Big Guy on a Bicycle: Trivia

Trivia Answers From Way Back

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:17:57 GMT

OK, I'm guilty of getting behind. Way behind. I'll start making up for that today. Here are the trivia answers from the previous three weeks. Points standings will update soon.

August 17 Trivia Answers

1. Which US President signed into law a bill legalizing the home-brewing of beer and wine? Jimmy Carter signed off on that one, possibly hoping that Billy Beer could move back into his brother’s basement and out of grocery stores…

2. The presidential retreat in Fredrick County, Maryland, is called Camp David. Who named it that and who is it named after? Dwight D. Eisenhower named it after his grandson in 1953.

3. What did Francis Crick and James Watson win a Nobel Prize for in 1962? Watson and Crick were actually two of three men awarded the Nobel for their work on the structure of DNA. Maurice Wilkins also shared in the award, but is less famous for it.

4. Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe put out a studio album back in 1989. All were previous members of what famous band? All were previous members of Yes. Yes later reformed again after the ABWH album to limited success.

5. Who was the only American cyclist to win the famous Giro d’Italia (AKA the Tour of Italy)? Andy Hampsten, AKA “The Hampster” won an exciting Giro d’Italia back in 1988 while riding for the 7-Eleven team.

August 10 Trivia Answers

1. Who wrote the Pelican Brief? John Grisham wrote this and many other fine novels, some of which may be the subjects of future trivia questions.

2. How many provinces and territories are there in Canada? Ten and three. That is, ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador [both together make one], Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan) and three territories (Northwest, Nunavut, and Yukon).

3. What ship hosted the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Sept 2, 1945? The USS Missouri (BB-63) had that honor. “Big Mo” also happens to be the last American battleship ever built (HMS Vanguard was the last to be built in the world).

4. According to Isaac Asimov, how many laws of robotics are there? There are three laws of robotics.

5. What happened in the Kansas City Hyatt Regency on July 17, 1981? The Hyatt was hosting a social gathering and dance when disaster struck. Two of the catwalks in the atrium of the hotel (where the even was being held) collapsed due to…well, that’s a little complicated, but the engineers were blamed and rightly so. Many lives were lost and many survivors were seriously injured. This case study was one we dealt with in my own college structural design classes.

Extra Credit: What were Asimov's laws of robotics?

#1 – Don’t talk about Fight Club. No, no, no…wrong rules. Let’s try again.

A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

August 3 Trivia Answers

1. What was the name of the device that the Germans used to encrypt their messages during World War II? It was generally called the Enigma machine, but the German model used during WWII was called the Wehrmacht Enigma.

2. Who played Dr. Zhivago in the movie by the same name? Omar Shariff starred as the good doctor.

3. What character was in the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings book (but not the movie) who demonstrated that the Ring of Power had no power over him? Many LOTR buffs were upset that Tom Bombadil did not make it into the movie, but Peter Jackson had to decide early on that the movies were going to be long enough as it was.

4. What's the name of the museum in New York City that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright? The Guggenheim, specifically the ‘Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum’ is on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, directly across 5^th Avenue from Central Park (and somewhat near the water, if I remember correctly).

5. Who sang "The Bear Necessities" in Disney's The Jungle Book? Baloo (derived from the Hindi word for “bear”) sang this with Mowgli. Baloo was played by Phil Harris.

Trivia

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 01:36:35 GMT

We went out to eat tonight with our friends Jeff and Gabe as part of "The 52". I'll post a review of the restaurant later on the other blog. Meanwhile, here's the weekly trivia questions. As always, read the rules (linked below left) and send all answers to bgoab (at) mindspring (dot) com.

Ready?

1. Which US President signed into law a bill legalizing the home-brewing of beer and wine?

2. The presidential retreat in Fredrick County, Maryland, is called Camp David. Who named it that and who is it named after?

3. What did Francis Crick and James Watson win a Nobel Prize for in 1962?

4. Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe put out a studio album back in 1989. All were previous members of what famous band?

5. Who was the only American cyclist to win the famous Giro d’Italia (AKA the Tour of Italy)?

Running Late

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 21:07:55 GMT

Gotta run, so this is all I have time for tonight. As always, please read the rules (link at left somewhere down the page) and send answers to bgoab (at) mindspring (dot) com.

1. Who wrote the Pelican Brief?

2. How many provinces and territories are there in Canada?

3. What ship hosted the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Sept 2, 1945?

4. According to Isaac Asimov, how many laws of robotics are there?

5. What happened in the Kansas City Hyatt Regency on July 17, 1981?

Extra Credit: What were Asimov's laws of robotics?

Jump Station

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 23:50:20 GMT

Why am I calling this a Jump Station? Well, that's what I'm using it for, at least until something happens here in 'Spaces' to make me think its not worth it to keep up a site over on Blogger. Still, trivia will stay here for at least a little while no matter what.

Trivia Answers from 7/27

1. In "The Hunt for Red October", what was the class of Soviet submarine skippered by the guy who was trying to sink Captain Raimius? It was an Alfa (or Alpha) Class attack submarine. Captain Tupolev had some serious issues going on with Ramius.

2. Sony introduced a home video system in 1975. It was a very good system, but was beaten in the market by a competitor's home video system due to a marketing blunder. What was the name of the system that Sony introduced (and which still has a small but loyal following today)? The BetaMax was the competitor to the VHS system that eventually caught on. Most agree that the BetaMax was a better system, but the VHS marketing machine was a steamroller.

