Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - September 23
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What author gave his second middle name, Balfour, to one of his most famous protagonists, David Balfour? WEB DuBois? I am wracking my brain to think of authors with 2 middle names other than JRR Tolkein.
2. On Earth, what is always 2.9 miles away from the average observer? 2.9 miles in around 15,000 feet. So it can't be anything in the sky. I will guess that that is the distance to the horizon assuming a flat piece of land with no obstacles blocking the view. That is, one can see 2.9 miles before the curvature of the earth takes over.
3. What country's society was reformed in the Meiji Restoration? First guess would be Japan. But was it in fact Korea or China?
4. What Disney animated feature was released on DVD alongside an ESPN documentary on famous underdog sports teams? Disney has done a lot of live action movies on sports underdogs - Mighty Ducks, The Rookie, Cool Runnings, Miracle. None of them were animated. However that horrid Underdog movie was released last year. It was partly animated. Could it be that simple?
5. The name of what company--until 2006 the U.S.'s second largest newspaper publisher--can be produced by taking the name of a 1980s TV hit and doubling one letter? Knight Ridder
6. What pair of cousins were governors of New York in 1900 and 1930, respectively? Teddy Roosevelt and FDR
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these record albums? Miles Davis's Star People, Bob Dylan's Self Portrait, Eminem's The Re-Up, The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark, Nirvana's Incesticide, The Stone Roses, The Who by Numbers. I think The Who By Numbers LP cover was done by Pete Townsend. Self Portrait sounds like it may have cover art by Dylan. Joni Mitchell is an artist. I think Kurt Cobain drew as well. I think all albums had cover art by someone in the band.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the chemical name THC, the 'C' stands for a derivative of what word? THC is the active ingredient in pot, and the C stands for "cannabinol," derived from cannabis. wrong. Guess I am not 420 knowledgeable.
2. What '90s pop star became, last week, the first African American since Charley Pride to crack the top spots of the country charts? Darius Rucker, of Hootie and the Blowfish. Yes, we accepted "Hootie"! If that guy didn't want to be called "Hootie" he should have chosen a less sucky name for his sucky band. I heard this at the Pub Quiz last Weds, but I did not know before that. Cannot claim to have answered correctly here.
3. What kind of organization is classified by groups like the Union Triad, the Miami Triad, and the Lexington Triad? Those are the origins of some of the oldest college fraternities and sororities in the U.S. This one came from a conversation with my Grandpa the other day, so I bet it skews old. Something for the oldsters, then! How exactly we supposed to know this or even to guess? What kind of classification is needed for fraternities and sororities?
4. What U.S. state name is sometimes spelled with an okina? The okina is the little apostrophe/hiccup thing in the middle of Hawai'i. correct. Hey I got one this week.
5. Infinite Jest, the masterpiece of late novelist David Foster Wallace, is titled for Shakespeare's description of what character? Not a real speaking part, per se: Hamlet calls the deceased Yorick "a fellow of infinite jest" whilst holding his skull. I would have guessed a character from a comedy.
6. Backwards in High Heels is a new musical about what 1930s actress? Ginger Rogers, who famously had to do everything Fred Astaire did...only backwards, and in high heels. Most people remember Texas governor Ann Richards making this joke, but did you know it actually dates back to a 1980s "Frank and Ernest" comic strip? I know, me neither. correct. I got two this week.
7. Based on the unusual distinction they all share, what U.S. president could be added to this list of famous names? Julie Andrews, Charles Dawes, Mohamed ElBaradei, Peter Gabriel, John Jay, Bob Pettit, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Dick York. All were succeeded, in some honor or office, by someone of the same first name, so the answer is James Madison. Here's the rundown, to save you some Googling: Julie Andrews and Christie won back-to-back Oscars. Charles Dawes and Curtis were consecutive U.S. vice presidents. Mohamed ElBaradei and Muhamad Yunus won Nobel Peace Prizes. Peter Gabriel and Peter Cetera had their only two solo Billboard #1 singles back to back--the only two artists of the same first name ever to do so. John Jay and Rutledge were the first two U.S. Chief Justices, and Bob Pettit and Cousy were the first two NBA MVPs. Alfred Austin succeeded Tennyson as British poet laureate, much as (as was often commented at the time) Dick Sargent succeeded Dick York on Bewitched. Whew. I identified the pattern so if I had read the question completely I would have known the correct answer.
