Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - August 26
Ken Jennings prefaced this week's quiz with the following - "These quizzes are designed to be sort-of-hard. This isn't always Designed-To-Make-You-Feel-Smart trivia. It's not a sidebar in Us magazine. But I can promise you this: the answers are also designed to make sense. They reward a little meditation, a little lateral thinking, a little inspired guesswork. Give them each a little time to percolate and you might be surprised at just how much you actually know." I will agree that more than 50% I either know or else can narrow the feasible choices to a small set from which to guess. But others (especially the pop culture or literature questions) you either know or you don't.
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. The Eclipse Awards are given for achievement in what sport? horse racing
2. What's the only mainland European capital located on the Atlantic--not a sea of the Atlantic, but the ocean proper? Lisbon?
3. What famous October 1960 incident was precipitated by a speech from a Filipino diplomat named Lorenzo Sumulong? must have been Kruschev's shoe-banging speech at the UN
4. The piano theme that accompanies the current "WB" logo at the start of Warner Brothers films is based on what classic movie song? I cannot think of the music that introduces WB movies so I will guess. Piano theme, classic movie song? I'll guess The Entertainer (The Sting). The only other classic piano tune I can think of is As Time Goes By.
5. What product was manufactured by entrepreneurs like John Underwood, L. C. Smith, Thomas Oliver, and Camillo Olivetti? Olivetti is an Italian office products company. That led me to think of typewriters, like Smith-Corona. I think Underwood was a typewriter brand also.
6. What multimillion-selling U.S. musical group is named for a central Chinese mountain range? a guess - Wu Tang Clan
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these English words: "beam," "branch," "camp," "frank," "kindred," "noel," "rice," "rider," "staples," and "town"?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. How many holes are there in a regular Ritz cracker? No peeking! Two rows of two surrounding one row of three, so seven holes total. Two and 4/7 Ritz crackers = one golf course. correct!
2. What American played on an Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1984 and 1988, and then returned to win another gold in a *different* team sport in 1996? Karch Kiraly, who won two volleyball golds before switching to the new Olympic sport of beach volleyball. This may be our first and last ever Tuesday Trivia question about volleyball, but with ol' Karch calling Olympic games for NBC last week, I thought it might be fair game. correct but I needed help to get it
3. Officials with a "franking" privilege are allowed to do what at no charge? Post mail. Also: roast wienies. correct
4. What 1978 hit was inspired by band member Randy Jones showing songwriter Jacques Morali around a favorite NYC hangout, the McBurney Building on 23rd Street? Randy Jones, of the Village People, was showing Morali around New York's first "YMCA." Jones was the cowboy, by the way. correct
5. What's the common name for Onopordum acanthium, the national flower of Scotland? Scotland's highest honor is the Order of the Thistle. correct
6. Who achieved financial independence in the 1970s by making hundreds of prints of his famous photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico? Ansel Adams, famous for his photography of U.S. national parks. Also famous for me invariably confusing his name with that of dancer Alvin Ailey. But we didn't accept "Alvin Ailey," sorry. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these performers? David Cross, Johnny Depp, Kelsey Grammer, Greg Kinnear, Janet Leigh, Cillian Murphy, William Shatner, Billy Bob Thornton. They all portrayed, to some fame, a character named "Crane" on screen or TV. IMDb can help you out if you can't remember some of them, but they're all memorable for one reason or another.
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. The Eclipse Awards are given for achievement in what sport? horse racing
2. What's the only mainland European capital located on the Atlantic--not a sea of the Atlantic, but the ocean proper? Lisbon?
3. What famous October 1960 incident was precipitated by a speech from a Filipino diplomat named Lorenzo Sumulong? must have been Kruschev's shoe-banging speech at the UN
4. The piano theme that accompanies the current "WB" logo at the start of Warner Brothers films is based on what classic movie song? I cannot think of the music that introduces WB movies so I will guess. Piano theme, classic movie song? I'll guess The Entertainer (The Sting). The only other classic piano tune I can think of is As Time Goes By.