3. What was Bruce Banner bombarded with that ultimately caused him to transform into a green behemoth every time he got angry? Bruce got hit with a hefty dose of Gamma Radiation.

4. Norm Abram's show "New Yankee Workshop" is sponsored by which two major tool manufacturing companies (actually, I'll take either one)? One of them is Porter-Cable, but the one I was really looking for was Delta. I have some tools from both companies, but I have stuff from other manufacturers as well.

5. What is the anglicized spelling of the name that citizens of Greece use for their country (Hint: It isn't 'Greece')? If you couldn't guess the theme of the quiz by this point, well, you're beyond my ability to help. But the anglicized spelling for their country is Hellas (Ελλάς).

It's Thursday, So...

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:50:49 GMT

Mrs. Guy left today. I barely got home in time to see her off. She's headed back to Orlando for another week. The last time was stressful enough for her - I hate to think how this week will be. The one good thing I can think of is that her friend "Juniper" will be there this week. I hope those two will be there to support each other, especially as I can't be there for Mrs. Guy (except on the other end of a phone).

I have another Physical Therapy session in the morning (the last, maybe???), and then I'm going to try to go ride with Wally if it isn't deathly hot.

Speaking of hot...

Trivia Time is upon us

There are Rules. Please read them if you need to, and remember to email your answers to bgoab (at) mindspring (dot) com for credit. Ready? Ready or not...

1. What was the name of the device that the Germans used to encrypt their messages during World War II?

2. Who played Dr. Zhivago in the movie by the same name?

3. What character was in the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings book (but not the movie) who demonstrated that the Ring of Power had no power over him?

4. What's the name of the museum in Ney York City that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright?

5. Who sang "The Bear Necessities" in Disney's The Jungle Book?

Touch Down

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 01:05:24 GMT

Mrs. Guy and I got back from our vacation last night at around 10 pm or so. This was after travelling on a flight for nine or so hours just to get back to the States, and then we boarded a plane for about 90 minutes for a 28 minute flight from Atlanta to Knoxville (long story). Happily, our friend Kevin picked us up at the airport so we wouldn't have to take a taxi home (thanks, Kevin).

Looking back at it, I woke up at about 3 am Eastern time on Wednesday and didn't get to bed until around 11:30 pm. The amazing thing is (at least to most of my co-workers) that I showed up this morning for work at 5:50 am this morning. More amazing? Mrs. Guy got up at 4 am and got on a flight back to Atlanta at 6:30 am this morning. She got back home this eveing at around 5:30 pm. Whew.

Right now we are heavily exhausted, but we are staying up to do laundry (especially since I am currently wearing my very last pair of clean underwear.

I'll discuss our vacation later, but right now I'm going to skip straight to trivia before I fall asleep on the keyboard. Ready? Here we go.

Trivia Time

The theme for today's trivia is the 1960's. Don't forget to follow the Rules and to send your answers to bgoab at mindspring dot com.

1. Who was Agent 86?

2. Syd Barrett died last week. What famous band did he belong to in the 1960's?

3. What band did Peter Gabriel belong to in the late 1960's?

4. Who provided the voice of Shaggy?

5. Who shot Martin Luther King, Jr?

Bonus Question: Byron De La Beckwith was (eventually) convicted of killing another famous African American civil rights leader in 1963. Who?

Trivia Answers and Not Much Else

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:21:34 GMT

Not much time, so short answers to last week’s trivia (6/22).

1. What is the term for the style of teaching (often used in law schools) that uses continued questioning to challenge students assumptions and beliefs (hint: it is named after some ancient Greek guy)? The Socratic Method, named after Socrates.

2. Fill in the blank: Mike, Mickey, Davy and _____? Peter (Tork). Together they were the Monkees.

3. What was the name of the young American fellow who was caught in a raid against the Taliban in Afghanistan and subsequently tried for ten counts of treasonous behavior? John Walker Lindh, AKA Johnny Jihad AKA the American Taliban AKA [what follows is unprintable here].

4. What actress showed up at the Warner Brothers studio dressed in a homemade Catwoman costume trying to convince the filmmaker to cast her in “Batman Returns”, and later went on a network talk show wearing the same outfit? Sean Young is beautiful, but veeeery strange.

5. Lets say you are a Navy pilot flying an F/A-18 Hornet and are landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. There are several wires stretched across the deck. Which one are you specifically trying to snag with your tailhook (thus avoiding the scorn and ridicule from your fellow pilots)? The #3 wire.

Bonus Question - Fill in the blank again: Alice, Mel, Flo, and _____. Vera. All worked at Mel’s Diner on the TV show ‘Alice’.

I will update the points standings when I get a chance, so don’t panic if you notice they haven’t changed for a while.

Leaving very soon. Will find an internet café if I have time, but no promises. Otherwise, the hiatus begins….now.

Prep

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:15:17 GMT

Not much time for a post tonight. I've got to get ready to leave for our vacation tomorrow. I haven't started packing yet. I haven't even thought of starting to pack yet. But I have thought about starting to think about starting to pack, so at least I've got that going for me.

I hope to be able to post something tomorrow. We don't leave until the afternoon, so maybe I'll get to do a little something. Maybe.

