MC's blog: 2008

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Trivia Thursday Let it Snow

It is once again Trivia Thursday. I will post a new set of trivia questions on Thursdays. The rules are simple. Please put your answers in the comments section of the post and I will reveal the answers next week or whenever I feel like it. No Cheating! I trust that all of you will all use the honor system? That means you will not use Google, (or any other internet search engines) or mooch off other peoples answers. Cheating is BAD. If your employer has somehow made it impossible for you to post comments (bastards), you may also email your answers to me at MCDupras@gmail.com.

It has been like 4 years since I got a day off from work due to snow. Total BS. So I am trying to will it to snow this year. On a Monday or Tuesday preferably. With a good stock of beer and food in my house. So this week's trivia is going to be about snow. Good luck:

1. As water droplets freeze, they grow into tiny snow crystals. These stick together to make what?
a. snowballs
b. hail
c. snowflakes
d. rain

2. If the air is cold and dry, what type of snow is made?
a. wet
b. powdery
c. icy
d. blue

3. Why doesn’t snow always melt right away?
a. the air temperature is always too cold
b. not enough air space between flakes
c. it’s too icy
d. the sun’s rays bounce off the snow

4. When snow falls, it muffles sound – true or false?
a. true
b. false

5. It must be 32 degrees F or colder for it to snow – true or false?
a. true
b. false

6. Wet snow that splashes and makes puddles is called:
a. powder
b. blue
c. slush
d. hail

7. Can it snow from clear skies?
a. yes
b. no

8. What rule of thumb is often given for the amount of snow that one inch of rain freezes into:
a. 10 inches
b. 2 feet
c. 1 inch
d. 5 inches

9. Sun reflecting on snow can cause sunburn, even in cold weather – true or false?
a. true
b. false

10. When snow begins to melt at the end of winter, what is it called?
a. flooding
b. a Chinook
c. a thaw
d. blue snow

11. What kind of snow should you never eat?

12. Why does salt help keep snow from turning into ice?
a. salt is warm
b. salt is tasty
c. salt water doesn’t bond with ice particles
d. salt waters needs to be much colder to freeze

13. At which of the following temperatures does water spontaneously freeze?
a. 18 degrees F
b. 32 degrees F
c. 0 degrees F
d. -40 degrees F

14. What is mixed together to create a blizzard?
a. snow and rain
b. wind and rain
c. wind and snow
d. hail and rain

15. Snow sometimes melts during the day and freezes as ice at night. Dripping water that freezes makes what?

16. Heavy equipment that clears snow off roads are called?
a. snowplows
b. dumptrucks
c. snowpushers
d. sander trucks

17. Sheep can be buried under snow – true or false?
a. true
b. false

18. Wind blowing the snow can form what?
a. tobogganing hills
b. waves
c. drifts
d. snowmen

19. Which of the following is not effected by wind chill?
a. person
b. dog
c. car radiator
d. bird

20. The Inuit have many words for snow – true or false?
a. true
b. false

Good luck!

Answers to Christmas Carol Trivia

Here are the answers to last week's riddles:

1. Oh, member of the round table with missing areas = Oh Holy Night

2. Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres = Jingle Bell Rock

3. Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling =
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

4. Wanted in December: top forward incisors = All I Want For Christmas Is My
Two Front Teeth

5. The apartment of two psychiatrists = The Nutcracker Suite

6. The lad is a diminutive percussionist = Little Drummer Boy

7. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis = Silent Night

8. Decorate the entryways = Deck the Halls

9. Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element = Silver
Bells

10. Oh small Israel urban center = Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

11. Far off in a haybin = Away in a Manger

12. We are Kong, Lear, and Nat Cole = We Three Kings

13. Duodecimal enumeration of the passage of the yuletide season = The Twelve
Days of Christmas

14. Leave and broadcast from an elevation = Go Tell It on the Mountain

15. Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your yuletide season =
We Wish You a Merry Christmas

16. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully = Hark
the Herald Angels Sing

17. As the guardians of the woolly animals protected their charges in the
dark hours = Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night

18. I beheld a trio of nautical vessels moving in this direction = I Saw
Three Ships

19. Jubilation to the entire terrestrial globe = Joy to the World

20. Do you perceive the same vibrations which stimulate my auditory sense
organ? = Do You Hear What I Hear?

21. A joyful song of reverence relative to hollow metallic vessels which
vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck = Carol of the Bells

22. Parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster = I Saw
Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

23. May the Deity bestow an absence of fatigue to mild male humans = God Rest
Ye Merry Gentlemen

24. Rose-colored uncouth dolf is aware of the nature of precipitation, darling =
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Doug started off with a less than stellar performance, but got a save from his wife to bring him up to 22 out of 24 right. Good job, Lisa (cough cough), I mean Doug. Just kiddin' ya.

Ann Marie came in second place with 18 out of 24. She smart.

Thanks for playing!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Pimpin' ain't easy

I got a really cool gift from my friend Karen in a Secret Santa swap: the opportunity to take my workspace from boring to bling with a Pimp My Cubicle kit.

Sweet, huh?

It came with all kinds of awesome stuff:

Gold push pins, so I can put up stylish reminders and memos to make my coworkers jealous:

Leopard print fringe to decorate with (grrrrrrrrrrrr) that I displayed proudly outside my door:

A disco ball as a nod to the days of the original pimps:

A new mousepad that NO ONE else in my office has.

A bling key. What's a pimp without bling? I'm saving up to make it an all bling keyboard.

A $ paperweight, so everyone knows I'm rollin' in the Benjamins:

Plus it's great for holding down my messages. Pimps are in demand, ya know.

That is a pimped office. Now where my ho's at? Oh wait. Got 'em.

Thanks, Karen! This was a lot of fun. It entertained a whole bunch of coworkers too.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Trivia Thursday - I'm feeling joyful

I am playing hooky today so that I can go do my Christmas shopping. Every year Marty and I go to King of Prussia, separate for hours and then get back together for drinks and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory because I am usually disgusted with mankind at that point. I was close to fisticuffs last year in a video game store. We had a good system going: One line for two registers. Then a woman decides to forgo the line and just walk up to one of the registers. Much yelling and cursing ensued from all in the line, including me. Oh joyful memories of Christmases past. Anyway, I will make Marty listen to Christmas music the whole drive there, even though he would rather listen to Sports Talk. See if you can tell me the name of the carols described in the riddles below:

1. Oh, member of the round table with missing areas

2. Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres

3. Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling

4. Wanted in December: top forward incisors

5. The apartment of two psychiatrists

6. The lad is a diminutive percussionist

7. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis

8. Decorate the entryways

9. Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element

10. Oh small Israel urban center

11. Far off in a haybin

12. We are Kong, Lear, and Nat Cole

13. Duodecimal enumeration of the passage of the yuletide season

14. Leave and broadcast from an elevation

15. Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your yuletide season

16. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully

17. As the guardians of the woolly animals protected their charges in
the dark hours

18. I beheld a trio of nautical vessels moving in this direction

19. Jubilation to the entire terrestrial globe

20. Do you perceive the same vibrations which stimulate my auditory sense
organ?

21. A joyful song of reverence relative to hollow metallic vessels which
vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck

22. Parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster

23. May the Deity bestow an absence of fatigue to mild male humans

24. Rose-colored uncouth dolf is aware of the nature of precipitation,
darling

Monday, December 8, 2008

I'm so much more of a winner than this guy

You know who really quit smoking, meaning not smoking any cigarettes at all? Me.

