Musings of a Dead Parrot

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Green Bay (of "Packers" fame) is an inlet of which Great Lake? Superior or Michigan? I think Lake Michigan
2. Which two major U.S. movie releases of 2011 are both adapted from, of all things, Belgian comics? The Smurfs for sure. Was Tintin a movie this year?
3. The pigment called "sepia" comes from what kind of animal? does it come from some insect? or shellfish or snail?
4. London's Ticketshare giveaway for the 2012 Olympics will allow lucky schoolchildren to see any sport but one. Which one? a guess - boxing
5. On reality TV, Duff Goldman is the "ace" and Buddy Valastro the "boss" of what food? full disclosure - I think I saw this in a newspaper ad yesterday. cake
6. What title was held by Grand Princes of the Rurik dynasty, beginning in 1547? lots of guessing this week. No idea of the Rurik dynasty. But perhaps it was middle eastern and they were called shahs. What other names are alternatives to prince?
7. What unusual (for celebrities) distinction is shared by these celebrities? Antonio Banderas, Kirk Cameron, Harry Connick Jr., Sam Elliott, Ed Harris, Michael J. Fox, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Keith Urban, Denzel Washington. The inclusion of Keith Urban makes this more intriguing. Probably not about actors and roles since he is not an actor. Something in their personal lives perhaps though I cannot identify anything yet.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. According to the title of their hit 1976 song, what will AC/DC do for you "dirt cheap"? Dirty deeds. Their prices have come way down since they started outsourcing to Southeast Asia. correct
2. What dictator has referred to his U.N. opposition as "backward Berbers"? Berbers are North African nomads. You know who hates Berbers? Moammar Gaddafi. correct
3. New Yorkers call the Brooklyn neighborhood between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges by the name of what Disney title character? Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass lies Dumbo. It's an acronym, you see. now I do. A more gettable question might have been "Dumbo is an acronym for a neighborhood in Brooklyn. What does it stand for?"
4. What objects are often candled to ensure quality? Candling is holding eggs up to a light source to check on the yolk and, uh, whatever else is going on in there. No idea. an interesting factoid
5. Herod Agrippa narrated part of the second book in Robert Graves's mega-selling 1934-35 "autobiography" of what historical figure? These are Graves's well-loved books about the Roman empire: I, Claudius and its sequel I, Still Totally Claudius. You may also have read Leonard Nimoy's tribute, I Am Not Claudius. correct
6. The title character of TV's Fresh Prince of Bel Air moved to Bel Air from what American city? He was West Philadelphia, born and raised. If I'm not mistaken, the playground was where he spent most of his days. meh
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these companies? Ameritrade, Amway, Broadcom, HDNet, Home Depot, Little Caesars, Microsoft, Quicken Loans. The (or a) founder of each company currently owns a pro sports team or two. Curse you Wayne Huizenga for divesting yourself of all your crappy teams! Otherwise Blockbuster Video would have been on the list. correct. more sports please

