Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 30
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What fish of the Indian Ocean is the best-known example of a "Lazarus taxon"? is this a fish that dates from long long ago like the coelecanth?
2. What last name was shared by the 1979 male winner and the 2002 female winnier of the Naismith Award for the nation's best college basketball player? Bird (Larry and Sue)
3. What country's famous flag was replaced last August by a red, black, and green triband with a white crescent and star? Libya?
4. The college study group in the TV comedy Community formed to study what subject? It seems to be a clever show. I loved the Xmas claymation episode. But among the few episodes that I have seen, I don't recall them talking about school. Psychology?
5. According to historians, what color was the hair of Norse explorer Leif Ericson's father? Red (for Eric the Red)
6. What restaurant chain can be reached nationwide by dialing 1-888-WE-JOUST? White Castle
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents and no others? Polk, Taylor, Lincoln (twice), Bush 41, and Bush 43 (twice)? Research indicates that each of these lost the states of their birth when they ran. I did not check other winning candidates to see if these were the only presidents. But it's the best guess that I have.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In physics, what letter is used to represent an acceleration of 9.8 meters per second squared? That's the acceleration due to Earth's gravity, so it's usually abbreviated as "g". correct
2. What 1902 sculpture was originally inspired by its creator's desire to sculpt Dante at the Gates of Hell, mentally composing his epic poem Inferno? Now you know what "The Thinker" was originally supposed to be thinking about--at first, anywhere. (Rodin revised his idea for the work along the way.) correct
3. What actress starred in both Heartburn and Music of the Heart? Meryl Streep--so good in everything! But maybe not quite so good in movies with "Heart" in the name. correct
4. According to Ovid, what ancient king was cured by bathing in the Pactolus River, while in Aristotle's version, he winds up starving to death? Those are the two possible fates of King Midas, after receiving his famed "Golden Touch." Choose your own adventure! correct
5. World Taekwondo Federation headquarters and the Kimchi Museum are both found in what affluent district in southwest Seoul, Korea, which boasts the highest land values in the entire country? That's the district of Gangnam, as in "Oppan Gangnam style." If you got this wrong, look on the bright side: you will not be one of the dorks dressing as PSY for Halloween. correct
6. Choker, sautoir, and matinee are all varieties of what type of jewelry? Necklaces. correct
7. What unusual distinction--unusual for literary classics, anyway--is shared by these books, at least in large part? The Aeneid, As I Lay Dying, Bleak House, The Fall, Guys and Dolls, The Moviegoer, Ordinary People, Rabbit Run, Something Happened, The Song of Bernadette. These books, interestingly, are all told largely in the present tense--not uncommon today, but still pretty experimental when Camus or Faulkner or Dickens or even Updike tried it out. correct
1. What fish of the Indian Ocean is the best-known example of a "Lazarus taxon"? is this a fish that dates from long long ago like the coelecanth?
2. What last name was shared by the 1979 male winner and the 2002 female winnier of the Naismith Award for the nation's best college basketball player? Bird (Larry and Sue)
3. What country's famous flag was replaced last August by a red, black, and green triband with a white crescent and star? Libya?
4. The college study group in the TV comedy Community formed to study what subject? It seems to be a clever show. I loved the Xmas claymation episode. But among the few episodes that I have seen, I don't recall them talking about school. Psychology?
