Follow The Unofficial Captain's Lead

I haven't talked much about the Red Sox since the 2017 season started, so here we go.

Last weekend, we all saw video of that unfortunate slide Manny Machado made on Dustin Pedroia on a force play at second base last Friday night in Baltimore. Machado slide with one of his spikes high, and it clipped  Pedroia on his left leg and ankle. It forced Pedroia to the sidelines for three games, and he finally returned last night.

After Friday's game, Pedey downplayed the whole incident, and made it seemed like no big deal. Just one of the hazards of playing the position, and he seemed to absolve Machado of any blame, and certainly didn't think it was a dirty play. And you might figure the whole thing would drop there. But there were a few Red Sox players who weren't happy with Machado, and the feeling was that something was going to happen, probably later in the series when the time is right to get even with Machado.

Once Pedroia totally downplayed it, I thought it was all over. But with the Red Sox having a 6-0 lead in the 8th inning on Sunday, and Machado batting with one out and one on, Matt Barnes threw a pitch that went behind Machado's head and hit his bat. It was dangerously close, and Barnes was immediately tossed after the game, and later suspended for four games. (He would later claimed he wasn't trying to hit Machado, that it just got away. That's what every pitcher would say in that situation.) Machado was later seen back in the on-deck circle talking to Pedroia, who was in the Red Sox dugout. Pedroia was seen mouthing the words "It wasn't me, it was them." He was telling Machado that he wasn't the one ordering the headhunting.

This whole situation was disturbing on many levels. Thankfully, Machado wasn't hit in the head. But the fact that Pedroia claimed to have nothing to do with incident says something about what's going on in the Red Sox clubhouse. Pedey is the unofficial team captain, inheriting the title from David Ortiz after his retirement. He's the Red Sox senior member, and should get the "C" on his jersey. If he says the incident with Machado isn't a big deal, it should have died right there on Friday night. It's understandable that some of his teammates aren't happy with Machado, but if Pedroia isn't upset, they should let it go. Now, whether this was Barnes acting on his own or under orders to do what he did, we don't know. It was just a stupid thing to do. And with the Orioles coming to Fenway for four games starting on Monday, you know this whole mess isn't over.

Supposedly on Tuesday as the game against New York was rained out, Pedroia and the rest of team put up a unified front, that everything was cool between them and they all had each other's backs. They talked about the incident, and everything was fine in the clubhouse.

And the Red Sox promptly went out there the next two nights and didn't bother showing up, getting only one run in two frustrating losses to New York. They have now scored just 13 runs in the last seven games, including three shutouts, tied for the most in MLB so far. I'm not saying there is any direct connection, but since they came out and said everything is so hunky dory between them, the Sox basically sleepwalked through two uninspired losses against a division rival at home, while Chris Sale, MLB's best pitcher in April, pitched another gem on Thursday night that was once again wasted.

Do the Sox miss David Ortiz? From my perspective, they sure do. Not just his bat, but his leadership.

Dustin Pedroia is now the leader of the Boston Red Sox, and the players should follow his lead. He's The Man.

Or are things not as rosy in that clubhouse as we've been led to believe? We'll find out soon enough.

Trivia Q&A: April 26

We were back in the Loft last night for Trivia, and 14 teams came out for all the festivities. Once again the speaker up there was out, so Yours Truly had to yell out all the questions and answers. It went fine again, and my voice is still in fine shape despite all the yelling!

I was surprised just before we got started to see Jennie and Barbra, who were Trivia winners back in 2009, and they still had their winning giftcard from back then! They joined us last night, and actually did quite well. But it was once again a night for the team of DIMS, who wound up taking the night with 51 points. The Comebackers (Jennie and Barbra) finished second with 42 points, and third place went to Ann Coulter Pulls Out (who also won for Best Team Name) with 41 points.

