"Oh, it’s okay. I’m pretending to be those two guys beside Him.
(it might not be blasphemy, it might just be that Dylan is a fan of Monty Python)
Showing posts with label Ken Jennings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken Jennings. Show all posts
14 March 2009
23 March 2008
Teh Funny, He Is Ken Jennings . . .
I can no more reject the smooth vocal stylings of Phil Collins than I could disown my own white grandmother.
Don't know that I agree with Ken about the Phil Collins thing, but I can confirm at least one "Actual Black Person™" (namely, my father) who is a big fan of Jeopardy, and even used to schedule his lunchbreak from work to watch the Art Flemming version way back in the day (like back when I was an infant 'back in the day').
Just thought I'd share.
I suppose I should do an inventory of the various "Whitest Things About Me", as well as the "Blackest Things About Me", and probably should throw in the "Most Chicano Things About Me" while am at it. I could probably even get away with a "Straightest, and or Gayest, Things About Me" in addition to a "Japanese-ist Things About Me" and "Nerdiest Things About Me", once you parse these sort of things, the possibilities never end.
Is this what The Obama means by a 'national conversation on race'?
29 February 2008
Leaping Burst of Blogginess, Part 3
I'm going to reprint (without permission), today's easy items from the February 29th entry in Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac (easy only, buy the book if you want to see the medium and hard items for February 29th). These questions illustrate how the book is put together. After quoting a fact or event surrounding a particular calendar date. Ken devises a set of questions that plays off of that theme. To set up February 29th's easy questions Ken makes mention of the first use in 45BC of a Leap Day in the Julian Calendar (though it was on February 24th, and it lasted 48 hours instead of the standard 24).
Answers are in "INVISO-TEXT" at the end of this post.
"LEAPER COLONY"
1. Who ordered the disastrous "Great Leap Forward" in 1958?
2. What did Scott Bakula typically say after "leaping" into a new host on TV's Quantum Leap?
3. In 1991, who finally broke Bob Beamon's decades-old long jump record?
4. What kind of fixed-object parachute jumping takes its name from the four categories of such jumps?
5. What is a whale's leap out of the water called?
6. What video game character was originally given the name Jumpman? (XWL's note: and no, the answer is not "Jumpman", even though that was a pretty good game, back in the day, and beware, the answer to Ken's question is found at the link)
7. Mark Twain's "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was named for what famous orator?
8. One Giant Leap was the first biography ever written of whom?
9. What state motto of Virginia shout as he jumped fromLincoln's box to the stage of Fords' Theatre?
10. The "leap from the lion's head" is the final challenge in what 1989 movie?
Highlight below for answers
1. Mao Tse-tung (XWL's note, part II: though I prefer to call him Mousie Dung)
2. "Oh, boy"
3. Mike Powell
4. BASE jumping (building, antenna, span, earth)
5. Breaching or lunging
6. Mario
7. Daniel Webster
8. Neil Armstrong
9. "Sic semper tyrannis"
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Highlight above for answers
Answers are in "INVISO-TEXT" at the end of this post.
"LEAPER COLONY"
1. Who ordered the disastrous "Great Leap Forward" in 1958?
2. What did Scott Bakula typically say after "leaping" into a new host on TV's Quantum Leap?
3. In 1991, who finally broke Bob Beamon's decades-old long jump record?
4. What kind of fixed-object parachute jumping takes its name from the four categories of such jumps?
5. What is a whale's leap out of the water called?
6. What video game character was originally given the name Jumpman? (XWL's note: and no, the answer is not "Jumpman", even though that was a pretty good game, back in the day, and beware, the answer to Ken's question is found at the link)
7. Mark Twain's "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was named for what famous orator?
8. One Giant Leap was the first biography ever written of whom?
9. What state motto of Virginia shout as he jumped fromLincoln's box to the stage of Fords' Theatre?
10. The "leap from the lion's head" is the final challenge in what 1989 movie?
Highlight below for answers
1. Mao Tse-tung (XWL's note, part II: though I prefer to call him Mousie Dung)
2. "Oh, boy"
3. Mike Powell
4. BASE jumping (building, antenna, span, earth)
5. Breaching or lunging
6. Mario
7. Daniel Webster
8. Neil Armstrong
9. "Sic semper tyrannis"
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Highlight above for answers
02 February 2008
I Guess I Don't Have to Email Him About the Error on Page 80, Then...