5. What product was manufactured by entrepreneurs like John Underwood, L. C. Smith, Thomas Oliver, and Camillo Olivetti? Olivetti is an Italian office products company. That led me to think of typewriters, like Smith-Corona. I think Underwood was a typewriter brand also.
6. What multimillion-selling U.S. musical group is named for a central Chinese mountain range? a guess - Wu Tang Clan
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these English words: "beam," "branch," "camp," "frank," "kindred," "noel," "rice," "rider," "staples," and "town"?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. How many holes are there in a regular Ritz cracker? No peeking! Two rows of two surrounding one row of three, so seven holes total. Two and 4/7 Ritz crackers = one golf course. correct!
2. What American played on an Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1984 and 1988, and then returned to win another gold in a *different* team sport in 1996? Karch Kiraly, who won two volleyball golds before switching to the new Olympic sport of beach volleyball. This may be our first and last ever Tuesday Trivia question about volleyball, but with ol' Karch calling Olympic games for NBC last week, I thought it might be fair game. correct but I needed help to get it
3. Officials with a "franking" privilege are allowed to do what at no charge? Post mail. Also: roast wienies. correct
4. What 1978 hit was inspired by band member Randy Jones showing songwriter Jacques Morali around a favorite NYC hangout, the McBurney Building on 23rd Street? Randy Jones, of the Village People, was showing Morali around New York's first "YMCA." Jones was the cowboy, by the way. correct
5. What's the common name for Onopordum acanthium, the national flower of Scotland? Scotland's highest honor is the Order of the Thistle. correct
6. Who achieved financial independence in the 1970s by making hundreds of prints of his famous photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico? Ansel Adams, famous for his photography of U.S. national parks. Also famous for me invariably confusing his name with that of dancer Alvin Ailey. But we didn't accept "Alvin Ailey," sorry. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these performers? David Cross, Johnny Depp, Kelsey Grammer, Greg Kinnear, Janet Leigh, Cillian Murphy, William Shatner, Billy Bob Thornton. They all portrayed, to some fame, a character named "Crane" on screen or TV. IMDb can help you out if you can't remember some of them, but they're all memorable for one reason or another.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - August 18
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. How many holes are there in a regular Ritz cracker? I think the pattern is 2-3-2, so I will guess 7.
2. What American played on an Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1984 and 1988, and then returned to win another gold in a *different* team sport in 1996? Because of the dates, it could be a winter olympics team in 84 and 88 (though probably not since I can't think of a team gold winner). So let's assume summer team sports. Could be a man or woman. Team sports include basketball, softball, water polo, volleyball, baseball, soccer, team handball. I guess equestrian is a team event, isn't it? There is also team archery, team shooting, etc. But the US wins gold medals in few team sports. The list should be short of the gold medal winners in 1984 and 88. All you have is volleyball. Didn't the US finish 3rd in 1988? That's why they brought in the pros. I think this is a trick question because Karch Kiraly went from indoor volleyball in 84 and 88 to beach volleyball in 96.
3. Officials with a "franking" privilege are allowed to do what at no charge? send mail
4. What 1978 hit was inspired by band member Randy Jones showing songwriter Jacques Morali around a favorite NYC hangout, the McBurney Building on 23rd Street? Y-M-C-A
5. What's the common name for Onopordum acanthium, the national flower of Scotland? I see the thistle on a lot of emblems. I'll guess thistle.