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. According to the title of their hit 1976 song, what will AC/DC do for you "dirt cheap"? dirty deeds
2. What dictator has referred to his U.N. opposition as "backward Berbers"? Ghaddafi?
3. New Yorkers call the Brooklyn neighborhood between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges by the name of what Disney title character? Dumbo? Bambi? Mulan? Herbie the Love Bug? I am sure that I will slap my head when I learn the answer.
4. What objects are often candled to ensure quality? candle is a verb? I'll guess books
5. Herod Agrippa narrated part of the second book in Robert Graves's mega-selling 1934-35 "autobiography" of what historical figure? I, Claudius
6. The title character of TV's Fresh Prince of Bel Air moved to Bel Air from what American city? no idea. Never watched the show.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these companies? Ameritrade, Amway, Broadcom, HDNet, Home Depot, Little Caesars, Microsoft, Quicken Loans. I knew that there was a sports connection. The CEO or former CEO/executive of each of these companies owns a pro sports team. Microsoft - Paul Allen owns the Portland Trailblazers and the Seattle Seahawks. Amway - Rich Devos owns Orlando Magic. Quicken Loans - Dan Gilbert owns the Cleveland Cavaliers. Broadcom - Henry Samueli owns the Anaheim Ducks. And so on.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What are you most likely doing if you're using one of the fine products of the Scantron Corporation? Scantron makes those computer-read bubble answer sheets, so you're probably taking a test. correct
2. What song was the the only certified U.S. gold single ever released either by America, Europe, or Asia? The biggest U.S. hit by either of the three was America's "A Horse with No Name." "Heat of the Moment" and "Carrie" just can't compare. Fun fact: this question has a different answer in the U.K., where "The Final Countdown" was certified gold, but "A Horse with No Name" wasn't. correct
3. According to Dr. Martin Luther King, what does the long "arc of the moral universe" bend towards? It bends towards justice, we can only hope. correct
4. What world capital's name probably comes from the Sinhalese word for "mango trees," altered by early Portuguese settlers in honor of a famous explorer? Colombo, Sri Lanka may or may not have been named for Columbus. But--one more thing, ma'am--it certainly wasn't named for Columbo. correct
5. Name one of the three NBA players with championship rings whose sons have also won NBA titles. Rick Barry and Bill Walton, if you are not old like me, are now best known as the fathers of Brent Barry and Luke Walton. Bonus points if you knew the harder third guy: Matt Guokas. correct
6. What scientist famously saved the life of Joseph Meister, a nine-year-old Parisian boy bitten by a dog on July 4, 1885? That was Louis Pasteur's first use of his not-yet-fully-tested rabies vaccine. Meister survived, and spent the rest of his life as a caretaker at Pasteur's Paris institute. don't know why I thought Pasteur was from an earlier era. I certainly did not recall that he developed a rabies vaccine
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Any Given Sunday, The Big Chill, Dangerous Minds, Empire Records, E.T., Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Return of the King, Sea of Love, The Thin Red Line. In each movie, a well-known actor filmed a role that was left on the cutting room floor. In order, if you're curious: Jim Caviezel, Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia, Tobey Maguire, Harrison Ford, Ellen Pompeo, Danny Glover, Christopher Lee, Lorraine Bracco, and Bill Pullman (among a handful of other "names" shafted by director Terrence Malick). yawn. I'm not curious.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What are you most likely doing if you're using one of the fine products of the Scantron Corporation? taking a test
2. What song was the the only certified U.S. gold single ever released either by America, Europe, or Asia? I would guess Horse With No Name (America) or Heat of the Moment (Asia). I'll go with America
3. According to Dr. Martin Luther King, what does the long "arc of the moral universe" bend towards? justice?
4. What world capital's name probably comes from the Sinhalese word for "mango trees," altered by early Portuguese settlers in honor of a famous explorer? Colombo, Sri Lanka
5. Name one of the three NBA players with championship rings whose sons have also won NBA titles. Bill Walton and Luke Walton come to mind first. Did Jellybean Bryant (Kobe's dad) win a title too?
6. What scientist famously saved the life of Joseph Meister, a nine-year-old Parisian boy bitten by a dog on July 4, 1885? this sounds like a scientist who created a cure for rabies. But I don't know who that is. French scientists from that era - Curie, Coulomb. When was Lavoisier active?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these movies? Any Given Sunday, The Big Chill, Dangerous Minds, Empire Records, E.T., Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Return of the King, Sea of Love, The Thin Red Line.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What two words did the Wicked Witch of the West sky-write over the Emerald City in the film The Wizard of Oz? "Mission Accomplished." Oops, no, that can't be right. "Surrender Dorothy." correct
2. Traditionally, what would a Native American do with a "calumet"? Calumet, besides being a brand of baking powder, is also a word for "peace pipe." So I guess you'd smoke it. my answer would be correct if you used the peace pipe as a weapon
3. The so-called Kepler's Star, of October 1604, was the last what to have been observed in our galaxy? Kepler's Star, aka SN 1604, was the Milky Way's last known supernova. correct
4. "Enid Strict" was the real name of what popular character who made "her" TV debut in 1986? I think I saw every Saturday Night Live "Church Lady" sketch, and I *still* didn't know she had a "real" name. correct
5. Who got his musical start playing at clubs like the Black 400 and the Maple Leaf in Sedalia, Missouri in the 1890s? Scott Joplin evidently named his famous "Maple Leaf Rag" after his onetime stomping grounds. correct
6. What former world nation dissolved in the so-called Velvet Divorce? Czechoslovakia, which overthrew its communist leadership in the so-called Velvet Revolution, split into two separate countries in a Velvet Divorce. All you little Czechs and Slovakians need to know is that mommy and daddy can't be together anymore, but they still love you very much. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these people and things? Andre Agassi, California surfing culture, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, the Erector Set, HarvardConnection.com, Grace Kelly, Hugh Laurie, Operation Torch, organic farming and the Spanish constitution? This is maybe the weirdest Question Seven lineup on record. All those people and things were the creations or products of a onetime Olympic athlete. Yes: Benjamin Spock, General Patton, the Winklevoss twins, Grace Kelly's dad, Juan Carlos I of Spain, and all the rest once competed in the Olympic games. Dr. Spock was even a gold medalist! (Rowing, 1924.) this is an eclectic group. can you identify a creator for California surf culture and organic farming?

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What two words did the Wicked Witch of the West sky-write over the Emerald City in the film The Wizard of Oz? Was it "Tastes Great" or "Less Filling"? I remember now. Surrender Dorothy!
2. Traditionally, what would a Native American do with a "calumet"? could be a weapon. Tomahawk?
3. The so-called Kepler's Star, of October 1604, was the last what to have been observed in our galaxy? nova or supernova
4. "Enid Strict" was the real name of what popular character who made "her" TV debut in 1986? Enid Strict = the Church Lady played by Dana Carvey
5. Who got his musical start playing at clubs like the Black 400 and the Maple Leaf in Sedalia, Missouri in the 1890s? I asked a similar question at O'Brien's recently - Scott Joplin
6. What former world nation dissolved in the so-called Velvet Divorce? Czechoslovakia?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these people and things? Andre Agassi, California surfing culture, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, the Erector Set, HarvardConnection.com, Grace Kelly, Hugh Laurie, Operation Torch, organic farming and the Spanish constitution? An intriguing list! This group would fit the clues for a $100K Pyramid category. Things that . . . .

