Friday, June 28, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 25
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In 1886, who described his most famous painting this way: "The Seine flooded with sunshine . . . under the trees closer to us many people are strolling, others are sitting or stretched out lazily on the bluish grass"? sounds like Monet describing his Impression: Sunrise painting
2. In what U.S. state would you find the intersection of Bullion Boulevard and Gold Vault Road? Kentucky (probably near Ft Knox)
3. The PCR is a financial ratio that measures the proportion between what two type of stock options that have been purchased on any given day? puts and calls (put-call ratio)
4. Who's the only villain to appear in all three of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies? I only have seen the first one so I will guess Scarecrow
5. Since the 1930s, what mythical creature has been a symbol for Mobil gasoline? Pegasus (a winged horse)
6. What entertainment uber-award acronym, coined by Miami Vice actor Philip Michael Thomas, caught on when it became a running gag on TV's 30 Rock? I don't watch 30 Rock enough for that clue to help. uber-award, like Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, Tony? GOEY?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these songs? "Bennie and the Jets," "Diamond Dogs," "Dirty Diana," "Get Ready" (Rare Earth), "Run Like Hell," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "The Spirit of Radio," "Train Kept A-Rollin'" (Aerosmith) crowd noise or background noise during the song especially at the beginning?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who appeared on the January 5, 1931 cover of Time magazine as "Man of the Year," wearing his customary dhoti? A "dhoti" is one name for the Hindu loincloth thing most famously worn by Mahatma Gandhi. correct
2. What actress uses the name of two of her great-grandfathers, one of whom founded the New York Giants and the other who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers? Rooney Mara is named for both the (Steeler) Rooneys and the (Giant) Maras. correct
3. "Yield" signs in the U.S. were yellow until 1971, when they were changed to what two colors? Today, as you might have noticed unless you're not America, a yield sign is a red triangle around a white center. correct
4. Six members of the current Supreme Court--exactly two-thirds of the justices--claim what religious affiliation? There have been only twelve Roman Catholic justices in the Court's history, and fully half of them are serving today. correct
5. What fictional John Irving protagonist wrote the novel The World According to Bensenhaver? T. S. Garp, of "The World According to" fame. correct
6. Vega is the brightest star in which constellation, which the Greeks saw as a tribute to the mythical Orpheus? Orpheus was a musician, and the Greeks believed that Zeus placed his famous lyre in the sky as the constellation Lyra. now it makes sense. If I make it onto Jeopardy, I have to know these things.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series? Cagney and Lacey, Designing Women, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, La Femme Nikita, Party of Five, Quantum Leap, Star Trek. These series were all saved from cancellation by organized fan campaigns. With notable exceptions, um...shouldn't such a list have a bunch of better shows than this? No offense, La Femme Nikita fans. correct
1. In 1886, who described his most famous painting this way: "The Seine flooded with sunshine . . . under the trees closer to us many people are strolling, others are sitting or stretched out lazily on the bluish grass"? sounds like Monet describing his Impression: Sunrise painting
2. In what U.S. state would you find the intersection of Bullion Boulevard and Gold Vault Road? Kentucky (probably near Ft Knox)
3. The PCR is a financial ratio that measures the proportion between what two type of stock options that have been purchased on any given day? puts and calls (put-call ratio)
4. Who's the only villain to appear in all three of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies? I only have seen the first one so I will guess Scarecrow
5. Since the 1930s, what mythical creature has been a symbol for Mobil gasoline? Pegasus (a winged horse)
6. What entertainment uber-award acronym, coined by Miami Vice actor Philip Michael Thomas, caught on when it became a running gag on TV's 30 Rock? I don't watch 30 Rock enough for that clue to help. uber-award, like Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, Tony? GOEY?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by all these songs? "Bennie and the Jets," "Diamond Dogs," "Dirty Diana," "Get Ready" (Rare Earth), "Run Like Hell," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "The Spirit of Radio," "Train Kept A-Rollin'" (Aerosmith) crowd noise or background noise during the song especially at the beginning?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Who appeared on the January 5, 1931 cover of Time magazine as "Man of the Year," wearing his customary dhoti? A "dhoti" is one name for the Hindu loincloth thing most famously worn by Mahatma Gandhi. correct
