This is the 635th and final post of 2010 for The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, and I want to thank all of you who come to my blog, and especially to those of you who come here on a regular basis. It is one of the joys of my life to write this blog and get some terrific feedback about it from all of you.
I wrote a little less than I did in 2009. Last year I wrote 660 posts, and I bet part of the drop off was the fact the Red Sox missed the postseason. Hopefully we top 2010's number in 2011!
I will be ringing in the New Year rather quietly, with some friends and family. It's Amateur Night out there, and with the melting snow out there, home is the safest place to be.
And besides, The Twilight Zone marathon is under way on Syfy, and The Honeymooners marathon on WPIX here in New York starts up at midnight. So my TV remote will get it's usual workout all day tomorrow.
I close with one last YouTube clip, from that immortal Jackie Gleason sitcom. I have shown it here before, but it is always worth seeing again. Never fails to leave me in stitches:
A Happy New Year to you all.
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Lefty, Same As The Old Lefty
It appears that the Red Sox will bring Hideki Okajima back for one more season, as they are close to signing him to a one-year deal.
He will join Andrew Miller, Rich Hill, Lenny DiNardo and Felix Doubront as lefties trying to earn a spot in the new and improved Red Sox bullpen for 2011.
He will join Andrew Miller, Rich Hill, Lenny DiNardo and Felix Doubront as lefties trying to earn a spot in the new and improved Red Sox bullpen for 2011.
Catholics Dominate Convicts
Notre Dame came out firing today at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, as they totally dominated Miami in winning, 33-17.
Michael Floyd was one of the stars of the game, as he caught two TD passes from Tommy Rees in the first half, including the first one on the first drive of the game. Floyd caught six passes on the day for 108 yards.
The Irish simply dominated the game in the first half, as they picked off three passes, and led 27-3 at the half.
Tommy Rees went 15-for-29 for 194 yards and 2 TDs. Cirre Wood scored another TD on a 35-yard gallop in the second quarter. Robert Hughes rushed for 83 yards, including one for 25 yards.
David Ruffer made his first three field goals of the day to extend his school record to 24 straight FG made, but missed early in the fourth quarter, his first missed FG of 2010.
Notre Dame ends the 2010 season in style and strong, with four straight wins and with a record of 8-5. Questions remain on the status of Michael Floyd, whether he will leave after this his junior year and go into the NFL draft. I hope he stays for one more year at South Bend.
The next Notre Dame football game will be on September 3rd against South Florida at South Bend. Thanks for bringing some Irish pride back this year, guys.
Michael Floyd was one of the stars of the game, as he caught two TD passes from Tommy Rees in the first half, including the first one on the first drive of the game. Floyd caught six passes on the day for 108 yards.
The Irish simply dominated the game in the first half, as they picked off three passes, and led 27-3 at the half.
Tommy Rees went 15-for-29 for 194 yards and 2 TDs. Cirre Wood scored another TD on a 35-yard gallop in the second quarter. Robert Hughes rushed for 83 yards, including one for 25 yards.
David Ruffer made his first three field goals of the day to extend his school record to 24 straight FG made, but missed early in the fourth quarter, his first missed FG of 2010.
Notre Dame ends the 2010 season in style and strong, with four straight wins and with a record of 8-5. Questions remain on the status of Michael Floyd, whether he will leave after this his junior year and go into the NFL draft. I hope he stays for one more year at South Bend.
The next Notre Dame football game will be on September 3rd against South Florida at South Bend. Thanks for bringing some Irish pride back this year, guys.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
A Year of Frauds Exposed
My friend Pete Nash at Haulsofshame.com has his year-end wrap up of all the investigations his great site did in exposing many of the frauds that continue to plague the baseball memorabilia industry.
Pete has a list of the 15 investigations that his site did, such as the fake Shoeless Joe Jackson and Mickey Mantle rookie jerseys and the stolen Babe Ruth will.
It's definitely worth the time to check out, at Haulsofshame.com.
The Best Record Of Any NFL Team On Tuesday Nights
I had devote most of my time last night to my Trivia Night, and I can usually only watch a sporting event in drips and drabs on any Tuesday night. And I honestly didn't think the Vikings would give the Philadelphia Eagles much of a fight last night in the rescheduled game in Philly.After losing on a combined score of 61-17 the last two weeks, I feared the worst. The Vikings were a two-touchdown underdog, but sure didn't play like one.
Joe Webb made his first NFL career start with Brett Favre inactive. Webb went 17-for-29 with 195 yards and a very impressive nine-yard TD scramble that put the Vikings up 17-7 in the middle of the third quarter.
