Trivia Q&A: May 21

It was an unusual night for Trivia last night. The Red Sox played the Yankees and that drew a big crowd to Professor Thom's, as it always does. The game ran long, almost 3 1/2 hours (and was ultimately disappointing), but at its conclusion, we had plenty of patrons who wanted to play, including many of the Trivia regulars. So we decided to give it a go.

But we discovered that the mic was broken, and it looked like it wasn't going to happen. As I was collecting the sheets back and giving the players the bad news, Jim the bartender saved the evening by finding a long-missing mic and it worked, so we were able to get it started at about 11 PM.

We played with four, instead of five, categories because we knew Trivia was going start late. We had a good "late night" of Trivia, as 13 teams participated and most stayed until the end, which was at about 12:20 AM. A team called Something's Burnin' pulled out a victory by having the best IQ Trivia round than any other team, winning by two points.

Next week, the Red Sox play the Cleveland Indians on Monday night, but I would imagine we will start up earlier than last night. We may go back to five categories again, but we'll see how that goes next week.

Current Events
1. This former president called the current administration "the worst in history" in international relations last Saturday.
2. This TV series had its' 400th episode aired just this past week.
3. This film became the top animated film of all time and the third biggest box office opener on record last week.
4. A spectacular fire gutted the famed clipper ship Cutty Sark on Monday as it was being restored in this city.
5. This governor officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president today.
6. Scott Stapp, onetime lead singer for this rock band, was arrested on domestic violence charges in Florida over the weekend.
7. US retail gas prices hit another record high on Monday. Within 10 cents, what price was it?
8. This Hollywood actor was fined $2500 by a court in Australia for illegally bringing in HGH into the country last February.
9. A female fan in California was charged with stalking this actress and trying to run down the actress' husband with her car.
10. This NBA team lost their 17th straight game in San Antonio yesterday, a Game 1 playoff loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Answers: 1. Jimmy Carter; 2. "The Simpsons;" 3. "Shrek the Third;" 4. London; 5. Bill Richardson; 6. Creed; 7. $3.19; 8. Sylvester Stallone; 9. Sandra Bullock; 10. Utah Jazz.

Quantity Trivia 1-10
1. This number was worn by quarterbacks Fran Tarkenton and Brady Quinn.
2. This number represents the third baseman in baseball.
3. On a telephone, this number is on the same key with the letters T, U, and V.
4. This numbered Led Zeppelin album contains the song, "Stairway To Heaven."
5. This is the atomic number of lithium.
6. This is the number of judges on the US Supreme Court.
7. This is the number of presidents who've been impeached in US history.
8. This is the number of symbolic foods placed on a Passover Seder plate.
9. The number of books in the Harry Potter series written by JK Rowling.
10. The number of World Series won by the Philadelphia Phillies in their history.

Answers: 1. ten; 2. five; 3. eight; 4. four; 5. three; 6. nine; 7. two; 8. six; 9. seven; 10. one.

General Knowledge
1. Between lion, crocodile or hippopototamus, which animal is reportedly responsible for the most human deaths in Africa?
2. What protective part of the Earth's atmosphere is said to have holes in it?
3. Who flew the legendary plane called "Flyer?"
4. In which swimming stroke does the swimmer continually face up towards the sky?
5. Used by frontier settlers, what was a conestoga?
6. How many cells make up an amoeba?
7. In the film, "Notting Hill," what type of place does Hugh Grant's character work in?
8. What did the 45-foot-tall "Hollywood" sign say when it was originally built in 1923?
9. In which sport would you find a wicketkeeper defending wooden stumps?
10. "Postcards From The Edge" is an autobiographical story based on the life of which woman?

Answers: 1. hippopotamus; 2. ozone layer; 3. Wright Brothers; 4. backstroke; 5. a covered wagon; 6. one; 7. bookstore; 8. Hollywoodland; 9. cricket; 10. Carrie Fisher.

IQ Trivia
1. What comedian was a featured player on both "Saturday Night Live" and "In Living Color?" (4 points)
2. Which former First Lady used a CB radio in the White House and went by the handle, "First Mama?" (5 points)
3. In 1974, which female celebrity appeared on the first cover of People magazine? (6 points)
4. What is the amino acid in turkey that makes you tired? (5 points)
5. What political position was Albert Einstein once offered, but turned down? (5 points)

Answers: 1. Chris Rock; 2. Betty Ford; 3. Mia Farrow; 4. tryptophan; 5. President of Israel.