all the rest were named in honor of U.S. presidents. (In some cases indirectly--Andrew Jackson Young was named for his father, not directly for the president.)
Michigan vs. Ohio State
It's the third Saturday in November and that means it is rivalry Saturday in college football. Changes in conference alignments and the lure of tv money have moved some traditional games to other dates or eliminated them altogether (Oklahoma-Nebraska, Stanford-Cal, USC-UCLA, Auburn-Alabama).
That leaves the spotlight squarely on Michigan-Ohio State. Once again a conference championship and Rose Bowl berth are on the line. For fans, it means one thing -
the Brent Musberger Drinking Game .
That leaves the spotlight squarely on Michigan-Ohio State. Once again a conference championship and Rose Bowl berth are on the line. For fans, it means one thing -
the Brent Musberger Drinking Game .
Friday, November 09, 2007
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - November 6
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. The family on TV's Married...with Children was named in honor of what wrestler? I have no idea but if I think of old time wrestlers, the first one that comes to mind is Gorgeous George. Can't think of another Bundy except for the serial killer Ted.
2. "Theobromine," meaning "food of the gods," is the stimulant found in what substance?
3. What Best Picture-winning film was based on the short story collection Rope Burns? ooh, ooh, I know this one! Million Dollar Baby.
4. Who spent 1994 stocking shelves for minimum wage at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa? I know another one! Kurt Warner former QB at Northern Iowa and now a Super Bowl champ
5. What peninsular nation is home to Al-Jazeera, whose name means "the peninsula"? Qatar
6. What did Emily Dickinson call "the thing with feathers"? Hope?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Diamond Jim Brady, Rosey Grier, Woody Guthrie, Howlin' Wolf, Ted Lilly, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dwight Yoakam, and Andrew Young.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What university borrowed the name for its sports teams from the Greek word for "what"? That's Georgetown's official line as to just what a "Hoya" is. correct
2. What does it mean when a 'Q' is appended to the end of a company's stock ticker symbol? If you end with a 'Q', you're in bankruptcy. Unless you're Qwest or someone, and your ticker symbol is *supposed* to end with Q. I thought Q related to NASDAQ. Well now I know better.
3. What two U.S. states have musical instruments pictured on their state quarters? Louisiana has a jazz trumpet, and Tennessee has a country/blues combo: guitar, trumpet, and fiddle. correct
4. Except for its 2004 pilot, what TV show has titled all fifty of its episodes (to date) to begin with the same letter? Every episode of The L Word starts with the same letter. I can't remember which one. I looked this up so it does not count
5. What natural Earth phenomenon can reach a temperature of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, five times hotter than the surface of the sun? A bolt of lightning. wow!
6. What director also wrote short fiction under the pen name "Ann Gora"? The incomparable Ed Wood had the fetish in question. I was trying to think of a director whose last name might be a play on wool or goat or something. Not in the right ballpark.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all of these famous paintings? Breughel's The Peasant Wedding, Constable's The Haywain, Courbet's Burial at Ornans, Manet's Luncheon of the Boating Party, Rembrandt's The Night Watch, Titian's Venus of Urbino, Van Eyck's Arnolfini Wedding, Velazquez's Las Meninas. Renoir/Manet slip-up aside, all eight paintings depict man's best friend, a dog, in addition to the human subjects. correct. It was easy once you actually reviewed the paintings.
1. The family on TV's Married...with Children was named in honor of what wrestler? I have no idea but if I think of old time wrestlers, the first one that comes to mind is Gorgeous George. Can't think of another Bundy except for the serial killer Ted.
2. "Theobromine," meaning "food of the gods," is the stimulant found in what substance?
3. What Best Picture-winning film was based on the short story collection Rope Burns? ooh, ooh, I know this one! Million Dollar Baby.
4. Who spent 1994 stocking shelves for minimum wage at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa? I know another one! Kurt Warner former QB at Northern Iowa and now a Super Bowl champ
5. What peninsular nation is home to Al-Jazeera, whose name means "the peninsula"? Qatar
6. What did Emily Dickinson call "the thing with feathers"? Hope?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Diamond Jim Brady, Rosey Grier, Woody Guthrie, Howlin' Wolf, Ted Lilly, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dwight Yoakam, and Andrew Young.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What university borrowed the name for its sports teams from the Greek word for "what"? That's Georgetown's official line as to just what a "Hoya" is. correct
2. What does it mean when a 'Q' is appended to the end of a company's stock ticker symbol? If you end with a 'Q', you're in bankruptcy. Unless you're Qwest or someone, and your ticker symbol is *supposed* to end with Q. I thought Q related to NASDAQ. Well now I know better.