Philly opened the scoring in the first quarter on a three-yard TD pass by Michael Vick. In the second quarter with 44 seconds to play in the half, Vick fumbled and Antoine Winfield return it 45 yards for a TD to make it 7-7.
Ryan Longwell hit a 30-yard FG to open the scoring in the second half. In the fourth, Vick ran for a TD from 10 yards to make it 17-14, and seeing that I thought the bubble would burst for the Vikes.
But the defense held strong, and Adrian Peterson score the final TD from 2 yards out to make it 24-14. AP ran for 118 yards on the night after missing the game against Chicago with a thigh injury. Peterson was also the Viking selected to this year's Pro Bowl. (Last season the Vikings had ten players go, and that shows you how far they have fallen as a team.)
Granted the Eagles had already wrapped up the division when the Giants lost to Green Bay on Sunday, but this loss denies Philly any shot at a first round bye. It's been a lost season for the Vikings, but they showed some pride last night, especially having to wait around for two extra days to play the game. Leslie Frazier is now 3-2 as head coach.
The Vikes are now 1-0 in their history on Tuesday nights, an undefeated record no other NFL team can match. (This was also the first NFL game played on Tuesday since 1946.)
The Vikings, now 6-9, will put the 2010 season to a merciful rest in Detroit on Sunday.
And the word is now in on Brett Favre and the NFL's investigation into his inappropriate text and phone messages fiasco: he will be fined $50,000.
Trivia Q&A: December 28
On a night when the remnants of the big blizzard was everywhere, I thought we might only have 8 or 9 teams in for Trivia. Boy was I proven wrong! We had an amazing 22 teams in, on a rare night when their was an NFL game on at the same time as Trivia.
My buddy Chris said before the night that many people might have been suffering from "cabin fever" and wanted to get out. Boy was he ever right.
It was a boisterous crowd on Tuesday night as well. The scores were very close all night, but the team of Domination Nation! pulled out the win by two points, getting 4 of 5 correct and getting their first win.
But we had a rare event once again that happened last week. We had another three-way tie for second, between the teams of Rex Ryan's Favorite Porno Is My Left Foot, Aloha Obama! Wish We Were There, and Ephs. We broke the tie in an unusual way, as I asked the three teams to guess how many songs I currently had in my iPod, which I use on Trivia Nights. I gave them the parameters (between 5,000 and 8,000) and the team of Ephs guessed the closest and took second place. (For the record, at the time of Trivia last night I had 6,732 songs in my iPod.)
I want to thank all of you who made our last Trivia Night of 2010 such an enjoyable one. (Of course, the Vikings win in Philly made it that much more fun.) So many of you braved the elements and came out last night, and I was really happy you did.
Happy New Year to you all.
Best Team Name: Rex Ryan's Favorite Porno Is My Left Foot
Current Events
1. What rock band had to cancel a gig in London last week after a fire broke out on one of the band's tour buses next to the arena?
2. What place, closely associated with the Beatles, was named a British landmark last week?
3. Steve Landesberg, an actor and comedian best known for his role as an intellectual detective on this 1970s sitcom, died last week at the age of 74.
4. What automaker agreed to pay a record fine of $32 million over its handling of millions of car recalls, and it's also its second major fine of 2010?
5. Actor Stephen Baldwin is suing this Oscar-winning actor, claiming he and a business partner schemed to dupe him into selling shares of a company that builds machines that separate oil from water in the wake of last April's BP disaster.
6. Jorge Rafael Videla, an 85-year-old former president of this South American country, was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity during his de facto rule there in the last 1970s.
7. What southern US state had its first snowfall on Christmas Day since records were first kept there in 1887?
2010: The Year In Review
1. What pop singer dropped his Twitter account last September, leaving over 3.7 million of his followers behind?
2. Jose Bautista was the only MLB player to hit 50 home runs during the 2010 season. What American League team did he do it for?
3. What northern country had a volcanic eruption in 2010 that spewed ash that caused weeks of travel delays?
4. What was the name of the octopus from Germany who correctly predicted the outcomes of the last seven World Cup soccer matches this past summer?
5. In May, a painting called "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" by what 20th century artist sold for a record $106 million at auction?
6. Alexander Haig, who served as Secretary of State under which US president, died this past February?
7. The president of what European country was killed last April, along with 96 others, when his plane crashed in western Russia?
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. "The Muppet Show" was once banned from TV in Saudi Arabia because one of its stars was a pig.
