Trivia Q&A: November 27

It was another huge night of Trivia at Professor Thom's, as for the second straight week we had a record number 23 teams competing. The turnouts on Tuesday just continue to be astounding, and it's really good to see some of the same folks, as well as new ones, coming in for it. I thought that once the holidays kicked in that the numbers would decline. I have been proven wrong so far.

We had some fabulous scores on the November 27 Trivia, as six teams got a perfect score of ten. I guess I made General Knowledge a little bit harder this week, as many of the scores were five or less. Although two teams got perfect scores in True or False, no one noticed that the answers perfectly alternated "true" and "false." I actually did that deliberately to see if anyone would pick up on it. No one did, and I heard a few snickers when I announced that I had done it on purpose.

Going into the final round, we had eight teams with thirty or more points. A team called I'm Not Paying $5 For That Glass, who was in third place and three points behind heading into IQ Trivia, ran the table in that round, getting all five questions right and wound up winning by a comfortable seven points. Nice job, guys.

We had something I'd never seen before in the final round. One team, that struggled mightily the entire night with just 15 points, got an amazing 21 points in the last round to finish respectably. I don't think I have ever seen a team get more points in the last round then they did in the previous four, and by six points to boot. Well done.

Current Events
1. Kevin Rudd was elected Prime Minister of this country on Saturday, and beat out the incumbent PM by six percentage points.
2. This athlete/actor/reality TV star was surprised last week when a reporter informed him that his wife had filed for divorce.
3. A Canadian cruise ship struck an iceberg and sank last Friday, and it was the first cruise liner to ever sink in this ocean.
4. This country was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations last Saturday after its president refused to lift a national state of emergency it was under.
5. Julia Carson, a congresswoman from this Midwestern state, revealed over the weekend that she is suffering from terminal lung cancer.
6. Hackers sent out e-mails to fans of this pop group in South America attempting to trick them into thinking the group canceled a show in Buenos Aires.
7. This college football team, who won last Saturday's "Border War" game, is now the number one team in the USA in the latest BCS poll.
8. This former NBA star is being sued by a woman who worked at a Las Vegas hotel who claims he assaulted her last year.
9. Eight soccer fans were killed in this country on Sunday when a section of stands collapsed during a match.
10. A Middle East peace conference was held today at this US location and included invitees from the UN, Arab League and the European Union.

Answers: 1. Australia; 2. Hulk Hogan; 3. Antarctic; 4. Pakistan; 5. Indiana; 6. The Spice Girls; 7. Missouri Tigers; 8. Dennis Rodman; 9. Brazil; 10. Naval Academy @ Annapolis, MD.

November 27 Trivia
1. George Moscone, who was mayor of this US city, was assassinated along with city supervisor Harvey Milk on this date in 1978.
2. John Major succeeded this legendary figure as British Prime Minister in 1990 on this day.
3. This legendary guitarist, considered by many to be the best in rock history, was born on this date in 1942.
4. This man was confirmed by the Senate as Vice President of the USA on this date in 1973.
5. This baseball player, who was just selected as 2007 National League MVP last week, celebrates his 29th birthday today.
6. This woman, who Neil Diamond recently revealed he once wrote a hit song named after her, turns 50 today.
7. This dramatist, wrote such classic plays as "The Iceman Cometh" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night," died on this date in 1953.
8. Gordie Howe, the legendary hockey star, became the first player in NHL history to reach 1000 points on this date in 1960 while playing for this NHL team.
9. Ross McWhirter, co-founder of the Guinness Book of World Records, was assassinated by this group in 1975 after offering a reward for the capture of those responsible for a number of killings in the UK.
10. This gangster, who was known for his youthful appearance and short stature, was killed by the FBI in a shootout on this date in 1934.

Answers: 1. San Francisco; 2. Margaret Thatcher; 3. Jimi Hendrix; 4. Gerald Ford; 5. Jimmy Rollins; 6. Caroline Kennedy; 7. Eugene O'Neill; 8. Detroit Red Wings; 9. IRA; 10. Baby Face Nelson.

True or False ("The Q Train")
1. The Shakers are a religious group known for its furniture design and craftsmanship.
2. The Nubian Desert is located on the continent of Asia.
3. Broccoli, cauliflower and kale are all members of the cabbage food family.
4. The central character in the novel "The Scarlet Letter" is named Daisy Buchanan.
5. The capital of the state of Arizona is named for a mythological animal.
6. A substance's boiling point is the temperature at which it changes from liquid to solid.
7. Kobe is a Japanese city famous for its beef.
8. Handcuffs are depicted on the logo of the TV series, "America's Most Wanted."
9. "Generation X" and "Shampoo Planet" are novels that were written by author Douglas Coupland.
10. The New York Yankees have retired the most numbers of any American sports franchise.

Answers: 1. true; 2. false, it's in Africa; 3. true; 4. false, Hester Prynne; 5. true; 6. false, liquid to gas; 7. true; 8. false, it's an eagle; 9. true; 10. false, the Boston Celtics have.

General Knowledge
1. Walt Whitman wrote the poem, "O Captain! My Captain!" about the death of which famous American?
2. What nationality was the notorious outlaw Rob Roy?
3. What singer made a comeback in 1988 with a cover of Prince's song, "Kiss?"
4. Which performer won a 1988 Grammy for his album, "The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000?"
5. Between Horatio, Ophelia and Laertes, which one is still alive at the end of "Hamlet?"
6. A compact disc player uses what device in order to "read" CDs?
7. In the 1993 movie, "The Fugitive," Lt. Sam Gerard works for what government agency?
8. What fraction of the vote is needed in both houses of Congress to override a president's veto?
9. What female musician sang the theme song for the TV series, "Dawson's Creek?"
10. The annual Pulitzer Prize awards are bestowed by which university?

Answers: 1. Abraham Lincoln; 2. Scottish; 3. Tom Jones; 4. Mel Brooks; 5. Horatio; 6. laser; 7. U.S. Marshals; 8. two-thirds; 9. Paula Cole; 10. Columbia.

IQ Trivia
1. Who was President of the United States between Grover Cleveland's two nonconsecutive terms? ( 4 points)
2. What was Elvis Presley's military rank upon his discharge from the Army? ( 5 points)
3. To the nearest thousand mile, the earth's circumference at the equator is how many miles? ( 6 points)
4. Speleology is the study of what? ( 5 points)
5. In 1886, the Haymarket Riots took place in what U.S. city? ( 5 points)

Answers: 1. Benjamin Harrison; 2. sergeant; 3. 25,000 miles (actually 24,900); 4. caves; 5. Chicago.