I noticed the Insider/Interpreter mix-up, too. Just received Ken Jenning's Trivia Almanac today. It's a thick tome, chock-full-a-trivial-goodness.
(I don't have my copy handy, be funny if I made a mistake as to what page the mistake was on...)
(I don't have my copy handy, be funny if I made a mistake as to what page the mistake was on...)
04 October 2007
"Keats and Shelley’s contemporaries might have called them “star-fornicators” instead of the cruder expression we use today,"
Blogpost composed a few miles above the Protestant Cemetery behind the Pyramid Cestius on revisiting the internet cafe during a tour, October 3, 2007.
Or something like that, Ken Jennings makes an observation about the cult of fame, of course that other Ken (Russell) kind of beat him to the punch a few decades earlier with his film, LISZTOMANIA (which for some unknown and probably really dumb reason still hasn't been released on DVD) but it's still an apt observation, and many folks do suggest that the cult of the international superstar began in the early romantic period, Shelley and Byron fit the bill. Keats was the first James Dean. He was the first posthomous superstar whose supporters puffed up after his death, and even suggested his death was a result of the criticism he received while alive. Live fast, die young wasn't invented in the 1960s (can't add the 'pretty corpse' part, drowning, battlefield wounds, and TB don't tend to leave pretty corpses)
(and was my Wordsworth reference oblique enough?, or too obvious?)
And speaking of copyright issues (what we weren't?), I agree with Prof. Glenn Reynolds (at least I think I agree, he doesn't actually state his advocacy), in a post lamenting the high cost of picking up the DVD for Last Days of Disco (probably Whit Stillman's least good film, but his least good film is better than 95% of films out there) that cases like that (and the unavailability of Lisztomania) are good arguments for compulsory licensing.
License holders shouldn't be able to hold content hostage, if there are those willing to produce a product, and those willing to buy a product, then the license holder shouldn't be able to withhold a particular piece of IP off the market indefinitely (so long as the folks who are producing are willing and able to cough up reasonable license fees and royalties). From video games designed for bygone game systems, to books with a small but loyal following, to films that have missed out on the DVD era because of gaggles of lawyers, intellectual property should be handled in a way that still respects the rights of the license holder, but those rights should come with a little responsibility, too.
IP copyright shouldn't be extendable ad infinitum, either, the public domain is essentially dead, the only time anything produced since the 1940s slips into the public domain, it's because some lawyer really screwed up, that's not the spirit of the original copyright laws, and this subversion helped birth a culture where IP theft seems like a morally defensible act for many consumers.
Or something like that, Ken Jennings makes an observation about the cult of fame, of course that other Ken (Russell) kind of beat him to the punch a few decades earlier with his film, LISZTOMANIA (which for some unknown and probably really dumb reason still hasn't been released on DVD) but it's still an apt observation, and many folks do suggest that the cult of the international superstar began in the early romantic period, Shelley and Byron fit the bill. Keats was the first James Dean. He was the first posthomous superstar whose supporters puffed up after his death, and even suggested his death was a result of the criticism he received while alive. Live fast, die young wasn't invented in the 1960s (can't add the 'pretty corpse' part, drowning, battlefield wounds, and TB don't tend to leave pretty corpses)
(and was my Wordsworth reference oblique enough?, or too obvious?)
And speaking of copyright issues (what we weren't?), I agree with Prof. Glenn Reynolds (at least I think I agree, he doesn't actually state his advocacy), in a post lamenting the high cost of picking up the DVD for Last Days of Disco (probably Whit Stillman's least good film, but his least good film is better than 95% of films out there) that cases like that (and the unavailability of Lisztomania) are good arguments for compulsory licensing.
License holders shouldn't be able to hold content hostage, if there are those willing to produce a product, and those willing to buy a product, then the license holder shouldn't be able to withhold a particular piece of IP off the market indefinitely (so long as the folks who are producing are willing and able to cough up reasonable license fees and royalties). From video games designed for bygone game systems, to books with a small but loyal following, to films that have missed out on the DVD era because of gaggles of lawyers, intellectual property should be handled in a way that still respects the rights of the license holder, but those rights should come with a little responsibility, too.
