The End - Random Trivia Questions

It's the end of the month, the end of the NFL season, and not too far past the end of the second Bush era, so here's a quiz about "The End" inspired by a YouTube juggling video (details to follow with the answers).

The End Questions

• Q1) What band only reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988 with "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" yet was voted an identical #69 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's?
• Q2) What band's 2006 album The Black Parade begins with "The End" and ends with "Famous Last Words" and the unlisted bonus track "Blood"?
• Q3) What band's song "The End" runs for eleven minutes and forty seconds on their self-titled 1967 album but was cut to under six and a half minutes on their Greatest Hits?
• Q4) What band's song "The End" is often performed as a medley with "Golden Slumbers" and "Carry That Weight"?
• Q5) Who released the 1996 album The End of Everything under the pseudonym Voodoo Child?
• Q6) Who starred in the 1978 movie The End as Wendell Sonny Lawson, a man given only six months to live after being diagnosed with a rare blood disease?
• Q7) What 1997 movie stars Bill Pullman as Mike Max, a Hollywood producer who escapes a kidnapping?
• Q8) What 1999 movie starring Ralph Fiennes, Stephen Rea, and Julianne Moore, used the tagline "The end was just the beginning"?
• Q9) What author's time-traveling sci-fi novel The End of Eternity was inpired by a photo of Old Faithful?
• Q10) What author's best seller The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot was turned into the movie in 2008?
• Q11) What author starting writing The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks?
• Q12) What 13-book series starts with The Bad Beginning and continues through eleven other alliterative titles, including The Hostile Hospital, The Slippery Slope, and The Penultimate Peril, but terminates dissimilarly with The End?

Wonderful Witch -- Quiz Quilt 107 Solution

Category Answers:

Sports & Games	NICKLAUS	Ohio State University graduate Jack Nicklaus accumulated eighteen grand slam victories in the quarter century from the 1962 U.S. Open to the 1986 Masters.
Math & Science	EUCLID	The Greek penned the thirteen volumes around 300 B.C.
History & Government	WILSON	Thomas Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Wilson Reagan share the name with Henry Wilson, who was Ulysses Grant's Vice President from 1873 to 1875.
Literature & Arts	BUDDHISM	The stories were passed on orally from the 6th century B.C. until finally written down in Sri Lanka around 30 B.C.
Entertainment & Food	CASABLANCA	Humphrey Bogart spoke the words as Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic.
Geography & Nature	CHICAGO	The Illinois town was founded on August 12, 1833.

Quiz Quilt Answer: GLINDA (Sixth letters going up)

Glinda was the Good Witch of the South in the L. Frank Baum children's story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Wonderful Witch -- Quiz Quilt 107 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Sports & Games	What golfer, known as the Golden Bear, won more major championships than any other man?
Math & Science	What mathematician wrote the classical geometry textbook The Elements?
History & Government	What moniker is both the last name of the 28th U.S. President and the middle name of the 40th U.S. President?
Literature & Arts	What religion's three sacred books are known as the Pali Canon?
Entertainment & Food	What movie's last line is, "Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"?
Geography & Nature	What Midwestern city's name comes from the Algonquian for "place of wild onions"?

General Trivia Answers #3,247-3,252

Answer 3,247: Entertainment & Food -- Emmy Excellence

d) The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The show won 29 times.

Answer 3,248: History & Government -- Rosetta Rock

b) Granite

The stone, often incorrectly identified as basalt, has been kept in the British Museum since 1802.

Answer 3,249: Math & Science -- Fully Flesh

c) Pancreas

The pancreas is part of the abdomen and is located behind the stomach.

Answer 3,250: Geography & Nature -- Airport Apex

a) Bolivia

El Alto in La Paz is about 12,000 feet up.

Answer 3,251: Literature & Arts -- Cyrano Source

b) Edmond Rostand

The title character was a real 17th-century French soldier and dramatist, but the story is fictitious.

Answer 3,252: Sports & Games -- Weights Minus Plates

d) 7.22 feet

The barbell is ten percent longer than the women's, which is exactly two meters, or 6.59 feet.

General Trivia Questions #3,247-3,252

Question 3,247: Entertainment & Food -- Emmy Excellence

What TV series has won the most Emmy Awards?

a) The Carol Burnett Show
b) Cheers
c) Hill Street Blues
d) The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Question 3,248: History & Government -- Rosetta Rock

What type of rock makes up the Rosetta Stone?

a) Basalt
b) Granite
c) Limestone
d) Sandstone

Question 3,249: Math & Science -- Fully Flesh

What body part's name comes from the Greek for "all flesh"?

a) Duodenum
b) Kidney
c) Pancreas
d) Stomach

Question 3,250: Geography & Nature -- Airport Apex

Which country has the world's highest commercial airport?

a) Bolivia
b) Chile
c) China
d) India

Question 3,251: Literature & Arts -- Cyrano Source

What author's 1898 play Cyrano de Bergerac involves an unconventional love triangle?

a) Charles Dickens
b) Edmond Rostand
c) Miguel de Cervantes
d) Victor Hugo

Question 3,252: Sports & Games -- Weights Minus Plates

How long is the bar that male Olympic weightlifters use?

a) 4.22 feet
b) 5.22 feet
c) 6.22 feet
d) 7.22 feet

General Trivia Answers #3,241-3,246

Answer 3,241: Entertainment & Food -- Platinum Sum

b) 1,000,000

Half of that merits a gold record.

Answer 3,242: History & Government -- Casa Western

c) Richard Nixon

The Californian bought one of the original homes in San Clemente in 1968.

Answer 3,243: Math & Science -- Wire Work

a) Ductile

The Latin ductilis means "easily led".

Answer 3,244: Geography & Nature -- Uncommon Capital

c) South Dakota

Pierre, pronounced "peer", was founded in 1880 and became the capital before the end of the decade.

Answer 3,245: Literature & Arts -- Prado Premises

b) Madrid

The museum's name means "meadow".

Answer 3,246: Sports & Games -- Like Sphairistike

d) Tennis

Others credit Major Thomas Henry Gem and Batista Pereira for their development of the similar pelota in 1859.

General Trivia Questions #3,241-3,246

Question 3,241: Entertainment & Food -- Platinum Sum

How many copies does a music album need to sell to earn platinum status?

a) 500,000
b) 1,000,000
c) 5,000,000
d) 10,000,000

Question 3,242: History & Government -- Casa Western

Which U.S. President's home was called Casa Pacifica and nicknamed the Western White House?

a) Gerald Ford
b) Jimmy Carter
c) Richard Nixon
d) Ronald Reagan

Question 3,243: Math & Science -- Wire Work

What is the scientific term for material that can be drawn out into a wire?

a) Ductile
b) Elastic
c) Malleable
d) Tensile

Question 3,244: Geography & Nature -- Uncommon Capital

What is the only U.S. state whose name has no letters in common with its capital's name?

a) Iowa
b) North Dakota
c) South Dakota
d) Wyoming

Question 3,245: Literature & Arts -- Prado Premises

In what Spanish city is the Prado museum located?

a) Barcelona
b) Madrid
c) Seville
d) Valencia

Question 3,246: Sports & Games -- Like Sphairistike

What sport did Major W.C. Wingfield introduce as sphairistike in 1873?

a) Badminton
b) Cricket
c) Croquet
d) Tennis

General Trivia Answers #3,235-3,240

Answer 3,235: Entertainment & Food -- Mocking and Mindreading

c) Dick Martin

Dan Rowan's partner also hosted The Cheap Show and was a repeat guest on Match Game.

Answer 3,236: History & Government -- Not a Close Call

a) Boston, Massachusetts

A headline in the Journal in Boston, where the call originated, pronounced the event "An Important Achievement" for the "far-speaker".

Answer 3,237: Math & Science -- Anemometer Amount

d) Wind speed

The device can measure the velocity directly, or it can gauge the pressure and calculate the speed from that.

Answer 3,238: Geography & Nature -- Hair There Everywhere

c) Pensacola

The City of Five Flags has offered its allegiance to the U.S., the Confederacy, Great Britain, France, and Spain, which founded the settlement in 1559.

Answer 3,239: Literature & Arts -- Abstract Art Abstract

a) Al Capp

Nine years earlier, in 1954, the comic strip artist had opined, "The public is like a piano. You just have to know what keys to poke."

Answer 3,240: Sports & Games -- Four First-Rounders

a) Duke

Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette, and William Avery were selected in 1999. North Carolina duplicated the feat in 2005 and Connecticut in 2006.

General Trivia Questions #3,235-3,240

Question 3,235: Entertainment & Food -- Mocking and Mindreading

What Laugh-In actor hosted the game show Mindreaders in 1979 and 1980?

a) Arte Johnson
b) Dan Rowan
c) Dick Martin
d) Gary Owens

Question 3,236: History & Government -- Not a Close Call

What city was connected to New York City by the first long distance telephone call on March 27, 1884?

a) Boston, Massachusetts
b) Los Angeles, California
c) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
d) Washington, D.C.

Question 3,237: Math & Science -- Anemometer Amount

What does an anemometer measure?

a) Electric charge
b) Surface tension
c) Temperature
d) Wind speed

Question 3,238: Geography & Nature -- Hair There Everywhere

What Florida town's name means "hairy people"?

a) Hialeah
b) Orlando
c) Pensacola
d) Tallahassee

Question 3,239: Literature & Arts -- Abstract Art Abstract

Who ranted, "Abstract art is a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered"?

a) Al Capp
b) Berke Breathed
c) Gary Larson
d) Scott Adams

Question 3,240: Sports & Games -- Four First-Rounders

What was the first college to produce four first round picks in the same NBA draft?

a) Duke
b) Kansas
c) Kentucky
d) North Carolina

General Trivia Questions #3,229-3,234

Question 3,229: Entertainment & Food -- Last Look at Willowbrook

What talk show host first gained fame for his documentary Willowbrook: The Last Disgrace in the early 1970s?

a) David Letterman
b) Geraldo Rivera
c) Jerry Springer
d) Tom Snyder

Question 3,230: History & Government -- War Wounds

Which U.S. President was wounded during the Civil War?

a) Abraham Lincoln
b) Andrew Johnson
c) Rutherford Hayes
d) Ulysses Grant

Question 3,231: Math & Science -- Acid Alias

What acid is known as oil of vitriol?

a) Citric acid
b) Hydrochloric acid
c) Nitric acid
d) Sulfuric acid

Question 3,232: Geography & Nature -- Shar Pei Tongue

What is the only breed of dog besides the Shar Pei that has a black tongue?

a) Boxer
b) Chow
c) Pekinese
d) Shih Tzu

Question 3,233: Literature & Arts -- Pictures and Prose Prize

What medal does the American Library Association award annually for the most distinguished American picture book for children?

a) Caldecott
b) Laura Ingalls Wilder
c) Margaret A. Edwards
d) Newbery

Question 3,234: Sports & Games -- Hurdle Height

How high are the obstacles used in the men's Olympic 110-meter hurdle event?

a) 2½ feet
b) 3 feet
c) 3½ feet
d) 4 feet

General Trivia Answers #3,229-3,234

Answer 3,229: Entertainment & Food -- Last Look at Willowbrook

b) Geraldo Rivera

The Brooklyn Law School graduate snuck into the school for the developmentally disabled to expose the horrible conditions there.

