Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 25
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. According to the ubiquitous t-shirts in the film Napoleon Dynamite, whom should you "vote for"? Vote For Pedro!
2. In what Normandy city would you find the Musee de la Tapisserie, home to one of the most famous pieces of artwork in history? Bayeaux
3. A lavalier is a portable type of what electronic device? "lava" = wash? portable washer?
4. What U.S. athlete was called "La Gazzella Negra" by the hometown crowds watching her great Olympic success? this is in reference to the 1960 Rome Olympics. I believe that the great American female sprinter then was Wilma Rudolph. Wyomia Tyus was also a sprinter in the 1960s but I think she came a bit later in the decade. Of course I may have reversed these two.
5. Elvis and the Spinners both had hits singing about what action, which Aerosmith declared "hard on the knees"? The songs I remember by the Spinners - Rubberband Man; One Of A Kind Love Affair; (I Never Knew Love Before) Then Came You. Falling in love? That seems too general. Step on my blue suede shoes?
6. Of the eight nations whose names end with the letter 'Y', name the only two that aren't at least partly in Europe. Paraguay and Uruguay. I started in Africa before moving to the Western Hemisphere. Then the answers became clear.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Roberto Bolano, Albert Brooks, Anthony Burgess, John Dos Passos, Newt Gingrich, Mark Twain, Gore Vidal. They are all authors who have published books whose title includes a year - 2666, 2030, 1985, One Man's Initiation - 1917, 1945, 1601, 1876.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What author lent his name to the literary maxim that a loaded gun in a story must eventually be fired? This little bit of inevitable of foreshadowing is called "Chekhov's Gun," for Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Or possibly for the helsman of the starship Enterprise, I'm not sure. I was thrown off because The Method Gun is a re-creation of A Streetcar Named Desire but without the characters Blanche, Stella, Stanley or Mitch. The Method Gun does include a gun hanging in a bird cage.
2. Who's the only player to have a number retired by two different NFL franchises: the Eagles and the Packers? The year after his death, Reggie White was so honored by the two teams he played for during the bulk of his career. correct
3. According to the title of the most famous song by the late Gil Scott-Heron, what can we expect of the revolution? It will not be televised. Or, if televised, at least, it will air on NBC so no one will actually see it. correct
4. What's the unusual vocation of Joe Wurzelbacher, said to be considering a run for Ohio's 9th congressional district? Back in 2008, we knew him as "Joe the Plumber." Local newspapers reported that Joe was actually never a licensed plumber, so it might be more accurate to call him a plumber's helper. correct
5. What is the smallest number that's equal to its own absolute value? A number's absolute value is its distance from zero on a number line: |4| = 4 , and |-4| = 4 as well. Zero is therefore the smallest number that's its own absolute value. correct
6. What country sits to the north of the Gulf of Aden, home to many Somali pirates? The gulf is named for the seaport of Aden, which is one of the largest cities in Yemen. Neither is named for Aidan Quinn. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these TV shows? Breaking Bad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chuck, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Futurama, Lost, Roseanne, SpongeBob SquarePants. A character on each show holds a "McJob"--that is, he or she works fast food. correct!
1. According to the ubiquitous t-shirts in the film Napoleon Dynamite, whom should you "vote for"? Vote For Pedro!
2. In what Normandy city would you find the Musee de la Tapisserie, home to one of the most famous pieces of artwork in history? Bayeaux
3. A lavalier is a portable type of what electronic device? "lava" = wash? portable washer?
4. What U.S. athlete was called "La Gazzella Negra" by the hometown crowds watching her great Olympic success? this is in reference to the 1960 Rome Olympics. I believe that the great American female sprinter then was Wilma Rudolph. Wyomia Tyus was also a sprinter in the 1960s but I think she came a bit later in the decade. Of course I may have reversed these two.
5. Elvis and the Spinners both had hits singing about what action, which Aerosmith declared "hard on the knees"? The songs I remember by the Spinners - Rubberband Man; One Of A Kind Love Affair; (I Never Knew Love Before) Then Came You. Falling in love? That seems too general. Step on my blue suede shoes?
6. Of the eight nations whose names end with the letter 'Y', name the only two that aren't at least partly in Europe. Paraguay and Uruguay. I started in Africa before moving to the Western Hemisphere. Then the answers became clear.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Roberto Bolano, Albert Brooks, Anthony Burgess, John Dos Passos, Newt Gingrich, Mark Twain, Gore Vidal. They are all authors who have published books whose title includes a year - 2666, 2030, 1985, One Man's Initiation - 1917, 1945, 1601, 1876.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What author lent his name to the literary maxim that a loaded gun in a story must eventually be fired? This little bit of inevitable of foreshadowing is called "Chekhov's Gun," for Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Or possibly for the helsman of the starship Enterprise, I'm not sure. I was thrown off because The Method Gun is a re-creation of A Streetcar Named Desire but without the characters Blanche, Stella, Stanley or Mitch. The Method Gun does include a gun hanging in a bird cage.
2. Who's the only player to have a number retired by two different NFL franchises: the Eagles and the Packers? The year after his death, Reggie White was so honored by the two teams he played for during the bulk of his career. correct
3. According to the title of the most famous song by the late Gil Scott-Heron, what can we expect of the revolution? It will not be televised. Or, if televised, at least, it will air on NBC so no one will actually see it. correct
4. What's the unusual vocation of Joe Wurzelbacher, said to be considering a run for Ohio's 9th congressional district? Back in 2008, we knew him as "Joe the Plumber." Local newspapers reported that Joe was actually never a licensed plumber, so it might be more accurate to call him a plumber's helper. correct
5. What is the smallest number that's equal to its own absolute value? A number's absolute value is its distance from zero on a number line: |4| = 4 , and |-4| = 4 as well. Zero is therefore the smallest number that's its own absolute value. correct
6. What country sits to the north of the Gulf of Aden, home to many Somali pirates? The gulf is named for the seaport of Aden, which is one of the largest cities in Yemen. Neither is named for Aidan Quinn. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these TV shows? Breaking Bad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chuck, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Futurama, Lost, Roseanne, SpongeBob SquarePants. A character on each show holds a "McJob"--that is, he or she works fast food. correct!
