Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - September 29
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Who made her film debut as seven-year-old "Tosh" in the 1982 Jon Voight vehicle Lookin' to Get Out? the key here is Jon Voight --> Angelina Jolie
2. Very large factorial numbers always end with a string of what repeated digit?
3. On Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, puppet neighbors X and Henrietta were created as a reference to the best-known poem of what famous Victorian? I watched more of Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood than Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. But one comes to mind - Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat. I also thought of Lewis Carroll, but what would be his best-known poem? Jabborwocky? The Hunting of the Snark? Maybe The Walrus and the Carpenter? I'll go with owl and pussycat.
4. What singer has been nicknamed the "Red Headed Stranger" since the debut of his hit album of that name? Willie Nelson
5. Where are you visiting if you're perusing the "columbarium"? Does this relate to St. Columba? He was from Ireland.
6. What country was ruled by the Sun King from 1643 all the way until 1715? France
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these businesses/brands? ABC, Adidas, Amazon, AT&T, BP, Citibank, Hewlett-Packard, Macy's, Nickelodeon, Pepsi, UPS, Xerox. something about their logos?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In what U.S. state is Kent State University? I didn't realize this U.S. history/geography question was also the second classic rock question of the week. You're probably not a fan of Mid-American Conference college sports, but you might remember Neil Young's song "Ohio." correct
2. Most of the visible stars in the night sky take their names from what language? The Arabic names for the stars spread to Europe when the Moors conquered Spain. Deneb, Betelgeuse, Aldebaran...all the really awesome star names are Arabic. silly me. I was thinking of constellation names, not stars.
3. Andy Warhol factory members Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Joe Campbell, and Jackie Curtis were the real people who inspired the five characters in what hit song? Warhol was Lou Reed's manager during the early Velvet Underground days, and these five "Factory" fixtures were immortalized as Holly, Candy, Little Joe, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jackie in Reed's biggest hit, "Walk on the Wild Side." Doo do doo, da doo, dooo da doo dooo... This might have come to me if I had read sooner than this morning that the Velvet Underground was the house band at Andy Warhol's studio.
4. What huge American multinational does the business press sometimes call "the Blue Oval"? Ford's logo is blue, it's an oval...what else do you need to know? I had actually never heard this slang term before seeing it in a headline last week, but I'm trying to help it catch on. Also, I think more people should call Paul McCartney "Macca," even though I don't really know how to pronounce it. I guess so, but I have never heard this in all my years in business.
5. According to the Bible, what took seven months and seventeen days to arrive at "the mountains of Ararat"? Noah's ark. Fun fact: to this very day, many USAir flights take seven months and seventeen days to get to their destinations as well! correct
6. In 1527, who said, "There lies Peru with its riches; here, Panama, and its poverty. Choose, each man . . . for my part, I go to the south"? This was conqustador Francisco Pizarro, on his way south to conquer the Incas. I hope no Panamanians were offended by Pizarro's little slam here. Given what he did to Peru, maybe you should be glad he left. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these films? The Breakfast Club, The 400 Blows, The Full Monty, Gallipoli, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Hustler, The Lives of Others, Network, Ocean's Twelve, Thelma and Louise. All end with a final freeze-frame...some famous and memorable (like Breakfast Club, 400 Blows, Gallipoli, and Thelma and Louise) and others not so much (the one in The Hustler is actually AFTER the credits roll). Left out Butch and Sundance because I thought it might be too easy. Left out Rocky III because I forgot my #1 rule of life: "always mention Rocky III where possible." I don't think Butch and Sundance would have made this too easy.
1. Who made her film debut as seven-year-old "Tosh" in the 1982 Jon Voight vehicle Lookin' to Get Out? the key here is Jon Voight --> Angelina Jolie
2. Very large factorial numbers always end with a string of what repeated digit?
3. On Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, puppet neighbors X and Henrietta were created as a reference to the best-known poem of what famous Victorian? I watched more of Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood than Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. But one comes to mind - Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat. I also thought of Lewis Carroll, but what would be his best-known poem? Jabborwocky? The Hunting of the Snark? Maybe The Walrus and the Carpenter? I'll go with owl and pussycat.