Answer 3,230: History & Government -- War Wounds

c) Rutherford Hayes

The Ohio native was injured four times, once severely enough to be taken out of action for several weeks.

Answer 3,231: Math & Science -- Acid Alias

d) Sulfuric acid

The Latin vitreus means "glassy", referring to the acid's appearance.

Answer 3,232: Geography & Nature -- Shar Pei Tongue

b) Chow

The Chow Chow originated in China over 2,000 years ago. The reason for its blue-black tongue is unknown.

Answer 3,233: Literature & Arts -- Pictures and Prose Prize

a) Caldecott

Dorothy P. Lathrop's "Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book" won the first award in 1938.

Answer 3,234: Sports & Games -- Hurdle Height

c) 3½ feet

The height of the hurdles for the 100-meter and 400-meter women's, and the 110-meter and 400-meter men's events are all different (33", 30", 42", and 36" respectively).

General Trivia Answers #3,223-3,228

Answer 3,223: Entertainment & Food -- Buffalo Bill

c) Cody

The former Pony Express rider was born as William Frederick Cody on February 26, 1846 in Le Claire, Iowa.

Answer 3,224: History & Government -- It's Fritz

d) Walter Mondale

The contraction of his middle name Frederick was used in the campaign slogan "Grits and Fritz".

Answer 3,225: Math & Science -- Capitalized Current

c) I

The symbol comes from the German word Intensitat, meaning "intensity".

Answer 3,226: Geography & Nature -- Home of the Dome

c) Jerusalem, Israel

The dome is a 7th-century Islamic shrine near the temple wall, also known as the Wailing Wall.

Answer 3,227: Literature & Arts -- Galaxy Guide

b) 42

The supercomputer Deep Thought gives this unintelligible answer after 7½ million years of computing.

Answer 3,228: Sports & Games -- Blue-Belted Ball

c) 10

The 2-ball is a solid, blue ball.

General Trivia Questions #3,223-3,228

Question 3,223: Entertainment & Food -- Buffalo Bill

What was showman Buffalo Bill's last name?

a) Cahill
b) Chesterton
c) Cody
d) Crest

Question 3,224: History & Government -- It's Fritz

Which U.S. Vice President's nickname was Fritz?

a) Charles Fairbanks
b) Schuyler Colfax
c) Spiro Agnew
d) Walter Mondale

Question 3,225: Math & Science -- Capitalized Current

Which capital letter represents electric current in physics equations?

a) A
b) E
c) I
d) U

Question 3,226: Geography & Nature -- Home of the Dome

In what city are the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall located?

a) Beirut, Lebanon
b) Cairo, Egypt
c) Jerusalem, Israel
d) Tehran, Iran

Question 3,227: Literature & Arts -- Galaxy Guide

What is the meaning of life according to Douglas Adams and his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

a) 31
b) 42
c) 53
d) 64

Question 3,228: Sports & Games -- Blue-Belted Ball

In pool, what number is on the blue-striped billiard ball?

a) 2
b) 4
c) 10
d) 12

Ar U SErIOUS? - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Neon (NeON). The only element that can be spelled using only symbols on the same row on the periodic table (and very close to each other at atomic numbers 7, 8, and 10).
• A2) Tin (TiN). The only element whose name can be spelled using only two symbols, and not coincidentally the shortest name.
• A3) Phosphorus (PHOsPHoRuS, PHoSPHoRuS, PHOSPHoRus, PHOsPHORuS, PHoSPHORuS, or PHOSPHORuS). The element whose name can be spelled the most ways and using the most symbols, and not coincidentally the longest name.
• A4) Carbon (CaRbON or CArBON). The element of the twelve whose symbol appears in the most answers, four. Nitrogen (N) appears in nine of the twelve answers.
• A5) Arsenic (ArSeNiC or ArSeNIC). One of the four elements, along with carbon, neon, and phosphorus, whose symbol can be used to spell one of the other answers.
• A6) Copper (CoPPEr or COPPEr). One of the two elements, along with phosphorus, that requires a repeated symbol.
• A7) Iron (IrON). One of the three elements, along with copper and tin, that cannot use its own symbol in its spelling.
• A8) Bismuth (BiSmUTh or BISmUTh). The element that uses the highest numbered element, uranium (92), as well as the second highest, thorium (90). [Yes, that's what the "Bism-" in "Pepto-Bismol" stands for.]
• A9) Silicon (SiLiCoN, SILiCoN, SiLiCON, or SILiCON). One of the four elements, along with arsenic, bismuth, and carbon, that can be spelled either with or without its own symbol.
• A10) Astatine (AsTaTiNe). The only element whose name can be spelled using only two-letter symbols (but doesn't use its own symbol even though it's a substring).
• A11) Xenon (XeNoN or XeNON). The only element whose name can be spelled either with or without a repeated symbol.
• A12) Krypton (KrYPtON). One of the five elements, along with astatine, neon, phosphorus, and xenon that can't be spelled without using its own symbol.

Ar U SErIOUS? - Random Trivia Questions

This was going to be the hardest mystery quiz ever, but I'm in a giving mood today, so I'll tell you the theme to help you find the answers to the twelve questions below. Each of the chemical elements being asked about can be spelled with chemical element symbols (ignoring capitalization). As luck would have it, there are exactly twelve elements that qualify, so if you want to figure out what they are as a puzzle first, you can simplify the quiz even further.

Ar U SErIOUS? Questions

• Q1) Which of the noble gases has the shortest name?
• Q2) Which chemical element has the shortest name?
• Q3) Which element did Germany's Hennig Brand distill from urine while looking for the philosophers' stone to make gold in 1669?
• Q4) Which element's presence or absence mostly distinguishes organic chemistry from inorganic chemistry?
• Q5) Which element's presence is detected by the Marsh test?
• Q6) Which element was first refined from malachite and azurite?
• Q7) Which element is primarily obtained from hematite?
• Q8) Which metal, in a subsalicylate compound, is the primary ingredient of Kaopectate?
• Q9) Which element was named for the Latin for "flint"?
• Q10) Which is the highest-weight halogen that has been discovered?
• Q11) Which is the rarest of the rare gases?
• Q12) From 1960 to 1983, the official meter was defined in terms of an orange-red spectral line of an isotope of which element?

Eye Before See -- Quiz Quilt 106 Solution

Category Answers:

Geography & Nature	COMOROS	The tiny 838-square-mile nation of about 600,000 people gained its independence in 1975.
Literature & Arts	DOYLE	British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was best known for his mysteries but also produced historical novels, science fiction, romances, plays, poetry, and nonfiction.
Sports & Games	BRONCOS	The Denver Broncos named themselves for the soft drink because their uniforms were orange.
Math & Science	HEPTANE	Normal heptane scores 0 while iso-octane scores 100, with higher numbers corresponding to less engine knocking.
Entertainment & Food	WHITE	The green-skinned grapes are also used to make champagne.
History & Government	YWCA	The pair started the Young Women's Christian Association in London, England.

Quiz Quilt Answer: MYOPIC (Third letters)

People who are myopic are nearsighted; images get focused in front of their retinas.

Eye Before See -- Quiz Quilt 106 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Geography & Nature	What is the former French colony and island country located between Mozambique and Madagascar?
Literature & Arts	Who created Sherlock Holmes?
Sports & Games	Which NFL team's defense was known as the Orange Crush in the 1970s?
Math & Science	What test fuel indicates the zero level on the octane scale?
Entertainment & Food	What color wine is made from Chardonnay grapes?
History & Government	What organization did Emma Robarts and Mary Jane Kinnaird found in 1855?

General Trivia Answers #3,217-3,222

Answer 3,217: Entertainment & Food -- Stationary Situation Comedy

d) WKRP in Cincinnati

Tom Wells and Hugh Wilson wrote the tune for the 1978 to 1982 show about a struggling radio station.

Answer 3,218: History & Government -- Common Commerce

d) Spain

Holland, Luxembourg, and France were the other initial members.

Answer 3,219: Math & Science -- Alveoli Supply

d) Lungs

The tiny air sacs inject oxygen into and extract carbon dioxide out of the blood.

Answer 3,220: Geography & Nature -- What Jut?

a) Denmark

The northern part of Germany is also on the peninsula.

Answer 3,221: Literature & Arts -- Christie's Closing Case

d) Sleeping Murder

The Miss Marple novel was also released under the title Murder from the Past. Curtain was her final Hercule Poirot story.

Answer 3,222: Sports & Games -- Child's Play

d) Sergio Garcia

The promising Spaniard was the low amateur at the 1999 Masters and finished second at the PGA Championship in 1999 and fourth at the U.S. Open in 2002.

General Trivia Questions #3,217-3,222

Question 3,217: Entertainment & Food -- Stationary Situation Comedy

According to its theme song, what television show's main characters "Got tired of packing and unpacking"?

a) Bosom Buddies
b) One Day at a Time
c) Three's Company
d) WKRP in Cincinnati

Question 3,218: History & Government -- Common Commerce

Which country below did not join the European Common Market in 1957?

a) Belgium
b) Germany
c) Italy
d) Spain

Question 3,219: Math & Science -- Alveoli Supply

Where are the alveoli located?

a) Brain
b) Heart
c) Kidneys
d) Lungs

Question 3,220: Geography & Nature -- What Jut?

