Musings of a Dead Parrot

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In a 1996 April Fool's Day hoax, a Mexican-food chain caused outrage by announcing that they'd purchased what national symbol from the U.S. government? Taco Bell hoaxed that they had bought the Liberty Bell
2. What's the current name of the large world nation known for almost 200 years as "New Holland"? Indonesia has Dutch heritage
3. Who's the only woman to have earned both an Emmy Award and a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame? Dinah Shore
4. What's the common name for a Cydia moth larva in a seed of the Sebastiana shrub? I am trying to figure out the context. Is this a silkworm?
5. In what movie does a selection from Sonny & Cher's song "I Got You Babe" play on the soundtrack nine separate times? Groundhog Day
6. A recent bestseller revealed what fictional villain's given name to be "Elphaba," a nod to her original creator? the Wicked Witch of the West
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. cities, in this order? Ann Arbor, Seattle, Denver, New York City, Albuquerque, Cincinnati. In order. Are we looking at comparative statistics, like most bookstores per capita, most bars, etc.?

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What performer's act was usually overseen by his brother, Dr. Leopold Weiss? Until they had a falling out, Dr. Leopold was the medical advisor to his brother Erich Weiss, aka Harry Houdini. correct
2. Inspired by an episode of The Simpsons, in 2003 botanist Rob Baur created a successful hybrid of a tomato and what other plant? Remember the one where Homer breeds tomatoes with tobacco to make "tomacco?" Well, apparently it works in real life. And you don't even need plutonium. what would be the benefit of tomacco?
3. Why didn't Serena Williams vote for Barack Obama? I couldn't resist the chance to ask a rare trivia question that starts with "why." The Williams sisters were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses, and Witnesses don't vote for religious reasons. who knew? not me.
4. The world's largest national park, bigger than 163 entire nations, is the entire northeastern portion of what island? A big chunk of uninhabited northern Greenland is a national park. A barren, impossible-to-visit national park, but still. how can Greenland have national parks when it is not a nation?
5. It's been over 400 years since there was a calendar year when England and France both had a king of the same name. What was the shared name? This has only happened once in history: in 1547, just months after the death of England's king Henry VIII, Henry II acceded to the throne of France. (The only other popssible shared names have been Charles and John, by the way.) I guessed one of the feasible answers, but not the correct one
6. Only 69 men have ever been named yokozuna, the highest rank in what field? Sumo wresetling. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Angela's Ashes, An Angel at My Table, Atonement, Cinema Paradiso, Return of the Jedi, Shine, Slumdog Millionaire, and Zodiac. A character in all these movies is portrayed by three different actors. In many of them, the three actors were chosen to represent the character at different ages; in others (like the serial killer in Zodiac or Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi) the reason for the multiple casting was a little more exotic. my answer was almost correct. I did not specify three actors. And I thought they were all at different ages.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What performer's act was usually overseen by his brother, Dr. Leopold Weiss? Leopold Weiss ---> Erich Weiss ---> Houdini
2. Inspired by an episode of The Simpsons, in 2003 botanist Rob Baur created a successful hybrid of a tomato and what other plant? A Simpsons question! Hey, Alex - any ideas? I don't know this episode. A guess - wheat. Perhaps Homer wanted to find a way to grow pizzas.