5. According to historians, what color was the hair of Norse explorer Leif Ericson's father? Red (for Eric the Red)
6. What restaurant chain can be reached nationwide by dialing 1-888-WE-JOUST? White Castle
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents and no others? Polk, Taylor, Lincoln (twice), Bush 41, and Bush 43 (twice)? Research indicates that each of these lost the states of their birth when they ran. I did not check other winning candidates to see if these were the only presidents. But it's the best guess that I have.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In physics, what letter is used to represent an acceleration of 9.8 meters per second squared? That's the acceleration due to Earth's gravity, so it's usually abbreviated as "g". correct
2. What 1902 sculpture was originally inspired by its creator's desire to sculpt Dante at the Gates of Hell, mentally composing his epic poem Inferno? Now you know what "The Thinker" was originally supposed to be thinking about--at first, anywhere. (Rodin revised his idea for the work along the way.) correct
3. What actress starred in both Heartburn and Music of the Heart? Meryl Streep--so good in everything! But maybe not quite so good in movies with "Heart" in the name. correct
4. According to Ovid, what ancient king was cured by bathing in the Pactolus River, while in Aristotle's version, he winds up starving to death? Those are the two possible fates of King Midas, after receiving his famed "Golden Touch." Choose your own adventure! correct
5. World Taekwondo Federation headquarters and the Kimchi Museum are both found in what affluent district in southwest Seoul, Korea, which boasts the highest land values in the entire country? That's the district of Gangnam, as in "Oppan Gangnam style." If you got this wrong, look on the bright side: you will not be one of the dorks dressing as PSY for Halloween. correct
6. Choker, sautoir, and matinee are all varieties of what type of jewelry? Necklaces. correct
7. What unusual distinction--unusual for literary classics, anyway--is shared by these books, at least in large part? The Aeneid, As I Lay Dying, Bleak House, The Fall, Guys and Dolls, The Moviegoer, Ordinary People, Rabbit Run, Something Happened, The Song of Bernadette. These books, interestingly, are all told largely in the present tense--not uncommon today, but still pretty experimental when Camus or Faulkner or Dickens or even Updike tried it out. correct
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 23
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In physics, what letter is used to represent an acceleration of 9.8 meters per second squared? g for gravity?
2. What 1902 sculpture was originally inspired by its creator's desire to sculpt Dante at the Gates of Hell, mentally composing his epic poem Inferno? The Thinker
3. What actress starred in both Heartburn and Music of the Heart? Meryl Streep
4. According to Ovid, what ancient king was cured by bathing in the Pactolus River, while in Aristotle's version, he winds up starving to death? Midas?
5. World Taekwondo Federation headquarters and the Kimchi Museum are both found in what affluent district in southwest Seoul, Korea, which boasts the highest land values in the entire country? I would not have known the answer a couple of months ago, but I do now. GangNam.
6. Choker, sautoir, and matinee are all varieties of what type of jewelry? necklaces
7. What unusual distinction--unusual for literary classics, anyway--is shared by these books, at least in large part? The Aeneid, As I Lay Dying, Bleak House, The Fall, Guys and Dolls, The Moviegoer, Ordinary People, Rabbit Run, Something Happened, The Song of Bernadette. The only common thread that I can see from research may be a common form of narration using present tense.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What empire had its capital at a city then called Qusqu? Qusqu is today more commonly spelled "Cuzco," and it's the Peruvian city where the Inca Empire made its capital. correct
2. A computer firm called Chicken Little Associates formed more than 35 years ago to predict where what 1979 event would occur? Much as Chicken Little warned that the sky was falling, Chicken Little Associates tried to calculate where Skylab, the orbitally-challenged NASA satellite, was falling. correct
3. What brand famously appears on the large cups that the American Idol judges drink from? Coca-Cola has sponsored American Idol since its first season. correct
4. What word, in science, refers to a solid material's ability to be deformed by compressing it--hammering it into a thin sheet, for example? That's malleability. (A closely related term, "ductility," is a metal's ability to be drawn into a wire.) correct
5. Soviet basketball stars like Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis went on to more Olympic glory with what national team after the breakup of the USSR? The core of the Soviet basketball empire was often made up of players from Lithuania. correct
6. Besides "USA," what word has appeared since 2006 on all the Post Office's "non-denominated" postage stamps? Those are the "Forever" stamps. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these cities, listed in this order? Los Angeles, London, Baghdad, Mumbai, El Paso, Boston, Los Angeles. They're the principal settings of the last seven Best Picture Oscar winners: The Artist, The King's Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, The Departed, and Crash. Wesley Bourland, who suggested this question, noted that the list should probably stop there, since the setting for Million Dollar Baby is never explicitly identified (though it's presumably L.A.) correct
1. In physics, what letter is used to represent an acceleration of 9.8 meters per second squared? g for gravity?
2. What 1902 sculpture was originally inspired by its creator's desire to sculpt Dante at the Gates of Hell, mentally composing his epic poem Inferno? The Thinker
3. What actress starred in both Heartburn and Music of the Heart? Meryl Streep
4. According to Ovid, what ancient king was cured by bathing in the Pactolus River, while in Aristotle's version, he winds up starving to death? Midas?
