Trivia Q&A: May 11

We had a huge crowd of Boston Celtics fans in at Professor Thom's for the playoff game on Tuesday night, so it was touch and go as to whether Trivia Night would actually happen. But it did, and we decided to do the first two categories consecutively, and skip the Q Train this week. (We'll do "True or False Trivia" next week.)

15 teams took part, and we got the first two categories in during halftime of the basketball game. We got it in just as the half ended, and the crowd was loud and vocal about it all night. I graded the paers at once for the first two categories, and announced the results during breaks in the game. The game ended at about 10:50 PM, and we were finally able to do the last two categories.

We managed to finish by 11:30 PM, and I was pleased to see that the majority teams did stay until the end. The winners were The Razor Ramones, who had a great IQ Trivia round, as they were the only team to get 4 of the 5 questions correct. It was their first ever win, and I congratulate them on it.

I want to thank all of you who endured a strange night of Trivia on Tuesday, with all the breaks for the game we had to take. You are all the best, and I really appreciate it.

A reminder that next week's Trivia Night will be on Wednesday night, May 19th at 9 PM, due to the Red Sox-Yankees game next Tuesday. Hopefully if the Celtics make it to the next round, there won't be a game on Wednesday night. (Fingers are crossed!)

Current Events
1. A British man was convicted yesterday and fined $1500 for sending a bomb threat to a UK airport by this unusual way last December.
2. Goodluck Jonathan, who was acting president of this African country, became the full time leader as the country's president died last week.
3. This athlete recently told Barbara Walters that she "shanghaied" him in an interview they did 22 years ago, and claims he was in his "junkie" stage at the time.
4. A mine explosion in this country on Sunday killed at least 12 people and injured more than two dozen others.
5. The culture minister of this European country is boycotting the Cannes Film Festival over a film that criticized the country's prime minister over his handling of a deadly earthquake there in 2009.
6. Bob Bennett, a Republican senator from this western state, was ousted from his party's primary ballot at the state's convention and won't have a chance for a fourth term.
7. Dallas Braden, a lefty pitcher for this AL team, pitched the 19th perfect game in MLB history last Sunday, a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Answers: 1. Via Twitter; 2. Nigeria; 3. Mike Tyson; 4. Russia; 5. Italy; 6. Utah; 7. Oakland A's.

Q Tip Trivia
1. Which of these films starred Sandra Bullock? a. Crash; b. Two Weeks Notice; c. Vanity Fair; d. Election.
2. Which of these teams did hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver play for? a. New York Mets; b. Chicago White Sox; c. Cincinnati Reds; d. Boston Red Sox.
3. Which of these rock stars were born in the UK? a. Freddie Mercury; b. Elvis Costello; c. Kurt Cobain; d. Joe Strummer.
4. Which of these sports franchises has never won a league/world championship? a. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; b. Houston Rockets; c. Colorado Avalanche; d. Arizona Diamondbacks.
5. Which of the following are countries located in Africa? a. Bahrain; b. Botswana; c. The Maldives; d. Mali.
6. Which of the following famous people were born in the 19th century? a. Babe Ruth; b. Dwight D. Eisenhower; c. John Wayne; d. Irving Berlin.
7. Which of the following states were not in the Confederacy? a. Kentucky; b. Arkansas; c. Texas; d. Tennessee.

Answers: 1. a, b; 2. all; 3. b; 4. none; 5. b, d; 6. a, b, d; 7. a.

General Knowledge
1. In the 1982 film "Reservoir Dogs," the main characters have code names that are all what? ( 1 pt)
2. What is a Geiger counter used to detect? ( 1 pt)
3. In 1773, residents of what city dumped tea into the harbor to protest taxes on them? ( 1 pt)
4. From what city did the Titanic begin its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912? ( 2 pt)
5. The United States invaded what Caribbean island on July 25, 1898? ( 2 pt)
6. What British general surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown in 1781? ( 2 pt)
7. Which of the Queen of England's residences suffered a serious fire in 1992? ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. colors; 2. radiation; 3. Boston; 4. Southampton; 5. Puerto Rico; 6. Lord Cornwallis; 7. Windsor Castle.

IQ Trivia
1. Philematology is the science of what? ( 5 points)
2. In 1917, "The Miracle of the Sun" was witnessed by thousands in fields near what Portuguese town? ( 4 points)
3. What famous novel opens "in London in the year of our Ford 632?" ( 4 points)
4. What 17th century painter's notable works include "Night Watch" and "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp?" ( 3 points)
5. The first paper money introduced in Europe was in 1661 in what country? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. kissing; 2. Fatima; 3. "Brave New World;" 4. Rembrandt; 5. Sweden.