3. Why didn't Serena Williams vote for Barack Obama? Possibilities - she did not like his plan to tax people making over $250K. She is not registered. She like the old guy better. I'll go with Obama's tax plan as the deal breaker.
4. The world's largest national park, bigger than 163 entire nations, is the entire northeastern portion of what island? It has to be a big island. Greenland, New Guinea, Sumatra, Madagascar. I'll guess Madagascar since it a) has a shape that has a large northeastern portion; b) is known for its biological diversity.
5. It's been over 400 years since there was a calendar year when England and France both had a king of the same name. What was the shared name? Over 400 years takes us back to the late 1500s/early 1600s. Well after Henry VIII. Around the time of Shakespeare. How about Charles.
6. Only 69 men have ever been named yokozuna, the highest rank in what field? sumo wrestling
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Angela's Ashes, An Angel at My Table, Atonement, Cinema Paradiso, Return of the Jedi, Shine, Slumdog Millionaire, and Zodiac. I have seen Atonement, Cinema Paradiso, Return of the Jedi and Slumdog. But I don't recall anything about Cinema Paradiso. One similarity between Atonement and Slumdog - they feature characters at different ages played by different actors. Same is true for Shine, An Angel at My Table and Angela's Ashes according to wikipedia. Cinema Paradiso too.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In Irish legend, what's a leprechaun's day job? Except for the one who's a breakfast cereal spokes-sprite, they're all shoemakers or cobblers. No idea how an economy works where everyone's a shoemaker. Maybe it's collapsing and that's why they're all so heavily invested in gold. all the leprechauns in the world and the one I use to guess is the only one who is not a shoemaker.
2. What name for a large Midwestern stew has become the exclamation of choice for broadcasters like Stuart Scott and Jim Cramer? Booyah! correct! never knew that is a stew
3. The adjective "vermiform" is used to describe which small bodily organ? "Vermiform" means "worm-shaped," but before your imagination gets carried away, this is just your appendix. I could have known that vermiform means "worm shaped" and I still would not have known that is the shape of the appendix.
4. M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes" samples "Straight to Hell" and Cypress Hill's "What's Your Number?" samples "The Guns of Brixton," both songs by what band? This is radio (friendly) Clash. correct
5. What U.S. state has the word "quadricentennial" on its state quarter? Virginia, celebrating the 1607 founding of Jamestown. correct
6. What sports figure currently has two Texan namesakes on prime time TV: the middle school on King of the Hill, and Matt Saracen's best friend on Friday Night Lights? Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry lives on in prime time. To all overseas Tuesday Trivia players sick of all the baseball questions--look, this time it's an NFL question! See, we're shaking it up a little. oh, so close! But the question diverted me a bit. I was trying to think of a FLN character named for a sports figure. The character is named Landry Clarke.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Fidel Castro, Marc Chagall, Bill Clinton, Marlene Dietrich, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Magic Johnson, Joe Louis, Golda Meir, Burt Reynolds, and Richard Wagner. I thought this one was pretty hard, especially since I spent hours looking for non-Google-able list members. They all wrote an autobiography called My Life. Hey, I guess I could have left off Clinton and made it REALLY hard. Ken, it was REALLY hard even with Clinton as a clue.