IP copyright shouldn't be extendable ad infinitum, either, the public domain is essentially dead, the only time anything produced since the 1940s slips into the public domain, it's because some lawyer really screwed up, that's not the spirit of the original copyright laws, and this subversion helped birth a culture where IP theft seems like a morally defensible act for many consumers.
01 May 2007
Checking Myself, Before I Wreck Myself (LDS Edition)
Ken Jennings has a post up regarding what he sees as a resurgence in anti-Mormon bigotry. I think he's right, I think it's on the increase, and I think it's shameful (Andrew Sullivan to name names was especially shameful in this regard).
I don't share his faith, but I share his concern over the manner in which his faith is being maligned.
Before I get too self righteous on this matter, I checked to see whether I poked fun at the LDS before, and turns out I did take a few swipes.
In a post where I pointed out Ken Jennings sarcastic suggestions for Jeopardy!, I titled the post, "Are Later Day Saints Allowed to be THAT Bitchy and Catty?". First, my apologies for getting the name of the faith wrong, it's Latter not Later, I know this, just didn't see it as I was typing, and nobody ever pointed it out these many months later (or is that latter?), second, I think Bitchy and Catty was overkill, 'sarcastic' would have worked much better, thirdly, as far as I know sarcasm is an allowable form of comedy for Latter Day Saints, but I was using comedic overstatement for effect, so forgive me.
The only times I have referenced Mormons was regarding Ken. Beginning where I first linked to Ken Jennings and was pointing out that he has a new (at least then it was new) blog. I was approving of his hippie hatred, as is clear to anyone who reads this blog, that is one group for which I believe no type of discrimination or bigotry is uncalled for.
That was a tweak at Ken, not a swipe at his faith, I hope that is how it would be received.
The second time was on the day Snakes on a Plane was released, and that was post like a mother%#$@er day (as an explanationg for the faux-expletives). He was jokingly referring to placing some bets, and I jokingly referred to the prohibition against gambling amongst Latter Day Saints.
It's always seemed a bit strange that the old time locals in Vegas and a big part of the important folks about town have been Mormons (less so today as the city expands, but then there still is Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid from nearby Searchlight).
But I'm sure my experience isn't unique in that whenever I've met a Latter Day Saint they've been good, decent, and warm folks, so if their faith is rather shiny and new and if their origins seem a bit strange, so be it. Regardless of where it began, this faith is one of the better ones as far as how it treats those outside of their faith, and for my money that's the best way to measure a faith.
No faith has a monopoly on belief, or believers, so how they react when they meet the unfaithful is important, and on that count the Latter Day Saints are golden and their faith's ability to adjust their views has been exemplary (the shift in attitudes towards blacks for instance)
Faiths I may not be so generous towards include, Scientology, Islamic Extremists, Extreme Secularists, Gaiaists, Jainism (really, space clad priests?) and any New Age-y repackaging of any sort of Eastern Mysticism. All that stuff is just plain crazy.
I don't share his faith, but I share his concern over the manner in which his faith is being maligned.
Before I get too self righteous on this matter, I checked to see whether I poked fun at the LDS before, and turns out I did take a few swipes.
In a post where I pointed out Ken Jennings sarcastic suggestions for Jeopardy!, I titled the post, "Are Later Day Saints Allowed to be THAT Bitchy and Catty?". First, my apologies for getting the name of the faith wrong, it's Latter not Later, I know this, just didn't see it as I was typing, and nobody ever pointed it out these many months later (or is that latter?), second, I think Bitchy and Catty was overkill, 'sarcastic' would have worked much better, thirdly, as far as I know sarcasm is an allowable form of comedy for Latter Day Saints, but I was using comedic overstatement for effect, so forgive me.
The only times I have referenced Mormons was regarding Ken. Beginning where I first linked to Ken Jennings and was pointing out that he has a new (at least then it was new) blog. I was approving of his hippie hatred, as is clear to anyone who reads this blog, that is one group for which I believe no type of discrimination or bigotry is uncalled for.