5. World Taekwondo Federation headquarters and the Kimchi Museum are both found in what affluent district in southwest Seoul, Korea, which boasts the highest land values in the entire country? I would not have known the answer a couple of months ago, but I do now. GangNam.
6. Choker, sautoir, and matinee are all varieties of what type of jewelry? necklaces
7. What unusual distinction--unusual for literary classics, anyway--is shared by these books, at least in large part? The Aeneid, As I Lay Dying, Bleak House, The Fall, Guys and Dolls, The Moviegoer, Ordinary People, Rabbit Run, Something Happened, The Song of Bernadette. The only common thread that I can see from research may be a common form of narration using present tense.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What empire had its capital at a city then called Qusqu? Qusqu is today more commonly spelled "Cuzco," and it's the Peruvian city where the Inca Empire made its capital. correct
2. A computer firm called Chicken Little Associates formed more than 35 years ago to predict where what 1979 event would occur? Much as Chicken Little warned that the sky was falling, Chicken Little Associates tried to calculate where Skylab, the orbitally-challenged NASA satellite, was falling. correct
3. What brand famously appears on the large cups that the American Idol judges drink from? Coca-Cola has sponsored American Idol since its first season. correct
4. What word, in science, refers to a solid material's ability to be deformed by compressing it--hammering it into a thin sheet, for example? That's malleability. (A closely related term, "ductility," is a metal's ability to be drawn into a wire.) correct
5. Soviet basketball stars like Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis went on to more Olympic glory with what national team after the breakup of the USSR? The core of the Soviet basketball empire was often made up of players from Lithuania. correct
6. Besides "USA," what word has appeared since 2006 on all the Post Office's "non-denominated" postage stamps? Those are the "Forever" stamps. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these cities, listed in this order? Los Angeles, London, Baghdad, Mumbai, El Paso, Boston, Los Angeles. They're the principal settings of the last seven Best Picture Oscar winners: The Artist, The King's Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, The Departed, and Crash. Wesley Bourland, who suggested this question, noted that the list should probably stop there, since the setting for Million Dollar Baby is never explicitly identified (though it's presumably L.A.) correct
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 16
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What empire had its capital at a city then called Qusqu? Cuzco --> Inca
2. A computer firm called Chicken Little Associates formed more than 35 years ago to predict where what 1979 event would occur? where Skylab would fall
3. What brand famously appears on the large cups that the American Idol judges drink from? I really do not watch the show. Coke?
4. What word, in science, refers to a solid material's ability to be deformed by compressing it--hammering it into a thin sheet, for example? malleability
5. Soviet basketball stars like Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis went on to more Olympic glory with what national team after the breakup of the USSR? Lithuania
6. Besides "USA," what word has appeared since 2006 on all the Post Office's "non-denominated" postage stamps? forever
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these cities, listed in this order? Los Angeles, London, Baghdad, Mumbai, El Paso, Boston, Los Angeles. Baghdad, Mumbai, El Paso. These are not cities that would have anything in common through their histories or populations. So need to look in other places, like literature or movies or tv or music. Seeing LA twice makes me think of movies. I thought of James Bond movies. But Mumbai got me thinking Slumdog Millionaire which led to the answer. These are the main settings for the prior 7 best picture winners.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What kind of animal is Richard Parker, the title character's lifeboat companion in Yann Martel's book Life of Pi? He's a tiger--an obviously computer-generated tiger, if you saw the recent movie trailer. correct
2. What band's latest release is not a third rock opera, but a trilogy of pop-punk albums called !Uno!, !Dos!, and !Tre!? This is what Green Day is up to, if Billie Joe Armstrong ever gets out of rehab. correct
3. Which English king was described after his death as "little of stature" "crook-backed," and "deformed of body," with "one shoulder higher than the right"? Richard III--but apparently later writers really amped up the king's deformities as Richard's reputation suffered under Tudor rule. Still, there may be some truth to the portrayal--the possible "Richard III" remains recently dug up in Leicester seem to be of a man with serious scoliosis. correct