2. What actress uses the name of two of her great-grandfathers, one of whom founded the New York Giants and the other who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers? Rooney Mara is named for both the (Steeler) Rooneys and the (Giant) Maras. correct
3. "Yield" signs in the U.S. were yellow until 1971, when they were changed to what two colors? Today, as you might have noticed unless you're not America, a yield sign is a red triangle around a white center. correct
4. Six members of the current Supreme Court--exactly two-thirds of the justices--claim what religious affiliation? There have been only twelve Roman Catholic justices in the Court's history, and fully half of them are serving today. correct
5. What fictional John Irving protagonist wrote the novel The World According to Bensenhaver? T. S. Garp, of "The World According to" fame. correct
6. Vega is the brightest star in which constellation, which the Greeks saw as a tribute to the mythical Orpheus? Orpheus was a musician, and the Greeks believed that Zeus placed his famous lyre in the sky as the constellation Lyra. now it makes sense. If I make it onto Jeopardy, I have to know these things.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series? Cagney and Lacey, Designing Women, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, La Femme Nikita, Party of Five, Quantum Leap, Star Trek. These series were all saved from cancellation by organized fan campaigns. With notable exceptions, um...shouldn't such a list have a bunch of better shows than this? No offense, La Femme Nikita fans. correct
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 18
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Who appeared on the January 5, 1931 cover of Time magazine as "Man of the Year," wearing his customary dhoti? Gandhi
2. What actress uses the name of two of her great-grandfathers, one of whom founded the New York Giants and the other who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers? Rooney Mara
3. "Yield" signs in the U.S. were yellow until 1971, when they were changed to what two colors? red and white
4. Six members of the current Supreme Court--exactly two-thirds of the justices--claim what religious affiliation? Roman Catholic
5. What fictional John Irving protagonist wrote the novel The World According to Bensenhaver? TS Garp
6. Vega is the brightest star in which constellation, which the Greeks saw as a tribute to the mythical Orpheus? isn't Vega part of Orion's belt?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series? Cagney and Lacey, Designing Women, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, La Femme Nikita, Party of Five, Quantum Leap, Star Trek. Shows that were cancelled but brought back because of fan requests?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which bone--of which you only have one, by the way--is the most frequently broken one in the human body? The clavicle, or collarbone. how did KJ confirm this? Seems like a factoid that would be tough to validate
2. The IMDb's user ratings for movies always have a top rating of 10--except for what one movie, which is scored out of 11? As fans of This Is Spinal Tap know, 11 is one louder, isn't it? correct
3. What fourth largest city in Georgia is the state's major seaport? Savannah, of "March to the Sea" fame. Btw sorry about that whole thing, Georgia. Hey, nobody put you in a headlock and MADE you secede. correct
4. What comedian released the 1997 autobiography Leading with my Chin? The famous chin in question belongs to "mandibular prognathism" sufferer Jay Leno. correct
5. What military hero was also the first Irish Prime Minister of Britain? The Duke of Wellington, of Battle of Waterloo fame, was born in Dublin. The Duke of Wellington served as PM? I did not know that
6. The opera The Marriage of Figaro, like another opera featuring some of the same characters, is set in what city? The Marriage of Figaro is the second play in Pierre Beaumarchais's trilogy about the title character, which began with 1773's The Barber of Seville. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these modern literary classics? The Art of Fielding, The Blind Assassin, A Clockwork Orange, The History of Love, House of Leaves, The King in Yellow, Misery, Wonder Boys. The title of each of these books is also the title of a fictional book-within-a-book that's part of the plot. Of the book. Is that clear? yes, because I got it correct more or less
1. Who appeared on the January 5, 1931 cover of Time magazine as "Man of the Year," wearing his customary dhoti? Gandhi
2. What actress uses the name of two of her great-grandfathers, one of whom founded the New York Giants and the other who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers? Rooney Mara
3. "Yield" signs in the U.S. were yellow until 1971, when they were changed to what two colors? red and white
4. Six members of the current Supreme Court--exactly two-thirds of the justices--claim what religious affiliation? Roman Catholic
5. What fictional John Irving protagonist wrote the novel The World According to Bensenhaver? TS Garp
6. Vega is the brightest star in which constellation, which the Greeks saw as a tribute to the mythical Orpheus? isn't Vega part of Orion's belt?