You know who quit smoking, but still smokes? President Elect Barack Obama.

In your face, Barack.

You can read the full article here http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081207/pl_nm/us_usa_obama_smoking_3.

He says he won't violate the no smoking rule at the White House. We will see. I live in a white house too and I never smoked there. I used the porch.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Yep. I'm back.

So I've been missing for several months. OK. Seven months. What made me go away? Laziness, apathy, boredom.. So what made me come back?

Well...

1. I am now new and improved as you can tell by my new blog look. I'm still kind of up in the air about this. It seemed cool at home and then I came into work where I have a 24 inch screen, pulled up my fancy new blog and I got scared. The picture looked huge. Looking at big pictures of myself is uncomfortable. Kind of like the feeling you get when you hear your own voice on an answering machine or in a video. It may be coming down.

2. I am in demand and wildly popular. That's slightly exaggerated. Two people have asked me recently about the blog.

3. In my blogging absence, I have been on Facebook a lot. It's like crack. Yet at times, I am totally confused by the facebook etiquette or lack thereof. Have you run into this?? You get the email from Facebook "Girl you haven't spoken to in 12 years has added you as a friend. Confirm her as your friend." Then I confirm the friend and there's no catching up or emails exchanged. I just see pictures and updates about her in her new life that really don't make sense to me.

4. Gears of War 2 came out. Marty's logging hours a day on the xBox. I have been cut off from my television set. He no longer speaks to me. I was bringing work home to entertain myself as I listen to chainsaws and guns in the background. Not good. I figure the game might "break" in a couple weeks, but that I can entertain myself with the blog for a little while. It was that or alcohol. I bounce back much better the morning after blogging than the morning after drinking. And stupid me bought him three new games for Christmas and I think one of them may be about the zombie apocalypse. I should probably rethink this decision.

5. I'm still not smoking. The anger subsided for a bit. But now it's back. Maybe it's the added stress of the holidays? Not sure. I need something to do to distract myself. This works.

6. Don't know if you've heard, but apparently the economy is going down the toilet. I've learned that our retirement statements should go from mailbox to shredder without getting opened. I live in a one income household (5 months til graduation!!), so we have this new plan: don't go out to dinner, don't go shopping, don't go to the bar, don't go on weekend trips and don't internet shop. Super. WTF am I supposed to do with myself? Cook, scrub, vacuum? No. No. No.

So here I am...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Trivia Thursday REALITY TELEVISION

2. Which one of these has NOT been a "Survivor" locale?
A. Papua, New Guinea
B. Palau
C. Vanuatu
D. Pearl Islands
E. Borneo

3. One "Apprentice" contestant's "scary" behavior, according to fellow contestants, "led us to believe that there could possibly be a second personality to - literally." Was it:
A. Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
B. Chris Shelton
C. Ereka Vetrini
D. Heidi Bressler
E. Stacie Jones Upchurch

4. "Supernanny" Jo Frost comes from where in the British Commonwealth?
A. Canada
B. England
C. Australia
D. Scotland
E. New Zealand

5. Who was the first "Celebrity Mole?"
A. Corbin Bernsen
B. Frederique Van Der Wal
C. Kathy Griffin
D. Stephen Baldwin
E. Angie Everhart

6. Aside from working construction, Joe Millionaire's Evan Marriott also held a job as:
A. A hairstylist
B. An underwear model
C. A pro wrestler
D. A soap actor

7. Which one of these announced reality shows never aired?
A. "Beg, Borrow & Deal"
B. "Under One Roof"
C. "Fraternity Life"
D. "The Real Beverly Hillbillies"
E. "Are You Hot?"

8. Which one of these has NOT been a "Fear Factor" special edition?
A. Miss USA
B. Mensa
C. Las Vegas
D. All-Female
E. Family

9. Bachelor Alex Michel picked which lady to receive his final rose?
A. Jen Schefft
B. Meredith Phillips
C. Amanda Marsh
D. Estella Gardinier
E. No one

10. Where did Ryan, the bachelor that Trista chose on The Bachelorette, live?
A. Sacramento
B. Phoenix
C. Santa Fe
D. Vail

11. What was the city in the first season of "The Real World?"
A. New York
B. Boston
C. San Francisco
D. Seattle
E. San Diego

12. Which one of these is NOT a reality show involving plastic surgery?
A. "Dr. 90210"
B. "Nip/Tuck"
C. "The Swan"
D. "Extreme Makeover"
E. "I Want a Famous Face"

13. Which skinny Real World: Las Vegas housemate was accused of having an eating disorder?
A. Frank
B. Trishelle
C. Irulan
D. Arissa

14. Which one of these "stars" has NOT been on "The Surreal Life?"
A. Dave Coulier
B. Emmanuel Lewis
C. Kathy Griffin
D. Charo
E. Christopher Knight

15. Which one of these reality shows originated as a program overseas?
A. "Nanny 911"
B. "The Restaurant"
C. "The Apprentice"
D. "Joe Millionaire"
E. "Big Brother"

16. Which one of these is NOT a TV show or product involving the first "America's Next Top Model," Adrianne Curry?
A. Macy's
B. "The Surreal Life"
C. "Half and Half"
D. Sephora
E. Marie Claire magazine

17. "Survivor" winner Brian Heidik won the game at which location?
A. Africa
B. Australia
C. Thailand
D. Marquesas
E. All-Stars

18. What CNN news-show star was once a reality-show host?
A. Wolf Blitzer
B. Larry King
C. Anderson Cooper
D. Lou Dobbs
E. Aaron Brown

19. Which of these celebrities won Skating With Celebrities?
A. Kristy Swanson
B. Summers Sanders
C. Jillian Barberi
D. Deborah Gibson

20. The Hills is a spin-off of what show?
A. The Real Housewives of Orange County
B. Temptation Island
C. Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
D. Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County

Answers to Mathematics Trivia

Here are the answers. I put the explanations for problems that most or all people got wrong. I do have the explanations for everything though. So if anyone has any questions and would like to see how a problem was solved, let me know and I will post them.

1. What is the figure that is defined to be the set of all points in the plane that are equidistant from a single point?
b. A circle

2. What is the only type of triangle the Pythagorean Theorem can be used on without being given any other measurements besides the sides (no height given)?