4. What gas is released by Pop Rocks as they dissolve? Carbon dioxide. Not carbon monoxide, as I accidentally told Lilly, our quiz grader. Carbon monoxide Pop Rocks would probably get pulled from store shelves pretty quickly. nitrous oxide Pop Rocks might be fun too
5. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, recently deemed the world's most dangerous, is found in the northeast corner of what nation? Nepal, where you'd find part of the mountain famously scaled by Tenzing and Hillary: Everest. Old Tenzing must be stoked to finally have his name listed first, for a change. correct
6. The stringed metal frame of a piano is sometimes called by the name of what other musical instrument? That's the "harp" of the piano--because in a grand piano, it looks quite a bit like a harp, if you think about it. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these consumer brands? Alfa Romeo, Best Western, Budweiser, Cadillac, Hallmark, Imperial Sugar, KLM, Rolex, Saab, Starbucks. All their logos feature crowns, which is why many are snobbish luxury brands like Rolex, Cadillac, and...er, Budweiser? correct
1. What empire had its capital at a city then called Qusqu? Cuzco --> Inca
2. A computer firm called Chicken Little Associates formed more than 35 years ago to predict where what 1979 event would occur? where Skylab would fall
3. What brand famously appears on the large cups that the American Idol judges drink from? I really do not watch the show. Coke?
4. What word, in science, refers to a solid material's ability to be deformed by compressing it--hammering it into a thin sheet, for example? malleability
5. Soviet basketball stars like Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis went on to more Olympic glory with what national team after the breakup of the USSR? Lithuania
6. Besides "USA," what word has appeared since 2006 on all the Post Office's "non-denominated" postage stamps? forever
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these cities, listed in this order? Los Angeles, London, Baghdad, Mumbai, El Paso, Boston, Los Angeles. Baghdad, Mumbai, El Paso. These are not cities that would have anything in common through their histories or populations. So need to look in other places, like literature or movies or tv or music. Seeing LA twice makes me think of movies. I thought of James Bond movies. But Mumbai got me thinking Slumdog Millionaire which led to the answer. These are the main settings for the prior 7 best picture winners.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What kind of animal is Richard Parker, the title character's lifeboat companion in Yann Martel's book Life of Pi? He's a tiger--an obviously computer-generated tiger, if you saw the recent movie trailer. correct
2. What band's latest release is not a third rock opera, but a trilogy of pop-punk albums called !Uno!, !Dos!, and !Tre!? This is what Green Day is up to, if Billie Joe Armstrong ever gets out of rehab. correct
3. Which English king was described after his death as "little of stature" "crook-backed," and "deformed of body," with "one shoulder higher than the right"? Richard III--but apparently later writers really amped up the king's deformities as Richard's reputation suffered under Tudor rule. Still, there may be some truth to the portrayal--the possible "Richard III" remains recently dug up in Leicester seem to be of a man with serious scoliosis. correct
4. What gas is released by Pop Rocks as they dissolve? Carbon dioxide. Not carbon monoxide, as I accidentally told Lilly, our quiz grader. Carbon monoxide Pop Rocks would probably get pulled from store shelves pretty quickly. nitrous oxide Pop Rocks might be fun too
5. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, recently deemed the world's most dangerous, is found in the northeast corner of what nation? Nepal, where you'd find part of the mountain famously scaled by Tenzing and Hillary: Everest. Old Tenzing must be stoked to finally have his name listed first, for a change. correct
6. The stringed metal frame of a piano is sometimes called by the name of what other musical instrument? That's the "harp" of the piano--because in a grand piano, it looks quite a bit like a harp, if you think about it. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these consumer brands? Alfa Romeo, Best Western, Budweiser, Cadillac, Hallmark, Imperial Sugar, KLM, Rolex, Saab, Starbucks. All their logos feature crowns, which is why many are snobbish luxury brands like Rolex, Cadillac, and...er, Budweiser? correct
Monday, October 15, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 9
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What kind of animal is Richard Parker, the title character's lifeboat companion in Yann Martel's book Life of Pi? I think it is a tiger
2. What band's latest release is not a third rock opera, but a trilogy of pop-punk albums called !Uno!, !Dos!, and !Tre!? Green Day
3. Which English king was described after his death as "little of stature" "crook-backed," and "deformed of body," with "one shoulder higher than the right"? Richard III?