That was a tweak at Ken, not a swipe at his faith, I hope that is how it would be received.
The second time was on the day Snakes on a Plane was released, and that was post like a mother%#$@er day (as an explanationg for the faux-expletives). He was jokingly referring to placing some bets, and I jokingly referred to the prohibition against gambling amongst Latter Day Saints.
It's always seemed a bit strange that the old time locals in Vegas and a big part of the important folks about town have been Mormons (less so today as the city expands, but then there still is Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid from nearby Searchlight).
But I'm sure my experience isn't unique in that whenever I've met a Latter Day Saint they've been good, decent, and warm folks, so if their faith is rather shiny and new and if their origins seem a bit strange, so be it. Regardless of where it began, this faith is one of the better ones as far as how it treats those outside of their faith, and for my money that's the best way to measure a faith.
No faith has a monopoly on belief, or believers, so how they react when they meet the unfaithful is important, and on that count the Latter Day Saints are golden and their faith's ability to adjust their views has been exemplary (the shift in attitudes towards blacks for instance)
Faiths I may not be so generous towards include, Scientology, Islamic Extremists, Extreme Secularists, Gaiaists, Jainism (really, space clad priests?) and any New Age-y repackaging of any sort of Eastern Mysticism. All that stuff is just plain crazy.
03 April 2007
Do You Promise to Funk, the Whole Funk, and Nothing But the Funk?
I still think this should be our National Anthem (but not my theme song). Someone was kind enough to upload the whole sprawling mess of a song on YouTube this week, thanks a million MojoRebel.
Ken Jennings posted some interesting National Anthem trivia which got me thinking about this. Read that, too, those are some interesting trivia questions.
14 February 2007
Another Post Where I Ride the Coattails of Somebody Famous . . .
Another Tuesday passed, and another Tuesday Trivia was emailed. Here are my guesses. I haven't read the email yet (been busy), so let's peruse together (then I'll embellish with links to 'research' conducted in the aftermath). Once again, I won't quote the whole question, except for the ungoogleable #7 question.
Tuesday Trivia XXXIII (and 1/3?)
1. Oh, come on Ken, ask a hard one. The key to knowing the answer to this would be obvious. This website casts doubt on the popular narrative regarding the well known experiment (and I'd be remiss in my blogging duties if I didn't link this Annotated Mythbusters post).
2. I should know my Macbeth, but I don't, but I know what my guess is. Was it right? Woohoo! or that other exclamation, that is the question . . . (D'oh! would be the answer).
3. This also seems like something that should come to mind, and after googling I'll be ashamed of myself for not thinking of it. I was right, after googling I'm ashamed. I'm not ashamed, that's truly trivial trivia. Not that that's a bad thing, it's truly interesting trivial trivia.
4. Well, I know what I'd say if I got it wrong, I use the catchphrase often enough during Football season (and it's not Woohoo!). (Was there ever any doubt? Though from an orthographic standpoint, I guess I should include the ' more often.)
5. Hmmm, that's a poser, easily googleable, but as far as knowing whether or not Sao Paulo, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur would be the way to go, I'm not sure. I'm going with Kuala Lumpur. Google shows the way as to my correctitude. I listed the two top cities out of my three guesses but my guess wasn't either of them, and turns out not even in the Southern Hemisphere (by 3 degrees). The right guess would be the first one listed.
6. That seems easy, though I don't know the dude's first name, just his last, I assume that would be enough for credit. And as far as using a Zagat guide, I think they're baloney. (Tim for the record)
7. The interesting question. This time it's all about movies
Ouch, what the hell? I can't even begin to guess as to what the connection might be. Possibly an Academy thing, but not sure if Curse of the Cat People (which was a great film that had little to do with the first Cat People) had any nominations (pretty sure the others did). Possibly this might have something to do with films adapted from material that isn't obvious what the original source was. But a single sentence summation of what that similarity between those films would be escapes me.
As far as last week's number 7, I'd say it 'came to me in a dream' but that'd be a lie (though ironically, it would also be the answer).
Post google musings are in red.