What country is located entirely on the Jutland peninsula?

a) Denmark
b) Norway
c) Somalia
d) Sweden

Question 3,221: Literature & Arts -- Christie's Closing Case

What was Agatha Christie's final novel, written in 1940 but published under terms in her will after her death in 1976?

a) Curtain
b) Poirot's Early Cases
c) Postern of Fate
d) Sleeping Murder

Question 3,222: Sports & Games -- Child's Play

What golfer is known as El Nino?

a) Eduardo Romero
b) Jose Maria Olazabal
c) Lee Trevino
d) Sergio Garcia

Jeopardy! Online Tryouts January 27 to 29

If you have ten minutes to spare at 8 p.m. (of the test's local time) and want to try to qualify for Jeopardy!, head over to the main test page to sign up or read the FAQ first. The good news is that they seem to finally be allowing all adults to take the test every year now.

For some advice, please refer to my January 2007 post on the topic. Good luck!

General Trivia Answers #3,211-3,216

Answer 3,211: Entertainment & Food -- Years Before Cheers

b) Kirstie Alley

The actress who would become famous for playing Rebecca Howe also later won $10,000 with Lucille Ball on Password Plus.

Answer 3,212: History & Government -- Caltech Locale

d) Pasadena

Businessman and politician Amos G. Throop founded Caltech in 1891 as Throop University.

Answer 3,213: Math & Science -- Memory Stick

c) Smell

The primary olfactory cortex is physically connected to the memory-consolidating hippocampus.

Answer 3,214: Geography & Nature -- Sizable but Shallow

a) Lake Erie

With a maximum depth of 210 feet, it is much shallower than its four companions.

Answer 3,215: Literature & Arts -- Demeter's Daughter

d) Seasons

Hades had kidnapped Persephone, and Demeter got her back only after he had tricked her into eating a pomegranate seed, requiring her to spend three months a year with him.

Answer 3,216: Sports & Games -- Triple Triumph

a) Affirmed

The chestnut colt edged Alydar by less than two lengths combined in the three events in 1978.

General Trivia Questions #3,211-3,216

Question 3,211: Entertainment & Food -- Years Before Cheers

What future Cheers star was an unknown when she won a $5,000 jackpot on Match Game?

a) Bebe Neuwirth
b) Kirstie Alley
c) Rhea Perlman
d) Shelley Long

Question 3,212: History & Government -- Caltech Locale

In what city is the California Institute of Technology located?

a) Fresno
b) Fullerton
c) Irvine
d) Pasadena

Question 3,213: Math & Science -- Memory Stick

Which sense is most closely associated with memory?

a) Hearing
b) Sight
c) Smell
d) Taste

Question 3,214: Geography & Nature -- Sizable but Shallow

Which is the shallowest of the Great Lakes?

a) Lake Erie
b) Lake Huron
c) Lake Michigan
d) Lake Ontario

Question 3,215: Literature & Arts -- Demeter's Daughter

What phenomena did the Greek myth about Demeter and her daughter Persephone try to explain?

a) Changing of leaves' colors in fall
b) Night and day
c) Rain and snow
d) Seasons

Question 3,216: Sports & Games -- Triple Triumph

Who was the last thoroughbred to win the Triple Crown?

a) Affirmed
b) Citation
c) Seattle Slew
d) Secretariat

General Trivia Answers #3,205-3,210

Answer 3,205: Entertainment & Food -- Nonpareil in '90

a) Dances With Wolves

Kevin Costner directed the film and starred as Lieutenant John Dunbar in the film based on Michael Blake's novel and screenplay.

Answer 3,206: History & Government -- Leading Railroad

b) London

The London Underground, also called the Tube by locals, opened in January 1863.

Answer 3,207: Math & Science -- Inner Tube

b) Esophagus

The passageway is also known as the gullet.

Answer 3,208: Geography & Nature -- Nairobi's Nation

a) Kenya

The city is also the country's most populous, with two million residents.

Answer 3,209: Literature & Arts -- Meursault and a Monster

a) Albert Camus

The author once claimed, "The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth."

Answer 3,210: Sports & Games -- Finishing on Top

d) Pete Sampras

The Greek-American led the ATP six straight years, from 1993 to 1998.

General Trivia Questions #3,205-3,210

Question 3,205: Entertainment & Food -- Nonpareil in '90

What movie won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director of 1990?

a) Dances With Wolves
b) Ghost
c) Misery
d) Reversal of Fortune

Question 3,206: History & Government -- Leading Railroad

What city had the first underground railroad system?

a) Boston
b) London
c) New York
d) Paris

Question 3,207: Math & Science -- Inner Tube

What muscular tube connects the pharynx to the stomach?

a) Duodenum
b) Esophagus
c) Larynx
d) Trachea

Question 3,208: Geography & Nature -- Nairobi's Nation

Which Eastern African republic's capital is Nairobi?

a) Kenya
b) Somalia
c) Tanzania
d) Uganda

Question 3,209: Literature & Arts -- Meursault and a Monster

What Algerian-born French philosopher wrote the novel The Stranger and the play Caligula?

a) Albert Camus
b) Francois Voltaire
c) Jean-Paul Sartre
d) Rene Descartes

Question 3,210: Sports & Games -- Finishing on Top

What male tennis player ended the year ranked number one on the ATP tour the most consecutive times?

a) Ivan Lendl
b) Jimmy Connors
c) John McEnroe
d) Pete Sampras

General Trivia Answers #3,199-3,204

Answer 3,199: Entertainment & Food -- A Square and a Hare

b) Robert Zemeckis

His credits also include Romancing the Stone, the Back to the Future trilogy, Contact, and Cast Away.

Answer 3,200: History & Government -- Currency President

d) John F. Kennedy

His portrait has appeared on the half dollar coin since 1964.

Answer 3,201: Math & Science -- Crawl of Fame

c) Sea snail

Manfred Parth dubbed the creature Bufonaria borisbeckeri.

Answer 3,202: Geography & Nature -- Record River

a) Danube River

It touches nine countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine.

Answer 3,203: Literature & Arts -- Employed as Boyd

b) Edna St. Vincent Millay

The Vassar College alumna was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923, for The Harp-Weaver, and Other Poems.

Answer 3,204: Sports & Games -- Buzzards Buzz

b) Cow Pattys

They changed the name back after one weekend, but the resulting publicity helped the team avoid bankruptcy.

General Trivia Questions #3,199-3,204

Question 3,199: Entertainment & Food -- A Square and a Hare

Who was the director of Forrest Gump and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

a) Rob Reiner
b) Robert Zemeckis
c) Roger Young
d) Ron Howard

Question 3,200: History & Government -- Currency President

Who is the most recent U.S. President featured on a U.S. coin or bill?

a) Dwight Eisenhower
b) Franklin Roosevelt
c) Harry Truman
d) John F. Kennedy

Question 3,201: Math & Science -- Crawl of Fame

What animal's newly discovered species did a German scientist name for tennis player Boris Becker in 1999?

a) Dung beetle
b) Pink ladybug
c) Sea snail
d) Softshell tortoise

Question 3,202: Geography & Nature -- Record River

Which river passes through or forms a border of the most countries?

a) Danube River
b) Nile River
c) Parana River
d) Rhine River

Question 3,203: Literature & Arts -- Employed as Boyd

What female American poet sometimes used the pen name Nancy Boyd?

a) Anne Sexton
b) Edna St. Vincent Millay
c) Elizabeth Browning
d) Sylvia Plath

Question 3,204: Sports & Games -- Buzzards Buzz

What did the Western Professional Hockey League's El Paso Buzzards officially change their nickname to in 2001?

a) Belchers
b) Cow Pattys
c) Dung Beetles
d) Vultures

General Trivia Answers #3,193-3,198

Answer 3,193: Entertainment & Food -- Cuckoo for Coconuts

a) Donny and Marie Osmond

They played themselves in the semi-musical during the third year of the Donny and Marie variety show's run.

Answer 3,194: History & Government -- 1812 Over, Sure

b) Treaty of Ghent

The famous Battle of New Orleans occurred between the time that the treaty was signed (December 24, 1814) and ratified (February 18, 1815).

Answer 3,195: Math & Science -- Al Tech

c) Heron

The engineer figured out the formula for the area of a triangle given the lengths of its sides and devised a way to calculate square roots iteratively.

Answer 3,196: Geography & Nature -- Dour Flower

c) Poppy

The unripe seed pods of the opium poppy are used as a narcotic.

Answer 3,197: Literature & Arts -- Babar's Beau

b) Queen Celeste

Jean de Brunhoff introduced the pachyderm in 1931 and crowned him "Babar the King" in 1936.

Answer 3,198: Sports & Games -- Touchdowns to Turnovers

d) Steve Young

The San Francisco 49er threw 2.17 touchdown passes for every interception.

