Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - January 29
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What ancient book would you consult to interpret hexagrams numbered from 1 ("Force") to 64 ("Not Yet Fording")? some work by Aristotle? Euclid? Or a religious text
2. The CW's new show The Carrie Diaries is a prequel set about 15 years before what other TV series? Carrie --> Sex And the City
3. What will be the next year to be divisible by four that will *not*, nevertheless, be a leap year? 2400?
4. The only commissioned U.S. Navy vessel not in American hands is the USS Pueblo. The Pueblo is currently a captive of what country? North Korea
5. What's the more common name for Lophophora williamsii, a cactus listed as a "controlled substance" unless it's being used in "bona fide religious ceremonies"? peyote
6. How many children appear with their "Migrant Mother" in Dorothea Lange's famed photo of that name? two?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these literary works? A Doll's House, Madame Bovary, Rebecca, Romeo and Juliet, Sons and Lovers, Steppenwolf, Tom Jones, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. nothing coming to me for now
LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it? The only elected office in the Vatican City is its head of state--the Pope--and the only residents who get to vote, the College of Cardinals, are all male. correct
2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport? He makes those skiing movies. (Well, not anymore. He retired. His company still releases skiing movies under his name that he had nothing to do with.) correct
3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925? YOU'RE HOME FREE / IF THE ANSWER YOU GAVE / TO QUESTION THREE / WAS BURMA SHAVE. Burma Shave a liniment? I think if liniments as lotions that you rub into the skin.
4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit? She's a real Peach. correct
5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt? The Kuiper Belt is a region of bodies that circle our Sun out beyond the orbit of Neptune. Its most famous resident is the no-longer-a-planet Pluto, one of at least three dwarf planets in the region. I confused the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. If you saw my closet, you would know that I don't do very well with belts.
6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today? Do, re, mi, fa, sol (or so), la, and ti (or si), which will bring us back to do-oh-oh-oh. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters. Each show had a cast member who also served in the U.S. Congress. Did I miss any? I think the "cast member" requirement limits this to shows starring a performer playing a role or roles, so no news shows (or similar) allowed! correct!
1. What ancient book would you consult to interpret hexagrams numbered from 1 ("Force") to 64 ("Not Yet Fording")? some work by Aristotle? Euclid? Or a religious text
2. The CW's new show The Carrie Diaries is a prequel set about 15 years before what other TV series? Carrie --> Sex And the City
3. What will be the next year to be divisible by four that will *not*, nevertheless, be a leap year? 2400?
4. The only commissioned U.S. Navy vessel not in American hands is the USS Pueblo. The Pueblo is currently a captive of what country? North Korea
5. What's the more common name for Lophophora williamsii, a cactus listed as a "controlled substance" unless it's being used in "bona fide religious ceremonies"? peyote
6. How many children appear with their "Migrant Mother" in Dorothea Lange's famed photo of that name? two?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these literary works? A Doll's House, Madame Bovary, Rebecca, Romeo and Juliet, Sons and Lovers, Steppenwolf, Tom Jones, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. nothing coming to me for now
LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it? The only elected office in the Vatican City is its head of state--the Pope--and the only residents who get to vote, the College of Cardinals, are all male. correct
2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport? He makes those skiing movies. (Well, not anymore. He retired. His company still releases skiing movies under his name that he had nothing to do with.) correct
3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925? YOU'RE HOME FREE / IF THE ANSWER YOU GAVE / TO QUESTION THREE / WAS BURMA SHAVE. Burma Shave a liniment? I think if liniments as lotions that you rub into the skin.
4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit? She's a real Peach. correct
5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt? The Kuiper Belt is a region of bodies that circle our Sun out beyond the orbit of Neptune. Its most famous resident is the no-longer-a-planet Pluto, one of at least three dwarf planets in the region. I confused the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. If you saw my closet, you would know that I don't do very well with belts.