3 certainties, and 3 correct answers total (which would mean 2 wrong (but educated) guesses, and one where I couldn't even come up with a good guess).
The #7 question from this week will haunt me. I know, I know it, I just don't know what it is that I know that is trying to pop to the surface of my thoughts.
Tuesday Trivia XXXIII (and 1/3?)
1. Oh, come on Ken, ask a hard one. The key to knowing the answer to this would be obvious. This website casts doubt on the popular narrative regarding the well known experiment (and I'd be remiss in my blogging duties if I didn't link this Annotated Mythbusters post).
2. I should know my Macbeth, but I don't, but I know what my guess is. Was it right? Woohoo! or that other exclamation, that is the question . . . (D'oh! would be the answer).
3. This also seems like something that should come to mind, and after googling I'll be ashamed of myself for not thinking of it. I was right, after googling I'm ashamed. I'm not ashamed, that's truly trivial trivia. Not that that's a bad thing, it's truly interesting trivial trivia.
4. Well, I know what I'd say if I got it wrong, I use the catchphrase often enough during Football season (and it's not Woohoo!). (Was there ever any doubt? Though from an orthographic standpoint, I guess I should include the ' more often.)
5. Hmmm, that's a poser, easily googleable, but as far as knowing whether or not Sao Paulo, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur would be the way to go, I'm not sure. I'm going with Kuala Lumpur. Google shows the way as to my correctitude. I listed the two top cities out of my three guesses but my guess wasn't either of them, and turns out not even in the Southern Hemisphere (by 3 degrees). The right guess would be the first one listed.
6. That seems easy, though I don't know the dude's first name, just his last, I assume that would be enough for credit. And as far as using a Zagat guide, I think they're baloney. (Tim for the record)
7. The interesting question. This time it's all about movies
What unusual distinction is shared by these movies? Beauty and the Beast (1991), Curse of the Cat People, King Kong (1933), Little Miss Sunshine, The Matrix, Mister Roberts, Singin' in the Rain, Stairway to Heaven.
Ouch, what the hell? I can't even begin to guess as to what the connection might be. Possibly an Academy thing, but not sure if Curse of the Cat People (which was a great film that had little to do with the first Cat People) had any nominations (pretty sure the others did). Possibly this might have something to do with films adapted from material that isn't obvious what the original source was. But a single sentence summation of what that similarity between those films would be escapes me.
As far as last week's number 7, I'd say it 'came to me in a dream' but that'd be a lie (though ironically, it would also be the answer).
Post google musings are in red.
3 certainties, and 3 correct answers total (which would mean 2 wrong (but educated) guesses, and one where I couldn't even come up with a good guess).
The #7 question from this week will haunt me. I know, I know it, I just don't know what it is that I know that is trying to pop to the surface of my thoughts.
08 February 2007
You Wan't Your F*ing Pantyhose, I've Got Your F*ing Pantyhose, Right Here . . .
. . . f*ing Motesto, a new brand of pantyhose in Japan. Countering the decline in the sales of pantyhose in Japan.
I like the idea of a company marketing a brand called, f*ing Motesto, though.
That's f*ing great!
They should sell this brand in FCUK.
Speaking of not quite dirty words, more quotable Ken here regarding Airport codes.
I'm a fan of the Fukuoka, Japan to Samcheok, South Korea flight, myself (or the return flight, doesn't matter, they're both good).
I like the idea of a company marketing a brand called, f*ing Motesto, though.
That's f*ing great!
They should sell this brand in FCUK.
Speaking of not quite dirty words, more quotable Ken here regarding Airport codes.
I'm a fan of the Fukuoka, Japan to Samcheok, South Korea flight, myself (or the return flight, doesn't matter, they're both good).
06 February 2007
Quotable Ken, He's Not Just a Trivia Generating Enterprise
"Oh well. Even if the “trivia” connection is Hurley and not Borges, I’ve got my new .sig quote for a while."
Follow the link for the context, I just like giving the punchlines.
Jorge Luis Borges is one of the all time great writers in any language. One of my minor regrets was not hopping on a bus and catching a lecture by him back in 1985. So what if I was still in high school, we're talking Borges, here.