2. Guinness is considered an aphrodisiac in Ireland.
3. The three letter abbreviation for Los Angeles International Airport is LOS.
4. The Wright Brothers plane was called The Kitty Hawk.
5. The siege of Leningrad in WWII went on for over two years.
6. Pocahontas was once pictured on the $20 bill.
7. Russian TV once made a communist version of the TV show "Star Trek."
8. Thomas Jefferson served as George Washington's vice-president.
9. In Mexico, bullfights are traditionally held on Sundays.
10. There are 36 black keys on a standard piano.
General Knowledge
1. The Silver Bullet Band is the longtime backing band of what popular rock star? ( 1 pt)
2. How many tentacles does an octopus have? ( 1 pt)
3. Which of the world's oceans goes to the deepest depths? ( 1 pt)
4. The 2010 movie "I'm Still Here" followed what actor as he grew a beard and retired from his Hollywood career? ( 2 pt)
5. What reality TV series often airs a wrap-up episode at the end of each season called "After the Final Rose?" ( 2 pt)
6. Awarded by the Women's Sports Foundation, the Billies are annual prizes named for a famous athlete in what sport? ( 2 pt)
7. According to legend, what historic London landmark has superstitiously housed ravens for at least a century? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. In 1982, Charles Brooks Jr. became the first person in the US to be executed by which method? ( 3 points)
2. What British TV show celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this month and became the world's longest running soap opera? ( 4 points)
3. Gephyrophobia is the fear of doing what, something millions of people do every day? ( 5 points)
4. What TV and movie actor became the first person using Twitter to have one million followers, in 2009? ( 4 points)
5. What current West African country was once known as "The Gold Coast," before gaining independence from the UK in 1957? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Kings of Leon; 2. Abbey Road crossing; 3. "Barney Miller;" 4. Toyota; 5. Kevin Costner; 6. Argentina; 7. South Carolina.
2010: The Year In Review
1. John Mayer; 2. Toronto Blue Jays; 3. Iceland; 4. Paul; 5. Pablo Picasso; 6. Ronald Reagan; 7. Poland.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. false; 3. false, LAX; 4. false, Flyer; 5. true; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, John Adams; 9. true; 10. true.
General Knowledge
1. Bob Seger; 2. eight; 3. Pacific; 4. Joaquin Phoenix; 5. "The Bachelor;" 6. tennis; 7. Tower of London.
IQ Trivia
1. Lethal injection; 2. "Coronation Street;" 3. Crossing bridges; 4. Ashton Kutcher; 5. Ghana.
My buddy Chris said before the night that many people might have been suffering from "cabin fever" and wanted to get out. Boy was he ever right.
It was a boisterous crowd on Tuesday night as well. The scores were very close all night, but the team of Domination Nation! pulled out the win by two points, getting 4 of 5 correct and getting their first win.
But we had a rare event once again that happened last week. We had another three-way tie for second, between the teams of Rex Ryan's Favorite Porno Is My Left Foot, Aloha Obama! Wish We Were There, and Ephs. We broke the tie in an unusual way, as I asked the three teams to guess how many songs I currently had in my iPod, which I use on Trivia Nights. I gave them the parameters (between 5,000 and 8,000) and the team of Ephs guessed the closest and took second place. (For the record, at the time of Trivia last night I had 6,732 songs in my iPod.)
I want to thank all of you who made our last Trivia Night of 2010 such an enjoyable one. (Of course, the Vikings win in Philly made it that much more fun.) So many of you braved the elements and came out last night, and I was really happy you did.
Happy New Year to you all.
Best Team Name: Rex Ryan's Favorite Porno Is My Left Foot
Current Events
1. What rock band had to cancel a gig in London last week after a fire broke out on one of the band's tour buses next to the arena?
2. What place, closely associated with the Beatles, was named a British landmark last week?
3. Steve Landesberg, an actor and comedian best known for his role as an intellectual detective on this 1970s sitcom, died last week at the age of 74.
4. What automaker agreed to pay a record fine of $32 million over its handling of millions of car recalls, and it's also its second major fine of 2010?
5. Actor Stephen Baldwin is suing this Oscar-winning actor, claiming he and a business partner schemed to dupe him into selling shares of a company that builds machines that separate oil from water in the wake of last April's BP disaster.
6. Jorge Rafael Videla, an 85-year-old former president of this South American country, was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity during his de facto rule there in the last 1970s.
7. What southern US state had its first snowfall on Christmas Day since records were first kept there in 1887?
2010: The Year In Review
1. What pop singer dropped his Twitter account last September, leaving over 3.7 million of his followers behind?
2. Jose Bautista was the only MLB player to hit 50 home runs during the 2010 season. What American League team did he do it for?
3. What northern country had a volcanic eruption in 2010 that spewed ash that caused weeks of travel delays?
4. What was the name of the octopus from Germany who correctly predicted the outcomes of the last seven World Cup soccer matches this past summer?
5. In May, a painting called "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" by what 20th century artist sold for a record $106 million at auction?
