Trivia Q&A: June 30

We had another huge crowd for Trivia on Tuesday, and I figured the special category might bring some more folks out. 23 teams were present and I figured the recently deceased Mr. Jackson would be a hot topic of team names. But as it turned out, it wasn't. Only one team had a reference to the departed Gloved One, and decorum prevents me from writing it here (sorry Keith).

The scores on Michael Jackson Trivia (which many folks were applauding when I announced it) were all over the map, but they were mostly in the 3-5 point range. It was a close contest all night, and first place was tied in every round (I can't remember that happening before).

Heading into IQ Trivia, it was extremely close, with six teams within three points of the lead. But the team of Ed McMahon Arm Wrestles Billy Mays in Heaven wound up the winners, as they were one of two teams that ran the table and got a perfect score in that round. They were in fourth going in, and wound up winning by five points.

My congratulations to Matt and his team on a terrific comeback win.

Current Events
1. This rock star recently sued Nike over copyright infringement, as a brand new pair of shoes recently released feature a pattern similar to a guitar he copyrighted in 2001.
2. This African country declared a state of emergency last week, and asked the international community to send troops to fight Islamic forces in the country.
3. This talk show co-host is currently being sued over accusations that she plagiarized another author's work in her best-selling diet book.
4. The organizers of the Academy Awards announced last week that they were expanding the number of Best Picture nominees in next year's Awards to this number.
5. Recently released secret files from the National Archives revealed that in WWII, Britain seriously considered dropping millions of these on German troops as the war neared the end.
6. Archeologists confirmed that they discovered recently in Germany the remnants of this musical instrument, believed to be the oldest one ever confirmed at 35,000 years old.
7. Iran and this country expelled some of each other's diplomats in the fallout of the recent Iranian election and the protests that followed it.

Answers: 1. Eddie Van Halen; 2. Somalia; 3. Elisabeth Hasselbeck; 4. ten; 5. poisoned darts; 6. flute; 7. United Kingdom.

Michael Jackson Trivia
1. Michael Jackson joined Luciano Pavarotti and Paul McCartney on a tribute album in the late 1990s to what person?
2. What celebrity is godfather to Michael Jackson's first child?
3. Michael Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a commercial for what product in 1984?
4. Which Michael Jackson album is the best-selling double album of all-time?
5. What religion was Michael Jackson raised in?
6. What hit Michael Jackson song has Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar?
7. What was Michael Jackson's first solo Billboard number one hit single?

Answers: 1. Princess Diana; 2. Macaulay Culkin; 3. Pepsi; 4. "History: Past, Present and Future;" 5. Jehovah's Witness; 6. "Beat It;" 7. "Ben."

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. The five-mile long Mackinac Bridge is located in the state of Florida.
2. Kalium is another name for the element potassium.
3. Titan is the largest moon of the planet Jupiter.
4. The movie "Chariots of Fire" was set during the 1936 Summer Olympics.
5. Oleo is another name for margarine.
6. The Romance languages are descendants of Latin.
7. Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia.
8. Barack Obama is the 45th President of the United States.
9. The Genie company is best known for its line of products that opens garage doors.
10. The joule is a unit of measurement used to determine atomic weight.

Answers: 1. false, Michigan; 2. true; 3. false, Saturn; 4. false, 1924; 5. true; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, 44th; 9.true; 10. false, energy.

General Knowledge
1. Gateau is the French word for what food?
2. In 1978, Israeli PM Menachem Begin won the Nobel Peace Prize with what other world leader?
3. "Isn't it rich, are we a pair?" is the opening line of what show tune?
4. If it is 4 PM in Boston, MA, what time is it in Anchorage, AK?
5. Leon Trotsky was banished from the USSR in 1929 for opposing what leader?
6. What is by far the best-selling genre in American publsihing, accounting for over half of all publishing sales?
7. England's Victorian Era took place during most of what century?

Answers: 1. cake; 2. Anwar Sadat; 3. "Send in The Clowns;" 4. Noon; 5. Josef Stalin; 6. romance novels; 7. 19th century.

IQ Trivia
1. What Caribbean island is home to Gustavia, the capital city named after Sweden's King Gustav? ( 4 points)
2. What rock star and his wife penned the 2002 cookbook "Kill It and Grill It?" ( 3 points)
3. The historical "Orange Free State" is found in what modern-day country? ( 4 points)
4. What Oscar-winning film was sarcastically called "Kevin's Gate" for much of its troubled production? ( 4 points)
5. The logo for the Broadway musical "Les Miserables" depicts what character as a little girl? ( 5 points)

Answers: 1. St. Barts; 2. Ted Nugent; 3. South Africa; 4. "Dances With Wolves;" 5. Cosette.