6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today? Do, re, mi, fa, sol (or so), la, and ti (or si), which will bring us back to do-oh-oh-oh. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters. Each show had a cast member who also served in the U.S. Congress. Did I miss any? I think the "cast member" requirement limits this to shows starring a performer playing a role or roles, so no news shows (or similar) allowed! correct!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - January 22
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it? Vatican City?
2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport? skiing
3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925? liniment --> Ben Gay?
4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit? peach!
5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt? Ceres, the largest asteroid in our solar system
6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today? a guess - do re mi fa sol la ti
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters. Think I have it - cast members who were elected to congress. Sonny Bono, Fred Thompson, Fred Grandy, Al Franken. It helped to recognize that most of these shows have large casts and I began to think about commonalities then hit on Fred Thompson and Sonny Bono.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The American writers Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton are best known for their definitive works on what subject? Both wrote still-widely-read collections of Greek myths. correct
2. "The Jean Genie" was, appropriately enough given its title, the first single off of what 1973 David Bowie album? Possibly a coincidence, but "The Jean Genie" is found on Aladdin Sane. never heard of this album
3. What western U.S. state can claim to border seven other U.S. states? I guess they can all CLAIM to, but the only one who wouldn't be lying is Colorado--and only then if you count the point where it touches Arizona. I am totally counting that single point. correct
4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s? The Cincinnati Reds were briefly the Cincinnati Redlegs, so only their legs were filthy Communists. correct
5. About 97% of human rabies deaths worldwide were cases transmitted from what animal? Dogs--and mostly in Asia and Africa, where there aren't widespread vaccination programs for house pets. the fear of rabies from bats was a red herring
6. What modern country was, about 2200 years ago, the center of one of the world's largest powers, the Maurya Empire? The Mauryans covered almost all of what is today India. cool
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous folks? Prince Albert, Tsar Alexander III, King Fahd, Flaubert, Vasco da Gama, Gandhi, Ed Koch, Huey Long, George Washington, Walt Whitman. All have bridges named after them. (Well, everyone still calls one of them the Queensboro Bridge, but officially it's the Ed Koch Bridge. How'm I doing?) correct
1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it? Vatican City?
2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport? skiing
3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925? liniment --> Ben Gay?
4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit? peach!
5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt? Ceres, the largest asteroid in our solar system
6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today? a guess - do re mi fa sol la ti
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters. Think I have it - cast members who were elected to congress. Sonny Bono, Fred Thompson, Fred Grandy, Al Franken. It helped to recognize that most of these shows have large casts and I began to think about commonalities then hit on Fred Thompson and Sonny Bono.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. The American writers Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton are best known for their definitive works on what subject? Both wrote still-widely-read collections of Greek myths. correct
2. "The Jean Genie" was, appropriately enough given its title, the first single off of what 1973 David Bowie album? Possibly a coincidence, but "The Jean Genie" is found on Aladdin Sane. never heard of this album
3. What western U.S. state can claim to border seven other U.S. states? I guess they can all CLAIM to, but the only one who wouldn't be lying is Colorado--and only then if you count the point where it touches Arizona. I am totally counting that single point. correct
4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s? The Cincinnati Reds were briefly the Cincinnati Redlegs, so only their legs were filthy Communists. correct
5. About 97% of human rabies deaths worldwide were cases transmitted from what animal? Dogs--and mostly in Asia and Africa, where there aren't widespread vaccination programs for house pets. the fear of rabies from bats was a red herring
6. What modern country was, about 2200 years ago, the center of one of the world's largest powers, the Maurya Empire? The Mauryans covered almost all of what is today India. cool
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous folks? Prince Albert, Tsar Alexander III, King Fahd, Flaubert, Vasco da Gama, Gandhi, Ed Koch, Huey Long, George Washington, Walt Whitman. All have bridges named after them. (Well, everyone still calls one of them the Queensboro Bridge, but officially it's the Ed Koch Bridge. How'm I doing?) correct
