Thursday, December 27, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - December 25
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What holiday symbol is easily recognized by its colorful bracts? poinsettia?
2. The historical Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, a city located in what is today the Antalya Province of what nation? Turkey
3. The hybrid holiday Chrismukkah was popularized on a December 3, 2003 episode of what TV drama? sounds like something that would be made up for a comedy, not a drama. Curb Your Enthusiasm would be a comedy for sure even though this sounds like it could be a Larry David term.
4. What Christmas character is accused of being "an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato"? The Grinch
5. Of the four major North American sports organizations, what's the only one that schedules an annual slate of a few games on Christmas Day? NBA
6. Who resigned from his presidency on Christmas Day 1991, leading to the dissolution of his nation the following day? Mikhail Gorbachov
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these animals? Beetles, cats, moths, prawns, rat snakes, salamanders, sharks, swallowtail butterflies. no idea
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What nation is the only nuclear power in the Muslim world? That would be Pakistan, for the moment. correct
2. What literary character's name supposedly means "White Skin" in the made-up Mangani language? "Mangani" are the apes, and good ol' White Skin is better known to us as "Tarzan." Wow, those apes are sort of racist, right? not correct but an interesting factoid
3. What phase is the moon always in during a solar eclipse? The Moon is always directly between the Earth and the Sun during a solar eclipse, so the moon then is always new. correct!
4. Trumpet player Ben Cauley was the only survivor of the 1967 Wisconsin plane crash that killed what R&B legend? RIP Otis Redding. Cauley is still alive today; two other members of Otis's band managed to survive the crash because they didn't fit aboard the soul star's tiny private plane. They flew commercial. correct
5. Every time the American flag changes to reflect a new number of states, the re-designed flag traditionally flies first over what National Monument? Fort McHenry, where another (less) star-spangled banner famously flew on September 14, 1814. doh, of course
6. What kind of social event first took place at Peet's Cafe in Beverly Hills in 1998, as the brainchild of Jewish Orthodox rabbi Yaacov Deyo? That was the first speed-dating session. really? I thought that speed dating existed prior to 1998
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV shows? The Donna Reed Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, Gimme a Break, In Living Color, The King of Queens, Kojak, Little House on the Prairie, Oz, SeaQuest DSV. Each included a pair of siblings in the cast--and not just twins sharing the same role, Full House-style, but two siblings (or step-siblings in a couple cases, I believe) playing two different parts.
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - December 18
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What nation is the only nuclear power in the Muslim world? Pakistan
2. What literary character's name supposedly means "White Skin" in the made-up Mangani language? Moby Dick?
3. What phase is the moon always in during a solar eclipse? new moon?
4. Trumpet player Ben Cauley was the only survivor of the 1967 Wisconsin plane crash that killed what R&B legend? Otis Redding
5. Every time the American flag changes to reflect a new number of states, the re-designed flag traditionally flies first over what National Monument? Washington Monument?
6. What kind of social event first took place at Peet's Cafe in Beverly Hills in 1998, as the brainchild of Jewish Orthodox rabbi Yaacov Deyo? meetup group?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV shows? The Donna Reed Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, Gimme a Break, In Living Color, The King of Queens, Kojak, Little House on the Prairie, Oz, SeaQuest DSV. is this something to do with the opening or closing credits?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What instrument does Mary Stuart Masterson's character play in the John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful? "Watts" is a drummer--as you would have no reason whatsoever to know unless you were thirteen years old in 1987 like I was. Yes, I would have no reason to know this.
2. What country's cabinet includes a Minister of Immigrant Absorption and a Minister of Information and Diaspora? These are two of the thirty members of the Israeli cabinet. correct
3. The lateral malleolus, the bottom end of the fibula, forms the familiar bump on what part of your body? That's what makes that big bump on the outside of your ankle. correct
4. What athlete's body is buried in eastern Pennsylvania, but rests in soil brought in from Prague, Oklahoma and Stockholm, Sweden? Jim Thorpe, who was born in Oklahoma but achieved his greatest athletic glory at the Stockholm Olympics. (He's buried in Pennsylvania because his third wife, strapped for cash, stole his body from his own funeral and drove it up to a dying coal-mining town that had bought it for tourist revenue.) correct
5. What does the letter 'H' stand for in "Preparation H"? Hemorrhoids. If anybody remembers "Lazlo Toth," he was my source for this answer. correct
6. The world's two most populous metropolitan areas are only 700 miles apart. What are they? Tokyo and Seoul--but Mexico City is hot on Seoul's heels for second place. incorrect. Gosh, I was way off. Shanghai is 10th and Beijing is 19th.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Gregg Allman, Patrick Duffy, James Ellroy, Kelsey Grammer, Paul Harvey, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Jordan, Little Richard, Dylan McDermott, Earl Warren. Each had a parent, um, murdered. So not a real cheery way to conclude our parentally-themed trivia week then. Sorry about that. correct
1. What nation is the only nuclear power in the Muslim world? Pakistan
2. What literary character's name supposedly means "White Skin" in the made-up Mangani language? Moby Dick?
3. What phase is the moon always in during a solar eclipse? new moon?
4. Trumpet player Ben Cauley was the only survivor of the 1967 Wisconsin plane crash that killed what R&B legend? Otis Redding
5. Every time the American flag changes to reflect a new number of states, the re-designed flag traditionally flies first over what National Monument? Washington Monument?