General Trivia Questions #3,193-3,198

Question 3,193: Entertainment & Food -- Cuckoo for Coconuts

What singers starred in the 1978 movie Goin' Coconuts?

a) Donny and Marie Osmond
b) The Jackson Five
c) The Monkees
d) Sonny and Cher

Question 3,194: History & Government -- 1812 Over, Sure

What treaty ended the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Great Britain?

a) Treaty of Brussels
b) Treaty of Ghent
c) Treaty of Paris
d) Treaty of Versailles

Question 3,195: Math & Science -- Al Tech

What mathematician founded the first College of Technology at Alexandria around A.D. 60?

a) Archimedes
b) Euclid
c) Heron
d) Pythagoras

Question 3,196: Geography & Nature -- Dour Flower

What flower, a symbol of sleep and the dead, is distributed by the Royal Canadian Legion for Remembrance Day?

a) Daffodil
b) Daisy
c) Poppy
d) Sunflower

Question 3,197: Literature & Arts -- Babar's Beau

Who was King Babar's wife?

a) Queen Barbara
b) Queen Celeste
c) Queen Dora
d) Queen Evelyn

Question 3,198: Sports & Games -- Touchdowns to Turnovers

What NFL quarterback had the highest career touchdown to interception ratio?

a) Dan Marino
b) Joe Montana
c) John Elway
d) Steve Young

Evolution of Dance 2 - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) "Here It Goes Again". OK GO's treadmill video has been watched, remade, and parodied countless times (including our kids' not-quite-YouTube-worthy bedroom rendition).
• A2) Marcia Griffiths. The song, called "Electric Boogie" (yes, not "Electric Slide" as Wikipedia's "Evolution of Dance" page refers to) was originally recorded in 1976 and rereleased in 1989 and is still the best-selling single by a female Reggae singer.
• A3) "Soulja Boy Tellem". DeAndre Ramone Way, a.k.a. Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, had a late 2008 hit even though the song was never officially released as a single.
• A4) "Tequila". The Champs shout "Tequila" three times in the otherwise instrumental-only song.
• A5) "Shout". The Isley Brothers' 1959 song was revived in 1978 for the movie Animal House, where it was performed by Otis Day and the Knights (which became a real band because of the movie).
• A6) Japan. The fashion model is also too sexy for New York and Milan, his love, his shirt, your party, his car, his hat, his cat, and the song itself.
• A7) "Pump Up the Jam". In addition to the title song, Technotronic also reached #7 with "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" and #95 with "Rockin' Over the Beat".
• A8) Piccolo. The flute-like instrument led millions of line dancers beginning in 1975.
• A9) May. The late-1964 release topped the charts in March of the following year.
• A10) "Hokey Pokey". The Larry LaPrise, Charles Macak, and Tafit Baker version was released in 1950, but the song traces its roots into the mid-19th century or earlier.
• A11) John Fogerty. The singer and guitarist and his band Creedence Clearwater Revival reached #2 on the charts with the original version of the song in 1969.
• A12) The Tower Bridge. The famous London Bridge from the song "London Bridge Is Falling Down" was demolished in 1831, so the currently more picturesque Tower Bridge was used instead.

Evolution of Dance 2 - Random Trivia Questions

The long-awaited successor to the #1 YouTube video of all time was finally released earlier this month, and not surprisingly was first discovered in this house by the five-year-old who watches way too much YouTube. How much do you know about Judson Laipply's new batch of songs and dances?

Evolution of Dance 2 Questions

• Q1) What song from the album Oh No became famous from another extremely popular YouTube video?
• Q2) What female artist's song is the Electric Slide line dance performed to?
• Q3) What self-titled song is the most recent release to appear on either "Evolution of Dance" video?
• Q4) What single, originally the B-side of "Train to Nowhere", reached the top of the charts despite having no lyrics besides its title?
• Q5) What song reach gold status despite peaking at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Tears for Fears took a different song with the same name to the top of the charts 26 years later?
• Q6) In the song "I'm Too Sexy", what country is Right Said Fred too sexy for?
• Q7) What was the first house song to reach #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, in 1989?
• Q8) In Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony's #1 pop and soul song "The Hustle", what musical instrument plays the melody?
• Q9) According to the Temptations, what month does "My Girl" let them think about when it's cold outside?
• Q10) What party dance, especially popular with younger children, is the oldest song on either "Evolution of Dance" renditions?
• Q11) Who wrote the song "Proud Mary", for which Ike and Tina Turner won a 1971 Grammy award?
• Q12) What bridge appears in the video and some versions of the jacket of Fergie's song "London Bridge"?

Rubik's Rope -- Quiz Quilt 105 Solution

Category Answers:

Sports & Games	STARBUCK	Born as Alicia Starbuck in Birmingham, Alabama in 1951, Jo Jo won the U.S. Figure Skating Pairs championship with Kenneth Shelley each year from 1970 to 1972.
Geography & Nature	MARSEILLE	The 826,300 people living there by 2004 estimates leave the city well under half as populous as Paris.
Entertainment & Food	INDOCHINE	Catherine Deneuve starred as rubber tree plantation owner Eliane, who gets involved in a love triangle with her adopted daughter and a young officer.
Math & Science	AGATE	The impure quartz was named for the Achates River, now called the Drillo, in Sicily, Italy.
Literature & Arts	ULYSSES	The U.S. Department of the Post Office burned 500 copies of the book in 1922.
History & Government	YEN	Until 1954, the yen could be divided into 100 sen or 1,000 rin.

Quiz Quilt Answer: TANGLE (Second letters)

Rubik's Tangle is a puzzle consisting of 25 square cardboard pieces, each bearing an identical mass of rope but differing in their colors.

Rubik's Rope -- Quiz Quilt 105 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Sports & Games	What figure skater was married to quarterback Terry Bradshaw from 1976 to 1981?
Geography & Nature	What is the second most populous city in France?
Entertainment & Food	What was the 1992 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner set in 1930s Vietnam?
Math & Science	What type of rock is an extremely fine-grained variety of chalcedony, banded in two or more colors, and valued as a semiprecious gem?
Literature & Arts	What 1918 James Joyce novel was initially banned in the U.S. but is now considered one of the greatest novels written in English?
History & Government	What unit of currency had its initial post-World War II value set at 360 to the dollar because its symbol also means circle?

General Trivia Answers #3,187-3,192

Answer 3,187: Entertainment & Food -- Blue Chip Choice

a) Basketball

Nick Nolte played college coach Pete Bell in the film written by Ron Shelton, whose other credits include Bull Durham and White Men Can't Jump.

Answer 3,188: History & Government -- Jobs's Jewel

b) NeXT

The computer company was launched in September 1985 and rolled out its first stylish black cubes in 1988.

Answer 3,189: Math & Science -- Triangle Truth

d) It is a right triangle

Carpenters use this fact to create approximate circles using just a framing square.

Answer 3,190: Geography & Nature -- Mountain Mileage

a) Andes

The mountain system spans about 4,700 miles on the western side of South America.

Answer 3,191: Literature & Arts -- Lottery Loser

d) Shirley Jackson

The story questions why society sometimes blindly follows traditions.

Answer 3,192: Sports & Games -- Major League Maximum

b) 25

On September 1, rosters can expand to 40 players, primarily to give experience to and try out minor leaguers. The additional players are not eligible to play in the postseason.

Catch a Catnapping Criminal -- Quiz Quilt 157 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Math & Science	What relatively large moon orbits Pluto?
History & Government	Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979?
Sports & Games	Who coached the Toronto Raptors from 1997-98 to 1999-2000 while his brother played wide receiver in the NFL?
Geography & Nature	What is the second largest island of the British Isles?
Literature & Arts	What actress authored the 1966 bestseller Valley of the Dolls?
Entertainment & Food	What singer recorded "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1949?

Catch a Catnapping Criminal -- Quiz Quilt 157 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Math & Science	What relatively large moon orbits Pluto?
History & Government	Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979?
Sports & Games	Who coached the Toronto Raptors from 1997-98 to 1999-2000 while his brother played wide receiver in the NFL?
Geography & Nature	What is the second largest island of the British Isles?
Literature & Arts	What actress authored the 1966 bestseller Valley of the Dolls?
Entertainment & Food	What singer recorded "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1949?

General Trivia Questions #3,187-3,192

Question 3,187: Entertainment & Food -- Blue Chip Choice

What was the topic of the 1994 movie Blue Chips?

a) Basketball
b) Casinos
c) Horse racing
d) The stock market

Question 3,188: History & Government -- Jobs's Jewel

What company did Steve Jobs found shortly after he left Apple Computer?

a) Be
b) NeXT
c) Palm
d) Silicon Graphics

Question 3,189: Math & Science -- Triangle Truth

In math, what is always true about a triangle inscribed in a circle if one side is the circle's diameter?

a) It is an acute triangle
b) It is an equilateral triangle
c) It is an obtuse triangle
d) It is a right triangle

Question 3,190: Geography & Nature -- Mountain Mileage

What is the longest of the following mountain chains?

a) Andes
b) Himalaya-Karakoram
c) Rockies
d) Urals

Question 3,191: Literature & Arts -- Lottery Loser

Who was the author of the 1949 short story "The Lottery" in which the winner is the loser?

a) Katherine Porter
b) Nathaniel Hawthorne
c) O. Henry
d) Shirley Jackson

Question 3,192: Sports & Games -- Major League Maximum

How many players are allowed on a Major League Baseball team roster for most of the season?

a) 20
b) 25
c) 30
d) 35

General Trivia Answers #3,181-3,186

Answer 3,181: Entertainment & Food -- Forgotten Four?

a) The California Raisins

The singing and dancing dried fruits first appeared in commercials in 1986.

Answer 3,182: History & Government -- Burlington Barter

a) Bread

The money substitute is available in 1-, 5-, and 10-slice notes.

Answer 3,183: Math & Science -- Melting Metal

b) Gallium

Because its melting point is 86° Fahrenheit, it is used in high-temperature thermometers.

Answer 3,184: Geography & Nature -- Considerable Cat Tail

b) Leopard

Its tail can measure up to 55 inches long.

Answer 3,185: Literature & Arts -- Senior Superhero

d) Superman

The Man of Steel first appeared in 1938, a year before Batman and the Human Torch.

Answer 3,186: Sports & Games -- Sneaker Salesman

d) Walt Frazier

Puma attired the New York Knicks guard with shoes for his feet and $5,000 for his pockets in 1972.

General Trivia Questions #3,181-3,186

Question 3,181: Entertainment & Food -- Forgotten Four?

What are A.C., Beebop, Red, and Stretch better known as?

a) The California Raisins
b) The Four Tops
c) The Fruit of the Loom Guys
d) The Wiggles

Question 3,182: History & Government -- Burlington Barter

What barter currency was introduced in Burlington, Vermont in 1998?

a) Bread
b) Maple leaves
c) Snowmen
d) Wood

Question 3,183: Math & Science -- Melting Metal

What rare metal is solid at room temperature but will melt in a person's hand?

a) Barium
b) Gallium
c) Holmium
d) Indium

Question 3,184: Geography & Nature -- Considerable Cat Tail

What member of the cat family has the longest tail?

a) Jaguar
b) Leopard
c) Lion
d) Tiger

Question 3,185: Literature & Arts -- Senior Superhero

Who was the first of the following comic book heroes to debut?

a) Batman
b) Captain Marvel
c) The Human Torch
d) Superman

Question 3,186: Sports & Games -- Sneaker Salesman

Who was the first NBA player paid to wear sneakers?

a) Earl Monroe
b) George Gervin
c) Julius Erving
d) Walt Frazier

General Trivia Answers #3,175-3,180

Answer 3,175: Entertainment & Food -- Partridge Pretender

a) Brian

The other siblings were Keith and Danny.