6. Alexander Haig, who served as Secretary of State under which US president, died this past February?
7. The president of what European country was killed last April, along with 96 others, when his plane crashed in western Russia?
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. "The Muppet Show" was once banned from TV in Saudi Arabia because one of its stars was a pig.
2. Guinness is considered an aphrodisiac in Ireland.
3. The three letter abbreviation for Los Angeles International Airport is LOS.
4. The Wright Brothers plane was called The Kitty Hawk.
5. The siege of Leningrad in WWII went on for over two years.
6. Pocahontas was once pictured on the $20 bill.
7. Russian TV once made a communist version of the TV show "Star Trek."
8. Thomas Jefferson served as George Washington's vice-president.
9. In Mexico, bullfights are traditionally held on Sundays.
10. There are 36 black keys on a standard piano.
General Knowledge
1. The Silver Bullet Band is the longtime backing band of what popular rock star? ( 1 pt)
2. How many tentacles does an octopus have? ( 1 pt)
3. Which of the world's oceans goes to the deepest depths? ( 1 pt)
4. The 2010 movie "I'm Still Here" followed what actor as he grew a beard and retired from his Hollywood career? ( 2 pt)
5. What reality TV series often airs a wrap-up episode at the end of each season called "After the Final Rose?" ( 2 pt)
6. Awarded by the Women's Sports Foundation, the Billies are annual prizes named for a famous athlete in what sport? ( 2 pt)
7. According to legend, what historic London landmark has superstitiously housed ravens for at least a century? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. In 1982, Charles Brooks Jr. became the first person in the US to be executed by which method? ( 3 points)
2. What British TV show celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this month and became the world's longest running soap opera? ( 4 points)
3. Gephyrophobia is the fear of doing what, something millions of people do every day? ( 5 points)
4. What TV and movie actor became the first person using Twitter to have one million followers, in 2009? ( 4 points)
5. What current West African country was once known as "The Gold Coast," before gaining independence from the UK in 1957? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. Kings of Leon; 2. Abbey Road crossing; 3. "Barney Miller;" 4. Toyota; 5. Kevin Costner; 6. Argentina; 7. South Carolina.
2010: The Year In Review
1. John Mayer; 2. Toronto Blue Jays; 3. Iceland; 4. Paul; 5. Pablo Picasso; 6. Ronald Reagan; 7. Poland.
True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. false; 3. false, LAX; 4. false, Flyer; 5. true; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, John Adams; 9. true; 10. true.
General Knowledge
1. Bob Seger; 2. eight; 3. Pacific; 4. Joaquin Phoenix; 5. "The Bachelor;" 6. tennis; 7. Tower of London.
IQ Trivia
1. Lethal injection; 2. "Coronation Street;" 3. Crossing bridges; 4. Ashton Kutcher; 5. Ghana.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Trivia's On Tonight!
Just a quick note to Professor Thom's Trivia Night regulars that Trivia Night will be happening at Thom's starting shortly after 9 PM. The subway next to my house (ironically enough, the Q train) is not operating, but I will lug my butt over to the F train and get in at the usual time.
The MTA's Q train may not be running, but Professor Thom's Q Train will be!
So if you're thinking of coming out, please do so. I have no idea what the turnout will be like, but I'll have my Q&A and we will play. See you later tonight!
The MTA's Q train may not be running, but Professor Thom's Q Train will be!
So if you're thinking of coming out, please do so. I have no idea what the turnout will be like, but I'll have my Q&A and we will play. See you later tonight!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Blitzed In Just 38 Seconds
Here's a cool time-elapsed video of the snowstorm we in the Northeast all just got hit with, from the backyard of Michael Black from New Jersey. (The video is courtesy of Gawker.tv.)
December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.
Blizzards Can't Stop Trivia
We had a White Boxing Day yesterday, as New York City got hammered with snow. Don't know any exact numbers yet, but my back that's aching from all the shoveling I had to do tells me it was more than a little significant. But this little inconvenience won't stop us from doing our Trivia Night at Tuesday night at Professor Thom's. As long as the subways are running, I will be there.Our Special Category will be "2010: The Year In Review," which will be seven questions about the year about to come to a close. And the Q Train lightning round will be "True or False Trivia."
The final Sneak Peek question for 2010 is:
Which of the world's oceans goes to the deepest depths?
We will get going at the usual time of 9 PM. My Minnesota Vikings will be playing a rescheduled game against the Philadelphia Eagles starting at just after 8 PM, so we have a rare NFL game going on during Trivia Night.