Laundry and luggage loom, so let's get right to the Thursday thing, 'kay?

Trivia Time

Since I will be away and am not certain that I'll be able to post more trivia next Thursday (though I will try to if at all possible), I'm adding a few extra questions this week. As usual, there are Rules you must follow, and you must send your answers to bgoab at mindspring dot com. Clear? Clear.

1. What is the popular culture significance of 'NCC-1701'?

2. Name the group formed by Joseph Shabalala that gained fame when they collaborated with Paul Simon on several tracks from the 'Graceland' album.

3. Prince William graduated from university last year. Which one?

4. What was the first man-made satellite to reach orbit around the earth?

5. What was the first animal to reach orbit around earth (it's name and species)?

6. What was the name of the first chimp to go into orbit around earth?

7. What was the first man-made object to achieve orbit around a celestial body other than Earth (OK, this one's pretty hard)?

8. Which retired professional cyclist will be doing the RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) this year?

9. If you were in England from 1969 to 1981 and you were talking about the "Post Office", what might you have been talking about other than the delivery of mail?

10. Robert Burns once wrote a poem dedicated to a certain food. What food was that?

That's enough, I think. Have fun, and good luck. I'm going to go think about starting to pack now (it would be the next logical step, now wouldn't it?)

Interspersed

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 01:12:54 GMT

Trivia Time is imbedded tonight, but you should still email your answers to bgoab at mindspring dot com. Need to see the Rules? They’re here. (Please remember to replace the 'at' and the 'dot' with an '@' and a '.')

Our houseguest left today. I didn't get to see her today since she was in the bathroom getting ready for her flight when I left for work this morning, so I didn't get to say "Bye" or nuthin'. However, she did leave me a bag of dark chocolate-covered espresso beans (thanks, "Juniper").

2. Fill in the blank: Mike, Mickey, Davy and _____?

Mrs. Guy left today, too. We had hoped she'd be in town the rest of the week, but she found out sometime yesterday that she'd have to fly out this afternoon for Dayton, Ohio. As if that wasn't bad enough, she had scheduled a meeting of our Sunday School class's Social Committee for tonight...at our house. I'll have to get her back for that one. (Just kidding - it really wasn't a big deal. It was only four of us - plus Jen's girls, who entertained themselves playing with a dog and watching cartoons. Still, I should be able to get some mileage out of this.)

3. What was the name of the young American fellow who was caught in a raid against the Taliban in Afghanistan and subsequently tried for ten counts of treasonous behavior?

I may have said this before, but in case I didn't I'll say it again...

Mrs. Guy and I will be going on vacation from June 30th through July 12th. I will probably post something on June 30 since our flight isn't until afternoon, but we don't land on July 12th until late evening, so don't expect anything then. I will try to have at least a few posts prepared early that I might be able to convince someone to publish for me in my absence. Or who knows, I might actually be able to find an internet cafe that doesn't charge too much while I'm there. I do sincerely hope to at least get the weekly trivia out on the 6th of July if nothing else, but I can't make any promises. It's possible that those days could feature empty bandwidth for your viewing pleasure. With my luck, MSN Spaces would pick one of those weeks to feature me... (if they ever feature me at all - not that I'm holding my breath).

Actually, I'm not really sure I would want to be featured on "Best of..." these days, now that they are doing voting and all. Are they trying to make this 'American Blogging-Idol' or something? Personally, I think it would be a little depressing to end up with, say, 2% of the votes (or less) and have the dubious distinction of having the lowest percentage ever recorded. Besides, getting on "Best of..." isn't why I do this anyway. I think maybe I'm better off out here on the word-of-mouth fringe.

I think I'm starting to get a major caffeine buzz off the these espresso beans "Juniper" left for me. Of course, I have eaten about half of the bag while sitting here typing...

It's a good thing I don't have to get up early tomorrow. My earliest commitment is physical therapy at 11:30am. I get the feeling I'll be up for a while tonight.

Bonus Question - Fill in the blank again: Alice, Mel, Flo, and _____.

How to Make the Big Guy Laugh (and Startle Mrs. Guy)

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 02:06:30 GMT

This is excerpted from an email my brother (dwcrx) sent me concerning his answer to last week's Bonus Question.

If spelling doesn’t count, I think I technically got the bonus question. There were just a few extraneous letters in it.

Bonus: ~~Technically it is God Save the Queen since it is part of UK but I imagine you are looking for something unique to~~ Scotland ~~which sadly, I don’t know. I doubt it is the~~ the~~me from~~ Brave~~heart~~.

I know. I know.

OK, I want everyone to take lessons from this guy.

Hruh? Hroo, hroo, hreah.

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:14:51 GMT

About today's title. We got into a big 'Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor' conversation at work yesterday. Can you believe that there are people out there who have absolutely no clue as to who he is? We had one at work. Sad.

If you think about it, you might realize that Tim Allen was really channeling Scooby Doo for that bit. s'OK, though. I grew up watching Scooby Doo. One of the biggest controversies of my childhood was the addition of extra characters to that show. I think we can all agree that Scrappy Doo character was the worst (dramatic pause) idea (another dramatic pause) ever. Even Scooby Dumb had some redeeming charm.

I have to admit that I'm amused by the "WWSD: What Would Scooby Doo" bumper stickers I see once in a while.