4. What singer has been nicknamed the "Red Headed Stranger" since the debut of his hit album of that name? Willie Nelson
5. Where are you visiting if you're perusing the "columbarium"? Does this relate to St. Columba? He was from Ireland.
6. What country was ruled by the Sun King from 1643 all the way until 1715? France
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these businesses/brands? ABC, Adidas, Amazon, AT&T, BP, Citibank, Hewlett-Packard, Macy's, Nickelodeon, Pepsi, UPS, Xerox. something about their logos?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In what U.S. state is Kent State University? I didn't realize this U.S. history/geography question was also the second classic rock question of the week. You're probably not a fan of Mid-American Conference college sports, but you might remember Neil Young's song "Ohio." correct
2. Most of the visible stars in the night sky take their names from what language? The Arabic names for the stars spread to Europe when the Moors conquered Spain. Deneb, Betelgeuse, Aldebaran...all the really awesome star names are Arabic. silly me. I was thinking of constellation names, not stars.
3. Andy Warhol factory members Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Joe Campbell, and Jackie Curtis were the real people who inspired the five characters in what hit song? Warhol was Lou Reed's manager during the early Velvet Underground days, and these five "Factory" fixtures were immortalized as Holly, Candy, Little Joe, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jackie in Reed's biggest hit, "Walk on the Wild Side." Doo do doo, da doo, dooo da doo dooo... This might have come to me if I had read sooner than this morning that the Velvet Underground was the house band at Andy Warhol's studio.
4. What huge American multinational does the business press sometimes call "the Blue Oval"? Ford's logo is blue, it's an oval...what else do you need to know? I had actually never heard this slang term before seeing it in a headline last week, but I'm trying to help it catch on. Also, I think more people should call Paul McCartney "Macca," even though I don't really know how to pronounce it. I guess so, but I have never heard this in all my years in business.
5. According to the Bible, what took seven months and seventeen days to arrive at "the mountains of Ararat"? Noah's ark. Fun fact: to this very day, many USAir flights take seven months and seventeen days to get to their destinations as well! correct
6. In 1527, who said, "There lies Peru with its riches; here, Panama, and its poverty. Choose, each man . . . for my part, I go to the south"? This was conqustador Francisco Pizarro, on his way south to conquer the Incas. I hope no Panamanians were offended by Pizarro's little slam here. Given what he did to Peru, maybe you should be glad he left. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these films? The Breakfast Club, The 400 Blows, The Full Monty, Gallipoli, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Hustler, The Lives of Others, Network, Ocean's Twelve, Thelma and Louise. All end with a final freeze-frame...some famous and memorable (like Breakfast Club, 400 Blows, Gallipoli, and Thelma and Louise) and others not so much (the one in The Hustler is actually AFTER the credits roll). Left out Butch and Sundance because I thought it might be too easy. Left out Rocky III because I forgot my #1 rule of life: "always mention Rocky III where possible." I don't think Butch and Sundance would have made this too easy.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - September 22
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In what U.S. state is Kent State University? Ohio
2. Most of the visible stars in the night sky take their names from what language? Greek
3. Andy Warhol factory members Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Joe Campbell, and Jackie Curtis were the real people who inspired the five characters in what hit song? is this a song from the 1960s? I am running through Beatles, Stones songs. Maybe Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone?" I cannot get an acronym out of the initials either. Five characters? Who wrote songs with that many characters except for Dylan and Springsteen?
4. What huge American multinational does the business press sometimes call "the Blue Oval"? I have never heard IBM called the "blue oval." So it must be a different blue logo-ed company. I checked the bill for my cell phone. AT&T has a circular blue logo. I'll guess AT&T.