6. Who achieved financial independence in the 1970s by making hundreds of prints of his famous photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico? Ansel Adams
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these performers? David Cross, Johnny Depp, Kelsey Grammer, Greg Kinnear, Janet Leigh, Cillian Murphy, William Shatner, Billy Bob Thornton.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In 2006, who released the album An Other Cup, his first pop album since he changed his name in 1978? Cat Stevens a.k.a. Yusuf Islam, who left his music career behind when he became Muslim. correct
2. What war is commonly divided into the Edwardian, Caroline, and Lancastrian phases? The Hundred Years' War. There was also the lesser-known opening phase of the war--Operation: Longbow Storm. correct
3. What scientific theory holds that the universe is made of one-dimensional objects vibrating in 10- or 26-dimensional spacetime? String theory. According to Silly String theory, on the other hand, the universe is made up of hilarious novelty paste vibrating in a 3-dimensional can. correct
4. Baseball's Baltimore Orioles have retired uniform numbers 5, 20, and 42--all for players with what same last name? Not the Ripkens--somehow I didn't even think of that as a likely guess. Those were the jerseys of Brooks, Frank, and Jackie Robinson. No relation. correct
5. What comes in four types: Classic, Touch, Shuffle, and Nano? Easiest Tuesday Trivia question ever? Maybe. These are models of iPod. correct
6. What famed literary estate has been portrayed on screen twice by Yorkshire's Castle Howard, once in a 1981 mini-series and once in a 2008 film? Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead, recently re-revisited in a not-very-good movie. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these letters of the alphabet, and no others? C, J, M, O, R, and V. In the NATO phonetic alphabet, these are all the letters represented by given names: Charlie, Juliet, Mike, Oscar, Romeo, and Victor, respectively. correct! My first perfect week. Must have been unusally easy.
1. How many holes are there in a regular Ritz cracker? I think the pattern is 2-3-2, so I will guess 7.
2. What American played on an Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1984 and 1988, and then returned to win another gold in a *different* team sport in 1996? Because of the dates, it could be a winter olympics team in 84 and 88 (though probably not since I can't think of a team gold winner). So let's assume summer team sports. Could be a man or woman. Team sports include basketball, softball, water polo, volleyball, baseball, soccer, team handball. I guess equestrian is a team event, isn't it? There is also team archery, team shooting, etc. But the US wins gold medals in few team sports. The list should be short of the gold medal winners in 1984 and 88. All you have is volleyball. Didn't the US finish 3rd in 1988? That's why they brought in the pros. I think this is a trick question because Karch Kiraly went from indoor volleyball in 84 and 88 to beach volleyball in 96.
3. Officials with a "franking" privilege are allowed to do what at no charge? send mail
4. What 1978 hit was inspired by band member Randy Jones showing songwriter Jacques Morali around a favorite NYC hangout, the McBurney Building on 23rd Street? Y-M-C-A
5. What's the common name for Onopordum acanthium, the national flower of Scotland? I see the thistle on a lot of emblems. I'll guess thistle.
6. Who achieved financial independence in the 1970s by making hundreds of prints of his famous photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico? Ansel Adams
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these performers? David Cross, Johnny Depp, Kelsey Grammer, Greg Kinnear, Janet Leigh, Cillian Murphy, William Shatner, Billy Bob Thornton.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In 2006, who released the album An Other Cup, his first pop album since he changed his name in 1978? Cat Stevens a.k.a. Yusuf Islam, who left his music career behind when he became Muslim. correct
2. What war is commonly divided into the Edwardian, Caroline, and Lancastrian phases? The Hundred Years' War. There was also the lesser-known opening phase of the war--Operation: Longbow Storm. correct
3. What scientific theory holds that the universe is made of one-dimensional objects vibrating in 10- or 26-dimensional spacetime? String theory. According to Silly String theory, on the other hand, the universe is made up of hilarious novelty paste vibrating in a 3-dimensional can. correct
4. Baseball's Baltimore Orioles have retired uniform numbers 5, 20, and 42--all for players with what same last name? Not the Ripkens--somehow I didn't even think of that as a likely guess. Those were the jerseys of Brooks, Frank, and Jackie Robinson. No relation. correct
5. What comes in four types: Classic, Touch, Shuffle, and Nano? Easiest Tuesday Trivia question ever? Maybe. These are models of iPod. correct
6. What famed literary estate has been portrayed on screen twice by Yorkshire's Castle Howard, once in a 1981 mini-series and once in a 2008 film? Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead, recently re-revisited in a not-very-good movie. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these letters of the alphabet, and no others? C, J, M, O, R, and V. In the NATO phonetic alphabet, these are all the letters represented by given names: Charlie, Juliet, Mike, Oscar, Romeo, and Victor, respectively. correct! My first perfect week. Must have been unusally easy.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - August 12
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. In 2006, who released the album An Other Cup, his first pop album since he changed his name in 1978? Cat Stevens. What is his name now - Yusef Lateef or something like that?