3. What two U.S. states have musical instruments pictured on their state quarters? Louisiana has a jazz trumpet, and Tennessee has a country/blues combo: guitar, trumpet, and fiddle. correct
4. Except for its 2004 pilot, what TV show has titled all fifty of its episodes (to date) to begin with the same letter? Every episode of The L Word starts with the same letter. I can't remember which one. I looked this up so it does not count
5. What natural Earth phenomenon can reach a temperature of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, five times hotter than the surface of the sun? A bolt of lightning. wow!
6. What director also wrote short fiction under the pen name "Ann Gora"? The incomparable Ed Wood had the fetish in question. I was trying to think of a director whose last name might be a play on wool or goat or something. Not in the right ballpark.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all of these famous paintings? Breughel's The Peasant Wedding, Constable's The Haywain, Courbet's Burial at Ornans, Manet's Luncheon of the Boating Party, Rembrandt's The Night Watch, Titian's Venus of Urbino, Van Eyck's Arnolfini Wedding, Velazquez's Las Meninas. Renoir/Manet slip-up aside, all eight paintings depict man's best friend, a dog, in addition to the human subjects. correct. It was easy once you actually reviewed the paintings.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 30
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. What university borrowed the name for its sports teams from the Greek word for "what"? got to be an unusual nickname. Yale Elis is for their founder. How about Georgetown. Maybe that is what a Hoya is.
2. What does it mean when a 'Q' is appended to the end of a company's stock ticker symbol? that stock is traded on NASDAQ exchange
3. What two U.S. states have musical instruments pictured on their state quarters? Tennessee and Louisiana
4. Except for its 2004 pilot, what TV show has titled all fifty of its episodes (to date) to begin with the same letter? after a little research, I think this is The L Word. I think it is unfair to ask questions like this about cable shows.
5. What natural Earth phenomenon can reach a temperature of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, five times hotter than the surface of the sun? volcano?
6. What director also wrote short fiction under the pen name "Ann Gora"? no idea
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all of these famous paintings? Breughel's The Peasant Wedding, Constable's The Haywain, Courbet's Burial at Ornans, Manet's Luncheon of the Boating Party, Rembrandt's The Night Watch, Titian's Venus of Urbino, Van Eyck's Arnolfini Wedding, Velazquez's Las Meninas. each has a dog in the scene
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In 2000, who became the only two-time Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year? Tiger Woods, and I wondered for about five seconds if I should add the word "solo" somewhere in the question, because Curt Schilling also won a second Sportsman of the Year title, sorta, in 2004, when the whole Red Sox squad was honored. Nah, I decided. No one's going to bother me about that. Boy was I wrong!
2. What two U.S. states have capitals named for people who were executed? Minnesota and North Carolina, for the Apostle Paul and Walter Raleigh, respectively. Note to Nebraska boosters: Lincoln wasn't "executed" really, was he?
3. What did the Electro String Instrument Corporation change its name to, to capitalize on a distant relationship between its founders and a World War I hero? Rickenbacker guitars are named (sort of) in honor of flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker.
4. Which knight of King Arthur's Round Table is Sir Lancelot's son? Galahad is the bastard in question.
5. Who appears, in front of a landscape of a different nation entirely, on New Zealand's five-dollar note? Sir Edmund Hillary is on the kiwi five-dollar bill. The landscape behind him is Nepal: the peak of Mount Everest, in fact.
6. What's the only city to twice host a season of MTV's The Real World? New York in 1991 and 2001, though 2008's Hollywood season will be the second L.A.-area setting.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these actors? Alan Arkin, Emilio Estevez, Henry Fonda, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Peter Ustinov, and John Wayne. This one was meant to be hard, but even I was surprised by how few people caught on to my tenuous little theme: each of these actors has played one of the historical figures who time-travel in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (respectively: Freud, Billy the Kid, Lincoln, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Beethoven, Socrates, and Genghis Khan). Be excellent to each other, everyone.