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - January 15
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. The American writers Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton are best known for their definitive works on what subject? mythology
2. "The Jean Genie" was, appropriately enough given its title, the first single off of what 1973 David Bowie album? can't be Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I cannot recall another Bowie album from that era
3. What western U.S. state can claim to border seven other U.S. states? Colorado touches 7 if one counts bordering Arizona at Four Corners - OK, KS, NM, AZ, UT, WY, NE
4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s? Cincinnati Redlegs
5. About 97% of human rabies deaths worldwide were cases transmitted from what animal? bats
6. What modern country was, about 2200 years ago, the center of one of the world's largest powers, the Maurya Empire? never heard of the Maurya Empire. Spelling is close to Maya. Could be coincidence.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous folks? Prince Albert, Tsar Alexander III, King Fahd, Flaubert, Vasco da Gama, Gandhi, Ed Koch, Huey Long, George Washington, Walt Whitman. hey I know this one! each has a bridge named after him. First Q7 in a while that I have been able to answer.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Never Say Never Again, Sean Connery's 1983 return to James Bond, was a remake of what other 007 film? The complicated rights situation behind Thunderball is the reason an independent production company could remake it in 1983. (Also the reason the "real" 007 movies can't use SPECTRE anymore.) yay, correct
2. What's the only member of today's European Union ever to have a U.N. peacekeeping mission sent there, in 1964? The ongoing dispute over Cyprus means the United Nations has maintained a buffer zone there for almost fifty years. I was thinking in the right area when I considered Greece. Gosh the only reason Cyprus is in the news nowadays is for Baghdatis the tennis player
3. Gumbo, New Orleans' NFL football mascot, is a dog of what large breed? Because they're the Saints, they're represented by a Saint Bernard. correct
4. Economist Adam Smith's most influential work was 1776's "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of" what? That's the full name of Smith's influential treatise The Wealth of Nations. correct
5. What author created genetically altered species like tracker jackers and jabberjays? My ten-year-old tells me that these are among the sci-fi accoutrements of the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. correct
6. Ted Fujita and Allen Pearson are best known for studying what weather phenomenon? The Fujita-Pearson scale is used to measure the intensity of tornadoes. aargh
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts? Air Supply, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Goo Goo Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ludacris, Madonna, New Kids on the Block, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Steely Dan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Yo La Tengo. I'm not sure if this is very stupid or just slightly stupid. These bands all have the same number of members as they do words in their names. Air Supply's a duo, Grand Funk Railroad's a trio, there were five New Kids on the Block, and so on. clever but very hard
1. The American writers Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton are best known for their definitive works on what subject? mythology
2. "The Jean Genie" was, appropriately enough given its title, the first single off of what 1973 David Bowie album? can't be Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I cannot recall another Bowie album from that era
3. What western U.S. state can claim to border seven other U.S. states? Colorado touches 7 if one counts bordering Arizona at Four Corners - OK, KS, NM, AZ, UT, WY, NE
4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s? Cincinnati Redlegs
5. About 97% of human rabies deaths worldwide were cases transmitted from what animal? bats
6. What modern country was, about 2200 years ago, the center of one of the world's largest powers, the Maurya Empire? never heard of the Maurya Empire. Spelling is close to Maya. Could be coincidence.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous folks? Prince Albert, Tsar Alexander III, King Fahd, Flaubert, Vasco da Gama, Gandhi, Ed Koch, Huey Long, George Washington, Walt Whitman. hey I know this one! each has a bridge named after him. First Q7 in a while that I have been able to answer.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Never Say Never Again, Sean Connery's 1983 return to James Bond, was a remake of what other 007 film? The complicated rights situation behind Thunderball is the reason an independent production company could remake it in 1983. (Also the reason the "real" 007 movies can't use SPECTRE anymore.) yay, correct
2. What's the only member of today's European Union ever to have a U.N. peacekeeping mission sent there, in 1964? The ongoing dispute over Cyprus means the United Nations has maintained a buffer zone there for almost fifty years. I was thinking in the right area when I considered Greece. Gosh the only reason Cyprus is in the news nowadays is for Baghdatis the tennis player