2. What war is commonly divided into the Edwardian, Caroline, and Lancastrian phases? The 100 Years War was long enough to be divided into phases
3. What scientific theory holds that the universe is made of one-dimensional objects vibrating in 10- or 26-dimensional spacetime? string theory
4. Baseball's Baltimore Orioles have retired uniform numbers 5, 20, and 42--all for players with what same last name? Robinson - Brooks, Frank and Jackie
5. What comes in four types: Classic, Touch, Shuffle, and Nano? iPod
6. What famed literary estate has been portrayed on screen twice by Yorkshire's Castle Howard, once in a 1981 mini-series and once in a 2008 film? Brideshead
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these letters of the alphabet, and no others? C, J, M, O, R, and V. I am very excited because I may have just solved this. These are letters of the NATO phonetic alphabet that are proper names - Charlie, Juliet, Mike, Oscar, Romeo and Victor. Once could argue that Sierra could also work, but otherwise this answer fits the question.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who was known as Ras Tafari Makonnen before taking power in 1930? Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, still venerated today by the religion named for him, Rastafarianism. correct
2. What 11-letter word is a violation in basketball, but perfectly legal--in fact, a crucial skill--in ice hockey? Goaltending in the crease = good. Goaltending in front of the rim = bad. I am a moron for not coming up with that.
3. Big Diomede Island and Little Diomede Island, separated by the International Date Line, belong respectively to what two nations? The Diomede Islands belong to the U.S. and Russia--and are, at only 2.4 miles apart, the closest point between the two nations. yes, of course. I should have gone further north than I was thinking
4. Morels, puffballs, oyster, and wood ear are all types of what? Fungi--edible mushrooms, in fact. correct
5. What two cast members of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction re-teamed to portray a married couple in a 2007 film? If you've been waiting since 1994 to see John Travolta and Christopher Walken reunited--and married!--then Hairspray is the movie for you. I had completely forgotten that Walken was in Pulp Fiction until I remembered Butch's watch. Then again I did not know he was in Hairspray either.
6. What century-old song ends, in English, with the line "We stand on guard for thee"? That's the end of the first (and, usually, only sung) verse of "O Canada." correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these musicians? Sheryl Crow, Art Garfunkel, Bryan Ferry, Roberta Flack, Ezra Koenig, Kris Kristofferson, Gene Simmons, Sting. They were all schoolteachers, and David Lee Roth may or may not have been hot for them.
1. In 2006, who released the album An Other Cup, his first pop album since he changed his name in 1978? Cat Stevens. What is his name now - Yusef Lateef or something like that?
2. What war is commonly divided into the Edwardian, Caroline, and Lancastrian phases? The 100 Years War was long enough to be divided into phases
3. What scientific theory holds that the universe is made of one-dimensional objects vibrating in 10- or 26-dimensional spacetime? string theory
4. Baseball's Baltimore Orioles have retired uniform numbers 5, 20, and 42--all for players with what same last name? Robinson - Brooks, Frank and Jackie
5. What comes in four types: Classic, Touch, Shuffle, and Nano? iPod
6. What famed literary estate has been portrayed on screen twice by Yorkshire's Castle Howard, once in a 1981 mini-series and once in a 2008 film? Brideshead
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these letters of the alphabet, and no others? C, J, M, O, R, and V. I am very excited because I may have just solved this. These are letters of the NATO phonetic alphabet that are proper names - Charlie, Juliet, Mike, Oscar, Romeo and Victor. Once could argue that Sierra could also work, but otherwise this answer fits the question.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who was known as Ras Tafari Makonnen before taking power in 1930? Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, still venerated today by the religion named for him, Rastafarianism. correct
2. What 11-letter word is a violation in basketball, but perfectly legal--in fact, a crucial skill--in ice hockey? Goaltending in the crease = good. Goaltending in front of the rim = bad. I am a moron for not coming up with that.