As I write this, we don't know where we will be next week. It will all depend on the fate of the Celtics, who lead their playoff series, 3-2. If they don't make it to round two, we will be back on the first floor next week. If they advance, we will see the schedule for the round by Monday, and I will pass along the info on the Facebook group page. Stay tuned and I'll see you next Wednesday night.

Current Events
1. What Oscar-winning actress was selected for the fifth time as People magazine's "Most Beautiful Woman in the World" for 2017?
2. Last Friday, Russia's Supreme Court announced that what religious group was banned from the country and to close all its local chapters there.
3. What rock superstar canceled concerts last week after contracting a rare infection while recently touring South America?
4. What Middle Eastern nation was controversially elected to the UN's Women's Rights Commission last week?
5. What southern US city began removing statues there on Monday morning, monuments to Confederates that many see as a representation of a racist past?
6. American Peggy Whitson established a new record in what field of endeavor earlier this week?
7. What US state executed two convicted murderers on Monday night, the first state since 2000 to carry out two death sentences in one day?

England Trivia
1. Speaker's Corner is found in what famous London park?
2. What English port city is located on the river Mersey?
3. What English city was the home of Lady Godiva?
4. During what century did the Great Fire of London take place?
5. What English holiday is celebrated every year on November 5th?
6. Former British prime minister Tony Blair was a member of what political party?
7. Which current population is larger: the country of England or the state of California?

The Q Train: Movies By Decade Trivia
1. West Side Story
2. Casablanca
3. Monster's Ball
4. Goodfellas
5. It Happened One Night
6. Glory
7. Ben-Hur
8. The French Connection
9. The Hunger Games
10. The Deer Hunter

General Knowledge
1. In what city was the sitcom "Laverne and Shirley" originally set? ( 1 pt)
2. How many strikes make a perfect 300 game in ten pin bowling? ( 1 pt)
3. How many films were there in the original "Planet of the Apes" series from the 1960s and '70s? ( 1 pt)
4. What is the only letter of the alphabet not in the name of any US state? ( 2 pt)
5. What actor provided the voice of Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons?" ( 2 pt)
6. What world capital city is located on the island of Luzon? ( 2 pt)
7. Magyar is the official language of what European country? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 20th century president was the first to visit Europe while in office? ( 3 points)
2. What is the northernmost world capital city? ( 4 points)
3. What is the world's largest nation by population that is all in a single time zone? ( 5 points)
4. "The Liberty Bell March" is the theme song to what classic TV show? ( 4 points)
5. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe were known as what 1980s musical duo? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Julia Roberts; 2. Jehovah's Witnesses; 3. Elton John; 4. Saudi Arabia; 5. New Orleans; 6. Most days in space by a US astronaut; 7. Arkansas.

England Trivia
1. Hyde Park; 2. Liverpool; 3. Coventry; 4. 17th century (1666); 5. Guy Fawkes Day; 6. Labour; 7. England ( 55 million-39 million).

The Q Train: Movies By Decade Trivia
1. 1960s (1961); 2. 1940s (1942); 3. 2000s (2001); 4. 1990s (1990); 5. 1930s (1934); 6. 1980s (1989); 7. 1950s (1959); 8. 1970s (1971); 9. 2010s (2012); 10. 1970s (1978).

General Knowledge
1. Milwaukee; 2. twelve; 3. five; 4. Q; 5. Kelsey Grammer; 6. Manila; 7. Hungary.

IQ Trivia
1. Woodrow Wilson; 2. Reykjavik, Iceland; 3. China; 4. "Monty Python's Flying Circus;" 5. Pet Shop Boys.

Blighty Trivia This Week

Trivia Night will be happening this Wednesday night, April 26th in the Loft at Professor Thom's at 8:30 PM, and the Special Category this week will be "England Trivia", seven questions about our great ally, in history and pop culture, in honor of St. George's Day (England's patron saint), which just happened on Sunday. The Q Train lightning round will be "Movies By Decade Trivia." I will give you the names of ten classic films, and you have to tell me the decade it was originally released.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"How many strikes make a perfect 300 game in ten pin bowling?"