5. According to the Bible, what took seven months and seventeen days to arrive at "the mountains of Ararat"? Noah's ark
6. In 1527, who said, "There lies Peru with its riches; here, Panama, and its poverty. Choose, each man . . . for my part, I go to the south"? Pizarro who conquered the Incas
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these films? The Breakfast Club, The 400 Blows, The Full Monty, Gallipoli, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Hustler, The Lives of Others, Network, Ocean's Twelve, Thelma and Louise.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What kind of disease does an oncologist treat? Cancer; tumors of all kinds. Nothing like a nice cancer question to kick off the weekly trivia quiz on a jovial note. correct
2. Who was the last third-party U.S. presidential candidate to win any electoral votes at all? This could have been phrased less ambiguously, since I wanted the candidate who last earned ANY electoral votes at all. (By most definitions, a third-party candidate has ever won an entire count of the the entire Electoral College.) George Wallace, back in 1968, captured electoral votes from six Southern states (hint: the racist ones), and nobody's done it since. We also accepted John Hospers, the 1972 Libertarian candidate who actually won one vote from a faithless Virginia elector. Whatever, if Hospers had been a REAL Randian, he would have been all like, "I don't NEED your charity vote, Virginia!" I guess I needed to be more of a student of presidential history to know this.
3. What 2001 science-fiction movie had to add a subtitle when tests revealed that audience were mistaking its title for a popular condiment? Apparently Spielberg's movie A.I. had "Artificial Intelligence" added to its title so people would stop pronouncing it "A1." I'm not kidding. A1 Sauce is a condiment?
4. What British unit of weight is equal to fourteen pounds? Fourteen pounds is one "stone." Also, the landmark we in the U.S. call "Poundhenge," they refer to as "Stonehenge." Weird, huh? correct
5. The first two women to host 60 Minutes are currently both hosting morning shows on rival networks. Name them. CBS's 60 Minutes gave us ABC's morning host Diane Sawyer and NBC's morning host Meredith Vieira. ugh. I could not even remember Diane Sawyer who was just in the news replacing Charles Gibson. But I have no memory of Meredith Vieira on 60 Minutes.
6. What resort town, which will host most of the skiing at the 2010 Olympics, is named not for a painter but for the noises made by local marmots? Whistler, British Columbia is named for the "whistle pigs," or hoary marmots, that call it home. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these places? Agra, India; Baghdad; Easter Island; Puerto Rico; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Vietnam? Each place is the vertex on a famous geographical triangle (some more famous than others, admittedly). Just to save you a few minutes' Googling, they are: the Golden Triangle (of India tourism), the Sunni Triangle, the Polynesian Triangle, the Bermuda Triangle, the Research Triangle, and the Golden Triangle (of Southeast Asian opium). They have a fight, triangle wins, Triangle Man. nice question, even though I did not get it.
1. In what U.S. state is Kent State University? Ohio
2. Most of the visible stars in the night sky take their names from what language? Greek
3. Andy Warhol factory members Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Joe Campbell, and Jackie Curtis were the real people who inspired the five characters in what hit song? is this a song from the 1960s? I am running through Beatles, Stones songs. Maybe Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone?" I cannot get an acronym out of the initials either. Five characters? Who wrote songs with that many characters except for Dylan and Springsteen?
4. What huge American multinational does the business press sometimes call "the Blue Oval"? I have never heard IBM called the "blue oval." So it must be a different blue logo-ed company. I checked the bill for my cell phone. AT&T has a circular blue logo. I'll guess AT&T.
5. According to the Bible, what took seven months and seventeen days to arrive at "the mountains of Ararat"? Noah's ark
6. In 1527, who said, "There lies Peru with its riches; here, Panama, and its poverty. Choose, each man . . . for my part, I go to the south"? Pizarro who conquered the Incas
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these films? The Breakfast Club, The 400 Blows, The Full Monty, Gallipoli, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Hustler, The Lives of Others, Network, Ocean's Twelve, Thelma and Louise.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What kind of disease does an oncologist treat? Cancer; tumors of all kinds. Nothing like a nice cancer question to kick off the weekly trivia quiz on a jovial note. correct
2. Who was the last third-party U.S. presidential candidate to win any electoral votes at all? This could have been phrased less ambiguously, since I wanted the candidate who last earned ANY electoral votes at all. (By most definitions, a third-party candidate has ever won an entire count of the the entire Electoral College.) George Wallace, back in 1968, captured electoral votes from six Southern states (hint: the racist ones), and nobody's done it since. We also accepted John Hospers, the 1972 Libertarian candidate who actually won one vote from a faithless Virginia elector. Whatever, if Hospers had been a REAL Randian, he would have been all like, "I don't NEED your charity vote, Virginia!" I guess I needed to be more of a student of presidential history to know this.