I hope many of you will brave the remnants of the snow, which should be melting quickly (if the weather forecast proves correct), and come out for our final edition of Trivia Night for 2010.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Vikings-Eagles Postponed Until Tuesday
The wacky 2010 season of Minnesota Vikings football just took another crazy turn when the NFL postponed tonight's game in Philadelphia with the Eagles due to the heavy snow hitting the Philadelphia area today.
The snow worked against the Vikings again, just not in Minnesota this time.
It's the second time the Vikings have had a game postponed, after the roof collapse of the Metrodome a couple of weeks ago. The game has been moved to Tuesday, and this won't give the Eagles or Vikings much time to prepare for their regular season finales of January 2nd.
But why Tuesday night and not Monday? The storm should be over in Philly by midday Monday, but I can only guess that the NFL doesn't want to schedule two nationally televised games at the same time on Monday. (Remember that the makeup of the Vikings-Giants game two weeks ago was only seen in the home markets of both clubs.)
And speaking of playing football outdoors in the snow, the Vikings are exploring the 2011 season at TCF Bank Stadium, according to ESPN.
The snow worked against the Vikings again, just not in Minnesota this time.
It's the second time the Vikings have had a game postponed, after the roof collapse of the Metrodome a couple of weeks ago. The game has been moved to Tuesday, and this won't give the Eagles or Vikings much time to prepare for their regular season finales of January 2nd.
But why Tuesday night and not Monday? The storm should be over in Philly by midday Monday, but I can only guess that the NFL doesn't want to schedule two nationally televised games at the same time on Monday. (Remember that the makeup of the Vikings-Giants game two weeks ago was only seen in the home markets of both clubs.)
And speaking of playing football outdoors in the snow, the Vikings are exploring the 2011 season at TCF Bank Stadium, according to ESPN.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
Here is another Christmas favorite of mine that I have posted in the past, and I thought it would be a nice thing to post for Christmas Eve night: The Yule Log, just like the show of Christmas music which is broadcast every Christmas morning on WPIX, Channel 11 in New York (from 9 AM to 1 PM this Christmas Day).
Merry Christmas to all of you.
May All Of You Have a Blessed Christmas
I want to wish all of my readers out there across the world a very Merry Christmas. This is always my favorite time of year, as I have many wonderful memories of Christmases past. I'll be seeing many of my family members over the next few days and I hope all of you enjoy this wonderful holiday with your family and friends.
I hope Santa is good to all of you.
I leave you with three popular clips of the season. Two of them have brought hundreds of folks from around the world to my site.
The first is from Irish actor Frank Kelly (who played Father Jack Hackett on the classic comedy "Father Ted"), doing a humorous take off of "The 12 Days of Christmas." I put this clip on my blog a few years ago (courtesy of my dear friend Tracy from England) and I get people from all over the English-speaking world (especially from Australia and New Zealand) who find it here. Enjoy:
The second is a Canadian version of the same "12 Days of Christmas", done by the great Bob and Doug McKenzie of "SCTV" fame. This never ceases to crack me up, and is another one of the most popular posts I have ever put up here. Take it away, boys:
And here's another one of my personal favorites, and I have posted it here before during Christmas. It is from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and it is the famous clip of Linus telling Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang exactly what Christmas is all about. It should be required viewing for all:
May all of you have peace and happiness this Christmas.
And Go Red Sox.
I hope Santa is good to all of you.
I leave you with three popular clips of the season. Two of them have brought hundreds of folks from around the world to my site.
The first is from Irish actor Frank Kelly (who played Father Jack Hackett on the classic comedy "Father Ted"), doing a humorous take off of "The 12 Days of Christmas." I put this clip on my blog a few years ago (courtesy of my dear friend Tracy from England) and I get people from all over the English-speaking world (especially from Australia and New Zealand) who find it here. Enjoy:
The second is a Canadian version of the same "12 Days of Christmas", done by the great Bob and Doug McKenzie of "SCTV" fame. This never ceases to crack me up, and is another one of the most popular posts I have ever put up here. Take it away, boys:
And here's another one of my personal favorites, and I have posted it here before during Christmas. It is from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and it is the famous clip of Linus telling Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang exactly what Christmas is all about. It should be required viewing for all:
May all of you have peace and happiness this Christmas.
And Go Red Sox.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Very Happy Festivus To You All
I want to wish all of you out there in cyberspace a very Happy Festivus. For those of you not up to speed with our holiday, I'll let our patron saint of Festivus, Frank Costanza, explain it to you all:
And for those of you in New York, WNYW-TV Channel 5 will be showing "The Strike," the episode featuring Festivus, tonight at 11:30 PM.
Hopefully this is the best Festivus ever!!
And for those of you in New York, WNYW-TV Channel 5 will be showing "The Strike," the episode featuring Festivus, tonight at 11:30 PM.