We'll be back in the Loft on Wednesday night, as the Celtics have Game 5 of their playoff series then, and fans will take over the first floor. Sorry about the delay last week, and hopefully there won't be anything going on in the Loft before our Trivia Night, so we should get going on time this week. Seats will go quickly, so get in early. Hope to see many of you on Wednesday night for a great night of Trivia Q&A!

Trivia Q&A: April 19

It was to say the least a very unusual night at Professor Thom's last night. We were back upstairs for Trivia for the third straight week as the Bruins playoff game brought out the hockey fans to the bar. But there was also a private party in the Loft that went on until almost 8:30 PM, so that delayed the start of Trivia. So all the players had to wait downstairs until the Loft was ready. And if that wasn't enough, the upstairs mic was on the fritz, so Yours Truly had to do the entire Trivia Night shouting out all the Q&A, and with a nasty head cold to boot.

I survived the night, and things actually went rather well. We started just a few minutes late, but ended right on time, with 14 teams taking part. It was a really tight race heading into IQ Trivia, with the top two teams tied and just four points separating the top five. The scores in IQ Trivia were unusually high, but the team of DIMS continued their domination by winning the night by just two points, rolling up 47 points in total. Congrats to the boys on their continued success.

Second place went to Book Hockey with 45 points, and third place went to Wasted Talent with 44 points.

Looks like we will be back in the Loft again next week, unless the Celtics get swept in their first round playoff series. If they have a Game 5, it would be next Wednesday night. I'll keep you all posted here, and on our Trivia Facebook page.

Best Team Name: We Didn't Hear The Instructions & We Don't Know What We're Doing

Current Events
1. What actor, known for his rather odd behavior, is living alone for a month in a cabin in a remote section of Finland for a performance are project called "Alone Together?"
2. Dan Rooney, former ambassador to Ireland and longtime owner of this NFL team, died last Thursday at the age of 84.
3. What hotel on the Las Vegas Strip had a rooftop fire last Thursday night, but was quickly contained and resulted in no injuries?
4. What airline is giving employees permission to offer passengers up to $10,000 in compensation to give up their seats on overbooked flights?
5. What film opened last weekend to a US box office of $100 million, but worldwide opened to $532 million, a new record for an opening weekend?
6. What two-time Oscar-winning actor was named host of the 2017 Tony Awards earlier this week?
7. Geoffrey Kirui and Edna Kiplagat were the men's and women's winners at Monday's Boston Marathon. What country do they both hail from?

Boston Trivia
1. Alexander Graham Bell was a professor at what Boston institution of higher learning before securing his telephone patent?
2. At 790 feet, what is the name of Boston's tallest building?
3. Martin Scorsese won an Academy Award for Best Director for what Boston-based film?
4. The Celtics have won the most title of any Boston-based sports team (17). Between the Red Sox, patriots and Bruins, which won has won the second most?
5. What Boston tunnel is named after one of the city's all-time sports legends?
6. True of False: The first subway built in the US was built in Boston.
7. What American statesman defended British soldiers involved in the infamous Boston Massacre of 1770?

The Q Train: US States Nicknames Trivia
1. Equality State
2. Granite State
3. The Old Dominion
4. Razorback State
5. Magnolia State
6. Yellowhammer State
7. Ocean State
8. Constitution State
9. Gopher State
10. Evergreen State