6. What kind of social event first took place at Peet's Cafe in Beverly Hills in 1998, as the brainchild of Jewish Orthodox rabbi Yaacov Deyo? meetup group?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV shows? The Donna Reed Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, Gimme a Break, In Living Color, The King of Queens, Kojak, Little House on the Prairie, Oz, SeaQuest DSV. is this something to do with the opening or closing credits?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What instrument does Mary Stuart Masterson's character play in the John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful? "Watts" is a drummer--as you would have no reason whatsoever to know unless you were thirteen years old in 1987 like I was. Yes, I would have no reason to know this.
2. What country's cabinet includes a Minister of Immigrant Absorption and a Minister of Information and Diaspora? These are two of the thirty members of the Israeli cabinet. correct
3. The lateral malleolus, the bottom end of the fibula, forms the familiar bump on what part of your body? That's what makes that big bump on the outside of your ankle. correct
4. What athlete's body is buried in eastern Pennsylvania, but rests in soil brought in from Prague, Oklahoma and Stockholm, Sweden? Jim Thorpe, who was born in Oklahoma but achieved his greatest athletic glory at the Stockholm Olympics. (He's buried in Pennsylvania because his third wife, strapped for cash, stole his body from his own funeral and drove it up to a dying coal-mining town that had bought it for tourist revenue.) correct
5. What does the letter 'H' stand for in "Preparation H"? Hemorrhoids. If anybody remembers "Lazlo Toth," he was my source for this answer. correct
6. The world's two most populous metropolitan areas are only 700 miles apart. What are they? Tokyo and Seoul--but Mexico City is hot on Seoul's heels for second place. incorrect. Gosh, I was way off. Shanghai is 10th and Beijing is 19th.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Gregg Allman, Patrick Duffy, James Ellroy, Kelsey Grammer, Paul Harvey, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Jordan, Little Richard, Dylan McDermott, Earl Warren. Each had a parent, um, murdered. So not a real cheery way to conclude our parentally-themed trivia week then. Sorry about that. correct
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - December 11
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What instrument does Mary Stuart Masterson's character play in the John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful? no idea. have not seen the movie. saxophone?
2. What country's cabinet includes a Minister of Immigrant Absorption and a Minister of Information and Diaspora? sounds like Israel
3. The lateral malleolus, the bottom end of the fibula, forms the familiar bump on what part of your body? the bump on your ankle
4. What athlete's body is buried in eastern Pennsylvania, but rests in soil brought in from Prague, Oklahoma and Stockholm, Sweden? America's greatest athlete, Jim Thorpe
5. What does the letter 'H' stand for in "Preparation H"? hemorrhoid?
6. The world's two most populous metropolitan areas are only 700 miles apart. What are they? must be cities in China and/or India. how far apart are Beijing and Shanghai? Could be Mumbai and Kolkata. I'll go with Beijing and Shanghai
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Gregg Allman, Patrick Duffy, James Ellroy, Kelsey Grammer, Paul Harvey, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Jordan, Little Richard, Dylan McDermott, Earl Warren. Wikipedia offers an answer - each had a parent who was murdered
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which U.S. state was almost called "New Wales" but was instead named not for its founder, but for his military hero father of the same name? Pennsylvania was named not for William Penn, but, confusingly, for another man of the same name. correct
2. Albert Einstein called what man, born at Pisa in 1564, the "father of modern science"? That was Pisa's favorite son, Galileo Galilei Figaro Magnifico, Esq. correct
3. What first name was shared by one of Bill Cosby's friends on Fat Albert and one of his kids on The Cosby Show? There was a Rudolph in the Cosby Kids and a Rudith in the Cosby kids, but both went by "Rudy." correct
4. What two careers for children ARE approved in the country classic, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"? Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such. correct
5. Who was the only Queen of England or Great Britain ever to be succeeded on the throne by her own child? Queen Victoria was succeeded by her son Edward VII. My thanks to Queen Elizabeth II for not dying this week, because that would have REALLY screwed up this question. correct
6. What literary character returned home to have thirteen children, including Elanor, Pippin, Rose, Hamfast, and Merry? Those are five of the thirteen children of the extraordinarily fertile Sam Gamgee, in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Hell's Angels, Mary Poppins, Nanook of the North, Nosferatu, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Prince and the Showgirl, Psycho, Salt of the Earth. The making of each was depicted in another movie. Respectively, the behind-the-scenes movies are: The Aviator, Saving Mr. Banks, Kabloonak, Shadow of the Vampire, Ed Wood, My Week with Marilyn, Hitchcock, and One of the Hollywood Ten. correct! yay!
