Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - May 20
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. Who is the world's most famous user of the DECTalk DTC01 synthesizer? perhaps that is what Peter Frampton used on Frampton Comes Alive
2. What major motion picture of 2007 held its premiere in, of all places, tiny Springfield, Vermont? the Simpsons Movie of course
3. What group took its name from the Al Aqsa Mosque, where it made its first headquarters in the 12th century?
4. In 1986, who produced a short-lived MTV series called Fifteen Minutes? sounds like Andy Warhol
5. Where, specifically, would you find Astroland, which was supposed to close last year but has recently reopened for one more summer? sounds like Houston. But what if Astroland was in Beijing and wanted to stay open to take advantange of Olmypics tourism.
6. What novel had its origins in The Harvest Gypsies, a series of articles printed in the San Francisco News in 1936? The Grapes of Wrath
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these rock albums? Am I Not Your Girl by Sinead O'Connor, Autoamerican by Blondie, Blue Valentine by Tom Waits, Congregation by the Afghan Whigs, I Am Gloria Gaynor, It's a Shame about Ray by the Lemonheads, With the Beatles, and A Wizard, a True Star by Todd Rundgren. Initial research indicates that Rundgren and Blondie albums include spoken word poems. Tom Waits was a poet. I can picture Sinead O'Connor doing the same. Many also appear to cover songs from Broadway shows. That may be it. I see a lot of Lloyd Webber/Rice covers on these albums.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. If you are "balling the queen," where are you? It's not as lurid as it sounds, sadly. The answer is "in a beehive." "Balling the queen" is what worker bees do when they're mad as hell and don't want to take it any more: surround the old queen until she dies of overheating. My guess (on a cricket pitch) was somewhat off.
2. What 1838 novel was heavily revised by its author late in life, after he had befriended the Jewish couple that had bought his London home? This is how Charles Dickens came to remove the worst of the anti-Semitic stuff about Fagin in Oliver Twist. mostly correct. I could not recall Oliver Twist or Great Expectations.
3. Which event of tennis's Grand Slam is played on the slowest surface? Clay is the slowest, so this is the French Open. Did you assume grass was the slowest too, or was that just me? correct
4. How many lengthwise chocolate "fingers" is a regular Kit Kat bar divided into? Four fingers, just like Mickey Mouse. correct
5. What actor founded Happy Madison Productions to produce his movies? Adam Sandler, from the titles of his comedies Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. correct
6. What former world leader's full name ended with "Tikriti," for his hometown? Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, a native of Tikrit, Iraq. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV shows? All My Children, China Beach, The Drew Carey Show, Gimme a Break, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Laurie Hill, The Real Ghost Busters, and Strangers with Candy. All these shows featured early appearances by a recurring cast member who would go on to be a successful talk show host (respectively: Kelly Ripa, Rikki Lake, Craig Ferguson, Rosie O'Donnell, Tyra Banks, Ellen DeGeneres, Arsenio Hall, and Stephen Colbert). Next week's question will be about sitcoms featuring future UNsuccessful talk show hosts: Wheel of Fortune, Taxi, The Cosby Show, etc. correct
1. Who is the world's most famous user of the DECTalk DTC01 synthesizer? perhaps that is what Peter Frampton used on Frampton Comes Alive
2. What major motion picture of 2007 held its premiere in, of all places, tiny Springfield, Vermont? the Simpsons Movie of course
3. What group took its name from the Al Aqsa Mosque, where it made its first headquarters in the 12th century?
4. In 1986, who produced a short-lived MTV series called Fifteen Minutes? sounds like Andy Warhol
5. Where, specifically, would you find Astroland, which was supposed to close last year but has recently reopened for one more summer? sounds like Houston. But what if Astroland was in Beijing and wanted to stay open to take advantange of Olmypics tourism.
6. What novel had its origins in The Harvest Gypsies, a series of articles printed in the San Francisco News in 1936? The Grapes of Wrath
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these rock albums? Am I Not Your Girl by Sinead O'Connor, Autoamerican by Blondie, Blue Valentine by Tom Waits, Congregation by the Afghan Whigs, I Am Gloria Gaynor, It's a Shame about Ray by the Lemonheads, With the Beatles, and A Wizard, a True Star by Todd Rundgren. Initial research indicates that Rundgren and Blondie albums include spoken word poems. Tom Waits was a poet. I can picture Sinead O'Connor doing the same. Many also appear to cover songs from Broadway shows. That may be it. I see a lot of Lloyd Webber/Rice covers on these albums.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. If you are "balling the queen," where are you? It's not as lurid as it sounds, sadly. The answer is "in a beehive." "Balling the queen" is what worker bees do when they're mad as hell and don't want to take it any more: surround the old queen until she dies of overheating. My guess (on a cricket pitch) was somewhat off.
2. What 1838 novel was heavily revised by its author late in life, after he had befriended the Jewish couple that had bought his London home? This is how Charles Dickens came to remove the worst of the anti-Semitic stuff about Fagin in Oliver Twist. mostly correct. I could not recall Oliver Twist or Great Expectations.
3. Which event of tennis's Grand Slam is played on the slowest surface? Clay is the slowest, so this is the French Open. Did you assume grass was the slowest too, or was that just me? correct
4. How many lengthwise chocolate "fingers" is a regular Kit Kat bar divided into? Four fingers, just like Mickey Mouse. correct
5. What actor founded Happy Madison Productions to produce his movies? Adam Sandler, from the titles of his comedies Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. correct
6. What former world leader's full name ended with "Tikriti," for his hometown? Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, a native of Tikrit, Iraq. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV shows? All My Children, China Beach, The Drew Carey Show, Gimme a Break, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Laurie Hill, The Real Ghost Busters, and Strangers with Candy. All these shows featured early appearances by a recurring cast member who would go on to be a successful talk show host (respectively: Kelly Ripa, Rikki Lake, Craig Ferguson, Rosie O'Donnell, Tyra Banks, Ellen DeGeneres, Arsenio Hall, and Stephen Colbert). Next week's question will be about sitcoms featuring future UNsuccessful talk show hosts: Wheel of Fortune, Taxi, The Cosby Show, etc. correct
