Musings of a Dead Parrot

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1.  In Greek mythology, which goddess was born of sea-foam off the island of Cyprus?  is this what Botticelli is depicting in his painting of The Birth of Venus?
2.  The movie Fierce Creatures was originally called Death Fish II, as it was conceived as a sequel to what 1988 British comedy?  A Fish Called Wanda
3.  What was the name of the Taiwanese infielder who delighted Dodgers announcer Vin Scully when he hit his first major league single on September 23, 2007?  no idea
4.  The 1880s economic boom in the Amazon rainforest was fueled by what was called "black gold"--not oil, but what other commodity?  commodity - chocolate?
5.  The U.S. federal science agency that monitors weather and protects marine resources is named by an acronym that's a homophone of what biblical figure?  NOAA
6.  A regular octahedron has eight faces.  What shape polygon is each face of an octahedron?  aren't they all pentagons?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these celebrities?  Abbott and Costello, Muhammad Ali, the Beatles, John Candy, Jackie Chan, MC Hammer, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T.  appeared on a postage stamp?  I can confirm for all except Hulk Hogan and MC Hammer.

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1.  What 2012 song that inspired a dance craze begins with a sample of reggaeton arist Hector Delgado saying, "Con los terroristas"?  That's the inexplicably resurrected "The Harlem Shake."  I have heard of this song, but I don't know anything about it.
2.  A Messier marathon is an event in which participants try to spot 110 different objects where?  French astronomer Charles Messier is best known for cataloguing 110 bright objects in the night sky.  never heard of Charles Messier.  The only Messiers I could think of are Lionel and Mark.
3.  What popular Turkish dish is a reasonably close equivalent of Japanese "yakitori" or Indonesian "satay"?  Both yakitori and satay are meat on skewers.  The famous Turkish alternative is shish kebab.  correct
4.  What U.S. state was the site of the World War II-era army base Fort Oglethorpe?  The fort was named for the state's founder: James Oglethorpe, the first governor of Georgia. correct
5.  The classic role-playing game Bunnies and Burrows was inspired by what beloved 1972 novel?  Watership Down is the only 1982 best-seller I can think of about rabbit society.  correct
6.  Who was the first Roman emperor to commit suicide, in 68 AD on the anniversary of the death of his first wife, Claudius's daughter Octavia?  Nero committed suicide--well, the Roman equivalent of suicide.  (He ordered a servant to kill him.)  correct
7.  What unusual distinction is shared (or rather, what usual distinction has never been shared) by these world nations and no others?  Andorra, Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mali, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Mongolia, Paraguay, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Sweden, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Vatican?  According to a 2012 book by historian Stuart Laycock, those are the only countries in the world never invaded by Great Britain.  Laycock uses an expansive definition of "invaded," counting any military presence at all, even Crown-sanctioned pirates and privateers, but that's still a shockingly short list, right?   I was on the right track!  I said never invaded or occupied.  So close to being fully correct.