3. Big Diomede Island and Little Diomede Island, separated by the International Date Line, belong respectively to what two nations? The Diomede Islands belong to the U.S. and Russia--and are, at only 2.4 miles apart, the closest point between the two nations. yes, of course. I should have gone further north than I was thinking
4. Morels, puffballs, oyster, and wood ear are all types of what? Fungi--edible mushrooms, in fact. correct
5. What two cast members of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction re-teamed to portray a married couple in a 2007 film? If you've been waiting since 1994 to see John Travolta and Christopher Walken reunited--and married!--then Hairspray is the movie for you. I had completely forgotten that Walken was in Pulp Fiction until I remembered Butch's watch. Then again I did not know he was in Hairspray either.
6. What century-old song ends, in English, with the line "We stand on guard for thee"? That's the end of the first (and, usually, only sung) verse of "O Canada." correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these musicians? Sheryl Crow, Art Garfunkel, Bryan Ferry, Roberta Flack, Ezra Koenig, Kris Kristofferson, Gene Simmons, Sting. They were all schoolteachers, and David Lee Roth may or may not have been hot for them.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Get to know your Olympic Countries
From Stop Mike Lupica by way of The Big Lead:
Olympic countries A - G
Olympic countries G - N
Olympic countries N - Z
To give you an idea of the tone of this piece:
"Iran - Iran will finish fourth, but will photoshop it so it looks like they came in third.
Iraq - The Iraqi Olympic team will be made up entirely of US contractors. Expect them to do well. And then to kill everyone.
Malawi - “Malawi” is French for “bad awi”"
I may turn this into a question for the Pub Quiz.
Olympic countries A - G
Olympic countries G - N
Olympic countries N - Z
To give you an idea of the tone of this piece:
"Iran - Iran will finish fourth, but will photoshop it so it looks like they came in third.
Iraq - The Iraqi Olympic team will be made up entirely of US contractors. Expect them to do well. And then to kill everyone.
Malawi - “Malawi” is French for “bad awi”"
I may turn this into a question for the Pub Quiz.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - August 5
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
1. Who was known as Ras Tafari Makonnen before taking power in 1930? Hailie Selassie is the only name that I can think of that fits the clue
2. What 11-letter word is a violation in basketball, but perfectly legal--in fact, a crucial skill--in ice hockey?
3. Big Diomede Island and Little Diomede Island, separated by the International Date Line, belong respectively to what two nations? what countries are out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Australia and New Zealand. or what countries have interests out there. Peru and Ecuador?
4. Morels, puffballs, oyster, and wood ear are all types of what? mushrooms
5. What two cast members of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction re-teamed to portray a married couple in a 2007 film? The way the question is written I think of a gay married couple. But I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry had Adam Sandler.
6. What century-old song ends, in English, with the line "We stand on guard for thee"? I think of hockey games - O Canada
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these musicians? Sheryl Crow, Art Garfunkel, Bryan Ferry, Roberta Flack, Ezra Koenig, Kris Kristofferson, Gene Simmons, Sting.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In Greek myth, whose son drowned in the Icarian Sea? Daedalus...his son Icarus flew too close to the sun, and drowned in the sea today named for him. correct
2. From what port city did the Mayflower pilgrims finally leave England on September 6, 1620? Plymouth Rock was so named because Plymouth, England was the Mayflower's last stop in the Old World. (The voyage had originally left from Southampton, but had to return to port twice for repairs.) well I am a moron. I could not even associate the Mayflower with Plymouth Rock. The early Alzheimers is definitely evident.