Right

3. Which of the following fractions is the largest:
b. 31/60

4. If 16 ½ feet equal 1 rod, how many inches are in 4 rods?
d. 792
5. On a map, 1 centimeter represents 35 kilometers. Two cities 245 kilometers apart would be separated on the map by how many centimeters?
b. 7

6. If GEOMETRY means 'earth measurement', what does TRIGONOMETRY mean?

a. Triangle Measurement

7. To change 3 miles to inches, you should
c. multiply 3 times 5,280 and then multiply by 12

8. Helen purchased three times as many carnations as roses. If roses cost $1 each, and carnations cost $.50 each, and she spent a total of $7.50 for the flowers, how many roses did she purchase?
b. 3

9. What is the next number in this sequence? 0, 2, 6, 14, 30, ... ?

62

10. What will be the diameter of a circle with circumference 12 inches?

b. 3.82 inches

11. Between 9 a.m. and noon, how many degrees does the hour hand of a clock move?
c. 90

12. A college graduate goes to work for $x per week. After several months, the company gives all the employees a 10% pay cut. A few months later, the company gives all the employees a 10% raise. What is the college graduate’s new salary?
b. .99 $x

13. An automobile traveled 6 hours at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. It averaged only 30 miles per hour on the return trip. What was the approximate average speed in miles per hour for the round trip?
b. 34

14. The cost of 30 onions is d dollars. At this rate, how many onions can you buy for 80 cents?
a. 24/d

15. Two cars leave the same location at 2 p.m. If one car travels north at the rate of 30 mph and the other travels east at the rate of 40 mph, how man miles apart are the two cars at 4 p.m.?
b. 100 miles
The cars start at the same point and the first travels 60 miles north and the other 80 miles east. The distance between them is now the hypotenuse of a triangle. So you use the Pythagorean theorem to figure out the distance.

16. What is the cost in dollars to carpet a room x yards long and y yards wide if the carpet costs two dollars per square foot?
e. $18xy
Abbie was the only one who got this right! The room is measured in yards, but the cost is in feet. There are 9 square feet in a yard and the cost was $2 per square foot, so the cost is $18 per square yard. To figure out the cost to carpet the room, it is the cost times the area, which is $18xy.

17. John is three times his son’s age. If the difference between their ages is 30 how old is the son?
c. 15

18. How many ice cubes, measuring 2 inches on an edge, can be held in a container measuring 8 inches deep, 5 inches high, and 4 inches wide?
a. 16

19. Mrs. Jones wishes to buy 72 ounces of canned beans for the least possible cost. Which of the following should she buy?
a. six 12-ounce cans at $.39 per can

20. If the profit gained on the sale of an article is 10% of the selling price, and the original cost of the article is $12.60, the article must be marked for sale at
e. $14.00
Maria was the only one who got this right!
If $12.60 is the cost of the article and the profit is to be 10% of the selling price, than $12.60 is 90% of the selling price.
.9x=$12.60
x= $14.00

The results:
Maria got 8 out of 20. Maria, Marty and I thought those damn Praxis people were wrong with #20 until we rethought the problem. You were the only one who got it right. And it was a question about shopping. Good job.

Mom got 10 out of 20 correct. It has been a long time since she took a math class, so I thought this was pretty good.

Abbie and Joe both got 14/20 correct. Abbie said "This is probably why I am a social worker." Abbie, you tied with the engineer!! Joe, you tied with the social worker!

Our winner is....

KAREN!!! Karen got 16 out of 20 and she is a nerd. Just kidding. Way to go, Karen. Maybe you should try to play more often.

Good job everyone. Thanks for playing!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Trivia Thursday MATHEMATICS

It is once again Trivia Thursday. I will post a new set of trivia questions every Thursday. The rules are simple. Please put your answers in the comments section of the post and I will reveal the answers next week or whenever I feel like it. No Cheating! I trust that all of you will all use the honor system? That means you will not use Google, (or any other internet searches) or mooch off other peoples answers. Cheating is BAD. If your employer has somehow made it impossible for you to post comments (bastards), you may also email your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

Marty had to pass the Praxis I exam for school in order to enroll in any of his remaining classes, including student teaching. The Praxis is a basic skills test in reading, math and writing that measures the academic proficiencies of students trying to seek teacher certifications. Marty was not overly concerned with the reading and writing sections, but we had to study for a couple of weeks to brush him up on the math skills he had not looked at or practiced in almost 20 years. My favorite was when I said something about finding the common denominator and he looked at me quizzically and mouthed the word "denominator". I was suddenly nervous about his success on the test. He took six practice tests and with my awesome tutelage, he scored above and beyond the passing grade. Through this, we only threatened to maim each other about four times. Not too bad. It was during this time that I uttered our new favorite phrase in our house, "I will roll your f-ing head across this floor." I think I said it all serious at the time, but we both started cracking up and repeat it quite often now. So, here are 20 questions that we did to practice for the Praxis. Let's see how you do! No calculators are allowed during the Praxis, but I will allow them during Trivia Thursday. Good luck.

1. What is the figure that is defined to be the set of all points in the plane that are equidistant from a single point?
a. A square
b. A circle
c. A line
d. A parabola

2. What is the only type of triangle the Pythagorean Theorem can be used on without being given any other measurements besides the sides (no height given)?

3. Which of the following fractions is the largest:
a. 25/52
b. 31/60
c. 19/40
d. 51/103
e. 43/90

4. If 16 ½ feet equal 1 rod, how many inches are in 4 rods?
a. 5 ½
b. 22
c. 66
d. 792
e. 2,376

5. On a map, 1 centimeter represents 35 kilometers. Two cities 245 kilometers apart would be separated on the map by how many centimeters?
a. 5
b. 7
c. 9
d. 210
e. 280

6. If GEOMETRY means 'earth measurement', what does TRIGONOMETRY mean?

a. Triangle Measurement
b. Angle Measurement
c. Three Measurements
d. Earth Triangle Measurement

7. To change 3 miles to inches, you should
a. multiply 3 times 5,280
b. multiply 3 times 5,280 an then divide by 12
c. multiply 3 times 5,280 and then multiply by 12
d. divide 3 into 5,280 and them multiply by 12
e. divide 3 into 12 and then multiply by 5,280

8. Helen purchased three times as many carnations as roses. If roses cost $1 each, and carnations cost $.50 each, and she spent a total of $7.50 for the flowers, how many roses did she purchase?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
e. 7

9. What is the next number in this sequence? 0, 2, 6, 14, 30, ... ?

10. What will be the diameter of a circle with circumference 12 inches?

a. 37.7 inches
b. 3.82 inches
c. 0.262 inches
d. 1.91 inches

11. Between 9 a.m. and noon, how many degrees does the hour hand of a clock move?
a. 30
b. 60
c. 90
d. 180
e. 360

12. A college graduate goes to work for $x per week. After several months, the company gives all the employees a 10% pay cut. A few months later, the company gives all the employees a 10% raise. What is the college graduate’s new salary?
a. .90 $x
b. .99 $x
c. $x
d. 1.01 $x
e. 1.11 $x