Hopefully this is the best Festivus ever!!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Senate Finally Comes To Their Senses
The sick 9/11 first responders finally have their Christmas miracle.
The Senate passed the James Zadroga bill today, which was named in honor of an NYPD detective who died from illnesses he contracted working at Ground Zero.
The bill will now be worth $4.3 billion. The Senate Republicans had been blocking the bill coming up for a vote. They finally came to their senses, and it really didn't have to come down to all this. But it has passed, and that's what is important.
It now goes to the House for a vote, and there it is expected to pass, and President Obama will then sign it into law.
Finally, our sick heroes will get the proper attention they so desperately need. Thank God.
The Senate passed the James Zadroga bill today, which was named in honor of an NYPD detective who died from illnesses he contracted working at Ground Zero.
The bill will now be worth $4.3 billion. The Senate Republicans had been blocking the bill coming up for a vote. They finally came to their senses, and it really didn't have to come down to all this. But it has passed, and that's what is important.
It now goes to the House for a vote, and there it is expected to pass, and President Obama will then sign it into law.
Finally, our sick heroes will get the proper attention they so desperately need. Thank God.
Trivia Q&A: December 21
We had 14 teams in for our Christmas edition of Trivia Night. The bar was definitely into the trivia and the crowd was larger than I expected it. But it was good to see so many of the regulars in just days before Christmas.
The numbers for Current Events was rather low, as I think I made it rather difficult. But they picked up for Christmas Trivia. The audio round saw the numbers slip back a bit, but the numbers were again strong for General Knowledge.
It was close going into IQ Trivia, but the team of Nachos and Cheese Fries ran the table for all 20 points, and jumped from fifth place to get into the winner's circle and won the night by five points. Congratulations to them on their first ever Trivia Night win.
We also had something happen that has never happened before. We had a three-way tie for second, and we broke the tie with this question: "Adding up the presidential numbers of John F. Kennedy and Benjamin Harrison, what number do you get?" The number was 58 (35+23), and the team of Not All Dreams Are Dead; Goodbye Don't Ask, Don't Tell hit it right on the nose to get the win and the second place prize. We also awarded third place prizes (Thom's Ale pitcher) to the teams of Jingle Balls and I Wish This Microphone Was a Candy Cane.
Best Team Name: Buttsweat and Tears
Current Events
1. Forbes.com recently said that this Eastern state will lose more than 49,000 residents than it will gain and is the top state in the US for net resident loss for 2010.
2. The Italian edition of Rolling Stone magazine selected what man, who has never made any music, as its "Rockstar of the Year" for 2010?
3. Time magazine selected what self-made billionaire as its "Person of the Year" for 2010?
4. What Emmy-award winning actor pleaded guilty to charges stemming from allegations he broke into a Connecticut bank while drunk with a loaded gun?
5. Rumors spread last Thursday that what Oscar-winning actor had died, but it turned out to be a Twitter hoax and his death was even reported on CNN?
6. What African country withdrew corruption charges against Halliburton, the world's second largest oilfield services corporation, in exchange for $250 million settlement?
7. The governor of Texas called in what British rock superstar to mediate a dispute at the Alamo between conservationists and historians due to his large collection of Alamo memorabilia?
Christmas Trivia
1. "A Christmas Carol" was written by what 19th century author?
2. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas" what Christmas song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play for her?
3. On the fourth day of Christmas, what does my true love give me, according to "The 12 Days of Christmas?"
4. What Tchaikovsky ballet is a favorite during the Christmas season?
5. Bedford Falls is the setting for what classic Christmas movie?
6. What horror film star was the narrator of the classic Christmas TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas?"
7. What group founded the "Toys For Tots" program in 1947 and still run it today?
In Q's iPod: Christmas Music ("The Q Train")
1. The Beach Boys--Little Saint Nick
2. Nat King Cole--O Come O Ye Faithful
3. Bing Crosby--White Christmas
4. Sammy Davis Jr.--The Christmas Song
5. John Lennon--Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
6. Gene Autry--Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
7. Vince Guaraldi--Christmas Time Is Here
8. James Taylor--Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
9. The Drifters--White Christmas
10. Dean Martin--Let It Snow
General Knowledge
1. John Fogerty was the lead singer of what 1960s rock band? ( 1 pt)
2. When the colonists dumped 350 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in 1773, what were they disguised as?