General Knowledge
1. "What's Love Got to Do With It" was a 1984 hit song for what artist? ( 1 pt)
2. The entire length of the Erie Canal runs through what US state? ( 1 pt)
3. Between Russian, German and Chinese, which is not an official language of the UN? ( 1 pt)
4. Since 2011, when the field was last expanded, how many teams play in the NCAA basketball tournament every year? ( 2 pt)
5. On a roulette wheel, the double zero space is usually what color? ( 2 pt)
6. What country's nickname is "The Hermit Kingdom?" ( 2 pt)
7. In what city could you hire one of the public bicycles known as "Boris Bikes?" ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. The Costa Brava is a coastal region in the northeastern region of what country? ( 4 points)
2. What is the second largest city in the United Kingdom by population, after London? ( 5 points)
3. What is the largest third-party political party in the US, with over 500,000 members? ( 3 points)
4. What musical instrument is on Louisiana's state quarter coin? ( 4 points)
5. What wealthy American is also known by the nickname "The Oracle of Omaha?" ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Shia LeBeouf; 2. Pittsburgh Steelers; 3. Bellagio; 4. Delta; 5. "Fate of the Furious;" 6. Kevin Spacey; 7. Kenya.

Boston Trivia
1. Boston University; 2. John Hancock Tower; 3. "The Departed;" 4. Red Sox (8); 5. Ted Williams; 6. true; 7. John Adams.

The Q Train: US States Nicknames Trivia
1. Wyoming; 2. New Hampshire; 3. Virginia; 4. Arkansas; 5. Mississippi; 6. Alabama; 7. Rhode Island; 8. Connecticut; 9. Minnesota; 10. Washington.

General Knowledge
1. Tina Turner; 2. New York; 3. German; 4. 68; 5. green; 6. North Korea; 7. London.

IQ Trivia
1. Spain; 2. Birmingham; 3. Libertarian; 4. trumpet; 5. Warren Buffett.

Celebrating Boston & Patriots Day On Wednesday

This Wednesday night, April 19th, Trivia will be happening at Professor Thom's, in the second floor Loft, with "Boston Trivia," seven questions about the great city to the northeast of us, in honor of Patriots Day and the running of the Boston Marathon. The Q Train lightning round will be "US States Nicknames Trivia." I will give you 10 famous nicknames associated with states of our great country and you have to name that state.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"The entire length of the Erie Canal runs through what US state?"

We'll get going at 8:30 PM on Wednesday. We will be up in the Loft once again, as the Bruins have a playoff game that night. Things have gone very well in the two weeks we have been up there, but unfortunately, space is at a premium, so I urge you to get in as early as possible to assure a seat. As you know, we will be in the Loft as long as there are playoff games on Wednesday nights for the Bruins and Celtics. So I hope to see many of you on Wednesday night for another great night of Trivia Q&A!

Trivia Q&A: April 12

We were back in the Loft at Professor Thom's for Trivia last night, as the bar was invaded by Bruins fans for the first playoff game. 16 teams turned for another great night of Trivia upstairs. I reintroduced the "Q-Tip Trivia" round for the first time since my return, and it went very well, and one team even got the highest score possible in the round of 17 points. It was a two-team race in the final rounds, but the team of DIMS had a perfect round in IQ Trivia to seal their victory with 60 points. Congrats to the boys on another well-earned victory.

Second place went to Malicious Advertisers getting 46 points (nice to see some old friends from my first go-around at Thom's back last night), and third place went to United Didn't Even Sink to Using Chemical Weapons with 43 points.

A quick note to say we will be back in the Loft again next Wednesday, as the Bruins will have their Game 4 playoff game then. It also looks like we will upstairs again for April 26th, the following Wednesday, as well. I will keep you all updated as information becomes available. Once again, my apologies to everyone for the lack of seats last night, as space in the Loft is a bit less than downstairs. Thank you all for understanding!

Best Team Name: You Can't Have Your Chocolate Cake and Bomb it, Too

Current Events
1. A 46-year-old man filed a lawsuit against Ed Murray, the mayor of what West Coast city, that he raped and molested him over 30 years ago?
2. David Letterman substituted for Neil Young, who was ill, in inducting what rock band into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame last Friday?
3. Facebook admitted last week that they were tricked by a malicious advertiser into carrying a fake news post that what legendary rock star had committed suicide?
4. 45 people were killed and more than 100 injured when two bombs were detonated at Christian churches last Sunday in what country?
5. Separate groups led by Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush have emerged as possible bidders for what NL baseball team, with the price tag in the range of $800 million- $1.6 billion?
6. Gov. Robert Bentley, of what US state, resigned on Monday as impeachment proceedings began over charges he was using state resources to cover an affair he was having?
7. In a recent poll of 85,000 registered voters by Morning Consult, Charlie Baker, governor of this state, was voted the US' most popular governor.