I went back to physical therapy today. Ow. Not that I expected it to feel good, but it was particularly bad today. At one point, as she was manipulating my arm into positions that even chinese acrobats would wince at, I looked up to notice that my therapist wasn't really even paying attention to me so much as she was watching "Ellen: The Musical" on the TV mounted on the wall. At another point when I thought she was going to push my shoulder out of its socket I looked up to see that she was actually paying more attention to a conversation going on two and three tables over.

I think that maybe part of the physical therapist job application should have a question box that asks "Do you have a problem with ADD?"

Ow. I still hurt (five plus hours later).

Tomorrow will be a busy day, but I'm prepared in advance. I wrote a product review last week while I was too wired to get to sleep one night. Look for it here tomorrow.

Trivia Answers for June 8

1. Dave Thomas got famous for starting the Wendy’s chain of restaurants, but before he started Wendy’s, he owned several franchise locations of another fast-food chain. Which one? Dave had just sold his four Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants and decided to open a new burger place, using one of his daughters' nickname and likeness to create the brand. Dave got his start in the restaurant business here in Knoxville. He got a job working at the Regas Restaurant (which is still doing excellent business) in 1944 at the age of twelve.

2. What is the capital of Ukraine? Kiev. I almost made a 'chicken' reference in the question, but decided against it.

3. They finally got Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. What does Al-Qaeda translate to in English? Al-Qaeda (however you see it spelled in non-arabic letters) means "The Base". What it is the 'base' of is debateable.

4. What are the names of the Three Musketeers? One of my favorite movies from childhood was "The Three Musketeers", wherein D'artagnon joins the original trio of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Just be glad I didn't ask for the names of the The Amigos (and yes, I know them). My brother sent in "Groucho, Harpo and Chico" as a joke (but a good joke)

5. ‘Alba’ is another name for which country? Scotland, which is where Mrs. Guy and I will be going on our upcoming vacation (July 1 - 12). We are also taking Step-She-Mom and Mrs. Guy's teenaged half-sisters. Wish me luck.

Bonus Question: What is #5’s National Anthem? "Scotland, the Brave", which is what I may have to be (not the Scotland part, ...).

"When you make a trip with a bicycle, at least it doesn't have to stop and go to the bathroom every two hours." - Joe Ford, explaining ways his bike is better than his ex-wife.

Trivia

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 21:26:29 GMT

I'm headed downtown to Sundown in the City to see a couple of bands play and hopefully not get struck by lightning. If I don't get home too late, I may post more later. Still, I know what you come here on Thursdays for...

Trivia Time

Remember the new Rules. Instead of posting answers below, email them to bgoab at mindspring dot com.

I was talking to someone at work today and they went on and on about motherhood. Somehow it got me thinking along the trivia line as well.

Ready? OK.

1. Which superhero's debut was in Action Comics #1 on this date in 1938?

2. What was that superhero's mother's name?

3. What was Beaver Cleaver's mother's first name?

4. Who played the role of Mrs. Cleaver (in the original series, not the later movie)?

5. Jane Wyatt played the mother of Mr. Spock on Star Trek (television series and one movie, The Voyage Home). What was Mr. Spock's mother's name (only her first name was established)?

Just Plugging Away

Fri, 26 May 2006 22:08:09 GMT

This is my second attempt at writing a post today. I originally wrote a rambling, meandering, and yet shameless plug for my bike club's upcoming event, the English Mountain Challenge, which takes place on June 10th this year (so I guess it's still a shameless plug). I re-read it and decided that it was actually dull, boring, and uninspired, and that I didn't really want to be responsible for adding more empty content to the web. So it's gone (no, no - no thanks required). But you should do the ride anyway, if you have the intestinal fortitude (we don't call it "Challenge" for nuthin'). There. The gauntlet has been thrown down.

Here's another shameless plug:

Later tonight Mrs. Guy (she's home today! Yay!) and I will head downtown to the Corner Lounge to catch John B.'s CD release gig. He's doing another one on Tuesday at a local record store, so I may or may not go to that one too. I've heard a pre-release version of the album (Man on the Street). It's really good. It should show up on Disgraceland Records' site soon, and will be on iTunes eventually.

I could also plug our (the Mrs.'s and my) new photography venture, but we aren't quite ready to roll that one out yet. Some other time, perhaps.

5/19 Trivia Answers

I'm actually doing this on time for a change. How about that?

1. What comics character is also known as "The Ghost Who Walks"? The newspaper in the town where I grew up carried (and still carries) The Phantom in the funnies. Other answers I got for this? Well, Casper was the best.

2. Which cyclist has won the most stages of the Giro d'Italia? Mario Cipollini, AKA "Super Mario", has won the most individual stages of the Giro with a lifetime total of 42. One person answered with Eddy Merckx, who is tied with two other guys for the most "Overall" wins with five (it is possible to win a multi-stage race without ever winning a single stage).

3. Read this one carefully: Which company created an ice cream named after which member of what famous band and what was that ice cream named? (There's four parts to that one.) OK, I think that eveyone who answered this one got it right. Ben & Jerry's honored Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead by naming Cherry Garcia after him (the first Ben & Jerry's flavor to be named after someone).

4. What structures, made mostly of calcium carbonate, are found hanging around on the roofs of caves? Most everyone got this one correct as well. Stalactites hang down from the roof, stalagmites grow up from the floor. I don't know if there's a special name for when they meet up other than "column".