3. Gumbo, New Orleans' NFL football mascot, is a dog of what large breed? Because they're the Saints, they're represented by a Saint Bernard. correct
4. Economist Adam Smith's most influential work was 1776's "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of" what? That's the full name of Smith's influential treatise The Wealth of Nations. correct
5. What author created genetically altered species like tracker jackers and jabberjays? My ten-year-old tells me that these are among the sci-fi accoutrements of the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. correct
6. Ted Fujita and Allen Pearson are best known for studying what weather phenomenon? The Fujita-Pearson scale is used to measure the intensity of tornadoes. aargh
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts? Air Supply, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Goo Goo Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ludacris, Madonna, New Kids on the Block, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Steely Dan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Yo La Tengo. I'm not sure if this is very stupid or just slightly stupid. These bands all have the same number of members as they do words in their names. Air Supply's a duo, Grand Funk Railroad's a trio, there were five New Kids on the Block, and so on. clever but very hard
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - January 8
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Never Say Never Again, Sean Connery's 1983 return to James Bond, was a remake of what other 007 film? This is a good question that I should know because I have heard it before. Thunderball?
2. What's the only member of today's European Union ever to have a U.N. peacekeeping mission sent there, in 1964? probably not one of the Iron Curtain countries. The Soviet Union would not have allowed it. Peacekeeping implies some type of uprising or instability. Spain? Greece?
3. Gumbo, New Orleans' NFL football mascot, is a dog of what large breed? large --> St. Bernard?
4. Economist Adam Smith's most influential work was 1776's "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of" what? the Wealth of Nations
5. What author created genetically altered species like tracker jackers and jabberjays? were these created on The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells? he was engaging in some weird experiments there
6. Ted Fujita and Allen Pearson are best known for studying what weather phenomenon? hurricanes or tornadoes. I think the answer is hurricanes
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts? Air Supply, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Goo Goo Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ludacris, Madonna, New Kids on the Block, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Steely Dan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Yo La Tengo.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the flagship version of the Angry Birds video game, players launch their birds at what type of animal? Have you seen the little piggies, crawling in the dirt? apparently no I have not
2. What two U.S. states each have 41.2% of their area covered by water, more by far than any other state of the union? Michigan and Hawaii. A couple New England states--Rhode Island and Massachusetts--are in third and fourth place, with 32% and 26% respectively. Michigan is very counter-intuitive
3. Robotics professor Masahiro Mori coined what name for the unexpected dip in a graph of comfort level caused by simulated humans beginning to look more and more like real humans? When a CG-animated movie character or weird Japanese sex robot weirds you out with its almost-but-not-quite human affect, you are navigating the "uncanny valley." now I have some insight into the pub quiz team named Uncanny Valley
4. What current TV show about the Braverman family is loosely based on a 1989 movie about the Buckman family? Ron Howard insists that all installments in the Parenthood franchise center around the B-something-man family. correct
5. The Brazilian company Embraer is one of the world's largest manufacturers of what? Embraer is short for "Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica," and it makes aircraft. correct
6. Anzac Day every April commemorates the over 10,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives in what 1915 military campaign against the Ottoman Empire? Australia and New Zealand entered World War I at Gallipoli. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies, listed in this order? Rocky, Scary Movie 3, Coraline, They Won't Forget, Jaws, Stand By Me, Frequency, Where the Truth Lies, The Ice Storm, A Christmas Story. These movies are set around, respectively, the ten U.S. annual federal holidays. Rocky's match with Apollo Creed is slated for New Year's Day, Scary Movie 3 is set the week of Martin Luther King's birthday, and so on through Christmas. this seems to me to have been one of the hardest Q7s in a while
1. Never Say Never Again, Sean Connery's 1983 return to James Bond, was a remake of what other 007 film? This is a good question that I should know because I have heard it before. Thunderball?