13. An automobile traveled 6 hours at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. It averaged only 30 miles per hour on the return trip. What was the approximate average speed in miles per hour for the round trip?
a. 33
b. 34
c. 35
d. 36
e. 37

14. The cost of 30 onions is d dollars. At this rate, how many onions can you buy for 80 cents?
a. 24/d
b. 240/d
c. 3d/8
d. 8d/3
e. 4d/16

15. Two cars leave the same location at 2 p.m. If one car travels north at the rate of 30 mph and the other travels east at the rate of 40 mph, how man miles apart are the two cars at 4 p.m.?
a. 50 miles
b. 500 miles
c. 100 miles
d. 120 miles
e. 150 miles

16. What is the cost in dollars to carpet a room x yards long and y yards wide if the carpet costs two dollars per square foot?
a. $xy
b. $2xy
c. $3xy
d. $6xy
e. $18xy

17. John is three times his son’s age. If the difference between their ages is 30 how old is the son?
a. 5
b. 10
c. 15
d. 20
e. 25

18. How many ice cubes, measuring 2 inches on an edge, can be held in a container measuring 8 inches deep, 5 inches high, and 4 inches wide?
a. 16
b. 20
c. 40
d. 80
e. 160

19. Mrs. Jones wishes to buy 72 ounces of canned beans for the least possible cost. Which of the following should she buy?
a. six 12-ounce cans at $.39 per can
b. seven 10-ounce cans at $.34 per can
c. three 24-ounce cans at $.79 per can
d. two 25-ounce cans at $.62 per can
e. five 13-ounce cans at $.37 per can

20. If the profit gained on the sale of an article is 10% of the selling price, and the original cost of the article is $12.60, the article must be marked for sale at
a. $13.66
b. $13.86
c. $11.34
d. $12.48
e. $14.00

Answers to TV Sitcom Trivia

EEEEEEK. I made the posts for yesterday's Trivia, but never got on here to post them. Sorry!

Here are the answers to last week's Trivia:

1. On an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry cannot remember the name of a girl he is dating but he knows it rhymes with a part of the female anatomy. What was her name?
d. Dolores

2. The theme song to what '80s sitcom began "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air"?
a. Greatest American Hero

3. What was Dwayne's catch-phrase on What's Happening?
d. Hey, HEY, Hey

4. What city did the Conners live in on Rosanne?
d. Lanford, Illinois

5. On Cheers, why did Eddie LeBec and Carla's marriage end?
a. Eddie was run over by a Zamboni

6. On The Jeffersons, what did George Jefferson do for a living?
c. Owned a chain of dry cleaning stores

7. On Frasier, who is Niles in love with?
d. Daphne

8. On Webster, what did Webster call his adoptive mom?
c. Ma'am

9. On Happy Days, what was Fonzie's "office"?
d. The men's room at Arnold's

10. On Mad About You Paul and Jamie frequently ate at the same restaurant. Who was usually their waitress?
b. Ursula

11. On Will & Grace, what was the name of Jack's original one-man show?
c. Just Jack

12. On Taxi, Tony Danza's character used to play what professional sport?
c. Boxing

13. On The Nanny, how did Fran meet the Sheffields?
d. Fran shows up on the Sheffields' doorstep selling cosmetics

14. All of the following shows were spin-offs of other '70s shows except:
b. All in the Family

15. Which Spin City star played the original deputy mayor on the show?
d. Michael J. Fox

16. On Three's Company, Jack and Janet had three different blonde roommates. In what order did they appear on the show?
d. Chrissy, Cindy, Terri

17. On Murphy Brown, Murphy had to constantly find a new:
b. Secretary

18. On an episode of News Radio, Matthew is fired from the radio station and returns to his original profession. He was a:
c. Dentist

19. What planet was ALF from?
c. Melmac

20. On Married with Children, Al once said, "Bundys are ___, not ____."
d. "Bundys are losers, not quitters."

21. On Perfect Strangers, Balki Bartokomous frequently repeated the same catch phrase. What was it?
b. "Don't be ridiculous"

22. On the series finale of Newhart, Bob Newhart wakes up in bed next to:
d. Emily Hartley, his wife from The Bob Newhart Show

23. Who was the youngest daughter on Eight is Enough?
d. Elizabeth

24. Who was Alex P. Keaton's political idol on Family Ties?
b. Richard Nixon

25. On Welcome Back, Kotter, who was the leader of the Sweathogs?
b. Vinnie Barbarino

26. On Golden Girls where did Dorothy frequently threaten to send her mother, Sofia?
c. Shady Pines

27. What brewery did Laverne & Shirley work in?
b. Shotz Brewery

28. On the Facts of Life pilot, what actress played one of the original students at Eastlake Academy (later renamed Eastland Academy)?
d. Molly Ringwald

29. In November 1972, Maude had a surge of popularity and jumped to fifth in the ratings. Why?
b. Maude had an abortion

30. On a serious episode of Growing Pains, Carol's boyfriend dies in a drunk-driving accident. What now-famous actor played him?
b. Matthew Perry

Maria and Theresa, didn't you guys have the same score last week? You both had 18 out of 30 this week. Well done. But you got beat out by...

BEDA. Yep. Mom got 20 out of 30. Good job on your first trivia, Beda.

Ladies, you all got beat by the one man who played. Joe got 21 out of 30 and is the TV SitCom Trivia champion. Good job, Joe!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Thank you Mom and Dad

I just hopped over to CNN to see what was going on in the world and here's a couple of highlights:

"Sect boys may have been abused" I guess forcing the underage girls into marriage and motherhood wasn't enough. One of the lucky teens just gave birth today.

"Sex offenders living at child care facilities, audit says" California cross-referenced the addresses of 75,000 licensed childcare and foster homes and found that the addresses of 49 sex offenders matched those of child care facilities.

"Baby found in house riddled with filth" This house had decay, waste, biohazards and no running water. Used condoms were found on the floor and there was a toilet filled with feces (yes I did chuckle when I read feces, so it's okay if you did). The baby was almost a year old.

"Crying 4-year-old found along highway" A 4-year-old was looking for his dog. No adults realized he was gone until a cop knocked on the door to say "Hey, we found your toddler on the interstate."

And then there's this guy:

Josef Fritzl of Austria (doesn't he kind of look like Donald Sutherland's ugly brother?) started abusing his daughter when she was 11. When she was 18 he lured her into the basement, drugged and handcuffed her and made her write a note to her mother saying she ran away. He kept her there as a sex slave for TWENTY FOUR YEARS. He fathered 7 children of hers, 3 of which were kept captive with her. 1 died and he burned the body in the furnace. 3 others were raised by him and his wife. He only got caught because their 18 year old son, who had never been out of the basement, got so ill he had to take him to the hospital, where the doctors discovered the truth. Messed up.