Other folks I never saw live that I regret missing opportunities that presented themselves to me, Kurt Cobain, Miles Davis and Michael Jackson (I know he's not dead, but as far as the performer he used to be, might as well be, it would have been an experience to see him live at any point up through the Dangerous album, after that, not so much).
Since Bill Quit Blogging . . .
I'll pick up the Ken Trivia, posting of my guesses before googling for the right answers, post (like this one).
I'm certain on precisely 2.5 of these questions (from Tuesday Trivia XXXII) without the aid of using the search engine/wiki of choice.
If you don't like trivia, first, what's wrong with you, second, you shouldn't let that stop you from subscribing to Ken's weekly challenge. It's interesting tidbits of info presented in a mostly humorous manner. What's not to like? If you don't subscribe the following will be gibberish, if you do subscribe, you'll laugh at my ignorance, or marvel at my mastery of trivium, your choice.
Don't follow the links if you don't want to know the answers (in other words **spoilers warning**). Post wiki perusing musings in red.
1) An ornately woven fabric originally named diaper whose name is the same as an Asian capital? This should be easy, and yet I'm blanking. Doh!, I knew this, just trying to think of it was the hard part.
2) OK, now Ken is just making stuff up, Sister named Minga? Dog named Nopey? Doh! again, I had bendable figurines of this fella (and his red companion) back in the day. Dammit! (obvious YouTube choice at link)
3) Oh boy, a penal question! Another one that should spring to mind, but don't know for which country Robben Island was a Penal Colony, which makes it harder to educate my guess (sans google/wiki of course). As soon as I knew for which country this place incarcerated folks, then the is obvious.
4) The easy one is the over-exposed ex-Steeler one, but the second one probably isn't that hard either come to think of it since he was a back-up to a hall of famer for years on a great team and spent a few years as the 'man' himself (and also deservedly inducted into the hall of fame). Oops, after checking the wiki, a certain hall of fame back up to a hall of famer missed by a ring, instead it's the hall of famer (the anti-Grossman, zero picks in all his Superbowl appearances) who was being backed up by the future hall of famer who managed to collect all that jewelry (the 80s are so long ago, yet the 70s are fresher in my Superbowl memories, I lived football in elementary school, and always watched those NFL Films shows on Saturdays if I was home). Should have easily gotten this right, but I tricked myself into thinking it was a trick question.
5) Ohhh, this one I know, mainly cause of all the jokes about it in the culture at the time (and those old CBS "In the News" breaks between cartoons on Saturdays). Surprising results (at least to me, if you search YouTube for this term.
6) This seems transcendentally easy, but maybe that's just me. Also, all the aging hippies who taught in schools and colleges while I attended ram this crap down your throat at a very early age. This might have been harder for someone to know in the 40s or 50s, but anyone who's grown up since the 70s would be well versed in this ur-Hippie text.
7) These are the bread and butter of these quizzes, built to be 'google proof', the 7th question each week is a tester. This one is no exception, and it's beyond a test, it's utterly impenetrable as far as I can tell as to what possibly could be the connection. Hopefully Ken won't mind if I reprint the question in full, "What unusual distinction is shared by all these pinnacles of Western civilization? The sewing machine, Wagner's prelude to Das Rheingold, St. Patrick's ministry to Ireland, the Beatles' "Yesterday," Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the discovery of neurotransmitters, Jasper Johns' flag paintings, and James Cameron's The Terminator?"
Guesses? Anyone? One of John's flag paintings holds the record for most money at auction for a living artist, No doubt Yesterday is one of the most played songs, Frankenstein might be one of the most published books (outside of the bible, that is), but St. Patrick? Wagner? Terminator?
Maybe it's all stuff that sounds real funny if recited or sung by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (in the case of the sewing machine, watching him operate one, and in the case of discovering neurotransmitters, maybe he was in on that, he's a remarkable man, our Governor).
After that bit of searching it seems like this should have been a 6 of 7 week for me. All information that resides somewhere between my ears, just the access routines were faulty in the given time allotted.
I'm certain on precisely 2.5 of these questions (from Tuesday Trivia XXXII) without the aid of using the search engine/wiki of choice.