2. What's the only member of today's European Union ever to have a U.N. peacekeeping mission sent there, in 1964? probably not one of the Iron Curtain countries. The Soviet Union would not have allowed it. Peacekeeping implies some type of uprising or instability. Spain? Greece?
3. Gumbo, New Orleans' NFL football mascot, is a dog of what large breed? large --> St. Bernard?
4. Economist Adam Smith's most influential work was 1776's "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of" what? the Wealth of Nations
5. What author created genetically altered species like tracker jackers and jabberjays? were these created on The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells? he was engaging in some weird experiments there
6. Ted Fujita and Allen Pearson are best known for studying what weather phenomenon? hurricanes or tornadoes. I think the answer is hurricanes
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these musical acts? Air Supply, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Goo Goo Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ludacris, Madonna, New Kids on the Block, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Steely Dan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Yo La Tengo.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the flagship version of the Angry Birds video game, players launch their birds at what type of animal? Have you seen the little piggies, crawling in the dirt? apparently no I have not
2. What two U.S. states each have 41.2% of their area covered by water, more by far than any other state of the union? Michigan and Hawaii. A couple New England states--Rhode Island and Massachusetts--are in third and fourth place, with 32% and 26% respectively. Michigan is very counter-intuitive
3. Robotics professor Masahiro Mori coined what name for the unexpected dip in a graph of comfort level caused by simulated humans beginning to look more and more like real humans? When a CG-animated movie character or weird Japanese sex robot weirds you out with its almost-but-not-quite human affect, you are navigating the "uncanny valley." now I have some insight into the pub quiz team named Uncanny Valley
4. What current TV show about the Braverman family is loosely based on a 1989 movie about the Buckman family? Ron Howard insists that all installments in the Parenthood franchise center around the B-something-man family. correct
5. The Brazilian company Embraer is one of the world's largest manufacturers of what? Embraer is short for "Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica," and it makes aircraft. correct
6. Anzac Day every April commemorates the over 10,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives in what 1915 military campaign against the Ottoman Empire? Australia and New Zealand entered World War I at Gallipoli. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies, listed in this order? Rocky, Scary Movie 3, Coraline, They Won't Forget, Jaws, Stand By Me, Frequency, Where the Truth Lies, The Ice Storm, A Christmas Story. These movies are set around, respectively, the ten U.S. annual federal holidays. Rocky's match with Apollo Creed is slated for New Year's Day, Scary Movie 3 is set the week of Martin Luther King's birthday, and so on through Christmas. this seems to me to have been one of the hardest Q7s in a while
Monday, January 07, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - January 1
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In the flagship version of the Angry Birds video game, players launch their birds at what type of animal? no idea. I should ask my 6 year old nephew who is more likely to know the answer than I am.
2. What two U.S. states each have 41.2% of their area covered by water, more by far than any other state of the union? Assuming that snow covered mountains do not count as "covered by water." Louisiana seems like it would be one based on swamps and Mississippi River delta. Minnesota with its 10,000 lakes?
3. Robotics professor Masahiro Mori coined what name for the unexpected dip in a graph of comfort level caused by simulated humans beginning to look more and more like real humans? what is KJ talking about? Not sure I am familiar with the context of the question.
4. What current TV show about the Braverman family is loosely based on a 1989 movie about the Buckman family? Parenthood
5. The Brazilian company Embraer is one of the world's largest manufacturers of what? airplanes
6. Anzac Day every April commemorates the over 10,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives in what 1915 military campaign against the Ottoman Empire? Gallipoli?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies, listed in this order? Rocky, Scary Movie 3, Coraline, They Won't Forget, Jaws, Stand By Me, Frequency, Where the Truth Lies, The Ice Storm, A Christmas Story. There are 10 items which might mean that the order goes from 1 to 10, but I cannot figure out what the common bond might be.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What holiday symbol is easily recognized by its colorful bracts? Bracts are the not-really-petal leaf-like things that give poinsettias their characteristic red color. correct
2. The historical Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, a city located in what is today the Antalya Province of what nation? Jolly old St. Nick was from Turkey, which is why many people still celebrate Christmas with a turkey dinner today. That is not true at all, by the way. correct
3. The hybrid holiday Chrismukkah was popularized on a December 3, 2003 episode of what TV drama? "Chrismukkah" was one of many ahead-of-their-time innovations dreamed up by Fox's The O.C. gaah. An obscure episode of an obscure show does not make for a good trivia question.