3. What 2001 science-fiction movie had to add a subtitle when tests revealed that audience were mistaking its title for a popular condiment? Apparently Spielberg's movie A.I. had "Artificial Intelligence" added to its title so people would stop pronouncing it "A1." I'm not kidding. A1 Sauce is a condiment?
4. What British unit of weight is equal to fourteen pounds? Fourteen pounds is one "stone." Also, the landmark we in the U.S. call "Poundhenge," they refer to as "Stonehenge." Weird, huh? correct
5. The first two women to host 60 Minutes are currently both hosting morning shows on rival networks. Name them. CBS's 60 Minutes gave us ABC's morning host Diane Sawyer and NBC's morning host Meredith Vieira. ugh. I could not even remember Diane Sawyer who was just in the news replacing Charles Gibson. But I have no memory of Meredith Vieira on 60 Minutes.
6. What resort town, which will host most of the skiing at the 2010 Olympics, is named not for a painter but for the noises made by local marmots? Whistler, British Columbia is named for the "whistle pigs," or hoary marmots, that call it home. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these places? Agra, India; Baghdad; Easter Island; Puerto Rico; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Vietnam? Each place is the vertex on a famous geographical triangle (some more famous than others, admittedly). Just to save you a few minutes' Googling, they are: the Golden Triangle (of India tourism), the Sunni Triangle, the Polynesian Triangle, the Bermuda Triangle, the Research Triangle, and the Golden Triangle (of Southeast Asian opium). They have a fight, triangle wins, Triangle Man. nice question, even though I did not get it.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Funniest Amazon product reviews
Some of these were laugh-out-loud funny - Amazon 10 Funniest Review Threads
If this is not enough to get a smile, put your tongue in your cheek and read the recipe reviews of "salted water." This is the recipe: When salting water for cooking, use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 4 quarts of water.
These are the 840 reviews of this recipe - Reviews of Salted Water For Boiling
If this is not enough to get a smile, put your tongue in your cheek and read the recipe reviews of "salted water." This is the recipe: When salting water for cooking, use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 4 quarts of water.
These are the 840 reviews of this recipe - Reviews of Salted Water For Boiling
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - September 15
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What kind of disease does an oncologist treat? cancer
2. Who was the last third-party U.S. presidential candidate to win any electoral votes at all? did Teddy Roosevelt win electoral votes as a Bull Moose candidate? I cannot think of a 3rd party candidate since then who might have earned an electoral vote.
3. What 2001 science-fiction movie had to add a subtitle when tests revealed that audience were mistaking its title for a popular condiment? first guess - Jumanji. Were people confusing it with wasabi?
4. What British unit of weight is equal to fourteen pounds? stone
5. The first two women to host 60 Minutes are currently both hosting morning shows on rival networks. Name them. I think the last time I watched a morning show was - I can't remember when. Since I don't think Leslie Stahl is hosting a morning show, that means that at least two women preceded her. I think that Connie Chung was one. Barbara Walters too?
6. What resort town, which will host most of the skiing at the 2010 Olympics, is named not for a painter but for the noises made by local marmots? Whistler
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these places? Agra, India; Baghdad; Easter Island; Puerto Rico; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Vietnam? 3 cities, 2 countries and an island. That's an odd collection. Something about the words themselves? They rhyme with something in common? Can be anagrammed to words that have something in common?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What company has announced that it will be renaming one of its products "Hubby Hubby," to commemorate the legalization of gay marriage in its home state? Ben & Jerry's has temporarily renamed "Chubby Hubby" to celebrate Vermont's new marriage laws. Why didn't they just call it "Neat, Physically Fit Hubby"? That would pretty much eliminate most of America's heterosexual husbands right there. correct
2. What movie star was nominated for acting awards for playing Anna Christie in 1930 and Anna Karenina in 1935? Greta Garbo was both celebrated Annas. Also, she currently plays "Anna Montana" on the Disney Channel alongside her father, country star Billy Ray Garbor. correct
3. What consumer electronics product shares its name with Rubus fruticosis, a state symbol of Alabama and Kentucky? Both those states have voted the blackberry their official fruit. So far no state has so recognized the "CrackBerry." correct
4. Who adopted the "Thin White Duke" persona during the mid-1970s? This was David Bowie's post-Ziggy Stardust character, around the time of his Station to Station album. If you are keeping track at home: Bowie is apparently still thin and white, though no longer a duke. Not one of the possibilities I had considered. Needed another clue to get there.