If you don't like trivia, first, what's wrong with you, second, you shouldn't let that stop you from subscribing to Ken's weekly challenge. It's interesting tidbits of info presented in a mostly humorous manner. What's not to like? If you don't subscribe the following will be gibberish, if you do subscribe, you'll laugh at my ignorance, or marvel at my mastery of trivium, your choice.
Don't follow the links if you don't want to know the answers (in other words **spoilers warning**). Post wiki perusing musings in red.
1) An ornately woven fabric originally named diaper whose name is the same as an Asian capital? This should be easy, and yet I'm blanking. Doh!, I knew this, just trying to think of it was the hard part.
2) OK, now Ken is just making stuff up, Sister named Minga? Dog named Nopey? Doh! again, I had bendable figurines of this fella (and his red companion) back in the day. Dammit! (obvious YouTube choice at link)
3) Oh boy, a penal question! Another one that should spring to mind, but don't know for which country Robben Island was a Penal Colony, which makes it harder to educate my guess (sans google/wiki of course). As soon as I knew for which country this place incarcerated folks, then the is obvious.
4) The easy one is the over-exposed ex-Steeler one, but the second one probably isn't that hard either come to think of it since he was a back-up to a hall of famer for years on a great team and spent a few years as the 'man' himself (and also deservedly inducted into the hall of fame). Oops, after checking the wiki, a certain hall of fame back up to a hall of famer missed by a ring, instead it's the hall of famer (the anti-Grossman, zero picks in all his Superbowl appearances) who was being backed up by the future hall of famer who managed to collect all that jewelry (the 80s are so long ago, yet the 70s are fresher in my Superbowl memories, I lived football in elementary school, and always watched those NFL Films shows on Saturdays if I was home). Should have easily gotten this right, but I tricked myself into thinking it was a trick question.
5) Ohhh, this one I know, mainly cause of all the jokes about it in the culture at the time (and those old CBS "In the News" breaks between cartoons on Saturdays). Surprising results (at least to me, if you search YouTube for this term.
6) This seems transcendentally easy, but maybe that's just me. Also, all the aging hippies who taught in schools and colleges while I attended ram this crap down your throat at a very early age. This might have been harder for someone to know in the 40s or 50s, but anyone who's grown up since the 70s would be well versed in this ur-Hippie text.
7) These are the bread and butter of these quizzes, built to be 'google proof', the 7th question each week is a tester. This one is no exception, and it's beyond a test, it's utterly impenetrable as far as I can tell as to what possibly could be the connection. Hopefully Ken won't mind if I reprint the question in full, "What unusual distinction is shared by all these pinnacles of Western civilization? The sewing machine, Wagner's prelude to Das Rheingold, St. Patrick's ministry to Ireland, the Beatles' "Yesterday," Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the discovery of neurotransmitters, Jasper Johns' flag paintings, and James Cameron's The Terminator?"
Guesses? Anyone? One of John's flag paintings holds the record for most money at auction for a living artist, No doubt Yesterday is one of the most played songs, Frankenstein might be one of the most published books (outside of the bible, that is), but St. Patrick? Wagner? Terminator?
Maybe it's all stuff that sounds real funny if recited or sung by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (in the case of the sewing machine, watching him operate one, and in the case of discovering neurotransmitters, maybe he was in on that, he's a remarkable man, our Governor).
After that bit of searching it seems like this should have been a 6 of 7 week for me. All information that resides somewhere between my ears, just the access routines were faulty in the given time allotted.
22 January 2007
I Haven't Been Much In A Writing Mood, But If I Trawl The 'Net for Good Quotes From Favored Bloggers, It Will Seem Like I'm Blogging
A little nugget from Ken Jennings.
Somebody e-mailed me over the weekend to ask if any of the (apparently several) Ken Jennings pages on MySpace are actually me. Nope, I’m not on MySpace. They must all be fake. I prefer to attract my sexual predators and creepy online “friends” via this blog, thank you very much.
02 January 2007
The First Fugging of the New Year!
The Fug Girls start 2007 by fugging my favorite auteur of quickie web videos.
First, what's wrong with partying like it's 1993?
Second, you've made the big time Kat!