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"? That's how Ebenezer Scrooge tries to rationalize away the ghost of his late partner Jacob Marley. SPOILERS it doesn't work. gee, NOT the Grinch even though this certainly sounds like a description Dr Seuss might have used.
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? The NBA always schedules five games or so on Christmas Day, the only pro sports league to do so. correct
6. Who resigned from his presidency on Christmas Day 1991, leading to the dissolution of his nation the following day? Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the last president of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these animals? Beetles, cats, moths, prawns, rat snakes, salamanders, sharks, swallowtail butterflies. All these animals come in "tiger" varieties. Tigers don't belong on the list, for example. No such thing as a tiger tiger. I know tiger shark and tiger prawn but the others are unknown to me.
1. In the flagship version of the Angry Birds video game, players launch their birds at what type of animal? no idea. I should ask my 6 year old nephew who is more likely to know the answer than I am.
2. What two U.S. states each have 41.2% of their area covered by water, more by far than any other state of the union? Assuming that snow covered mountains do not count as "covered by water." Louisiana seems like it would be one based on swamps and Mississippi River delta. Minnesota with its 10,000 lakes?
3. Robotics professor Masahiro Mori coined what name for the unexpected dip in a graph of comfort level caused by simulated humans beginning to look more and more like real humans? what is KJ talking about? Not sure I am familiar with the context of the question.
4. What current TV show about the Braverman family is loosely based on a 1989 movie about the Buckman family? Parenthood
5. The Brazilian company Embraer is one of the world's largest manufacturers of what? airplanes
6. Anzac Day every April commemorates the over 10,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives in what 1915 military campaign against the Ottoman Empire? Gallipoli?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these movies, listed in this order? Rocky, Scary Movie 3, Coraline, They Won't Forget, Jaws, Stand By Me, Frequency, Where the Truth Lies, The Ice Storm, A Christmas Story. There are 10 items which might mean that the order goes from 1 to 10, but I cannot figure out what the common bond might be.
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. What holiday symbol is easily recognized by its colorful bracts? Bracts are the not-really-petal leaf-like things that give poinsettias their characteristic red color. correct
2. The historical Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, a city located in what is today the Antalya Province of what nation? Jolly old St. Nick was from Turkey, which is why many people still celebrate Christmas with a turkey dinner today. That is not true at all, by the way. correct
3. The hybrid holiday Chrismukkah was popularized on a December 3, 2003 episode of what TV drama? "Chrismukkah" was one of many ahead-of-their-time innovations dreamed up by Fox's The O.C. gaah. An obscure episode of an obscure show does not make for a good trivia question.
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"? That's how Ebenezer Scrooge tries to rationalize away the ghost of his late partner Jacob Marley. SPOILERS it doesn't work. gee, NOT the Grinch even though this certainly sounds like a description Dr Seuss might have used.
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? The NBA always schedules five games or so on Christmas Day, the only pro sports league to do so. correct
6. Who resigned from his presidency on Christmas Day 1991, leading to the dissolution of his nation the following day? Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the last president of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these animals? Beetles, cats, moths, prawns, rat snakes, salamanders, sharks, swallowtail butterflies. All these animals come in "tiger" varieties. Tigers don't belong on the list, for example. No such thing as a tiger tiger. I know tiger shark and tiger prawn but the others are unknown to me.