1. What author gave his second middle name, Balfour, to one of his most famous protagonists, David Balfour? WEB DuBois? I am wracking my brain to think of authors with 2 middle names other than JRR Tolkein.
2. On Earth, what is always 2.9 miles away from the average observer? 2.9 miles in around 15,000 feet. So it can't be anything in the sky. I will guess that that is the distance to the horizon assuming a flat piece of land with no obstacles blocking the view. That is, one can see 2.9 miles before the curvature of the earth takes over.
3. What country's society was reformed in the Meiji Restoration? First guess would be Japan. But was it in fact Korea or China?
4. What Disney animated feature was released on DVD alongside an ESPN documentary on famous underdog sports teams? Disney has done a lot of live action movies on sports underdogs - Mighty Ducks, The Rookie, Cool Runnings, Miracle. None of them were animated. However that horrid Underdog movie was released last year. It was partly animated. Could it be that simple?
5. The name of what company--until 2006 the U.S.'s second largest newspaper publisher--can be produced by taking the name of a 1980s TV hit and doubling one letter? Knight Ridder
6. What pair of cousins were governors of New York in 1900 and 1930, respectively? Teddy Roosevelt and FDR
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these record albums? Miles Davis's Star People, Bob Dylan's Self Portrait, Eminem's The Re-Up, The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark, Nirvana's Incesticide, The Stone Roses, The Who by Numbers. I think The Who By Numbers LP cover was done by Pete Townsend. Self Portrait sounds like it may have cover art by Dylan. Joni Mitchell is an artist. I think Kurt Cobain drew as well. I think all albums had cover art by someone in the band.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the chemical name THC, the 'C' stands for a derivative of what word? THC is the active ingredient in pot, and the C stands for "cannabinol," derived from cannabis. wrong. Guess I am not 420 knowledgeable.
2. What '90s pop star became, last week, the first African American since Charley Pride to crack the top spots of the country charts? Darius Rucker, of Hootie and the Blowfish. Yes, we accepted "Hootie"! If that guy didn't want to be called "Hootie" he should have chosen a less sucky name for his sucky band. I heard this at the Pub Quiz last Weds, but I did not know before that. Cannot claim to have answered correctly here.
3. What kind of organization is classified by groups like the Union Triad, the Miami Triad, and the Lexington Triad? Those are the origins of some of the oldest college fraternities and sororities in the U.S. This one came from a conversation with my Grandpa the other day, so I bet it skews old. Something for the oldsters, then! How exactly we supposed to know this or even to guess? What kind of classification is needed for fraternities and sororities?
4. What U.S. state name is sometimes spelled with an okina? The okina is the little apostrophe/hiccup thing in the middle of Hawai'i. correct. Hey I got one this week.
5. Infinite Jest, the masterpiece of late novelist David Foster Wallace, is titled for Shakespeare's description of what character? Not a real speaking part, per se: Hamlet calls the deceased Yorick "a fellow of infinite jest" whilst holding his skull. I would have guessed a character from a comedy.
6. Backwards in High Heels is a new musical about what 1930s actress? Ginger Rogers, who famously had to do everything Fred Astaire did...only backwards, and in high heels. Most people remember Texas governor Ann Richards making this joke, but did you know it actually dates back to a 1980s "Frank and Ernest" comic strip? I know, me neither. correct. I got two this week.
7. Based on the unusual distinction they all share, what U.S. president could be added to this list of famous names? Julie Andrews, Charles Dawes, Mohamed ElBaradei, Peter Gabriel, John Jay, Bob Pettit, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Dick York. All were succeeded, in some honor or office, by someone of the same first name, so the answer is James Madison. Here's the rundown, to save you some Googling: Julie Andrews and Christie won back-to-back Oscars. Charles Dawes and Curtis were consecutive U.S. vice presidents. Mohamed ElBaradei and Muhamad Yunus won Nobel Peace Prizes. Peter Gabriel and Peter Cetera had their only two solo Billboard #1 singles back to back--the only two artists of the same first name ever to do so. John Jay and Rutledge were the first two U.S. Chief Justices, and Bob Pettit and Cousy were the first two NBA MVPs. Alfred Austin succeeded Tennyson as British poet laureate, much as (as was often commented at the time) Dick Sargent succeeded Dick York on Bewitched. Whew. I identified the pattern so if I had read the question completely I would have known the correct answer.