Q-Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following countries have hosted the Summer Olympics? a. Canada, b. Russia, c. Netherlands, d. Belgium.
2. Which of these US presidents had more than one vice-president? a. FDR, b. Richard Nixon, c. Theodore Roosevelt, d. Abraham Lincoln.
3. Which of these neighborhoods are located in Brooklyn? a. Woodhaven, b. Tottenville, c. Kingsbridge, d. Murray Hill.
4. Which of the following films were set in New York City? a. Dirty Harry, b. Field of Dreams, c. Working Girl, d. The Producers.
5. Which of the following musicians were drummers? a. Don Henley, b. Peter Criss, c. Karen Carpenter, d. Sheila E.
6. Which of the following films did not win the Oscar for Best Picture? a. Saving Private Ryan, b. Gladiator, c. Chicago, d. The Aviator.
7. In which of the following years was a Democrat elected to the White House? a. 1968, b. 1996, c. 1984, d. 1988.

The Q Train: 21-30 Trivia
1. This is the number of MLB Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Tony Perez and Rickey Henderson.
2. The number of days February has in leap years.
3. This is the number amendment that ended Prohibition in 1933.
4. In a normal deck of cards, there are this many red cards, as well as black cards.
5. The most famous psalm in the Bible was this number, also known as the Shepherd Psalm.
6. The Arabic alphabet has this many letters.
7. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for this many pieces of silver.
8. This is the current roster size number for all MLB teams.
9. Rock stars Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain all died at this age.
10. This is the total number of soccer players that can be on the field active at any one time.

General Knowledge
1. "Land of Lincoln" is what US state's nickname? ( 1 pt)
2. Who was the last president of the Soviet Union? ( 1 pt)
3. The holiday known as Festivus gained popularity because of what TV sitcom? ( 1 pt)
4. Croatia and Slovenia were both formerly part of what country? ( 2 pt)
5. The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an award presented every year in what sport? ( 2 pt)
6. At 2,290 miles, what is Europe's longest river? ( 2 pt)
7. How many main islands does the state of Hawaii have? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Robert LeRoy Parker was the real name of what 19th century outlaw? ( 4 points)
2. What US president is the only person named Time's "Person of the Year" three different times? ( 3 points)
3. In the famous Abbott and Costello comedy routine "Who's On First", the third baseman's name is? ( 4 points)
4. The Order of the Arrow is the honor society of what national organization? ( 5 points)
5. What state has been hit by more than half of all the earthquakes recorded in the United States? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Seattle; 2. Pearl Jam; 3. Paul McCartney; 4. Egypt; 5. Miami Marlins; 6. Alabama; 7. Massachusetts.

Q-Tip Trivia
1. all; 2. a,b,d; 3. none; 4. c,d; 5. all; 6. a,d; 7. b.

The Q Train: 21-30 Trivia
1. 24; 2. 29; 3. 21; 4. 26; 5. 23; 6. 28; 7. 30; 8. 25; 9. 27; 10.22.

General Knowledge
1. Illinois; 2. Mikhail Gorbachev; 3. "Seinfeld;" 4. Yugoslavia; 5. hockey; 6. Volga; 7. eight.

IQ Trivia
1. Butch Cassidy; 2. FDR (1932, 1936 and 1941); 3. I Don't Know; 4. Boy Scouts of America; 5. Alaska.