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series? Cagney and Lacey, Designing Women, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, La Femme Nikita, Party of Five, Quantum Leap, Star Trek. Shows that were cancelled but brought back because of fan requests?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Which bone--of which you only have one, by the way--is the most frequently broken one in the human body? The clavicle, or collarbone. how did KJ confirm this? Seems like a factoid that would be tough to validate
2. The IMDb's user ratings for movies always have a top rating of 10--except for what one movie, which is scored out of 11? As fans of This Is Spinal Tap know, 11 is one louder, isn't it? correct
3. What fourth largest city in Georgia is the state's major seaport? Savannah, of "March to the Sea" fame. Btw sorry about that whole thing, Georgia. Hey, nobody put you in a headlock and MADE you secede. correct
4. What comedian released the 1997 autobiography Leading with my Chin? The famous chin in question belongs to "mandibular prognathism" sufferer Jay Leno. correct
5. What military hero was also the first Irish Prime Minister of Britain? The Duke of Wellington, of Battle of Waterloo fame, was born in Dublin. The Duke of Wellington served as PM? I did not know that
6. The opera The Marriage of Figaro, like another opera featuring some of the same characters, is set in what city? The Marriage of Figaro is the second play in Pierre Beaumarchais's trilogy about the title character, which began with 1773's The Barber of Seville. correct
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these modern literary classics? The Art of Fielding, The Blind Assassin, A Clockwork Orange, The History of Love, House of Leaves, The King in Yellow, Misery, Wonder Boys. The title of each of these books is also the title of a fictional book-within-a-book that's part of the plot. Of the book. Is that clear? yes, because I got it correct more or less
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 11
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. Which bone--of which you only have one, by the way--is the most frequently broken one in the human body? not a finger, not a toe. how about broken nose
2. The IMDb's user ratings for movies always have a top rating of 10--except for what one movie, which is scored out of 11? This Is Spinal Tap
3. What fourth largest city in Georgia is the state's major seaport? Savannah
4. What comedian released the 1997 autobiography Leading with my Chin? Jay Leno
5. What military hero was also the first Irish Prime Minister of Britain? William Pitt?
6. The opera The Marriage of Figaro, like another opera featuring some of the same characters, is set in what city? Seville
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these modern literary classics? The Art of Fielding, The Blind Assassin, A Clockwork Orange, The History of Love, House of Leaves, The King in Yellow, Misery, Wonder Boys. From what I can tell, the plot of each involves a book or play that one of the characters is writing or has written
1. Which bone--of which you only have one, by the way--is the most frequently broken one in the human body? not a finger, not a toe. how about broken nose
2. The IMDb's user ratings for movies always have a top rating of 10--except for what one movie, which is scored out of 11? This Is Spinal Tap
