July 28, 2009 question - Grimm Reality

Will EA Ever Learn?
Luring geeks to girls like showing Superman kryptonite
EA's latest video game shocker is called Dante's Inferno, and they have resorted to their standard publicity tactic: intentionally offending people to get in the news. Congratulations, EA, your game made trivia.

The big marketing stunt was a promotion during last weekend's ComicCon, where sci-fi geeks, Star Trek lovers, and comic book aficionados were told to take pictures of themselves committing "acts of lust" with EA spokesmodels.

Obviously, EA expected the outrage over the offensive and suggestive and degrading ploy (garnished with a tiny legal disclaimer saying "don't you dare do anything untoward or we'll sue your pants off"). What they weren't expecting was the class-action lawsuit accusing EA of exposing hordes of nerds to uncontrolled cooties.

Lesson to all video game makers: don't anger the geek squad. They know how to end you.

Today's Question
Fairy Tales
In the tale of the Frog King by the brothers Grimm, how does the princess transform the disgusting frog into a handsome prince?

Previous Answer
And the people who knew it
Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea, and here's who knew: Karen M (the M stands for Mother Goose), Heather M (the M stands for Mary Q. Contrary), Steve T (the T stands for Thumbelina), Micaela, Charles, and Tonia. As they say in North Korea, "Your genius has saved your life . . . for now."

July 7, 2009 question - Glee

The Bright Side
It only took me four years to find one.
Glee: noun The feeling evoked by the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox sharing a theme song with a series about show choir


Today's Question
Really Cool Literature
Who is the alter ego of Steve Rogers?

Previous Answer
And the people who knew it
For real, it wasn't a trick question yesterday, and the answer was The Sun Also Rises, as Karen H (the H stands for Hemingway) knew quite well. Nicely done!

July 6, 2009 question - Gore '09

It's Pamplona Time.

Keep a close eye on your upper thigh.
The economy is wearing on the city of Pamplona and its annual running of the bulls.

Call me old school, but I'd rather be pinched by a recession than gored by a bull.

Today's Question
Literature
What Hemingway novel popularized the San Fermín festival in Pamplona?

Previous Answer
And the people who knew it
I'm a little disappointed in you for trusting me so much. I tried to tell you overtly that I would not be asking trick questions anymore . . . which is exactly what someone who is about to ask yet another trick question would say. Because there are no, zero, nada free-standing structures that reach higher than the Sears Tower antennas. By most classifications, antennae do not count in the "world's tallest" argument. Spires count, antennas don't. I can't pretend to understand it, but that's the way it is. So in my mind (where anyone is free to roam around, although I don't recommend it) the Sears tower is the world's tallest building. There are four structures that go higher than the top of the actual building, but those red and white feelers touch rarified air. So congrats to Sears, Willis, and all future names of Chicago's most altitudinous location!

June 23, 2009 question - Ed Signs Off

Hiyoooooo In Peace
Ed & Johnny Together in the Late, Late, Late Show
Ed McMahon worked in a business in which appearing on screen is life. So to all of us who say he will be missed, let's be realistic. In our minds, he's been dead for years. We don't miss him more today than we did yesterday. We merely realized he was gone.

However, Ed was the master of being invisible unless called upon, a humble page in Johnny's royal court. He'd chime in for a laugh at the perfect moment at the service of the show, not to polish his own ego.

So from the guy who knew when to be quiet and when to boom hilariously into America's consciousness, Ed McMahon has simultaneously ended his silence and entered his peace with perfect irony and, as always, impeccable comedic timing.

Today's Question
Literature/Film
I'm pretty sure we've asked this question before, but my son asked it of me out of the blue during a series of questions that went like this:

What's that movie with the green witch? The Wizard of Oz

What's the girl's name who lives in Kansas? Dorothy

(And today's question)

What's her last name?

Previous Answer
And the people who knew it
Beverly Hills is the only (one) city in the 90210 ZIP code. Kyle, Karen M (the M stands for Melrose Place), Nancy K (the K stands for Knows Rodeo Drive Like The Back Of Her Hand), and Charles all guessed one, although a few of you confused the Hills with LA and/or Hollywood. Beverly Hills and West Hollywoood are actually 2 distinct cities surrounded by Los Angeles.

Kinda confusing. Not sure I even want to figure it out. Congrats to you all, regardless of trivial discrepancies.

April 17, 2009 question - Tree Parties

Tea Partied Out
From what I saw, they didn't even dress up.
I've heard altogether too much about these tea parties all around the country. Why was this ever deemed to be good ideas? I know people thought the original one in Boston was effective enough, but at least they did something. Walking around with signs is just not my idea of changing the world. And I really don't care about the numbers. I mean, come on . . . was it really that hard to find people who A) were in for a day off and B) aren't wild about paying taxes?

There's a support group for that. It's called Get in Line.

Today's Question
Literature
In the Dr. Seuss world, who speaks for the trees?

Yesterday's Answer
And the people who knew it
Fred Noonan. That's Fred Noonan, everybody. He was Amelia Earhart's navigator. Commit that to memory. It might show up on the test. I have a feeling we'll do better today.

March 23, 2009 question

Mondays
Why were we ever born?
If you haven't conversed with anyone yet, allow me to sum up every conversation taking place in every office everywhere: How are your brackets? Are they ruined? Did you check your brackets? You gotta look at my brackets! Guess what? I totally stunk up my brackets. My brackets rock! Are your final four still intact? Mine are. Mine aren't. I'm so gonna win. I need coffee.

And that is what they call a gross generalization.
 
Mondays kinda suck. And that is what they call gross reality. But you know what? There's always the distraction of the so-called trivial.

Today's Question
Literature
In which of these novel titles is the word the errantly included?
A. The Catcher in the Rye
B. The Kite Runner
C. The Life of Pi
D. The Secret
E. The Shack
 
Friday's Answer
And the people who knew it
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first presidential face to grace the screen of a television (and the breaking news is that there was a show on last night that actually did not feature Obama's face . . . finding him on TV is starting to become like finding Hitchcock in his own movies). Here's who knew:
Melinda
Konrad
Steve J (the J stands for Just Kidding . . . There Weren't Any Obama-Free Shows. I Kid, Barack, I Kid!)
 
Great work, all of you. Now get back to your Monday!