Back In The Loft on Wednesday Night

Trivia will be happening this Wednesday night, April 12th at 8:30 PM at Professor Thom's, with "Q-Tip Trivia" as the Special Category. This category has nothing to do with cotton swabs, but the way it works is I will give you seven general knowledge, multiple choice questions, and each will have four possible answers. You can pick as many as you think are correct, and you will get a point for each correct one, so you could possibly get four points if you say "all" and are correct. (And there is a possibility that none are correct. If you say "none" and are right, you get one point.) However, if you give any incorrect answers, you get no points for that question. So you have to be careful in your responses in this round. I'll have further explanations about the category on Wednesday night to clear up any confusion you may have about it.

The Q Train lightning round will be "21-30 Trivia." I will give you ten questions where the answer will be a number from 21 and 30, and each answer will be a different number.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"'Land of Lincoln' is what US state's nickname?"

As many of you know, we moved upstairs to do Trivia last week, due to the Celtics and Red Sox games that brought many fans to the bar. The NHL just released their playoff schedule, and the Bruins will have playoff games both this Wednesday (Game 1) and next Wednesday night (Game 4), so Professor Thom's will be filled with playoff hockey fans. That means we will be in the second floor Loft for this week and next week's Trivia Nights for certain. As the weeks progress, we will play it by ear as to where we will be doing it, and I will keep you all updated here. I thought last week's Trivia went great, with the only drawback being that we have less room upstairs than we do downstairs. So I would urge you all to come in as early as you can, so you can get some seats. My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause to you, but we'd rather do Trivia upstairs than to have to cancel it because of the Bruins and Celtics playoff games, which always brings enormous crowds to Professor Thom's. I look forward to seeing many of you in the Loft for another great night of Trivia on Wednesday night!

Trivia Q&A: April 5

Last night at Professor Thom's, we had an influx of Celtics and Red Sox fans in to watch their games, so we moved Trivia upstairs to the second floor, called The Loft. It's an intimate place that is used for private parties and such. We did the Trivia there and it went great. The only drawback is the fact that the space is a bit limited, so we had 13 teams in and the Loft was crowded all night. I thank all of you who came in and enjoyed the night. With the Celtics and Bruins about to begin their playoff runs later this month, there will be Wednesdays where we will be in the Loft to do Trivia Night. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Next week it is not certain yet where we will be, but it should be a great night nonetheless. I will keep all of you posted on our Facebook group page with updates.

This was one of those nights where I made the Trivia a bit tougher, especially in the rounds of 1990s Trivia and IQ Trivia, as the scores were a bit low in both. I guess I'll have to make up for that next week! LOL But in the IQ round, I did discover I made an error on question #4, as I used the word "hydrogen" instead of "nitrogen." I do apologize for that mistake. No one got the question correct, so it ultimately didn't affect the final scores.

Our friends from the team of DIMS continue the reign over Trivia Night, as they won the night, getting 43 points. Congrats to them on another fine victory. Second place went to 17 Going On 18, who got 33 points, and third place went to Tar Heels Can Use Any Bathroom They Want with 31 points.

Best Team Name: Bill O'Reilly's Summer Interns

Current Events
1. What classic rock singer recently told the New Musical Express, "The Democrats threw it away by nominating Hillary Clinton. A dead dog would have won against her."?
2. An elevated section of the northbound Interstate 85 in this city collapsed last Thursday after a massive fire broke out.
3. Rioters stormed and set fire to what South American country's Congress last Friday after the Senate secretly voted for an amendment allowing its president to run for re-election?
4. What recent Grammy-winning musician donated $1 million to Chicago's public schools last week, and it was matched by the NBA's Chicago Bulls?
5. What controversial TV host was reported by the New York Times last week to have settled as many as five sexual harassment cases against him for as much as $13 million?
6. Over 200 people were killed and hundreds injured from flooding and landslides last weekend in what South American country?
7. This sports league announced on Monday it would not be sending any of its players to the 2018 Olympics as owners were increasingly unhappy having to shut down its league down every four years.