5. The three U.S. states with only one pro sports franchise each all have their lone team in what league? Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah have only one team each--and it's an NBA team. Sort of a sore subject for us ex-Sonics fans. correct
6. The Australian species of what bird has nature's largest bill, a 20-inch beak that can hold over 3 gallons? A wonderful bird is the pelican; his beak can hold more than his belican. correct. Nice pun.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these nations, and no others? Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and the U.K.? These are all the nations against which the U.S. has officially declared war. I guess I forgot "Poverty," "Drugs," "Terrorism," "Christmas," and the victims of dozens of other rhetorical "wars." correct!
1. What kind of disease does an oncologist treat? cancer
2. Who was the last third-party U.S. presidential candidate to win any electoral votes at all? did Teddy Roosevelt win electoral votes as a Bull Moose candidate? I cannot think of a 3rd party candidate since then who might have earned an electoral vote.
3. What 2001 science-fiction movie had to add a subtitle when tests revealed that audience were mistaking its title for a popular condiment? first guess - Jumanji. Were people confusing it with wasabi?
4. What British unit of weight is equal to fourteen pounds? stone
5. The first two women to host 60 Minutes are currently both hosting morning shows on rival networks. Name them. I think the last time I watched a morning show was - I can't remember when. Since I don't think Leslie Stahl is hosting a morning show, that means that at least two women preceded her. I think that Connie Chung was one. Barbara Walters too?
6. What resort town, which will host most of the skiing at the 2010 Olympics, is named not for a painter but for the noises made by local marmots? Whistler
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these places? Agra, India; Baghdad; Easter Island; Puerto Rico; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Vietnam? 3 cities, 2 countries and an island. That's an odd collection. Something about the words themselves? They rhyme with something in common? Can be anagrammed to words that have something in common?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What company has announced that it will be renaming one of its products "Hubby Hubby," to commemorate the legalization of gay marriage in its home state? Ben & Jerry's has temporarily renamed "Chubby Hubby" to celebrate Vermont's new marriage laws. Why didn't they just call it "Neat, Physically Fit Hubby"? That would pretty much eliminate most of America's heterosexual husbands right there. correct
2. What movie star was nominated for acting awards for playing Anna Christie in 1930 and Anna Karenina in 1935? Greta Garbo was both celebrated Annas. Also, she currently plays "Anna Montana" on the Disney Channel alongside her father, country star Billy Ray Garbor. correct
3. What consumer electronics product shares its name with Rubus fruticosis, a state symbol of Alabama and Kentucky? Both those states have voted the blackberry their official fruit. So far no state has so recognized the "CrackBerry." correct
4. Who adopted the "Thin White Duke" persona during the mid-1970s? This was David Bowie's post-Ziggy Stardust character, around the time of his Station to Station album. If you are keeping track at home: Bowie is apparently still thin and white, though no longer a duke. Not one of the possibilities I had considered. Needed another clue to get there.
5. The three U.S. states with only one pro sports franchise each all have their lone team in what league? Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah have only one team each--and it's an NBA team. Sort of a sore subject for us ex-Sonics fans. correct
6. The Australian species of what bird has nature's largest bill, a 20-inch beak that can hold over 3 gallons? A wonderful bird is the pelican; his beak can hold more than his belican. correct. Nice pun.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these nations, and no others? Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and the U.K.? These are all the nations against which the U.S. has officially declared war. I guess I forgot "Poverty," "Drugs," "Terrorism," "Christmas," and the victims of dozens of other rhetorical "wars." correct!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - September 8
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What company has announced that it will be renaming one of its products "Hubby Hubby," to commemorate the legalization of gay marriage in its home state? Ben and Jerry's. Go Vermont!