3. AL is the postal abbreviation for what US state? ( 1 pt)
4. What California city did the last Pony Express ride end in? ( 2 pt)
5. "The Great Smog of 1952" caused at least 4,000 premature deaths in what European city? ( 2 pt)
6. "Raspberry Beret" was a 1985 hit song for what pop singer? ( 2 pt)
7. What European country consumes the most wine per capita? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What famous event occurred at 2122 North Clark Street in Chicago? ( 4 points)
2. Who is the only US president to win the Pulitzer Prize? ( 3 points)
3. What film was Tom Hanks nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for a third consecutive time but wound up losing after two consecutive wins? ( 4 points)
4. Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest point in what US state? ( 5 points)
5. The title character of what 19th century classic novel doesn't show up until chapter 133? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. New York; 2. Julian Assange; 3. Mark Zuckerberg; 4. Rip Torn; 5. Morgan Freeman; 6. Nigeria; 7. Phil Collins.
Christmas Trivia
1. Charles Dickens; 2. "Jingle Bells;" 3. four calling birds; 4. "The Nutcracker:" 5. "It's a Wonderful Life;" 6. Boris Karloff; 7. US Marine Corps.
General Knowledge
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival; 2. American Indians; 3. Alabama; 4. Sacramento; 5. London; 6. Prince; 7. Italy.
IQ Trivia
1. St. Valentine's Day Massacre; 2. John F. Kennedy; 3. "Apollo 13;" 4. Missouri; 5. "Moby Dick."
The numbers for Current Events was rather low, as I think I made it rather difficult. But they picked up for Christmas Trivia. The audio round saw the numbers slip back a bit, but the numbers were again strong for General Knowledge.
It was close going into IQ Trivia, but the team of Nachos and Cheese Fries ran the table for all 20 points, and jumped from fifth place to get into the winner's circle and won the night by five points. Congratulations to them on their first ever Trivia Night win.
We also had something happen that has never happened before. We had a three-way tie for second, and we broke the tie with this question: "Adding up the presidential numbers of John F. Kennedy and Benjamin Harrison, what number do you get?" The number was 58 (35+23), and the team of Not All Dreams Are Dead; Goodbye Don't Ask, Don't Tell hit it right on the nose to get the win and the second place prize. We also awarded third place prizes (Thom's Ale pitcher) to the teams of Jingle Balls and I Wish This Microphone Was a Candy Cane.
Best Team Name: Buttsweat and Tears
Current Events
1. Forbes.com recently said that this Eastern state will lose more than 49,000 residents than it will gain and is the top state in the US for net resident loss for 2010.
2. The Italian edition of Rolling Stone magazine selected what man, who has never made any music, as its "Rockstar of the Year" for 2010?
3. Time magazine selected what self-made billionaire as its "Person of the Year" for 2010?
4. What Emmy-award winning actor pleaded guilty to charges stemming from allegations he broke into a Connecticut bank while drunk with a loaded gun?
5. Rumors spread last Thursday that what Oscar-winning actor had died, but it turned out to be a Twitter hoax and his death was even reported on CNN?
6. What African country withdrew corruption charges against Halliburton, the world's second largest oilfield services corporation, in exchange for $250 million settlement?
7. The governor of Texas called in what British rock superstar to mediate a dispute at the Alamo between conservationists and historians due to his large collection of Alamo memorabilia?
Christmas Trivia
1. "A Christmas Carol" was written by what 19th century author?
2. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas" what Christmas song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play for her?
3. On the fourth day of Christmas, what does my true love give me, according to "The 12 Days of Christmas?"
4. What Tchaikovsky ballet is a favorite during the Christmas season?
5. Bedford Falls is the setting for what classic Christmas movie?
6. What horror film star was the narrator of the classic Christmas TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas?"
7. What group founded the "Toys For Tots" program in 1947 and still run it today?
In Q's iPod: Christmas Music ("The Q Train")
1. The Beach Boys--Little Saint Nick
2. Nat King Cole--O Come O Ye Faithful
3. Bing Crosby--White Christmas
4. Sammy Davis Jr.--The Christmas Song
5. John Lennon--Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
6. Gene Autry--Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
7. Vince Guaraldi--Christmas Time Is Here
8. James Taylor--Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
9. The Drifters--White Christmas
10. Dean Martin--Let It Snow
General Knowledge
1. John Fogerty was the lead singer of what 1960s rock band? ( 1 pt)
2. When the colonists dumped 350 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in 1773, what were they disguised as?
