Musings of a Dead Parrot

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What jazzman wrote and first recorded the standard "Ornithology"? better be Charlie "Bird" Parker
2. What legendary character was the son of Uther Pendragon? Arthur, King of the Britons
3. When 19th-century gangs called "crimps" kidnapped men and impressed them as sailors, their most famous and frequent destination was what foreign city? thinking of where sailors would be going in the 19th century. Caribbean - Nassau; Mediterranean - Tripoli; Pacific - Tahiti, Australia, Hawaii; Indian - Bombay. I'll guess Bombay.
4. The "Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications" appears on what TV series? there are many geeky dramas that could include such a department - Bones, House, Fringe, Heroes. I don't think that is from Lost. Even a comedy - The Big Bang Theory about some geeky scientists. I'll guess Fringe.
5. The last two baseball teams to reach the World Series in their first-ever winning seasons both hail from what state? Florida - the Marlins in 1997 and the Rays in 2008
6. Lomond, Ness, Awe, and Morar are the four largest what? Lochs
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these things? Bridegrooms, butterflies, ears, feathers, knots, peppercorns, spindles, turnips.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What quantity do scientists measure with "candelas"? The brightness of light--or "luminous intensity," if you want to be all science-y about it. correct
2. What music group recently refused a PETA request to rename itself the "Rescue Shelter Boys"? The Pet Shop Boys have obviously been taking payoffs from Petco. correct
3. Runners from what nation have won 16 out of the last 20 Boston Marathons (Men's Open division)? Kenya is kicking butt, marathon-wise. But Ethiopia is making a move, with wins in 2005 and 2009. correct
4. Despite its Swiss location, the tiny Alpine town of Meiringen, near Reichenbach Falls, is home to a museum dedicated to what British literary character? Sherlock Holmes "died" there in 1893's "The Adventure of the Final Problem," which is pretty much the town's only claim to fame. Other than the fact that Meringen also claims to have invented "meringue." True story. correct
5. What actress began her career doing stand-up using the last name "Cushon"? That was an early stage name of Whoopi Goldberg. Get it? Whoopi Cushon? Ah, the same sophisticated level of humor she brought to the Oscars. too clever for me
6. What are the two vegetables most commonly used to make succotash? Lima beans and corn are traditional, based on what little I know of Narragansett Indian cuisine. (None of the really good Narrangansett places near my house do take-out.) correct (although I don't think of legumes as vegetables)
7. What is the significance of this list of U.S. states (and the District of Columbia), in this order? D.C., D.C., D.C., New York, Wisconsin, Florida, D.C., Texas, California, California, D.C. These are sites of U.S. presidential assassination attempts up through John Hinckley, Jr. Yes, the list includes some iffy cases like presidents-elect and ex-presidents as well. clever, but also brutally tough. Assassination attempts was not one of the possibilities I had thought of.