2. What movie star was nominated for acting awards for playing Anna Christie in 1930 and Anna Karenina in 1935? This is where I would phone a friend Jerome or Andrew. Since I can't, I'll guess Greta Garbo.
3. What consumer electronics product shares its name with Rubus fruticosis, a state symbol of Alabama and Kentucky? is this a Blackberry?
4. Who adopted the "Thin White Duke" persona during the mid-1970s? Is this from the White Shadow? I thought that was past the mid-1970s. The only other person I can think of is Andy Kaufmann who adopted lots of personas.
5. The three U.S. states with only one pro sports franchise each all have their lone team in what league? NBA - Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah.
6. The Australian species of what bird has nature's largest bill, a 20-inch beak that can hold over 3 gallons? my guess - pelican
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these nations, and no others? Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and the U.K.? I asked a question about this at my quiz last week! The countries against which the US has ever formally declared war.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What car company honored its founder with the 2002 model called the Enzo? Enzo Ferrari founded his namesake car company in 1928. yes, I was going too quickly last week but Alex got it.
2. What TV series' ninety episodes included "Baby, If You Ever Wondered" and "Up and Down the Dial"? Both are quotes from the immortal opening them to WKRP in Cincinnati. Was WKRP among the first shows in TV history to use an entirely different tune for the opening vs. closing themes? Discuss. as is so often the case, now it seems evident
3. The U.S. government will be hiring 1.4 million temporary employees this year and next for what task? Counting heads. Every ten years, the U.S. government finally comes to its census. correct
4. On what calendar date every summer is the "Free Slurpee Day" promotion held? July 11 is "7-11" day, get it? Not in most of the world though. Do our international friends get their free Slurpees on November 7 instead? correct
5. "Puddi" brand cat food is a crucial plot point in what hit 2009 film? The alien "prawns" in District 9 love them some cat food. Not being an expert on South African cat foods, I have no idea if this is shrewd product placement or a made-up brand. I really struggle with these questions because I have barely seen any movies this year.
6. The village of Panmunjom sits on the border between what two nations? Panmunjom is where the armistice was negotiated between North and South Korea, and it still sits smack-dab in the middle of the highly militarized "Demilitarized Zone." correct
7. What unsual distinction is shared by these writers? Aeschylus, Louisa May Alcott, Dante, Ben Jonson, Stephenie Meyer, Henry Miller, John Milton, Leonard Nimoy. Each wrote a pair of books whose titles are opposites. For the record: Prometheus Bound vs. Prometheus Unbound, Little Women vs. Little Men, Inferno vs. Paradiso, Every Man in His Humour vs. Every Man Out of His Humour, Twilight vs. Breaking Dawn (yes, I know, but it's pretty close), Tropic of Cancer vs. Tropic of Capricorn, Paradise Lost vs. Paradise Regained, and I Am Spock vs. I Am Not Spock. Make up your mind, Nimoy! correct!
1. What company has announced that it will be renaming one of its products "Hubby Hubby," to commemorate the legalization of gay marriage in its home state? Ben and Jerry's. Go Vermont!
2. What movie star was nominated for acting awards for playing Anna Christie in 1930 and Anna Karenina in 1935? This is where I would phone a friend Jerome or Andrew. Since I can't, I'll guess Greta Garbo.
3. What consumer electronics product shares its name with Rubus fruticosis, a state symbol of Alabama and Kentucky? is this a Blackberry?
4. Who adopted the "Thin White Duke" persona during the mid-1970s? Is this from the White Shadow? I thought that was past the mid-1970s. The only other person I can think of is Andy Kaufmann who adopted lots of personas.
5. The three U.S. states with only one pro sports franchise each all have their lone team in what league? NBA - Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah.
6. The Australian species of what bird has nature's largest bill, a 20-inch beak that can hold over 3 gallons? my guess - pelican
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these nations, and no others? Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and the U.K.? I asked a question about this at my quiz last week! The countries against which the US has ever formally declared war.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What car company honored its founder with the 2002 model called the Enzo? Enzo Ferrari founded his namesake car company in 1928. yes, I was going too quickly last week but Alex got it.