4. What gas is released by Pop Rocks as they dissolve? nitrous oxide?
5. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, recently deemed the world's most dangerous, is found in the northeast corner of what nation? Nepal
6. The stringed metal frame of a piano is sometimes called by the name of what other musical instrument? harp
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these consumer brands? Alfa Romeo, Best Western, Budweiser, Cadillac, Hallmark, Imperial Sugar, KLM, Rolex, Saab, Starbucks. Pretty easy. All logos include a crown.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What TV show has changed settings in its second season from the "Murder House" at 939 Berro Drive in Los Angeles to an insane asylum called Briarcliff Manor? This is American Horror Story, reviving the anthology TV format by switching plotlines in its second season, subtitled "Asylum." correct
2. In math, a "Ruth-Aaron pair" is a pair of two consecutive integers with equal sums of their prime factors. What two numbers make up the original Ruth-Aaron pair that gave the concept its name? This math concept got its name from the fact that Hank Aaron's 715th homer beat Babe Ruth's lifetime record: 714. In other words, 714 and 715 are the cancnical Ruth-Aaron pair. Reader Greg McFarlane points out that, unbelievably, Pete Rose breaking Ty Cobb career hits record also represents a Ruth-Aaron pair: 4,191 and 4,192! 714 = 2 × 3 × 7 × 17 and 715 = 5 × 11 × 13. 2 + 3 + 7 + 17 = 5 + 11 + 13 = 29
3. In what video game franchise would you find the small family farm called Lon Lon Ranch? Lon Lon Ranch is a setting in many of the Legend of Zelda games. I have no chance at any video game question unless the answer is "all your base are belong to me."
4. Who's the only U.S. president whose military career topped out at four-star general? Eisenhower was five-star. George Washington was retroactively made some super-duper too-great-for-ANY-number-of-stars thing. So only Ulysses S. Grant retired as a four-star general. narrowed it down and guessed the wrong one
5. What European Union member has more square miles of glacier than the rest of the continent put together? This is the appropriately named Iceland. I sort of feel bad that Norway is such a tempting answer here, but on the other hand, it's not an EU member. tough week
6. What expression meaning "get to the point" originated as the filmmaking philosophy of silent movie producer Hal Roach? "Cut to the chase," he used to tell his editors. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others? Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina--and, unofficially, Alabama and Washington? These are all the states that salute a local tree in their nicknames: the peach, the pine, the magnolia, the buckeye, and the palmetto, to be specific. Alabama and Washington both have common nicknames ("the Camellia Stae" and "the Evergreen State") that are not officially enshrined in law. doggone it. this was gettable.
1. What kind of animal is Richard Parker, the title character's lifeboat companion in Yann Martel's book Life of Pi? I think it is a tiger
2. What band's latest release is not a third rock opera, but a trilogy of pop-punk albums called !Uno!, !Dos!, and !Tre!? Green Day
3. Which English king was described after his death as "little of stature" "crook-backed," and "deformed of body," with "one shoulder higher than the right"? Richard III?