1. What instrument does Mary Stuart Masterson's character play in the John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful? no idea. have not seen the movie. saxophone?
2. What country's cabinet includes a Minister of Immigrant Absorption and a Minister of Information and Diaspora? sounds like Israel
3. The lateral malleolus, the bottom end of the fibula, forms the familiar bump on what part of your body? the bump on your ankle
4. What athlete's body is buried in eastern Pennsylvania, but rests in soil brought in from Prague, Oklahoma and Stockholm, Sweden? America's greatest athlete, Jim Thorpe
5. What does the letter 'H' stand for in "Preparation H"? hemorrhoid?
6. The world's two most populous metropolitan areas are only 700 miles apart. What are they? must be cities in China and/or India. how far apart are Beijing and Shanghai? Could be Mumbai and Kolkata. I'll go with Beijing and Shanghai
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous people? Gregg Allman, Patrick Duffy, James Ellroy, Kelsey Grammer, Paul Harvey, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Jordan, Little Richard, Dylan McDermott, Earl Warren. Wikipedia offers an answer - each had a parent who was murdered
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which U.S. state was almost called "New Wales" but was instead named not for its founder, but for his military hero father of the same name? Pennsylvania was named not for William Penn, but, confusingly, for another man of the same name. correct
2. Albert Einstein called what man, born at Pisa in 1564, the "father of modern science"? That was Pisa's favorite son, Galileo Galilei Figaro Magnifico, Esq. correct
3. What first name was shared by one of Bill Cosby's friends on Fat Albert and one of his kids on The Cosby Show? There was a Rudolph in the Cosby Kids and a Rudith in the Cosby kids, but both went by "Rudy." correct
4. What two careers for children ARE approved in the country classic, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"? Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such. correct
5. Who was the only Queen of England or Great Britain ever to be succeeded on the throne by her own child? Queen Victoria was succeeded by her son Edward VII. My thanks to Queen Elizabeth II for not dying this week, because that would have REALLY screwed up this question. correct
6. What literary character returned home to have thirteen children, including Elanor, Pippin, Rose, Hamfast, and Merry? Those are five of the thirteen children of the extraordinarily fertile Sam Gamgee, in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Hell's Angels, Mary Poppins, Nanook of the North, Nosferatu, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Prince and the Showgirl, Psycho, Salt of the Earth. The making of each was depicted in another movie. Respectively, the behind-the-scenes movies are: The Aviator, Saving Mr. Banks, Kabloonak, Shadow of the Vampire, Ed Wood, My Week with Marilyn, Hitchcock, and One of the Hollywood Ten. correct! yay!
Friday, December 07, 2012
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - December 4
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Which U.S. state was almost called "New Wales" but was instead named not for its founder, but for his military hero father of the same name? Pennsylvania?
2. Albert Einstein called what man, born at Pisa in 1564, the "father of modern science"? Galileo
3. What first name was shared by one of Bill Cosby's friends on Fat Albert and one of his kids on The Cosby Show? Rudy!
4. What two careers for children ARE approved in the country classic, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"? don't let em play guitars or let em drive trucks. Make be doctors and lawyers and such. Doctors and lawyers.
5. Who was the only Queen of England or Great Britain ever to be succeeded on the throne by her own child? There have been very few Queens who reigned. Mary, Elizabeth I, Victoria, Lady Jane Grey, Elizabeth II. My guess is Victoria.