5. What was the first fraternity founded in the United States? I have to admit that I had to go back and do further research on this one. I'd always thought it was Phi Beta Kappa (for philosophia biou kubernetes — "love of wisdom, the helmsman of life"), but that was actually the first Greek Letter fraternity. The Flat Hat Club was established first (actually the F. H. C. Society - F. H. C. stood for something in Latin, but nobody seems to know exactly what nowadays). Both were formed at William and Mary College in the 1750's. Thanks go out to the Lilac Penguin for keeping me honest on that one.

I learned something new today. If you have a torn muscle in your shoulder, it only takes one sneeze to make you aware that you should do everything humanly possible to keep from sneezing again...possibly ever. God forbid I should get sick and throw up. (And yes, it was enough to make me see those little spots in front of my eyes for a few seconds.)

Shaken...Not Stirred

Thu, 25 May 2006 23:52:11 GMT

What the...?

Big announcement in the world of professional cycling today. It all started on Tuesday with the arrest of Manolo Saiz, the Directeur Sportif (manager, that is) of the Liberty Seguros team. Apparently old Manolo is being charged with being (deeply) involved in doping. He was held for questioning and released today, but he still has to go before a judge later to answer even more questions. Reportedly he was caught red-handed with doping products in his possession, along with at least four other men caught in the same series of raids by the Spanish Civil Guard.

But the big news came today. Manolo isn't the first guy to be caught involved in doping in sport. But here comes the bomb. Liberty Seguros, which is the Spanish subsidiary of Liberty Security (an insurance company based in Boston), pulled their multi-million dollar sponsorship of the team. And it's effective immediately. The Liberty Seguros cycling team still has 6 members racing in this year's Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), a three week race with only a few days left (it ends on Sunday). Not only that, but a very popular Tour de France rider, Alexandre Vinokourov, is a Liberty Seguros rider as of this writing. If he wants to ride the Tour in July, he'd better be getting on the phone with some other teams.

It amazes me that Liberty Seguros took action so quickly, but they had already weathered the bad publicity of other doping scandals (like that of former Vuelta a Espana, er, Tour of Spain, winner Roberto Heras, who was suspended for doping last year). It's a shock, though, to be sure. Even Switzerland's Phonak-sponsored team survived it's doping problems with its contract intact, albiet with a whole new top-office staff. Did Liberty Seguros do the right thing? Ninety three percent of Velonews.com readers think they did. Do I agree? Yeah, I think I do. It certainly sends a message that needed to be sent to the pro cycling world en masse.

But it's still a shock.

Trivia Fiesta

OK, there's new rules and a new format. Please remember not to put answers in the comment section, but instead email them to bgoab at mindspring dot com. Please see the recently updated Rules if you have any questions. Ready? OK!

1. What was the name of the last horse to win the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing?

2. We know that Chuck Yeager was the first to officially break the speed of sound. What was the aircraft he did it in?

3. Some pilots have nicknames for their planes (e.g., the Enola Gay or the Memphis Belle). What was Chuck's nickname for the aircraft in question #2?

4. [One from Mrs. Guy] What is the only fruit that bears its seeds on the outside?

5. What was the name of the only horse to take second place in each of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing races (i.e., the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes)?

Bonus Question: How does Tigger say he spells "Tigger"?

Extra Question For Absolutlely No Credit Whatsoever: Toe-may-toe or Toe-mah-toe?

Catching Up...

Sat, 20 May 2006 03:00:13 GMT

Okay, I’ve been really bad about not posting the trivia answers in a timely manner, so now it’s time for me to play catch-up a bit.

May 11 Trivia

1. Name the movie:

Peter: I uh, I don't like my job, and, uh, I don't think I'm gonna go anymore.
Joanna: You're just not gonna go?
Peter: Yeah.
Joanna: Won't you get fired?
Peter: I don't know, but I really don't like it, and, uh, I'm not gonna go.
Joanna: So you're gonna quit?
Peter: Nuh-uh. Not really. Uh... I'm just gonna stop going.
Joanna: When did you decide all that?
Peter: About an hour ago.

This exchange is from the movie “Office Space”. I watched it finally while I was home recovering from surgery (after many, many people kept telling me “Oh, you gotta rent that!). If you haven’t seen it, you gotta rent that.

2. What is the first rule of Fight Club?

Don’t talk about Fight Club. Seriously…shh.

3. What was "Holly" Golightly's real first name? (No, I'm not asking for the actress's name here).

As LP pointed out, it was different in the book than the movie, but since this is the “Silver Screen Edition”, we gotta use the movie version, which was “Lulamae”.

4. Speaking of "Holly", which actress was Holly Hunter's roommate at Yale? I'd give you a hint, but then you wouldn't have far to go.

I was afraid that the “Fargo” hint might make it too easy, but otherwise it was pretty hard. Frances McDermott shared lodging with Holly Hunter at Yale.

5. According to Gandalf, what is the elvish word for "Friend" (just get the spelling close)?

Finally, one that’s officially the same in the book and the movie. “Mellon” is elvish for ‘friend’.

Bonus Question. What is the eighth and final rule of Fight Club?

If it’s your first night at Fight Club, you’re fighting.

Extra Bonus Question. What is Ms. Golightly's cat named?

The cat didn’t have a real name per se, and was just called “Cat”.