3. What fourth largest city in Georgia is the state's major seaport? Savannah
4. What comedian released the 1997 autobiography Leading with my Chin? Jay Leno
5. What military hero was also the first Irish Prime Minister of Britain? William Pitt?
6. The opera The Marriage of Figaro, like another opera featuring some of the same characters, is set in what city? Seville
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these modern literary classics? The Art of Fielding, The Blind Assassin, A Clockwork Orange, The History of Love, House of Leaves, The King in Yellow, Misery, Wonder Boys. From what I can tell, the plot of each involves a book or play that one of the characters is writing or has written
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. In the classic tale of Androcles, what kind of animal does the title character twice encounter? He's the guy who pulls the thorn out of the lion's paw, making it a friend for life. It's a pretty good story but not a good guide for dating. correct
2. The 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics were held in two cities just 550 miles apart. What were they? Sydney and Melbourne. I have to admit, when I wrote this question, I thought they were closer together. Australia is huge. correct
3. The first successful flyby of another planet in the solar system, in December 1962, was of which planet? Did you say Mars? I would have as well. Venus, surprisingly. Mariner 2. correct
4. At one point in the 1990s, half of every CD produced worldwide had what corporate logo printed on it? Ugh, this one could have used some editing. Should have been "half of all CDs produced worldwide," obviously. And half of Earth's CD at the time, unbelievably, were AOL demo discs. I mistakenly think of CD as synonymous with music CD
5. Who is the frontman of the band whose other three members are Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, and Jason White? These are the members of Green Day, whose lead singer is Billie Joe Armstrong. Like Alex, I was unaware that Green Day had added a 4th member
6. What arithmetical operation produces a result called a "quotient"? When you divide the divident by the divisor, you get the quotient. correct
7. What unusual distinction is represented by these U.S. states in this order, and no others? Mississippi, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois, South Carolina, Massachusetts. These are the only four states (plus repeats!) ever to be represented by an African-American senator. Tough one. I was on the right track thinking that this was a political question
1. In the classic tale of Androcles, what kind of animal does the title character twice encounter? He's the guy who pulls the thorn out of the lion's paw, making it a friend for life. It's a pretty good story but not a good guide for dating. correct
2. The 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics were held in two cities just 550 miles apart. What were they? Sydney and Melbourne. I have to admit, when I wrote this question, I thought they were closer together. Australia is huge. correct
3. The first successful flyby of another planet in the solar system, in December 1962, was of which planet? Did you say Mars? I would have as well. Venus, surprisingly. Mariner 2. correct
4. At one point in the 1990s, half of every CD produced worldwide had what corporate logo printed on it? Ugh, this one could have used some editing. Should have been "half of all CDs produced worldwide," obviously. And half of Earth's CD at the time, unbelievably, were AOL demo discs. I mistakenly think of CD as synonymous with music CD
5. Who is the frontman of the band whose other three members are Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, and Jason White? These are the members of Green Day, whose lead singer is Billie Joe Armstrong. Like Alex, I was unaware that Green Day had added a 4th member
6. What arithmetical operation produces a result called a "quotient"? When you divide the divident by the divisor, you get the quotient. correct
7. What unusual distinction is represented by these U.S. states in this order, and no others? Mississippi, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois, South Carolina, Massachusetts. These are the only four states (plus repeats!) ever to be represented by an African-American senator. Tough one. I was on the right track thinking that this was a political question
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Ken Jennings Tuesday Trivia - June 4
THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. In the classic tale of Androcles, what kind of animal does the title character twice encounter? lion
2. The 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics were held in two cities just 550 miles apart. What were they? Melbourne and Sydney
3. The first successful flyby of another planet in the solar system, in December 1962, was of which planet? Venus?
4. At one point in the 1990s, half of every CD produced worldwide had what corporate logo printed on it? who was big in music publishing? Columbia?
5. Who is the frontman of the band whose other three members are Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, and Jason White? Trent Reznor?
6. What arithmetical operation produces a result called a "quotient"? division. dividend over divisor equals quotient
7. What unusual distinction is represented by these U.S. states in this order, and no others? Mississippi, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois, South Carolina, Massachusetts. Is this a question with a political connection?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Ellen Church and seven other San Francisco nurses became the pioneers of what profession when they were hired by BAT in 1930? Church and her fellow nurses were a pilot program, so to speak. Boeing Air Transport hired them as the world's first stewardesses. I thought of transportation, just not the right kind. Good question.