Third, more videos please (from Kat, not the Fug Girls, though fugging videos of the fugging fug girls talking trash about fugging celebrities might be fun).
Fourth, since I somehow always seem to bring up Ken Jennings when talking about Kat Dennings, he has a funny post yesterday mixing in strange things his 4 year old said with slightly morbid thoughts about celebrities and reincarnation.
After you visit the Ken link, if you're wondering about my possibilities, I'd have to go with one of three, Aleqsandre Jorjoliani, Ted Hecht, or Judy Garland.
First, what's wrong with partying like it's 1993?
Second, you've made the big time Kat!
Third, more videos please (from Kat, not the Fug Girls, though fugging videos of the fugging fug girls talking trash about fugging celebrities might be fun).
Fourth, since I somehow always seem to bring up Ken Jennings when talking about Kat Dennings, he has a funny post yesterday mixing in strange things his 4 year old said with slightly morbid thoughts about celebrities and reincarnation.
After you visit the Ken link, if you're wondering about my possibilities, I'd have to go with one of three, Aleqsandre Jorjoliani, Ted Hecht, or Judy Garland.
24 December 2006
"As the movies have taught us, when librarians take off their dowdy glasses and let their hair down, some are real lookers."
What kind of movies has he been watching?
(Isn't that more of a porn thing than a mainstream movie thing?)
And if you want to see that in context, read this Ken Jennings post.
(Isn't that more of a porn thing than a mainstream movie thing?)
And if you want to see that in context, read this Ken Jennings post.
19 December 2006
Or is this just a sad sign of how Hollywood treats great actresses of a certain age (and, apparently, Matthew Modine)?
I just noticed that the previous post was POST 1000!!!
welcome to the next millennium of Immodest posts.
About that title, you really have to read this to understand why that's so funny.
welcome to the next millennium of Immodest posts.
About that title, you really have to read this to understand why that's so funny.
02 October 2006
The Importance of Being Regular
In one short post Ken Jennings pans the film The Science of Sleep (possibly, he just says that watching it inspired him to sleep for 10 straight hours), reminds us of the importance of being regular (he's a Bran-iac), his love of Brian Wilson (he's a Brian-iac), and the other side of being a Brainiac.
Knowing stuff need not be trivial, even if the stuff you know seems trivial, the how and the why you collected knowledge would seem to be key whether or not you are just a geek who knows stuff and likes to rub other folks faces in it, or if you are a well rounded individual who has a good recollection and an innate curiosity.
It's better to be the latter than the former, of course, know-it-alls who need to remind you of their know-it-all-ness are no fun to be around whereas polymaths who can hold a conversation on any subject and are happier to listen than to expound are fun to be around.
Brianiacs are okay, too, Brian Wilson is a genius, and his music is important. Braniacs are kind of annoying though. Some things are best not spoken of, afterall. Though, folks as highly esteemed as Gandhi are reported Braniacs. I remember reading (in the National Lampoon's true facts section, so grain of salt time for the following) that he greeted folks he dealt with each morning with the cheerful question, "Did you have your daily constitutional, today?". Makes sense to me, when dealing with folks, it's good to know up front, how much shit they are actually full of at any given moment.
Knowing stuff need not be trivial, even if the stuff you know seems trivial, the how and the why you collected knowledge would seem to be key whether or not you are just a geek who knows stuff and likes to rub other folks faces in it, or if you are a well rounded individual who has a good recollection and an innate curiosity.
It's better to be the latter than the former, of course, know-it-alls who need to remind you of their know-it-all-ness are no fun to be around whereas polymaths who can hold a conversation on any subject and are happier to listen than to expound are fun to be around.
Brianiacs are okay, too, Brian Wilson is a genius, and his music is important. Braniacs are kind of annoying though. Some things are best not spoken of, afterall. Though, folks as highly esteemed as Gandhi are reported Braniacs. I remember reading (in the National Lampoon's true facts section, so grain of salt time for the following) that he greeted folks he dealt with each morning with the cheerful question, "Did you have your daily constitutional, today?". Makes sense to me, when dealing with folks, it's good to know up front, how much shit they are actually full of at any given moment.
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