Double-Secret Probation Bonus Question. You figure this one out (I don't think I can really be more obvious without spoiling the fun).

The Dean put the Delta’s on Double Secret Probation in “National Lampoon’s Animal House”.

May 4

1. Most people know that the Lone Ranger's horse was named "Silver". What was Tonto's horse named?

Tonto’s horse was named “Scout”.

2. What poem by what author (gotta get both for the point) begins and ends with the following bit of verse:

"`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe."

Lewis Carroll included this poem, “Jabberwocky”, in “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There” (1872).

3. What sit-com's theme song was the only one ever to hit #1 on the Billboard Chart? (And before you answer, let me say that I don't consider "The Greatest American Hero" to have been a sit-com).

“Welcome Back, Kotter” is still the only sit-com theme song to hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

4. Who was Donald Duck's uncle?

“Scrooge McDuck” was (is) his name. Apparently he spent some of his incredible fortune to have his speech corrected, since he’s the only one in the family who sounds relatively normal.

5. What two nations share an island in the Greater Antilles?

The island of Hispaniola is shared by Haiti (west) and the Dominican Republic (east).

Bonus Question: What the heck, what was the theme song for "The Greatest American Hero"?

Believe it or not, it was “Believe It Or Not”.

April 27

1. Some writers use pseudonyms when they write and publish. Some of them have more than one. The person I'm thinking of has written very popular works under his/her main pseudonym, but has written some under the names Rosetta Stone and Theo LeSieg. What's his/her real name and main pseudonym?

Theodore Geisel turned his last name around to get LeSieg. Geisel, who was featured on a postage stamp just a few years ago, was the famous “Dr. Seuss”.

2. What is the world's busiest airport?

All of the recent data still says it’s Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Personally gathered empirical data suggests this as well.

3. What is Soylent Green made of?

PEOPLE!!! IT’S PEOPLE!!!

4. What is the most visited National Park in the US (with more than double the number of visitors annually as 2nd most visited)?

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is only about 45 minutes by car from my house. Tomorrow I will be doing a metric century that just touches the foothills of the Smokies.

5. I've looked under chairs. I've looked under tables. I've tried to find the key to fifty million fables. What do they call me?

The Seeker.

Bonus Question: Who sang the song referred to in Question #5?

Who? Well, specifically, it was Roger Daltry, but to say that it was The Who is correct enough for me.

April 20

1. The man who broke Mach 2 died today (in a plane crash). Who broke Mach 1?

Chuck Yeager got the honor of being the first to fly faster than the speed of sound (and “they” said it couldn’t be done…).

2. Who has had their picture on the Wheaties box the most times?

Oh, who else could it be but Michael Jordan? I mean, really?

3. Who was the first athlete to have their picture on a Wheaties box (albeit not on the front)?

Lou Gehrig got that honor. Unfortunately, having a disease named after him later might have been a somewhat hollow honor.

4. In the song "Alice's Restaurant", Officer Obie cried because he realized the Judge wasn't going to look at...what? (Be verbose. I'm looking for a lot of words here. I want the whole answer.)

“The judge wasn’t gonna look at the twenty-seven 8x10 color glossy photos with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one stating what each one was and how it was to be used as evidence against us.”

5. What is the mythological 'River of Forgetfulness'?

The River Lethe is the river of forgetfulness. Maybe I accidentally took a quaff of that and that would explain why I am four quizzes behind giving these answers. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it for now.

Tomorrow morning I will be riding with Wally in the Tour de Blount. I am hoping to complete the metric century, but then again I am only three weeks out from surgery and my longest ride since was 23 miles. I will do at least 50 miles and see how I'm doing at that point (since the course has a cut-over to the start/finish near the 50 mile point). I hope to post about that tomorrow.

Another Thursday, Another Band ... oh, and Trivia

Thu, 18 May 2006 21:21:07 GMT

Tonight's 'Sundown in the City' is Imogen Heep. Headed there now. Will expand this post later if I have time, but also might not.

Trivia Time

Same Rules apply as usual, including the same twist from last week: instead of posting your answers below, email them to bgoab at mindspring dot com.

1. What comics character is also known as "The Ghost Who Walks"?

2. Which cyclist has won the most stages of the Giro d'Italia?

3. Read this one carefully: Which company created an ice cream named after which member of what famous band and what was that ice cream named? (There's four parts to that one.)

4. What structures, made mostly of calcium carbonate, are found hanging around on the roofs of caves?

5. What was the first fraternity founded in the United States?

Remember not to post your answers below.

Bands: On The Run

Thu, 11 May 2006 21:18:17 GMT

Busy day. I've just got home from work and now I'm headed downtown to "Sundown in the City" to catch They Might Be Giants and then Angel & the Love Mongers after that. I'll be out late (seeing as Mrs. Guy is out of town anyway, I might as well go hang out with friends, right?)

Anyway, without (much*) further ado, I present today's trivia questions.

* To be honest, I prepared this post last night and saved it as a draft until just now so I could just sign-on, hit "Publish", and go. I actually typed this last night. Hope you aren't too disappointed, but at least this isn't a betrayal on the level of Milli Vanilli or anything (besides, I'm admitting it right now ... or last night, actually ... or ... well, whatever).