Answer 3,176: History & Government -- Rare Bird

b) Calamity Jane

The supposed wife of Wild Bill Hickok earned her nickname in 1872 by rescuing Captain Egan from an ambush in Wyoming.

Answer 3,177: Math & Science -- Compound Cousins

b) Isomers

In 1825, German chemist Friedrich Wohler discovered that cyanic and fulminic acids had different properties but the same composition. Jons Jacob Berzelius coined the term.

Answer 3,178: Geography & Nature -- Washington Waterway

b) Potomac River

The 413-mile river flows from southwest Maryland to the Chesapeake Bay.

Answer 3,179: Literature & Arts -- Me-Moi-rs

b) Katharine Hepburn

Her book The Making of the African Queen was published four years earlier.

Answer 3,180: Sports & Games -- Used in Euchre

c) Nine

Some variations also include the sevens and eights.

General Trivia Questions #3,175-3,180

Question 3,175: Entertainment & Food -- Partridge Pretender

Who of the following was not one of the Partridge Family's kids?

a) Brian
b) Christopher
c) Laurie
d) Tracy

Question 3,176: History & Government -- Rare Bird

Who is Martha Canary better known as?

a) Annie Oakley
b) Calamity Jane
c) Molly Pitcher
d) Typhoid Mary

Question 3,177: Math & Science -- Compound Cousins

What is the scientific term for chemical compounds with identical molecular formulas but different atom positions?

a) Antiomers
b) Isomers
c) Isotopes
d) Polymers

Question 3,178: Geography & Nature -- Washington Waterway

On what river is Washington, D.C. located?

a) Allegheny River
b) Potomac River
c) Shenandoah River
d) Susquehanna River

Question 3,179: Literature & Arts -- Me-Moi-rs

What actress's Me: Stories of My Life was the best selling nonfiction book of 1991?

a) Jessica Tandy
b) Katharine Hepburn
c) Lauren Bacall
d) Olympia Dukakis

Question 3,180: Sports & Games -- Used in Euchre

In the game of euchre, what is the lowest denomination usually used?

a) Ace
b) Deuce
c) Nine
d) Ten

General Trivia Answers #3,169-3,174

Answer 3,169: Entertainment & Food -- Directorial Debut

b) Grand Theft Auto

The University of Oklahoma drama major also starred as Sam Freeman in the 84-minute film in 1977.

Answer 3,170: History & Government -- Aground in the Sound

d) Valdez

Captain Joseph Hazelwood was only convicted of illegally discharging oil despite admitting that he had been drinking. The ship was rechristened the SeaRiver Mediterranean.

Answer 3,171: Math & Science -- Ah Ha

c) Ohm

The mho is a unit of electrical conductance and is the reciprocal of the ohm, a unit of electrical resistance.

Answer 3,172: Geography & Nature -- Superabundant Species

b) Beetles

The 400,000 types of beetles account for almost half of all insect species.

Answer 3,173: Literature & Arts -- Fiddling and Diddling

b) Dish

The poem supposedly comes from Queen Elizabeth I's court, where various people were nicknamed Moon, Dog, Dish, and Spoon.

Answer 3,174: Sports & Games -- Sir Passed

b) Dean Smith

His career record was 879-254, including two NCAA Final Four Championships. Pat Summitt won her women's record 880th game in 2005, and Bobby Knight won his 880th game on January 1, 2007.

General Trivia Questions #3,169-3,174

Question 3,169: Entertainment & Food -- Directorial Debut

What movie was Ron Howard's directorial debut?

a) Cotton Candy
b) Grand Theft Auto
c) Night Shift
d) Splash

Question 3,170: History & Government -- Aground in the Sound

What Exxon tanker crashed in Prince William Sound in 1989?

a) Cortez
b) Jimenez
c) Torrez
d) Valdez

Question 3,171: Math & Science -- Ah Ha

What unit of measure's name can be reversed to spell another unit of measure?

a) Acre
b) Gram
c) Ohm
d) Ton

Question 3,172: Geography & Nature -- Superabundant Species

What type of animal has the most species?

a) Ants
b) Beetles
c) Cockroaches
d) Spiders

Question 3,173: Literature & Arts -- Fiddling and Diddling

In the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle", who runs away with the spoon?

a) Cup
b) Dish
c) Fork
d) Knife

Question 3,174: Sports & Games -- Sir Passed

What coach won more NCAA Division I men's basketball games than anyone else before 2007?

a) Adolph Rupp
b) Dean Smith
c) Hank Iba
d) Phog Allen

General Trivia Answers #3,163-3,168

Answer 3,163: Entertainment & Food -- Video Thrilled the Radio Star

b) I've Got a Secret

The game show was a knockoff of What's My Line?, which had debuted two years earlier.

Answer 3,164: History & Government -- Special Spike

c) Utah

The Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads joined their tracks in the town of Promontory.

Answer 3,165: Math & Science -- Planar Planet

c) Mercury

It spins almost exactly perpendicular to its orbit, with a tilt of only 0.1 degrees.

Answer 3,166: Geography & Nature -- Embark at MCO

b) Orlando, Florida

The abbreviation comes from the McCoy Air Force Base, which was located where the airport now stands.

Answer 3,167: Literature & Arts -- Palace Place

c) Istanbul, Turkey

The Ottoman Empire's administrative center is now a museum and one of the city's main tourist attractions.

Answer 3,168: Sports & Games -- Four-Fer

b) Amy Van Dyken

The others each won four medals but not all gold.

General Trivia Questions #3,163-3,168

Question 3,163: Entertainment & Food -- Video Thrilled the Radio Star

Which 1950s TV show below was not originally a radio show?

a) Gunsmoke
b) I've Got a Secret
c) This Is Your Life
d) You Bet Your Life

Question 3,164: History & Government -- Special Spike

In which state was the last spike driven in to complete the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869?

a) Colorado
b) Kansas
c) Utah
d) Wyoming

Question 3,165: Math & Science -- Planar Planet

Which planet is tilted the least on its axis?

a) Earth
b) Jupiter
c) Mercury
d) Venus

Question 3,166: Geography & Nature -- Embark at MCO

What city's three-letter airport code is MCO?

a) Okinawa, Japan
b) Orlando, Florida
c) Oslo, Norway
d) Ottawa, Canada

Question 3,167: Literature & Arts -- Palace Place

In what city did the Topkapi Palace open in 1454?

a) Baghdad, Iraq
b) Damascus, Syria
c) Istanbul, Turkey
d) Tehran, Iran

Question 3,168: Sports & Games -- Four-Fer

What swimmer won four gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics?

a) Aleksandr Popov
b) Amy Van Dyken
c) Gary Hall
d) Michelle Smith

Miss-tery Quiz - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Froot Loops. The Keel-billed toucan has hawked the product since its debut in 1963.
• A2) Daylight Saving Time. Benjamin Franklin satirized the idea of waking up with the sun in 1784 as a way to save candles but did not specifically suggest Daylight Saving Time.
• A3) Humphry Davy. The chemist also invented the Davy lamp, which lowered the risk of explosions in mines but ultimately wasn't bright enough to use.
• A4) Colombia. Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in the industrial port city of Barranquilla, Atlantico.
• A5) John Hinckley. Ronald Reagan's would-be assassin had also plotted to kill Jimmy Carter in hopes of impressing actress Jodie Foster.
• A6) Edgar Allan Poe. He intentionally got himself court-martialed so he could work on his poetry full-time.
• A7) Ford Madox Ford. Following World War I, he didn't want to continue using the German last name Hueffer.
• A8) Far From the Madding Crowd. The rural story follows the beautiful, poor-then-rich Bathsheba Everdene and the three men in her life: the shepherd Gabriel Oak, the farmer William Boldwood, and the Sergeant Frank Troy.
• A9) Glenn Miller. The song was originally the B-side of "Sunrise Serenade" in 1939.
• A10) Muhammad Ali. Swimmer Janet Evans passed the torch to the 1960 light heavyweight boxing gold medalist.
• A11) Rickey Henderson. In 1982, the Man of Steal swiped a record 130 bases despite getting caught 42 times.
• A12) Danielle Steel. She was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records when she had at least one book on the New York Times bestseller list for 381 consecutive weeks.

Even looking at all twelve answers, this week's unusual theme may still elude you. Each of these names is often butchered, and I personally have misspelled them in published quizzes.

Here are the common misspellings of this week's answers (bolded letters are wrong; an asterisk represents a missing letter):

Fruit Loops	Froot Loops	Kellogg's wanted the 'o'-pair because of the shape of the cereal
Daylight Savings Time	Daylight Saving Time	the correct spelling barely beats out the incorrect one in a Google search
Humphrey Davy	Humphry Davy	Humphrey Bogart has the 'e', but Davy doesn't in either his first or last name
Columbia	Colombia	the country is not the college
John Hin*kley	John Hinckley	definitely a crackpot
Edgar Allen Poe	Edgar Allan Poe	middle name ends with "an", like the beginning of "Annabel Lee"
Ford Maddox Ford	Ford Madox Ford	truly a "mad ox" then
Far From the Maddening Crowd	Far From the Madding Crowd	a maddening mistake to be sure
Glen* Miller	Glenn Miller	doubled 'n' in the first name and doubled 'l' in the last, just like "Mr. Goalie" Glenn Hall
Muhammed Ali	Muhammad Ali	'a' as in "Ali"
Rick*y Henderson	Rickey Henderson	his middle name, Henley, also ends in "-ey"
Danielle Steele	Danielle Steel	at least 20 of her novels have made their way to a TV or movie reel

Here are some of the other names I've goofed on:

Incorrect Spelling	Correct Spelling	Comments
Desi Arnez	Desi Arnaz	last name is all a's like his 1943 movie Bataan
Malcolm Baldridge	Malcolm Baldrige	there's no "bridge" in "Baldrige"
Beetlegeuse	Betlegeuse	the 1988 movie is spelled "Beetle Juice", not that that helps
Neils Bohr	Niels Bohr	don't confused the Danish name with the common "Neil", which is one of the exceptions to the 'i' after 'e' rule
Michael Crighton	Michael Crichton	rich but no longer upright
Lindsey Davenport	Lindsay Davenport	she doesn't say much (her racket did the talking)
Descarte*	Descartes	don't forget the second silent 's'
dip*theria	diphtheria	the 'h' after the 'p' produces an unusual run of four consecutive consonants
Amelia Earheart	Amelia Earhart	no questioning her heart, but it's neither "air" nor "heart"
Eurhythmics	Eurythmics	"rhythm" has the extra 'h', but "eurythmics" is a real word meaning the "interpretation in harmonious bodily movements of the rhythm of music"
Bret* Favre	Brett Favre	double the 't' for both his touchdowns and turnovers; do me a favor and avoid transposing the 'v' and 'r'
Steven King	Stephen King	"ph" as in "phobia"
Jimmy Foxx	Jimmie Foxx	a common alternate spelling, and both actually appear in print
Paul Gaug*in	Paul Gauguin	"au" in both first and last names and "-guin" like "penguin"
Tatum O'Neil	Tatum O'Neal	she also has an "ea" in her middle name, Beatrice
Phillipines	Philippines	single 'l' then double 'p', just like Mark Philippoussis, where you also need to remember the double 's'
Sao Paolo, Brazil	Sao Paulo, Brazil	named for Saint Paul, and its "au" combination
Tuscon, Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	the name comes from the Spanish Tucson, which is from the Oodham name Cuk Son
Victoria Woodhall	Victoria Woodhull	a 'u' like in "suffragette"

And here are some other names listed in order of the ratio of incorrect spellings to correct spellings on the World Wide Web:

Court*ney Cox	Courteney Cox	people miss the 'e' nearly two-fifths of the time
Rach*el Ray	Rachael Ray	people miss the 'a' over a third of the time
Jimmy Buffet*	Jimmy Buffett	the singer is not a place to eat
Katherine McPhee	Katharine McPhee	a common alternate spelling of the first name
Eddie Rabbit*	Eddie Rabbitt	Eddie isn't an animal
Barbara Streisand	Barbra Streisand	the singer's first name has 2 a's, 2 b's, and 2 r's
Nicholas Cage	Nicholas Cage	a common alternate spelling of the first name
Stevie Ray Vaugh*n	Stevie Ray Vaughan	one fewer 'a' than Mo Vaughn
Christopher Reeves	Christopher Reeve	the 's' must have jumped onto his Superman cape
Hillary Duff	Hilary Duff	Hillary Clinton has one more 'l' in her first and last names

Miss-tery Quiz - Random Trivia Questions

This week's theme isn't just a mystery, it's a miss-tery. Hope that helps but be forewarned that the link is tougher than usual, so if you don't spot it, don't feel bad.

Miss-tery Quiz Questions

• Q1) What breakfast cereal is Toucan Sam the mascot for?
• Q2) What convention was devised by Englishman William Willett in 1905 but first implemented by Germany on April 30, 1916?
• Q3) What British scientist damaged his eyesight in a nitrogen trichloride explosion, leading him to hire Michael Faraday, and died in 1829 at age 50 partly from having inhaled too many noxious chemicals?
• Q4) In what country was the singer Shakira born?
• Q5) What Oklahoma-born songwriting failure was charged with 13 offenses but found not guilty by reason of insanity on June 21, 1982 and sent to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.?
• Q6) What poet was expelled from West Point for "gross neglect of duty" and "disobedience of orders" on March 6, 1831?
• Q7) What English author wrote the novel The Good Soldier and the tetralogy Parade's End and changed his last name to match his first?
• Q8) What novel, originally published anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, was Thomas Hardy's first major success?
• Q9) What bandleader composed the song "Moonlight Serenade"?
• Q10) What athlete lit the torch to begin the 1996 Summer Olympics?
• Q11) What Major League Baseball player was caught stealing the most times in a single season?
• Q12) What author's novels Zoya and Star were bestsellers in 1988 and 1989 respectively?

Asinine Ammo -- Quiz Quilt 104 Solution

Category Answers:

Geography & Nature	DOVE	The ubiquitous city pigeon is officially called the rock dove.
Literature & Arts	CUPID	The mischievous boy was Venus's son.
History & Government	KIM	Kim Il Sung became the leader of the Korean Workers' Party in 1945, was premier from 1948 to 1972, and then was president until his death in 1994.
Entertainment & Food	WONDER	The single from her Tigerlily album ends, "With love, with patience and with faith / She'll make her way, she'll make her way."
Math & Science	MERCURY	Frenchman Auguste Taveau first used amalgams for dentistry work in 1816 by mixing silver from coins with mercury. Copper, tin, and other metals are also used now.
Sports & Games	BALTIMORE	The NFL returned to Baltimore, Maryland twelve years later with the Ravens.

Quiz Quilt Answer: DUMDUM (Diagonally from the top left corner)

Dum-dum bullets, named for a city in India, are designed to expand on impact to increase damage. The 1899 Hague Convention banned them within a decade.

Asinine Ammo -- Quiz Quilt 104 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Geography & Nature	What is the synonym for pigeon that has much better, peaceful connotations?
Literature & Arts	What arrow-toting Roman god is now most commonly seen around Valentine's Day?
History & Government	Who was North Korea's first premier and later its president?
Entertainment & Food	What song did Natalie Merchant describe as being about a "woman who overcomes a severe physical handicap"?
Math & Science	What chemical element creates mixtures called amalgams?
Sports & Games	In what city did the Indianapolis Colts play before moving in 1984?

General Trivia Answers #3,157-3,162

Answer 3,157: Entertainment & Food -- Harry's Harmonies

b) Piano

The musician, singer, and actor started to tickle the ivories at age three.

Answer 3,158: History & Government -- Conservative Canadian Commoner

a) Brian Mulroney

The Conservative was elected on September 4, 1984 and served almost nine years.

Answer 3,159: Math & Science -- Lead Launch

a) Explorer 1

The thirty-pound spacecraft orbited the Earth for 111 days, completing each round trip in under two hours.

Answer 3,160: Geography & Nature -- Franco-Italian Interchange

b) Mont Cenis Tunnel

The 8½-mile rail tunnel was constructed under the Frejus Pass from Modane, France to Bardonecchia, Italy from 1857 to 1871.

Answer 3,161: Literature & Arts -- Discontent Content

d) Richard III

The title character, still the Duke of Gloucester at the time, opens the play by revealing his plot to seize power.

Answer 3,162: Sports & Games -- Net Change

c) 6 inches

A strap in the middle of the net keeps it at the proper height.

General Trivia Questions #3,157-3,162

Question 3,157: Entertainment & Food -- Harry's Harmonies

What musical instrument does Harry Connick, Jr. play?

a) Guitar
b) Piano
c) Saxophone
d) Trumpet

Question 3,158: History & Government -- Conservative Canadian Commoner

Who was the first Canadian prime minister from the working class?

a) Brian Mulroney
b) John Turner
c) Joseph Clark
d) Richard Bennett

Question 3,159: Math & Science -- Lead Launch

What was the first U.S. satellite in 1958?

a) Explorer 1
b) Pioneer 1
c) Ranger 1
d) Surveyor 1

Question 3,160: Geography & Nature -- Franco-Italian Interchange

What passageway connects Italy and France?

a) Brenner Pass
b) Mont Cenis Tunnel
c) Simplon Tunnel
d) St. Gotthard Tunnel

Question 3,161: Literature & Arts -- Discontent Content

Which Shakespeare play contains the line, "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York"?

a) Julius Caesar
b) King Lear
c) Othello
d) Richard III

Question 3,162: Sports & Games -- Net Change

How much lower is a tennis net in the middle than at the ends?

a) 2 inches
b) 4 inches
c) 6 inches
d) 8 inches

General Trivia Answers #3,151-3,156

Answer 3,151: Entertainment & Food -- Batman's Backer

d) Warner Brothers

The film was their highest grossing ever up until that time and still stands fourth behind the first two Harry Potter movies and The Matrix Reloaded.

Answer 3,152: History & Government -- Pray Day

c) Halloween

All Christian saints are honored every year on November 1.

Answer 3,153: Math & Science -- Axis Angle

b) 23.4 degrees

The tilt is responsible for the seasons, among other things.

Answer 3,154: Geography & Nature -- Atolls Area

b) Indian Ocean

The country consists of 1,196 islands, all occupying under five square miles.

Answer 3,155: Literature & Arts -- Foster Holmes

b) Arthur Conan Doyle

The British author was best known for his mysteries but also produced historical novels, science fiction, romances, plays, poetry, and nonfiction.

Answer 3,156: Sports & Games -- Final Force

c) Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers

They have played for 29 championships, winning just under half the time.

General Trivia Questions #3,151-3,156

Question 3,151: Entertainment & Food -- Batman's Backer

What Hollywood studio produced Batman in 1989?

a) Paramount
b) Twentieth Century Fox
c) Universal Studios
d) Warner Brothers

Question 3,152: History & Government -- Pray Day

What holiday does All Saints Day follow?

a) Christmas
b) Easter
c) Halloween
d) Passover

Question 3,153: Math & Science -- Axis Angle

What is the approximate tilt of the Earth's axis?

a) 19.2 degrees
b) 23.4 degrees
c) 27.6 degrees
d) 31.8 degrees

Question 3,154: Geography & Nature -- Atolls Area

In what body of water is the Republic of Maldives located?

a) Atlantic Ocean
b) Indian Ocean
c) Mediterranean Sea
d) Pacific Ocean

Question 3,155: Literature & Arts -- Foster Holmes

Who created Sherlock Holmes?

a) Agatha Christie
b) Arthur Conan Doyle
c) G.K. Chesterton
d) Raymond Chandler

Question 3,156: Sports & Games -- Final Force

Which team has played in the most NBA finals?

a) Boston Celtics
b) Chicago Bulls
c) Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
d) Syracuse Nats/Philadelphia 76ers

General Trivia Answers #3,145-3,150

Answer 3,145: Entertainment & Food -- No White

c) Susan Stafford

The clinical psychology Ph.D. was the hostess from 1975 until 1982 when Vanna White took over.

Answer 3,146: History & Government -- Confederation Chief

b) John Hanson

The Maryland farmer designed the Seal of the President of the United States.

Answer 3,147: Math & Science -- Ophidiophobia Objection

c) Snakes

Batrachophobia is the fear of amphibians, apiphobia is the fear of bees, and scoleciphobia is the fear of worms.