In the Monty Python sketch about the Piranha Brothers, Dinsdale Piranha hallucinates that he is being chased by a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman.

Now comes a real life story involving a hedgehog that is too funny to pass up - NZ man used hedgehog as weapon

"It was unclear whether the hedgehog was still alive when it was thrown, though it was dead when collected as evidence. The police spokesman said the suspect was arrested 'for assault with a weapon, namely the hedgehog.'" Can't you hear Michael Palin's voice saying that?

Derek Chatwood is a clever Seattle based illustrator who has done some funny parody art ala Robbie Conal. I especially like this image of Jesus riding a dinosaur. After all, the Bible does speak of leviathans and behemoths. Why could they not have been T-Rexs and velociraptors?

Beginner's Bible Coloring Book

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In Irish legend, what's a leprechaun's day job? this week will not be easy like last week. The only leprechaun I know is an advertising character that collects hearts, moons, stars and clover. Maybe that is what they do in the woods - collect 4 leaf clovers.
2. What name for a large Midwestern stew has become the exclamation of choice for broadcasters like Stuart Scott and Jim Cramer? Stuart Scott says "Booya!" but that does not sound like a stew. Who thinks of stew as being large or small anyway? And what is a Midwestern stew - chili? Irish stew? I guess I will have to go with booya.
3. The adjective "vermiform" is used to describe which small bodily organ? Is vermiform like vermicelli? Could this be the small intestine?
4. M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes" samples "Straight to Hell" and Cypress Hill's "What's Your Number?" samples "The Guns of Brixton," both songs by what band? The Guns of Brixton --> The Clash
5. What U.S. state has the word "quadricentennial" on its state quarter? Quadricentennial is 400 years. I think of Virginia (for Jamestown) or Massachusetts (for Plymouth). I'll go with Virginia.
6. What sports figure currently has two Texan namesakes on prime time TV: the middle school on King of the Hill, and Matt Saracen's best friend on Friday Night Lights? Must be a Texas sports legend of some flavor. Football - Earl Campbell, Roger Staubach, Vince Young, Eric Dickerson. Baseball - Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens. Basketball - Hakeen Olajuwon. Boxing - George Foreman (he is from Houston, isn't he?). Golf - Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson. I note it says sports figure and not athlete. Could it be a coach? Bum Phillips? Tom Landry? Jimmy Johnson? That is a good generic name - Jimmy Johnson.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Fidel Castro, Marc Chagall, Bill Clinton, Marlene Dietrich, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Magic Johnson, Joe Louis, Golda Meir, Burt Reynolds, and Richard Wagner. Nothing comes to me now. Will need to keep researching during the week.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Whose barbershop was located at 186 Fleet Street, London, next to St. Dunstan's Church? In Victorian "penny dreadfuls," and the subsequent Sondheim musical, Sweeney Todd was "the Demon Barber of Fleet Street." correct
2. "One could change the world with 140 characters" is the motto of Jack Dorsey, the founder of what website? Twitter, whose "tweets" carry a 140-character maximum. correct
3. What country's economy melted down in 2008 following the collapse of its three national banks: Glitnir, Landsbanki, and Kaupthing? Iceland is still reeling from the popping of its happy little bubble. correct
4. On average, a Big Mac contains 178 of what ingredient? That's the average number of seeds on the advertised "sesame seed bun." correct
5. At what battle was a bugle tune called the "Deguello" famously played? Remember? The Alamo. correct (and a lucky guess)
6. What do all animals with a "cloaca" use it for? "Cloaca" is the Latin word for sewer, and names the, er, excretory organ in birds and reptiles. all animals do not lay eggs. Read the question clearly, Mark! Only some animals/birds use a cloaca to lay eggs.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series? The Guardian, Hong Kong, Kings, Legend of the Seeker, Moonlight, Prison Break, The United States of Tara, Without a Trace. The lead actor in all these shows is an Australian--but one hiding his or her Australianity under an American accent, with varying degrees of success. I know about Toni Collette and Anthony LaPaglia. I have no idea of the stars of the other shows.

Colin Meloy and the Decemberists employ some rather gothic tones in their songs. Lots of people die. A writer and fan who is analytically minded has created an inventory of the dead in their songs. The average is 0.92 deaths per song!

This is a great service to all Decemberists fans like me. I had to reference the lyrics for 16 Military Wives for example to confirm that they died of cannibalism. Of course there it is in the last verse - "14 cannibal kings, wondering blithely what the dinner bell will bring. 15 celebrity minds, served on a leafy bed of 16 military wives."