4. What gas is released by Pop Rocks as they dissolve? nitrous oxide?
5. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, recently deemed the world's most dangerous, is found in the northeast corner of what nation? Nepal
6. The stringed metal frame of a piano is sometimes called by the name of what other musical instrument? harp
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these consumer brands? Alfa Romeo, Best Western, Budweiser, Cadillac, Hallmark, Imperial Sugar, KLM, Rolex, Saab, Starbucks. Pretty easy. All logos include a crown.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What TV show has changed settings in its second season from the "Murder House" at 939 Berro Drive in Los Angeles to an insane asylum called Briarcliff Manor? This is American Horror Story, reviving the anthology TV format by switching plotlines in its second season, subtitled "Asylum." correct
2. In math, a "Ruth-Aaron pair" is a pair of two consecutive integers with equal sums of their prime factors. What two numbers make up the original Ruth-Aaron pair that gave the concept its name? This math concept got its name from the fact that Hank Aaron's 715th homer beat Babe Ruth's lifetime record: 714. In other words, 714 and 715 are the cancnical Ruth-Aaron pair. Reader Greg McFarlane points out that, unbelievably, Pete Rose breaking Ty Cobb career hits record also represents a Ruth-Aaron pair: 4,191 and 4,192! 714 = 2 × 3 × 7 × 17 and 715 = 5 × 11 × 13. 2 + 3 + 7 + 17 = 5 + 11 + 13 = 29
3. In what video game franchise would you find the small family farm called Lon Lon Ranch? Lon Lon Ranch is a setting in many of the Legend of Zelda games. I have no chance at any video game question unless the answer is "all your base are belong to me."
4. Who's the only U.S. president whose military career topped out at four-star general? Eisenhower was five-star. George Washington was retroactively made some super-duper too-great-for-ANY-number-of-stars thing. So only Ulysses S. Grant retired as a four-star general. narrowed it down and guessed the wrong one
5. What European Union member has more square miles of glacier than the rest of the continent put together? This is the appropriately named Iceland. I sort of feel bad that Norway is such a tempting answer here, but on the other hand, it's not an EU member. tough week
6. What expression meaning "get to the point" originated as the filmmaking philosophy of silent movie producer Hal Roach? "Cut to the chase," he used to tell his editors. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others? Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina--and, unofficially, Alabama and Washington? These are all the states that salute a local tree in their nicknames: the peach, the pine, the magnolia, the buckeye, and the palmetto, to be specific. Alabama and Washington both have common nicknames ("the Camellia Stae" and "the Evergreen State") that are not officially enshrined in law. doggone it. this was gettable.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - October 2
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What TV show has changed settings in its second season from the "Murder House" at 939 Berro Drive in Los Angeles to an insane asylum called Briarcliff Manor? sounds like it should be American Horror Story
2. In math, a "Ruth-Aaron pair" is a pair of two consecutive integers with equal sums of their prime factors. What two numbers make up the original Ruth-Aaron pair that gave the concept its name? 8 and 9? The sum of prime factors for 8 = 6 (2+2+2). The sum of prime factors for 9 = 6 (3+3)
3. In what video game franchise would you find the small family farm called Lon Lon Ranch? Farmville?
4. Who's the only U.S. president whose military career topped out at four-star general? Eisenhower? I am pretty sure that Washington made it to 5 star general. Don't know about Grant.
5. What European Union member has more square miles of glacier than the rest of the continent put together? Norway?
6. What expression meaning "get to the point" originated as the filmmaking philosophy of silent movie producer Hal Roach? cut to the chase
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others? Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina--and, unofficially, Alabama and Washington? No idea on this one. Unofficial implies that the others have an official something - motto, song, bird, tree, etc.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The only book series ever to have *two* installments win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was nicknamed for what animal? This is John Updike's "Rabbit" tetralogy. Rabbit Is Rich and Rabbit at Rest, the final two installments, both won the fiction Pulitzer, an unprecedented feat. correct
2. Manuela Saenz was nicknamed "la Libertadora del Libertador" after saving the life of what man from an 1828 assassination attempt? She was the mistress of Simon "the Liberator" Bolivar, whose life she saved. correct
3. What instrument was primarily played by the lone woman in bands like Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, the Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, and 'Til Tuesday? They all had a female bassist. correct
4. In two of this year's top-grossing movies, both released in late June, the protagonists magically find a sentient bear added to their families. Name both films. Brave and Ted--which would make for a great double-feature, by the way. Bring the kids. 1/2 correct
5. What politician married his high school sweetheart Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson in 1970, and separated from her almost exactly forty years later? We know Mary Elizabeth better as "Tipper"; her still-sort-of-husband is Al Gore. they separated? I had not noticed.