3. What first line of Sam Cooke's song "Wonderful World" also names a 1990 bestseller about cultural literacy? "Don't know much about history..." correct
4. Who are the five "Fuwa": Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini? These are the sort-of-creepy looking mascots (formerly "Friendlies," in English) for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. good luck selling those mascot names to American kids. How about this - a horror movie where Olympic mascots come to life. Izzy from Atlanta games would be freaky evil in the hands of someone like Rod Serling.
5. What medical procedure is a type of keratomileusis, which lends it the 'K' in its name? Now you know what the 'K' stands for in LASIK. correct
6. What name did Austrian-born draftsman Moses Teichman adopt in the 1920s when he devised a series of paper footprints he could sell by mail? Selling paper footprints by mail is how Arthur Murray, of dance lesson fame, got started. barely heard of this guy. Never thought of him.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these newspaper comics strips? Apartment 3-G, Blondie, The Born Loser, The Captain and the Kids, Hagar the Horrible, Hi and Lois, Mary Worth, The Wizard of Id, and Ziggy. All were continued by the creator's son when the original cartoonist left the strip.
1. Who was known as Ras Tafari Makonnen before taking power in 1930? Hailie Selassie is the only name that I can think of that fits the clue
2. What 11-letter word is a violation in basketball, but perfectly legal--in fact, a crucial skill--in ice hockey?
3. Big Diomede Island and Little Diomede Island, separated by the International Date Line, belong respectively to what two nations? what countries are out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Australia and New Zealand. or what countries have interests out there. Peru and Ecuador?
4. Morels, puffballs, oyster, and wood ear are all types of what? mushrooms
5. What two cast members of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction re-teamed to portray a married couple in a 2007 film? The way the question is written I think of a gay married couple. But I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry had Adam Sandler.
6. What century-old song ends, in English, with the line "We stand on guard for thee"? I think of hockey games - O Canada
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these musicians? Sheryl Crow, Art Garfunkel, Bryan Ferry, Roberta Flack, Ezra Koenig, Kris Kristofferson, Gene Simmons, Sting.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In Greek myth, whose son drowned in the Icarian Sea? Daedalus...his son Icarus flew too close to the sun, and drowned in the sea today named for him. correct
2. From what port city did the Mayflower pilgrims finally leave England on September 6, 1620? Plymouth Rock was so named because Plymouth, England was the Mayflower's last stop in the Old World. (The voyage had originally left from Southampton, but had to return to port twice for repairs.) well I am a moron. I could not even associate the Mayflower with Plymouth Rock. The early Alzheimers is definitely evident.
3. What first line of Sam Cooke's song "Wonderful World" also names a 1990 bestseller about cultural literacy? "Don't know much about history..." correct
4. Who are the five "Fuwa": Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini? These are the sort-of-creepy looking mascots (formerly "Friendlies," in English) for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. good luck selling those mascot names to American kids. How about this - a horror movie where Olympic mascots come to life. Izzy from Atlanta games would be freaky evil in the hands of someone like Rod Serling.
5. What medical procedure is a type of keratomileusis, which lends it the 'K' in its name? Now you know what the 'K' stands for in LASIK. correct
6. What name did Austrian-born draftsman Moses Teichman adopt in the 1920s when he devised a series of paper footprints he could sell by mail? Selling paper footprints by mail is how Arthur Murray, of dance lesson fame, got started. barely heard of this guy. Never thought of him.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these newspaper comics strips? Apartment 3-G, Blondie, The Born Loser, The Captain and the Kids, Hagar the Horrible, Hi and Lois, Mary Worth, The Wizard of Id, and Ziggy. All were continued by the creator's son when the original cartoonist left the strip.
