Musings of a Dead Parrot

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. Where did the Beagle 2 crash and disappear on Christmas Day 2003? Mars
2. What was the first name of eight-year-old Miss O'Hanlon, who wrote a famous letter to the New York Sun in 1897? Virginia
3. "White Christmas" playing on Armed Forces radio was the secret signal for what 1975 event? The US pull out from Vietnam
4. According to PNC Bank's "Christmas Price Index," what would cost a record $19,507.19 in 2007? all the things my true love gave to me in The 12 Days of Christmas
5. At the age of eleven, who accidentally discovered the true identity of his baseball pitcher father while searching his mother's closet for hidden Christmas presents? Tim McGraw
6. Why might you want to avoid the Christmas party of Japan's Nakatomi Corporation? Hans Gruber and the other terrorists planned to blow it up in Die Hard
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Christmas carols? "Christmas in Killarney," "The Christmas Song," "A Holly Jolly Christmas," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "This Christmas."

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Alicia Keys' hit song "Fallin'" is written in E minor. But, according to its album's title, what key *should* it be sung in? The album is Songs in A Minor--get it? Because she was "a minor"? Tell another, Alicia. wrong
2. What item must be manufactured by Victorinox or Wenger to be official? Victorinox and Wenger own the trademark to "Swiss army knife." But Victorinox owns Wenger now. correct
3. Though many were filmed there, what's the only Best Picture-winning film *set* principally in Los Angeles? IMDb assured me that this was Crash, but IMDb must have a very short memory, since I've since found plenty of sources reminding me that Million Dollar Baby was set in L.A. as well. We accepted both answers. correct
4. What word comes to us from the Pennsylvania German for "running around"? This is "Rumspringa," that carefree time when Amish kids sow their wild oats by, I don't know. Wearing buttons and stuff. my guess was not really close
5. What river provided the water for Handel's Water Music? It was composed for a concert on the Thames. There were a limited number of rivers to guess. Mine was not correct.
6. In 1968, what movie did NBC promote with a Joe Namath quote: "I didn't get a chance to see it, but I heard it was great"? This was a rebroadcast of Heidi, which had famously pre-empted Namath's Jets losing to the Raiders a few weeks earlier. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, and no others? Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and the US? This list has few enough giveaways that I think this was a pretty hard one, even though the answer is fairly straightforward. These are all the nations that have hosted official World's Fairs, or "Expos."

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. Alicia Keys' hit song "Fallin'" is written in E minor. But, according to its album's title, what key *should* it be sung in? never heard the song or the album so I'll guess - C major
2. What item must be manufactured by Victorinox or Wenger to be official? Swiss army knife
3. Though many were filmed there, what's the only Best Picture-winning film *set* principally in Los Angeles? a most undeserving Best Picture - Crash
4. What word comes to us from the Pennsylvania German for "running around"? cuckold?
5. What river provided the water for Handel's Water Music? Danube?
6. In 1968, what movie did NBC promote with a Joe Namath quote: "I didn't get a chance to see it, but I heard it was great"? this was the year when NBC preempted the end of a Jets-Raiders game with the movie Heidi. So that is my guess - Heidi.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these countries, and no others? Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and the US?

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Name one of the two U.S. states in which it's illegal to pump your own gas. Oregon and New Jersey still have the powerful minimum-wage gas-pumpers' lobby propping up these stupid laws. Correct - I knew both of them
2. What medical procedure do the Germans call the kaiserschnitt, or "emperor's cut"? The name is almost identical in the English translation: a Cesarean section. Perhaps I should have been able to work this out
3. What peninsula makes up the mainland side of the city of Hong Kong? Kowloon
4. What TV show's theme song was called "The Fishin' Hole"? If you whistle a few bars, maybe I can fake it: it's The Andy Griffith Show. correct
5. Who's the only U.S. president ever sworn into office using a nickname? James Earl Carter had the Chief Justice use "Jimmy." Yeesh, even Bill Clinton used "William Jefferson." How were we supposed to choose this correct answer among the many candidates? I guess you could rationalize that the first president from the Deep South would be less formal.
6. What sports team's stars included Kelly Leak, Tanner Boyle, Amanda Whurlizer, and Ahmad Abdul-Rahim? The Bad News Bears--or the Chico's Bail Bonds Bears, if you prefer. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these literary works? Chocolat, The Color Purple, Going After Cacciato, The Iliad, The Maltese Falcon, The Old Man and the Sea, The Sheltering Sky, and The Woman Warrior. Each has a major character who shares his or her name with a world capital (Muscat, Sofia, Berlin, Paris, Cairo, Santiago, Port Moresby, and Kingston, respectively).