2. What TV series' ninety episodes included "Baby, If You Ever Wondered" and "Up and Down the Dial"? Both are quotes from the immortal opening them to WKRP in Cincinnati. Was WKRP among the first shows in TV history to use an entirely different tune for the opening vs. closing themes? Discuss. as is so often the case, now it seems evident
3. The U.S. government will be hiring 1.4 million temporary employees this year and next for what task? Counting heads. Every ten years, the U.S. government finally comes to its census. correct
4. On what calendar date every summer is the "Free Slurpee Day" promotion held? July 11 is "7-11" day, get it? Not in most of the world though. Do our international friends get their free Slurpees on November 7 instead? correct
5. "Puddi" brand cat food is a crucial plot point in what hit 2009 film? The alien "prawns" in District 9 love them some cat food. Not being an expert on South African cat foods, I have no idea if this is shrewd product placement or a made-up brand. I really struggle with these questions because I have barely seen any movies this year.
6. The village of Panmunjom sits on the border between what two nations? Panmunjom is where the armistice was negotiated between North and South Korea, and it still sits smack-dab in the middle of the highly militarized "Demilitarized Zone." correct
7. What unsual distinction is shared by these writers? Aeschylus, Louisa May Alcott, Dante, Ben Jonson, Stephenie Meyer, Henry Miller, John Milton, Leonard Nimoy. Each wrote a pair of books whose titles are opposites. For the record: Prometheus Bound vs. Prometheus Unbound, Little Women vs. Little Men, Inferno vs. Paradiso, Every Man in His Humour vs. Every Man Out of His Humour, Twilight vs. Breaking Dawn (yes, I know, but it's pretty close), Tropic of Cancer vs. Tropic of Capricorn, Paradise Lost vs. Paradise Regained, and I Am Spock vs. I Am Not Spock. Make up your mind, Nimoy! correct!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - September 1
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What car company honored its founder with the 2002 model called the Enzo? Isn't that Porsche's first name?
2. What TV series' ninety episodes included "Baby, If You Ever Wondered" and "Up and Down the Dial"? I am sure that I am missing a singular clue that will make the answer evident. But it sure is murky now. Clues - "90 episodes included." So it ran for about 4 seasons and is now off the air. Arrested Development would work. Another thought - how long was I Love Lucy on the air? I think it was only about 3 or 4 seasons.
3. The U.S. government will be hiring 1.4 million temporary employees this year and next for what task? the US census
4. On what calendar date every summer is the "Free Slurpee Day" promotion held? July 11 (7/11)
5. "Puddi" brand cat food is a crucial plot point in what hit 2009 film? There is that word again - "hit." I hate these questions because I have seen no movies. Can I poll the audience? Big movies have included Transformers, Up, The Hangover.
6. The village of Panmunjom sits on the border between what two nations? North Korea and South Korea
7. What unsual distinction is shared by these writers? Aeschylus, Louisa May Alcott, Dante, Ben Jonson, Stephenie Meyer, Henry Miller, John Milton, Leonard Nimoy. I think each of them wrote works that have titles that are opposites of one another. I Am Spock/I Am Not Spock. Prometheus Bound/Prometheus Unbound. Little Men/Little Women. Paradise Lost/Paradise Regained. The Inferno/The Paradiso. And so on.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who might wear an alb, a surplice, and/or a chasuble? These are all priestly vestments, so they'd be worn by a member of the clergy. Or possibly someone disguising as a member of the clergy, like Nicolas Cage in Face/Off. correct
2. What was the first word in the titles of both the show that gave CBS its highest rated sitcom broadcast of 2005 AND the show that gave UPN its highest-rated sitcom broadcast of 2005? The last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond and the first episode of Everybody Hates Chris both set records for their respective networks in 2005. correct
3. What historical practice took place along the so-called "Middle Passage"? The African slave trade was so named because the slave ships were, shamefully, the middle leg of a trade triangle that also moved molasses and run. correct
4. The famous "gum trees" of Australia are actually what genus of tree? Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, which was in fact a eucalpytus tree. sort of correct although I never said "final answer"
5. What hit musical is named after a product whose brand name, in the show, is "Ultra Clutch"? Ultra Clutch Hairspray sponsors the Baltimore teen dance show in the Tony-winning Hairspray. I see it now. But I did not think of this last week. Needed another clue or else I needed to have seen the play/movie.