6. What literary character returned home to have thirteen children, including Elanor, Pippin, Rose, Hamfast, and Merry? Samwise Gamgee
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Hell's Angels, Mary Poppins, Nanook of the North, Nosferatu, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Prince and the Showgirl, Psycho, Salt of the Earth. I have only seen one of these (Mary Poppins) and that was long long ago. But research does reveal what may be a common thread - other movies were made that revolved in whole or in part around the making of these movies. Example - the current release Hitchcock is about the making of Psycho. Last year's My Week With Marilyn centered around the making of The Prince and the Showgirl.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which 1980 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor was playing the same role on TV more than three decades later in 2012? The late, great Larry Hagman (may his eyebrows ever increase) played J. R. Ewing off and on for almost 35 years. correct
2. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were spread across three continents. Which continent was home to more wonders than the other two? Two were in Egypt (Africa) and two in Greece (Europe and nearby islands) but the other three--the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus--were all in Asia. shoot, the two I could not recall were both in Asia
3. In physics, what's the name of the parabola-like curve formed by a chain hanging suspended by both ends? That's a catenary. Fun fact: the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is an upside-down catenary. in all of my high school and college physics, I don't think that I ever heard of a catenary
4. In 2000, English composer Colin Matthews took advantage of scientific progress to compose a new eighth movement to what 1916 orchestral piece? Matthews added a "Pluto" movement to Holst's The Planets, which the composer had ended with "Neptune." (Earth doesn't get its own movement, so there are just seven.) His timing was lousy, though. Pluto was demoted just six years later. an interesting question but it was a complete red herring to mention that the 8th movement was composed in 2000 when Pluto was discovered in 1930
5. In what activity might you try to employ a "Baltimore chop"? Baseball. A "Baltimore chop," perfected by the Orioles during the dead-ball era, is an attempt to get to first base via a high-bouncing infield hit. correct
6. What was historic about the copy of the St. Joseph Gazette delivered to San Francisco on April 14, 1860? That was the only newspaper in the first Pony Express delivery, which connected St. Joseph to San Francisco for 18 months in 1860-61. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these songs? "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band, "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, "Hard to Explain" by the Strokes, "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles, "I Am the Resurrection" by Stone Roses, "The Look" by Roxette, "Love Shack" by the B-52s, "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds, "Under tha Influence (Follow Me)" by Cee-Lo Green. They all have "fake-out" endings or codas--that is, the song stops and then unexpectedly starts again. I guess it's only "unexpected" the first time you hear it. Fool me twice, J. Geils Band, shame on me.
1. Which U.S. state was almost called "New Wales" but was instead named not for its founder, but for his military hero father of the same name? Pennsylvania?
2. Albert Einstein called what man, born at Pisa in 1564, the "father of modern science"? Galileo
3. What first name was shared by one of Bill Cosby's friends on Fat Albert and one of his kids on The Cosby Show? Rudy!
4. What two careers for children ARE approved in the country classic, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"? don't let em play guitars or let em drive trucks. Make be doctors and lawyers and such. Doctors and lawyers.
5. Who was the only Queen of England or Great Britain ever to be succeeded on the throne by her own child? There have been very few Queens who reigned. Mary, Elizabeth I, Victoria, Lady Jane Grey, Elizabeth II. My guess is Victoria.
6. What literary character returned home to have thirteen children, including Elanor, Pippin, Rose, Hamfast, and Merry? Samwise Gamgee
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Hell's Angels, Mary Poppins, Nanook of the North, Nosferatu, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Prince and the Showgirl, Psycho, Salt of the Earth. I have only seen one of these (Mary Poppins) and that was long long ago. But research does reveal what may be a common thread - other movies were made that revolved in whole or in part around the making of these movies. Example - the current release Hitchcock is about the making of Psycho. Last year's My Week With Marilyn centered around the making of The Prince and the Showgirl.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which 1980 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor was playing the same role on TV more than three decades later in 2012? The late, great Larry Hagman (may his eyebrows ever increase) played J. R. Ewing off and on for almost 35 years. correct
2. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were spread across three continents. Which continent was home to more wonders than the other two? Two were in Egypt (Africa) and two in Greece (Europe and nearby islands) but the other three--the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus--were all in Asia. shoot, the two I could not recall were both in Asia
3. In physics, what's the name of the parabola-like curve formed by a chain hanging suspended by both ends? That's a catenary. Fun fact: the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is an upside-down catenary. in all of my high school and college physics, I don't think that I ever heard of a catenary
4. In 2000, English composer Colin Matthews took advantage of scientific progress to compose a new eighth movement to what 1916 orchestral piece? Matthews added a "Pluto" movement to Holst's The Planets, which the composer had ended with "Neptune." (Earth doesn't get its own movement, so there are just seven.) His timing was lousy, though. Pluto was demoted just six years later. an interesting question but it was a complete red herring to mention that the 8th movement was composed in 2000 when Pluto was discovered in 1930
5. In what activity might you try to employ a "Baltimore chop"? Baseball. A "Baltimore chop," perfected by the Orioles during the dead-ball era, is an attempt to get to first base via a high-bouncing infield hit. correct
6. What was historic about the copy of the St. Joseph Gazette delivered to San Francisco on April 14, 1860? That was the only newspaper in the first Pony Express delivery, which connected St. Joseph to San Francisco for 18 months in 1860-61. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these songs? "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band, "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, "Hard to Explain" by the Strokes, "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles, "I Am the Resurrection" by Stone Roses, "The Look" by Roxette, "Love Shack" by the B-52s, "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds, "Under tha Influence (Follow Me)" by Cee-Lo Green. They all have "fake-out" endings or codas--that is, the song stops and then unexpectedly starts again. I guess it's only "unexpected" the first time you hear it. Fool me twice, J. Geils Band, shame on me.