In 2004, I discovered and devoured Gram Parsons. In 2005 it was The Decemberists and in 2006 Wilco. This year - Arcade Fire.

Favorite CDs

Not new in 2007 but listened to for first time this year

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. One of the great albums of the rock era.
2. Arcade Fire - Funeral. Their stunning first album from 2004.
3. Ozomatli - Street Signs

Except for Arcade Fire, a somewhat disappointing year for discovering new music. Not much really got me excited beyond a song or two. Example - Cat Empire. Loved "Sly." But the rest of their album was not special. Still don't get Radiohead. Despite Dileep's recommendation, Television on the Radio did not do it for me either.

New in 2007

1. Richard Thompson - Sweet Warrior
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
5. Los Straitjackets - Rock en Espanol Vol One
6. Special mention to the Rodrigo y Gabriela videos on youtube. These guys look great in concert.

Songs

1. "Flathead," The Fratellis
2. "Sly," Cat Empire
3. "How Long," The Eagles

Concerts Attended

1. Ray Wylie Hubbard (a great entertaining show topped off by an encore duet with Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes on You Got to Move)
2. Dave Alvin
3. Lowen & Navarro
4. Richard Shindell
5. Drive By Truckers, Andrew Bird, Decemberists at the Hollywood Bowl
6. Stax Records 50th Anniversary Show at the Hollywood Bowl
7. Hacienda Brothers and Queen Ida at the Santa Monica Pier
8. Sergeant Pepper's 40th Anniversary Show featuring Cheap Trick at the Hollywood Bowl
9. Wilco
10. Los Lobos
11. BB King and Robert Randolph at the Hollywood Bowl
12. LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire at the Hollywood Bowl
13. Richard Thompson at Royce Hall
14. Bruce Springsteen

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. Name one of the two U.S. states in which it's illegal to pump your own gas. I believe that neither Oregon nor New Jersey has self-service gas. When you have driven around all 48 continental states, your gas station experiences run together.
2. What medical procedure do the Germans call the kaiserschnitt, or "emperor's cut"? rhinoplasty? circumcision?
3. What peninsula makes up the mainland side of the city of Hong Kong? Macau? Is that a peninsula?
4. What TV show's theme song was called "The Fishin' Hole"? The Andy Griffith Show
5. Who's the only U.S. president ever sworn into office using a nickname?
6. What sports team's stars included Kelly Leak, Tanner Boyle, Amanda Whurlizer, and Ahmad Abdul-Rahim? and they were managed by whats-his-name Buttermaker. The Bad News Bears
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these literary works? Chocolat, The Color Purple, Going After Cacciato, The Iliad, The Maltese Falcon, The Old Man and the Sea, The Sheltering Sky, and The Woman Warrior.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Where do fulgurites come from? Fulgurites are these weird tubes of glass you get when lightning strikes sand. It's been pointed out that this is the third time that the nominal "science" question on the quiz has concerned lightning. I'm glad you noticed! This is my private salute to "Lightning Crashes," by the anthemic 90s alt-rock quintet Live. not even close
2. What city is divided into Thracian and Anatolian sides? Thrace = European Turkey, Anatolia = Asian Turkey. (Butterball = American Turkey.) So the city is Istanbul (was Constantinople). correct
3. In 1984, Ray Parker, Jr. lamented, "There aren't that many words that rhyme with" what word? Ghostbusters! correct
4. Who's the only player in the Baseball Hall of Fame whose last name is the first name of another Baseball Hall of Fame player? The intended answer was Steve Carlton (Fisk) but this question had more holes in it than the Marlins' infield. Other possibilities include Waite Hoyt (Wilhelm) and Negro Leaguer Pop Lloyd (Waner). correct
5. In September 1995, a broken laser pointer became the first object ever to do what? Sell on eBay--for $14.83, if the company's PR hype is to be believed. correct
6. Who used her maiden name, Duarte, when she starred in films like !Segundos Afuera! and La Cabalgata del Circo? Eva Peron. We did not accept "Madonna." correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these people? George Carlin, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Loretta Lynn, Groucho Marx, Bill Murray, Jim Nabors, and Juliet Prowse? Each was the very first guest on a popular talk or variety show. Respectively: Saturday Night Live, Leno, Conan, Hee Haw, Carson, Letterman, Carol Burnett, and The Muppet Show.