6. What country's largest islands are found in its Galapagos and Guayaquil provinces? Ecuador owns the Galapagos islands, and its large Isla Puna island is located off the coast of its largest city, Guayaquil. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts, listed in this order? King Crimson, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Gang of Four, R.E.M., Joni Mitchell, Matt Bianco, Stone Temple Pilots. They each recorded an album named for one of the colors of the rainbow: respectively, Red, Orange, Yellow (actually an untitled EP, but it was the only Yellow I could find), Green, Blue, Indigo and Purple. I wonder if I should have left off Indigo, since it made the question a lot easier to cheat on, but hey. I trust you people. correct!
1. What car company honored its founder with the 2002 model called the Enzo? Isn't that Porsche's first name?
2. What TV series' ninety episodes included "Baby, If You Ever Wondered" and "Up and Down the Dial"? I am sure that I am missing a singular clue that will make the answer evident. But it sure is murky now. Clues - "90 episodes included." So it ran for about 4 seasons and is now off the air. Arrested Development would work. Another thought - how long was I Love Lucy on the air? I think it was only about 3 or 4 seasons.
3. The U.S. government will be hiring 1.4 million temporary employees this year and next for what task? the US census
4. On what calendar date every summer is the "Free Slurpee Day" promotion held? July 11 (7/11)
5. "Puddi" brand cat food is a crucial plot point in what hit 2009 film? There is that word again - "hit." I hate these questions because I have seen no movies. Can I poll the audience? Big movies have included Transformers, Up, The Hangover.
6. The village of Panmunjom sits on the border between what two nations? North Korea and South Korea
7. What unsual distinction is shared by these writers? Aeschylus, Louisa May Alcott, Dante, Ben Jonson, Stephenie Meyer, Henry Miller, John Milton, Leonard Nimoy. I think each of them wrote works that have titles that are opposites of one another. I Am Spock/I Am Not Spock. Prometheus Bound/Prometheus Unbound. Little Men/Little Women. Paradise Lost/Paradise Regained. The Inferno/The Paradiso. And so on.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who might wear an alb, a surplice, and/or a chasuble? These are all priestly vestments, so they'd be worn by a member of the clergy. Or possibly someone disguising as a member of the clergy, like Nicolas Cage in Face/Off. correct
2. What was the first word in the titles of both the show that gave CBS its highest rated sitcom broadcast of 2005 AND the show that gave UPN its highest-rated sitcom broadcast of 2005? The last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond and the first episode of Everybody Hates Chris both set records for their respective networks in 2005. correct
3. What historical practice took place along the so-called "Middle Passage"? The African slave trade was so named because the slave ships were, shamefully, the middle leg of a trade triangle that also moved molasses and run. correct
4. The famous "gum trees" of Australia are actually what genus of tree? Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, which was in fact a eucalpytus tree. sort of correct although I never said "final answer"
5. What hit musical is named after a product whose brand name, in the show, is "Ultra Clutch"? Ultra Clutch Hairspray sponsors the Baltimore teen dance show in the Tony-winning Hairspray. I see it now. But I did not think of this last week. Needed another clue or else I needed to have seen the play/movie.
6. What country's largest islands are found in its Galapagos and Guayaquil provinces? Ecuador owns the Galapagos islands, and its large Isla Puna island is located off the coast of its largest city, Guayaquil. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts, listed in this order? King Crimson, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Gang of Four, R.E.M., Joni Mitchell, Matt Bianco, Stone Temple Pilots. They each recorded an album named for one of the colors of the rainbow: respectively, Red, Orange, Yellow (actually an untitled EP, but it was the only Yellow I could find), Green, Blue, Indigo and Purple. I wonder if I should have left off Indigo, since it made the question a lot easier to cheat on, but hey. I trust you people. correct!