Then I went over to IBNLive to watch a 500 year old tradition of tossing babies off of a roof to a sheet 50 feet below. Crazy. You can watch it HERE.

So I was feeling pretty lucky and just wanted to say thanks Mom and Dad.

After the depressing stuff in this post, I suggest watching Boom dee odda again. It makes you feel better.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Boom dee odda Boom dee odda

For like a year and a half now, Marty is into the Discovery Channel, History Channel, Biography Channel, etc. Since I only get the remote control when he is not at home (even when he's sleeping he has a death grip on it), I therefore watch these shows also. I've gotten used to them and enjoy them too. Except for Nazi shows because he watches every one that comes on and there are like five million of them. Enough already. Anyway, I thought this was a cool commercial and thought I would share it. When I hear the song, I can't get it out of my head:

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Trivia Thursday TV Sitcoms

3. What was Dwayne's catch-phrase on What's Happening?
a. Dynomiiiite
b. Whatchu talking 'bout?
c. Right on!
d. Hey, HEY, Hey

4. What city did the Conners live in on Rosanne?
a. Dayton, Ohio
b. Harris, Pennsylvania
c. Detroit, Michigan
d. Lanford, Illinois

5. On Cheers, why did Eddie LeBec and Carla's marriage end?
a. Eddie was run over by a Zamboni
b. Eddie left Carla for a blond named Loretta
c. Eddie dumped Carla because she was a jinx on his hockey game
d. Carla left Eddie because he couldn't get her pregnant

6. On The Jeffersons, what did George Jefferson do for a living?
a. Owned a chain of restaurants
b. Owned a chain of men's clothing stores
c. Owned a chain of dry cleaning stores
d. Owned a chain of video stores

7. On Frasier, who is Niles in love with?
a. Roz
b. Maris
c. Lilith
d. Daphne

8. On Webster, what did Webster call his adoptive mom?
a. Mrs. Popadapolis
b. Katherine
c. Ma'am
d. Mom

9. On Happy Days, what was Fonzie's "office"?
a. The corner booth at Arnold's
b. The room over the Cunningham's garage
c. Richie's bedroom
d. The men's room at Arnold's

10. On Mad About You Paul and Jamie frequently ate at the same restaurant. Who was usually their waitress?
a. Mabel
b. Ursula
c. Phoebe
d. Riff

11. On Will & Grace, what was the name of Jack's original one-man show?
a. Jack Takes Manhattan
b. Jack 2000
c. Just Jack
d. Jack Attack

12. On Taxi, Tony Danza's character used to play what professional sport?
a. Football
b. Golf
c. Boxing
d. Baseball

13. On The Nanny, how did Fran meet the Sheffields?
a. Mr. Sheffield asks for directions in the bridal shop where Fran works
b. C.C. meets Fran at an art show and introduces her to Mr. Sheffield
c. Fran is the hairstylist for one of Mr. Sheffield's Broadway shows
d. Fran shows up on the Sheffields' doorstep selling cosmetics

14. All of the following shows were spin-offs of other '70s shows except:
a. Rhoda
b. All in the Family
c. Laverne & Shirley
d. Good Times

15. Which Spin City star played the original deputy mayor on the show?
a. Charlie Sheen
b. Heather Locklear
c. Richard Kind
d. Michael J. Fox

16. On Three's Company, Jack and Janet had three different blonde roommates. In what order did they appear on the show?
a. Cindy, Chrissy, Terri
b. Terri, Cindy, Chrissy
c. Chrissy, Terri, Cindy
d. Chrissy, Cindy, Terri

17. On Murphy Brown, Murphy had to constantly find a new:
a. Job
b. Secretary
c. Painter
d. Hairdresser

18. On an episode of News Radio, Matthew is fired from the radio station and returns to his original profession. He was a:
a. Acrobat
b. Hot dog vendor
c. Dentist
d. Bike messenger

19. What planet was ALF from?
a. Mypos
b. St. Olaf
c. Melmac
d. Ork

20. On Married with Children, Al once said, "Bundys are ___, not ____."
a. Bundys are winners, not cheaters."
b. "Bundys are perverts, not predators."
c. "Bundys are liars, not squealers"
d. "Bundys are losers, not quitters."

21. On Perfect Strangers, Balki Bartokomous frequently repeated the same catch phrase. What was it?
a. "I pity the fool ..."
b. "Don't be ridiculous"
c. Nanoo nanoo"
d. "Hey you guys!"

22. On the series finale of Newhart, Bob Newhart wakes up in bed next to:
a. Joanna Loudon, his wife from Newhart
b. Larry, Darryl and Darryl
c. Stephanie, the maid
d. Emily Hartley, his wife from The Bob Newhart Show

23. Who was the youngest daughter on Eight is Enough?
a. Susan
b. Joanie
c. Nancy
d. Elizabeth

24. Who was Alex P. Keaton's political idol on Family Ties?
a. John F. Kennedy
b. Richard Nixon
c. Ronald Regan
d. Jimmy Carter

25. On Welcome Back, Kotter, who was the leader of the Sweathogs?
a. Arnold Horshack
b. Vinnie Barbarino
c. Freddie "Boom Boom" Percy Washington
d. Juan Luis Pedro Philippo de Huevos Epstein

26. On Golden Girls where did Dorothy frequently threaten to send her mother, Sofia?
a. Sicily
b. Brooklyn
c. Shady Pines
d. St. Olaf

27. What brewery did Laverne & Shirley work in?
a. Ranier Brewery
b. Shotz Brewery
c. Milwaukee Brewery
d. Pabst Brewery

28. On the Facts of Life pilot, what actress played one of the original students at Eastlake Academy (later renamed Eastland Academy)?
a. Demi Moore
b. Ally Sheedy
c. Annie Potts
d. Molly Ringwald

29. In November 1972, Maude had a surge of popularity and jumped to fifth in the ratings. Why?
a. Maude's daughter died of cancer
b. Maude had an abortion
c. Maude had a baby
d. Maude was the first character to adopt a baby on TV

30. On a serious episode of Growing Pains, Carol's boyfriend dies in a drunk-driving accident. What now-famous actor played him?
a. Ben Affleck
b. Matthew Perry
c. Brad Pitt
d. Leonardo DiCaprio

Answers to GEOGRAPHY

OK. Next time I do Geography, I'm going to stick to the US. This was hard!!!! I made the questions and I still think I would have gotten a lot wrong just a week later. Here are the answers:

1. The Galapagos Islands are a territory of what country?
b. Ecuador
Galapagos means tortoise in Spanish. It was named this because of the giant tortoises inhabiting the islands.

2. With an economy that is totally dependent on tourism, this wee European nation is known for its elegant casino, spectacular scenery, princes and princesses.
a. Monaco
It is located by the France/Italy border. The whole country is two square km, which is less than one square mile!

3. Which two countries share the longest border?
b. USA and Canada
The border between the United States and Canada is the longest shared between any two countries in the world.