I got 5 out of 7 last week. Must have been an easy week.

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. Where do fulgurites come from? are these like stalagtites and stalagmites? they sound mineralogic, so I'll guess that they come from meteors or meteorites
2. What city is divided into Thracian and Anatolian sides? Anatolia is in Turkey, so I guess Istanbul.
3. In 1984, Ray Parker, Jr. lamented, "There aren't that many words that rhyme with" what word? Ghostbusters!
4. Who's the only player in the Baseball Hall of Fame whose last name is the first name of another Baseball Hall of Fame player? this came to me late last night - Waite Hoyt and Hoyt Wilhelm
5. In September 1995, a broken laser pointer became the first object ever to do what? the date is important so you have to think what was going on then. My guess - first object ever to be auctioned on eBay
6. Who used her maiden name, Duarte, when she starred in films like !Segundos Afuera! and La Cabalgata del Circo? Evita Peron
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these people? George Carlin, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Loretta Lynn, Groucho Marx, Bill Murray, Jim Nabors, and Juliet Prowse?

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What lost its pink (representing sexuality) in 1978, and its turquoise (representing magic) in 1979? The iconic rainbow flag of LGBT pride used to be two whole colors gayer. It may be iconic, but I did not recognize what it was.
2. What word, meaning "swift thief," was coined by scientists in 1924, though it didn't become popularly known until the 1990s? The velociraptor had been around for almost seventy years before Spielberg made him a star. Sort of like the seventy years Harrison Ford had to wait for Spielberg to make Indy IV. cool question
3. On what part of your body would you wear a homburg? It's a hat, so that would be your head. correct
4. Who was the only writer to have three separate works adapted into Alfred Hitchcock movies? Daphne du Maurier wrote Rebecca, sure, but she also wrote "The Birds" and Jamaica Inn. I guess Du Maurier would be the only writer whose work I recognize as being the basis for any Hitchcock movie. That is pretty darn obscure.
5. Who was the only one of the original seven Mercury astronauts never to fly a Mercury mission? A heart condition grounded Deke Slayton for a decade, though he finally flew an Apollo mission in 1975. I thought that Slayton was the answer to a different question and that Alan Shepard was the answer to this one. I need to get my astronauts straight.
6. What song title was a U.S. #1 for Rihanna, though it didn't even crack the Top Ten for ABBA? "S.O.S." (Two different songs, of course.) I guessed the wrong ABBA song.
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. A toughie: all these cities are served by airports named for women. (Amelia Earhart, Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, various queens, etc. You can look 'em up.)

I should be posting about my glee at Stanford's unexpected Big Game win.

But this thread from the UCLA board when they played Cal earlier this fall had me laughing out loud. Good thing I was not drinking at the time or I would have spit all over my screen. 100 cocktails to all the clever farkers!