1990s Trivia
1. In what year in the 1990s was Nelson Mandela released from a South African jail after 27 years?
2. What record became the world's biggest-selling single of all-time in 1997?
3. The 1992 Summer Olympics were held in what European city?
4. Madonna won a Golden Globe for the first time in 1997 for what film?
5. Johnny Carson left the Tonight Show as host after 30 years in what year?
6. Who succeeded Margaret Thatcher as British prime minister in 1990?
7. The massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado and the death of JFK Jr. both occurred in what year?

The Q Train: True or False Trivia
1. The maximum number of digits allowed on a credit card in 19.
2. Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis.
3. "Bookkeeper" is the only word in the English language with three consecutive double letters.
4. Panama hats are actually manufactured in Panama.
5. Abraham Lincoln was the first US president born in a log cabin.
6. New Zealand was the first nation to grant women the right to vote.
7. More people are killed by donkeys every year than are killed in plane crashes.
8. Only male mosquitoes bite humans.
9. Bananas originated on the continent of Asia.
10. Texas has the most ghost towns of any state in the US.

General Knowledge
1. A bar mitzvah is celebrated when a Jewish boy reaches what age? ( 1 pt)
2. Who was the US president during the War of 1812? ( 1 pt)
3. Wright Brothers National Memorial is located in what US state? ( 1 pt)
4. Hypertension is the medical term for what common health problem? ( 2 pt)
5. The novel "Brave New World" was written by what 20th century author? ( 2 pt)
6. What finger is fractured twice as often on average as any other? ( 2 pt)
7. Mount Desert Island is the largest island off the coast of what US state? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What 1985 film earned Harrison Ford his only Oscar nomination to date? ( 3 points)
2. "A Nation Once Again", written in 1840, is an anthem associated with the independence of what nation? ( 4 points)
3. In 1860, what board game, still available today, was founded by Milton Bradley and was his first board game? ( 5 points)
4. After nitrogen and oxygen, what is the third most abundant element in the earth's atmosphere? ( 4 points)
5. What is the least populous state capital in the United States? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Roger Daltrey; 2. Atlanta; 3. Paraguay; 4. Chance the Rapper; 5. Bill O'Reilly; 6. Colombia; 7. NHL.

1990s Trivia
1. 1990; 2. "Candle in the Wind;" 3. Barcelona; 4. "Evita;" 5. 1992; 6. John Major; 7. 1999.

The Q Train: True or False Trivia
1. true; 2. false; 3. true; 4. false, Ecuador; 5. false, Andrew Jackson; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false; 9. true; 10. false, Oregon.

General Knowledge
1. 13; 2. James Madison; 3. North Carolina; 4. high blood pressure; 5. Aldous Huxley; 6. pinky; 7. Maine.

IQ Trivia
1. "Witness;" 2. Ireland; 3. The Game of Life; 4. argon; 5. Montpelier, VT.

Back to the '90s Trivia This Week

Trivia will be happening on Wednesday night, April 5th at Professor Thom's, and the Special category will be "1990s Trivia," seven questions connected to the final decade of the 20th century in history, sports and pop culture. The Q Train lightning round will be another edition of "True or False Trivia."

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"Who was the US president during the War of 1812?"

We get going at 8:30 PM tomorrow night. We continue to get large turnouts every week, so get in as early as you can. I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow for another great night of Trivia Q&A!

Happy Opening Day 2017

We start playing for real today, and the expectations for the Red Sox have never been higher going into the 2017 season. Many prognosticators are picking the Red Sox to win the AL East, and afew are even picking them to win the whole enchilada. The Sox open at home today, and here are the 25 players (and those on the DL) who will open the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates today:

Pitchers:

Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, Steven Wright, David Price (DL), Drew Pomeranz (DL), Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Robbie Ross, Fernando Abad, Robby Scott, Ben Taylor, Tyler Thornburg (DL).

Infielders:
Mitch Moreland, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, Brock Holt, Jeff Rutledge (DL).

Outfielders:
Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley, Mookie Betts, Steve Selsky, Chris Young.

Catchers:
Sandy Leon, Christian Vazquez.