4. What is the largest city in the Caribbean?
c. Havana
Havana is the capital of Cuba, the only communist nation in the Caribbean. This is crazy: a couple of weeks ago, Cubans were finally allowed to have cell phones. Prior to that, only government officials could have cell phones.

5. Which has the longest coastline?
c. Japan
Japan's coastline is 29,751 km (18,486 m), that of the US is 19,924 km (11,999 m), New Zealand's is 15,134 km (9,404 m) and that of the British Isles (the UK plus the Republic of Ireland) is 13,877 km (8,623 m).

6. What lake is located on the border of Bolivia and Peru?
b. Lake Titicaca
I had to put this in here because it’s a funny name. Say it out loud. Fun.

7. What is the only Central American country not to have Spanish as its official language?
a. Belize
Belize was a British territory formerly known as British Honduras

8. What is the largest state in the United States?
Alaska, which was a former Russian territory.

9. What island nation has Nassau as its capital?
c. Bahamas
I heard it’s better there.

10. The world's smallest country is also the world's only country where Latin is the official language. Which country is it?
c. Vatican City (Holy See)
Located in the heart of Rome, Vatican City (Holy See) is the spiritual and administrative capital of the Roman Catholic Church. With an area of just 108.7 acres (about 0.4 sq. km), and a population of under 1000, Vatican City is easily the world's smallest autonomous state.

11. Sri Lanka lies just off the tip of the Indian subcontinent, but to which side?
a. East

12. What is the only country to speak Dutch in South America?
c. Suriname
Suriname was a former Dutch colony.

13. This city is often referred to as "The Gateway of India"
a. Mumbai
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V to Bombay in December 1911. There is an "India Gate" in New Delhi.

14. What is the largest city in South America (population)?
b. Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo is the third largest city in the world(population) after first being Tokyo and second being Mexico City.

15. What is common to the capital cities of Washington DC (USA), Wellington (New Zealand), Canberra (Australia), New Delhi (India), Beijing (China) and Brasilia (Brazil)?
b. None of them are the largest cities in their respective countries
The largest cities are respectively New York, Auckland, Sydney, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

16. What is the northernmost city of these four?
c. Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is the northernmost, followed by Anchorage, Helsinki and Vladivostok.

17. The countries of the Middle East are often in the news today. Which direction is Tehran, Iran from Kabul, Afghanistan?
c. West
Afghanistan is land-locked, bordered by Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south and east, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China to the east.

18. Greenland is still a territory of what country?
a. Denmark

19. Which of the following three-letter combinations begins the name of the most countries?
a. Mal
The countries whose names begin with 'mal': Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali and Malta. Coming in second are those countries whose names begin with 'bel', namely: Belarus, Belau, Belgium and Belize.

20. Zacatecas is a state located in which country?
b. Mexico
Zacatecas is famous for its silver mines.

Mary S. said last week that she had the "I just failed a high school midterm" feeling. Mary, you kicked butt with 11 out of 20. Maria and Joe both got 7 out 20 and TT got 6 out of 20.

I promise this week's will be much easier!!!!!!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Talented family

The Star Ledger just named my nephew the lacrosse player of the week. The entire article can be found here, but I will copy and paste it as well:

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rich Dupras, Immaculata Senior midfielder, 6-0, 175

Just the stats:

He scored the last five goals of the game, including three in the final 1:30 of regulation and the game winner 1:24 into overtime, in a 15-14 victory over Morristown-Beard last Wednesday. Dupras followed two days later with an eight-goal, four-assist performance in a 13-5 victory over Glen Ridge. During a timeout with 5:30 left and his team down, 13-7, against Morristown-Beard, Dupras proclaimed, "We still have a chance. We're not losing this one."

On his prediction: "I was pretty heated at the moment. I kind of opened my mouth, then figured I better do something about it."

Coach Tom Mott's words: "He stood in the huddle, said we weren't losing and he made it happen. I've never seen anything like that before."

On his eight-goal game: "I seemed to be in the right spot at the right time wherever I was on the field. That was the game of my life."

Other sports: He was a receiver and defensive back for Immaculata's successful football team.

Favorite sport: "Definitely lacrosse."

The spark: Started playing in first grade in the Hillsborough youth program that his father, also named Rich, helped establish.

Top influence: "Easily my dad. He was my first coach and he still coaches me from the sideline."

College plans: He will play at Stevens Tech in Hoboken, where he intends to study business technology.

Versatility: Dupras plays midfield and attack, faces off on occasion and even plays a long pole in man-down situations.

Toughest opponent: "Seems to be Hunterdon Central every year."

Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese.

Favorite movie: "The Wedding Crashers."

Favorite TV show: "Prison Break."

Favorite music: Hip hop and rap.

Favorite sport on TV: Giants football.

Favorite video game: "Call of Duty."

Three for dinner: Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice.

Way to go Rich!! I'm very proud of you, as I know everyone else is. And I love the very intimidating picture.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Pretty food

I love the warm weather because it means we cook on the grill. I love food off of the grill and grilling is the only time that Marty willingly helps with the cooking. Also, paper plates are totally acceptable with grilled food. Oh... and beer tastes glorious with all things grilled.

I normally don't worry about presentation when I'm cooking at home. I am no Julia Child (gravy anyone??) and I am super proud of myself if all of the dishes for one meal are ready at the same time. How do people get cooking timing down? That is an art.

I was so proud of myself last night though that I had to share my kabobs with you all. They were beautiful and tasty too! For your viewing pleasure:

I've been told that it is impossible to grill without a beer in your hand...

Our grilling glove looks like a whale and you can make the whale talk. In real life: hysterical. On the internet: probably not so funny.

Done and ready to eat:

Trivia Thursday GEOGRAPHY

Answers to GAME SHOWS Trivia

1. Nickelodeon's first game show was later renamed "Super Sloppy Double Dare." Aimed at kids, two teams of two kids each answered trivia questions. If one team didn't know the answer, they could dare the other team to answer for double the points. The other team could "double dare" the first team, who had to either answer the question or perform a (usually messy) stunt. The winning team participated in an equally messy obstacle course at the end of the show for a team prize.

Double Dare

2. Jimmy Kimmel was the sidekick on this game show from 1997 to 2001.

Win Ben Stein’s Money

3. This is a Game Show Network original show in which two-person teams attempt to identify five-letter words correctly before passing their turn to the opposing pair. Once a correct answer is given, they get to randomly draw numbers and try to get five numbers in a row from their board of numbers.

Lingo

4. Name the game:
Teammate 1: “A wrench. A plunger. A snake.”
Teammate 2: “Things a plumber might use!”
Teammate 1: “A map. A flashlight. Insurance card.”
Teammate 2: “Things found in a glove box! Things found in a glove compartment!”