Special Movie Trivia Time Edition With A New Twist

Same Rules apply as usual, but we're going to try something new: instead of posting your answers below, email them to bgoab at mindspring dot com. This way if you don't have the answer quite right, at least you won't tip off everyone else, right? Oh, and in case you haven't figured it out yet, this time it's all about the silver screen.

1. Name the movie:

2. What is the first rule of Fight Club?

3. What was "Holly" Golightly's real first name? (No, I'm not asking for the actress's name here).

4. Speaking of "Holly", which actress was Holly Hunter's roommate at Yale? I'd give you a hint, but then you wouldn't have far to go.

5. According to Gandalf, what is the elvish word for "Friend" (just get the spelling close)?

Bonus Question. What is the eighth and final rule of Fight Club?

Extra Bonus Question. What is Ms. Golightly's cat named?

Double-Secret Probation Bonus Question. You figure this one out (I don't think I can really be more obvious without spoiling the fun).

Oh, and you can still leave comments below, just don't leave the answers, 'kay?

Just a Little Time / Trivia Answers

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 12:43:55 GMT

In just a few minutes I'll be headed for the hospital. I have just enough time to post the

Trivia Answers for 4/13

1. What was the last studio album that the Beatles put out before they broke up? Well, this one is complicated. "Abbey Road" was the last studio album recorded. "Let It Be" was the last album they put out with new studio material. "Let It Be" was recorded mostly in studio, but was intended to be a soundtrack to the movie of the same name.

2. Who was the youngest man to become the President of the United States of America? Some say JFK, but it was actually Teddy Roosevelt. JFK was the youngest man to be elected to the Presidency (at 43), but Teddy became POTUS at 42 when McKinley was assassinated.

3. Who was the first American to win the Nobel Prize? Again, that would be Teddy Roosevelt, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving the Russo-Japanese War.

4. Where would you find the Ossicle Chain? The Ossicle Chain is made up of the the small bones in your middle ear (AKA stirrup, anvil, and hammer).

5. Lot's of people have heard about the "5th" and "6th" Beatles (Pete and Stu), but there was another, temporary fill-in substitute member, that some consider to be the "7th" Beatle. Who was he? Jimmie Nicol filled in for Ringo Starr during ten shows of the Beatles' Australasian tour during June of 1964. He said of Ringo that he was "praying he would get well at the same time I was hoping he would not want to come back."

Maundy Blues

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 23:04:17 GMT

It was a long day at work today. I have a general rule not to talk about work in this blog, but I can discuss non-work-related things that come up at work. Just in general, though, it was a long day, and a longer day for me than for several others. Because there's a long weekend coming up (tomorrow is a company holiday), several people took off early. I already knew that my supervisor was leaving early and that I'd be covering for him, but then it seemed that everyone else kept slipping out the door as the afternoon went by. By 3:00 pm, I think I was the only white-collar one there except for two admin people and a couple of subcontractors. When I left at 4:30 pm (quitting time), I walked out the door with two of our support subcontractors, and we were the last ones in our whole department.

This afternoon at 3:15 pm I had said to myself, "Self," (I said, since I was talking to me), "at least there aren't any interruptions this afternoon." Imagine my horror when my pager went off at 4:53 when I was almost home. I called the number and it was a guy from another department wanting to talk about stuff that could easily wait until Monday, but I couldn't divert him or get a word in edgewise. Instead I sat there in my car on the side of the road for ten minutes listening to the droning. As soon as he finished his spiel, I said "That's fine, now just summarize that in an email and send it to me and Bruce. We'll deal with it Monday when we are back at the office. Gotta go. Bye." If he'd let me say that to begin with, I could have saved him the trouble of blathering on after work hours.

I didn't plan to go ride with the Bike Zoo group tonight since Mrs. Guy and I were going to go out to dinner. I just found out that she's been delayed in Chattanooga, and likely won't be home until 8:00 pm or so. <sigh> I'm not blaming her for me missing a ride though. It wasn't her fault she was delayed. If we'd only known, though.

Still, there was something that made me laugh today. I was looking at some vendor websites for pipe fittings when I stumbled across a page with Industry Definitions on it. I especially liked the eighth one down...

Trivia Time

In life, there are Rules for everything, it seems. Same for the weekly quiz here.

We'll start off easy, and get harder along the way.

1. What was the last studio album that the Beatles put out before they broke up?

2. Who was the youngest man to become the President of the United States of America?

3. Who was the first American to win the Nobel Prize?

4. Where would you find the Ossicle Chain?

5. Lot's of people have heard about the "5th" and "6th" Beatles (Pete and Stu), but there was another, temporary fill-in substitute member, that some consider to be the "7th" Beatle. Who was he?

Exodus

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 22:20:56 GMT

Mrs. Guy are leaving in the morning for a long weekend. We'll be headed up to Blowing Rock, NC (one of our favorite places) to attend the 1st Annual Blue Ridge Wine Festival (by which I guess they're assuming there will be at least a 2nd Annual one next year). We'll be staying in centrally located lodging and will be within walking distance to everything, which may turn out to be a good thing. All of the wines that will be featured will be from North Carolina vinyards. Now, you might be thinking, "North Carolina? How good could thier wines possibly be?" Well, quite good, actually. Biltmore Estates has been making wines for years (and even learned how to do it well a few years ago). Virginia even has some very good wineries. Tennessee? Well, not so much. Most of the swill, er, stuff made around this state is super sweet (almost like drinking grape juice with a little bit of a kick to it).