6. What does a limnologist study? Lakes, rivers--any kind of inland water, really. This is the source of the hilarious bumper sticker "Limnologists Do It While Studying Lakes, Rivers, and Other Inland Water." cool. But I was incorrect.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these famous people? Robert the Bruce, Lord Byron, Frederic Chopin, Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Hardy, Dr. David Livingstone, Jan Paderewski, Richard the Lionhearted. I warned you that this one was hard, but I thought it was cool (and it was an anecdote I'd heard about at least a few of these guys). All had their hearts buried separately from their bodies, which sounds weird today but was apparently a not-unheard-of practice in olden times. Typically this was done to honor a luminary beloved in both his home region and the big city where he worked: Hardy's heart is in Dorchester, "Wessex," for example, while Chopin's is in Poland. Livingstone's, of course, is in Africa--because it was cut out of his body by Zambian tribespeople who refused to give the body back to the Brits under any other circumstances. Cool. and correct
1. What TV show has changed settings in its second season from the "Murder House" at 939 Berro Drive in Los Angeles to an insane asylum called Briarcliff Manor? sounds like it should be American Horror Story
2. In math, a "Ruth-Aaron pair" is a pair of two consecutive integers with equal sums of their prime factors. What two numbers make up the original Ruth-Aaron pair that gave the concept its name? 8 and 9? The sum of prime factors for 8 = 6 (2+2+2). The sum of prime factors for 9 = 6 (3+3)
3. In what video game franchise would you find the small family farm called Lon Lon Ranch? Farmville?
4. Who's the only U.S. president whose military career topped out at four-star general? Eisenhower? I am pretty sure that Washington made it to 5 star general. Don't know about Grant.
5. What European Union member has more square miles of glacier than the rest of the continent put together? Norway?
6. What expression meaning "get to the point" originated as the filmmaking philosophy of silent movie producer Hal Roach? cut to the chase
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. states and no others? Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina--and, unofficially, Alabama and Washington? No idea on this one. Unofficial implies that the others have an official something - motto, song, bird, tree, etc.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The only book series ever to have *two* installments win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was nicknamed for what animal? This is John Updike's "Rabbit" tetralogy. Rabbit Is Rich and Rabbit at Rest, the final two installments, both won the fiction Pulitzer, an unprecedented feat. correct
2. Manuela Saenz was nicknamed "la Libertadora del Libertador" after saving the life of what man from an 1828 assassination attempt? She was the mistress of Simon "the Liberator" Bolivar, whose life she saved. correct
3. What instrument was primarily played by the lone woman in bands like Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, the Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, and 'Til Tuesday? They all had a female bassist. correct
4. In two of this year's top-grossing movies, both released in late June, the protagonists magically find a sentient bear added to their families. Name both films. Brave and Ted--which would make for a great double-feature, by the way. Bring the kids. 1/2 correct
5. What politician married his high school sweetheart Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson in 1970, and separated from her almost exactly forty years later? We know Mary Elizabeth better as "Tipper"; her still-sort-of-husband is Al Gore. they separated? I had not noticed.
6. What does a limnologist study? Lakes, rivers--any kind of inland water, really. This is the source of the hilarious bumper sticker "Limnologists Do It While Studying Lakes, Rivers, and Other Inland Water." cool. But I was incorrect.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these famous people? Robert the Bruce, Lord Byron, Frederic Chopin, Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Hardy, Dr. David Livingstone, Jan Paderewski, Richard the Lionhearted. I warned you that this one was hard, but I thought it was cool (and it was an anecdote I'd heard about at least a few of these guys). All had their hearts buried separately from their bodies, which sounds weird today but was apparently a not-unheard-of practice in olden times. Typically this was done to honor a luminary beloved in both his home region and the big city where he worked: Hardy's heart is in Dorchester, "Wessex," for example, while Chopin's is in Poland. Livingstone's, of course, is in Africa--because it was cut out of his body by Zambian tribespeople who refused to give the body back to the Brits under any other circumstances. Cool. and correct