$50,000 Pyramid

5. Contestants had to guess if the next in a series of cards would be higher or lower than the previous card. To get on the board, two contestants had to predict how many people in a survey of 100 answered a question a certain way. The champion player went to the bonus round. Starting with $200, the player wagered money on whether the next card would 99 be higher or lower. The last wager was the "Big Bet," where the player had to wager at least half of the money.

Card Sharks

6. While the clock ticks down, questions are passed to each player. A correct response raises the bank, as each player opts to call "Bank" before the next question, thus shifting the winnings into the pot. At the end of each round, the players vote a contestant 'off.'

The Weakest Link

7. Kenny wasn’t like the other kids. Even though he was the host of this show, he didn’t become as famous as some of his sidekicks like Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn.

Remote Control

8. Two celebrity guests teamed up with a contestant on each of two teams. Teams attempted to guess a chain of related pairs of words. They were given the first and last words of the pair, and had to guess the words in between. One letter of a word was revealed at a time. The team with the most correct guesses (and points) at the end of the rounds went on to the bonus round.

Chain Reaction

9. Name the game:
Teammate 1: “Peroxide”
Teammate 2: “Bleach?”
Teammate 1: “Platinum”
Teammate 2: “Blonde!”

Password

10. This was one of the most riotous game shows on TV, mostly because of the scripted and ad-libbed celebrity answers. Two contestants call on each star to answer trivia; then choose to agree or disagree.

Hollywood Squares

11. In this game or its classic version, two contestants matched pairs on a puzzle board to make two puzzle pieces disappear. A rebus puzzle would be revealed as the pieces disappeared, like the following:

Classic concentration

12. Six players are presented a physical or mental challenge to conquer. The group then votes for the one amongst them most likely to fail. If the underdog tanks, he or she is out of there. If he/she wins, he/she gets to choose another player for elimination. The last man standing then picks a trivia question for each of the eliminated players, trying to choose categories they will get wrong.

Dog Eat Dog

13. This enduring classic was one of the longest running network game shows - spanning over 17 years. The game format, which never changed, consisted of four celebrity panelists who attempted to guess the invention or occupation of a secret contestant. In the 3rd round, the celebrity panel would wear blindfolds and attempt to guess the identity of a 'Mystery Guest' star.

What’s My Line?

14. In this game, you want to spin for cash and prized and avoid this guy:

Press Your Luck

15. This has been the number one game show in syndication since 1984 and was also the first game show to be close-captioned for the hearing impaired.

Wheel of Fortune

16. This is the longest running game show on television. It has been on the air since 1972.

The Price is Right

17. One true identity and two imposters enter the stage all claiming to be the same person. Three celebrity panelists then grill the trio attempting to separate the real deal from the false pair.

To Tell the Truth

18. Your fastest finger leads you to the millionaire chair to face the host. This high intensity cash flow-show single handedly revitalized primetime studio games and led to several new prime time game show releases.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

19. We asked 100 people “Which game show host gives the most kisses to contestants?” Survey says….this guy, who hosted the Family Feud from 1976 to 1985 and 1994 to 1995.

Richard Dawson

20. Each show presented a contest between creative performers of often off-beat talent, with a panel of three celebrity judges. If any one of the judges considered an act to be particularly painful to watch (or listen to), they could stop the performance.

The Gong Show

Puzzles: Dancing With the Stars and Hannah Montana

Results:

This was a hard one!

Mary S got 8 out of 20. Mary has passed the trophy on to another this week. Mary gets the Bob Saget award.

Megs and T got 9 out of 20. T also got a bonus questions right for +1. You both earn the Chuck Woolery award. He must hold a record for games hosted. He hosted like a million of them.

Maria and Abbie both got 14 out of 20 right which is kind of amazing cause I did make this hard. They also both got a bonus. If their brains were combined to make one super brain, they would have gotten 17 out of 20 and both bonus questions right. You guys get the Wink Martindale award. I just liked the name Wink. Also you take home this fabulous prize:

This television is from the living room on Wheel of Fortune. After a half hour scouring the internet for a picture of the ceramic dog, I gave up. Was it a dalmation? Is that why I couldn't find it? Anyway, thanks for playing!!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOM!!

It is my brother Tom's birthday. Hope you have a great birthday!! You don't look a day over (insert whatever age you don't want to look a day older than)!! Love ya!

In honor of Tom, if anyone would like to share something Tom, feel free. I'll start: I love that every day, Tom looks more like a clone of Dad (the laugh, the looks, everything).

Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy

Marty and I went to a wedding on Saturday and has so much fun. Just a lot of hanging out, talking and laughing. We were having so much fun, we forgot to look at our watches all night. We didn't get home until after 4am and woke up to go to a baseball game the next morning. Miraculously, we were able to hang out and drink beers that day too. Maybe I should have been a rock star...

The bride used to be my sister T's coworker, so there were plenty of T's coworkers there. I hope I didn't reveal too many of her secrets. To all of those at Table 3, we had a great night and hope to hang out again! Ry & T, you know we love you. Sarah, it was great to see you again and meet Andrew. Jessica, thanks for being my tequila partner and Brett thank you for allowing her to be. Devin, I think we all owe you a million dollars for the case of random beers you bought at last call. Nav, my only regret was not taking a picture of you as you got into your cab. Theresa and I did wave to you like it was a Love Boat send off though. Enjoy the pictures:

Smilin' Ry:

MC and Marty:

Sarah & Andrew:

T & Sarah:

Jenn, the bride looked so great! Here she is with T & S:

A friend of the groom's played his guitar afterwards at the hotel. He was awesome.

Nav & Mr. Jones. I called him Mr. Smith about three times and he never corrected me...

This is what T's mouth does when she gets mad. I wonder who pissed her off?

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Trivia Thursday GAME SHOWS

I think the pictures should work now. If not, I'm stumped and give up. Sorry bout that.

It is once again Trivia Thursday. I will post a new set of trivia questions every Thursday. The rules are simple. Please put your answers in the comments section of the post and I will reveal the answers next week or whenever I feel like it. No Cheating! I trust that all of you will all use the honor system? That means you will not use Google, (or any other internet searches) or mooch off other peoples answers. Cheating is BAD. If your employer has somehow made it impossible for you to post comments (bastards), you may also email your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

The Game Show Network reruns a ton of old game shows, so while a lot of these are old, they are still on, so people know them. Proof of this: Marty and I were babysitting for my sister years ago and my nephew, who was three at the time says to Marty as we are tucking him into bed, "Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let Gene Rayburn bite." I was all kinds of confused and looked at Marty and he says "Ummm.... He's the host of Match Game." That show was on from 1973 to 1979 and is supposed to be the best game show of all time. So here you go. Good luck!

1. Nickelodeon's first game show was later renamed "Super Sloppy Double Dare." Aimed at kids, two teams of two kids each answered trivia questions. If one team didn't know the answer, they could dare the other team to answer for double the points. The other team could "double dare" the first team, who had to either answer the question or perform a (usually messy) stunt. The winning team participated in an equally messy obstacle course at the end of the show for a team prize.

