Musings of a Dead Parrot

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Who or what might you find inside a Habitrail? a gerbil
2. Give the full name of the international nonprofit that forced a pro wrestling outfit to change its name in 2002. World Wildlife Foundation (not to be confused with the World Wrestling Federation)
3. Musicians Sally and Ben Taylor are the children of what two chart-topping singer-songwriters? James Taylor and Carly Simon
4. What hit TV show did David Shore and Paul Attanasio create after enjoying Lisa Sanders' "Diagnosis" columns in The New York Times? I don't know Lisa Sanders or her columns. But is this the set up for House?
5. What's the world's largest nation that's all a single time zone? China
6. Name either of the two active NBA players who have led their team in all five major stats--points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals--in a season. Wow. We are talking about multi-talented players. It is really saying something to lead in both rebounds and assists. This is very uncommon. The first names that come to mind - Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter. Do I get two guesses? I will go with Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Belle de Jour, Blowup, Dog Day Afternoon, Executive Suite, Interiors, Network, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing, Paranormal Activity, Rachel Getting Married, Rear Window. Something about photography? Of these, I have only seen Rear Window.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The American one has been around for 220 years, but the British one met for the very first time one week ago, because of a suspected Syrian terrorist. What name is shared by these bodies? This was the first case heard by the U.K.'s brand-spanking-new Supreme Court. Good job, Britain! Why, maybe you'll even have a constitution one of these days. correct
2. What part of the body does a "reflexologist" most commonly focus on? Reflexology is the idea that pressure on the soles of the feet (and much less commonly the hands and ears) can affect every other part of the body. Sure, it's totally kooky, but aaah, foot massage. Who can complain about that? correct
3. What nickname has the media given to Nadya Suleyman? She's Octomom! But she already had six kids before her latest pregnancy, so maybe she should more accurately be called Tetradecamom. correct
4. What two U.S. animated TV hits have produced spin-off soundtrack CDs called "The Yellow Album"? SpongeBob SquarePants recorded the most recent Yellow Album, but the lame Beatles "joke" in its title is a retread...the Simpsons had got there a decade earlier. correct
5. A church in Daresbury, England has an odd stained-glass window featuring a rabbit, dodo, and a lizard, because what man was born there in 1832 while his father was parson there? The white rabbit, the dodo, and Bill the lizard are all characters in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. correct. But I did not previously know Bill the Lizard.
6. What nation's recent naming led to Greek complaints that Greece's heritage was being compromised by the name? Greece is a little pissed about the "Republic of Macedonia," since Macedonia was and is a large region of Greece. Get over it, Greece. It's not like Americans are all burned up about "Baja California." And what about "Omaha Beach"? That's in FRANCE! good job, Alex
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Osama bin Laden, John Ehrlichman, Davis Love III, Tracy Nelson, Philip Pullman, Priscilla Presley, Gabrielle Reece, and Cokie Roberts. They all starred in The Father Dowling Mysteries on ABC in the late 1980s. Oh, wait. That wasn't Osama bin Laden. That was Tom Bosley. I always get those guys confused. The real answer is a sad one: they each lost their father in a plane crash. Weirdly, I had no idea that Cokie Roberts was Hale Boggs' daughter until I wrote this question. correct!