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What country was the site of the deaths of both Che Guevara and (probably) Butch Cassidy? "Kid, the next time I say, 'Let's go someplace like Bolivia,' let's GO someplace like Bolivia!" correct
2. What two-word phrase can refer to a Lucky Charms marshmallow, James Cameron's "Heart of the Ocean," or the world's largest almond grower? "Blue Diamond" can be all of the above. correct
3. Name two members of major league baseball's 3,000-hit club that aren't in the Hall of Fame. Two little tricks here that shouldn't have posed much of a problem to even casual sports fans: first, Pete "I never bet on the Reds TO LOSE!" Rose isn't in the Hall of Fame, and neither is the club's only active member, Derek Jeter, who hit #3,000 last month. The other two possible answers are recent retirees Craig Biggio and Rafael Palmeiro. correct. Alex and I covered all four.
4. The singer of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is serving time in California despite having committed his crime in what other state? He shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Unless he was referring to Janet Reno, that means the answer is Nevada. correct
5. What chemical element has a Greek name that was translated, when it appears in the Bible, as "Lucifer"? "Lucifer" means "light-bringer" in Latin. The direct Greek translation: phosphorus. correct
6. Italy's Cascata delle Marmore, created by the ancient Romans, is the world's tallest artificial what? It's a 541-foot waterfall. Good job, ancient Rome! I was on the right track with aqueduct. Are there many tall artificial waterfall candidates? I only think of them at the guard gate entrances to master planned communities. Or Donald Trump golf courses.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these occupations, among others? Architect, baker, barber, farmer, handyman, painter, poet, reporter, shoemaker, tailor. These are the occupations (and names, in most cases!) of some of the smurfiest Smurfs in the Smurf village. (There were plenty of other career-identified Smurfs, granted, but Barber, Finance, and Editor Smurf didn't get as much face time as the guys I chose.) the next time I watch anything featuring a Smurf will be the first time. Good one, Foggy Brume!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What country was the site of the deaths of both Che Guevara and (probably) Butch Cassidy? Bolivia
2. What two-word phrase can refer to a Lucky Charms marshmallow, James Cameron's "Heart of the Ocean," or the world's largest almond grower? blue diamond
3. Name two members of major league baseball's 3,000-hit club that aren't in the Hall of Fame. Derek Jeter and Pete Rose
4. The singer of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is serving time in California despite having committed his crime in what other state? "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" --> Nevada
5. What chemical element has a Greek name that was translated, when it appears in the Bible, as "Lucifer"? Lucifer--> phosphorous?
6. Italy's Cascata delle Marmore, created by the ancient Romans, is the world's tallest artificial what? aqueduct?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these occupations, among others? Architect, baker, barber, farmer, handyman, painter, poet, reporter, shoemaker, tailor. "Among others"? Then perhaps it is not such an unusual distinction

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What word for a tying goal in soccer was also a TV character played by Edward Woodward? This question is for people who are old enough to remember The Equalizer or young enough to actually follow soccer. I apologize to those of you in the middle. correct
2. By area, what's the largest landlocked U.S. state? Montana is almost 25,000 square miles bigger than the runner-up, New Mexico. correct
3. Currently, the most popular names for British baby boys and girls both begin with the same four letters and are both characters in Shakespearean comedies--As You Like It and Twelfth Night, respectively. What are they? Oliver and Olivia. I kid you not: Oliver is currently the most popular name for British baby boys. They will all be beaten up by the American boys they meet, since our #1 name is currently "Spike." correct
4. What nation's largest cruise ship collided with and sank the Andrea Doria in 1956? It was called the Stockholm, because it was Swedish. guess I forgot this because I was in sympathy with my captors
5. What African primate, closely related to the baboon, is often called the world's most colorful mammal? You may remember it from such weirdly colored body parts as "red nose" and "blue buttocks." It's the mandrill. correct
6. Who's the only actor that played one of the gang of boys in both The Goonies and Stand By Me? Corey Feldman. If only he'd been one of the "Explorers" as well. That would be the trifecta! one of these days I should watch The Goonies. A cultural touchstone that I missed.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these albums? Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not, The Beatles' Abbey Road, David Bowie's Young Americans, Jay-Z's The Blueprint, Keith Richards's Talk Is Cheap, Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours, The Smiths' Louder than Bombs, Van Halen's 1984. On their album covers, someone is smoking. Yes kids, you can smoke and live to be 150 like Keith Richards. nailed it