Answer 3,148: Geography & Nature -- Ancient Africa

b) Ethiopia

The nation is about 2,000 years old.

Answer 3,149: Literature & Arts -- Epiphany Evoker

b) James Joyce

The Irishman finished the autobiography, published posthumously in 1944, as a 22-year-old but was unhappy with the result and rewrote it as A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Answer 3,150: Sports & Games -- Shameful Shots

c) Petr Korda

The International Tennis Federation let him off easy for taking nandrolone, only forfeiting his points and prize money from the slam.

General Trivia Questions #3,145-3,150

Question 3,145: Entertainment & Food -- No White

Who was the original letter-turner on the Wheel of Fortune game show?

a) Cynthia Washington
b) Summer Bartholomew
c) Susan Stafford
d) Vicky McCarty

Question 3,146: History & Government -- Confederation Chief

What American Patriot was the President of the U.S. in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation in 1781?

a) John Hancock
b) John Hanson
c) John Jay
d) Peyton Randolph

Question 3,147: Math & Science -- Ophidiophobia Objection

What does a person suffering from ophidiophobia fear?

a) Amphibians
b) Bees
c) Snakes
d) Worms

Question 3,148: Geography & Nature -- Ancient Africa

What is black Africa's oldest country?

a) Egypt
b) Ethiopia
c) Nigeria
d) Sudan

Question 3,149: Literature & Arts -- Epiphany Evoker

What author coined the term "epiphany" and described it best in his novel Stephen Hero?

a) Henry Miller
b) James Joyce
c) Stephen Crane
d) W. Somerset Maugham

Question 3,150: Sports & Games -- Shameful Shots

What 1998 Wimbledon semifinalist tested positive for steroids?

a) Aaron Krickstein
b) Gustavo Kuerten
c) Petr Korda
d) Yevgeny Kafelnikov

General Trivia Answers #3,139-3,144

Answer 3,139: Entertainment & Food -- Broadening Brittany

a) Another World

Sharon Gabet played Brittany Peterson from 1984 to 1985.

Answer 3,140: History & Government -- Taking Charge

b) Diner's Club

Frank McNamara forever altered consumer spending habits in 1950.

Answer 3,141: Math & Science -- Odontalgia Ouch

d) Toothache

Jon Pennington of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania spelled the technical term correctly to win the 1986 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee.

Answer 3,142: Geography & Nature -- Mounting Mountain

a) Andes

The chain is being forced up by the collision of the South American and Pacific tectonic plates.

Answer 3,143: Literature & Arts -- Nomination Domination

d) Neil Simon

The four-time Oscar nominee has been up for Best Play Tony Awards ten times, winning three awards.

Answer 3,144: Sports & Games -- Webb Slam

a) 5'7"

Anthony Webb was the shortest player to lead the NBA in free throw percentage, at .935 with Sacramento in 1994-95, and the shortest to score 30 points in a game until 2004.

General Trivia Questions #3,139-3,144

Question 3,139: Entertainment & Food -- Broadening Brittany

What soap opera popularized the name Brittany?

a) Another World
b) Days of Our Lives
c) General Hospital
d) The Young and the Restless

Question 3,140: History & Government -- Taking Charge

What was the first charge card?

a) American Express
b) Diner's Club
c) Sears
d) Visa

Question 3,141: Math & Science -- Odontalgia Ouch

What is the common name for odontalgia?

a) Cavity
b) Impacted wisdom tooth
c) Root canal
d) Toothache

Question 3,142: Geography & Nature -- Mounting Mountain

Which of the following mountain chains is still geologically active and rising?

a) Andes
b) Appalachians
c) Himalayas
d) Rockies

Question 3,143: Literature & Arts -- Nomination Domination

What author's plays have been nominated for the most Tony Awards?

a) Arthur Miller
b) August Wilson
c) Edward Albee
d) Neil Simon

Question 3,144: Sports & Games -- Webb Slam

How tall is 1986 NBA Slam Dunk contest winner Spud Webb?

a) 5'7"
b) 5'9"
c) 5'11"
d) 6'1"

General Trivia Answers #3,133-3,138

Answer 3,133: Entertainment & Food -- Vader's Voice

b) James Earl Jones

David Prowse was the actor behind the mask.

Answer 3,134: History & Government -- Queen Elizabeth Too

c) Pay income taxes

The tax applies to all the queen's private income and all money taken from the Privy Purse for personal use.

Answer 3,135: Math & Science -- Nineteenth Century Novelties

c) Sewing machine

Elias Howe created the mechanical stitcher in 1846, three years before the safety pin debuted.

Answer 3,136: Geography & Nature -- Troublesome Triangle

b) Cuba

E.V.W. Jones of the AP Wire Service first noted the strange disappearances of ships and airplanes in the region in 1950.

Answer 3,137: Literature & Arts -- Myth Miss

b) John Steinbeck

The Stanford University dropout failed with his mythology attempt, but soon gained fame telling tales about California and the Great Depression.

Answer 3,138: Sports & Games -- Slamless Summit

b) Martina Hingis

Davenport duplicated the feat in 2004 when four different women split the majors.

General Trivia Questions #3,133-3,138

Question 3,133: Entertainment & Food -- Vader's Voice

Who provided Darth Vader's voice in the Star Wars movies?

a) David Prowse
b) James Earl Jones
c) John Forsythe
d) Samuel L. Jackson

Question 3,134: History & Government -- Queen Elizabeth Too

In 1993, what did Queen Elizabeth agree to do for the first time?

a) Donate to charity
b) Give blood
c) Pay income taxes
d) Register to vote

Question 3,135: Math & Science -- Nineteenth Century Novelties

Which of the following was invented first?

a) Fountain pen
b) Safety pin
c) Sewing machine
d) Zipper

Question 3,136: Geography & Nature -- Troublesome Triangle

Which of the following does not form one of the corners of the Bermuda Triangle?

a) Bermuda
b) Cuba
c) Melbourne, Florida
d) Puerto Rico

Question 3,137: Literature & Arts -- Myth Miss

What author's first novel was Cup of Gold in 1929?

a) Dashiell Hammett
b) John Steinbeck
c) Raymond Chandler
d) William Faulkner

Question 3,138: Sports & Games -- Slamless Summit

What female tennis player finished #1 on the WTA tour in 2000 despite not winning any Grand Slam tournaments?

a) Lindsay Davenport
b) Martina Hingis
c) Serena Williams
d) Venus Williams

For the Record - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Aaron Peirsol. The American clocked in at 52.54 seconds to win Olympic gold in Beijing and later helped the U.S. set a 4x100-meter medley record as well.
• A2) Michael Phelps. The American swimmer and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year brought home eight gold medals from Beijing to eclipse Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record. The Baltimore Bullet also set seven world records (three team) and one other Olympic record along the way.
• A3) Usain Bolt. The Jamaican literally cruised in with a world-record 9.69 seconds in the 100 meters then repeated the feat with a 19.30-second time in the 200 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
• A4) Yelena Isinbayeva. The Russian cleared 5.05 meters in Beijing and has posted the highest vault of the year every year since 2003.
• A5) Josh Hamilton. His 28 first-round dingers crushed the Bobby Abreu's four-year-old record of 24, but because of the format in which the slate is cleared for the finals, Justin Morneau still won the event.
• A6) Kenny Rogers. The crafty lefty nailed Wilson Betemit on May 9 to pass Mark Langston with his 92nd pick and finished the season with 93.
• A7) Mark Reynolds. The Arizona Diamondbacks' third baseman struck out for the 200th time on September 25, erasing Ryan Howard's year-old mark, and finished with 204.
• A8) Golden State Warriors. The Warriors' 48-34 record was not good enough to make the top eight in the superior Western Conference despite being a full three games better than the 2000-2001 Houston Rockets, the previous record-holder. When only four teams from each conference reached the postseason, the Phoenix Suns' 1971-1972 season ended early with 49 wins.
• A9) Memphis The Tigers entered the 2008 Final Four tournament with 33 wins and added five more before losing to the Kansas Jayhawks in the final and finishing with a 38-2 record.
• A10) Jeff Feagles. The New York Giants punter was 41 years old when his team upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
• A11) Sebastian Janikowski. On October 19, the first-round draft pick set an Oakland Raiders record with a 57-yarder, four yards longer than Chris Jacke's in 1996, to defeat the New York Jets. Janikowski also attempted the longest regulation kick ever, with a failed 76-yarder as the first half expired on September 28.
• A12) Tony Gonzalez. The Kansas City Chiefs veteran removed Shannon Sharpe and his 10,060 yards from the record books on October 5.

For the record, here are some of the other more significant sports records set (or tied) in 2008:

• Major League Baseball
  • San Francisco Giants middle infielder Omar Vizquel tallied his 2,584th game as a shortstop on May 25, passing Luis Aparicio's Major League Baseball record.
  • Mike Mussina became the oldest Major League Baseball pitcher to win twenty games in a season for the first time. The New York Yankees veteran reached the mark for the at age 39, topping Jamie Moyer who recorded his first 20-win season at age 38 in 2001.
  • On July 27, Oakland Athletics rookie Brad Ziegler pitched the 26th and 27th consecutive shutout innings from the start of his career, surpassing Philadelphia Phillie George McQuillan's 101-year-old Major League Baseball record.
  • On June 23 at Shea Stadium, Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez became the first American League pitcher to hit a grand slam since the introduction of the designated hitter rule.
  • On September 29, Chicago White Sox second basemen Alexei Ramirez hit his fourth grand slam of the season to set a new Major League Baseball rookie record.
  • Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis set a new Major League record by playing 238 consecutive errorless games at first base, leaving Steve Garvey's 193-game streak in the dust.
• NBA
  • The 2006-07 Boston Celtics won only 24 games while the 2007-08 team won 66, an NBA-record improvement of 42 games, six better than the 1997-98 San Antonio Spurs, who had improved from 20 to 56 wins.
  • On March 30, the Boston Celtics held the Miami Heat to an NBA shot clock era record low 17 field goals in an 88-62 victory, one worse than the Chicago Bulls managed against the Miami Heat in an April 1999 game.
  • On December 10, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony tied George Gervin's 1978 NBA record by scoring 33 points in a single quarter, as he lit up the scoreboard during the the third quarter of his team's 116-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves (Gervin's record was in the second quarter).
• NCAA Basketball
  • The UCLA Bruins kept Mississippi Valley State to a shot clock era low 29 points in the first round of the NCAA Final Four tournament and held the Delta Devils to a record-low 19.7 shooting percentage.
  • For the first time since the field expanded to 64 teams, all four #1 seeds reached the Final Four.
• NFL
  • Super Bowl XLII set a U.S. sports record with 97.5 million viewers (43.3 rating and 65 share; 148.3 million viewers worldwide), second all-time for any television show only to the 1983 M*A*S*H finale (106 million viewers). The previous Super Bowl record was 94.08 million in 1996.
  • Wes Welker tied a Super Bowl record with 11 catches in February and set a record with at least six receptions in each of the first twelve games of the 2008 season, destroying the Jacksonville Jaguar's Jimmy Smith's record of eight games set in 2001.
  • On January 12, Tom Brady set an NFL postseason record by completing 92.86% of his passes (26 of 28) for the New England Patriots against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
  • The New England Patriots won their last three regular season games in 2006, all sixteen in 2007, and their first two in 2008 for an NFL record streak of 21, bookended by losses to the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots had also held the previous record with a run of 18 from October 5, 2003 to October 24, 2004.
  • On November 13, Matt Cassel became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 400 yards and run for 60 in the same game in a comeback against the New York Jets.
  • On November 16, Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover notched his 372nd consecutive extra point since 1996 without a miss, breaking a three-way tie with Jason Elam (1993-2002) and Jeff Wilkins (1999-2007).
  • On November 23, Safety Ed Reed returned an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles a record 107 yards to break his own mark of 106 from four years earlier. The return was also his record third 100-plus yarder.
  • The 32 NFL teams combined to score a record 837 points in Week 12, the first time the 800-point barrier had been broken.
  • On December 28, the Green Bay Packers became the first team to ever have a pair of 100-yard rushers (Ryan Grant, 106 and DeShawn Wynn, 106) and a pair of 100-yard receivers (Donald Driver, 111 and Greg Jennings, 101) in the same game. Their opponent...
  • ... The Detroit Lions lost all sixteen of their games, erasing the 0-14 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the record books. They gave up at least 30 points a record eleven times, nudging past the 2000 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 New York Jets, and 1981 Baltimore Colts.
  • The Miami Dolphins tied the 1999 Indianapolis Colts for increasing their regular season win total by the most games, from 1 to 11.
  • The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins turned over the ball only 13 times each in the regular season, eclipsing the 1990 Giants.
  • Drew Brees passed for at least 300 yards ten times, tying Rich Gannon's 2002 record. The New Orleans Saints QB would have passed for the most yards in a season had his final pass of the year not missed his wide open receiver by a few yards.
  • Houston's Andre Johnson caught at least ten passes seven times, once more than Marvin Harrison in 2002.
  • Brett Favre increased his career records in almost every game as he already held the career marks for touchdown passes (finished the 2008 season with 464), interceptions (310), passing attempts (9,280), completions (5,720), yards (65,127), and wins (169), as well as consecutive starts by a quarterback (269) and total and consecutive 3,000-yard seasons (17).
  • Peyton Manning increased his NFL career record with his ninth 4,000-yard passing seasons.
• NHL
  • On January 1, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres played an outdoor game, the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium in front of a record 71,217 people.
  • On March 11, Andrew Cogliano scored an NHL record third consecutive overtime game-winning goal for the Edmonton Oilers.
  • The Detroit Red Wings reached 100 points for the eighth straight season in 2007-08, tying the NHL record set by the Montreal Canadiens from 1975 to 1982, although that was before overtime losses earned a point.
  • Alexander Ovechkin tallied 65 goals in 2007-08, a new record for left wingers, two more than Luc Robitaille in 1992-93. Coincidentally, both played for the Los Angeles Kings.
  • NHL goalie Martin Brodeur extended his records with his 12th consecutive season with 30 or more wins, 11th with 35, and 3rd with 40 (Patrick Roy topped 30 wins for seven consecutive seasons from 1996 to 2003). Brodeur also continues to increase his career record of 45 overtime wins and will threaten for most wins (544, 8 behind Patrick Roy's 551), games played (978 to Roy's 1,029), career shutouts (98 to Terry Sawchuk's 103), most minutes played in a career (57,790 to Roy's 60,235) and playoff shutouts (22 to Roy's 23).

For the Record - Random Trivia Questions

Records are made to be broken, and 2008 saw plenty of new marks set. How closely did you follow the sports world last year, and how many of these records did you watch fall?

For the Record Questions

• Q1) What swimmer holds the world record in the 100-meter backstroke?
• Q2) Who won the most gold medals in a single Olympics?
• Q3) What runner holds the world record in both the men's 100 meters and 200 meters?
• Q4) Who holds the women's pole vault record?
• Q5) What Major League Baseball player hit the most homers in a single round of the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby?
• Q6) What Major League Baseball pitcher picked off the most runners in his career?
• Q7) What Major League Baseball player struck out the most times in a season?
• Q8) Since the playoffs expanded to sixteen teams, what NBA team won the most games without reaching the postseason?
• Q9) What Division I men's college basketball team won the most games in a season?
• Q10) Who was the oldest player to participate in and win a Super Bowl?
• Q11) What kicker hit the longest overtime field goal in NFL history?
• Q12) What NFL tight end had the most career receiving yards?

Double, Deep, and Sudden -- Quiz Quilt 103 Solution

Category Answers:

Entertainment & Food	FUNT	Allen Funt's movie was a Candid Camera film.
Sports & Games	SOCCER	The forward was inducted in 1998.
Geography & Nature	PANAMA	The country had been a region of Colombia until the U.S. helped the locals secede in 1903 in exchange for rights to the future canal zone.
Literature & Arts	BUMPPO	Natty Bumppo's story begins in The Deerslayer, which was published last, and ends in The Prairie, which was the middle of the five books in the series.
History & Government	CUOMO	Democrat Mario Cuomo lost his bid for a fourth term to Republican George Pataki in the 1994 election.
Math & Science	AUXINS	The most common is indole-3-acetic acid.

Quiz Quilt Answer: IMPACT (Fourth letters going up)

"Double Impact" was a 1991 Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, "Deep Impact" was a 1998 Robert Duvall thriller, and "Sudden Impact" was a 1983 Clint Eastwood film.

Double, Deep, and Sudden -- Quiz Quilt 103 Puzzle

Category Questions:

Entertainment & Food	Who was the director of What Do You Say to a Naked Lady? in 1970?
Sports & Games	Into what sport's U.S. Hall of Fame was April Heinrichs the first female elected?
Geography & Nature	What is the southernmost Central American country?
Literature & Arts	What is the fictional name of the character nicknamed Hawkeye, Pathfinder, Leatherstocking, and Deerslayer?
History & Government	Who was the governor of New York from 1983 to 1994?
Math & Science	What is the generic name for the hormones responsible for normal growth, phototropism, and geotropism?

General Trivia Answers #3,127-3,132

Answer 3,127: Entertainment & Food -- Johnny's Jobs

d) Waiter

His television debut was on Earn Your Vacation in 1954, and he later hosted Who Do You Trust? from 1957 to 1962.

Answer 3,128: History & Government -- Log Log

d) 7

James Garfield was the last.

Answer 3,129: Math & Science -- Sinister Sine

b) Cosecant

In a right triangle, the sine equals the length of the side opposite the angle divided by the hypotenuse and the cosecant is the hypotenuse divided by the opposite side.

Answer 3,130: Geography & Nature -- Alcatraz Aloft

c) Pelican

Originally used for a military fort, the island served as a prison from 1934 until 1963.

Answer 3,131: Literature & Arts -- Andrew Makes Two

d) Peter

The fisherman was originally known as Simon and is sometimes called Simon Peter.

Answer 3,132: Sports & Games -- Dread Thoroughbred

b) Donerail

His backers earned $184.90 on a $2 bet in 1913.

General Trivia Questions #3,127-3,132

Question 3,127: Entertainment & Food -- Johnny's Jobs

Which of the following jobs did former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson not once hold?

a) Comedy writer
b) Magician
c) Quiz show host
d) Waiter

Question 3,128: History & Government -- Log Log

How many U.S. presidents were born in log cabins?

a) 1
b) 3
c) 5
d) 7

Question 3,129: Math & Science -- Sinister Sine

What is the mathematical term for the reciprocal of the sine of an angle?

a) Arc sine
b) Cosecant
c) Cosine
d) Cotangent

Question 3,130: Geography & Nature -- Alcatraz Aloft

What bird was Alcatraz prison named for in Spanish?

a) Albatross
b) Condor
c) Pelican
d) Whooping crane

Question 3,131: Literature & Arts -- Andrew Makes Two

Who joined his brother Andrew as the first disciples of Jesus?

a) Mark
b) Matthew
c) Paul
d) Peter

Question 3,132: Sports & Games -- Dread Thoroughbred

Who was the biggest long shot to win the Kentucky Derby?

a) Charismatic
b) Donerail
c) Gallahadion
d) Giacomo

General Trivia Answers #3,121-3,126

Answer 3,121: Entertainment & Food -- Gong Show Goal

a) 30

Three judges could award up to 10 points each or bang the gong to terminate the act prematurely.

Answer 3,122: History & Government -- Lincoln's Last Leisure

b) Ford's Theatre

The building was later used to hold War Department records then converted into a warehouse and is now preserved as a National Historic Site.

Answer 3,123: Math & Science -- Mixed Math

a) Complex

Rene Descartes coined the name "imaginary numbers" for them derogatorily in the 17th century, but his term now only refers to numbers without a real component.

Answer 3,124: Geography & Nature -- Left Out

a) Belize

Its sole coast on the east borders the Caribbean Sea, as Guatemala separates it from the Pacific Ocean to the southwest.

Answer 3,125: Literature & Arts -- Robinson Relationship

d) Johann David Wyss

Johann Rudolf Wyss, his son who edited the 1813 book, gained his own fame by composing the Swiss national anthem.

Answer 3,126: Sports & Games -- Hurricane Herald

c) Ibis

The long-legged wading birds primarily feed on crustaceans.