2. Jimmy Kimmel was the sidekick on this game show from 1997 to 2001.

3. This is a Game Show Network original show in which two-person teams attempt to identify five-letter words correctly before passing their turn to the opposing pair. Once a correct answer is given, they get to randomly draw numbers and try to get five numbers in a row from their board of numbers.

4. Name the game:
Teammate 1: “A wrench. A plunger.”
Teammate 2: “Things a plumber might use!”
Teammate 1: “A map. A flashlight. Insurance card.”
Teammate 2: “Things found in a glove box! Things found in a glove compartment!”

5. Contestants had to guess if the next in a series of cards would be higher or lower than the previous card. To get on the board, two contestants had to predict how many people in a survey of 100 answered a question a certain way. The champion player went to the bonus round. Starting with $200, the player wagered money on whether the next card would 99 be higher or lower. The last wager was the "Big Bet," where the player had to wager at least half of the money.

6. While the clock ticks down, questions are passed to each player. A correct response raises the bank, as each player opts to call "Bank" before the next question, thus shifting the winnings into the pot. At the end of each round, the players vote a contestant 'off.'

7. Kenny wasn’t like the other kids. Even though he was the host of this show, he didn’t become as famous as some of his sidekicks like Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn.

8. Two celebrity guests teamed up with a contestant on each of two teams. Teams attempted to guess a chain of related pairs of words. They were given the first and last words of the pair, and had to guess the words in between. One letter of a word was revealed at a time. The team with the most correct guesses (and points) at the end of the rounds went on to the bonus round.

9. Name the game:
Teammate 1: “Peroxide”
Teammate 2: “Bleach?”
Teammate 1: “Platinum”
Teammate 2: “Blonde!”

10. This was one of the most riotous game shows on TV, mostly because of the scripted and ad-libbed celebrity answers. Two contestants call on each star to answer trivia; then choose to agree or disagree with their answers.

11. In this game or its classic version, two contestants matched pairs on a puzzle board to make two puzzle pieces disappear. A rebus puzzle would be revealed as the pieces disappeared, like the following:

12. Six players are presented a physical or mental challenge to conquer. The group then votes for the one amongst them most likely to fail. If the underdog tanks, he or she is out of there. If he/she wins, he/she gets to choose another player for elimination. The last man standing then picks a trivia question for each of the eliminated players, trying to choose categories they will get wrong.

13. This enduring classic was one of the longest running network game shows - spanning over 17 years. The game format, which never changed, consisted of four celebrity panelists who attempted to guess the invention or occupation of a secret contestant. In the 3rd round, the celebrity panel would wear blindfolds and attempt to guess the identity of a 'Mystery Guest' star.

14. In this game, you want to spin for cash and prizes and avoid this guy:

15. This has been the number one game show in syndication since it went syndicated in 1984 and was also the first game show to be close-captioned for the hearing impaired.

16. This is the longest running game show on television. It has been on the air since 1972.

17. One true identity and two imposters enter the stage all claiming to be the same person. Three celebrity panelists then grill the trio attempting to separate the real deal from the false pair.

18. Your fastest finger leads you to the millionaire chair to face the host. This high intensity cash flow-show single handedly revitalized primetime studio games and led to several new prime time game show releases.

19. We asked 100 people “Which game show host gives the most kisses to contestants?” Survey says….this guy, who hosted the Family Feud from 1976 to 1985 and 1994 to 1995.

20. Each show presented a contest between creative performers of often off-beat talent, with a panel of three celebrity judges. If any one of the judges considered an act to be particularly painful to watch (or listen to), they could stop the performance.

BONUS: Solve the rebus puzzles in #11.

Books I've been reading when I'm not smoking

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand - The book is about three women, all at crazy times in their lives (sick, pregnant with a cheating husband and a career implosion) who go to Nantucket for a summer. A local boy home from college for the summer watches the kids and gets involved with them. I read it because I love Nantucket and it made me think about a summer there with my good friend. I would recommend this book. It's interesting to compare the 20 year old's opinions of the situations with the women's opinions..
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Really fascinating and different. It's a little futuristic and something has caused pretty much the end of the world. When nothing grows, humans have to scavenger for food and you know what that leads to when there's no food to be found. I didn't think a book that had so few characters and so little dialogue could keep my attention. It really did though. It was simple, but really intriguing. I'm excited for the movie, but it will be interesting to see how they pull this off wen 98% of the book was just a boy and his father walking.
Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - Me loves. I didn't think I would really like these books since I'm usually not a vampire kind of person, so says the girl who stayed up really late reading these books and religiously watches True Blood every Sunday night. The books are really cute though and the whole "vampire living like a normal person" think is a good twist on the traditional story. I get what has the preteens all excited.
My Friend Leonard by James Frey - I read A Million Little Pieces and liked it. This book picks up where that book left off. James is out of rehab and trying to live again. I love all things mafia related and his friend, Leonard is a wise guy. James met and started an unlikey friendship with Leonard in rehab. Interesting, sad and a good story. Recommend.
Sisters by Danielle Steel - It was just okay. I loved the story line. The perfect family has a tragedy and one of four sisters is left blind by an accident. Everything was so neat and predictable though. Recommend, but don't run out and get it.
Ron Jeremy, the hardest working man in show business - Other than trying to hide it so no one would think I was a perv, this was pretty interesting. For example, I didn't realize that he was a special education teacher. Special Ed teacher to porn star is a big leap. Recommend.
Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons - This is a graphic novel so it is a giant comic book with some pages of text thrown in. I ran out of books and Marty had it. Suprisingly, it was pretty good. I was really into it, but thought the end was kind of lame. There were a lot of events that seemed kind of epic and then the end was pretty anticlimatic. Marty said he heard this was being made into a movie. It is very easy to imagine. It's as if the comic book is a storyboard for a movie already. Recommend (especially for chicks willing to try something new)
Paint it Black by Janet Fitch - I really like White Oleander, so I picked up this book. The story is dark, but very detailed. I just could not feel anything for any of the charachters. It is about a girl whose boyfriend commits suicide. It then goes into her relationship with the boyfriend's mother. I didn't feel anything for the main charachter, the mother or the dead boyfriend. In fact, nothing really happened in the book. SKIP IT.
Separation of Power by Vince Flynn - I'm usually not into this kind of book. Assassins, the CIA, crooked politicians. It was like the Bourne Identity type of thing. I couldn't put it down. And I want to marry the main charachter, Mitch Rapp. Yummy. Recommend.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I'm trying not to read all fluff and it was on the clearance rack. What a nice surprise. I can see where a lot of contemporary love stories and movies have stolen Miss Bronte's ideas. Recommend.
Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes - Pretty cute book. I have read her other books before. This one was darker, but still good. Rachel thinks she is a social drug user whose family sends her to rehab. Her story is sad, but the book made me laugh out loud at times. Recommend.