Psycho Killers - The Decemberists Death Count

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Whose barbershop was located at 186 Fleet Street, London, next to St. Dunstan's Church? Sweeney Todd's. know any other demon barbers of Fleet Street?
2. "One could change the world with 140 characters" is the motto of Jack Dorsey, the founder of what website? 140 characters --> Twitter
3. What country's economy melted down in 2008 following the collapse of its three national banks: Glitnir, Landsbanki, and Kaupthing? Iceland. This seems like an easy week.
4. On average, a Big Mac contains 178 of what ingredient? sesame seeds
5. At what battle was a bugle tune called the "Deguello" famously played? No idea so I'll guess. Battle of the Alamo.
6. What do all animals with a "cloaca" use it for? I know this from a question at the high school science bowl competition I just moderated. Cloacas are used to lay eggs.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series? The Guardian, Hong Kong, Kings, Legend of the Seeker, Moonlight, Prison Break, The United States of Tara, Without a Trace. I have never watched any of these shows. Will need to do some research.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The tiny town of Gibsland, Louisiana is home to the "Ambush Museum," commemorating the nearby deaths of what two people? Bonnie and Clyde, killed there on May 23, 1934. Hey, that's exactly forty years to the day before my birthday. correct
2. Which section of an orchestra typically sits in front, closest to the conductor? The strings (violins, to be specific), since they tend to play at a lower volume than the other instruments. correct
3. The infamous "Order 66" was responsible for the near-total execution of what group? The Jedi. Though I admired the heck out of more serious-minded answers like "the Romanoffs" or "Rwandan Tutsis" or "Branch Davidians." But they're still wrong. groan
4. The Sahara, the world's largest hot desert, is of course the largest desert in Africa. What desert is Africa's second largest? The Kalahari, in Botswana and Namibia, is in fact the world's largest fourth largest hot desert. correct
5. David Wild's 2008 memoir He Is...I Say is about being a fan of what musician? Neil Diamond--the title is a reference to his hit "I Am...I Said." I'm thinking of writing a follow-up called He Isn't...I Say, about my lifelong desire to beat up Neil Diamond. correct
6. What has happened recently if "lapilli" are falling out of the air? A volcano has erupted--lapilli are the little particles that fall our of the air when drops of lava cool into rock after an eruption. I'll be sure to look for these the next time I witness a volcanic eruption
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these athletes? Tommy Corcoran, Frankie Frisch, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Gretzky, Thierry Henry, Scott Skiles, Ozzie Smith, John Stockton. They all hold records (game, season, career, whatever) for "assists" in their various professional sports organizations. For the first time ever, I thought I'd write a sports-themed Question Seven where the non-North Americans might actually have a chance! correct

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. The tiny town of Gibsland, Louisiana is home to the "Ambush Museum," commemorating the nearby deaths of what two people? Bonnie and Clyde
2. Which section of an orchestra typically sits in front, closest to the conductor? I recall the strings sitting right next to the conductor. That's where the concertmaster is, right?
3. The infamous "Order 66" was responsible for the near-total execution of what group? Does this refer to the Jews in Germany? I don't know Order 66.
4. The Sahara, the world's largest hot desert, is of course the largest desert in Africa. What desert is Africa's second largest? a guess - the Kalahari
5. David Wild's 2008 memoir He Is...I Say is about being a fan of what musician? I Am, I Said ---> Neil Diamond
6. What has happened recently if "lapilli" are falling out of the air? Lapilli (whatever they are) were thrown into the air. KJ seems to like questions about lightning so I will guess that lightning just flashed.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these athletes? Tommy Corcoran, Frankie Frisch, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Gretzky, Thierry Henry, Scott Skiles, Ozzie Smith, John Stockton. I think they all hold assist records. Skiles - most in a game. Stockton - most in a career. Corcoran - most assists in a 9 inning game. Smith - most in a career. Frisch - most in a season.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. True vanilla comes from a species of what flower? The vanilla plant is a Mexican orchid. correct
2. Which two numbers are usually spelled out in word form in the "countdown" leader before a film begins? NINE and SIX, presumably so as not to confuse anyway examining the frames upside-down. half correct
3. What group was named for the address of David Sancious's mother's home in Belmar, New Jersey, where the band used to rehearse? Sancious's mother lived on E Street, and he was an early keyboardist and guitar player for Springsteen's E Street Band. correct
4. What onetime Time and Sports Illustrated cover boy was buried in 2008 in a churchyard in Laugardaelir, Iceland? Iceland granted Bobby Fischer citizenship in 2005; he had defeated Boris Spassky there in 1972. Fischer was the island nation's very favorite Holocaust denier; so far they haven't offered citizenship to David Duke or Mel Gibson or anybody. correct
5. The "Saladin tithe" was an English tax levied to finance the third of nine what? Saladin led the Abuyyid dynasty at the time of the Crusades. correct
6. What comedian is starring in the current Broadway hit "You're Welcome, America"? That's Will Ferrell's (mostly) one-man show bidding farewell to his George W. Bush character. I think of comedian as someone doing standup. But I guess his time on SNL might qualify him as a comedian. I just don't think of him that way, but rather as a comic actor.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these novels? The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Cat's Cradle, The Old Curiosity Shop, The Day of the Locust, The House of the Spirits, The Natural, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Year of Living Dangerously. Each has an important character who's a little person--a midget or a dwarf. I read The Natural, but I do not recall an important character who was a little person.