2. In a remarkable streak, what actor has starred in a $500-million-grossing movie (internationally) in each of the last six years? Robert Downey, Jr.--thanks to the successful Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man/Avengers film franchises, of course. correct
3. The only penguins native to the Northern Hemisphere live in what island group? The Galapagos penguin is the only equatorial penguin. I bet funny cartoon penguins wearing sunglasses are the Galapagos kind. I thought that the Galapagos Islands were right on top of the equator. How can we tell if the penguins are native to the Northern or Southern Hemisphere?
4. What type of portable hut used by Central Asian nomads takes its name from the Turkish for "home"? Please, Hammer. Don't yurt 'em. correct
5. TV star Clayton Moore is the only actor to have his character name listed on his Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Who did Moore play on TV for four seasons? Moore was TV's original Lone Ranger. Please, Armie Hammer. Don't hurt him. correct
6. As commonly stated, the principle known as Gresham's Law deals with the "good" and "bad" types of what? Gresham's Law is an economic principle usually simplified as "Bad money drives out good." Was I supposed to learn this in Econ? I don't remember hearing of Gresham's Law before.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these performers? Paul McCartney, Rick Moranis, Dennis Quaid, Lily Tomlin, Raquel Welch, Mia Wasikowska. Each played a character in a movie who literally shrunk--in, respectively, Help!, Honey We Shrunk Ourselves, Innerspace, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Fantastic Voyage, and Alice in Wonderland. When I wrote the question, I forgot that Rick Moranis never shrinks in either of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movies...but luckily there's a straight-to-video sequel in which he does. Small consolation. Hard, but gettable.
1. In the classic tale of Androcles, what kind of animal does the title character twice encounter? lion
2. The 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics were held in two cities just 550 miles apart. What were they? Melbourne and Sydney
3. The first successful flyby of another planet in the solar system, in December 1962, was of which planet? Venus?
4. At one point in the 1990s, half of every CD produced worldwide had what corporate logo printed on it? who was big in music publishing? Columbia?
5. Who is the frontman of the band whose other three members are Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, and Jason White? Trent Reznor?
6. What arithmetical operation produces a result called a "quotient"? division. dividend over divisor equals quotient
7. What unusual distinction is represented by these U.S. states in this order, and no others? Mississippi, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois, South Carolina, Massachusetts. Is this a question with a political connection?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
1. Ellen Church and seven other San Francisco nurses became the pioneers of what profession when they were hired by BAT in 1930? Church and her fellow nurses were a pilot program, so to speak. Boeing Air Transport hired them as the world's first stewardesses. I thought of transportation, just not the right kind. Good question.
2. In a remarkable streak, what actor has starred in a $500-million-grossing movie (internationally) in each of the last six years? Robert Downey, Jr.--thanks to the successful Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man/Avengers film franchises, of course. correct
3. The only penguins native to the Northern Hemisphere live in what island group? The Galapagos penguin is the only equatorial penguin. I bet funny cartoon penguins wearing sunglasses are the Galapagos kind. I thought that the Galapagos Islands were right on top of the equator. How can we tell if the penguins are native to the Northern or Southern Hemisphere?
4. What type of portable hut used by Central Asian nomads takes its name from the Turkish for "home"? Please, Hammer. Don't yurt 'em. correct
5. TV star Clayton Moore is the only actor to have his character name listed on his Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Who did Moore play on TV for four seasons? Moore was TV's original Lone Ranger. Please, Armie Hammer. Don't hurt him. correct
6. As commonly stated, the principle known as Gresham's Law deals with the "good" and "bad" types of what? Gresham's Law is an economic principle usually simplified as "Bad money drives out good." Was I supposed to learn this in Econ? I don't remember hearing of Gresham's Law before.
7. What unusual distinction is shared by these performers? Paul McCartney, Rick Moranis, Dennis Quaid, Lily Tomlin, Raquel Welch, Mia Wasikowska. Each played a character in a movie who literally shrunk--in, respectively, Help!, Honey We Shrunk Ourselves, Innerspace, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Fantastic Voyage, and Alice in Wonderland. When I wrote the question, I forgot that Rick Moranis never shrinks in either of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movies...but luckily there's a straight-to-video sequel in which he does. Small consolation. Hard, but gettable.