We are really looking forward to this, and not just for the alcohol. Both Mrs. Guy and I have been working hard lately, and Mrs. Guy is getting ready to be very busy for the next several months with her job. A nice long retreat to our favorite retreat location will be just the thing to help us recharge a little bit.

What this means, however, is that I might not be able to post anything for the next few days. First of all, I don't know if the place we're staying will have internet access or not. Also, I might not really be much good at typing on Friday or Saturday anyway (though I will try to control myself).

I'm going to cue up at least one extra post so I can just go in and hit "Publish" if need be, and if I have access to it. Or maybe I'll call Sis and let her go in and hit "Publish" for me. Well, we'll see how it plays out.

Right now we're waiting for She-Mom to show up (she'll be dog-sitting for us) and we'll go out for sushi. So I guess I'd better go ahead and get on with...

Trivia Time

Don't forget the Rules, 'kay?

1. We keep hearing on the news about all this stuff going on in the West Bank. What is it the West Bank of?

2. What couple were convicted and executed for espionage in the 1950's for passing Manhattan Project secrets to the Soviets?

3. Name the movie: "You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!"

4. Jonas Grumby and Roy Hinckley, Jr., Ph.D. were better known as...?

5. What is the name for the line on a weather map that connects points of equal atmospheric pressure?

Bonus Question: What comedic actor once played drums for the band that later went on to become Steely Dan?

Trivia Answers for 3/9 and 3/2

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 18:29:36 GMT

3/9 Answers

1. Right after John F. Kennedy was shot, Lyndon Johnson put together a panel to do a thorough investigation of the event. What was the name of this group as it was commonly called? The Warren Commission was a reference to Chief Justice Warren, who headed up the commission.

2. Name the song and artist: “No one knows what it’s like to be the bad man.” “Behind Blue Eyes” by the Who. It was from the album Tommy.

3. You may have heard by now of Webster’s Dictionary. What was Mr. Webster’s first name? Noah was the Webster in question. Daniel Webster was perhaps more famous as a politician in early American history, so I expected a few answers of “Daniel”.

4. Who took over Webster’s dictionary after his death? The Merriam brothers bought the rights and created the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, but it’s still best known as just plain old “Webster’s”.

5. What Russian city was Germany attacking when it lost 1/4 million troops, effectively marking a turning point of WWII in Europe? The Russians held out at Stalingrad. The Germans just weren’t prepared for the Russian winter, and it proved to be a fatal error.

Bonus Question: Name the horse that Gandalf rode into battle in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Shadowfax was one of the legendary uber-horses of Rohan, and had been befriended by Gandalf.

3/2 Answers (shame on me for forgetting to post them last week).

1. What is the official name for the Northern Lights (hint, it's Latin for "Northern Dawn")? When I was in Northern Maine we could occasionally see the Aurora Borealis, but never with much color. The southern hemisphere’s version of this phenomena (as pointed out by BIG Mike) is the Aurora Australis ("Southern Dawn").

2. Who organized the American Red Cross (and was also known as "The Angel of the Battlefield")? I expected a few “Florence Nightengale” responses, but the answer is actually Clara Barton.

3. Which Winter Olympic athlete is a spokesperson for the American Heart Association's "Go Red" campaign? One would expect that it would be an American athlete, but it is in fact Russian ice-skater Irina Slutskaya (OK, no jokes, please).

4. What fraternal lodge did Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble belong to? Fred and Barney were brothers in the Loyal Order of Water Buffalo. One of them once ran for or won the position of ‘Grand Poobah’, but I can’t remember that very well now.

5. What city is the Pentagon based in? The Pentagon is in Arlington, Virginia. Close to Washington, D.C., but not actually in it.

St. Patrick's Eve

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:39:17 GMT

Is there such a thing as St. Patrick's Eve? There should be.

She-Mom is here, and I am relieved. She actually came in last night and will stay until sometime on Sunday. This is important because she is needed to serve as my barback tomorrow evening. That's right, we're hosting another cocktail party, and I am serving as bartender. She-Mom was absent from our last party, and I had a heck of a time keeping up.

The other good thing about her being here is that she is helping us get ready for the party. Mrs. Guy and her Mom are currently down in the kitchen baking something or other. I don't know what it is, but it smells wonderful. I also know that Guinness Chocolate Cake will be served tomorrow, because I was handed a glass as I walked in from work with about one third of a Guinness in it. The recipe apparently calls for one and two thirds bottles of Guinness. Who am I to argue?

I am a bit frustrated, though, because sitting on the kitchen island was a pan of sugar-frosted pecans, and of course I can't have any during Lent. I can't believe that she 1) dyed the sugar green and 2) didn't hold out a couple for me without the sugar.

So, tomorrow may be hectic, and I might not have much time to post something. I will at least post last week's trivia answers, and I hope to maybe say a little something else as well. We shall have to wait and see...

Trivia Time

As always, please refer to The Rules if you are not familiar with them. Good luck!

1. Who was the only Irish winner of the Tour de France?

2. In which county of Ireland would you find the Blarney Stone?

3. What was Francis Gary Powers flying when he was shot down by the USSR?

4. What company built the ball that is lowered at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve in Times Square?

5. What verbal exchange was heard in just about every episode of South Park during the first five seasons?

Bonus Question: What is Bono's real name (only first and last are necessary)?