3. AL is the postal abbreviation for what US state? ( 1 pt)
4. What California city did the last Pony Express ride end in? ( 2 pt)
5. "The Great Smog of 1952" caused at least 4,000 premature deaths in what European city? ( 2 pt)
6. "Raspberry Beret" was a 1985 hit song for what pop singer? ( 2 pt)
7. What European country consumes the most wine per capita? ( 3 pt)
IQ Trivia
1. What famous event occurred at 2122 North Clark Street in Chicago? ( 4 points)
2. Who is the only US president to win the Pulitzer Prize? ( 3 points)
3. What film was Tom Hanks nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for a third consecutive time but wound up losing after two consecutive wins? ( 4 points)
4. Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest point in what US state? ( 5 points)
5. The title character of what 19th century classic novel doesn't show up until chapter 133? ( 4 points)
Answers
Current Events
1. New York; 2. Julian Assange; 3. Mark Zuckerberg; 4. Rip Torn; 5. Morgan Freeman; 6. Nigeria; 7. Phil Collins.
Christmas Trivia
1. Charles Dickens; 2. "Jingle Bells;" 3. four calling birds; 4. "The Nutcracker:" 5. "It's a Wonderful Life;" 6. Boris Karloff; 7. US Marine Corps.
General Knowledge
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival; 2. American Indians; 3. Alabama; 4. Sacramento; 5. London; 6. Prince; 7. Italy.
IQ Trivia
1. St. Valentine's Day Massacre; 2. John F. Kennedy; 3. "Apollo 13;" 4. Missouri; 5. "Moby Dick."
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
It's a Bad Night When Halftime Is The Highlight
The best thing about the Vikings first outdoor game in 29 years in Minnesota was at halftime. When the 50 Greatest Vikings were honored, legendary coach Bud Grant came out without a jacket on and was lifted up on the shoulders of Matt Blair and Tim Irwin as the crowd went nuts. That put a smile on my face. The rest of the evening?Even Bud could do nothing with this hapless bunch who call themselves the home team.
Butt ugly. Drubbed by the newly-crowned NFC North champion Chicago Bears, 40-14. Brett Favre was the surprise starter and got knocked out of the game early in the second quarter after hitting his head on the turf, which was probably more like fuzzy cement. It probably will be the end of his Hall of Fame career.
It was fun to watch the Vikings go down the field on the opening drive and score a TD. It all brought back happy memories of the Purple People Eaters of the 1970s and watching those Vikings teams dominate teams in the brutal Minnesota cold.
Then reality returned. This is simply a lousy football team.
The Vikings now officially have a losing record for 2010, the first time in four years.
Bring on the baseball season.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Get In The Spirit With Christmas Trivia
This Tuesday night's Trivia will be our Christmas edition, in both the Special Category and the Q Train Lightning Round. (The three other categories will not have any Christmas questions in it.)The Special Category will be "Christmas Trivia," seven questions that has have something to do with my favorite holiday of the year. And the Q Train lightning round will be another special edition of "In Q's iPod" and we will play ten Christmas songs and you have to tell me who the artists of the songs are (you won't be on the hook to tell me the name of the song). And don't worry. That annoying song featuring dogs barking "Jingle Bells" will NOT be a part of it. (I'm not that sadistic.)
The Sneak Peek question is:
John Fogerty was the lead singer of what 1960s rock band?
We will begin at the usual time of 9 PM. I hope many of you can make it out to our festive Yule edition of Trivia Night this week.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Wheeler Joins a Rebuilt Pen
The Red Sox continued their bullpen reconstruction today as they have reportedly signed former Rays reliever Dan Wheeler.The Red Sox signed him to a one year deal with the 33-year-old Rhode Island native, for $3 million, with an option for 2012. Although Wheeler was a Type A free agent, the Red Sox lose no draft picks, as he was declined arbitration by the Rays.
Here's more from MLB Trade Rumors.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Classy Move By Rays Fans
Fans of the Tampa Bay Rays, who have undoubtedly had a brutal offseason, did a really cool thing today. They put a full page ad in the Tampa Bay Times to thank Carl Crawford for all the great things he did for their franchise.I can't say I have ever heard of something like this happening before. I have heard of athletes who have thanked the fans with full page ads, but I believe this is a first.
Kudos to all of you at DRaysBay for doing this really classy gesture. You would have every reason to bash him and be bitter, but it's good to see you take the high road. I'm sure Mr. Crawford will acknowledge this terrific gesture back to you at some point.
Happy Birthday Frank; Goodbye Captain
Captain Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, passed away today, on what would have been Frank Zappa's 70th birthday. So in honor of these two fine gentlemen and entertainers, here is the exceptionally strange song they teamed up on in 1975, "Debra Kadabra" (the name of which reminds me of a special friend of mine):
CORRECTION: My friend Cyn wrote and told me that Frank Zappa's 70th birthday is actually next Tuesday, December 21. The Mighty Quinn regrets the error, but I'll leave this post up anyway. Sorry for jumping the gun, Frank.
CORRECTION: My friend Cyn wrote and told me that Frank Zappa's 70th birthday is actually next Tuesday, December 21. The Mighty Quinn regrets the error, but I'll leave this post up anyway. Sorry for jumping the gun, Frank.
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